angel631

I just found out my soon to be husband and I can take a honeymoon (the Army granted him leave last minute after I had to cancel our already scheduled HM at Cap Juluca)

Somehow I just snagged a beachfront room at Caneel Bay for end of may/beginning of June. This is such a huge surprise to us, and I am so happy, but clueless about St John.

We wanted a relaxing honeymoon. Just the beach, some drinks and us. Neither of us have been to the Caribbean (well, i went to Nassau in 99, but that's it!) Can you experts out there tell me what to expect/where to eat/what not to miss on St John?

I'm going to read the many posts about Caneel that already exist on this board but would love some info about the rest of St John. Thanks so much!

tpatricco

St. John is a wonderful, relaxing place, and from what I've read on here Caneel Bay is lovely as well. We enjoy the island, but haven't done the resort thing. Great snorkling, hiking & nature opportunities abound. Rent a car and drive around exploring all the great beaches. Our favorites are Salt Pond Bay & Waterlemon Cay. The Reef Bay trail is a good hike to do with the National Park guides, and offers a boat ride back to Cruz Bay. There's lots of posts on restaurants on here too. Have a great time. How long will you be there? What time of year? Trish

SSypniewski

Congratulations! You picked the perfect place for your honeymoon. I stayed there last year with my husband for our 2 year anniversary. If you can, email the resort and request to be upgraded (for free of course) to "premium" beachfront on scotts beach (they may do this depending on availability but it is your honeymoon). Also check out bookitvi.com and maybe do one of their day sails, I recommend the "New Horizons II" one. We did this one day and we just took a taxi into Cruz Bay to the Nat'l Park Dock and we were picked up by the boat and it was a full day visiting the nearby British Virgin Islands/Baths. Also be sure to try the bushwackers, they are truely a wonderful drink. We also did the sunset cruise offered by Caneel - a little overpriced, IMO, but it was very romantic. Maybe rent a jeep for a day or two and go to some of the other nearby north shore beaches like Trunk Bay (but either do it early in the morning or in the later afternoon to avoid crowds). You will really have a wonderful time. Susan

MikeCT

1. Pick up a copy of the book Feet Fins and 4-whhel drive - it is a great book for getting around St John

2. In addition to checking out all the great St John beaches, consider a day trip to the British Virgin Islands... there are plenty of options, and in most cases you don't really need to book it in advance, but can wait til you get to St. John

3. Check out the US Virgin Islands Forum as well at

http://www.usvi-on-line.com/usviforum.html

there is lots of info there.

Congratulations.. you will have a wonderful time

Mike_Z

I have a question about daysails to the BVI as well, how far in advance should I book the trip? Thank you.

RobertoB

MikeCT has given you excellent advise. You can order Feet & Fins from USVI On-Line. Rent a jeep and explore the beauty of St. John. With such a short time to plan be sure to search the USVI On-Line archives. There's no shortage of beaches on St. John.

Congratulations!

beachbuff

Congratulations! I'm envious My husband and I went last June and had a wonderful time. Caneel has excellent beaches--Turtle Beach, Honeymoon beach (very romantic!!), and Hawknests beach are incredible. Off the resort, we also enjoyed Cinnamon Bay very much; the snorkeling there was great when we were there. Trunk Bay is definitely worth going to; it's better for swimming than snorkeling, in spite of the underwater snorkeling trail. I also would recommend getting a jeep and exploring other areas of the island, like Waterlemon Cay and the Coral Bay area, too. The food may be better (and cheaper)away from the resort at Cruz Bay. It is absolutely the most perfect island for a couple's retreat. This message board was a GREAT help to me. Hope you have a wonderful time.

SSypniewski

When I booked the day sail with New Horizons II it was low season so they recommend I book it about 2 weeks prior - which I did. During their busy season they suggest about a month. Hope this helps - Susan

Avery

Congratulations! Caneel is awesome--you will definitely have a great time. You don't have to leave the resort for great snorkeling: Scott and Honeymoon Beaches have a great variety of things to see. Caneel offers some decent trips: if you like to snorkel, there are trips to local cays, the Snorkel/Beach BBQ trip to Waterlemon Cay is definitely worth doing, there's also a trip to Virgin Gorda. You can rent a car to explore the island--the north beaches are beautiful and the views are incredible. Salt Pond is far, but also fun to visit--if you make it here, you might want to stop at Skinny Legs in Coral Bay for lunch. As far as food is concerned, if Caneel has the Grand Buffet while you're there, don't miss it. Turtle Bay Estate is nice for a fancier, more romantic dinner. And if you want to try the Equator, the Caribbean lobster was amazing. Cruz Bay has a lot of great restaurants as well. We particularly enjoyed Stone Terrace and Zozos. Fish Trap and La Tapa were also decent and slightly less expensive. Many people also enjoy Asolare--we didn't think the food matched the price. Good books on St. John: (as mentioned above) Feet, Fins, and 4-Wheel Drive; St. John: Off the Beaten Track--both these books will give you great info on beaches, snorkeling, and hiking--for restaurants, pick up a new Fodors. Again, have an awesome time on your honeymoon!