Caribheart

So I am trying to come to terms with the news that St.Kitts is no longer offered by Signature Vacations in Canada anymore. Aside from my great disappointment to no be able to easily visit beautiful St.kitts I am now deeply saddened FOR St.Kitts...

And I now have a bit of a dilemma....where the heck do we go...because we are travelling with a newborn baby - we are not keen on connecting flights - that was all fine and well prior to children but not really feasible at this point.

We are considering -

Grenada
Antigua
Negril Jamaica

We are a family of 4 adults and two children....ideally we would like a place with a kitchenette for ease with a baby....but we realize that places in Antigua are almost exclusively AI and we know very little about Negril - convincing my Mother to go to JA may be a stretch as she has been programmed for years to believe that JA is solely a place of violence...I have worked hard to dispel this myth....but we shall see.

We like warm Caribbean places with a authentic feeling and friendly staff. Good food or good restaurants are important but cost is too as funds will be cut with maternity leave. As I have a nervous Mother and a young child and newborn...however, that is part of the reason I chose the aforementioned islands.

We would like a place ON the beach but that includes places like the Flamboyant in Grenada which is ON / OFF the beach....for a reasonable AI we would be happy - but with a reasonable price adn good food if we really wont be leaving the resort for meals.

Thanks for any help but please HELP!!

JeanH

I'm not an extensive traveler in the Caribbean by any means, but I have been to both Grenada and St. Kitts. I think if you enjoy St. Kitts, you'll also enjoy Grenada. Both islands are lush and beautiful.

St. George's is certainly a busier city than Basseterre (I'm sure I spelled that wrong), but it has fascinating history and an absolutely awesome outdoor market.

We stayed at the Flamboyant, in a regular hotel room, not one of their condo type accomodations. Furnishings were similar to Timothy Beach on St. Kitts, clean, but not luxurious.

The Flamboyant is at the far end of Grand Anse, was sort of narrow when we were there, but that was pre-Ivan, I have no idea what it's like now.

SKBFAN1

I just heard the news today! As a St. Kitts specialist this is horrible news and also bad for the economy of St. Kitts.

I have heard great things about Grenada. Negril is very beautiful but I found you are confined to your resort.

Caribheart

Hi SKBFAN1!!!

I am so sad for SK so so SO sad....!!!! I can't believe it and I hate the thought of sending an email to Bullseye and even more TBR and saying we have to pull all of our bookings because Signature bailed!!

Is it because they were just unable to sell enough? So deeply sad...but we will keep our eyes open for another opportunity to return to the island because it is a FANTASTIC island...hopefully we wont ever have to rely on Signature again...

It looks like Grenada for us again - it has always been the island that made the greatest impact on me like SK...and there seems to still be opportunity to get there and stay in similar accommodations...Negril may not be the best fit for us this year with the newborn and the long trek from MoBay...I also love JA so this is on the plan list for another year...I know JA is suffering too for tourism...

I hope all is well with you SKBFAN and you and your beautiful island manage well through these tough times!!
Thank you for touching base!

JeanH - thank you for your thoughts on both Grenada and Flamboyant - I think we will proceed with this plan - can you tell me though - what exactly were the accommodations you stayed in? Was it a studio or did you upgrade to a unit with a kitchen?

Thank you both!!!

fullcolorradio

St. John, USVI would be the perfect place for you and the Westin there was recently rated the top family resort in the Caribbean. The island is so laid back and peaceful it's almost surreal. The locals are friendly (only 4000 residents) and you can travel the whole island without worrying about safety issues (unlike Jamaica). There are over 25 beaches on the island and some of them have won National Geographic's Top 10 Beaches in the World many, many times. All the beaches are beautiful and virtually unspoiled thanks to the Laurance Rockefeller buying almost the whole island and donating it to the National Park Service. By the way if you have the money, stay at Caneel Bay on St. John- AMAZING! Oh and those are the only 2 resorts on the whole island!! Do not stay on neighboring St. Thomas unless you like droves of tourists (yes , even in this economy). Some of the whitest sand, best snorkeling, calmest water, and best food in the caribbean are on St. John. JUST LOOK AT THIS PALCE ONLINE AND YOU WILL LOVE IT!

fullcolorradio

Oh, Google Trunk Bay, St. John and watch what happens...

NM

We loved Grenada--one of the more interesting and friendly islands in the Carib. We don't visit more because it's hard to access from the NE US. If you can easily get there, you should definitely go, you won't regret it.

Caribheart

Thank you for the suggestion fullcolorradio - infortunately St. John is not easily accessed through the tour company's in package here...I actually can't find it....so we don't get to enjoy your idyllic scene....thank you so much though. Amazing how limited the options are in retrospect!

bellaboo

Caribheart...if u r flying from Canada you do not "need" a package. We fly south 2x a yr from Montreal using selloffvacations.com - discount airfare. As well, look at cheaptickets.com for deals.

mymoosie

I answered your post in the Grenada forum on T.A. (I'm pigsterz over there).

Caribheart

bellaboo - it would seem that Signature had the monopoly on flights and access a la charters to St.Kitts when I do a search on Selloff for only airfares to SKB - nothing. We really need a direct flight out of Toronto...so this is all bad news - but THANKS!

Mymoosie I will go and check out TA - THanks!

Weadles

I love Negril ( have been going since 1978, and am going back in January), but I don't think it's a good choice for a family with a baby. The supermarket has come a long way, but it's still pretty limited, and the medical options in an emergency aren't the best. HOWEVER... when your kids get to be a little older, ( maybe 7 or 8) you might find a vacation in Negril ideal. It's got an endlessly long beach with shallow water, lovely, small hotels that cater to young families, and one of the prettiest settings in the Caribbean.

When our kids were babies, we often visited Grand Cayman. I know GC has a reputation for having expensive food and accomodations, but if you rent a condo there, you might do very well. We liked it because it was very easy with the kids- big American style supermarket, lots of kid friendly restaurants, a wonderful beach, and fairly decent medical care if anybody got sick. While it wasn't the most culturally interesting or pretty island, it definitely made for some stress-free vacations. We stayed at a complex called VILLAS OF THE GALLEON, in a two-bedroom right on the beach, which was heavenly when we were traveling with babies.

Good luck, and have a great time!

murffdog

If it's any help, American Airlines direct from JFK on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Caribheart

hmmm...that is also a good idea...I guess I have been such a natural consumer of the package that I havae turned an eye from creative flight travel. We remember a trip to St.Martin that stopped three times before landing in SXM...it took the whole day and although it was a financial deal it was a terrible strain...but direct from JFK that is reasonable!!

Thanks!