Help, you guys have never steered me wrong before

[latenthart]

Okay a little off topic,
I have always come here for all my Dis advice and have complete faith in the advice here.

I am booking my 10th anniversary vacation for end of June. My hubby and I are in our mid thirties and live in on long island, NY.
Looking for something other than Disney (eke, hard to believe) . Caribbean island perhaps. I would like some nightlife if I choose it.

We went to Key West recently and liked it, but wish there had been better beaches. I am not a sun worshipper or anything but, the beaches were small and limited in Key west. I also dont want to drive for 3-4 hrs from miami to get to Key West. There are no direct flights to keywest.

We have stayed at Couples in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and liked it but felt that the nightlife was very limited.

Can anyone tell me the name of a resort they have stayed at in caribbean that they would recommend? Or perhaps a reliable message board to go to? I did a search but there are about 10,000 message boards for caribbean islands!

These are my requirements
1. GOOD FOOD a must!
2. Decent beach nearby
3. No switching planes to get there would be ideal.
4. some nightlife available


Please help me
Kristie

[5mins2disney]

My wife and I took our honeymoon at Sandals in Jamaica about 8 years ago. Very nice place, great food, some nightlife. Being there a week though, you start to get kind of sick of the same resort, although they do have day trips and excursions you can go on. The nice thing about Sandals is it's all inclusive, so you literally put your wallet away for the whole trip and don't worry about it. Free drinks too!

You might also think about Mexico, I've been to Puerto Vallerta and the place was awesome! There's more of a big city there you can go out to restaurants and nightlife, there's also lots of day excursions / activities (more than Jamaica had). We went via Apple Vacations (not sure if they have that in NY?), and stayed in a 5 golden apple hotel / resort (it wasn't what I would call a truly 5* hotel like the Waldorf, but it was very nice). Mexico is also a LOT cheaper than the caribbean or Jamaica.

We had just an incredible 5* dinner at this restaurant on top of a hotel over looking the city at sunset, 7 course dinner, drinks, appetizers, desserts, wine, etc, and the total bill came to just over $100 with tip, unbelievable! And, we had a small army of wait staff people waiting on us, and they have live musicians playing in the restaurant (piano, that sort of thing, not mariachis! LOL).

The BVIs are even more expensive than Jamaica.

[riu girl]

Perhaps consider the RIUs in the mayan riviera. The best food I have ever eaten at an AI. Buffet, plus a la carte restaurants. Also, if you stay at one, you can play at 3 I believe. Walking distance to Playa del carmen (for nightlife) or very inexpensive cab ride (about 5 US). Resort complex also offers evening entertainment as well as two discos.

www.riu.com

[Darcy03231]

Have you considered a cruise? Great food, wonderful service, lots of entertainment, get to visit multiple islands (and beaches). DH and I (and the children) started cruising several years and ago and now its our favorite type of vacation.

[KSoda]

:banana: How about a nice Disney Cruise?:banana:

[HeatherC]

Here is another vote for a cruise. We have taken several...both with and without our 3 kids and have always had a wonderful time. They are also an incredible value considering they include all your entertainment and food.

If you are both active, I would suggest one of the Royal Caribbean Voyager Class Ships. They are really amazing and there is so much to do. You can do a virtual tour of them on www.royalcaribbean.com.

Another suggestion would be to check out Bermuda. It is a nice quick flight from New York and supposed to be so beautiful. (Haven't made it there yet...but I will!) I have had many people tell me that while it is expensive, it is truly one of the nicest places in the Caribbean...and one of the safest.


Have a great time.
Heather

[jcrew6]

Okay a little off topic,
I have always come here for all my Dis advice and have complete faith in the advice here.

I am booking my 10th anniversary vacation for end of June. My hubby and I are in our mid thirties and live in on long island, NY.
Looking for something other than Disney (eke, hard to believe) . Caribbean island perhaps. I would like some nightlife if I choose it.

We went to Key West recently and liked it, but wish there had been better beaches. I am not a sun worshipper or anything but, the beaches were small and limited in Key west. I also dont want to drive for 3-4 hrs from miami to get to Key West. There are no direct flights to keywest.

We have stayed at Couples in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and liked it but felt that the nightlife was very limited.

Can anyone tell me the name of a resort they have stayed at in caribbean that they would recommend? Or perhaps a reliable message board to go to? I did a search but there are about 10,000 message boards for caribbean islands!

