Caribbean

[SumDay]

DH has "The Caribbean" on his bucket list. It's not on mine at all, seriously, and I don't know why.

I tried planning a trip earlier this year, and airfare & travel from the Midwest seemed to be a bit of a pain. I wasn't impressed with our timeshare availability there, and I don't look forward to driving on the wrong side of the road. Whaaaa.... Poor me, I know.

Part of the problem is that I don't know where to focus my search. I'd love to be able to tell DH to just plan the whole thing and tell me when to pack, but he has some post-chemo cognitive issues, so having him do the organizing just isn't an option.

I know I sound whiney, so forgive me. I just need a few tips to get me started.

Thanks in advance.

 

[CoolChange]

The Caribbean means different things to different people. Include some details about what you (he) seek; and, I am sure there will be plenty of help here.

Personally, I love many aspects of the Caribbean from lounging on the white sand beaches of the Bahamas to hiking in the jungle covered mountains of Puerto Rico. I have not found a better area of the world for snorkling/diving. I would not be a good source of information about the high end shopping and dining available on some of the islands; but, I have heard that can rival many European alternatives.

Cheap/easy/direct flights from the Midwest are somewhat limited but do exist.

 

[Original Wally]

Mel - consider a cruise. We JUST got back (12/20) from a 10 day on the Oceania Riveria. GREAT time. My ONE complaint about cruising is that you ONLY get from (say) 8:00-9:00 to somewhere around 3:00 to 6:00 IN porrt. You can never have dinner IN TOWN. BUT it is a great way to visit different locations. AND you can arrange shore excursions. We used Shore Excursioneer and saved about 1/2 of what the cruise line charges for the same trip.

DW subscrtibes to Travel Zoo and we have gotten GREAT deals from there. (this one AND a western mediterean out of Barcelona).

This one was a MID sized ship - 1,250 passengers instead of 4,000+. We paid something like $1,299 pp inside cabin for the 10 days, Air from San Francisco to MIA was an additional $400pp. The cruise lines want to charge something like $80 PP for a transfer from MIA to the cruise dock. Cab is flat rate $25.

Oceania INCLUDES in their price on board gratuities and all soft drinks. (Others charge for soda). Alcohol is on your nickel. Food was GREAT.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH has "The Caribbean" on his bucket list. It's not on mine at all, seriously, and I don't know why.

I tried planning a trip earlier this year, and airfare & travel from the Midwest seemed to be a bit of a pain. I wasn't impressed with our timeshare availability there, and I don't look forward to driving on the wrong side of the road. Whaaaa.... Poor me, I know.

Part of the problem is that I don't know where to focus my search. I'd love to be able to tell DH to just plan the whole thing and tell me when to pack, but he has some post-chemo cognitive issues, so having him do the organizing just isn't an option.

I know I sound whiney, so forgive me. I just need a few tips to get me started.

Thanks in advance.

Go get a travel book on the Caribbean, like Fodors or Frommers or Lonely Planet, from the library or Amazon, to give yourself an idea of the different places. And check AppleVacations.com for Caribbean vacation packages, at many price levels. It can be a reasonably priced lowkey escape, and imho the water color and clarity are breathtaking.

 

[Original Wally]

***the water color and clarity are breathtaking***

+1

We went snorkling in Roatan, Honduras and also on Grand Cayman Island. WOW. Just got back and want to go again. lol.

 

[Huston55]

Mel - consider a cruise. We JUST got back (12/20) from a 10 day on the Oceania Riveria. GREAT time. My ONE complaint about cruising is that you ONLY get from (say) 8:00-9:00 to somewhere around 3:00 to 6:00 IN porrt. You can never have dinner IN TOWN. BUT it is a great way to visit different locations. AND you can arrange shore excursions. We used Shore Excursioneer and saved about 1/2 of what the cruise line charges for the same trip.

DW subscrtibes to Travel Zoo and we have gotten GREAT deals from there. (this one AND a western mediterean out of Barcelona).

This one was a MID sized ship - 1,250 passengers instead of 4,000+. We paid something like $1,299 pp inside cabin for the 10 days, Air from San Francisco to MIA was an additional $400pp. The cruise lines want to charge something like $80 PP for a transfer from MIA to the cruise dock. Cab is flat rate $25.

Oceania INCLUDES in their price on board gratuities and all soft drinks. (Others charge for soda). Alcohol is on your nickel. Food was GREAT.

+1 on the cruise. We're leaving for our 4th Caribbean cruise in two days; can't wait.

If you want to just be in one place , or one place as a base with short excursions, try St. Maarten. It's beautiful; half Dutch, half French; great beaches, great food, great shopping. And, excellent day trips can be had to St Barts (where I'd have my second home if I was filthy rich) and Anguilla for exquisite beaches. Plus, flights are typically not too hard to find.

 

[FUEGO]

We have been to many caribbean islands while on cruises. St Thomas, St Maarten/Martin, St John's, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, etc. Most feel similar. The smaller and less populous islands were very similar, and I guess the larger islands like Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico did have a little different feel since they had a little more to their economies than tourism.

