Slowmoving

My son will get married May, 19,2007. (Both are age 22) His mother and me want to send them on a Carribean Honeymoon. I am looking at Costa Rica, Belize and Jamaica - although I am open to whatever. My son is at Officer Training School until mid -July, so I am doing preliminary work prior to his return. I have not gotten specific feedback to what they may want.

I have looked at some all-inclusives. They are quite expensive - I would like to spend $2000-$2500 for a week - including air from NC.

They are Christian, non-drinking, non-smoking. So, I wonder how much the alcohol sales are factored into all-inclusives. They are quite active, would enjoy doing all the sight seeing, mtns, beach, water sports, hiking. They like to dance, but don't like the bar scenes.

Any suggestions?

SAnParis

You may want to explore other options. I have found that most often the AI places encourage the drinking, partying atmosphere & discourage folks from leaving the resort. Perhaps take care of things & give them a cash stipend to take along for meals instead (?). (This coming from a very anti-Resort type, I might mention).

Slowmoving

I agree with the no resort way of travel. I am just thinking, for a honeymoon, first time out of the country by themselves, that an all inclusive might be good. But, they are expensive

virginia

a big part of all ai's is drinking. it is a big factor in their pricing as well. most non-ai resorts have a restaurant attached though.
as son/fdil are young and have, i'm guessing, not traveled a lot, an english speaking destination might be easier for them. traveling is costa or belize is still a bit exotic for many americans.
my suggestion is st. thomas/st. john is usvi. easy to travel to, tons to do, good restaurants. it would be less expensive to stay on st. thomas which has wonderful shopping, good beaches with snorkeling, some sightseeing, plenty of boating excursions and then take the ferry to st. john for some quieter days of hiking or snorkeling.
my favorite resort on st. thomas is www.secretharbourvi.com (very close to ferry)
it is a by island standards somewhat secluded smaller all-condo resort with wonderful beach with good snorkeling. excellent restaurant. the rooms are spacious and clean and nicely furnished. the staff is friendly, thoughtful. a 1 bdrm w/ full kitchen, dining area and living room with large deck or patio is $235. studio is br w/kitchen and much smaller living/dining area $199. they regularly offer 1 free night a week in low season (april to nov) so this should fit your budget. they would need to rent a car for at least some of the time.
have fun helping with the planning!!

vinceygirl

The island of Bequia is out of the way with much to see and do. There are day trips available to hike La Soufriere on St. Vincent or snorkel in the Tobago Cays. I don't know of any all inclusives on the island but there are accommodations for all budgets. The biggest challenge is getting there. If you google SVG tourism there are many sites to peruse.

Another suggestion to stay in your budget is a Windjammer cruise. They are lots of fun and have 4 ship itineraries to choose from.
www.windjammer.com There is a misconception that these trips are all party hardy etc. You can do what ever you want. I'm not a big drinker yet have always enjoyed myself. Passengers are great and respect how ever you might choose to enjoy the cruise. Oh and by the way the Yankee Clipper really does do some mean sailing.

Tango

Not sure if this fits the budget, but what about a Disney Cruise? Lots of people think they are for families but apparently (I've not been but hear the food is wonderful and there is a very wholesome atmosphere). If not a Disney cruise, what about a Disney vacation? Once again, wholesome and lots of fun!

toppy

I second the advice for a Disney trip.
But also, how about checking out Bermudarentals.com.
For under $100 a night you can rent a great room or apartment with breakfast. The owner will help advise your kids where to go for dinner and dancing, and scootering all over the island. (Would you believe when I did this it was $30 a night for 2?...30 years ago, before internet, kids, and teacher
de-stressing needs!!)

toppy

oops, I meant to say 30 years ago I paid $15 a night for 2. ($7.50 each...can you believe it? Even then I knew it was a steal.)

TomCayman

How about a non-smoking non all-inclusive resort in the Cayman Islands... we have numerous to choose from for them, and US Air has nonstop flights from Charlotte (about 2 hours)

Tango

Bermuda is a good idea but I believe that it would cost a lot more than $2500.

jacketwatch

Have you thought about a cruise to the Caribbean? The food is included and though there are other charges most of those are for drinks so they should be fine. You can embark from FLA and I think getting there from NC should not be too expensive. Once there they easily do excursions on their own. All it takes is a bit of research or justa good guidebook.
Another option is Puerto Rico. They have clubs, great beaches, a rain forest to hike through and water sports of course. Also there is alot of history there. Its very nice and its a US territory so yes they are out of the country but yet they are not far in more ways rhan one.
Grand Cayman is very nice too though eating out is quite costly. Maybe Tom can help with some suggestions there.
Best of luck.

girlonthego

I agree that non all inclusive is the way to go if they don't drink. My favorite island for a honeymoon in May would be Bermuda, but that will be pricey. Most of Bermuda's hotels will include breakfast and dinner in their room rates.
A cruise would be nice, but I would stay away from Disney because it will mean lots of kids. I also think that Grand Cayman would be a nice choice. Tom, you should give them more info.
Aruba, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands are all good choices.
It is very generous of both of you to give them a honeymoon.

Slowmoving

Tom - I am not sure if I ever got any info from you. Could you please sesend - thanks

SAnParis

Disney & a cruise for a honeymoon ?!?! Are you kidding me ? PR is a good suggestion. It is a great inexpensive option & if they have fears of traveling abroad, those should quickly disolve in PR + you have the Rain Forest there. Windjammer is also a good idea but above the price line the OP is seeking, I think.

Slowmoving

The more I look into Costa Rica , the more intriqued I become. Any suggestions there?

PS - my son has traveled to Mexico and Europe in the past - so he is familiar with foreign countries. However, his fiancee has not left the US of A. I am more concerned about her than him. But not real concerned about either.

Tango

Hey SAnParis,

I just got back from Disney World and it was FULL of honeymoon couples! It's not for everyone, but there is a HUGE market for it.

They even have a chapel and a horse drawn carriage (like Cinderella)! And, it's not just tacky stuff. There are some very nice expensive hotels there that cater to your every whim!

CaliNurse

Hi Slowmoving. What generous and kind parents your son has!!
If you 're intrigued by Costa Rica, try posting on the Latin America forum, if you havent already. There are many great and knowledgable CR experts there.
My son and DIL went on a belated honey moon there and stayed 4 nights at the all-inclusive there, on the Pacific Coast, called Paradisus Playa Conchal, booked from the Leading Hotels of the World website (lhw.com) While they enjoyed the included drinks, they did NOT find that there was a major push-drinking "party "atmospherea t this resort. Perhaps there's direct flight from NC to the closest airpor in Liberia, CR. Maybe to save $ they could spend 4 days there and remainder of the week in another part of CR, eg Arenal,Central Valley, Manuel Antonio?

SAnParis

Tango - sorry about their luck...lol