Cap vs. Peter Island vs.FS Nevis
 

As several of you from the PI thread know, I am trying to decide between these three resorts for an intimate wedding/honeymoon trip in Jan.We want lux accomadations,sailing,great food,beaches, and a laid-back atmoshpere.All of your inputs will be most helpful.Thanks!!

Hi Blair! As you know already from my Peter Island trip report, I haven't been to Anguilla or to Cap Juluca. That said, I will tell you that one of the primary reasons we did not consider Anguilla or Cap Juluca was because we wanted to stay at a self-contained resort that we didn't have to leave. Anything we wanted to do (including sail, snorkel or scuba dive) would be basically on the island or very close by. Same for dining, we didn't want to have to leave at all and just wanted everything there for us. Since Peter Island is so big and self-contained, we never ever felt bored and we did not feel like we were missing anything at all.

From all who have posted here, Anguilla is about different dining options every night and either driving or taking a cab most nights to where you want to eat. That was not our personal preference for our honeymoon. In my mind, that is the main overriding difference above all other factors that you and your fiance should consider.

Peter Island has gorgeous scenery and beautiful surroudings to have a really beautiful wedding and I am sorry we did not have ours there.

Last suggestion just to make you even more confused -- I have heard and seen from their brochure that CuisinArt Reort on Anguilla is hands down the best place to have a wedding over Cap Juluca or anywhere else and CuisinArt's grounds and surroundings are just designed for weddings and special events. Call the toll free number and ask them to send you their brochure because their website really is not that great. Also, CuisinArt has such a strong following that you really need to ask those folks why they prefer the resort to Cap Juluca. There is a major split on this board between the two and the only reason you hear more folks preferring Cap is because Cap has been around much longer. CuisinArt is the new kid on the block.

Hi Blair,

I have been to Cap and have seen where they hold the ceremony - it is breathtaking. The location is at the very end of the resort, it is private and romantic and overlooks the bay. If you do a google image search and type in Cap Juluca weddings, I'm sure you will find many photos. FYI, Cap was jsut voted #1 in the Caribbean by T&L magazine. We are returning again this year - it was that wonderful. I have been to a lot of places and I have to say CAp has them all beat. There may not be a palm tree lined beach, but you do have your own chairs and umberella where you are given cold bottles of water, cold herb scented towels and sorbet. Also your private covered patio is actually 15 steps from the beach, so you can lounge there, take in the same amazing view and be in the shade. There are 3 restaurants at Cap and and the dining out is lots of fun. I recommend renting a car, it is cheaper and driving is very easy. There are wonderful restaurants right on the beach, shoes optional and it is very resort casual - no "dressing up". The island is safe and the locals are the nicest you will ever meet. go to www.travelhop.com - you will get a great idea of what Cap looks like.

While I have not been to PI, I have been to Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda, BVI. They cater to 60 guests at a time, so it is very peaceful - no children. At Biras you get the best of both worlds as the resort is on the part of the island that does not have roads. If you wish to explore, they have boston whalers or you can take a calm 10 minute ferry to the part of the island hwere you can rent a car or take a taxi. The food at Biras is EXCELLENT, and all is included - except for alcohol. We were also married there and it was romantic and so beautiful. Their wedding package is $1000.00 and includes a very large wedding cake, champagne, the ceremony, a photographer (which took postcard like photos 8 rolls) Biras is upscale, and secluded - without being isolated. We liked having the town to visit and also the choice of nothing! There is no charge for any of the watersports, its all included in the price. They have lots of daily excursions, sailing and the Baths - which is a must see! We really loved Biras. The rooms at Biras are beautiful (we were in a grand suite) and the service was excellent too. With Cap being our fav Biras is a close second.

We were married at Cap Juluca this past June, just the two of us. It was magnificent! We stayed 11 days at Cap Juluca and left just once to get our marriage license and take a quick peek at Shoal Bay. We were told about all the great restaurants on the island and other things to do, but we enjoyed just 'staying put' that week. Now we have a reason to go back ;-)

We did not visit CuisinArt, but some posts on this website have mentioned that it has a very different feel about it - like it was more sterile and less romantic or something. Well, you can look those up yourself.

We haven't been to PI either, so can't give you any info about that. Cap Juluca is pretty great though! Even without leaving the resort, we felt we had enough to do the whole time and between the 3 great restaurants, we also felt very satisfied!

