Help! US Virgin Islands
 

Help! My fiance' and I are looking to book our honeymoon for the first two weeks in August of 2014. We are looking at the US Virgin Islands (we have some restrictions about traveling outside of the US or else we would consider many other places). We are looking for an adult all-inclusive with pools/swim up bars - jsut a nice place to relax on our honeymoon. Any sugesstions??

As you are already finding out from the responses to the threads you started on the US forum there are few, if any, All Inclusives in the USVI's (and Puerto Rico. Some resorts do, however, offer optional Meal Plans.

If you give us some idea of your accommodation & food budget it will make it easier to steer you in the right direction.

st. john - no ai's
st. thomas - marriott frenchman's, wyndham sugar bay or bolongo beach resort
st. croix - divi carina bay

And none of those have swim up bars or is adult's only. Since you are going during a prime summer month, you will be probably be swarmed with children.

What you want is in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Rebuplic. But, since you have some sort of travel restrictions you will probably not find what you are looking for.

Consider Puerto Rico since it's a US territority. You will find swim up pool bars at the Marriotts and a few others, but no AI's. Drinks in the resorts are ridicusouly expensive. $8 for a beer and $12 for a cocktail. Much cheaper in the surrounding restaurants and bars.

You might also consider Key West, FL. To us it was the best destination for people wanting a pool. Several accomednations with pool side rooms and their is a community pool with drinks and food called Dantes. The food in that area had to be one of the best we have ever had on vacation and the prices were reasonable compared to other places. Not much of a beach destination, but great for sightseeing and sailing.

mlm: The US Virgin Islands are a great place to visit. I am not sure why you want an all-inclusive, but you really don't need it. Many great restaurants and bars. There is a great swim up bar called the Caribbean. ;-)

Correction: Bolongo Beach Resort on St. Thomas does have a swim-up pool bar.

We stayed at the Wyndham and though it was OK, we regretted not choosing the Bolongo instead.

eastenderusvi, because AI's are more convenient and less expensive. Who wants to sit at a swim-up bar and pay for drinks/food all day. Considering how high the prices are on drinks you're looking at shelling out $100 or more.

We spent all day at Dante's in Key West. Had 4 drinks a piece and 1 serving a piece of bar/snack food and it cost $82 + tip. Restaurants in St. Thomas are also pretty much spread out, so you'll need to either rent a car or pay for taxis. Additional cost right there.

I tried to look up the swim-up bar, Caribbean, you listed and couldn't find it. Do you have a link?

Instead, I also found this:

"Frenchman's Reef Resort [Marriott] features an all new resort pools for our guests to enjoy while basking in the Caribbean sunlight. We now feature an exclusive Adult Infinity Pool with it's own Azur Swim Up Pool Bar."

Too bad they did have all this when we went. I might would have liked St. Thomas a little better than I did. ;)

Mim:

I second the suggestion on Key West. Caribbean feel, great food and many romantic B&B's with fabulous pools and intimate bars at the inn's by the pool. Depending on your budget, consider
the Gardens Hotel where we found no children during our August visit.

KVR: My point is that if you travel and just sit at a hotel and eat hotel food, you aren't really experiencing the destination. Places like Jamaica, the DR and Mexico are big on AIs. There are too many great places to to eat and drink on St Thomas to limit yourself.

BTW, the Reef has always had a swim up bar...

Well, for us we do not see it that way and don't believe that others do also. However, if that is the type of vacation that are looking for, which I also feel is a shame to not experience the destination, who are we to judge how some else vacations. We are not ones to sit at a resort just because it's an AI and not experience the destination. We like AI's for the sheer convenience and the cost factor especially if we decide that one day of our vacation will be the pool/beach day.

When we went to St. Thomas we stayed at the Wyndham on their AI plan. We also did a full tour of St. Thomas, St. John and the BVI's. We went to Coral World and Coki beach, we went shopping and had lunch at the cruise ship area, went to Paradise Point for dinner one night and had dinner in Red Hook also. We also do the same in other destinations that we go AI. So my point is, to not have misconceptions like that. I actually took the time to do some research and found the answers to the question that the OP asked instead of trying to tell them what you think they should do instead.

I'm sorry if I sound argumentative, but I take exception when someone asks about AI resorts and others post responses trying to convince otherwise because they either don't like them or don't think other people should stay at them. If you want to add in that information after you have actually answered their original question than that is different.

We are currently researching our next trip for this year and looking a Puerto Rico. PR does not have AI resorts and has way more dining and bar options than St. Thomas does and much easier to get to. However, if we choose to go this route, we are going to have to add an additional $1,000 to $1,500 to our over all budget to cover dining, bar and transportation costs. That can be an issue to some who is trying to make plans for their vacation.

I wish resorts would just offer AI breakfast and drinks. I'm more than happy to pay extra for lunches and dinner, but resorts don't do it like that. It's AI or not.

KVR: No problem! You aren't argumentative. Discussions are good! My point is simply that there is more available in the USVI. One can have a great place to relax on a honeymoon and enjoy a variety of restaurants, bars, beaches AND local culture.;-)

Thank you for your responses. We are looking to keep the trip at $10,000 max. I guess AI doesn't have to be out main concern. We will be on our honeymoon and don't want noisy children. We just want to relax by a pool and some days the beach with the option of swim up bars.

What about a villa with your own private pool? Quiet, no children and very private!;-)

KVR - We were at Dante's in January and I ordered two mojitos. $18.00. I was glad I only ordered two.

With Key West, I don't really think there are beaches. Just poolside. There is not a ton to do in Key West either. Two weeks would be a long time there, for me. We were there two full days and that was perfect.

I guess there is a lovely beach near Marathon.

What about western Florida, such as Siesta Key or Sanibel Island?