We're trying to plan our 1st trip to the Caribbean and am at a loss as to which island to try. Has anyone stayed at Marriott's Frenchman's Cove or Flagship Club at Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina, both at St. Thomas? Is St. Thomas an island that you would reccomend for a 1st timer? Also still looking at St. Maarten.

It's almost impossible to make recommendations without knowing more about what you are looking for in a vacation. St Thomas is an island I would recommend to some people but not everybody. Same thing with just about every island in the Caribbean. They're all different and each has it's own stregths and weaknesses--even those strenghts and weaknesses are relative, depending on one's point of view!

Both St. Thomas and St. Maarten/Martin are very well developed with a variety of resorts to choose from. They both offer good shopping, as they're both cruise ship ports. This can translate into crowds, but greater crowds also generally means more nightlife to choose from. Both have lovely beaches. Both are good destinations to start with if you want to see another island. From St. Thomas you can easily get to the other US Virgin Islands as well as the British Virgin Islands. From St. Maarten it's easy to daytrip to Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths, and Statia, most of which are relatively difficult to get to otherwise.

What we are looking for is a resort where we can walk to explore restaurants, shopping, etc. We'd be up for a car rental for a few days, but we love to walk(that way I can eat lots!), and with all the reading of the horrible driving conditions, we're not wanting a car for 2 weeks.
We love the sun and beach bumming, but except for sunning, we don't spend much time at a resort. And we don't care about great night life.
We have put in time share requests for Aruba, but the more I research, the less enchanted I become. The islands I seem to be drawn to are St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and St. John. The problem is not knowing if these islands and resorts are walkable for exploring.
I hope this helps and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hi gchan. re driving on st. thomas. really not to "horrible". imho unless you are used to driving in montana or the amish country you will not find it difficult at all. i get used to the left side almost immediately. neither marriott or sapphire are in walking distance to anything. there is quite a bit to do on st.t though - coki world marine park is fun, shopping is outstanding, golf course. very easy day trips to st.john or any of the bvi.
st. john is very laid back and all about the beaches and some hiking but not the kind where you get "somewhere" - the kind where you get to a great view or beach. a few good places to eat.
have you considered barbados? if you stayed near "the gap" i think you would find everything you are looking for and not need a car most days. if you type 'lois' into the search box above and scroll to barbados you will find her "tip sheet info" which is the most amazing compiled listing of info on one island i know of. lois travels there yearly. you will need to wait until world cup if completed though.

For a first timer...I would recommend Grand Cayman or St John...but it really depends on what your interests are.

Good luck!
Christie

My daughter and I spent her springbreak at Marriott's Morning Star last month and LOVED it! I found a deal on the marriott website, stay 3 nights get 4th night free with breakfast.

FGCHAN, not to discourage you from heading to the USVI but if it is walking to shopping or walking about, it is not something that is easily done especially from the Mariott's properties unless between them - the Reef, Morningstar, etc. They do have a ferry from the Reef that will take you to Town (Charlotte Amalie) but you would do well to rent a vehicle unless you want to rely on the taxis. Driving is not difficult and one adjusts quickly to driving on the left (I love it when someone is in front of me to follow especially on the right hand turns!). It is a wonderful island espcially for its access to other islands - St. John and the BVI's via ferry for exploring and yet more wonderful beaches to try.
It is a great island to test your toes in the Caribbean waters and there are several websites that you might explore for more information: vinow.com and usvi-on-line.com altho it's focus seems to be more on St. John. Alho there is not the same luxury other than the at the Ritz that you have at the Marriott, you might want to consider staying on East End where it is more quiet and lovely beaches to choose from (and nearby Red Hook has a ferry dock for excursions) but limited shopping so you would still trek into CA for that (not an inexpensive taxi ride 13 miles across the island).

In my opinion, St. Thomas is overrun with tourists from the many many cruise ships that stop there. On the positive side of this, St. Thomas is used to having a lot of tourists around, and you might feel more comfortable going somewhere that's "familiar" in that regard, as well as being part of the U.S., where you don't have to think about currency conversions, the language, etc.

Oops, a few other things. I do think that driving there on St. Thomas IS difficult. The roads are narrow, hilly, and twisty. As you've read, driving on the left does take some getting used to, but driving on the left with a left hand drive American car is really difficult. These cars tend to be more prevalent in the U.S.V.I., since it the U.S. Grand Cayman and others also drive on the left, but typically in right hand drive cars.

St. Thomas is hilly, so you'd best have your walking shoes to do some sightseeing. I've been to Aruba, which also sees a lot of cruise ships. I was dismayed at how "Americanized" Aruba felt. The majority of their tourists are from the U.S.

Just pick an island; they are all indeed different, and each one has something to offer the first time visitor.

Most of my traveling in the Caribbean has been with timeshare weeks. Flexibility is the key, and just keep in mind that you can have a great time no matter where you go.

Addressing Alice's concerns that STT is "over run" on heavy cruise ship days - you'll find poeple, lots of people, in Town and traffic heavier due to the LookSeers on cruise ship days but just check the schedule and you can pick a low-volume day for shopping otherwise it can be a fun experience people-watching! But there are also times when the stores are pretty empty - like a recent Saturday afternoon in March - I think I remember 3 ships that day! The East End does remain pretty much crowd-free (other than the ferry dock in Red Hook at times and that's just small crowds), and is where you'll find some of your best beaches and offers lots of good restaurants to choose from. Yup, the roads are hilly in spots, twisty and turn-y in others but if you take your time and "think left" (I find saying it to yourself or out loud), it really isn't all that bad. The "American" steering wheel on the left makes me more comfortable
But, each to their own. It's the right hand turns when I really have to concentrate!
Sorry I can't offer much on Flagship Club at Sapphire but my understanding is that the restaurants are all closed there except for a small grill spot. It is a wonderful beach but there are some units at Sapphire at the Marina or in a condo area and not ON the beach if that's important.
Can't really compare with SXM as I've been there only a couple of times, and only on the French side, when I was on Anguilla. Found that I couldn't wait to get back to Anguilla but that there was more shopping choices than on STT - but prices seemed a bit higher than STT.
I am sure you'll enjoy whatever you choose.

Thanks to everyone for your info. I'm sure we are going to love anyplace we decide on. At this point I think our picks will be St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. Then we just hope we can get a time share exchange at 1 of them!