Luxury Caribbean babymoon in January - help!

Old Oct 31st, 2013, 06:28 AM
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Luxury Caribbean babymoon in January - help!

I have been researching like CRAZY and am stuck...we'll be 5 months pregnant in January and looking for a place to go for a short 4-night vacation before the baby comes, cost isn't an issue but convenience / quality are...we are leaving from Boston so some places like Anguilla, St Barths and Nevis seem out of the question for a 4 night trip while pregnant because they take FOREVER to get to....some of the more convenient places (Aruba, Puerto Rico) don't seem to have really nice resorts? So we've been looking at Turks & Caicos but Amanyara and Parrot Cay both seem to be pretty far away from civilization so we are concerned about safety in case something medical comes up....any thoughts/suggestions/leads??
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 07:15 AM
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Check out the following:
Sandy Lane, Barbados
The Horned Dorset, Puerto Rico
The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas
Casa De Campo, Dominican Republic
Caneel Bay, St. John
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 07:37 AM
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The new Ritz in Aruba is supposed to open in November. If that is the case they should be up and running at full strength by January. There's also a Ritz Carlton in Puerto Rico.

I'm also in Boston so I understand the difficulty in getting to the Caribbean non-stop. There are very few options. Sometimes during high season (generally mid-December through April) you can find a non-stop flight to a few islands but mostly Puerto Rico is the only sure non-stop. It's so disappointing that you can't reach the Caribbean non-stop from a major east coast airport.

I think RoamsAround has a good list but I'll quibble a bit with Caneel Bay. We loved it but it's not luxurious by any stretch. It's on a spectacular piece of property but luxury and great service? No.

Personally, for beach weather in January I wouldn't chance Turks & Caicos. It's pretty far north. Sandy Lane in Barbados or the Ritz in Aruba would be my choices for that time of the year. But that's just me. I know many people travel to T & C during the early winter months and have fine weather. It's just not warm enough for me to get in the water.
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 10:30 AM
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Thank you both!!! Will investigate both RoamsAround list and the new Ritz in Aruba...appreciate the tip re: weather in T&C.
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 11:44 AM
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Just a note on Amanyara: we attempted the drive to that side of the island when I was about 5-months pregnant and I actually had my husband turn around because the road was that rough! Seriously, it was the most horrible road I've ever encountered, pregnant or not. That was in 2011, maybe they've improved it by now, but if you decide on Turks and Caicos, I would not recommend making that trek!

Have fun
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 12:40 PM
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Eek, that seals the deal, Amanyara is out. Anyone have any thoughts on Sugar Beach in St Lucia?
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 01:22 PM
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I haven't been there but it looks lovely and it gets one of Fodor's top all-inclusive Caribbean resorts for best spa.

http://www.fodors.com/news/photos/be...viceroy-resort

And St Lucia is far enough south that you should have nice, warm/hot beach weather in January. Just make sure to fly into the airport that's closer to Sugar Beach. There's an airport in the north and one in the south.
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 06:28 PM
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I think Aruba is too far for four days. I'd look again at Turks. We had great weather there last January and are going again this January. Just bring a sweatshirt/light jacket for the end of the day, because it can be a little chilly by late afternoon on the beach.

If Turks interests you, there are many very luxurious choices. We have only stayed at West Bay Club, which has gorgeous luxury oceanfront suites, and one of the widest beach fronts on Grace Bay. Also look at: Seven Stars, Somerset, Gansevoort, Regent Palms, The Venetian.

One of the great things about Turks is the relatively short flight time. It's just over 3 hours from JFK, so a little longer from Boston.
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Old Oct 31st, 2013, 08:12 PM
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<One of the great things about Turks is the relatively short flight time. It's just over 3 hours from JFK, so a little longer from Boston.>

Well, one would think except you can't get a non-stop flight to Provo from Boston. You can get a direct flight on Jet Blue to Aruba during high season leaving Boston at 7:15 a.m. and arriving in Aruba at 1:03. Not bad at all. You'll be on the beach by 2:30. So while it's a longer flight to Aruba it's actually a shorter total travel time.
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Old Nov 1st, 2013, 06:47 AM
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Any thoughts on Jumby Bay or Hermitage in Antigua?
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Old Nov 3rd, 2013, 11:04 AM
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There are non-stop flights from Boston. They leave and return only on Saturdays. Just booked my kids.
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Old Nov 3rd, 2013, 11:08 AM
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Sorry, that should read, "There are non-stop flights on Jet Blue from Boston to Provo. They leave and return only on Saturdays."
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Old Nov 3rd, 2013, 02:50 PM
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WWK, that's great information. Thanks. But I'm still not going to T & C in January. It's too chilly for me.

cw2012, here's a trip report from Fodor's poster Davenport, who recently stayed at Jumby Bay:

http://www.fodors.com/community/cari...ucket-list.cfm

I've been to Antigua a couple of times but haven't stayed at either of the properties you are considering.
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Old Nov 3rd, 2013, 06:17 PM
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What about Round Hill Resort and Villas in Jamaica? I have no idea if there are non-stops to Montego Bay from Boston, but if there are, Round Hill is only about 30 minutes or so from the airport. It's a very luxurious property with excellent service. Might be a great place for a short 4-day retreat!
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Old Nov 8th, 2013, 02:17 PM
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cw2012

Flew from Boston to Jumby this year and we were on the beach by 2:15P. Jumby is outstanding.
Hermitage is lovely however the stairs from the beach to your room may be a bit much and the beach is not nearly as nice as beaches at Jumby.
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Old Nov 14th, 2013, 12:50 PM
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Thank you all! Booked Jumby, will let everyone know how it is
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Old Nov 15th, 2013, 03:05 PM
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You will not be disappointed at Jumby. A must do is the picnic lunch at Pasture Bay beach. See the guest services desk for details and please note that you can request just about anything for your picnic lunch from soup to nuts.

If you enjoy dining under the stars, request that your dining table at the Great House be placed on the patio.

Have a wonderful trip.
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