Sandy

Hi everyone,

I would like to visit the Caribbean with my family - husband & 2 kids ages 14 and 12. We enjoy:
1) Beautiful Beaches
2) Snorkeling
3) Trips to historic sites (shipwrecks, local buildings of interest, ruins, etc.)
4) Possibly some deep sea fishing
5) Evening entertainment suitable for the entire family (doesn't have to be some sort of formal "show", but listening to local bands would be nice).

We are looking at the Cayman Islands/Seven-Mile Beach, and we are also looking at the Cable Beach/Paradise Island area in the Bahamas. Which would be a better choice? Cost really isn't a huge issue - is there a big price discrepency between the two? We are thinking about going Christmas/New Years's 2002 (the most expensive time of year, yes, I know!)

Is there someplace even better than these 2 islands that I haven't considered?!?!?

Thanks for any input!

TJ

See my post on the Cayman trip we just took with my 17 year old daughter. She loved it. No ruins, though.

TJ

ZZ

Having lived in both the Bahamas and Cayman, I can tell you that there may very well be more suitable destinations. Cayman fails on point (3). I am glad that cost is no object, as you will pay handsomely for your vacation in either place (but especially Cayman) at that time of year. Other interesting places might be Barbados, or my personal favorites, St. Kitts or Martinique. There are old plantation houses, fortresses, and lots of history there. Alas, the beaches are not the best in the Caribbean. It is all a trade off.

Sandy

Thanks for the responses thus far . . .

Hey ZZ, how is the snorkeling off of Barbados, St. Kitts, or Martinque? Do you have any recommendations as to resorts/condos on these islands?

Thanks, Sandy

Ellie

I suggest Cayman Islands.

Betsy

St. John would be great for beaches & snorkeling. Probably not a lot of 3,4, & 5. But you could take a day trip to BVI. May be a little more expensive to get there but if you like more quiet beaches, you would happier on St. John.
I don't really know about the night life as my group is usually tired from the sun and water around 9 p.m.

Tricia

hi Sandy,
I'm topping this off for us. I, too, am looking for the perfect Caribbean destination for family~ 2 kids ages 13 & 15.
I called the Beaches # and was quoted $5,200. for 6 nights at Turks~ that's with the 30% discount they hav going until mid-end of December '02. I think what I've read indicates Turks won't have much in the way of #3 & #5. But, this Beaches resort sure looks nice.
We're leaning toward Atlantis on Paradise Island. There seems to be many excursions available including deep sea fishing, snorkeling, etc. from Paradise Island/Nassau. My husband and I were there once, we rented a moped for the day and drove from one end of Nassau to the other. That was a blast! There's also the straw market that I know my kids would enjoy browsing through. (I know that there was a fire some time ago (?) but think it's been re-opened)
Keep us posted on what you choose!

OurPlan

What about St. Lucia? Rain forest, volcano, banana plantations, beautiful beaches, some (but limited) snorkeling, and boat excursions. Hilton Jalousie comes highly recommended, but I'm interested in the Hyatt if it doesn't fold before we can get there!

Beth

My favorite family place in the carribean is Grand Cayman. The beaches ar crystal clear and calm. They are perfect for snorkeling. My 12, 10, and 8 year old loved snorkeling with the sting rays at sting ray city. The Hyatt has a magic show for the whole family. The Barefoot Man sings at Rum Point on Friday nights, and there is live entertaiment at Bamboo's sushi bar. It is located at the Hyatt. There are many great resturants in Grand Cayman.There are two great resorts to stay at, The Westin , and The Hyatt. Also a good condo with daily housekeeping is the Coralstone Club. It is three bedrooms and oceanfront and near all the amenties of the Hyatt and The Westin. They have sunset sails. Smuggler's Cove is the best resturant. The Westin has a great Sunday brunch. Across the street from the Westin is Eat's. It is a good but cheaper alternative for mainly breakfast food, but it has sandwiches and other things. Other things you can so if you can pull yourself away from the beach is go to the Turtle farm, hell, and a glass bottom boat ride in Georgetown. There is also Georgetown with many shops and resturants. Grand Cayman is a very conservative island so expect shops to close on Sunday. Also expect good service and very nice people. It is one of my favorite places to go with my kids. Atlantis is fun on the Bahamas but the service and food is not good, and there is millions of people everywhere. My kids had a blast there, but my husband and I like Grand Cayman much better! The only drawback is the price. There money they say is more valuable. One dollar is only worth .80 I find that hard to believe but that is the way they do it. If you are palnning on going around Christmas, I would say go to Cancun, and stay at the Ritz Carlton. It is real nice for Cancun and cheaper. Grand Cayman is a great value around Thanksgiving. That is when we go. The Bahamas might be a little chilly if you want to swim at Christmas. The reason why I say this is because I have been to Naples, Fla. that time of year and the water tempetature is around 68. Naples is pararell to the Bahamas. Plus I think anyone could do better choosing Cancun or Grand cayman over the Bahamas. The beaches are pretty but the food and service is bad at the best resort they have.

Sandy

Thanks to all who've responded so far. I appreciate the information.

Beth, thanks for the recommendation about Cancun - we were in Playa Del Carmen for Christmas in December 2000 (Iberstar Tucan; really enjoyed it) - just thought that we'd try the Caribbean and go somewhere different. Now that people are mentioning places like Barbadoes, St. Kitts, St. Johns, etc., I'm doing more investigation, but it only makes decision-making more difficult!

Thanks again.

Tricia

Beth: Thanks for the personal experience information. Nothing beats hearing from people who have actually been there, done that.
Since my sons have never been further south than Florida, for their first trip to the Caribbean, we're taking them to Nassau/Paradise Island. I want to go & have them experience Atlantis before they get any older.
Maybe we'll get to the Caymans one day. If only I had unlimited travel funds!!! Thanks again. Tricia