Hi! <BR> <BR>My husband and I are planning out first big vacation.. and it will be our first time in the Carribean. We've managed to narrow down our selection to Aruba or St. Thomas. Each area seems to have its good points and drawbacks. We are told that Aruba, bar-none, have the best water and snorkeling, but we're turned off by the casino nightlife. We are in our late 20s and like to stay active, so water sports are important. We are also trying to keep within a budget and have been advised by most folks that all-inclusive is the way to go. The Marriott in Aruba sounds excellent, but is not all-inclusive and WAY out of our price range. Darn! Anyway, we were wondering if anyone has stayed at the following places: Wyndham Resorts - both in Aruba and St. Thomas and Bucuti Beach Resort in Aruba. According to Fodor's the Bucuti is quite charming, but we are concerned about the lack of amenities and only know folks that have stayed at the big resorts. If anyone has stayed at these places, could you share your experience? I've also read some comments posted earlier that St. Thomas is dirty? Are the beaches not well-maintained? Please share your thoughts. <BR> <BR>Thank you!

I don't really care for St. Thomas. Compared to some of the other islands, it's dirty and congested. Why don't you consider the British Virgin Islands? Much nicer. And less crime.

Years ago when my husband and I took our first vacation to the Caribbean, we chose Aruba. We loved it and we were hooked with visiting islands. We did an all inclusive at the LaCabana and I would definitely stay there again. However, the all inclusive is not always the way to go. We felt we could have gotten by cheaper without the all inclusive. For one thing the all inclusive includes all your alcohol and I don't drink. So I spend a lot more than if I had bought ala carte. The other down side to all inclusive is that you don't sample other restaurants in the area which can be a great experience. The up side of all inclusive is that you don't have to carry around your purse or any money and that part was great. However, that is the only trip we took as all inclusive. All our other trips to other islands have been packages for just airfare and hotel. <BR> <BR>Have never been to St. Thomas, and have never seen or heard anything that makes me want to go there, but understand it is quite different from Aruba. <BR> <BR>Wherever you go, have fun!!

Each island does have its pluses and minuses. Frankly I don't think that you can beat the proximity to the BVI's and St. John for water activity if you stay on STT. I found Aruba sterile and over-Americanized and not to my liking but it definitely has an assortment of activities not found on St. Thomas - casinos, "shows," booze buses and boats and is a very different attitude than most of the Carib. Of course, St. Thomas generally is more expensive than Aruba. Lots of people really enjoy Sugar Bay there and give good reviews but I have not stayed there. St. Thomas has lots of dining in all price ranges so that a/i is not one of the popular options for the resorts there. You might want to check Bolongo Bay, the other option there. It is a little more laid back, low rise Caribb-style. Of course, people will tell you terrible stories about St. Thomas but maybe they've only been there as cruisers and know that Charlotte Amalie is the mecca for shopping and it does get busy but there are wonderful beaches and opportunities for a great time if your interest is snorkling. The Wyndham is just 10 minutes from Red Hook and the St. John ferry where most of the island is Nat'l Park and each and every beach has spectacular snorkling from it to say nothing of the nice little coves and beaches on STT. The islands are lush, green with tropical foliage and interesting terraine with a breath-taking beach around every curve, over every hill. If you don't need Dunkin' Donuts and can live without your familiar fast food chain food and really want a wonderful Caribb vacation, do some more looking at STT! Aruba offers a windy arid terraine that I did not enjoy at all! In fact, being in Cancun reminded me very much of being in Aruba and I didn't care for that either!

Stayed at the Wyndom in St. Thomas...not impressed.. The best thing about St. Thomas is it's proximity to St. John which is beautiful.. As for Aruba...boring..

Been to St. Thomas twice (stayed only one night each time) and continued onto St. John and Virgin Gorda, respectively. No need to stay in STT unless you are going to just sleep there. Not too clean, touristy, but the rest of the BVI and USVI is lovely. Try the Dominican Republic, I get alot of good feedback from there. <BR>--Former Travel Agent

Aruba? Snorkling? By far of the two choices St. Thomas will give you the snorkling and diving. St. John, just a hop away, you can snorkle right from many beaches and the BVI's are great for day trips. Don't know where these folks got their info about the USVI and St. Thomas but it can be a great destination and there is a whole lot of island except where the cruisers go and town.

We spent a day on Aruba last year (from a cruise ship). We went to one of the beaches in front of the hotel section and it was nice. So if you plan on staying close to your hotel you might like it. BUT..we rented a car and drove all over the island. Its pretty small. It was the UGLIEST island I'd ever been on! I would never go there for a week. It is basically a flat island with a bunch of rocks and cacti. The locals live very poorly in shacks. I know that's not unusual. One of the tourist attractions was a large boulder! It was extremely hot in May. I have been to other islands in the Carib & this is one I don't care to ever visit again. I heard the snorkeling was good, but almost every island has decent snorkeling. I'd pick St. Thomas of the two. Like others have said from St. T you can take day trips to St. John which is more my idea of a caribbean paradise.

Jen, <BR>Forget both places, and consider Grand Cayman. Much nicer island, and if this is your first trip, you will not be disappointed.

