My wife and I would like to schedule a 7-day Caribbean trip for Jan/Feb. '05. We are in our 40's and we'd like to find a great "value" island. We're not into roughing it, but budget is a concern. We'd like the amenities (a/c, maid service, nice pool/beach, etc.) and would be willing to pay for them, but we're really looking for somewhat of a "wow" factor - at a good price. We'd like to sightsee, try different restaurants and do some snorkeling. Safety is important. Anybody like to take a crack at a recommendation for us? Are we asking for too much? Thanks.

Forgot to mention that the destination must be a place Continental Airlines or its codehares fly to. Thanks, all.

At first I was going to recommend the Marriott St. Kitts, built approximately 1 year ago, but Continental doesn't go there.

So how about St. Maarten? Continental flies there and there are many varied accomodations for all budgets. For example Princess Heights is a condiminuim style resort http://www.princessheights.com/ They run specials frequently. Not directly on beach though. Divi Little Bay is another option in St. Maarten.

I felt safe in St. Maarten, and there are such nice beaches to go to, and many restaurants to choose from. Renting a car is a must so add this to your budget. Without a car, you will not see the beauty of the island.

Use AAVACTIONS.com to check pricing. They often offer great non-Air packages. It may be a little early for pricing on their website for Jan 05.

Just as an aside you are going to pay top dollar to travel to the caribbean in Jan/Feb. If you wait until May, you will get much better deals.

Two things for you to consider first. (1) If you're planning to use frequent flyer miles to get to the Caribbean, it would be a good idea to call and see what islands and dates are available before you get your heart set on anything. FF seats are very limited and you'd be lucky indeed to get your first choice of dates and/or island. Don't forget that you can also use COntinental miles on Northwest airlines, which increases your options. If you're not using FF miles, then it doesn't matter...

(2) The last three weeks or so of January you can get some good deals because it's a downtime between the end of the Christmas rush and the beginning of the February/President's week rush. If your schedule permits, you can find a much better value during this time, despite its being "high season."

Using miles to get to St. Maarten and then taking a ferry over to Anguilla could be one choice. Lots of fabulous hotels and restaurants there, and safety is never an issue. I think the beaches there would definitely fulfill your "wow" factor request.

You could also consider staying at a place like Jamaica Inn on the north coast of Jamaica. Old-style Caribbean in a family-run inn with lots of little luxuries.

Try looking at www.luxurylink.com and click on the Caribbean offerings. It's a good website for showing a variety of higher-end places in the region where you can do a lot of comparisons without ever leaving the website. You might not want to bid on an auction here, but it at least gives you a good idea of what the going rate for a lot of places in high season is. GOod jumping off point for negotiations once you pick and island and a hotel, if you talk with the hotel directly. Hope you have a wonderful time!

Hi All,
Thanks for the replies. I talked it over with my wife and have made some further progress. She has been to some islands in the past and is not keen on revisiting those she has already been to. This knocks out Aruba and St. Maarten/Martin. She's also not interested in Jamaica or D.R. (okay, I know: picky, picky, picky) Checking Continental's destinations, this just about leaves Grand Cayman, Barbados, and Antigua. What do you think about these? Thanks!

I can't speak from personal experience on Grand Cayman, but everyone says "expensive" as their first comment when they return for there. That said, it is appealing nonetheless.

I went to Antigua but wont be of much help since I did an all-inclusive and only left the resort once for a sailing trip.

Have not been to Barbados but this might be a good option for you. It seems as if there are plenty hotels to choose from.

If I was in your shoes, I would fly to St. Maarten and take the ferry to Anguilla, as ejcrowe suggested. Again, the prices are often more than double in the winter at the hotels. I stayed at Cap Juluca during June and it was incredible. Another nice option in Frangipani Beach Club.

Good luck with whatever you choose. I'm off to Aruba in 2 days. I'm off to pack........

Too bad she ruled out Jamaica. I was going to suggest Negril & staying at the Moon Dance Villas there. My sis-in-law stayed there & raved about it. You have your own cook, bartender & housekeeping staff.She got a 3 bedroom villa (3500 sq ft) for the price of the 2 bedroom she had requested. Dinner had flowers & white tablecloths & meal cooked by your own cook at your request. You can do all inclusive or not.

They have the gorgeous beach & water sports but not organized typical resort activities. It is near Margaritaville & other places for nightlife.

Continental flies there. We are going on FF miles in May from Memphis but they start flying from Houston in June, I believe. They also go out of Newark now.

Oh well, have fun wherever you go.

Thanks for all of your replies.Just curious, Kim, where are you staying in Aruba?

You might want to consider Ambergria Caye in Belize. Just a thought.

Tabcourt.....we are staying the first 3 nights at the Radisson and the last 5 at the Marriott. These 2 properties are my favorites! It just tutned out that Marriott's seasonal pricing changes on 4/30, so I saved a few hundred ny staying at the Radisson a few nights. Since I couldn't make up my mind anyway, I thought this was a good solution (right up until we have to pack back up and switch hotels..HAH!). This is our 4th trip to Aruba, and I plan on many more. We go back every 3 years or so, after trying new islands in between.

Of the three islands you've narrowed it down to, Grand Cayman is the most Americanized, Barbados feels very British, and Antigua is somewhere in between. Since you're planning to travel in high season, it would be helpful to know what your budget for the week will be before recommending specific places.

Without more information, I would recommend Cobbler's Cove on Barbados. It's not a top-tier resort like Sandy Lane, but it's very nice and elegant. Lovely beach, GREAT restaurant, secluded location on west coast for beautiful sunsets. Each room is a suite, with a large air conditioned bedroom and a large, open air living room with either a private patio or balcony and a kitchenette. The gardens are beautiful and the property is intimate. The beach is a beautiful white sand shared only by private luxury villas, no other hotels. Dining out on Barbados, you will find many fine restaurants as well as some great local joints. There is a pool here, but it's on the small side. It serves more as a social spot for guests to gather around than for any real recreation. I stayed at Cobbler's in the offseason and thought that it represented superior value, especially considering that it's a member of Relais & Chateaux.

Blue Waters would be a good place to look into on Antigua. Like Cobbler's, it's not in the top category of Curtain Bluff or Jumby Bay, but it offers a very good value. I've not stayed here, but I've visited the property during one of my several stays in Antigua. It is lovely and elegant, the food is good, and, like at Cobbler's Cove, "convivial" is a word that comes to mind to describe the atmosphere.