DH and I are trying to pick a place for our 5 year anniversary at the end of the month. He had originally tried to plan a trip to the Greek Isles (Mykonos and Santorini), or to Paris (where I've never been), but nixed it because airfare to Europe the last week of June starts at $1500 each for awful flights and gets into about $2200-2500 each range (he's been looking for 6 months hoping they'd drop b/c they were crazy even then, but they didn't and now we're stuck). Hotels are just as bad. We like 4.5 to 5 star hotels, in general. We pretty much don't stay at anything else anymore. From the looks of it, we can barely get a 3 star with decent reviews for under $400 US that week in either place. (I'm willing to pay in the $400-550 range for 4.5-5 star, but not 3 star). On the other hand, we haven't traveled much to Europe (one trip to England/Scotland, and one trip to Rome/Florence), and were thinking that getting in a romantic jaunt there before we start trying to have children makes sense. The other place we're considering is St. John and St. Thomas. A few nights at the Ritz in St. Thomas (which we've already booked just in case) and a few at the Westin in St. John. I'm worried that the Westin sounds so kid friendly, and am afraid that we'll be disappointed that one of our last trips we could take sans kids will be one that we could easily have taken with kids, esp. if there are going to be kids everywhere. (BTW, we decided against Caneel Bay b/c it sounds a bit too rustic for our taste.) The trip does sound romantic/restful otherwise, though, and I'd be less likely to be stressed about $ the whole time. I mean, how "kid friendly" is the Westin anyway? I really don't want to feel like I'm on a family vacation. And, do we suck it up and pay to go someplace in Europe, or just kick back and go to the Carribean? Thanks for your thoughts...

Also, for the reasons listed above, should we be considering different islands in the Carribean (St. Bart's?)

Well, you could look at less expensive places in Europe right now where your dollar is still pretty strong--places like Croatia and Bulgaria. Lots of great culture, architecture, museums--the exact opposite of what you'd find in the Caribbean.

In terms of the Caribbean, if you're looking for luxury, I'd suggest looking at entirely different islands. If you like the look of St. John, spend the money you'd be willing to spend on a 4-5 star hotel and put it into a villa. Or take a look at the island of St. Barth, which is overall more upscale than any other island in the Caribbean and which many folks say has a distinctive French flair.

Tell us more about appeals to you about a Caribbean island and what you might be looking for in terms of luxury and we can jump in with other suggestions. Do be aware, however, that with many Caribbean hotel ratings, you generally need to subtract a star compared to international standards. 5 stars in the Caribbean will not equal 5 stars in Europe is a rule of thumb many people swear by.

For other upscale choices, I'll suggest the following without knowing more about what you like"

Four Seasons on Nevis or Exuma
Cap Juluca on Anguilla
Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos
Amanyara in the Turks & Caicos
One & Only in the Bahamas
Cove Castles on Anguilla (I'm not sure if this is a full resort or not)
Sandy Lane on Barbados

for something a little different, Jade Mountain/Anse Chastenet on St. Lucia (very different but upscale in its own way)

Spice Island on Grenada
Carlisle Bay on Antigua
Jumby Bay on Antigua
Little Dix or Biras Creek on Virgin Gorda

A fully staffed luxury villa on just about any island. Jamaica offers a really nice array. So does St. Barth.

Anyway, there are lots of places to consider, but it would be helpful to know what you need to enjoy your stay--a certain thread count? marble? bulgari & frette? what kind of service do you need? what sorts of ameneties? are you a gourmand? do youo want nightlife? shopping? casinos? what kind of beach and interior would you prefer on the island?

Are you talking about going at the end of this month?

If so, Europe will be really really really expensive due to the fact that summer is the high season there and you are talking about going in several weeks. However, if you live in a major airport market, esp the NE, you could find something not crazy expensive. But, as you indicated, you are used to 4.5-5* properties, which will probably be all booked up at this late date.

I'm going to St. John in August,and although I've never been there before and haven't stayed at the Westin, by all accounts that I've read, the latter has a lot of children.

You may want to discuss your specific interests so people can give you recommendations. Unless you are going to Europe with the purpose of relaxing in a villa in Tuscany, etc.,it requires more planning IMHO than the Caribbean. For that reason, you may want to save that for a time when you have more lead time in planning.

Here's what I would do: I'd go for what we could afford so we could actually enjoy the vacation and not worry about money. I would also make the decision based on if we want a relaxing vacation or if we want a tour-filled trip (both could be great, by the way, but only for you to decide).

If you decide on St John, but are hesitant of the Westin, you should consider renting a villa. We rented through Caribbean Villas http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/?source=adwordscaribbean and couldn't have been happier.

Have a great trip and Happy Anniversary

We work a TON of hours, so we like a really nice property so that, if we want to stay there a day or two, we are happy and comfortable. The only other Carribean Island we've been to is Grand Cayman, and we stayed in an oceanfront room at the Ritz. We really like a beautiful resort with nice pool and poolside service (food and drinks), nice room with nice amenities, and perhaps a good restaurant or two. This is why the descriptions of Caneel Bay scare us-- I'd like a phone in my room, a TV for a late-night movie perhaps once or twice, and a pool to order cocktails next to. That said, we both also love natural beauty, and my husband has a penchant for national parks. (In Hawaii, we LOVE northern Kauai, for example--the Princeville, or Secret Beach Hideaway--not a resort but so luxurious and private you don't need one.) So, my DH feels that, if we're going to go to the Carribbean again it would be a bit ridiculous not to go to St. John, as it is supposed to be the most beautiful and unspoiled. If they just had a Ritz or a 4 Seasons there... I'm nervous about what I read for both the Westin and Caneel Bay...

