I've read several messages that talk about whether a particular destination is "Americanized"(Cancun is frequently mentioned). Like most things, there are differing opinions on whether this is a good or bad thing. If I fall on the side of that being a good thing, can anyone provide help as to which of the Caribbean destinations would be considered "Americanized", yet still allows you to seek out and experience small doses of local culture? Thanks for your help!

Cozemel, St. Thomas and Aruba and to a extent Provo's Grace Bay in the Turks & Caicos all will have what you are seeking.

Definately Aruba...

St John
Aruba
Cancun
Caymans

Aruba and Cancun are the first to come to mind.

I would have to say Aruba in a good way. We found the island to be safe and friendly and the water drinkable. These are all important to me traveling with children (or without). Cancun may be a playground for americans but I did not feel particularly safe and the water issue was always on my mind. I didn't drink coffee or iced drinks for four days! Not very american to me. I have not been, but I am sure the US Virgin Islands have some americanization there since they are american. Puerto Rico has a lot of american influence.

I would suggest the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. The Dutch side is Americanized with it's share of nightlife, yet the French side is very mediterranean/cosmpolitan and more quiet. However, there is an ever presence of local culture thru out the island.

I was going to suggest the Dutch side of St. Maarten, as well. It's got more of the American feel, yet still has the local culture, as well. As jdp said, the French side in contrast has more of a Mediterranean feel and doesn't really lend itself to American culture.

Cayman Islands...St. Thomas has that "American" style of shopping and where you would feel comfortable, as well.

seems that girlonthego is plenty paranoid about the water eh?

Curt: Yes I am paranoid about the water!!! I was extremely careful when I was there two years ago. I did not get sick, but I hear so many people come home sick or get sick while they are there. That is not how I want to spend my vacation!!! So, call me crazy that is something I consider important. We had a business trip to Cancun and it was fun. I wish I could be more comfortable about bringing my kids there because it really is cheaper than most of the caribbean islands!

cayman islands- 1st class,not particularly scenic, extremely safe, quiet, v. expensive, but worth it if you dive/snorkel

aruba- upscale, desertlike, very safe, moderately expensive, great beaches, nightlife

st. john-us teritory, very upscale, gorgeous, extremely safe, quite expensive, quiet

st. maarten-americanized, although not in an appealing way, cruise ship crowds, casinos, sports bars, stores where you can be pestered to death, fair beaches (better on the french side),some nightlife, quite scenic, not particularly safe

girlonthego--are there concerns about the drinking water in Cancun even while at the resort?

Thanks everyone for the great responses!

Most new Cancun hotels on the hotel zone will have purified water ... I haven't gotten sick even drinking tap water in Cancun. Only got sick in PV, and it was still very well worth the trip. Viva Mexico!

Twins: We stayed at Le Meridian hotel and had conference meetings and parties at the Ritz. No one I know got sick on that trip. I guess I am paranoid. Everyone in our families that went to Mexico came home with Montezuma's REVENGE as they say. So, I was extremely careful. I only ate at the hotels and even then trying to avoid things with water was difficult. I am sure I had something made with water while I was there. Like the above post says, they now supposedly purify the water at the big hotels/resorts. If you go, do not eat outside of the resorts. (If you are worried about that like me.)You will most likely be okay at the resorts.

I wouldn't include Cozumel, personally. We stayed in a largish hotel but other than that, it seemed quite Mexican to me.

Grand Cayman, definitely. I, too, consider "Americanized" a good thing.
Cayman is safe, clean, not impoverished, and has beautiful beaches. It is expensive (foodwise), but renting a condo and eating breakfast and lunch in the condo cuts cost a lot.
My concern for this year would be how much progress they've made in being ready for tourists after Hurricane Ivan in September. There was a lot of devastation.

I do not mean to be contrary or create contention but why would someone wish to visit the islands for an "Americanised" vacation? Looking for America in the Caribbean, I guess? Would'nt it be much easier, certainly cheaper, to stay put in the US and have an "Americanised" vacation in one of the great 52 states? Just wondering.

Enya,
I think some like to feel safe and comfortable on vacation. I agree the great 52 has a lot to offer. But, Hawaii type vacations are far to travel for us east coasters. The caribbean offers heat and palm trees while we are freezing our butts off in the Northern US. So, a trip to the caribbean is always nice, but only if you can drink the water without getting sick, eat good food, feel safe, etc.. Personally when I say I like americanized it is not the Mc Donalds that I am looking for. It is a feeling of safety and friendliness while on vacation. Not all of the islands offer this type of vacation. Not everyone wants this kind of vacation. If I didn't have kids, I might be more adventurous, but I have them and so I am not.

Enya, I think you and I could get into a lot of trouble on this topic! I used to have arguments about this.

Why on earth would anyone want to go to the Caribbean and stay in an antiseptic, white-washed pseudo-Caribbean AI and never leave the confines of its walls?

Then I remembered back 15 years ago when we first went to the Caribbean (to St Lucia) and we were overwhelmed by the "differentness" of it.

We stayed at an AI, and we are from a relatively big city where you don't venture out to parts unknown or go out at night, so we did the same.

It wasn't until we went for the fourth time (on Grenada) that we got out and about on our own and realized the magic of the people and the islands and the culture and what we had been missing out on for the first three times!

Now, the LAST thing I want to do is go somewhere Americanized in order to experience the Caribbean the way I love to - getting invited to local parties, finding somewere for great patties or rotis, getting a tip for a great deserted beach, limin' at the ferry dock with the taxi drivers over a Carib, Kalik, Banks, etc.

I think some people are not quite ready for (or not interested in) this type of vacation of immersing themselves as much as possible in the culture, and just want to lie in the sun with a fruity drink and look at the beautiful water.

Not that there's anything at all wrong with that - I go places like that for a few days a few times a year - but for an authentic experience, there are places it's hard to find any live music or local food or even locals working in the shops - St John comes to mind.

For some, that fits the bill. Maybe they will go and discover what the region and the people are really all about eventually. Until then, it's to each his or her own, I guess. Vacations are a personal choice, and as long as it makes them happy and relaxed, that's what is important.

(Besides, it leaves the off-the-beaten-path places less crowded for me to go to. )