Caribbean Honeymoon?
 

My husband and I are planning our honeymoon for the beginning of January (it's the only time he has vacation and can go) and we would really like to go someplace in the Caribbean. He's never even been south of Maryland so this being his first time in paradise I would like to really make it special. My problem is I don't know where to begin as far as islands and resorts go. I have heard mixed things about the sandals, and find the price too high to risk this vacation not being perfect. Jamaica and Puerto Rico are out, hubby is convinced they don't care for americans and would prefer not go there lol. Anyway.. the most important things are warm weather and nice water. We both want to do a lot of snorkeling, and eating. All inclusing would be nice because it takes care of everything for you. We're from NY, and we never get this chance.. all the money we get from the wedding is going toward this trip. Any suggestions on islands and resorts would be extremely helpful!!! I'm just not sure where to begin... thanks!

A great introduction to the Caribbean is Barbados. It has some of everything the islands have to offer, except for a volcano. Lovely people, perpetual warm water summer, huge variety of sightseeing, hotels, restaurants, beaches, entertainment. I would suggest NOT doing all inclusive. You tend to be stuck at the resort too much for meals, and generally the food at A.I. places is not the best. On Barbados particularly, there are many fine independent and hotel restaurants.
The calm water west coast north of Bridgetown is best for swimming, snorkeling, and is the prettiest resort area. See www.barbados.org

congratulations kasey,
i think st. thomas or st. john in usvi would be perfect for you. wyndham sugar bay on st. thomas is all inclusive and has off beach snorkeling.
caneel bay on st. john has 7 beaches and wonderful snorkeling. if that's
too expensive look at the westin.
with passports you could go to:
bvi. perhaps long bay beach resort on tortola. bvi known for great diving and tons of snorkeling.
for something more exotic palm islnd in st vincent & grenadines is ai, quiet and tiny. it's near tobago cays which is an uninhabited group of cays with wonderful snorkeling (boat ride needed) or possibly www.saltwhistlebay.com on mayreau.
provo - turks &caicos might work for you but might be too cool in jan. (it was too cool for us in march) they have very good snorkleing and excellent restaurants.
and to really throw more at you if you are going to do allin you really should consider mexico. the coast from cancun south 1/2 way to belize is littered with them. from tiny to huge in every price range. great snorkeling, ruins, shopping, plenty of restaurants.
don't ppl have funny ideas about why not to go someplace.
if you are interested in eating well i would not stay at ai. as all food is prepaid it would seem to discourage you
from going out to eat. i love to see and explore everything i can so ai is not my cup of tea.

Thank you SOO much for the tips and advice! We have decided that we would like to go to the US Virgin Islands.. everything is so hectic right now that I would prefer to not worry about passports if possible. Now my trouble is choosing between the 3 islands, we certainly want to explore and eat at different places.. maybe AI isn't right for us. Any resort recommendations? Does one island have better beaches than others? Our resort will probably just be "home base" where we sleep... we don't plan on being in the room much, so it certainly doesn't have to be a fancy suite, but a nice, clean, frienly resort.. lol I'm not a fan of rats and roaches. How far apart are the islands? As long as we stay within the USVI's we can take a boat to the other islands and explore what they have to offer as well? Every piece of advice is greatly appreciated! It's so nice to talk to people who have visited these places and know what they're talking about!

FYI........ Puerto Rico is part of USA

Yea I know it is.. and trust me I think it would be just fine for a nice vacation, but something about the USVI's look so appealing to me..we'd like to snorkel in a different place every day... and visit the other islands. Now I'm trying to decide which if the islands to stay on.. and look at some resorts.

St. John has many snorkeling beaches. If you can afford Caneel Bay, it is paradise on earth, with a sprawling 170 acres and 7 tree-shaded white sand beaches with wade-in snorkeling. The Westin is on a (gulp) man-made beach but not far from the other beaches. Gallows point is a condo hotel in the harbor, again a short drive to sandy beaches. Or on St. Thomas, Secret Harbour is on a good snorkeling beach; there are others on STT, and you can day trip to St. John.

If you can afford it I would totally recommend Caneel bay resort www.caneelbay.com

My fiancee and i are both 30 and we went to St john last year. It has totally spoiled us for caribbean islands. We have been trying to find something that would come close to it for our honeymoon in July 2008. The offshore snorkeling is just amazing at Trunk Bay. The beaches on St. John are the kind they have pictured in magazines. The beaches have that soft white sand and crystal clear calm water. St. John has some nice restaurants too. The nightlife is on the mellow side. Although not totally absent as long as you are willing to look and socialize. If you want dancing and shooters you may want to go to St thomas. St thomas is bigger and more congested. It wasnt my cup of tea. I never hear much about st. croix.