Sorry forgot to give you some websites:
www.iloveanguilla.com - this site is great espically for the live webcam of shoal bay if you log on around 6:15-6:30 this time of year, you will see live sunsets - I look at this when I need a quick fix;)

also theres www.news.ai/ which is bob greens anguilla website, updated every 6 weeks or so. There the caribbean-on-line.com which has a seperate Anguilla forum, great place for specific questions and answers.

i have to agree with Lee12, we looked at Cuisinart while there, as I heard the grounds were nicer than Cap's. Well - that's debatable, as I think they are equal but different. The beach and water is so beautiful on Anguilla we never visited the pool. Also I have read that Cuisinart's beach is windy and the rooms are not on the beach like Cap. We explored Anguilla last year and cannot wait to go back...and we have never gone to the same place 2 years in a row (and we take 2 big vacations per year)!

The website for Biras Creek if interested iw www.biras.com. Like I stated above we absolutely loved everything about Biras. If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them for you. They made us feel so special getting married there, they do just 1 wedding per day. It was also just the 2 of us:)

Ditto on everything that SandyFeet said about Cap. We saw two weddings there last year and they were absolutely beautiful. The reception was at Pimm's right on the beach....the view could not be better. Laying in bed at night looking through the louvered doors, listening to the lapping of the water and seeing the twinkling lights of St. Martin was just magical for us. We never go to an island twice since there are so many to experience, but we are going back to Cap next year and will continue to go again in the future.

Have never been to PI, but met a couple at Cap last year who had just come from PI. They loved PI, but said Cap was more laid back and romantic.

Wherever you choose, good luck and congratulations

Thanks you guys so much ..you are most helpful.Lee, was getting a license a big hassle and do you (or anyone)know the waiting period??Thanks for you help.Cap sure seems to have a loyal following!!

Cap does have a very loyal following but has become increasingly popular for the romantic set it seems. Although PIR topped my BVI experience (knocking Brias out of the top position only because of the distance and bike ride to the swimming beach), I must admit that Cap exceeded all expectations in every catagory compared to other Caribbean experiences. It's a difference in "feel" that is hard to pinpoint for me but just viewing Cap as we drove into the property, my husband's first remark was "this is your kinda place." I enjoyed CuisinArt but it just didn't have the same ambience and "feel." I described it as more straight edged while Cap was all soft and curves. Both properties are beautifully manicured and if you are a pool person, the tip of the hat would go to CuisinArt but with Maundy's you don't need a pool - unless, of course, you opt for the private pool villa! There also were more children and families at CuisinArt when we were there and the staff prided itself that it was more "family friendly." One of the things that I have noticed about Anguilla is the lack of sailing opportunities and many days would go by without seeing sails on the horizon which are plentiful in the BVI. That is not true of the BVI's which is an ideal sailing experience equalled only by the Grendadines - but the reaches and distances between islands are longer there. My impression of 4S was that it was a higher maintainence crowd and had a bit of a more "formal feeling" and, of course, I don't think that the beach there can compete with Deadman's or Maundy's (or many of the wonderful Caribbean beaches). I think one of the advantages of Cap is that each room catagory from the standard room to the private pool villas are on the beach and one wall of the unit opens to view. Also there are options at Cap such as a private sunning deck, double outdoor tubs and other amenities that Cap offers that are not offered at the other locations altho Biras offers the grotto showers. Also dining at the Tradewinds at PIR is now enclosed with a/c while Cap's dining remains open air on the beach. When I was at CuisinArt it was being managed by the "new" RockResorts corp and fell short on some of the comforts at Cap but the spa is wonderful. I believe that the waiting period for a wedding is 2 days on Anguilla and 3 in the BVI's. Neither require blood tests and I'm not sure how one manages the license since I assume that you might have to travel to Tortola if a personal appearance is required by the licensing bureau. You might also want to check the latest info about AA flights into Anguilla as in October, I understand there is some sort of pow wow scheduled to discuss the continued flights between SJU and AXA as they improve and extend the runway on AXA. Of course with PIR you fly into EIS or St. Thomas where once weekly the PIR ferry picks up guests from St. Thomas but check wiht PIR to confirm the status of that for January. Aside from being the "new kid on the block," CuisinArt just doesn't seem to attract the same reviews and applause from the critics (not that they are always right) but it certainly didn't measure up to the Cap, Bira, PIR, Jumby, etc experiences although they did try. Maybe it's more "social" and more mixing of guests while other places just seemed more "private" and personalized. Now if you really want intimacy and privacy at a self contained resort, I highly recommend Meridian Club on Pine Cay in the TCI. That competes with both PIR and Cap but the "luxury" there is very much understated with only 12 club rooms and one private "sand dollar cottage" set off from the others. recommend

Cap Juluca provided one of the most romantic suites and settings we've experienced, but then we stayed in a suite with a 2 person soaking tub! The privacy is almost unsurpassed for a resort of this size. Private sunning deck, gorgeous romantic view of the ocean (as BeachPlum mentioned) from the king bed or patio. If you love long gorgeous beaches, this is it. The restaurants were good, plus guests have all the fabulous Anguilla restaurants from which to choose. I'd recommend you rent a car to explore other beaches and do some dining around.

