married couple of 25 years, 53 years old - Which Island????
 

Vacation in February - I am starting to research the Caribbean and don't know where to start......we went on a cruise many years ago, but other then that have never been. We love beach and pool, would like to try snorkeling, would like a casino........would like to rent a car and do some exploring on our own. We like nice restaurants - don't think we want an all inclusive - Flying in and out of Indianapolis. Budget of maybe $5000 - $6,000 for the week...........Please help.

Aruba sounds perfect for what you have described.

Hyatt.com Aruba Palm/Eagle Beach
Atlantis.com Paradise Island
Puntacana.com DR Hard Rock or Excellence

My top 3 to have a look at.Pristine Beaches nice snorkel and casino LuxuryLink.com deals on others... Happy Hunting!

Aruba sounds like it might fit the bill........I've heard it can be very windy.........Is that a problem there?

The wind wasn't an issue for us. We went in a September and it was very hot. The breeze kept it bearable. People who have stayed at the Westin seems to give the most complaints. Their beach juts out from the hotel leaving it open without a wind block from the building.

All-Inclusive (in the common sense) and Gambling/Casino are not available on Grand Cayman.

We loved Old Bahama Bay, we were there a few years ago. It is at the far west end of Grand Bahama Island, and we did not rent a car. The nightlife is on the other end of the island. We wanted seclusion, beach, bike to the local liquor store and not much more. The only limitation was the food, at that time the restaurant was OK, not great. But...the steps from the beach factor was so high and it was gorgeous.

Another vote for Aruba, but I'd go with the Radisson. I think it has (overall) better rooms and a much better stretch of beachfront ( wider, less crowded) than the Hyatt. It also has been less expensive in past years, although now that they've renovated the prices may have gone up.

No question that the entire island is pretty windy. Some areas- like the Westin beachfront- are windier than others by a lot. We had no problems with the wind at the Radisson. In fact, it was a welcome respite from the high temps during our visit last March.

We just returned yesterday from Aruba my third time. I cast my vote for Aruba. We stay in a timeshare of a friend. The Divi Phoenix looked very nice and gets good reviews. As for the wind yes it is a windy island but I like to think of it as a nice breeze. You will never feel hot there as with the other islands. Do not do All-inclusive in Aruba. Way to many restaurants to explore.

Thank you all so much for the comments. What do you think about St. John, USVI? If you take the casino out of the picture.........how does St. Marten or St. Thomas.....any comparison to Aruba?

My husband likes St. Thomas as it is a more lush green island where Aruba is a dessert, cactus etc. Others can chime in but I have only been on day cruises to the other islands. I personally have not been to any island for a day or week where the people were overly friendly, with the exception of Aruba. I have never met a more welcoming friendly outgoing people then on Aruba. I know St. Johns is beautiful island but I think I would be bored quickly there. I could stay in Aruba 2 weeks and not feel bored. This is just my thoughts.