Average cost of Caribbean vacation...

It's really hard to give an average, as there are so many factors. You're planning to go at the more expensive time, so I would imagine that finding a villa for $1500/week would be tough. I also think that $400/week for food is a light estimate. For one person? Probably doable. For two? Probably not, unless you are extremely budget conscious, don't drink any alcohol except local beer, and plan to prepare many of your own meals in the villa, and maybe even bring some food from home with you.

I don't know what island you have your eye on today, but you could save money by doing an apartment rather than a villa where you would still have the space and cooking facilities of a villa, but it would be more spartan. The island of Bequia, for example, has several apartment-style rental places that you can get for under $100/night in high season. It would cost you more to get there, but once you're there the accommodations are very economical.

Thanks for the info. I have no clue so I am putting my feelers out. I think a villa is what we want...esp. if we are going esp. for the view. Snorkling would be fun, beaches for a while, shopping a bit, catamaran...maybe. We are looking at STT or STJ but have just begun our research. Thanks for your input.

Expect to pay double what you are planning for February 2007. Most places we have been run about $150 US/couple for dinner at least. For a villa -- probably $500/night at least. Also, with the high cost of fuel, air fare probably would be more in the $750 range.

Lois

February is peak season in the Caribbean so you can expect to pay "top dollar". That said, if you sight your sights relistically you might be able to find decent accomodations for $1,500 a week but don't expect it to be a large plush beachfront villa and it probably won't be on St. John or St. Thomas (or any of the British Virgin Islands). For that price you might be able to find a small mountainside cottage on some less visited island. Do a google search for "Villa Rentals Caribbean" or Villa Rentals - ISLAND OF YOUR CHOICE" to get an idea of prices for your planned dates of travel. Like others have said, consider a condo or apartment as a way of saving money.

You don't say where you are travelling from but your airfare estimate (I assume you mean per person) may be on the low side as is your food budget unless you were plnning to prepare your own meals and eat very simply.

If you want to do the Caribbean on a budget during peak season you might want to consider staying getting a package deal through one of the many tour operators to stay at an AI in Cancun, Cozemel, Antigua, Dominican Republic or Jamaica. Those destinations are easily reachable from most gateway cities and traditionally are lower in cost.

Here is roughly what we just spent for two weeks in St. John. Remember, this low season.
airfare: $0 FF points

acomodations: $2400 for the villa for 12 days, $650 for two nights at Gallows Point.

car rental: $900 for two weeks.

food: $1500 for two weeks. We saved $$ by eating breakfast at home and bringing lunch to the beach. Restaurants are expensive. We don't drink alcohol. If we did, that food total would have easily been 50% more.

Ferries, taxis, tips, etc: $300

We did not do any boat trips or tours that would have added significant $$ to the total.

Hope this helps.

-Bill

7 nights in Montserrat (very inexpensive, comparatively speaking), 2 in St. Maarten for 2 adults, 2 children). Housing, 2 bdrm villa & a standard hotel room = $ 1400. Car rental = $350. Flights (used miles for two tickets) = $600. Food & other items = $700. We ate in a lot & purchased little in the way of extras. Also took diapers w/us. If I'd had to buy tickets for everyone, tack on an extra $900.

My husband and I frequently rent villas...we go in the low season, rent a car, eat out about five days out of seven. We always end up spending about $4000, total. I think if you go in May (can you push it back a little?) through December, you can do the $1500 villa nicely. $400 for food is about half of what you need for two. Most locations require a car - figure $500 for a week (this is not a ripoff, car parts are very hard to come by in the Caribbean!). $600 for airfare is probably reasonable (are you coming from a major airport? helps!). Excursions (and you DO want that catamaran ride!) are for the leftover dough.

A couple of times we have squeezed the budget lower, by getting a not-so-luxurious villa (but always in a great location), or picking a lower-cost island (like Eleuthera in the Out Islands), or sometimes (not really our favorite) going all-inclusive. Real bargains there in the off-season.

I hope I don't get slammed for this one, but here goes.... I am a chicken when it comes to booking, so I went with an AAA agent who hooked us up with St. Kitts and Nevis last year, which we loved. So, we went with the same agent again and the same two islands and added on 4 days (please read my trip report about Nevis and SXM), to St. Martin, for hubby's 40th bday..... Our trip with oceanfront rooms and transportation to and from the airport was $5,540.....we took $1200 in cash and charged every meal, as we were tipping everyone and his brother..aka...concierge/taxi drivers....with ones and fives.....and this is off season!! We did take out another $200 in Nevis, but still came home with 200USD. Feb. would be a lot more$$$$ than off season. I do say that we did 3 islands, and that has to add up in airfare........although we did take the ferry from St. Kitts to Nevis for $18, I think. Good luck!

Your best bet would be to try a package deal. I know not the best way to go but few years ago we got a package deal to Curacao Marriott for approx $1700 including airfare from Newark for 5 nights from Liberty Travfel. If you add car approx $350 or so and the rest could be meals. I would also look into AAvacation packages where you save on air. They have some of the nicer packages. Hope this helps.

Feb - I would budget $1500 a day (this includes airfare and meals)

As a Canadian this may be different but in our extensive Caribbean research for an affordable vacation we have found consistently that Packages are the best for value in the sense that everything is inlcuded...and as it is a package things often cost less...especially if you can wait until the last minute!!

I have found on selloffvacations.com packages to SXM at L'Hoste for $800CAD - that is hotel and airfare...for one week per person...this year we are going to St.Kitts and staying in a one bedroom unit for TWO WEEKS and out cost is $1809pp...wait we upgrade and pay later so maybe $2009 pp airfare and one bedroom unit... We have a kitchen so that means less food at restuarants...or that is the idea!!

I hope that helped!

Thanks so much for the input. Yes, it does help. I am getting an idea of what and how to get to the Caribbean. I do appreciate your info.

Though prices for villas run the gamut in Jamaica for peak February winter season, one can find a villa with pool
for US$1,000 to US$1,500/week, plus a minimum 15% of that for staff gratuity. Some charge 8.25% GCT/Jamaican general consumption tax on top of that, most - unlike resorts -- don't. Budget a minimum of US$30-35 per person/per day for food & drinks (one can spend more, or less, depending on wine, shellfish and imported food purchases). Save on airfare by scheduling midweek flights.
Put aside a contingency fund for
airport transfers, transport/touring.