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LOCKED - Caribbean Honeymoon Recommendations?
- Thread starter MSU601Dawg
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Pay the money for a Sandals resort. The one in the Bahamas is awesome. All inclusive is worth the extra cash because you will spend the same amount anyway with costs of food and booz but it will feel worse because you do it as you go. Having the freedom to eat and drink anything you want while on property is pretty wild. I know how rich people live now. When you book with them you can take the option for the flights included. Again, worth it to not have to worry about any of that crap.
Get a Costco membership and book through them. Great rates. Well worth the 50 bucks.
For islands, I recommend the US Virgin Islands, namely St Thomas and St. John. No passport required. You can rent a car and go wherever you want. The driving is interesting because you drive on the left side of the road but the left side of the car too. Probably the safest islands in the caribbean as well.
For islands, I recommend the US Virgin Islands, namely St Thomas and St. John. No passport required. You can rent a car and go wherever you want. The driving is interesting because you drive on the left side of the road but the left side of the car too. Probably the safest islands in the caribbean as well.
Agree on sandals. Wife and i went to st. Lucia. There are 3 on the island (one with a great golf course) and you can bounce back and forth between the three for free. All three have unique restaurants. Plus there is so much to do on the island.. even go out on a pirate ship.
And the free booze is great.
And the free booze is great.
The wife and I just came back from our honeymoon at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica. After my first stay at an all-inclusive resort, it will be hard for me to vacation any other way. The resort was in the middle of nowhere, but there was PLENTY to do both at the resort and on the Island Routes excursions. We booked all of our excursions while at the resort. They can be pricey, but in my mind it was going to be my only honeymoon so I didn't mind splurging.
I would definitely give Jamaica fair consideration. The people are wicked nice, the water is outstandingly blue, and the weather was great the entire time. Not to mention the fact that can eat and drink obscene amounts without paying any extra. And if you feel like you might come down with a case of moultrie-knee, it is absolutely no problem to be accommodated - even at the resort.
I would definitely give Jamaica fair consideration. The people are wicked nice, the water is outstandingly blue, and the weather was great the entire time. Not to mention the fact that can eat and drink obscene amounts without paying any extra. And if you feel like you might come down with a case of moultrie-knee, it is absolutely no problem to be accommodated - even at the resort.
if you dont want to go through the hassle of a passport, i recommend the us virgin islands or puerto rico. i went to puerto rico about a year and a half ago and my passport was out-of-date. there is plenty of stuff to do....its got the us's only rain forrest, beaches, historic stuff, tourist stuff, and a good party scene. it was easy to get around and san juan is fun to do. we rented mopeds and saw the old city that way.
im not a big beach guy, but i had a good time.
oh, and we booked everything through trip advisor. tickets were about 500 per and hotel rates were $100 per night.
if you arent familiar with tripadvisor.com, its awesome. they have a huge library of traveler submitted photos of hotel rooms etc, and dont rely on hotel submitted professional photos exclusively, so you really have a good idea of what you are paying for. they show you the good and the bad and they also rate area attractions with user pics as well. check it out before you book.
im not a big beach guy, but i had a good time.
oh, and we booked everything through trip advisor. tickets were about 500 per and hotel rates were $100 per night.
if you arent familiar with tripadvisor.com, its awesome. they have a huge library of traveler submitted photos of hotel rooms etc, and dont rely on hotel submitted professional photos exclusively, so you really have a good idea of what you are paying for. they show you the good and the bad and they also rate area attractions with user pics as well. check it out before you book.
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The all inclusive is nice whereever you go. but we still take one or two nights to go out and try some of the local stuff. We have been to Jamaica, Bahamas, and Aruba. Jamaica was our least favorite eventhough the food was good. Some body was constantly harrassing you to buy something. Aruba was our favorite, safe to walk the streets at night, nobody trying to sell you crap, very laid back. aruba is not your typical tropical place, its as if you took a chunk of arizona and set it in the middle of the Carribean, its desert, rocks, sand, goats, wild donkeys and iguanas. the food was great but not typical seafood, mostly south american food. We are going back next year for our anniversary since its the wifes pick. Bahamas was somewhere in between.
