st. lucia vs. grand cayman
 

my friend and i are planning a trip to the caribbean and have narrowed it down to either the sunshine suites in grand cayman or the royal st. lucian in st. lucian. we were starting to lean towards st. lucia, but have been noticing a lot of mixed reviews on this site. the tropical rainforests, waterfalls, and volcano all intrigued us. but we want a decent beach as well. are the st. lucian beaches really not very good. it seems like grand cayman has wonderful beaches, but not as much variety to offer. we have both been to aruba in the past and oved it. it had beautiful beaches, but with a desert climate. we were thinking st. lucia would be something different for us, but are now worried. should we go for grand cayman instead? please help.

Grand Cayman's beaches are mind blowing. So is the diving and snorkeling. But boy oh boy is it expensive. Ridiculously so. St Lucia is very safe and yes diverse in terrain. But the beaches are smaller, not as white, and the water is not all that blue. If you have money and just want beach life, do Grand Cayman. If you want a true island experience, go St Lucia

Simple: <BR><BR>St. Lucia = SLUMMY and DOWNTRODDEN<BR>Grand Cayman = NOT SLUMMY or DOWNTRODDEN<BR><BR>Now, which would YOU prefer?!?

Carmeli,<BR>Sam did a great job of giving you a good picture of the differences.<BR>I've been to St. Lucia twice and really loved it.<BR>I liked GC too, but would not go back unless it was just to dive.<BR>I really enjoy a true island experience, and GC - while very clean and the beaches are really nice - does not offer that.<BR>Whichever one you chose, I'm sure you'll have a great time.<BR>

Go to GC. We have been to both and would have been satisfied saving our money and just looking at pictures of St. Lucia. The food is much better in GC, it is a safer island and the beaches are way superior. The bus system is easy, reliable and cheap to use. Neither island has a lot of nightlife, but GC's exists. You just need to dig a little deeper.

I have traveled a fair amt in the Carib...been to GC - not St. Lucia...so I can give you a few insights - and it does depend on what you like. GC is VERY expensive. Highlights to me: StingRay City - yes it is a tourist trap - but it is cool. Also did the submarine ride - also cool. 7 mile beach is nice. BAD news - I really felt like it was not a heck of a lot different than South Fla. While I was glad I went - I doubt I will ever return. Too built up for me. I like the quieter less developed islands. But - lots of people love this place. I thought Turks/Caicos was better.

The underground volcano in St. Lucia was nothing spectacular. I wouldn't waste my time, even if I were there. And I agree with everybody else's critiques. Even Greg's to an extent.

I've never been to St. Lucia. I always thought that the pitons would be great to see, but Grand Cayman is easier for me to get there. I've been many times, and you can't beat the great beaches and resturants. I love Grand Cayman.

St. Lucia smells(but nice to look at).<BR>Love that Grand Cayman.

Carmeli, the comparison is like 'apples/oranges.'<BR><BR>Grand Cayman's best spot is 7 Mile Beach. It has white sand with a deep blue ocean; the divers love 'the walls' (I don't dive or snorkel so I can't give you the full extent of this, other than they are underwater paradise spots that go deep). It is a pretty flat island, and not a rainforest/lush waterfall place. There are 'blow holes' on the south of Grand Cayman that are intriguing, like natural geysers when high tide is in. It is very rough beach area but neat to visit.<BR><BR>St. Lucia is a mountainous, volcanic island, the sand is golden and even black in some spots. The water is aquamarine, warm, clear and depending on where you're staying in the island, can be a little rougher. For example, in the south, the Caribbean sea makes the water calmer, whereas northern St. Lucia (where WE love to stay) it's a combo of the Atlantic and Caribbean, so you can swim but at high tide it can get rough, and red flags are posted.<BR><BR>My hubby is a diver and LOVES the Caymans for the dives. However, he LOVES St. Lucia too, and will snorkel there, in the area of Cap Estate. Where we stay is a private beach, where most of St. Lucia is public.<BR><BR>We DO like Caymans, altho very Americanized and altho expensive; and like St. Lucia very much, altho it takes a little longer to travel to.<BR><BR>Where ever you decide, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.

