Which Carribean Islands to choose for 2wks in June 2013
 

First off, thank you for taking the time to help a mom out! It is our family of 5 planning on going to the Carribean for 2wks in June/July. My husband will be meeting us over there via Afganistan and I would really like for it to be a special vacation considering we don;t get to see him often, Anyway, our children are ages 20, 17, and 14 and during past vacations I find that they have a tendency to get bored quickly. I felt like the whole family could compromise on one week at a busy touristy place and one week at a laid back place for a happy medium. I was considering St Lucia for the laid back location because it looks gorgeous and the kids would like the hiking, waterfalls, etc...not sure though. Any other suggestions for the laid back section of our trip, go for it! Now the harder part, what busier location would be good for kids this age? I would prefer not to be hanging out when all the cruise ships come in if possible. They like to do the water sports, shopping, and just the all around beachy kind of things of things. The definitely want to go deep sea fishing for sure! Vacation Rentals seem to be the better route for the money to get us all into one place. Please if you have any suggestions, I am completely open to them! Thanks again for taking the time! Wish me luck!!
Just another mom! :)

First of all, thank your husband for his service!

Bermuda is a great choice for both activities and relaxation. You can hike, swim, explore, fish, and relax. There is also great shopping in the main "city" area. There is a fort on the island that is pretty interesting to explore if you are at all interested in history. There are little shops around the fort with local goods. There are also several small aquatic museums. If any of you are golfers, there are several courses in Bermuda. However, the best thing about Bermuda is the food! I HIGHLY recommend the spiny lobster.

When I went with my family, I was the "bored teenager." However, my sister and I had a blast in Bermuda and remember this trip as one of our favorites.

I agree that you could find enough to do in Bermuda to keep teenagers busy, or it could also be a great 'relax' location.

But we need some more info:
Bermuda is nowhere near the Caribbean. Where are you flying from? It seems that the first logical thing to do is look at ease of travel between two locations. Where is DH flying in to? The last thing I'd want to do is have two weeks of precious family time eaten up by travel logistics between hard-to-get-to islands. If you can provide us with your home airport, and where DH will be flying into, that would be helpful. Also, a budget, in dollars, is helpful. There's no sense in us making suggestions that are completely out of your ball park.

Cruise ships are likely to be part of almost any island you visit. About all you can do there is check when they'll be in port and schedule your activities around them.

And I totally agree with al_kell - thanks so much to your husband for serving!!

you should look at the maya riviera section of mexico. you fly to cancun. near the town of playa del carmen would be a good spot or near akumal for a smaller town. tons to do: ziplines, atv jungle rides, fishing - bone & deepsea, kayaking - especially cool to do tour of sian ka'an biosphere, horseback on the beach, tour ruins - coba, tulum or chichen itza, fun duty free shopping in playa del carmen, cenotes to explore (some have waterfalls), good diving & snorkeling, & more. tons of rental houses in all sizes & price ranges. a rental car is pretty much imperative. by renting a house you'll have the busy & the quiet at the same time.
there is a fantastic web site with info on all you need to know to visit the area. has villas & hotels listed, info on all the to do's, transportation, shopping, etc
www.locogringo.com

thanks for all the sacrifice your husband & family has made. sure hope we can find the perfect spot for you.

we rented casa cavu on tankah tres beach which is a bit south of akumal. good beach but fairly quiet area: http://www.locogringo.com/tankah/cav...me=Casa%20Cavu comes with a couple who keep the house & grounds. he will cook for you on request!

By June many of the cruise ships have left the Caribbean for the Med or Alaska. No place will be over run that time of year.

There are a couple of other ideas you may not have considered. One is a crewed charter yacht in the Virgin Islands. You could go to a different beach each day, snorkel, swim, hike, etc. while your chef prepared meals for you to enjoy together. (Sounds like that might not be a frequent occurrence!) A charter yacht broker could help you pick the best boat and crew for your family. Another idea is a villa on St John. Lots of outdoors stuff to do and family time looking at the stars. I believe that many of the villa owners and management companies have special rates for active service personnel.

Hi - Your post caught my eye regarding the ages of your kids.
We have been traveling with our kidos to ST. JOHN, USVI for the last 20+ years and we ALL LOVE it! They are 23, 20 & almost 18.
STJ is a TRUE island - Its small & easy to get around. Some of the MOST beautiful water & beaches in the world. There is also some really good hiking trails. Bumping little Town with cool beach bars, a few good restaurants, shops & great water sports/fishing. It is not touristy, flashy, flat or super expensive. There are many options: From Mega-Villas or Caneel to Bed & Breakfast/Inn or Camping. Personally, we enjoy heading to the Westin - You get so many extra freebies & perks. Rent a villa (from Studio-3Bedroom) from an owner, Jeep Rentals & Groceries right there. We've traveled to many different island and ST JOHN just has 'em beat!

Thank you for your words of wisdom and we will put them all into consideration! Bermuda is most definitely the front runner :) Thanks again!