Chalk up another one for the all-inclusive route.
The wife and I went to Sandals Grande Antigua last month on our honeymoon. Definitely worth the money, if just to save the hassle of toting your wallet around in swim shorts.
Antigua was beautiful, lively, and the resort staff was great.... so were the unlimited food and drinks. You just got to remember that the Caribbean can be pretty dicey in spots, folks love to pester you about buying stuff, but like anywhere, keep your head on a swivel and stay in the decent areas and you should be fine.
All of the beaches on Antigua are open to the public, which turned out to be a slight hassle from all the folks selling items and trips on the beach 24/7. I want to relax, not wave off beach vendors. If you politely decline a couple of times, they will generally start to pass on by. Also, all-inclusive is awesome for it's convenience, but places like Sandals aren't going to be 4-5* quality unless you can swing the most expensive packages. Even then, the food is good, but not knock your socks off awesome. I guess it's the trade-off you get for the added convenience factor.
All in all, very fun, worth the price for the convenience. Plenty of opportunities on the resort as well as through chartered excursions.
We are already planning a return trip to the Caribbean for next year hopefully. Maybe not necessarily Antigua or Sandals, but we will absolutely do the all-inclusive route. The Excellence Resort or either the Majestic Colonial or Majestic Elegant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic are our next targets. They seem to be on the cheaper side of their larger Sandals/Couples counterparts, mainly because they are fairly new and haven't really established that "destination cred" yet. Still, check them out for yourself.
http://www.majestic-resorts.com/en/majestic-elegance-hotel-punta-cana.html
The wife and I went to Sandals Grande Antigua last month on our honeymoon. Definitely worth the money, if just to save the hassle of toting your wallet around in swim shorts.
Antigua was beautiful, lively, and the resort staff was great.... so were the unlimited food and drinks. You just got to remember that the Caribbean can be pretty dicey in spots, folks love to pester you about buying stuff, but like anywhere, keep your head on a swivel and stay in the decent areas and you should be fine.
All of the beaches on Antigua are open to the public, which turned out to be a slight hassle from all the folks selling items and trips on the beach 24/7. I want to relax, not wave off beach vendors. If you politely decline a couple of times, they will generally start to pass on by. Also, all-inclusive is awesome for it's convenience, but places like Sandals aren't going to be 4-5* quality unless you can swing the most expensive packages. Even then, the food is good, but not knock your socks off awesome. I guess it's the trade-off you get for the added convenience factor.
All in all, very fun, worth the price for the convenience. Plenty of opportunities on the resort as well as through chartered excursions.
We are already planning a return trip to the Caribbean for next year hopefully. Maybe not necessarily Antigua or Sandals, but we will absolutely do the all-inclusive route. The Excellence Resort or either the Majestic Colonial or Majestic Elegant in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic are our next targets. They seem to be on the cheaper side of their larger Sandals/Couples counterparts, mainly because they are fairly new and haven't really established that "destination cred" yet. Still, check them out for yourself.
http://www.majestic-resorts.com/en/majestic-elegance-hotel-punta-cana.html
Aruba is awesome except for the wind. Went to maui and aruba last year and liked aruba more.
Jamaica is a dump. Antigua is badass as is turks and caicos.
Jamaica is a dump. Antigua is badass as is turks and caicos.
i guess i wasnt specific enough. el yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the u.s. national forest system. my bad.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque
http://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque
While you are researching, take a look at the Couples chain of all inclusives. Wife and I have visited Couples Swept Away in Jamaica twice and are making plans for another visit next year. As the name would indicate, the resorts are geared toward couples and no children under 17 are allowed. The price includes all of the food, liquor, and activities (snorkeling, catamaran cruise, skiing, etc.) with no limits or exclusions on anything. This is the only all-inclusive place I have visited so I don't have anything to compare it to but it far exceeded my expectations. The food was much better than I expected. The only things that they charge for are spa treatments and I believe, scuba diving.
