Carol

My family wants to go to the Caribbean this summer, 2 daughters ages 17 and 20, we have no idea where. Travel agent has suggested Beaches Negril in Jamaica, St. Lucia at Club St. Lucia, Dominican Republic... Last summer we went to Maui, stayed at Westin Kaanapali and loved it, liked having Lahaina to go in for shopping and food. Like really pretty pools, beaches and grounds at the resort, don't want a "sleepy" type of place - too boring for the girls. Looking for suggestions.

jt

you can try st martin<BR>la samana on the french side is very nice, exclusive but service is excellent and close to both the french and dutch shopping night life but quiet during the day at the hotel beach plenty of other beaches within driving less quiet

anon II

Carol: Unless you're European, Club St. Lucia will more than likely be below your standards and unacceptable.

Sally

What about Aruba? Seems to me like it's got everything you're looking for...

Penney

I was also going to suggest Aruba. Great spot and somuch more for your children to do at this age. Beaches Negril really caters to younger children.

Rebecca

Aruba is perfect for your family. Beautiful beaches and plenty do to. Also it's a safe island. <BR><BR>I must disagree with a previous post. Avoid St Martin, especially if you have teenagers. St Martin, although nice in some respects, is very unsafe & has a serious crime problem. Teens like to roam around, especially at night, and St Martin is NOT the place for that. Tourists are advised NOT to walk on the beach at night. Your daughters would be targets, and you don't want that on vacation.<BR><BR>The recently renovated Radisson in Aruba is amazing and very "Hawaii-like." The zero-entry pool is incredible. You just walk on it, like the ocean. Good luck! <BR>

Cherie

I have to disagree with your travel agent--you do not want to go to Beaches Resorts (caters to families with young children) or Club St. Lucia. Most of the islands are quiet except for Aruba. I think a cruise would be great--2 years ago we took a Royal Caribbean cruise to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Aruba and Curacao. We took the Champagne Catamaran sail to St. John from St. Thomas, DePalm Island in Aruba, Pinel Island snorkling in St. Maarten, and in Curacao we paid only ~$15 each for the use of a private beach/underwater park with shops, places to eat, lounges etc. At night there was plenty to do. As for Aruba, you might select the hi-rises for more activities--Wyndham, Marriott, Radisson or Hyatt. Also, downtown is the Sonesta Resort either at Seaport Village or the Suites. The downtown location is easy access to shops, places to eat and nightclubs. The Sonesta has a private island--boat takes you over in 10 mins.--4 beaches, spa treatments, gym, place to eat, nature trail etc.

SXMPATROL

"is very unsafe & has a serious crime problem"<BR><BR>False about sxm.<BR>Please ignore.

Rachel

<BR><BR>Carol, "SXMPATROL" trolls around looking for anything negative about St. Martin, then vomits forth a neverending slew of denials and lies. Probably a timeshare or business owner who has a pecuniary interest in St Martin. Anyway, ignore the patrol and a few of its minions -- Chas, Jeremy the Puckman, and a few others. They are notorious on this forum and generally viewed as a big joke by people who visit here regularly. <BR>Good luck selecting a destination for you & your lucky family!<BR><BR>(My suggestions would be Aruba, Curacao or Grand Cayman. All are plenty to offer your family.)

Carol

Thanks for the responses. My family is now looking at Aruba, just trying to decide between the Radisson and the Hyatt.

Ted

Both the Aruba Radisson and Hyatt are excellent properties. You really can't go wrong. The Radisson is south of the Hyatt and therefore closer to town, if that matters at all to you. <BR><BR>Check out www.aruba-bb.com for more info.<BR>