Hey all,<BR>my new wife and i are heading to Palm Island in the grenadines for 7 days and to st. lucia for 6 days.... we're staying at Rendezvous near Castries.. Does anyone have any good suggestions on good beaches? spots to visit and eat at? and for some good old fashion culture?:.. and good Snorkeling areas? and any fun day trips? thanks.<BR>DM

Thanks for your very informative and accurate post, GM. Carmeli, St. Lucia is not for everyone, but it is a great island for those who really enjoy exploring the natural beauty of an island's rainforest, waterfalls and, of course, the unique and magnificent Pitons. True, the beaches are not quite as spectacular as places such as St. John of Grand Cayman, but they are very nice (especially at Jalousie) and you will enjoy the total island experience much more than just laying on the beach the whole time. But some people might just want to veg out at the beach for their whole honeymoon or vacation. St. Lucia is probably not for persons who have that in mind. Don't let the ridiculous bashers and name callers who don't know what they are talking about (like stinky) lead you astray.

For poster &quot;Dave&quot; that just got married.<BR><BR>Congratualations! All the best to you and your new bride.<BR><BR>You will love Palm Island; it's been rennovated in 2000, and the beach is just gorgeous.<BR><BR>If not too late, I recommend that you change the 2nd leg of your trip from Rendezvous to LeSport (a sister resort, 1/2 hr. north of Rendezvous). Rendezvous is not for newlyweds, and we absolutely hated it. LeSport has a private beach (vs. public at Rendezvous), is RIGHT NEAR the Vigie Airport and next door to the U.S. Naval outpost. LeSport has GORGEOUS rooms (vs. needing MAJOR rennovations at Rendezvous) 3 pools, all inclusive like Rendezvous except that LeSport INCLUDES 2x daily spa treatments for each of you. Your new wife will LOVE the spa aspects here, I know. Snorkeling is there, and there's PADI instruction if you folks want to get diver certified. Have your travel agent advise LeSport that you are newlweds, and you get some bubbly and a fruit platter upon arrival. It'll be like going from heaven in Palm Island to Hell in Rendezvous. LeSport is the continuation of heaven, believe me. I'm partial to the resort, yes, but so is TRAVEL+LEISURE and Conde'Nast TRAVELLER magazine, voting the resort in the top 10 of the 100 best resorts in the world.<BR><BR>Hope this helps.

Thanks GM<BR>I will ask my travel agent to check into LeSport.<BR>I appreciate your help.

Dave,<BR>I would second GM's recommendation on changing to Le Sport (or Ladera or Anse Chastanet) for your stay on St. Lucia.<BR>I stayed at Rendevous (it was Couples at the time), and there are much nicer places to stay on St. Lucia.

If you're like us you will have fun wherever you go if there is sun and sand. We too have been to Aruba and it is our favorite so far. We just visited Grand Cayman a month ago. Never been to St Lucia, although we would like to go. I dont mind blowing money when I'm on vacation, afer all, I'm on vacation, but there is no extra benefit for the extra cost at GC. It is very similar to south FL. Cayman lovers continuously cite how safe it is in GC but in visiting 6 other carib islands we have never felt unsafe. Of course we go to bed by midnight. GC lovers like to cite that it is safe enough to drive around at 3 in the morning. Why they drive around at 3am is a mystery. GC water is crystal clear, great for diving and snorkeling. So if you are a diver then GC is the place. although the water in Aruba was just as clear, but I guess the dive sites dont compare to GC. The GC stingrays are a truly unique experience that I'm glad we had. But other than that, there is nothing at GC that you can't do on any other island for 2/3 of the cost. GC has no caribbean flavor, does not celebrate Carnaval, and 90% of the wait staff are college students from Canada. If you go you will hear repeatedly that it is the fifth largest financial district in the world(if I wanted to visit a financial district I would go to NYC). Just my opinion but there are too many other islands with unique histories, cultures, and dialects, and people to repeat visit an island that charges 150% for south FL with a canadian twist. Good luck whichever you choose.