Meridian Club also has a long beautiful beach, but not much room privacy, other than the Sanddollar and you'll have a shower instead of a wonderful soaking tub. Not much to do there but go to the beach or snorkel, plus it only has the one restaurant with only a few selections.

Peter Island is a different experience from the others. Has several great beaches, two restaurants - one casual and one fine dining, and big two person Jaccuzi's in the beachfront suites. Lots to do if you want, or you can do nothing at all. They will also open a luxury spa in December - one of the features will be massages for two which no doubt will be popular with honeymooners.

I can only speak of rules for getting married on BVI. You have to be there 3 working days weekends and holidays do not count. before we got to the resort we went to town to get our licence done, Biras Creek provided us with a "guide" to take us everywhere, he met us at Beef Island Airport. YOu need passports and if you have been married before, your original raised seal signed divorce papers. I don't remember, but I also think you may need your original birth certificates with raised seal. I'm not sure if that's needed, but I brought it anyway. It's not like you can just jump in the car and get what you need, so I brought everything! There is a list of national holidays on Travel hop for every island. Also if you look on travel hop there is a list of requirements for getting married, although BVI not on their list.

I felt that for a honeymoon, Peter Island Resort can't be beat. For my husband and for myself, we would have found a week at Cap Juluca, no matter how luxurious, to be somewhat repetitive and boring for us, too private and too limiting. We are social and like to be around others. And we didn't want to have to drive anywhere and figure out each night, which restaurant would be dining at. Many of the other honeymooners at Peter Island the week we were there felt exactly the same way. Blair, I realize from your orignal question on the Peter Island Trip Report post, you will be with another couple. And I don't know that posters here are aware of that. They are suggesting Cap over PI based on the privacy and intimacy factors. Nevertheless, Peter Island would be as private and intimate as you wish, and social when you want it to be. It's just that kind of place. Very laid back casual. Really nice atmosphere.

Also, for a wedding, I think the vistas and elevations at Peter Island would make for phenomenal photographs. Cap Juluca may be architecturally unique and beautiful, but Anguilla is a flat sparse island. The topogrpahy and vistas of Peter Island are incomparable. And a wedding/honeymoon there would be a unique and wonderous and truly beautiful experience superior to almost anywhere in the Caribbean.

Also, don't forget that Anguilla has no palm trees to speak of on their beaches. My husband likes to lie in the sun, I do not, but neither of us would have been happy with just a beach umbrella and no palm trees or thatched huts for a week. Sitting on my patio is something I want to do at the end of the day to unwind before dinner, not at the height of the day.

And if you want sailing, there is nothing like the BVI. We met people from all over the world who came there to sail. The Bitter End Yacht Club in the BVI has a big regatta there in September that is famous in sailing circles worldwide.

And as for the views, Peter Island is a mix of inlets and coves and incredible views from any vantage point of many neigboring islands and of sailboats and yachts dotting the seas. Anguilla simply cannot offer that. In fact, just for a piece of history, in the 1700's Blackbeard the pirate, was infamous for his exploits around the islands of the BVI. If you visit the BVI, you can appreciate why pirates chose this locale for their exploits. The hidden inlets and coves dotting this part of the Caribbean are just awesome. That is why I wrote in my Peter Island Trip Report that you simply can't appreciate the beauty of this corner of the world until you visit it and see it and experience it first hand.

Blair, my husband and I married a few months before the summer but were unable to take our honeymoon then, and we are just kicking ourselves for not having waited and instead gotten married at Peter Island this past month. We both concede that is was the only thing about our trip we wish we had planned differently. Peter Island Resort is without a doubt one of the most unique, most romantic and most picturesque places you will ever visit in your lifetime.

I really wasn't equaliting the "luxury" of Meridian Club and its postives to that of Cap or PIR but did find the privacy there equal to that at other places as one can opt to dine alone or join the others in a more informal setting and with so few guests the privacy is what you make it to be. The food is limited for sure but that beach and water is breathtaking and the exceptional staff wonderful. It goes to expectations, I believe, and that undiscribable undefinable "feel" that makes each and every spot special in different ways for different travelers. I can't imagine a wedding at either PIR or Cap being less than perfection and, as a matter of fact, at any of the places considered! I thoroughly enjoyed the "barefoot" experience at the Meridian Club and altho very different from the high end luxury resorts with marble, jacuzzi or double tubs and all the rest of the elegance, a return to the pleasant times of Caribbean travel when a/c, spas and massages weren't on the necessary list was really an experience that equaled the others, but in very different ways, if I were even attempting to rank them! It's like the privacy of one of your favs, PSV, which is ultimate in some of the cottages but for that privacy, you often have to give up some of the more "mainstream" desires of the more popular resorts.

