Jumby Bay or Caneel Bay
Apr 28th, 2004, 06:34 AM
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Jumby Bay or Caneel Bay
My husband and I have traveled several times to Caneel Bay and have always had a great time. We love that there are several awesome beaches within walking distance. We also love to snorkel & have found we don't need to leave Caneel for some of the best snorkeling on St. John--the bays are also calm enough for swimming. We were considering taking another trip to the Caribbean this year, and we were considering Jumby Bay, Antigua for a change of pace. I was wondering if any of you have been to both resorts to provide pros and cons of each. We are considering traveling in early July. Thanks for your help!
Apr 28th, 2004, 07:09 AM
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Avery I have been to Caneel and Jumby
several times. What I enjoy about Caneel, is the low key enviornment,
fantastic from the beach snorkeling, and the fun little restaurants in Cruz Bay. The hotel restaurants are just OK.
and I do not enjoy the very crowded beach bar lunches. I have enjoyed the breakfasts at Turtle Bay House. We have stayed at Scott and Cottage 7. The rooms at Caneel are very comfortable. Nice linens, nice toiletrys, great gift shop.
Jumby is much more private! The beach is very calm, lots of starfish. The snorkeling is awful from the beach, others have reported good snorkeling from Pasteur Beach. They do have a snorkeling trip included-never done it.
So if that is your main prority it could be a problem. Other than that I prefer the intimacy of this hotel. Its all inclusive on a very upmarket scale!
The chef is exellent, and we are never bored. You can dine at the very casual
pavillion, or the elegant estate house.
The service surpasses Caneel, the staff has been there for many years, long before Rosewood took over mangagement.
Antigua mainland is a short 6 minute ferry ride, the ferry runs frequently until 12 midnight. We tried a few local restaurants, but quite honestly we rarely leave the island. I will be happy to answer any of your questions.
several times. What I enjoy about Caneel, is the low key enviornment,
fantastic from the beach snorkeling, and the fun little restaurants in Cruz Bay. The hotel restaurants are just OK.
and I do not enjoy the very crowded beach bar lunches. I have enjoyed the breakfasts at Turtle Bay House. We have stayed at Scott and Cottage 7. The rooms at Caneel are very comfortable. Nice linens, nice toiletrys, great gift shop.
Jumby is much more private! The beach is very calm, lots of starfish. The snorkeling is awful from the beach, others have reported good snorkeling from Pasteur Beach. They do have a snorkeling trip included-never done it.
So if that is your main prority it could be a problem. Other than that I prefer the intimacy of this hotel. Its all inclusive on a very upmarket scale!
The chef is exellent, and we are never bored. You can dine at the very casual
pavillion, or the elegant estate house.
The service surpasses Caneel, the staff has been there for many years, long before Rosewood took over mangagement.
Antigua mainland is a short 6 minute ferry ride, the ferry runs frequently until 12 midnight. We tried a few local restaurants, but quite honestly we rarely leave the island. I will be happy to answer any of your questions.
Apr 29th, 2004, 05:07 AM
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Thanks for the reply, Penny. But I can't help it, we're leaning toward Caneel. The snorkeling issue is a big one for us. I'm afraid we might be bored at Jumby Bay. We're planning on going for 9 nights, and I figure we can always rent a jeep for a day to explore other snorkeling sites on St. John--or take one of the snorkeling trips offered by Caneel.
Apr 29th, 2004, 06:22 AM
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Avery, if you enjoy one spot, I for one believe in going back and back! Caneel is lovely! I love following the Turtles! Watersports will guide you to other spots! The snorkeling cannot be beat!
If you have not seen Little Dix you can spend the day over there, Caneel has a ferry, its a nice place too. Lots of ferries to Tortola. Enjoy! One of these days I will go back to Caneel!
If you have not seen Little Dix you can spend the day over there, Caneel has a ferry, its a nice place too. Lots of ferries to Tortola. Enjoy! One of these days I will go back to Caneel!
Apr 30th, 2004, 02:21 AM
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Avery,
I have been to both places and I think that Jumby may be run better, but nothing beats the beauty of St. JOhn. Caneel Bay is the most beautiful place in the world. I also feel rather isolated at Jumby Bay. The beach is nice...but rather dull! We have traveled there since 1982...we have also mixed in many other Carribean Islands as well as Maui and Kauai and nothing compares.
Good Luck.
I have been to both places and I think that Jumby may be run better, but nothing beats the beauty of St. JOhn. Caneel Bay is the most beautiful place in the world. I also feel rather isolated at Jumby Bay. The beach is nice...but rather dull! We have traveled there since 1982...we have also mixed in many other Carribean Islands as well as Maui and Kauai and nothing compares.
Good Luck.
Apr 30th, 2004, 05:59 AM
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I've stayed at both and they each tend to appeal to different people.
Caneel is much more picturesque and the beaches are it's raison d'etre. The setting is all Caneel really needs to stay in business. The 'hotel' is fine (rooms, food, service, etc) but those are not the resort's strong points.
Jumby Bay's attractions are the privacy, quality of the rooms and food, and service is good for the Caribbean. It has a good (but not outstanding compared with Anguilla, St. John, Turks) main beach. The island is not lush. Jumby is more about the experience than the scenery.
Sidenote, while speaking at length with a Rosewood exec who has been to all of their Western resorts, I asked which Caribbean resort was her favorite. She said for a getaway vacation to relax, Jumby Bay. For snorkeling and scenery, Caneel. I think that's an accurate synopsis.
Caneel is much more picturesque and the beaches are it's raison d'etre. The setting is all Caneel really needs to stay in business. The 'hotel' is fine (rooms, food, service, etc) but those are not the resort's strong points.
Jumby Bay's attractions are the privacy, quality of the rooms and food, and service is good for the Caribbean. It has a good (but not outstanding compared with Anguilla, St. John, Turks) main beach. The island is not lush. Jumby is more about the experience than the scenery.
Sidenote, while speaking at length with a Rosewood exec who has been to all of their Western resorts, I asked which Caribbean resort was her favorite. She said for a getaway vacation to relax, Jumby Bay. For snorkeling and scenery, Caneel. I think that's an accurate synopsis.
