My wife and I are planning a week long vacation to the Caribbean. We are seeking advice as to which island. We heard alot about St. John, but it sounds SOOOO expensive. We are not trying to go cheap, but we want to be reasonable. Does any one have suggestions. Looking for great beaches, restaurants and relaxation.

Try the Caribbean board.

Tortola and Virgin Gorda are pleasant options as long as you are not looking for crowds, fancy resorts, night life, or casinos. The location was great in that you can easily ferry to several nearby islands. I wouldn't say it was cheap, but it wasn't sooo expensive. Check wheretostay.com for hotel costs and descriptions.

We loved Grand Cayman. We snorkeled a lot, and swam with the sting rays, an amazing experience. We flew direct from Atlanta, but used FF miles, so I'm not sure how expensive a trip there would be.

Ummmm, Emily Grand Cayman is one of the msot expensive islands in the Caribbean.
Exactly what Pete won't want.

Cheapest islands worth visiting in the Caribbean are Aruba, Peurto Rico and Cozumel, though none of these is cheap compared to places like Florida and Texas.

And if you go during winter, you can practically bank on high prices.

Cabo San Lucas can be cheaper at many times if you're from the southwestern US.

Consider luxury camping at Maho Bay on St John. Everything is provided except food. You can bring your own or eat in the dining pavilion. Bathrooms are typical camp bathrooms unless you stay in one of the eco lodges which are like small condos. (Bad point is that they are a long hike to the beach.) The tents are wood frame/canvas structures on platforms. Everything is connected via boardwalks. They have a beach where you can snorkel plus you can take public transportation to other beaches. You can also go to Cruz Bay for dinner. The ferry to St Thomas is not expensive so dining there is also an option if you have the stamina after snorkeling all day. We also took a day trip to Tortola. Each tent has its own deck where we enjoyed watching sailboats and yachts come in to moor for the evening. Check out their website for pictures.

St. Johns is really a beautiful island. We spent a week sailing the Virgin Islands (BVI and AVI) and St. John's was the prettiest island we saw.

Pete, my husband just came in last night and told me he has to get away for a long caribbean weekend, but in our case we are trying to go cheap, this is an unplanned, emergency R&R trip.

Here's what I found today, if you're interested, You can go to the DR inexpensively and Punta Cana beaches are second to none, I was there in June, USAir has a great promo to Cozumel - the 2 of us can go 5 nights to the Melia (very nice) All inclusive from NY for $1600. But we've been there too, so I'm leaning heavily towards the Rockhouse, in Negril, it's a boutique hotel on the Cliffs, no kids allowed and has been written up as a pretty hip spot. It's also very reasonable. AAvacations.com also has some good deals right now.

I'm continuing my quest for a quick getaway, if I find anything else, I'll let you know. Check out the caribbean forum for sure, those guys know their caribbean.