Elwood77

I am getting married in June 2011. My fiance and I are considering the US Virgin Islands for a honeymoon destination. We are both in our 30s. We would probably stay about 7 or 10 days. The budget is about $2000 to $3000. We are travelling from the Boston area. I typically vacation in big cities in the US or Europe. I would like a place that has more to do than just the beach: some good bars, live music of some kind, decent restaurants, some historic sights, etc. I do not snorkel (can barely swim) and am definitely not interested in an all inclusive resort. The US Virgin Islands was suggested as a good area with a lot of different things to offer. What can people tell me about it and what island would you recommend? If the USVI is not the best bet for us, is there any place in the Caribbean that would be a better option?

virginia

i suggest you look into the area around playa del carmen, mex. it's on the maya riviera coast about an hour south of cancun. lots of hotels, ruins for history, good food, some partying in playa at night and tons more to do like cenotes & caves, zipline, horseback, atv jungle tour, 2 wonderful ecomarine parks xcaret & xel-ha.
for your budget & timeframe you'll get the most bang for your buck in this area.
look at locogringo.com , playa.info , and playadelcarmen.com for loads of info if this area interests you.

another option might be barbados, gorgeous with a british flair. it tics all your boxes but is further so more $ to fly and more expensive to do things on.

doug_stallings

Your budget is really really low, even for June, so I'd definitely recommend Mexico for you. Perhaps also Belize, where you could split your trip between the cayes, where you can relax and do nothing and the jungle, where you can see historic and natural sights. I might also recommend Roatan, but there are fewer sights there. Finally, Dominica (since it has no good beaches) might be a good option for you.

Elwood77

I am not interested in Mexico. How much do think is needed for the trip to the USVI? I have previously done 2 full weeks (by myself) in Europe for about $5000 and the 2 of us did a week in SF/Napa/Yosemite last July for probably around $3,000 combined last year.

loungestx

I think you could do St Croix for about that budget (the $3000 not the $2000) Maybe a little more, if you take advantage of the flight and room specials that the tourism office runs every year. There are great restaurants (but not a lot of night life) and plenty of historic sites. The real budget buster is the cost of eating out (so I would try to stay somewhere that has a kitchen) and what you end up paying for a rental car.
If you can't make it work you may want to look at PR. there are often specials for there as well and the flights are usually cheap.
good luck!

KVR

The reason the others replied with alternate destinations is because what you stated you are looking for, will not be found in the US Virgin Islands and your budget is too low.

The US Virgins Islands are known for their great beaches and even better snorkeling. Taking a day sail to the British Virgin Islands is also highly recommended. They are not much for historical sites. St. John does have an old sugar mill planatation that you can tour. Entertainment and night life is not as good as some other places.

If you insist on this destination, look at condo rentals. We did an AI hotel on St. Thomas and with air and it came in right at $3,000. I would not return to any of the US Virgin Islands. Though many people love St. John for it's laid back beach atmosphere, it's just not what we are looking for in a destination for many reasons.

I agree with Mexico. It will give you more bang for your buck and has tons of things to do off property that is not water related and has lots of history. If you don't want that, look at Aruba. You'll find many nice resturants, bars, and entertainment. Take a tour to the other side of the Island for some history. Air and hotel will probably come in around $3,000. Then you'll need probably another $1,000 for food, drinks and anything else.

Another suggestion would be a non-AI hotel in Negril, Jamaica. If you like rustic and backpacking around Europe, Jamaica would be a good less expensive choice. Nice sightseeing sites to go to also.

smetz

Airfare is going to cost you probably $300 to $500 each to Charlotte Amalie. You could probably find a place for two on St. John for maybe $1,000 to $1,500 if you do some searching. Food is pretty expensive there, though. I'd say $2,000 is probably not going to happen, but you might be able to make $3,000 work.

That said, if you don't like to swim St. John is probably not a good fit, because as mentioned above, people go there for the fabulous beaches and snorkeling. If that's not your cup of tea, there are other things to do, but they are very limited because St. John is a small island. If I were planning on a vacation that did not include beaches, swimming & snorkeling as the primary activity, I wouldn't even consider St. John.

hawksbill

Agreed, USVI is the wrong choice.