If you decide to go to st. john - I would put a little money aside to do a day trip to Jost Van Dyke The Soggy Dollar. It is a wonderful experience. I also suggest doing a boat trip to Virgin Gorda The Baths. They are beautiful and have great snorkeling.

for a honeymoon i think st. john is more romantic. quieter beaches! you can ferry easily between st. john and st. thomas - to red hook 20 mins and to charlotte amalie 45 mins. you can not ferry to st. croix - it's too far. and to travel to any of the bvi you will need a passport. (the baths, soggy dollar etc) but it might be worth getting them because the islands are very close and bvi has great snorkeling. how often will you have the chance to do this??
re: secret harbour on st. thomas. i love this resort. have stayed twice and want to go back. it is all condos with large full kitchens. the beach is close to perfect, with good snorkeling. the blue moon restaurant is very nice and their beach bar is fun. staff has been there for years and are very nice and attentive. each unit is owner furnished and has a deck or patio. get a beachfront unit if you stay there. agree that st. thomas is more congested but SH is in a very quiet area.
i haven't been on st. croix so can offer no advice.

I think we would really love to stay on St. John, I want the beaches not a ton of people.. more quiet romantic setting... my problem is this.. we are getting married in september, and it's a rather large wedding, which is when we will be getting all this money that is all going toward the trip, so I won't even be able to reserve myself a cottage or resort until the end of september, is that completely insane? Orbitz.com has already told me Caneel Bay Resort is booked for the first half of January.. so is it likely I'm even going to be able to find a place to stay?

can you book now with a credit card and pay later with the wedding money? jan is a very popular time as you know and st. john has limited rooms. if you like caneel call the resort directly. they often have space not listed through orbitz, expedia, etc.

Kaseys

I'm confused - don't worry it happens often :-D

You talk about your 'hubby' but I presume you're not married yet

Have you thought of postponing your honeymoon until you have an idea of your budget?

PR and Jamaica are 2 of my favorite islands (but as time and my travels go on I find other interesting places to visit) I'm not sure about the weather though and this is the most expensive time to visit the Caribbean.

Have you thought of delaying your honeymoon so you can take advantage of the cheaper rates?

If you wait until April you will get better rates and the resorts will be quieter - just a thought.

I know that he gets 2 weeks off in January.. but have no clue what days they fall on.. we could probably take a guess as to he has had the exact same vacations the past two years.. I'm thinking the first two weeks is a fair assumption. I should ask him what he wants to do, but right now he can't get over the fact that he's getting on a plane :-) all of this is completely new to him. St. John sounds wonderful.. and I've also heard good things about Aruba and Barbados. I want someplace safe, frienly.. I want to stay near the water, but not have to take a taxi or bus everywhere.. I would like to be walking distance from eating, shopping etc. Still think St. John is perfect or do some other islands fit the description as well?

OH lol.. and I want the beaches to look like something out of a travel magazine :-) PS No technically we're not married yet but we've been together for years.. and have a little boy so I always just say my husband, it's easier!!

Ahh.. I get it - are you taking you DS on your 'honeymoon'?

I'd recommend Aruba for hubbys first experience - people here say it's 'Americanized' but actually it's a island populated with Europeans :-D

A clean island with a low crime rate - very arid though, if you want lush then St John has lots of fans here. Never been so I can't help :-)

Laurie01 is looking at http://www.coconutbeachclub.com/ Looks interesting

You're going in high season so your budget will help decide alot. I agree with everything Xbenx said about Barbados. Also check out Anguilla and Grand Cayman. Don't do all inclusives, you're going to an island to see the island, meet the people and eat the food.

Ok Thanks.. I really appreciate all this advice!! I will definitely look into barbados and a few of the other islands. Has anyone had experience staying in a private villa or cottage instead of a big resort or hotel? Also.. if we went for five nights, what would you recommend bringing as far as extra money for food, excursions, and some shopping. I would probably bring a few hundred dollars to shop here and there but my main concern is bringing plenty to eat all week and do tours or rent snorkeling equipment.. things like that. Do most hotel's include a breakfast that you can buy or do you have to go off and find a place to eat every morning? Once again I really appreciate all the advice and help! :-) Thanks!!

I think Barbados sounds like a wonderful island to visit.. any suggestions on where to stay? Remeber we want snorkeling, shopping, nice beaches, and if possible.. under $300 a night :-)