Hi!

I am at the very preliminary stages of planning a trip for my mother, my two-sisters-in-law (28 and 30) and me (24) for next March. Some of us will have close two a week; for some it will probably be a Thursday-Sunday or Monday get-away. 3 of us will be coming from the NY area, and one lives in Kentucky and will be able to fly from Cincinnati.

I realize there's lots of research on google and on this forum that I can do--and have begun to do--but am also really excited to get the feedback of Caribbean travelers. So here are our criteria:

1. Accessibility. We'd like the NY-ers to be able to get direct flights, and as easy a trip as possible for the Cincinnati flight as well.

2. Lots of things possible without driving. Some will want to snorkel, some will want to shop (no scuba or serious adventure on this trip.) We'd like to be able to have access to all sorts of swanky spa activities, obviously lovely beaches, and really great food. High end is great.

3. A more adult-oriented, perhaps spa-like place seems better than a family place.

I've been looking a bit at St. Lucia (read mixed things about Body Holiday on this forum), and also have Antigua, Barbados, St. Martin and Puerto Rico on a list. I'll be doing lots more research but would love to hear about any to-die-for resorts or beaches that are both really luxurious and really one-of-a-kind (and really easy to get to!)

Thanks--can't wait to hear what you think!

I don't know how easy it is to get there, but what about Anguilla? Cap Jaluca or Cuisinart?

i'd save st. lucia and barbados for a trip when you have more time.
puerto rico is the most easily reached.
you might consider the st. thomas ritz. another easy island to fly to, has shopping, great restaurants.
cap or cuisinart would both be very nice.
you might look at the bitter end in bvi.
on st. john's caneel bay has 7 beaches and you could ferry to st. thomas for a day of shopping.

Thanks for the suggestions. virginia, do you suggest saving St. Lucia and Barbados because they're a bit farther out, or is there another reason? Is St. Thomas very touristy (like US chain stores and restaurants,) or not so much?

yes i did suggest saving those islands because they can take almost a full day to get to. one of my best friends has a time share on st. lucia and they love it. and i would love to go to barbados. so def nothing against these islands. not too bad for a week but not so good for the 4 dayers.
st. thomas is a very busy island. assume there is macdonalds but there are loads privately owned places to eat. if you type in st.thomas restaurants in the search box you'll get plenty of suggestions. if you stay on the east end (where ritz is) it is much less busy.
just down the street from ritz is secret harbour - their restaurant the blue moon is very good and you dine just a few yards from the water. about 15 mins north of ritz is tony romano's italian - very good. for fancy havana blue at the marriott is gorgeous and delicious. there is also an amusing outdoor bar in a parking lot in red hook (10mins from ritz) called duffy's love shack.

I agree with Virginia about the travel time to St. Lucia and Barbados. I'm not positive about the situation from NY, but from the Washington, DC area both islands require at least one connection, which really ends up taking a good portion of your travel days.

Options that would be quicker to reach (possibly even by nonstop flights from NY) include Grand Caymen or Turks & Caicos. T&C (Provo, Grace Bay area) seems like it would meet nearly all your criteria (great beach, nice hotels, spa services, snorkeling, good food) except it does not offer much in terms of shopping or nightlife. If you are interested in T&C, definitely check the Tripadvisor forums too. There are a number of really well-informed repeat visitors/residents who are extremely helpful,

ttt

Anna, we were in St. Maarten in March on a cruise and found it lovely. We did a day trip to Orient Beach, which is clothing optional and definitely not for families from what we saw. I have been looking into returning, from CMH, we can fly 1 stop on USAir, would imagine you could do the same from CVG or LGA/JFK/EWR. Have been perusing condo rentals on VRBO.com, but you might want to break it up and stay in 2 areas. There seem to be some good hotel values. St. Maarten has both a Dutch side and French side, perhaps you can experience both. The main town, Phillipsburg, seemed quaint and lovely. I didn't like Barbados, we rented a car/driver who took us all over. The main city is busy and crowded and rest of it wasn't appealing to us. Good Luck!

I should say that we spent a week on St. Martin a few years ago and love it!!! La Samana is supposed to be a great resort!
SMX has wonderful food, great shopping, and great beaches!!!

Thanks for the St. Maarten's rec--we're definitely looking into that (as well as St. Thomas, the T&C, and Puerto Rico) since it is quite a bit closer than my original St. Lucia idea. Anyone else, other ideas? Any spas that are fabulous?

The Virgin Islands have an American atmosphere - in style and tradition and have the accessibility you are looking for. It offers snorkeling and all the special shopping (lots of jewelry). An excellent place to stop for lunch while in Charlotte Amalie is Bumpa's for deli- style dishes. My friend went to the spa at Sugar Bay when we were there and she was not prepared to be pampered like she was, so that is a spa to keep in mind. Lots of great beaches, as well!

How about a Caribbean cruise, with a new island every day? Every island is different and a day is enough on many islands, unless you just want to vegetate on a beach somewhere.