horatio

Have been to neither...looking at a quick getaway..thinking, with what availibility there is of either the Sandals Regency in St. Lucia or the Radisson in Aruba..apparently Aruba has the beaches but St. Lucia has the beauty..Please help us with this..

laplaya

I liked St Lucia a lot: very lush, waterfalls, natural.

Have not been to Aruba.

KVR

Both Islands are quite different.

Aruba - looks a lot like Arizona. Dry and flat, very safe Island, lots of restaurants and bars in all price ranges and easily to get to, beaches have nice soft white sand, water is beautiful, but not crystal clear, we found the snorkeling very good, bus transportation very reliable and inexpensive, renting a car and driving is no issue, Aruba is very modernized, downtown shopping area was good and safe to walk around.

St. Lucia is mountainous, full of fauna, flora and waterfalls, the main airport is about an hour away from Sandals, roads are winding and curvey, lots of complaints of car sickness, we didn't have any problems, most beaches are dark sand and the water is more of a deep blue. We didn't care for the snorkeling there, the shopping area consisted of a craft market and a duty free mall. St. Lucia is going to feel more like an Island Caribbean vacation that Aruba.

We loved both and would return to both. We found getting to and from St. Lucia more expensive than Aruba. We stayed at the Sandals Grande and was disappointed compared to other AI hotles we've been to. If we went back to St. Lucia I would definetly get a smaller, less expensive hotel.

It really depends on what of vacation your looking for and the price you are willing to spend.

Travcarib

Not a huge fan of Aruba I know some people love it but we didn't like the island compared to other places we have been. We stayed at the Hyatt but I know people who have stayed at the Radisson and did think it was nice.

Problem is, Aruba is very Americanized with hotels lined up and lots of people on the beach. I didn't care for how busy the island felt.

St Lucia is nice, haven't stayed at Sandals we preferred the south part of the island closer to the Pitons. St Lucia is very lush and there are also lots of activities available as well.

If I had to choose one I would go with St Lucia because there is a little more culture and beauty here. You will also still have the opportunity to go snorkeling etc the beaches just won't be as beautiful as some other places in the Caribbean. (If you go to St Lucia try to get a boat to take you to the beach at the Jalousie- it's nestled in between the Pitons in a great location!)

Knowing

I have been to both of these islands and stayed at both of these properties. Honestly, I'm not a fan of either. However, if you are looking to shake off the winter blues, even though it's not perfect, I would go with Aruba. The Radisson does have a beautiful beach and a wonderful zero entry pool. They also have good restaurants. It is almost the only hotel we've ever stayed at on any island that actually offers good food at their pool restaurant (Gilligan's).

kfusto

I don't care for Aruba at all for the reasons already described. Loved St. Lucia and would happily stay there again.

As for the Sandals Grande, it would not be my choice at all, just personal preference. If you are set on Sandals, Halcyon and Regency are both more personal. Ladera would my choice.

horatio

Well, thank you for your opinions..they are appreciated. We had to book really quickly for March as it is our March break. We decided on Sandals Regency..availibility at differing properties was already restricted as it is not far off in time...and my husband really wanted a resort where he did not have to keep paying out money for food and such(Aruba).The opinions on this property vary but I think, as long as we go and do not expect a 5 star, we will be okay..

KVR

Now that I think about it, didn't I read a thread of yours that indicated you already booked at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica?

There are AI hotels in Aruba. Though not highly recommended since there are tons of restaurants there.

I hope your happy with whatever hotel/destination you end up at.

horatio

You are quite observant. My daughter actually booked her honeymoon there a couple of weeks ago, yes, once we had done the necessary research.

Kimberly

You will love this resort....we have been to this resort 3 times and loved every minute. Great staff and awesome views. Loved the food and will be going back to this resort.

horatio

Hoping so..thanks Kimberley!