Re: the planning, we've been planning this trip for 6 months-- we just can't find an airfare to Europe that we can swallow without wincing!

well here's my .02 cents. i would book the ritz st. thomas for the whole trip. at that resort you will have the pool side service, fine dining, beach service, i believe phones & tv's in rooms,etc. you will also be a 15 min ride to the ferry in red hook that takes you to st. john. the ferry is approx a 20-25 mins ride. rent a car on st. john and see all you wish. then go back to the lux service in the evening. the ritz property is pretty and nicely landscaped. the view is wonderful. they have a beautiful schooner, the lady lynsey for sailing.
for a special dinner you might try havana blue at the marriott. especially nice at sunset.
duty free shopping is not bad either.
happy anniversary!

Paris is my favorite European city and St. Barts my favorite Caribbean island. Do yourself a huge favor and check out St. Barts. The only problem is, you'll never want to go anywhere else! Surprisingly, villas seem to be a more reasonable way to go than hotels. And June is off-season so rates are really low. You can check villa rentals at www.wimco.com. Also, look at the forums at www.sbhonline.com and www.stbarttalk.com.

That being said, St. John and Anguilla are also great. Haven't stayed at the Ritz on St. Thomas but we drove up there in January. Seemed like a lot of construction going on in the area. St. Thomas itself is very hectic. I don't care for it too much.

Let us know what you decide!

P.S. Don't know why the links are showing up twice..it's not me!

JMO, but finding it hard to compare the Westin and what you might expect in a 4 or more star hotel. St. John is a wonderful island and despite Caneel being "rustic" (no phones, etc) the Westin is a beautifully manicured property with a few big negatives - the manmade beach being the biggest for me so you'll be off to other beaches for sure. It is extremely family-friendly and you'll be running into pre-July 4 celebrations especially on STJ. The villas are lovely but few are with staff - unlike many other islands - so you might want to check to see if they have daily housekeeping or other amenities that you might want to have on your trip if you find one that will do a few days! You become the pool-side bartender and server!
If I were determined to head to the USVI and didn't stay at Caneel, (you can use a DVD player to watch movies and with cell phones, phones aren't such a problem anymore!) - with seven wonderful beaches in the Nat'l Park to choose from on property, I would probably opt for the Ritz the full time (and you don't have to bother packing up and moving) and use the nearby Red Hook ferry to explore STJ - just be sure that your rental vehicle can go on the car barge - some don't allow it). You'll be trekking from the Westin anyhow if you want lovely beaches.
I chuckle when I hear Caneel called "rustic." It certainly is not Cap Juluca or some of the other yummy spots in the Carib but it is hardly roughing it! But then, I am not a big fan of the Westin.

lukesaunt: The European airfare does seem nuts. Since you've already waited until now to finalize plans, perhaps you should look at www.aol.com under their travel section which has a last-minute weekend section. I have gotten great deals there when I waited too long. One time, we went to France for 6 days under that program. I paid about $600/pp for airfare and a 3 star hotel thrown in. We didn't use the hotel as we didn't need the lodging. The $600/pp versus about $900 for just the airfare. You can buy 3 weeks to 24 hours in advance. It's worth a look, I think.

To offer another alternative why not visit Montreal & Quebec City. You'll get your taste of Europe for a fraction of the cost. You've simply waited too long to find anything affordable to Europe. Bermuda also comes to mind.

I really think you should consider another island. I have a suggestion. Why not try the Cuisinart resort in Anguilla? From what you have described it fits the bill. The resort and grounds are lovely. Big, clean, well furnished rooms with extra large marble bathrooms stocked with rusk products.
The beach is out of this world. The pool is lovely and they have a pool attendant that caters to your every need. They even serve homemade sorbet every day at 3pm.
They have two good restaurants and the staff is top notch. It's very romantic and a great place for an anniversary. Please, look them up on the web. I think you would'nt be dissapointed!

I love Anguilla and think it's gorgeous, but it is pretty dry. Try Barbados, agree with Sandy Lane or a stocked villa. Barbados has good beaches, great food, good sightseeing and shopping and lots of natural beauty. Grenada is also a beautiful and "unspoiled" island. Many of the Bahamas out islands are fantastic. St. Lucia and Curacao also have interesting places to explore.
If you find Anguilla interesting, Malliouhana or Cuisinart as well as Cap fit the bill. You can rent a TV at Cap. Covecastles is lovely, but has no beach service. The beach is steps from your villa and they stock the fridge

I think I would try to see what I could get for a last minute deal to Europe. If that fails, my next choice would be Bermuda. My husband and I went there for our ten year anniversary. It's the ideal location for two people to celebrate an anniversary. We created many happy memories that will last us a lifetime.

We went to Anguilla in January '06 and stayed at Cuisinart. I can't say enough good things about Cuisinart and Anguilla as a whole. The most beautiful beaches you'll ever see and really good restaurants. I'd love to try Cap Juluca but absolutely refuse to "rent" a television when paying their rates (my husband would not be a happy camper without one).

We rented a villa on St. Barts for a couple weeks this past winter and found St. Barts has it all. Hills, vegetation, great beaches (but not perfect like Anguilla), wonderful food, friendly people and one of the most picturesque harbors in the Caribbean. It's also a French island so is European in flavor.