Honeymoon Spot
Just booked our honeymoon yesterday after lots of research and talking with people.. I went with an Adults All-Inclusive in Cancun, Mexico. Playa del Carmen is a short bus trip and Cozumel an extra ferry trip from Playa, so you have those options as well. Oh yeah... went with Live Aqua (5th out of 165 hotels in Cancun per trip advisor).. found a great deal on Travelocity.. bookit.com or expedia are also worth the look for comparisons (Kayak.com can usually compare bw all 3).. Hope this helps!
ETA: Combine flights and hotel (resort) together to get better savings!
Just booked our honeymoon yesterday after lots of research and talking with people.. I went with an Adults All-Inclusive in Cancun, Mexico. Playa del Carmen is a short bus trip and Cozumel an extra ferry trip from Playa, so you have those options as well. Oh yeah... went with Live Aqua (5th out of 165 hotels in Cancun per trip advisor).. found a great deal on Travelocity.. bookit.com or expedia are also worth the look for comparisons (Kayak.com can usually compare bw all 3).. Hope this helps!
ETA: Combine flights and hotel (resort) together to get better savings!
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I just got back from San Juan a week ago, and I enjoyed myself. I was at Atlantis in the Bahamas last Memoria day for a couple of days and San Juan offers more to me. I spent time out at El Yungiue, it was pretty fun. Did the ATV tour which I would recommend, but it was pricey. Several very good places to eat in Old San Juan. Plenty of night life out Condido as well if that's your thing. Gets started late, people don't go out until midnight down there. Casinos as well.
Atlantis was overpriced to me. The food was WAY overpriced, and I say that expecting it to be overpriced. Every trip to the bar for my G/F and I was at least $25 for two drinks, and every time we wanted to eat it was basically $100. I'm not talking about 5***** places either. Bobby Flay has a place in Atlantis that was damn near $200 for one meal. Was good though.
Virgin Island or the Florida Keys are next on our list. I hear great things about both.
Atlantis was overpriced to me. The food was WAY overpriced, and I say that expecting it to be overpriced. Every trip to the bar for my G/F and I was at least $25 for two drinks, and every time we wanted to eat it was basically $100. I'm not talking about 5***** places either. Bobby Flay has a place in Atlantis that was damn near $200 for one meal. Was good though.
Virgin Island or the Florida Keys are next on our list. I hear great things about both.
Sign up for Groupon travel deals. Some of their deals look amazing and unbelievable. Saw an all inclusive 4 nights to Jamaica with air fair the other day for $750 per person. I have not done a groupon so I can't tell you if they are as good as advertised. Maybe someone here can give some insight to whether they are worth a poop or not. They sure look like great deals though.
Proposed to my gf at the national championship game monday night
So I'm glad your brought this topic up. Seems like all inclusive is the way to go. Kind of a thread hi jack but has anyone been to Europe (Italy or France area)? I was thinking about going there on our honeymoon.
So I'm glad your brought this topic up. Seems like all inclusive is the way to go. Kind of a thread hi jack but has anyone been to Europe (Italy or France area)? I was thinking about going there on our honeymoon.
What are you looking for? To be wined & dined, get out and explore nature / rainforest, lay on the beach all day, diving, partying?
There are a lot of different islands and some you may love, some you may hate. Depends a lot on what you're looking for. Also consider a cruise that visits a few different places so you can get an idea of what you like for future trips.
There are a lot of different islands and some you may love, some you may hate. Depends a lot on what you're looking for. Also consider a cruise that visits a few different places so you can get an idea of what you like for future trips.
