mobonilla

Hi all,

I am new to the Caribbean and I am getting married next April, I am planning a honeymoon for 14 nights, we will be doing 7 nights cruise that includes Cozumel, Jamaica and Labadee, we are also planning to stay in Atlantis Bahamas for 4 nights but I having trouble picking where to go for the first 3 nights we have, I would like some help:

Looking for:
Budget between $500 and $700 per night

Must have:
Privacy (if possible to get a tan without cloths and no one can see),
Secluded nice long beach (NOT nude)
All inclusive with fresh swimming pool
Nice to have:
Jacuzzi
Nice island to drive and go to like a national park, hike, waterfall or any eco-tourism.

Any help will be appreciated,
Thanks.

blamona

Okay, you're not going to get AI and privacy at the same place, AI make their money feeding the masses!

So which are you willing to give up?

Plus, you're all over the place, the only thing you could combine and not loose travel time are one of the Out Islands in Bahamas. Very few AIs there at any of them. Club Med San Salvador might fit the bill except for the nude tanning/ privacy part.

Same with Sandals Exumas, except for the nude tanning part, but might be above your budget.

Other than that you'll be hard pressed to get that many places into 14 days

RoamsAround

Blamona's right (FYI - she is one of the most knowledgeable regular contributors on this board so heed her advice).

Travel time is going to have a huge impact on where you can go. Since you are seeking suggestions on "where to go for the first three nights" it would help if you told us where you are traveling from and what port your cruise (I assume that's your "second leg") departs from. Obviously you'll need to get from where you are being married to the first destination and from there to the cruise ship.

Quite honestly, with only three nights for that portion you are not going to have much time at the actual destination you choose. You are probably going to need at least 1/2 day to get "there" and at least 1/2 day to get from "there" to the cruise port. Most, if not all, of the more secluded resorts/locations in the Caribbean are difficult to reach and will take you longer than the minimum times I listed above. With that short time it is doubtful you'll be able to get anywhere that's secluded enough for you to get your tan "au natural".

You should rethink your plans and perhaps stay somewhere near your port city so you reduce travel time and maximize your "relaxing time".

You are really being

mobonilla

Great, thanks you both for the great advice.
Basically you are right, we are from Costa Rica, so we will be arriving to the Miami at around 1PM ET, then will go to the chosen island which will probably be a couple of hours more, so the intent is to be on the 14th on the island.
We will spend two full days (15 & 16) in the location relaxing, so I think we can drop the AI part and keep only the privacy, we want to rest the two days and get rid of the stress of the wedding. Also the idea will be to go from the island to Nassau on the 17th to stay in Atlantis, so I am hoping that the travel from any island to Nassau is not that much, what do you think?

Thanks.

RoamsAround

One of the major difficulties you are going to encounter with your plan is getting TO Nassau FROM the island you plan to visit for the first leg of your trip. You see, island hopping is not always easy and to reach Nassau from most of the "true" Caribbean islands (those island from the Dominican Republic/Jamaica/Puerto Rico and south) you'll first have to fly back to Miami and schedules may be such as you'll have to overnight in Miami before leaving for Atlantis on Nassau. So you can pretty much forget about going to places like the US Virgin islands, the British Virgin Islands, St. Martin, etc. - as logistically it will be a difficult and time consuming.

You are going to be pretty much limited to visiting one of the Bahamas Out-island (you can fly directly to Nassau from most). The thing is you may or may not be able to get TO all of the Out-Islands without first stopping in Nassau. Look at Cape Santa Maria Resort on Long Island or perhaps Fernandez Bay Resort on Cat Island. Other Out-Islands to consider are Exuma, Eleuthera (there are plenty more Out-Islands to choose from).

Consider staying at a resort in the Florida Keys, Little Palm Island comes to mind. It's very upscale, secluded and perfect for honeymooning couples. You can stay there and easily get to Miami Airport for your flight to Nassau (Atlantis).

Good luck planning your trip.

mobonilla

Great, thanks a lot! I will consider all.

StanKase

I have the absolute perefect place. It is heaven on earth and 20 minutes from Nassau. But the flight to make is easy is a charter and cost $400RT in 2010 but the scheduled flight was I think $275/person. It is Kamanale Caye Resort on Anros Island. If you go on Luxury Link a 4-8 weeks before departure they may have an offer at 4 nights for the price of 3 if you are going in very late April if that is after their cut off for highest season though most resorts now go to mid-May or June 1. The food and service was exceptional. There was no jacuzzi but the rooms were outstanding and for a high fee, that I and a few others complained about they may have reduced, they took you to spots on the third largest barrier reef in the world to snorkel or dive. I should not forget the lovely long beach.