Hi,
I have been to Cancun a couple of times, but always over spring break. This was about 10 years ago. I am wondering if I would like it now, with my husband.

We have the option of staying at the Westin for $49 a night at an employee rate. We hve 8 days to spend somewhere. Are thinking of Cancun, St. John V.I, maybe Aruba.

We like to relax, snorkel (VERY important), explore, dine, and like lush climates since we are coming from Las Vegas. We are in our 30's.

Are there things to do here besides drink, go to nightclubs and have a bad hangover like back on springbreak?
hehe

wbs
Courtney

Of the there destination St. John is the most lush and has the best snorkeling.

You already know what Cancun is like (it will just be less crowded than at spring break but it will still be Cancun as you know it.

Aruba is very "Americanized" with lots of reorts & hotels lined up next to each other.

St. John is a great destination if you like beautiful beaches, great "walk-in" and "off-island" snorkeling, fine dining, no crowds, and opportunities to hike through a National Park.

We've been to that are of Mexico 3 times during August/September and every time we had to grit our teeth to see if we were going to be able to go due to hurricanes and tropical storms. We've decided not to go to that area anymore during that time frame.

Our last trip to Cancun was April and unless you want to take tours, yeah, about the only thing in Cancun is shopping, they have several really nice malls. Some are very high end also. Drink and go to clubs. Have you looked at Playa del Carmen? That area is closer to the ruins, cenotes, eco parks and other attractions.

September would be perfect for Aruba. We went in September 2006 and the weather was great. The beaches in Aruba are also much nicer than Cancun. We enjoyed the atmosphere better. More mature and not so many kids and young adults looking to party it up. Aruba has several really great resturants and bars. It's very easy to get around by walking or using the bus sytem. The topography in Aruba is not lush. More like Arizona with beaches and an ocean. We found the snorkeling better in Aruba than in Cancun.

We did a day trip from St. Thomas to St. John. St. John is very lush and has several nice beaches. It's harder to get around without a car and we didn't find the snorkeling there as great as other people have reported or other destinations we've been to. It was too lax for us. We enjoy more nightlife options than what was provided.

http://www.seestjohn.com/

I see from your other thread as well that you are still torn. This is a great web site for information about St John. If you click on snorkeling, it gives info on all of the beaches as to where to snorkel and what to expect to find. STJ has excellent snorkeling, it's just not necessarily at the beaches that you can get to readily by taxi. You would need a jeep. It also tells what nightlife there is under "Entertainment". It's on a week to week basis, but you will get the idea.

That said, I travel in off season but opt to not go in September due to hurricane risk. I would get trip insurance whichever you choose although the risk is lower for Aruba.

Cancun is like Vegas on the water, so if you want to get away, look at St John.

Actually, Aruba is more like Las Vegas on the water, which is one of the reasons why we like it so much. Cancun doesn't have any casinos and though they have some good restaurants, Aruba's selection is so much better. One thing I didn't like about Cancun is there are really no beach bars or resturants. There are just a few on the waterfront. Cancun nightlife is definatley for the younger crowd while Aruba's atmosphere is more mature.

If snorkeling is really important to you, I would not choose Cancun; Cozumel would be fine. Of the three places you've mentioned, St. John has the best snorkeling, but I wouldn't spend 8 days a the Westin there. You might also look at St. Maarten, which has a nice Westin. Aruba definitely has no lush climate, so I think it's out as well.

Can you stay at the Westin in Grand Cayman? The snorkeling is amazing there. Sting ray city is an amazing thing to see with all the sting rays to pet and feed.

I love Grand Cayman. It isn't the cheapest place, but the people are great. There is full employment on the island which tends to relax tourists and locals alike.