Petit St Vincent. At times you will think you and your new bride are the only ones on the island. Just make sure to hop on a boat(free) to St Martinique to buy beer and liquor, because the liquor is not all inclusive.
http://www.petitstvincent.com/
http://www.petitstvincent.com/
I'll vouch for Couples as well. I think it's only in Jamaica, but i may be wrong. Several locations in Jamaica though. I've been to Couples Negril twice. It is a blast. From everything I've heard, it is very comparable to Sandals in activities and amenities. We were debating between Sandals and Couples and I knew a guy who'd been to both Sandals and Couples and he preferred Couples because he thought the food was just a little better. But it was a tough call for him on which he liked better.
i have been to europe 4 times. LOVE it. im a big history buff, but there is a ton of other stuff to do. i have been to england, ireland, wales, france, germany, austria, and switzerland. it rocks. the wife and i went on our honeymoon 5 years ago. we did london and paris. pretty affordable, but even with good money, dont expect a spacious room in paris. its hard to beat paris for romance, but it can get pricey if you let it.
london: the tower, buckingham palace, london eye, big ben & parliament, st john's cathedral, west minister abbey, the globe, on and on
paris: the louvre, eiffel tower, notre dame, the sein, sacre coeur, versailles, arc de triumph, champs de lesse, much, much more.
fly in to one, buy a ticket on the chunnel and fly out of the other back home. some people dont like it, but it was mecca for me.
london: the tower, buckingham palace, london eye, big ben & parliament, st john's cathedral, west minister abbey, the globe, on and on
paris: the louvre, eiffel tower, notre dame, the sein, sacre coeur, versailles, arc de triumph, champs de lesse, much, much more.
fly in to one, buy a ticket on the chunnel and fly out of the other back home. some people dont like it, but it was mecca for me.
I really think it depends on what you want to do. I did all-inclusive for my honeymoon 15 years ago (aruba). I think this may be the way to go if you've never done a vacation to an island/tropical locale. it's easy/convenient, and if you're young, you're probably looking for fun on the beach and at the pool with lots of alcohol. No reason not to go all-inclusive if this is your first rodeo. that being said, I'll never do all-inclusive again. it was fine for my honeymoon, but since then, I've done other vacations in the caribbean. Now that I'm older and not into partying anymore, i look for interesting things to do and places to go. All-inclusives generally put you away from all that. Sure, you can get excursions to different things through the hotel, but I just prefer to find it on my own. More adventure and excitement for me that way. And while I love lounging on the beach, I can do that back home anytime. it's certainly not as picturesque, but it's sand and saltwater. Now we look for places to go not on the beach, and we've discovered there's a lot out there worth doing beyond the beach. Someone mentioned Petit St. Vincent. This is probably an ultimate for a honeymoon, but unless you're already loaded, don't bother. But definitely bookmark it for later in life after you've amassed more wealth. My ultimate spot would be Cayo Espanto off the coast of Belize. But that's major, major money.
Saint Lucia
Go to St. Lucia. I've been to a lot of the Caribbean islands and its by far my favorite. The wife and I honeymooned there last spring at Sandals Halcyon. If we go back we would stay at La Toc. Quick tip: pay an extra $300 and take the helicopter from the airport to the resort instead of the shuttle. Easily the most badass thing we've ever done! Go to the beach at Halcyon one day and book a boat tour with Julian's Boat tours. It's 10 times better than any of the ones endorsed by Sandals. You'll snorkel, eat a home cooked meal at Julian's moms house, mud bath, rum punch, waterfall, and more rum punch.
Go to St. Lucia. I've been to a lot of the Caribbean islands and its by far my favorite. The wife and I honeymooned there last spring at Sandals Halcyon. If we go back we would stay at La Toc. Quick tip: pay an extra $300 and take the helicopter from the airport to the resort instead of the shuttle. Easily the most badass thing we've ever done! Go to the beach at Halcyon one day and book a boat tour with Julian's Boat tours. It's 10 times better than any of the ones endorsed by Sandals. You'll snorkel, eat a home cooked meal at Julian's moms house, mud bath, rum punch, waterfall, and more rum punch.
