cyburowl

Looking for suggestions for a caribbean resort in July - kind of last minute, I know. Kids are 12 and 9. Not interested in a huge Atlantis type resort. We have stayed at Four Seasons Nevis and loved it, but looking to not spend quite so much this time - especially on food. Great beach and pool a must. Good food is also important. Kids are very good travelers and would not be interested in kids clubs or anything like that. Any suggestions?

blamona

The Sands resort in Turks and Caicos.

Knowing

Well, you've already stayed at my favorite place - the FS in Nevis. Jamaica is another paradise that's a little cheaper and has some awe-inspiring beaches and good food. MoBay in particular is an energetic city with lots to do, including great shopping. Lots of AI's there. How do feel about something like that?

tjcm

Hi.
My kids are the same age as yours. We just went to Curacao (Marriott) for Spring Break and loved it (search for my review here and on tripadvisor w/pictures). The pool is very clean/nice and there is plenty of shade/loungers. It sits directly on the beach (great snorkeling), however you will need water shoes. The onsite restaurants are good, but you can easily get to other restaurants by cab from the resort (and they won't break the bank).
Another suggestion would be the Marriott (Morningstar)in St. Thomas or the Westin on St. John. Both have nice pools and the beaches at both locations are OK (much better beaches located on both islands...you just have to explore). Tons of restaurants, easily accessible by cab. My review should be on this site from a few years ago.
Enjoy!

cyburowl

Thanks for the replies. I will look into everything. My husband worries about the safety of Jamaica, so we are leaving that off our list. Flights are the main issue we are having, everything is so expensive because we waited so long. Plus we love Nevis so much, we are thinking of returning and trying another resort, maybe Nisbet.

MarionCK

Although Nisbet is one of my favorite places, you might want to take a look at Oualie Beach Resort. It might provide more activities for the kids.

Have fun with your planning !

Marion

cyburowl

Hi Marion, thanks for the reply. Have you stayed at both Nisbet and Oualie? Since my kids aren't big on activities and hanging out with other kids, we would want to stay at the resort that had the nicest rooms and beach - excluding 4 Seasons. The only activity they took advantage of at the Four Seasons was the paddle boats and the little sailboats. As long as they could snorkle, dig in the sand and swim in the pool they would be happy.

Julia_E

What about Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia?

Best Regards,
Julia

MarionCK

I should have read more carefully. I don't think Oualie has a pool, but some would say it has the best beach on the island, with lots of water activities.

Nisbet has a pool and probably better rooms, but the beach there is a little rocky.

Check reviews for both on trip advisor, and I'm sure you will get more feedback here.

Marion

cyburowl

Thanks, I spoke to Nisbet today and they were very nice - advising me what rooms would be best for our family, and the current specials they have running. I think we are now looking at the beginning of August instead of July. I wanted to try something different since we have already been to Nevis (twice!), but I really do adore the island and people, so we will probably return there.

MarionCK

IF Nisbet is running the same special as they did last year, it's quite a bargain Two meals a day for a family of four leaves some extra $$ to do some exploring.

I absolutely love Nisbet and all the staff !

Marion

cyburowl

The deal at Nisbet currently is 15% off 3-5 nights and 20% off 6 nights or more, that is on top of an already great (I think) price and yes - breakfast, dinner, and afternoon tea are included. The money we save will go to airfare, I am having a heck of a time finding reasonable tickets to fly.

MarionCK

What is your departure city ?

You might find more reasonable fares by flying to St. Kitt's and taking the ferry over.

I'm in shock at the cost of fares to Chicago. I can only imagine what you're encountering.

We can't fill our gas tanks and airline prices continue to go up as service and consideration for the traveler go down.

I must be showing my age and my politics ;-)

Good luck !

Marion

cyburowl

Thanks - we will fly out of Boston. The difference in price between St. Kitts and Nevis is about $200 total - not really worth the extra time and boat ride to get over to Nevis.

My only concern is the beach and swimming at Nisbet. That is what my kids will do most, and we loved the 4S beach - it was deserted and my kids spent the majority of the day in the water.

lovethecape

I'd have to second the recommendation of St. John. There are 2 main resorts, the Westin, great for families (iguana feedings, movies under the stars,...) but the beach it is on is not so great. My children enjoyed exploring island beaches during the day and coming back to the Westin to swim in the pool or play on the beach toys (iceberg, trampoline) in the water. We stayed in a timeshare rented from an owner and saved a lot rather than booking directly through the resort. All resort amenities were available to us. The timeshares also have smaller private pools that they share with a few villas -ours was always empty.

Caneel Bay has 7 beautiful beaches right at the resort and a small pool. I have not stayed there but would love to. Others rent a villa on the island with a pool(it would be very reasonable during the summer), rent a jeep and explore the island. I've been to the beach at the Four Seasons and I don't think you would be disappointed with the beaches on St. John. We went to St. John during Easter '06 and the beaches were never crowded so I think you would feel like you have most beaches to yourselves.

This is one villa I would like to rent - near the Westin and its amenities:

http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/splash/index.html


St. John is a beautiful island with great food.

Finally, Caneel has a sister resort on Virgin Gorda in the British VI's. The name is escaping me but perhaps someone else can chime in.

gordaguy2

The sister resort is Little Dix Bay

turtlegirl

cyburowl-We are leaving on Friday for a 6 night stay at Nisbet from Boston. 2 kids 5 & 17-they are not interested in the kids clubs, either. We chose NP because the food is included, service gets great reviews, and the deluxe suites are roomy enough for a family of 4. We love Hawaii, but it is such a long plane ride...we stay at a resort there that includes meals and has individual hales (thatched cottages) so I'm hoping we'll find our paradise closer to home! My only concerns with NP are the beach (s/b rocky/seaweedy) and the wind as posted on trip reports. We don't have to have the perfect white sand beach with calm waters as we're not used to that in Hawaii. I love the idea of eating dinner on site without worrying about the exorbinant cost. That way if my little one gets tired, we're right there. Compared to Kona Village on the Big Island, NP is very inexpensive. I'll write a report when we get back. Plus we can always go to Pinney's or Oualie for a few hours. Here's to great trips for us and all Fodorites!

cyburowl

Turtlegirl - thanks for the post. I will be eagar to hear how your trip is. I know you will love Nevis, it is such a gorgeous place. I will be very interested in how you found Nisbet with two children, and what you thought of the beach - which is also my main concern. Have fun!

cyburowl

Thank you everyone for your input. We just booked Nisbet. We spoke to Steve and he gave us an offer we couldn't refuse! It would have been fun to go someplace new, but with our limited planning time I feel more comfortable with Nevis. We are already dreaming of the beautiful island we love so much - how will we make it to August!!?

ejcrowe

good for you! While I love the adventure of trying new destinations, there is definitely something heartwarming and sustaining about returning to a place you already love. I hope Nisbet is all you want it to be for your family vacation this summer!