Message: Hi,
My friend and I are both in our late 20's. We only have 4 vacation days in May and would LOVE to go back to Turks & Caicos (Grace Bay Beach is beautiful), but the airfare is too expensive (don't want to pay $700 pp for airfare just for 4 days).
Can you recommend another vacation spot in the Caribbean or somewhere in Florida?
We are flying out of New York. We are NOT looking to party or do anything wild.
Here is what we are looking for:

1) Snorkeling
2) Beautiful beach with calm waters (would prefer an uncrowded, semi-secluded beach)
3) A few nice restaurants
4) A nice hotel (at least 3-star rating) within walking distance to the beach
5) Airfare from New York to be NO MORE than approx. $500/pp

Thank you for all your help.
Katie

You can fly nonstop from jfk to St. Thomas for under $500. I would then ferry over to St. John...check out the Caribbean board for some great suggestions on places to stay. There is a Westin there and also some reasonable condos, villas (you'd have to find one to pro-rate the 4 nights - but this is highly recommended - the villas are beautiful), even some upscale campgrounds - all right on or overlooking that gorgeous turquoise water. Very beautiful!

I don't think you'll find anyplace in the mainland U.S. that has snorkeling and seclusion - one or the other, but not both. I was going to suggest the Out Island of the Bahamas, but the airfare is awfully high.

Hi Joan,
St. John seems like a good suggestion.
Besides the Westin (I've read so-so reviews), are there any other hotels on the island? It seems like the majority of accommodations are villas.
We would prefer to stay at a hotel right on the beach. Can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Katie

There is Caneel Bay, very $$$$, but it has something like seven beaches on property. That's about it besides the Westin - there's also Gallows Point, which is a condo on a rocky point (no beach) but you snorkel right out your front door, and it is walkable to the funky town of Cruz Bay. Otherwise, perhaps you should consider staying in St. Thomas - there are tons of beachfront places to stay in all price ranges, however you will lose the seclusion...maybe you should post over on the Carib board, or do a search. I'm a villa enthusiast myself so don't have up to date info on hotels.

Thanks for your help Joan.
Any additional suggestions from others would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Katie

How about a condo on St.John ?
We have rented houses from this
company for many years-check out some of
their "last minute" deals.
http://caribbeanvilla.com/
lastminute.asp
R5

We stayed at the Westin at St. John and we liked it. If you sign up to be a Starwood Member (free) you can get a discounted rate.

The only problem for you with St. John is that it takes almost a whole day to get there. NYC to STT would be over a 3.5 hour flight. Then you have to take a ferry to St. John - which is a 45 min. ferry ride, and add extra time to get to the ferry from the airport.

I've had 2 Fodorites suggest staying at Don Cesar in St. Pete, Florida.
How is the snorkeling there? Are the waters by the Gulf rough and rocky or calm?

Thanks,
Katie

katie, I live in the beach area, ten mins from Don CeSar. There is no seclusion and definitely no snorkeling. The beaches are beautiful, great for swimming, lounging, and walking. But water visibility is poor - this is true for most all of Florida, except for the Keys.

I did notice when I did an orbitz search, that the flights I mentioned from JFK arrived in STT before noon. That's pretty darn good for the Caribbean! And you will love that ferry ride... can't you squeeze an extra day or two onto your trip?

Queenkatz
What about Bermuda? There are direct flights there from NY and it's a bit closer than the Caribean. Another option is Nassau/Paradise Island.

But if you only have 4 nights, you may want to hit Florida.