Help!! My fiance and i just booked a honeymoon for St Lucia.. to only now be overrun w/ negative comments regarding St Lucia and even the St Lucia Golf Resort and Spa.<BR><BR>Seems like the beaches are not that great in St Lucia.. Would anyone have any opinons on this? Is Aruba the better choice? Are the two comprable in price? All we are looking to do is lie on the beach or by the pool and sip cocktails during the day.. Nice dinners at night.. maybe some shows or a Casino. We're far from adventure travelers..<BR><BR>Any comments would be appreciated.. we are going back to the travel agent on Wed. to discuss other options.. Of course, our travel agent has trouble spelling Caribbean so...

Jack: If beaches are very important to you, then yes, I would choose Aruba. St. Lucia has no casinos but most resorts have decent nightly entertainment - in St. Lucia and Aruba. Are you looking for an all-inclusive?

Jack, My husband and I have been to St. Lucia twice. It is a beautiful island, very lush and green. We stayed at Sandals St. Lucia (the one with the golf course). The beach was small and often had strong waves so few people sat there but the grounds were pretty, and the pool was very nice. You'd be right at home there with many other couples sipping drinks and floating around the pool. There was entertainment every night and several restaurants to choose from. Good luck!

The beach is terrible in St. Lucia and although we like Sandals, we very much disliked St. Lucia. Very hilly, which meant lots of climbing up and down to go to our room. The pool IS large, but we weren't impressed. St. Lucia and St. Lucia Sandals are not hospitality at it's finest!

Mary: Thanks for the feedback..<BR><BR>We are looking for an all inclusive.. The Golf Resort and Spa looked like a pretty good deal when we went to the travel agent. I just grew concerned by some of the negative comments I got about the island..

Go to Aruba. We just returned and had a great time. Beaches are incredible, water is a beautiful turquoise color and there is lots to do. Some great restaurants too.

I would NOT say that the beaches aren't that great, they're nice, warm and refreshing. In comparison to, let's say, Grand Cayman, 7 mile beach IS better. The waves in St. Lucia are a little more than the gentle flow of water than, for instance Anguilla, but I would not say anything negative about St. Lucia beaches, especially the ones at like Jalousie Hilton, the southern part of St. Lucia.<BR><BR>My hubby and I go to St. Lucia, but we love LeSport in North St. Lucia, where the Atlantic and Caribbean seas meet. Where you have booked it's a resort/spa/all inclusive but the spa treatments are NOT included. LeSport is AI and includes twice daily spa treatments, guys and gals. There's 3 pools, 3 meals + High Tea, all the premium liquors and wines for lunch & dinner. My hubby puts up the little red flag they provide for guests for when he wants another drink/beer poolside OR at the beach. For honeymooners they give a bottle of wine and fruit platter.<BR><BR>We're going back for our 3rd time. My hubby doesn't like the spa treatments, so I get his. He's a 'Ritz Carlton' kinda guy and is VERY fussy because he has travelled extensively world wide; he's a diver, also. His favorite place is LeSport, with the USVI 2nd choice (for diving, tho, he likes Caymans the best).<BR><BR>We honeymooned in Jamaica 24 yrs ago, but if we had a LeSport in St. Lucia, we would've gone there, for sure. We're not hikers or adventurers either, but I can't go in the sun (sun photosensitive and had a face Carcinoma removed), so while hubby is relaxing in the sun, I book my appointments in the spa for the a.m., relax in the shade, and then go 'aquasize' in the quiet pool in the spa area from 3pm and stay out with SPF30.<BR><BR>At night it's very romantic, and there's fun days like Friday for Karoke night, Wed. the staff puts on a show, and there's a BBQ night on Sunday.<BR><BR>Think about LeSport - you won't be disappointed for your honeymoon.<BR><BR>P.S. NO casinos in St. Lucia, tho.<BR>P.P.S. In Aruba, you WILL get 'sand blasted' - there's high winds at the beach.

Sounds like comparing apples with Oranjestad (sorry). I have never been to St. Lucia, but we leave in March for Stonefield Estates. However, we have been to Aruba and if my research is correct St. Lucia is much more tropical than Aruba. Aruba is a true &quot;desert&quot; island. Granted the beaches are powder sugar white, but you won't find much in the way of plants other that scrub brush. We picked St. Lucia, because we have been to BVI, Aruba, and St. Martin. This time I wanted a TROPICAL island.

Hi Jack~ I think Jim's assessment is correct. If you want a desert island vacation with a white sand beach, go to Cayman. (Have not been to Aruba but the description sounds similiar.) Mostly when I here people disappointed with St Lucia, it is because they stayed in the Northern more touristy areas, away from the beauty of the South and they in particular wanted real white sand beaches. Also, many people are hesitant to drive, which I think is very limiting to the Island exploration. St Lucia is so lovely.

I've been to both islands...judging by your description, I'd say Aruba is for you (although I happen to like St. Lucia better). The beaches are gorgeous in Aruba, and don't knock the desert too much, it really is beautiful terrain, just a bit stark. St. Lucia is more of the adventurer's island...rainforests, exploring the towns, windy roads, hiking. Aruba is a better &quot;lie on the beach&quot; kind of place, and as long as you (or your fiance) are not the &quot;my hair has to be perfect!&quot; type, you'll love it.<BR><BR>By the way, I just noticed the original post is almost 3 months old...what did Jack decide?<BR><BR>To Jim: please please do a trip report upon your return...would love to hear more about Stonefield estate.<BR><BR>