2 couples-all inclusive-under 5K w/ air
 

2 couples would like to go to caribbean feb. 20, 2010 for one week. Considering St. Lucia- St. Kitts- St. Vincent. We of course want good food, but also want more to do than just pool or beach. Thinking of an all inclusive to save money. Can this be done under 5K per couple? Any ideas would be great.

I am going to Barbados myself and was checking out some accommodation i have come accross a site called perfect places
that may have the ideal place you are looking for

Well, forget St. Vincent right off the bat. It's going to be a very expensive flight, and there is only 1 all-inclusive resort (Young Island), which is probably out of your price range (you can check on the price, but I don't think it's worth it). Nor would any of the private island resorts in the Grenadines fit the bill since they are all way more expensive.

Both St. Lucia and St. Kitts are great islands with some good AI choices. I'd suggest you consider Jamaica as well, which has a wide range of activities off the resort as well as good AIs (you can always take organized tours).

Does it have to be an AI resort? You will tend to get much more for your money if you don't go AI, and then you'll be able to eat at a wider variety of restaurants. AI is only a really good option if you want to gorge on mediocre food and drink copious amounts of well drinks. Otherwise, food tends to be mediocre.

I think you could have a great vacation on this kind of budget, but you'll have far more choices if you expand your search to non-AI resorts.

By the way, you don't say how old you are (or at least how active .... what does it mean for you to do things other than lay on the beach?) ... that might figure into my recommendation. If you really want good golf courses, for example, then you might not want to go to St. Lucia. If you want really good diving, you might not want to go to St. Kitts. That sort of thing.

We went to Sandals Grande St. Lucia in 2003 and barely did it for $5,000 for air and hotel only. That did not include off site activites, shopping or incidentals. However, I wouldn't suggest that hotel, as I felt it was overpriced and the food/service was not good for that price point. We really loved St. Lucia so check out other hotels in that area and just see what they come in at.

I've looked into going to Barbados. There are not many AI hotels there. Many people report that the food is good and easy to get to so AI wouldn't be worth it. We found a few AI's with air around $3,000. Of course the better hotels will cost more, so I think you could find it for your price point. We were wanting to do a very cheap hotel and then slurge on day trips to Grenada and the Grenadines, which would cost an extra $1,000 per trip. So it's something we are looking at for the future.

If you really want an AI experience, your best bet would be Mexico, Jamaica or the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is a lot like St. Lucia in topography, it's easier to get to and you'll find many AI's well priced under $5,000 for 2 with air depending on the room catagory you choose.

In the Riveria Maya of Mexico, you find much nicer hotels with good food, great service and included amenties in the base price. You'll get more for your money. There are many things to do and see off the resorts.

Check on-line booking companies like cheapcarribean.com, beachdestinations.com, orbitz.com, etc. and just price out some of the areas that you're interested in.

I'm going to make two suggestions -- one on your list, one not. First of all, on St. Kitts, the Marriott currently has rates for that week starting at about $250 per night. That's a good price for high season for that resort. They also have an all-inclusive option, but I wouldn't choose it as there are lots of reasonable food options nearby and some great restaurants you wouldn't want to miss. You should easily be able to stay within your budget. Also, not on your list, but worth considering because out of all the places we've been, gets our vote for "good value in high season" -- Curacao Marriott. Currently has rates for that week starting at $216 a night (they have AAA discounts too if you are a member). Also has an AI option, but once again, I wouldn't recommend AI, because Curacao has great restaurants and you would miss out going AI. Barbados, St. Lucia and Anguilla are much more expensive, in my experience and since that's president's week, prices will be higher than usual.

jamaica jamaica thats all i have to say. there are great deals out there now. 5 star resorts 1200-1400 a person with air. i love the couples negril. Or the grand lido is good a little older crowd. But both resorts are not party resorts. couples negril has better service and a little more to do. I have been to jamaica 3 times and would like to try some where else but for the price and service i do not think i am going to be happy somewhere else.

