Hi - I am doodling with the idea of a short trip to somewhere warm and beachy in December, but have no idea where to go. My only experience with the Caribbean has been port stops on cruises. I'm looking for laid back, on the beach, palm trees, maybe a mountainous backdrop (like the pictures I have seen of St. Lucia) but that is not mandatory. I have no interest in mega-resorts, particularly like Atlantis. What is mandatory is nonstop air from NY. Thanks for any ideas - islands, and hotels. If I can't come up with something, I suppose I could always go to Florida...

Continental has a non-stop out of Newark to Grand Cayman but it ain't cheap and they don't fly every day of the week. They might also have one to Aruba and I think St. Maarten too, not sure. There's always San Juan, JetBlue does non-stops out of Newark and it's relatively inexpensive. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas you will likely find pretty good rates as it's a slow time for the airlines.

http://tinyurl.com/2as5xc

Once you figure out where to go then you should have no problem with a place to stay since it's a slow time for the hotels too till about Dec. 20th. Check travelzoo.com for ideas there.

Good luck!

A/A has direct flights to St Kitts from JFK starting November 18. There are also flights from JFK through Miami.

There is daily non-stop service from NYC to Barbados by American. Delta and Continental also service the island regularly.

There is a non-stop to Curacao from Newark. It is AA or Continental.

Cayman Airways flies non-stop several times per week from JFK to Grand Cayman, and you'll get great rates in December prior to the Holiday rush.

Continental only flies to GCM once a week (Sat) from EWR

Depending on the day of travel and which NYC area airport you use you can reach the following islands non-stop:

Providenciales
Jamaica
Dominican Republic
Grand Cayman
St. Thomas
St. Martin
St. Kitts
St. Lucia
Barbados
Puerto Rico
Aruba
Cozemel
Cancun (not technically an island)

Together these islands offer hundreds upon hundreds of different resorts that appeal to all budget levels. All will have palm trees, all will have smaller resorts and most have mountainous backdrops so it would help if you can be more specific about your desires and requirements. Give us an idea of what your ideal vacation would be like, your budget for accomodations, your required level of activity, etc. and we can help narrow the choices.

Barbados would have all that. Lots of historical sights as well as great beaches.

Jamaica is direct and there are some great unique resorts on the cliffs. Check out Tensing Pen, Rockhouse, or The Caves for upscale ultimate. The cliffs are awesome and Jamaica has such a laid back vibe. Good luck