Hello All...My fiance' and I have never been ANYWHERE and we are now looking to find the perfect vacation spot for our first vacation in MAY. Like I said, we've never been anywhere, so we have no clue. We know we want the caribbean, we need an island. We seek WATERSPORTS (jetskiing), nightlife, good food, Beautiful beaches, culture, and really nice accomodations,all this in MAY ....PLEASE HELP!

Jetskiing is banned in St. Vincent and the Grenadines so this is not for you. Windsurfing, however, is popular and environmentally friendly.

I think Jamaica offers an excellent introduction to the Caribbean - beautiful beaches, jetsking (altho if it were up to me, it would be banned) easy snorkelling, parasailing, banana boats, catamaran trips to the cliffs for cliff diving, bars with plenty of dancing, cheap booze,shopping, lush foliage, great food. I never recommend AIs in Negril so I would review some suggestions for the smaller hotels and resorts along Negril beach.

Nightlife rules out a lot of places - unless, like me, one really good beach bar is enough (which is good cause it's all about narrowing it down).

In May - the Bahamas would be a nice option. Don't know where you're traveling from but they are generally quicker to get to and would provide a nice intro. Course once your appetite is whet! Then you can explore more exotic locals.

Provo in the Turks and Caicos fits all the requirements, with the exception of nightlife. There is some, but it didn't seem like alot. To be honest, we have 3 kids, so we didn't look that hard either.

Paradise Island Bahamas! Stay at the Atlantis Hotel if you can afford about $250--$300 per night. If you want something a little cheaper then you can stay across the street at the Comfort Suites and still use all the facilities at the Atlantis for about $195 per night. The rooms also have small refrigerators. Remember they have about a 20% tax on your room per night at either place. We stayed at the Comfort Suites last July and it was very nice! Free breakfast in the morning (cereal, fruit, pastries etc...) that was very fresh and good. The Atlantis pool is the best I've ever seen and I have been to ALOT of islands in the Carribean! The beach is also beautiful with all the activities you listed. The people there are also very friendly. You might check on a package deal and get a pretty good deal through a travel agent or tour company. Lots of shopping in Nassau also! Have fun!!!

Everyone wants something different from their vacation experience, but to me going to Atlantis is like not visiting the Caribbean at all. Like going to Paris but only eating McDonald's, never visitng a museum, staying at the Marriott on the Champs-Elysees and never venturing into the city.
Atlantis is about as un-Caribbean as it gets. But some people love it.

If you want to know why the Caribbean is unique, you need to visit someplace that actually has some local culture and isn't plastic and pseudo-American.
St. John is a great starter, but the two resorts there may not fit your idea of 'really nice accommodations', though they're certainly in the very good category. Barbados is a nice choice, and St. Barth's though nightlife is light there. Puerto Rico offers everything you're looking for as well.
Don't overlook Bermuda, either. Not in the Caribbean, but has most of the things you seek.

Either Aruba or Grand Cayman fit (ALL) of your listed needs. Keep in mind, what you have described by your list sounds like you are looking for an active vacation, in which the more americanized islands should fit your needs. The culture part might be a little tougher to come by, but certainly exists on both islands if you look for it. I suppose this is a matter of opinion, as is what we all prefer in an island experience.

Thanks Everyone! You're suggestions were all great. We've decided to visit Barbados in May at the Coral Reef Club and honeymoon at a beautiful Villa on the island of St. Barth's in June. This trip is a pre-wedding gettaway to relieve all the stress before the big day. I planned my whole wedding, so I can seriously use the escape, plus I'll be totally relaxed and ready for my big day when I return. We chose Barbados because the island looks beautiful, the nighlife is pumping, watersports are numerous and the accomodations on the west coast are immaculate. The weather conditions in May are said to be superb as well. We're really getting two vacations in once because were taking a day trip to St. Lucia to explore the exotic side of things. Jamaica was tops on our list but the crime factor turned us away a bit. Bahamas was also tops, but we're going to sort of detox and we didn't want to deal with a Disney like atmosphere just yet, but we plan to visit in this winter. Again, thanks for evrything! Does anyone know when the best time to visit Hawaii is?