We did Couples Sans Souci in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Fantastic time and we'd like to go back when we get the chance (read this as we have kids and don't even have enough money to afford a trip to Omaha). Yes, Jamaica is a bit run down, but when you're on the resort, you can't tell you're in a developing country. It's all inclusive, but the food is great (I've heard some all inclusives have terrible food) and you can get booze at just about any time of day or night. They have some on-property activities such as snorkeling, boat trips, kayaking, and a spa. There's even a nekkid beach if you're into that. You can go into town for shopping or Dunns River Falls for a unique river hiking experience. It is a bit on the pricey side, but they run deals every now and then so you can probably get a week down there plus airfare for under $4k if you do it right.
I'd recommend St. Lucia and Puerto Rico.
I'll be the one person who recommends against all-inclusive places, unless you merely want to hang out, eat a lot and drink in a foreign country around fellow Americans. I prefer to do the off-the-beaten path thing.
If you look at Puerto Rico, take a crop duster over to the island of Culebra. Relaxing, BEAUTIFUL beaches.
Trip Advisor rocks. I've used it for recommendations for several vacations, and it has rarely led me astray.
I'll be the one person who recommends against all-inclusive places, unless you merely want to hang out, eat a lot and drink in a foreign country around fellow Americans. I prefer to do the off-the-beaten path thing.
If you look at Puerto Rico, take a crop duster over to the island of Culebra. Relaxing, BEAUTIFUL beaches.
Trip Advisor rocks. I've used it for recommendations for several vacations, and it has rarely led me astray.
I like Caneel Bay in the USVI any place on Hawknest Beach. Pricey, but the low season is the summer (because of hurricanes) so it's doable in June. St. John's is a sleepy, laid back place that uses the dollar. Someone else said you drive on the left side of the road, but that's the BVI, not USVI. Must go to Skinny Legs for a burger if you go.
Agree with the off the beaten path part. All inclusive is a definite consideration if you drink more than just beer or love fine dining versus local eats. I'm a beer and beans & rice guy, so I stay at a nice place and rent a jeep, but if you like food/drink the all inclusive can save you serious coin. Not for me, though.
+1 on Couples San Souci
Everything he says is spot on. We went there last year and it cost us ~$3200 flight included. It was fantastic and we plan on going back sometime.
Everything he says is spot on. We went there last year and it cost us ~$3200 flight included. It was fantastic and we plan on going back sometime.
For someone like you, Hedonism is the only way to go.
Nudity is allowed, and there will be other honeymooners that you can swing and swap with. Lot's of hot women to get in the mix with you and your bride. Then come back here and tell us how swagalicious it all was.
Nudity is allowed, and there will be other honeymooners that you can swing and swap with. Lot's of hot women to get in the mix with you and your bride. Then come back here and tell us how swagalicious it all was.
My wife and I stayed at Majestic, it was great. The beaches are so/so. The casino is pretty cool and the food is plentiful. The only problem I had with it is you are not supposed to venture of the resort at night. My favorite all-inclusive so far has been Mango Bay in Barbados. You can go all over the island, if you get tired of island food you can walk to a KFC or BK. At night there are a couple of pretty cool bars right across the street, not to mention a couple of excellent restaurants. You can pretty much get a drink any time, but they don't have the all night buffets that some all inclusive's have. Folksstone Marine Sanctuary is a short walk down the beach and it has spectacular snorkleing. One thing I would recommend for anyone that goes to Holetown Barbados, go fishing on one of the small boats hand lining a 10 lb Tuna is a memorable experience.
I would advise caution with Groupon. Last week on ABC they did an "undercover" review of a groupon deal somewhere down there. They actually paid more than someone who booked straight through the hotel, plus it was a complete dump.
St. Lucia will be a perfect destination for honeymoon. I have been to St. Lucia 2 years before.
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