Dianebridles

You may want to look at Marriott Frenchman's reef on St. Thomas. They have been offering some very good room rates. It is a beautiful property, gorgeous views, several nice restaurants, and many activities, great shopping in Charlotte Amalie.

foodiechan

I agree with smetz that $3000 may be tight for St. John, as the island is not inexpensive. St. Thomas may be a good alternative as it has more history and other sites for you to visit. More shopping too.

If you are into cooking your own meals this is one good way to save some money, and you could rent a villa/condo for about $1000-$1500. Of course then you will not have the luxury of a full-service hotel, but we find the comfort of a "home" more charming.

Be mindful that if you are into the hustle bustle of a City vacation be ready to really SLOW THINGS DOWN when on the islands. We all go there to "lime" on the beach, and in our recent trip to Turks & Caicos my only timepiece during the day is, quite frankly, the clock in our digital camera! If the sun is out and beer is cold, who cares what time it is?

Congrats!

Elwood77

Thanks for the feedback. It looks like we might need to up the budget and that this might not be the best location. Thinking of maybe St Lucia, St Kitts, or St Maarten/St Martin instead. People have mentioned Costa Rica as another alternative, but it looks like it rains quite a bit that time of year?

KVR

Those destinations are still very expensive. We've been to St. Lucia. Great for sightseeing and a full Island tour. Not much for nightlife as getting around can be difficult unless staying directly in Rodney Bay. We stayed at the Sandals Grand and it was way over $3,000.

We have been looking at Costa Rica for a 6 night trip next May and it's coming in at $4,000. It's highly recommended to travel to 3-4 areas instead of one hotel for a weeks stay, which makes it costly.

gecko123

St John is a wonderful place. The beaches are fantastic. I can't swim well either, hardly at all but I enjoyed St. John very much. We have been there 3 times. Get a wet suit, a shortie (buoyancy will keep you afloat) and enjoy snorkeling. The water is so calm and clear you will have to try it. Or just read a book and hang at the beach....I did that a lot too. We stayed at VRBO 115186 on the hill above Coral Bay. Great views and there were some funky bars in Coral Bay........ We also took some great hikes. There are not many, but there are some good ones. We bought groceries (they are expensive) and ate at the Villa a lot. Hamburger may be $10 a pound at the grocery store, but you will pay that much for ONE burger at the local pub. I think it would be a great honeymoon.

girlonthego

Do you like to lie on the beach? If so, Aruba mentioned above has some great restaurants and some nightlife with nice beaches.

I would also suggest Puerto Rico. PR has some great restaurants and more active things to do. You can stay at a nice hotel in San Juan on the beach, rent a car and go to the rainforest, biobay tour, walk and shop the Old San Juan area which has lots of history. PR has a lot of things to do and you can probably get a deal.

Shaida_Ehlert

You might try Puerto Rico. There is no passport required for that island either. My husband and I did a week there last August in Cabo Rojo. We are planning to go back for two weeks in June this year. Your budget will get you a great vacation there! You probably want to stick with the San Juan / Loiza / Fajardo type areas if you are into nightlife and things of that nature. There are ferries, a rainforest and various other nature related activities if that is your thing. There is much more than just snorkeling!!! Look up the areas and the sights to see if this would be good for you. Jetblue runs cheap flights to Puerto Rico from most large airports. Congrats and good luck!

Kristy88

I'm not sure why everyone is saying $2000-$3000 is too small of a budget for St. John. I seriously was looking into this place for a vacation for 5 days and I would have been coming from California which was even further. I could have done the whole trip - not including food for under $2000.00. If you rent a condo you can buy groceries and make alot of food there. Condos are alot more inexpensive than the hotels if you are willing to get one a little ways from the beach as the ones near beaches are expensive. Staying 10 days would probably go over your budget, but I don't think 7 days would.