Claire

My fiance and I have booked our honeymoon for a 1 week stay at Sandals Antigua and the following week at Sandals Halcyon, St Lucia in August. <BR>After reading through some of the observations made about sandals I am feeling a little uncomfortable with our decision. <BR>Has anybody been to these Sandals resorts recently? <BR>I would appreciate any information. <BR>Many thanks <BR>Claire

Anna

Claire, <BR>I know what you're going through. I had chosen the Halcyon last fall based on feedback from this forum. Then in the weeks before our trip, negative responses about Sandal's were being posted. We went to Sandal's Halcyon for a week in March 1999 and had a great time. We really liked the Halcyon, it had a much more intimate feel than the splashy Golf and Spa also on St. Lucia. We booked the cheapest room class and were very happy with it. Estelle at the grill gets to know all of the guests names which is really amazing. Snorkeling and scuba are included, we didn't take the day scuba class but looking back we should have. We went snorkeling almost everyday, there are two outings a day (morning and afternoon), they take you there by boat. The week we were there the only restaurants requiring reservations were Mario's and Kimono's at the Golf & Spa. Make reservations either the day you arrive or the next morning as they fill up fast. I think Mario's was our favorite. The Pier was nice too, but the service was usually slow (but we were on vacation so it really didn't matter). The dress is more casual than in the Sandal's brochure. Only a few restaurants (Mario's and LaToc) required the men to wear long pants. Most of the time my husband wore khaki shorts and a polo shirt. He liked not having to dress up for dinner every night. We met a lot of nice people at the Halcyon and we all were very happy with the service at the resort, none of us would hesitate to go back. We all were glad we had chosen the Halcyon over the Golf and Spa. We have some pictures of our trip at our website (near the bottom of the page): http://www.execpc.com/~nkersten/ <BR>I did get quite a few mosquito bites, so you may want to bring a little bug repellant and some hydrocortisone cream in case the bugs like you. We went on the Day Sail to Soufriere and would recommend it highly. We also went deep sea fishing, the sea was really rough and it was not fun! Have fun, go with an open mind and you'll love it!

leslie

Went to Sandals Halcyon for honeymoon in September 99 and it was great. I definetly think you chose the best resort of the 2 Sandals in St. Lucia. both are very nice... just different; but we definetly prefered the easy going laid back nature of the Halcyon resort. <BR>Prepare to gain some weight! The Food is amazing. Our favorite restaurant was the Pier (Beef Wellington, Jumbo garlic shrimp, calamari, etc.....) but we can honestly say all our meals were delicious and we liked all the restaurants. Be sure to shuttle over to the larger Sandals 1-2 times and sample the restaurants (highly recommend Kimono's and La toc-fancy) and the different atmosphere. <BR>I will sent you a copy of my trip report which is pretty in depth and will let you know what to expect on your honeymoon..... boy are you lucky - 2 weeks = 2 islands = SPOILED!!!! <BR>HAVE FUN. <BR>Leslie <BR>[email protected]

Diane

My husband and I went to Sandals/Halycon in Feb. 1998 and had a wonderful time. Great food, low-key atmosphere, friendly people from all over the world. We went sailing every day, learned how to snorkle. The restaurant's were all great and not particarly formal. Have fun!

mike

WE just returned from our Honeymoon At Sandals Antigua. We had a great time!!! Food, drinks very good!!! Staff and managers were very friendly, most would not walk by you without saying hello or asking how your meal was. we had no problems these other reply's from people are to critical. we had no bad experiences at sandals!! The main lobby and 3 of the resauraunts are "all open", meaning they had no windows so yes at the restauraunts some birds are flying near but if you dont leave your table they wont come up to you. RELAX!!!!! Enjoy!!!!!!! <BR>

Bruce

Hi Claire, <BR>My wife and I spent our honeymoon at Sandals Halcyon from April 14 to April 21, 1999. The first three days of our honeymoon we spent at Ladera, the southern part of the beautiful island of St. Lucia. <BR>Before we left to St. Lucia, I had read a lot of negative "stuff" as well. <BR>In short, our honeymoon was great and would go back to Sandals Halcyon, St. Lucia if time and money permit in the near future. Most of the guests were from the US / Canada / UK. All with the same idea, enjoy time in the sun with your partner. <BR>Many activities to choose from, nothing forced on you. The choice is yours to sit and do nothing, or be a turbo honeymooner and do everything. <BR>Our experience was great at both resorts, the St. Lucians were very friendly and the island was gorgeous. <BR>Our travel agent, Cope Bradley of All-Inclusive Travel did a great job and will recommend Cope to anyone looking for a great deal & a desire to being treated with respect. Cope can be e-mailed at: [email protected] <BR>Leslie, <BR>Thank you for the great report, I printed your report and re-read the report while in St. Lucia to make sure I didn't miss anything. Only item I would disagree with: Mario's & Le Toc would be our #'s 1 & 2 favorite restaurants, moreover, all the food was excellent. <BR>Bruce

Gwen

Claire, <BR>My husband and I have been to 4 Sandals resorts, including Halcyon and Antigua. At each resort we had a wonderful time. Alot of the negative comments I have observed have been due to isolated very unfortunate incidents. Sandals is not perfect and is not for everyone but at every resort we have been we have met incredible staff, had good to excellant food, and we have always returned home with great memories. Remeber a few key things about travelling in the Caribbean : the pace is slower so the service may be slower than you expect; the people in Antigua and St.Lucia are very shy and reserved (please don't mistake this for sullen or rude or indifferent) but are incredibly friendly, you usually have to make the effort to get to know them. Sandals are just for young drunk people, you will see them, but there is always a quiet beautiful spot for the two of you. Enjoy your honeymoon and remember, a vacation is alot what you make of it. Any questions feel free to email me

Gwen

Actually above I meant to say Sandals are NOT just for young drunk people, sorry about the typo! Lots of different ages, depending on the time of year. you will tend to get an older crowd in high season. Just my thoughts.

Nikki

Could Leslie please send me your report on Halcyon; I tried to email you privately but it bounced! We are second honeymooning there in Oct 2000, with a vow renewal

Laurie

Leslie, <BR>Could you please e-mail me a copy of your trip report on Halcyon. We are first timers going in May. Thanks.