My husband & I are planning a trip in July, to celebrate our 15th anniversary & possibly renew our vows. Unfortunately, we're on a rather strict budget (no more than $3000 for air & hotel for 1 week). I've been researching online & Pavillions & Pools looks interesting. I like the private plunge pool idea. Has anyone stayed there? I also see there are many Secret Harbour fans online. Any thoughts on which is best? I want some romance, but it can't be too quiet, or hubby will get bored. I'd even appreciate suggestions for other places/island. Thanks for any input.

We recently stayed at Crystal Cove, which is just south of Pavilions and Pools, and we spent a day at Secret Harbour.<BR><BR>As far as I can tell, P&P is not on a beach, and I believe its guests use Sapphire Beach, which is in front of Crystal Cove.<BR><BR>The best thing about Secret Harbour is that the beach there doesn't get very crowded. Crowds can be a big problem on St. Thomas due to the abundance of cruise ship visitors. They throng to Magens Bay and Coki Beach, which are great beaches; Sapphire also gets crowded, from people staying nearby and some cruisers.<BR><BR>Secret Harbour did not fit our budget and we saved about $80/night by staying at Crystal Cove (peak season). Although I haven't stayed at P&P, from what I saw and what I've read, I think Secret Harbour would be a better choice if you can afford it.<BR><BR><BR>

Amy - <BR><BR>There's an attractive package offered through LuxuryLink.com (a very good web site) for Caneel Bay in St John (a short ferry from St Thomas - $1475 per couple for 5 nights, includes breakfast. Go to www.luxurylink.com and do a search for Caneel Bay. They may have other packages that sound attractive.<BR><BR>I just booked a trip to the caribbean through their site, snd found them to be very helpful

J-<BR>Thanks for the advice. Caneel Bay looks lovely, but quite honestly I'd rather have 7 nights in a moderate hotel rather than 5 in a more luxurious spot.To me, romance is more about who you're with, than where you're at. We've been to the caribbean before (although never St Thomas /St John) & I was hoping for something a bit different -which is why the private plunge pools looked intriguing (lots of possibilities there. hehehe). I also checked out the Hilton on St Lucia, but that's way out of our budget.<BR><BR>Does anyone know of any other places with private pools? Maybe something a little fancier than P & P, but less expensive than Jalousie in St. Lucia?<BR><BR>Thanks again!

Amy,<BR>If you're only interested in a resort then ignore this post. On either St. Thomas or St John you will be able to rent a villa in July for between $1000 and $1500. Many of these have their own pools and/or hot tubs. <BR>If you don't care about being waited on hand and foot and are more concerned with privacy, a villa may be the way to go.<BR>Just a thought.

A villa is an excellent idea.<BR><BR>Some friends of ours stayed at a resort near Ocho Rios, Jamaica, a few years ago, with private plunge pools. I believe it was called Ciboney.<BR>

Amy--<BR>If you decide where to stay on St. Thomas or St. John, I would like to recommend renewing your vows with Captain Doug on the Gypsy Spirit II. My wife and I renewed our vows for our tenth anniversary last August anchored in a beautiful cove off of St. John.<BR>Here is a link to their web site:<BR>http://www.vi-fun-n-sun.com/gypsy/index.html<BR>

Thanks, Larry. That sounds incredibly romantic! I'll definitely check it out!