Redwolf,
I understand how much you loved PI, but you really cannot comment on the "downside" of Cap/Anguilla since you have never been. There is no downside of Cap, believe me. You are no more isolated at Cap than you are anywhere else in the caribbean. Its what you want it to be. We have met the nicest people there from all over, not only at Cap but at the local beach bars and restaurants. Everything is very casual, open air restaurants and beach bar-b-ques, right on the beach..so everyone goes to all these places and it wonderful to meet everyone. There's some night life - Johnnos and Bankie's for drinks and dancing under the stars after dinner, and plenty of restaurants in all price ranges. Sure you can isolate yourself at the resort if you wish - but that's your choice. We have gone out for cocktails with other couples we have met and have met the nicest locals. So unless you have been to Cap or at least Anguilla, you really cannot comment.
Lack of palm trees is not a reason to dismiss Anguilla/Cap - that's absurd. It is hardly a desert - there is plenty of shade, if you were there you would know this.

Thanks everyone...this is turning into a good informative thread. The couple who are going with us have beeen to Cap and they adore it.They say that its great to experience all the laid-back -have a cold one-meet the people-open air beach bars.They love it and really ,I think want us to pick it so they can return.PI looks amazing..I have been to the US Virgins and St. John is probably the most gorgeous island I have visited in the Caribbean.Im just a bit concerned about the rooms though..I must admit..Ilove luxury!!!No one has commented much on Neviswhich is still a consideration.Keeps the input coming!!Thanks

Hi Blair9535,
There is a recent post regarding Four Seasons Nevis honeymoon (maybe a week or 2)....do a search and read it. I have never been to Nevis, I cannot comment but you can never go wrong in a Four Seasons - if you want luxury, that would be the place on Nevis!

I have stayed at FS, and as far as what you are looking for goes, FS Nevis has the pampering accommodations and the laid-back atmosphere.
There's not much sailing, the food was better at off-property restaurants, and Nevis is not known for its beaches.
You will get the sailing at Peter Island and the beaches at Cap.
I guess you should choose based on what of those requirements are the MOST important to you...
Congrats! :)

Sandy(or anyone),I wanted to ask a question about transportation on Anguilla.Are all of these restaurants and beach bars close to Cap???I keep hearing about renting a car vs. cabs and am a bit confused about the location of all the great places.Also, in regard to transportation, do most fly directly into Anguilla or take the ferry from St.Maarten??Thanks a lot!

All the restaurants on the west end of the island are a 7-15 minute drive.
Getting to Sandy Ground (Johnno's bar) and The Valley is at least 15 minutes (starting at Cap Juluca).
There are online maps of Anguilla showing the locations of the various restaurants and resorts. Do a google search of anguilla+map.
Cabs are more expensive than rental cars if you venture out frequently.
Flying in to AXA vs. SXM depends on your airline. It's not cost effective to fly from SXM to AXA if that's your Caribbean port of entry (USAirlines, e.g.). From San Juan you have a choice.

We always have flown from NYC area to SXM. Its non stop. We can fly on Continential or American. I prefer this route, as there is no rush to catch a connecting flight, once I am on the ground I consider this part of my trip. We take a taxi to Marigot, catch the ferry, enjoy the ride. Not everyone has a choice. The ferry has become popular, we use to be the only ones with luggage, now a lot chose this route.

Hi Blair,
We prefre renting a car while on Anguilla. The island is only 15 or so miles long(forgot the exact number) and driving is on the left but is very very easy. There is not much traffic and the new road signs make it very easy to find your way. Cab fare is very expensive and not worth it. Cab fare from Cap to Straw Hat restaurant costs us $60.00 with tip, I think the car rental costs 40 a day.
Last year we flew to San Juan and into Anguilla. This year we are flying into St. Martin and having a private charter speed boat pick us up. This is also another option for you. The lagoon is right across the street from the airport, so you don't have to get a cab anywhere. The ferry can be a bit rough and some people get sick on it, I don't want to take that chance, so we have a speed boat to take us to Anguilla. The cost is $250 per trip, which is a bit steep. You can also fly over to Anguilla on a small plane which is very affordable. Also I have to mention to you that if you are going to Cap via St. Martin, they have an Executive arrival and departure service. A rep meets you and takes your passports and luggage & whisks you thru SXM, which is a large hub and gets very hairy. You will not have to wait on a very long line and he will then take you and your luggage to a cab or your private boat or plane. Go to Cap's website for this information - definately worth it:)
Bob Green's website...I think its the best. Don't worry about driving anywhere, its very easy and Shoal Bay is about 10 min from Cap, I think. It was just so much fun I never timed it, but we did go there most every day and never minded it. Hope this helps you:)
If you need info on restaurants - just ask also check bob greens site as he has all the menu's and links to all the sites, and private charter boat and plane info too!