Deciding between 4 Resorts
 

Hi I need some real help - My Husband and I are not real travelers and have only been to Ireland and Aruba which we both loved. We do not like to fly to much and are also interested in an all inclusive in January. Talked to an agent and these were the deals
IBerris Star Punta Cana, Riu Palace Punta Cana, Jamaica Renaissance Grande, Sandals Dunns, and Sandals Montego Bay -
Jamaica Renaissance was significantly cheaper but we are open to the others.

Any other suggestions would be great but we do not want to pay too much

Thank you

It sounds as though you are trying to decide between the DR and Jamaica. We have been to Sandals MoBay. Based on our experiences, the food was wonderful as were the drinks. Lots of activities based on general interests. Your inquiry didn't go into a great deal about what you were looking for, except that you didn't want to fly too far nor did you want to pay a lot. Based on that we do recommend it.

Castaway, Did you moonlight as Scrooge over the Holidays?

I thought St Thomas was the crappiest island? At least that's what you said in another post.

How would you know? And while you're at it, why don't you suggest what you think are some GOOD islands and resorts to a person who is in need of some help and suggestions instead of being so negative?

Jeesh! Didn't your Mom teach you "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"

jagsjos,
If you liked Aruba, chances are good you would like either Jamaica or Punta Cana. You might also want to look into the Bahamas. There are lots of direct flights and choices of places to stay, but it can be cool there in Jan.

Because you are thinking of going in Jan., you almost do have to go by what your travel agent suggests to get you the best deals if you are not adept at researching the trip on your own.

You can look at what other people have to say about the resorts you are considering by going to tripadvisor.com and where2stay.com
Read the reviews other travelers have posted, and that will help you decide.

I usually am able to weed out certain places I am thinking of going to by reading the reviews at these two websites.

Good luck, and I'm sure you'll find somewhere to go that you'll have a great time!

Agree with Diana, there is a good chance the weather could be cool in Jan. As suggested, I'd go online to see what deals are available in many different islands, then choose.

Your travel agent is giving you some fairly lousy options. There is a very nice, and not very expensive, resort on the south coast of DR called Casa del Mar. A beautiful beach and pool, very friendly people, OK drinks and good food. If you want to spend a bit more and have a much more upscale experience, go to Couples Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Excellent food and drinks, great staff, beautiful facilities and plenty of activities.

You might want to look at Debbies, Dominican web site.
http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/
There are tons of reviews there and you will be able to get a good idea of the resorts in the Dominican Republic. I have not been to the Rui Palace, But I have heard it is very nice. I've been other places in the DR and been very happy. Have not been to Jamacia , so don't know about it.
Good luck.

I stayed at the Iberostar Punta Cana about 3 years ago and thought it was very clean and beautiful. The food was good for an AI. The beach was nice although the water was a little choppy but fine for swimming. I was impressed with the resort for the price (inexpensive). I would recommend it and have been to many islands. Have fun!

Riu Bambu has more shade around pool and as nice a piece of Bavaro Beach. Stayed there 3/2002

Secrets Excellence was a terrific property. The extra exspense is worth it. Debbie's Dominican web site is a great source for info.

My two cents would be to include Negril if you are considering Jamaica - beach is much nicer than Ocho or Montego Bay. My choice would be Swept Away.

Personally, I would do Aruba,as the weather is OTPIMUM then...or move up a notch and go to Barbadoes...

I personally think Jamaica and Dom. Rep. are as close to a 3rd world country that you can get..and I hate ALL INCLUSIVES On those islands..

Unless you are into the "ALL you can drink mode" ,you are paying hard earned money for buffet dinners ( mediocre ,at best) and tons of alcohol..

You can do just as good in Barbados in a nice beachfront hotel, rent a car, see the entire island and hit great places for dinner, all in keeping within the same budget as an all-inclusvie in Jamaica....

Sandals Montego bay is great, the only thing I really didn't like about it was the airline traffic that flies directly overhead.The resort is at the end of the runway to the main airport.The resort employees make a big joke about it as the planes fly over (they all wave).They do treat you great though.

jagsjos - it sounds as if you are after an all-inclusive package - may I suggest that you pop over to expedia.com and have a look at some of their all-inclusive deals? I don't have an idea as to the budget your agent was sticking to, but you might see some other options there that might interest you as well. I see several attractive options for the same or less as sandals mobay. As for the options that you were presented with, my own knowledge of the specific resorts is rather limited - however, I can submit a preference to the beaches in the dominican republic. In addition, the resorts you mention in the DR are newer and more likely to be 'fresh' and more accomodating than some of the places you have mentioned in jamaica. Check out tripadvisor.com as well and do a search for the resorts you are interested in.

Might I suggest Grand Cayman for a worry-free, hassle-free, WONDERFUL caribbean vacation! There are some great deals to Cayman right now. We booked ours through Orbitz 2 weeks prior and just returned last night. The weather was 83 and perfect every day. It was a 3.5 hour direct flight from Chicago to paradise. There are direct flights from most major cities, if you are near one and hate flying. Cayman is very safe and very quiet, once the cruise-shippers get back on their boats. We would go walking on the beach every night and it was like our own private 7-mile beach. It is a big Scuba diving area, so the divers must go to bed early! All-inclusive would be a good way to go in Cayman as it is quite expensive. We did not do all-inclusive, but did do a lot of research on off-the-beaten path restaurants and the best activities, and packed picnic lunches on the beach. I think we did really well on expenses-- do your homework and you will save (though it looks like you are!) Check out www.sunshinesuites.com for a wonderful hotel by Wyndham. 7-mile beach is one of the most exquisite beaches I have seen in the caribbean. We are going back in May. Bon Voyage!

If you are thinking of Jamaica, think maybe of Grand Lido Braco. Suits my wife and I mainly because of the 'au naturel' area. Largest in the carib and underused. Lots of loungers and good food, good staff if you cultivate them. Not too sure about January though. Good luck wherever you go.

Would have serious doubts about Jamaica. Have heard a lot of horror stories about the crime there.

I would choose Swept Away in Negril Jamaica. Excellent beach, food and service can't go wrong with this choice.

Riu Palace DR/Punta C. Best place we have been too. Beaches great, food fantastic, rooms same.. Everything about this resort was great... We have been to Casa Del Mar in DR and it does not come close to any comparison with Riu Palace. Beach is short, food was bland, water in the rooms. We are arranging for our holidays this summer and would not think about staying anywhere but a RIU.