My boyfriend and I went to Aruba last December right before Christmas and it was beautiful!! The Wyndham is where we stayed and the rooms are really nice. However, the restaurants leave a little to be desired! I would suggest the Hyatt if you can afford it. It was BY FAR the nicest hotel in Aruba and has the best restaurants!! We had a great time but just like all of these postings, it depends on what you are into. We went horseback riding on the beach, did a booze cruise, went snorkling and headed into town for some dinners and shopping. I would recommend Aruba to anyone looking for a relaxing vacation. Our only disappointments were the casinos (not like being in Vegas) and the nightlife (non-existent).

Aruba wins by far. St Thomas has a big crime problem. Aruba is very safe. We stayed at the Aruba Wyndham and it was awesome. Very reasonably priced as compared to Marriott which was just too expensive. Aruba was our best vacation even better than Maui, Hawaii. Great food, great beach and water, no waves, a place to relax. I am not sure about the all inclusive but a breakfast package would be good. There are so many great places in to eat in Aruba and the prices were not that bad. Me and my wife were college students at the time so money was a big issue. We Are going for our second anniversary in April. good luck.

Jen, <BR> <BR>Look into Le Sport on St. Lucia. We went last May during our honeymoon. It's an all-inclusive resort/spa. Two spa treatments a day, every water sport you can think of at your disposal, two pools, nice beach, great reef and fantastic food at their premier restaurant (TAO). <BR> <BR>It's by no means a Sandals. It's fairly low key with the average age about mid to high 30's. We are in our low 30's. <BR> <BR>Check out their website at www.lesport.com.lc <BR> <BR>Please e-mail me if you have any questions.

You MUST check out the Cayman Islands. Go to www.cobaltcoast.com. Its a fabulous new resort, v. small only 18 rooms, buyt with all the facilities of a larger hotel, but not the price. It even has its own onsite dive operation the snorkelling/diving is second to none <BR>Highly recommend it!

Jen: Do yourself a favour if this is your first time to the Caribbean: Skip St. Thomas. Go to Aruba. Aruba is much more "user friendly". You have to work up to a place like St. Thomas because there's alot to avoid. You don't have to partake of the casino nightlife. There's a lot more to enjoy. Stay at a large hotel such as the Wyndham if you need the "amenities". You will have a lot of fun.

Jen: Have you considered a Caribbean cruise? We did an 11 night one in February and hit Key West, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Aruba, Jamaica and Curacao. We like the diving and snorkeling too and were able to go to a different beach almost every day. It was great and we got a little taste of a lot of islands. For the record, we liked all of them but found that we were hassled a little when we were walking around in Cozumel and a lot in Jamaica. <BR> <BR>I know that a lot of people look down on cruise ships but it is great to wake up in a different place every day. We definitely came away with a feeling for which islands we would like to visit again and which we would not. I don't think that I liked any so much that I would prefer an extended stay on any vs. the variety of many different. Plus, with a good cruise, you can contain your expenses because all your meals are included in your set travel expenses. We ate breakfast on the ship, went on our outings and were very ready for dinner by the time we got back. <BR> <BR>If you do decide to stay in Aruba, go to DePalm Island and do it early in the day. We went with a group and I only tagged along to be a sport. <BR> <BR>I fell in love with snorkeling that day. The water was clear and it was like swimming in a well stocked aquarium. Just gorgeous! Unfortunately, as the day went on the water got more stirred up and it was not as clear so the colors were not as vivid but that would probably be true anywhere. <BR> <BR>Some of the islands we visited had instructional scuba programs so if you guys are not certified you could give it a try at limited depths. I have asthma so they wouldn't let me do it but my husband and son did go and raved about the experience! <BR> <BR>Have a great vacation and make sure you let us know what you decide!

I've never been to Aruba... But I'd suggest skipping St. Thomas and moving right on to St. John. I spent about two hours on St. Thomas and that was MORE than enough. My two weeks on St. John were incredible (with day trips to the BVIs - Tortola and Virgin Gorda). With the National Park there, there is a ton of outdoorsy, beach/water stuff to do. I went there with a bunch of twentysomethings and we had a fabulous time. <BR> <BR>I would suggest staying on St. John and day tripping it over to St. Thomas if you want more shopping and stuff. Definitely take the trip to Virgin Gorda...it is gorgeous. <BR> <BR>My personal opinion about the all-inclusive deal is don't do it. You miss out on experiencing the true "flavor of the islands" by being stuck at one place. After all you've already paid for it, so going somewhere else to eat/do something feels like a waste. <BR> <BR>Have fun no matter what you decide!!! <BR>

Hi Jen, <BR> <BR>I too did a cruise to various islands. It was my first time to the carribean and I feel it was the best! I loved seeing so many different places. We decided to go the cruise route, which I had never done, because we couldn't decide on an island. I loved the cruise. Incredibly easy way to travel and a great way to choose where to go back to. Good luck!

Don't go to St. Thomas!

Don't go to Aruba!

I HAVE BEEN TO ARUBA 3 TIMES AND I JUST LOVED IT. I STAYED AT THE DIVI ARUBA AND EVERY TIME I GO I ASK FOR THE LANAI ROOMS WHICH ARE RIGHT ON THE BEACH. YOU OPEN THE SCREEN DOORS AND YOU WALK RIGHT ON THE SAND. IT FELT LIKE I WAS IN PRIVATE ISLAND. ARUBA IS JUST A FUN PLACE ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE YOUNG. THERE ARE SO MUCH TO DO AND THE WATER IS GREAT.