GM, I was very surprised to see that you wrote St. Lucia has &quot;aquamarine&quot; waters but said nothing about the water at the Caymans. OVERALL, the sea at Grand Cayman has MUCH better colors and is MUCH prettier than the sea at St. Lucia. This may be important criteria to the poster and I feel it's important to give accurate information.

I'll argue the other side.<BR><BR>I started a stay on STL at LeSport and moved over to Rendezvous. The beach is larger and nicer at Rendezvous....when I was at LeSport it was all old folks and families. Rendezvous was primarily young to middle aged couples with lots of honeymooners...in fact there were probably two weddings each day that we were staying there.<BR><BR>I would pick Rendezvous anyday over LeSport......but there are much nicer places as has been stated above....with much larger price tags.<BR><BR>

I think trying to compare St Lucia with GC is like comparing chalk with cheese. They are quite far apart in terms of what they have to offer. CG is known for its calm blue waters, seven mile beach, great scuba diving and snorkeling but not much else, in my humble opinion. I can't even think of a resturant that stands out in GC for memorable food and service. To me it is lovely enough, very clean and pristine but not somewhere I would rush to visit again - in my books, it typical Florida town, with a higher price tag for virtually everything. My brother lived and worked there for 2 years, had a choice to stay on but did'nt even though he was doing very well there. The place lacks soul!<BR><BR>St Lucia is one of my favourite islands for r&amp;r. I usually visit for the annual Jazz Festival in May and enjoy the local food, the music,the people, the atmosphere, everything! I usually stay on the north coast close to the action, usually at Bay Gardens Hotel - agreed, it is not on a beach but it is in the vicinity of Rodney Bay and is great value for money - the rooms are huge and beautiful. You can do the beaches (agreed not as many as GC) or you can enjoy the wonders of nature on this island. The rainforests are worth a visit - Barre de L'isle trail through the rain forest is not to be missed. There is also a waterfall called Tortaille which is outside Soufriere and is very pretty; moreso than Diamond Falls IMHO. Wondering off the beaten path has its payoffs on this island. Don't be afraid to do just that. Overall, St Lucia has much more of a Caribbean feel than GC so if that is what you are looking for then St Lucia is a good choice. And if you do go, don't miss Gross Islet lime on Friday night - its their famous street party with some of the best BBQ in a very casual party atmosphere.

Don't let Keeping It Real lead you astray. She defends St. Lucia all the time. What you need to know before you go is that posters like Greg, Michelle and Mary have also been there and have valid comments. St. Lucia is way over-rated.

Rockit:<BR>In what specific way do you think St. Lucia is overrated?

For poster XYZ, if you re-check my original post on Grand Cayman, I did note that GC has &quot;a deep blue ocean,&quot; compared to just the &quot;aquamarine&quot; of St. Lucia. When we were in San Fran, I noticed the various shades of aquamarine there, but folks that lived there said the deeper blue the water out there the colder it is. Not so in Grand Cayman, tho, right? - so warm and pretty calm. Hubby loves Caymans for the dives, especially. But you're right, it is important to note.<BR><BR>For GuyST, sorry, but when we were at Rendezvous, since the beach is public the locals that were there were looking to sell things, left garbage, brought their dogs and let the dogs roam around and relieve themselves on the beach. I don't care HOW large the beach is, between that, the crummy 'beachfront' room we had, the constant airplane noise and the tons of smoking that I could not get away from except staying in my room, you cannot convince me about Rendezvous, with the swim-up bar that most folks don't leave from ALL DAY. LeSport changed the policy about 4 years ago with regard to families; no one under 16 is allowed for like 9 months out of the year. The demographic is not older folks; I personally saw more of that demographic at Rendezvous, but I don't doubt your experience at LeSport (albeit a while ago, probably) at all.<BR><BR>For poster 'Kathy' - thanks SO much for the input on St. Lucia places 'off the beaten track.' We are going back for the 3rd time, and this time, our fav Taxi guy is going to take us on all the excursions around; I'm printing out your info.<BR><BR>For poster Dave, I hope my post about changing doesn't cause too many problems with your itinerary. Have a WONDERFUL time, and I absolutely envy you folks for having almost 2 weeks for your fantastic honeymoon!

