Help on where to go!
 

10-year wedding anniversary trip!

This is our 1st trip to somewhere tropical, we might not be able to do another trip like this for a very long time, so we are trying to do all the research and pick the best possible vacation.

Budget: $3000 (if a little more gets a lot more vacation then higher)

What we like: Relaxing, good drinks, pools, beaches, no kids...

Resort Style: All-inclusive with good drinks, we generally stay away from boutique type hotels when we travel I would assume the same would be true for this trip. Easy access to Beach.

Rooms: We want an upgraded room with a terrace / balcony / patio / ocean front. We like very high quality rooms, something that feels luxurious when you are there. Something from the 21st century (no tube TV's and low quality beds).

Where: I have already done a lot of research and found that flying from Las Vegas we are looking at Jamaica, Bahamas, Punta Cana for flights. Some people telling us to go to Mexico like Cancun or Puerta Vallarta so we are open to that although I heard Caribbean is the place to go.


So Suggestions on where to stay???

Forgot Trip Length

We are looking at 4-5 days

For Jamaica, look at Secrets Wild Orchid, Iberostar Grand, Ritz Carlton, for Bahamas, Sandals Exuma (my first choice depending which month you go...can be cooler in winter months)....for Punta Cana...I stayed at Majestic Elegance (upgraded to elegance club...I hear Secrets/Excellence are great...

Also forgot when we are going, we are looking at November this year. So do I have to worry about storms?

If you go the first or second week of November you will find better prices. We have gone at that time in prior years with no issues regarding weather. We have since started going the first week of December instead.

In Jamaica look at Couples Negril, Jewell Dunns' River in Ocho Rios, Secrets and Iberostar in Montego Bay.

The preferred area in Jamaica is Negril, but MB has the lux resorts that you described.

In Mexico, look at Secrets Maroma, El Dorado Maroma, Royal Playa del Carmen, and Iberostar Gran Parsio.

One thing about Mexico at that time of year, I personally found the pools too cold for my liking. We've stopped going during that time period. Last year in December we went to Jamaica and the pools were much warmer. This December we are going to Cabo as most of the hotels there have heated pools.

In the Bahamas, I would say the Sandals resorts, though I am not a fan. Not sure is the weather will be too cool in November.

Not a fan of the DR either, but I agree with the Majestic or the Barcelo.

I keep reading about Couples Swept Away, is it too small of a place? I mean I hear you can't really leave your resort in Jamaica so I would like the resort to be big enough.

Sandals all look nice but it seems like basic rooms unless you drop some change on the nicer rooms.

I like this Secrets Punta Cana, but KVR why are you not a fan of DR?

Gotta ask, is $3000 for both and include air?

If it includes air, you'll get picture tube TVs and not tue best mattresses, definitely not oceanfront.

If it does not include air yu have a better chance!

$3000 doesn't give you luxury in the Caribbean, if your looking at $360 night with taxes and AI, the rooms are not going to be flat screen LCD TVs with fluffy mattresses and beachfront, just want your expectations to be good.

Overall, much more expensive than States, add in food, and you see what I'm saying. The rooms will be closer to a Days Inn in Virginia Beach. Actually Days Inn in VA Beach runs around $300 with no meals and city view.

You'll get a fun vacation at all the above mentioned, just want you to know that while the resorts are nice, the rooms won't be luxury like you expect unless you mean budget doesn't include air.

Couples Swept Away is a smallish resort, but it does get good reviews. The rooms funrishings won't be lux like what your find in Mexico. You can leave the resort in Jamaica, but I would do so on a guided tour or in a taxi. When we went to Negril we used the hotel's offered tours and then took a taxi to Margaritaville, the craft market and Rick's Cafe.

When we went to Ocho Rios, we hired a private driver to take us to the spots we wanted to see.

I love AI resorts and reguarly defend them here, but I'm not a fan of the DR. We went many years ago and I didn't like it. The resorts there are huge AI complexes. We are active on vacation and there really not that much to do there. If you are looking to just sit at your resort and take in everything that they offer, it would be a good choice. I personally prefer Mexico. So many things to see and do and no issues of walking off your resort.

For our 10th wedding anniversary in 2010, we chose Sandals Dunn's River in Ocho Rios. The resort closed and change over to the Jewell, so we didn't get to go and ended up in Key West, which we enjoyed. We did go to the Jewell last December. Of all the AI's resorts we've been to, I rate The Royal Playa del Carmen #1 and the Jewell #2. I much prefer the Jewell over Couples.

The first or second week of November you can probably get air and hotel for around $3,000. It will probably be one of the lower catagory rooms though. ie; garden view. I never book higher catagory rooms as to me it's a waste of money. We paid $2,600 for 5 nights at the Jewell for the lowest catagory room and got a free upgrade to an oceanview room.

The resorts in Mexico are much for lux than Jamaica. The exception would be Secrets and Iberostar in Montego Bay. They have those chaines in Mexico also.