Just my 2 cents on Curacao. We went in May after a 2 year search in a decent flight schedule and price. Getting a flight that is not an over night in either Atlanta or Miami will be difficult to find and the cost is excessive. I disagree regarding the food options. Resturants are spread out all over the Island and difficult to find. You'll need a good map and a rental car. We found them to be very expensive and wished the Island had better AI options than just Breezes. We ended up eating most of meals at our hotel due to convenience. We've been to many Islands and will not return due to cost and the difficulty of getting there and back.

Hi KVR -- I think you and I have posted back and forth in the past regarding Curacao. So sorry you did not have a great experience. I feel bad when I recommend a place and then someone doesn't like it! We flew from Miami and it was an easy trip from there but I guess not so easy from anywhere else. Most of the restaurants we went to were in Willemstad so we didn't have a problem finding them. One of my all-time favorites is still dinner in the courtyard at Astrolab Observatory -- did you go there? What's your favorite destination in the Caribbean thus far? Our top two -- Nisbet Plantation Beach Club in Nevis and Galley Bay in Antigua!

Hi Eileen. I know some people love Curacao and if you live in the right area of the US it's easier to get there. No we didn't care for it and it's a shame since we spent 2 years trying to get there. It just did not meet our expectations. I was disappointed in the beaches, the water clarity, the snorkeling and the overall vibe. There just are better places that are easier to get to and cost much less. I can say though that the dive at the Sea Aquarium was just awesome and I would recommend it to anyone. No, we didn't eat at the Astrolab Observatory. I have no idea where it would have even been located. We took two Island tours and I was amazed at how everything was so spread out. DH refuses to rent a car and drive on vacation especially at a destination he's not been to before. People who recommend to rent a car and find all the beaches and restuarants must be brave and not directionally challanged. We are such AI people also and though we had a great stay at the Lion's Dive in the 2 bedroom apartment, it's just not our type of vacation.

Our favorite destinations are Mexico, Aruba and Grand Cayman. We are doing a 2nd trip to Jamaica for our 10th wedding anniversary next year. Ocho Rios this time. We really enjoyed St. Lucia, but it's another Island that is too far and too expensive to get to. I still have Barbados and Antigua on the list. I wish I could afford Galley Bay. We'll probably end up at Jolly Beach. At least their pool looks good.

KVR -- Don't rule out Galley Bay -- they are having great sales! For years it was on my wish list but the rack rates were way out of my league. Then in 2008, we got a sale of almost 30% off so we combined a stay of 5 nights with a stay at The Verandah of 3 so we could stay within our budget but still experience Galley Bay. It was so great that as I was planning our 2009 trip I kept thinking "but I won't like this resort as much as Galley Bay", then lo and behold they had a special one day sale of 50% off so we went back for 8 nights in April and loved it just as much. First time we have ever repeated resorts. If you get on their email list a sales rep will email you and just tell them you want to be notified if there is a good sale. When we were there in April, the resort was only one-third full (they said it was the slowest season they have ever had) they recently added 30 new rooms so they are discounting. If not GB, you might look at St. James Club in Antigua, it's operated by the same company and they have recently done some upgrades. We saw it from the water and the beaches looked nice. They have an AI option, which I recommend in Antigua, because the island is really spread out, driving difficult and most of the resorts are AI. We went to Barbados 20 years ago and I would like to return but I keep hearing how expensive it is so we keep going elsewhere. Where did you stay in St. Lucia? Where are you staying in Ocho Rios? Jamaica Inn is on our list there.

When we are ready for Antigua, we'll look again at Galley Bay. We stayed at the Sandals Grande in St. Lucia. I did not like that Sandals, but I loved St. Lucia. I wouldn't mind going again and staying at Ladera. I wish it wasn't so far and expensive. We are staying at Sandals Dunn River in Ocho Rios next July. I have free air with my Visa card. I've had problems in the past with miles from an actual air carrier, so dumped them. Otherwise, I would not have picked another Sandals as I think they are over priced for what they offer. I also didn't like any other resort in Ocho Rios, so they actully won out bt default. I am dying to get back to Aruba. Hopefully after our Jamaica trip as we are doing some remodling in between, so not getting to travel as often as before. What are your next travel plans?