All of GM's reasons for not liking Rendevous are EXACTLY the problems I had with it. <BR>Additionally, when we were there (keep in mind this is years ago - it may not be the same now), you had to sit at large tables with at least 8 other people, they had terrible evening &quot;entertainment&quot; with a toga party and crab races, the food was so so, the activity director was constantly harping on us to play volleyball or charades or some other such nonsense, and the place was full of drunken idiots of one particular nationality who all smoked like freight trains the entire time. <BR>I'd also encourage anyone who goes to St. Lucia to take advantage of getting away from whatever resort you choose to see the beauty of the island and experience the nightlife and culture.<BR>For some first time or new visitors to the Caribbean, the jump up at Gros Islet is a little overwhelming, but it is a not-to-be-missed adventure for the rest of us.<BR>The island is one of the most lush and beautiful in the entire Caribbean, but it does have its problems as well.<BR>I have yet to find any island in the Caribbean that can please everyone.<BR>If it's clean and safe and sanitary, it doesn't have any &quot;irieness&quot; - like the Caymans.<BR>If it's laid back, less-developed, and funky, some will find it &quot;scruffy&quot; - like Anguilla, or &quot;slummy&quot; like St. Lucia.<BR>All of the islands have their own personality and visual scenery.<BR>If a person chooses to go to a particular island and doesn't like it, they have no one to blame but themselves for not doing their research before they go.

GM: do enjoy your third visit to St Lucia and I am pleased that I could offer you some suggestions to make your trip more pleasurable. What can I say - I love St Lucia! It isn't perfect, but then again, show me a place on this earth that is? The trick to enjoying is to go with an open mind and be willing to explore. Also mingle witht he locals if you can, they are generally good people. One resturant I would recommend if you have'nt already been there is The Still - its just outside of Soufriere in a very lush, rustic setting - lovely! The food is mainly local and it is good. It is a nice place to stop for lunch on the way to Soufriere. Enjoy!!

Rockit,<BR>Please do us all a favor and DON'T respond to &quot;Real&quot;. I enjoy traveling and don't mind listening to people's opinions, but she's driving me nuts. Maybe she'll just move to St. Lucia!

Carmeli, Before we decided on the Jalousie Hilton in the southern part of St. Lucia, we strongly considered the Royal St. Lucian. If we go back to St. Lucia, we will probably give it a try. It is luxurious and uncrowded and probably a good choice if you want a nice first rate place to stay with some night life within easy walking distance. I have heard that the beach is very nice although the sand is more of a golden color than the bleach white color that many vacationers prefer. Of all the resorts in the north part of St. Lucia, the two I would consider most strongly would be the Royal St. Lucian and LeSport. Good luck whatever you decide.

To: Keep-it-real: We are planning to visit St. Lucia the end of this month and are staying at the Royal St. Lucian. Do you have any other info regarding the hotel, their restaurants or nearby restaurants? I've read that Froggy Jack's, the Coal Pot, the Great House, Green Parrot, Bon Appetit, are all good choices. Also has anyone heard of a land and sea tour on the Surf Queen with Joseph's Touring Co? Thanks!

What's wrong with someone being enthuisiastic about somewhere??? So real likes St. Lucia, just because they like the island so much is not a bad thing, they want to share their enthuisiasm. I went to St. Lucia and don't recall it smelling bad or the locals being overbearing, they were less overbearing than Hawaiians are rude. It is not for everyone, so what, I've never read so many posts from people who whine and complain as on some of these it's ridiculous. The smart thing for you Carmeli is to read everyone's posts and do research about the two locales and come to a decision that way. Your trip will be what you make of it, whatever you do when you post how the trip went be truthful and not petty, try be honest and objective as to what you liked and disliked about a destination. If I paid attention to every negative opinion of St. Lucia I never would have went and would have missed out on one of the most beautiful places around.