These are my requirements
1. GOOD FOOD a must!
2. Decent beach nearby
3. No switching planes to get there would be ideal.
4. some nightlife available


Please help me
Kristie


Hi Kristie,

I did this plan for my husband's 40th b-day a few years back - searched everywhere and simply found St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Soooo different from St. Thomas it's sister island - it's small, quiet and beautiful. To tell you that it brought tears in my eyes how beautiful and I have been to Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman's - and this by far was the best. It's convenient that if you want to venture to the Brittish Virginal Islands, We went to Jost Van **** on a day trip - too another beautiful spot. We rented a home because it was more convenient & truthfully, more economical. St. John is a quiet island as they say but there are a lot of pubs and get wild at night. Their parties sometimes end up on the streets late at night. Kenny Chesney has a home there as often stops in and parties with the vacation folks. You are at the perfect age group there too. We just took our kids there last summer and they loved it and we're trying to get there next year. PM if you want more info - I promise it's breath taking.


Good Luck Planning.

[snowbunny]

The Reefs, Bermuda!

Direct flight from JFK on JetBlue.
Pink sand beaches.
Wonderful service and atmosphere, fantastic food.

www.thereefs.com (http://www.thereefs.com)

We were there in 2004...magical :thumbsup2

[latenthart]

Wow you guys are great!

I have done a royal caribbean cruise. We were on the Navigator. Got an inside cabin (next time I will get a Balcony for sure, no matter what the cost!
We did western caribbean, jamaica, grand cayman, cozumel and Labadee.
I think Jamaica is better at resorts, Labadee was beautiful, Cozumel was our favorite though. However I must note that I had my ten yr old son with me then. This vacation is just for my hubby and I.

I had considered a cruise, but I am concerned that seeing the southern caribbean or eastern caribbean on a cruise may not be the best way to get a feel for the islands. I looked into Ladera (www.ladera.com) and The Caves in Negril (http://www.islandoutpost.com/the_caves/) but I was concerned there would be a serious lack of nightlife. They did however look amazing!

Another place I had thought of was Riu Palace Las Americas in Cancun, so I was glad to hear the food is good.

US virgin Islands would be nice considering I dont need a passport.

Thought about Puerto Rico as well. Heard it has a lot of nightlife.

Ok so far
3 for cruise
2 for Bermuda
1 for Riu Resort in Mexico
1 for St. John (still looking into this one)

Anyone else?

[Mainebound]

Hi Kristie,

I did this plan for my husband's 40th b-day a few years back - searched everywhere and simply found St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Soooo different from St. Thomas it's sister island - it's small, quiet and beautiful. To tell you that it brought tears in my eyes how beautiful and I have been to Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman's - and this by far was the best. It's convenient that if you want to venture to the Brittish Virginal Islands, We went to Jost Van **** on a day trip - too another beautiful spot. We rented a home because it was more convenient & truthfully, more economical. St. John is a quiet island as they say but there are a lot of pubs and get wild at night. Their parties sometimes end up on the streets late at night. Kenny Chesney has a home there as often stops in and parties with the vacation folks. You are at the perfect age group there too. We just took our kids there last summer and they loved it and we're trying to get there next year. PM if you want more info - I promise it's breath taking.


Good Luck Planning.

I have to agree that St. John is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is head and shoulders above the other US Virgin Islands. The good hotels are extremely expensive. The Westin is excellent. You might consider renting a villa there as well!

[FrenchSnowWhite]

You want some nightlife??? the best place is in Acapulco Mexico!!!!!!!!!;)

[jcrew6]

Wow you guys are great!

I have done a royal caribbean cruise. We were on the Navigator. Got an inside cabin (next time I will get a Balcony for sure, no matter what the cost!
We did western caribbean, jamaica, grand cayman, cozumel and Labadee.
I think Jamaica is better at resorts, Labadee was beautiful, Cozumel was our favorite though. However I must note that I had my ten yr old son with me then. This vacation is just for my hubby and I.

I had considered a cruise, but I am concerned that seeing the southern caribbean or eastern caribbean on a cruise may not be the best way to get a feel for the islands. I looked into Ladera (www.ladera.com) and The Caves in Negril (http://www.islandoutpost.com/the_caves/) but I was concerned there would be a serious lack of nightlife. They did however look amazing!

Another place I had thought of was Riu Palace Las Americas in Cancun, so I was glad to hear the food is good.

US virgin Islands would be nice considering I dont need a passport.

Thought about Puerto Rico as well. Heard it has a lot of nightlife.