If it was my choice knowing that the pools are too cold for me in Mexico in November, I would go with the Jewell, Iberostar or Secrets in Jamaica.

I *love* Puerto Vallarta Mexico. It is my go-to place. The weather is fabulous early November, plus hotel rates are low as it is still technically considered "off-season". You'll get WAY more bang for your buck in Mexico than in the Caribbean.

Yeah I think we might lean more towards Mexico, it seems like all the places I want to go in the Caribbean are $1500 flights and 20 hours flight times. Here is what I figured out already

Jamaica: Few big nice resorts, I like Secrets Wild Orchid, good deal on bookit right now too, but beach is rocky and not great. I am hearing lots of bad stuff about Sandals but Sandals Negril would have a good beach, not finding much other bigger type resorts in Negril. Couples in Negril is recently getting reviews about begin older and rundown. Jewell's Dunn looks very nice, but is there a beach? looks like its mostly in the rocks...

Bahamas: Haven't researched many resorts there but heard it too cold to swim in November?

Punta Cana: I like Secrets there but hearing the beaches aren't that great.

Puerta Vallarta: I have found Marival Residences, not on the beach but nice place to stay and walk to resort with beach. What are beaches like?

Cancun: not much research here except found Excellence looks nice, but is Cancun filled with partiers and clubs? Not looking for clubs or parties.

Too many decisions...Will we be able to swim in the Ocean at any of these in November?

As far as air, we are finding $1000 for air, so we still have $400/day for resort, with the right place would do 4 nights too..

My idea is to basically lay on the beach with drinks all day but I know that will get boring for 5 days. So would be nice for something else, like snorkeling, or exploring

Beaches in Puerto Vallata are the Pacific Ocean. So they'd remind you more of California, then they would of the Caribbean. Yes you can swim in the ocean in PV in November.

I have no propblem laying on the beach with drinks all day myself (plus around the pool, and walking around downtown PV). I usually stay 10 days. I've never been bored there. I pay well under $100/night the place I stay in Old Town (but they aren't "resorts" per se just hotels or apartments or condos).

There are all kinds of things to see and do in PV. The snorkeling/diving isn't so great but there are city tours, jungle tours, boat rides, ziplines, ATV, sunset cruises, etc. etc.

Cancun is a "built environment" is my objection, besdies that it's party central. Cancun is a row of resorts basically.

Puerto Vallarta is a "real" Mexican city that also has tourist ammenities, hotels and resorts. It has a fantastic restaurant scene, live music, friendly local people, safe, vibrant.

nitz, If you're seriously considering Puerto Vallarta, click on my screen name. I have two threads going with loads of past information both from myself along with many other PV regulars from this forum.

suze, well my mind is spinning over this decision, wish I could plan these multiple trips a year then it wouldn't make so much difference.

I definitely wanted turquoise waters and white sands, not California Ocean style.

The beach at the Jewell is very nice. No rocky entrance and no seaweed. The only complaint it gets is that it is small. People who think they need to "walk a beach" are the ones that don't like it.

Here are my pics of that resort:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/581974779NFDluV

We also did a photo shoot there. They took us around the resort, pool and beach and took several pictures. We chose 60 pics for $30 burned to a CD.

We've been to PV in a December. We could not swim in the ocean during that time. We stayed at the Play Los Arcos, which I would not recommend for what you stated you are looking for. The water was red flagged every day. We did do a snorkeling trip and the water was cold. The ocean temps on the Caribbean side of Mexico are prefect. We did do several day trips and had a great time, but we have not returned and don't have any plans to return. The pool at our hotel was heated.

I like Cancun. I think it's gets a bad rap. I actually spent my 40th birthday there and we had a ball. Look at the Royal Cancun, much better location than the Excellance. Not as much to do in Cancun as the Playa del Carmen area, but you can take tours/day trips to that area.

If you're interested check out my pic site. I have all our vacations from 2000 to current posted. You might see a destination that interests you.

http://community.webshots.com/user/kvrlvn

Couples Swept Away in Negril is on a gorgeous section of beach. IF you decide you can do without AI, look at the junior suites at COCO LA PALM, a small boutique resort on the best part of the beach. Also check next door at IDLE AWHILE, a a bit more upscale. Just don't expect American-style accommodations. Things are a bit more rustic at some of the smaller hotels, but they have that unbelievable beach to make up for it!

Negril is one of my favorite destinations because of its long beach, small hotels, and reasonably priced and delicious (!) food. You can absolutely leave your resort there without a problem, although I wouldn't wander the beach alone at night.

I've also stayed many times in Cancun and enjoyed it very much. Look at The Royal, THe Melia Resorts, and The Westin, which has a wonderful pool.

HOWEVER... you should know that November in the Caribbean is 50/50 for weather. We've had weeks - except for Turks and Caicos- which were partially or totally rained out in almost every island we've visited.