Help - Caribbean Newbie
 

I'm looking for a romantic weekend getaway to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary in October. While it will be a long weekend, we're looking for the best options that will keep travel from the Northeast (Newark, NY, or Philly) to a minimum.

I was considering Puerto Rico, given the many NS flights, but am wondering what other "better" locations might be reachable within a reasonable commute.

I have a ton of Marriott points, so I'll be looking at the Marriott properties, but even here I'm not sure which ones are easy to reach for only a 3-night stay.

Thanks in advance for your help !!

We spent our honeymoon the last week in October in Bermuda many years ago. The weather and water was warm. There was a brief shower during the day but you will find this in many islands. I would check out The Reefs. I know several people who have vacationed or honeymooned there and loved it.

jeffrey0923: I can tell you the places you can fly non-stop from Newark with Continental from my own research. We also do short anniversary get-aways and when we travel with our toddler, non-stop is the way to go.
Grand Cayman, Nassau (I believe Continental now does Grand Bahama Island non-stop too), St. Thomas, San Juan, Cancun, St. Martin, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Montego Bay (Jamaica).
Last year, we did Grand Bahama Island for our anniversary weekend get-away. We unfortunately had to do a stop-over in Ft. Lauderdale but it really was short.
Good luck.

If you are looking to use Marriott pts, that the Aruba Marriott Stellaris Hotel is very nice. I would suggest more than three days. It is a direct flight from NY, but long. There is also a Marriott and a Ritz on ST. Thomas and I hear the Ritz is very nice. I have no idea how long this flight would be. If you want short, try the Bahamas. Paradise Island ? Atlantis? Action only a couple of hours flight away. The Marriott in Puerto rico gets mixed reviews.

If I may add a few more things.
I can't imagine that the aiports in NJ, NY and Philly are all at equal distance to your home. You might want to pick the airport that is closest to your home since time is an issue for you. I say that because my husband and I learned a lesson on one of our trips. We had a better deal to fly out of JFK so we did. Well it wasn't worth the hassle to get there (about a 2-hour drive) when Newark is 15 minutes from our house. We could have spent those 2 hours in the air heading to our destination.
Also, what kind of weekend are you looking for? A "relaxing" one? meaning just laying on the beach doing pretty much nothing else? Or an "active" one? meaning lots of sightseeing?
The answer should guide you on which island to pick. I think that if you want just a "relaxing" one, pick an island where there's nothing much to do but lay on a fabulous beach. I personall don't think that Puerto Rico is the right place for a "relaxing" vacation (if you were thinking San Juan). There's so much to do and see and great restaurants to eat at, it would be a shame to just lay on the beach for your first trip there.
Let us know whether it's a relaxed or active weekend and I'm sure we could guide you better.

Yes, Aruba is nice- but since you only have a long weekend I would not recommend the long flight there. Are you against Cancun? Great beaches, great prices and two nice Marriotts.
Also, frequent and good flight service.

There is a new Marriott in St. Kitts which looks quite nice and a Marriott in St. Thomas.

I agree with the above post. There is a brand-new Marriott on St. Kitts and it looks gorgeous. I'm headed there for my honeymoon in Sept so I'm hoping it's as good as all of the pics and reviews!! There is a good mix of things to do on the island...hiking, horseback riding, water activities, or just lounge by the pool/ocean!

Thanks folks.

Couple quick replies - I acutally live a mere 20 minutes to Newark Liberty, but will be dropping the children off in Philadelphia, hence both airports are an option.

We're looking for relaxation, a bit of sun, nice culinary selection, and a lot of romance ! Active nightlife scene not a high priority.

Like many of you indicated, St.Kitts looks like a great fit, but I wasn't sure how practical it was for a weekend getaway. I don't think there are direct flights, but I will double check.

Thanks again - keep the ideas coming !

Another place to investigate for a relaxing time is Turks and Caicos, Providenciales (Provo).

I know there are direct flights from Boston, NY etc. But some schedules are pretty infrequent, so it might not work for a long weekend.

Ken