Ok so far
3 for cruise
2 for Bermuda
1 for Riu Resort in Mexico
1 for St. John (still looking into this one)

Anyone else?


REGARDING USVI'S & NO PASSPORT NEEDED - AS OF 01/01/2007 - PASSPORTS ARE NEEDED TO ANY TRAVEL OUTSIDE US THAT INCLUDES PUERTO RICO, MEXICO & US VIRGIN ISLANDS - JUST fyi

[HeatherC]

I also agree that St. John is beautiful. Really spectacular. But...from what I know is there is not much nightlife per say if you are definitely interested in that.

HeatherC

[curlyjbs]

:thumbsup2 Definetely cruise!! Great Food! Great Night life! Go for the balcony! You will love it - nothing like coffee on the balcony in the am and a glass of wine at night! ahhhhh paradise!

We like cruising because we get to experience a little bit of each island and if we like it enough we can always plan to go back for a week!

~Connie

[Jenna45]

Aruba :goodvibes
We have stayed out the Hyatt and Radisson and own a timeshare at Playa Linda!

[Vivianne]

Just to toss in a different suggestion.

My husband and I really enjoyed Aruba. We stayed at the Marriott (we had a fabulous buffet breakfast and the one dinner we had was pretty good too). Aruba has great beaches, especially on the southern side. We did change planes at San Juan but it was a quick flight. I can't tell you about the nightlife but the beaches were excellent.

We did a tour on our own in a rented jeep and had alot of fun. We circled the island and stopped at major points. We even toured with two couples we met on our way. One on their honeymoon and another who had been there numerous times and showed us some sites. We also dined in Orangestad, it was a memorable trip for us. :thumbsup2

As far as message boards, I frequent the Fodor's website. I was able to plan a two-week trip to Vegas-Grand Canyon on their information and had a great time last year.

[latenthart]

REGARDING USVI'S & NO PASSPORT NEEDED - AS OF 01/01/2007 - PASSPORTS ARE NEEDED TO ANY TRAVEL OUTSIDE US THAT INCLUDES PUERTO RICO, MEXICO & US VIRGIN ISLANDS - JUST fyi

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

[latenthart]

Looking into cruises....

this one looks good- carnival -southern carribbean
http://www.carnival.com/Itinerary.aspx?embkCode=SJU&itinCode=SCJ&durDays=7&sailDate=7/8/2007&shipCode=DE&sailingID=42083&subRegionCode=CS&rateCode=BCA


7 Day Southern Caribbean from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Sailing on: Sunday | View Sail Dates & Pricing
Ship: Carnival Destiny


1 San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00pm

2 St. Thomas, USVI 7:00am 5:00pm

3 Dominica 10:00am 6:00pm

4 Barbados 8:00am 5:00pm

5 St. Lucia, WI 8:00am 5:00pm

6 Antigua 9:00am 6:00pm

7 Fun Day At Sea

8 San Juan, Puerto Rico 7:00am

[latenthart]

bump

[Darcy03231]

I cruised on the Destiny last September and am booked again for the first week of October 2007. The ports are amazing! I will say, being a frequent cruiser, that the food on this ship is not great. While there is plenty of it and you won't go hungry, most things are ok, with a few really things that are really good. My brother and his wife just got back from their Destiny cruise and everything they said about the food was the same as I found last fall. We booked again because the ports (and the price) more than made up for the food. My brother also said the ports more than made up for the food. If food is really important to you I wouldn't book this ship. RCCL also has a ship that sails from San Juan to the Southern Carribean (I think its Adventure of the Seas?). If you're interested in the Southern ports that might be an option.

[latenthart]

I decided on a cruise. I went with Carnival. The ports were AMAZING in the southern caribbean. I actually would do this itinerary again just NEVER with Carnival. I posted my review on cruise critic for our ship the Carnival Destiny. The best way to describe the boat:

You know when you have been out all day at the parks or sight seeing and at the end of the day you come back to your hotel/room? Usually you are so relieved to be "home". On the Destiny we were relieved to arrive at the islands. I must add the staff is kind but way overworked. The ship was shabby and dirty. All and all we still had a great time, visiting an island everyday but I would never take Carnival again. I am tempted to try Norwegian because they leave right out of NY, but after my horrible Carnival trip, I would be afraid to waste a week of my precious "vacation" time for a disappointment. I usually cruise RCL in Voyager class or bigger ships and have never been dissappointed. I wonder how Disney cruises compare to RCL?