cdrpinto

Can anyone recommend which Carribean island would be best for the upcoming Christmas/New Years Eve week? we are a family of 11 people, age range 8 yrs to 65 yrs old, including 4 kids aged 8,10,12,14. We all like beaches, snorkeling, and diving. We would like a beachfront house or condo that would have kitchen facilities. We are considering Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos or BVI (virgin gorda). Open to other islands as well. Does anyone have suggestions on which island best meets needs of a large group and water is warm enough for diving/snorkeling/swimming in December? Most of us will be flying from DC area. Thanks for any input.

RoamsAround

Well, the T&C's are not actually in the Caribbean but a bit further north so there's a chance the temperature during lat December could be cool thus making Grand Cayman or Virgin Gorda the better choices. There's exceptional diving on Grand Caymen and some very good to excellent diving and snorkeling around Virgin Gorda.

For some very nice high end beachfront rental villas check out the villas at Mahoe Bay on Virgin Gorda - wonderful 1/2 mile long golden sand beach, calm crystal clear waters, a good snorkeling reef just yards off shore, spectacular views of neighboring islands and the setting sun. It doesn't get much better anywhere in the Caribbean.

FYI - no matter where you end up going book early at Christmas/New years is a very popular time in the Caribbean and the best places fill up fast. You might also encounter minimum stay requirements.

cdrpinto

Great info to get us started thinking...as you said, we need to book asap for the popular Christmas week. What about Curacao? i've heard the diving/snorkeling is great there. But some of our crowd dont do the water activities, so i need some fun for them. maybe curacao is too "quite" for them but we also dont want to be in the overbuilt touristy location either. I went to Grand Cayman earlier this yr, island/beaches/food was great but i found the snorkeling only ok. didnt dive there. There was plenty of other "non-water" fun on Grand Cayman.
Any ideas/input is greatly appreciated. Trying to find a place to please 11 people is tough!

caprisun1978

St Croix in USVIs. It has amazing snorkling and diving.....much less populated and a great laid back island atmosphere. Not nearly as touristy like St Thomas and St John. Good Luck!

virginia

i think grand cayman is a great choice (the mahoe bay houses on virgin gorda are near the top of my wish list but the island is Very quiet). t&c is another fav or mine but the water is a bit cooler in dec.
gc has lots of villas to rent & as you mentioned some things to do (i love the botanical gardens, your kids might like the skateboard park) and tons of dining options. i'm surprised you didn't enjoy the snorkeling - we had great luck. my travel buddy dives & said she had a wonderful experinces on each dive. she dove with http://www.oceanfrontiers.com/

you'll find the most houses available in the rum point/cayman kai area - but this is approx 45 min drive to georgetown/seven mile beach. you will need a car - probably 2.
most of the rentals on the island are available through www.caymanvillas.com 345.945.4144
we were extremely pleased with them. upon arrival we realized the ice maker in the freezer was broken & causing excessive ice build up. they replaced the whole frig within 24 hrs, leaving the old one in the house long enough for the new one to chill & save all the food. they provided daily housekeeping & reg pool cleaning.
groceries are readily available, but more expensive than home as on all islands - we took a full sized cooler on wheels packed with meats, juices (for cocktails mainly),premade appetizers & desserts. then shopped for all dairy, condiments, fruits & vegeys. plus ate dinners out a couple nights per week. booze is pricey too. duty free on the way down can save a boatload.
this site is useful: http://www.grand-cayman-wanderer.com/index.htm
and here's an above avg snorkel guide to the east end & north shore http://snorkelblog.tumblr.com/

GeorgeR

Grand Cayman would be a great choice. There are many condos on Seven Mile Beach which have full kitchens. The island has great diving and snorkeling. It has a good family atmosphere, Check caymanvacations.com and vrbo.com.






























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RoamsAround

FYI - This thread was started in February 2010 so odds are OP made the trip already. Unclear why the last 3 posters didn't realize that. Of course, the information remains viable whether the trip was made last Christmas or planned for 2011.