So is there something in between?<BR>Clean, safe island with lush landscape and great beaches?<BR>Would Nevis fit that bill? Or Antigua?<BR>

Dan, <BR>I'm not trying to play Mom here, but I think the problem is there's a difference in expressing your opinion and &quot;drilling&quot; people. Real just wants to play quiz games with others who don't want to do the debate thing on all the St. Lucia threads. Probably it would be best if she just stated her case and didn't go after others by asking them to defend themselves endlessly or telling others not to be mislead by those who don't like St. Lucia. There are a number of people who don't like it and there will be others who come after us that don't care for it. After all, that's what this forum is all about, don't you think?

carmeli: I think that the quality of beaches in St. Lucia is fine, unless you are so discriminating that you demand long stretches of powdery white sand beaches. If I were thinking about a downside to St. Lucia, I think the main one would be that the roads are in such poor condition, you can have a tough time getting around.<BR><BR>And to Nancy (the previous poster), I am sorry that my posts aren't your cup of tea. But, when posters disagree with each other, there is no getting around the fact that they are going to critique each others' opinions. This is what happens when posters take a stand for something.

Hands down, St. Lucia. GC was so freaking expensive, we felt raped when we left.

I have been to virtually every island in the Caribbean. In my opinion, St. Lucia was the most beautiful of the lot. I thought the scenery was simply amazing. There are other islands that are almost as beautiful. Cayman is not one of them. In fact, Cayman is probably one of the least attractive and least interesting islands. It is relatively safe and clean, as others have written, but there is nothing special about it other than the high prices and the diving. Between the two, I vote for St. Lucia.

Nancy,<BR><BR>The problem I have with postings is you jump on someone like keepitreal yet have no problem with someone like greg. Why don't you and greg just admit that you are typical american tourists who are snobs to anything different from the resort style vacations you like. The typical american tourist who likes to be pampered and probably goes running to the nearest Sandal for a &quot;real island&quot; experience. Carmeli if you want a real forum with insightful posts go to caribbean-on-line.com, not too many geniuses like Greg though there are some, but better insights.

Dan, <BR>First of all, I suspect that you are probably married to &quot;Real&quot; but aside from that, a typical american tourist? I am very far from a snob. However, it is quite obvious to me that because I prefer GC and am able to afford it, you are going to put me down for it. I have been to many places, rented cars and have explored the islands. Go back to my original post and re-read what I said. BTW, Dan, I love caribbean-on-line.com and luckily enough don't find your type on there very often.

Nancy-<BR>I've been to both GC and St. Lucia (most recently St. Lucia) and there are features about both islands that make it worth the trip in both cases. Grand Cayman has great beaches and crystal clear water and is sufficiently developed so that getting around on the roads is not a problem. The traffic congestion in Georgetown was a problem though. Sting Ray City was probably the one and only non-beach activity that I could recommend The island, aside from the beaches and water,was not that interesting. We visited the blowholes on the southern end of the island and the rock formations (called Hell), but it just wasn't too impressive. St. Lucia's beaches and water are not the equal of GC's (although in many places they are nice) but the island has a lot of interesting and memorable topography, which has been discussed above.<BR><BR>In a previous post Nancy you took me to task for &quot;drilling&quot; other posters on this board when I dared to disagree with their views on St. Lucia. Now I see where you have told off Dan by stating how lucky you are that you don't encounter his &quot;type&quot; on a competing travel website and insinuating that his views lack objectivity because he is married to me (which is not true). I don't know exactly what you mean when you talk about &quot;drilling&quot; someone, but your last post would seem to qualify. <BR>

Real,<BR>Visit Dan's comment about Greg. He suggested to Carmeli that there weren't any geniuses like Greg on Caribbean-on-line. The 'directions' on these forums are to express your opinion, which is what Greg did. As well as Michelle, Mary, Stinky, Rockit and Jackie. None of whom cared for St. Lucia. Drilling means that you continue to suggest that if only these people had stayed at a certain hotel, or had visited such and such a place they would have said,&quot;Oh, you're right. We LOVE St. Lucia.&quot; I think everyone stayed at different hotels and DID venture out and we are all still saying we didn't like it. Can't we all just have an opinion?

Has anyonee stayed at the St. James Morgan (formerly Windham Morgan)?