If you just need clear water and white beaches I think most islands have that to offer. Plenty of watersports outfitters on most islands.

 

[FUEGO]

+1 on the cruise. We're leaving for our 4th Caribbean cruise in two days; can't wait.

If you want to just be in one place , or one place as a base with short excursions, try St. Maarten. It's beautiful; half Dutch, half French; great beaches, great food, great shopping. And, excellent day trips can be had to St Barts (where I'd have my second home if I was filthy rich) and Anguilla for exquisite beaches. Plus, flights are typically not too hard to find.

+1 on the cruise and +1 on St Martin/Maarten. I thought this was the nicest smallish island overall and felt the least "dirty" outside the touristy areas (we took a local van/bus between the French and Dutch sides riding next to mostly locals).

And after our first cruise, we pretty much figured out that we were best served by finding the best deal on the best cruise ship we could find and not worry too much about the destinations, since you have limited time in each one, and many caribbean islands are similar (especially in the touristy areas).

 

[Sarah in SC]

I will throw in for Belize. Pretty beaches, driving isn't really necessary, easy to get to, English speaking, and easy currency rate.
Try Cayo Caulker, Ambergris Caye or Placencia.

 

[Original Wally]

We found Belize to be NOT that nice. Pretty rough. PERSONALLY, would not visit again. We much more preferred Roatan Island, Honduras

 

[Meadbh]

I like St. Lucia. Very friendly people, lush, dramatic scenery. The resort I stayed at was The Body Holiday. Spa themed, private beach, very relaxing. Not cheap though.

 

[Huston55]

I like St. Lucia. Very friendly people, lush, dramatic scenery. The resort I stayed at was The Body Holiday. Spa themed, private beach, very relaxing. Not cheap though.

Hopefully, you returned with both kidneys.

Or, better yet, enhancements!*




* Not implying you need enhancements

 

[pixelville]

+1 on a cruise. IMO, it is the best way to sample the Carribbean first. The choice of islands is not as critical as you would initially think (for a cruise).Else, for land-based vacation you can also try Puerto Rico, Jamaica or Cancun.

 

[Midpack]

We spent a week at Club Med Martinique - pretty spartan, but most expenses are included in the package price, and there are more activities than you could ever engage in, and you can skip them all if you like.

We also spent a two weeks on Paradise Island Bahamas (a DIY trip where everything was ala carte), it was first class and very expensive but we knew that going in. You only live once...

We thoroughly enjoyed both vacations, one on the cheap and one not.

Everyone should experience a Caribbean vacation once IMO, and satisfying a bucket list is one of the best reasons I can think of. More than once is another matter, it can be quite expensive.

We've done two cruises, obviously they're far more insulated from island culture, but that's what many people like. We'd rather mix right into the culture as much as possible. YMMV

 

[Meadbh]

We've done two cruises, obviously they're far more insulated from island culture, but that's what many people like. We'd rather mix right into the culture as much as possible. YMMV

I've had one vacation at a nice all inclusive on St. Lucia, and I've taken a 10 day cruise and visited 5 other Caribbean islands. They are completely different experiences. I feel I know St. Lucia, and I feel I know the cruise ship. Of the five islands I cruised to, I would like to return to Sint Maarten/St Martin (especially the Dutch side) and Barbados. If you want to really get into the ambience of a Caribbean island (or anywhere else) you need to spend much longer than a day there. I am not a fan of the manufactured port environment and it is essential to go on at least one excursion. If you decide to spend all your vacation on one island, since they are all very different, you need to do your research before choosing one.

 

[youbet]

I enjoyed a week on Montserrat pre-eruption. I've been watching via the internet ever since and it's starting to look like it's time for a return trip. Possibly a bit adventuresome vs. a cruise, all inclusive resort, etc. But, it's the kind of place we like to visit.

We stayed at a friend's modest and far off the pavement vacation home on the windward side. It was only a short walk to the beach and some wonderful rock formations where we would sit and let the spray from breaking waves keep us cool. We had a great ocean view and seldom saw anyone other than some young locals herding goats around. We did go into Plymouth (now buried) a few times to try the restaurants and also visited some retired Canadians with a beautiful home on the leeward side that I met through my hobby.

Unfortunately the house we stayed at is gone. It was severely damaged in a hurricane and then later finished off by the volcano. But, checking the Internet, it looks like there is a blossoming tourist business coming into play again with very reasonably priced accomodations available.

http://www.visitmontserrat.com/

 

[MichaelB]

+1@ Feever and Meadbh. There's a lot of variety amongst the Caribbean Islands, so it really pays to start with "what do you want to do" and use a good all-around guidebook to help you choose the location that best fits your needs, then look for a good travel package.

 

[Mulligan]

Caribbean trip is a very vague idea. I have only been to a few, but I am only going to go to one from now on and that is St. John, USVI. My criteria, however, is simple. I do not want to drive, I do not want many people around me, I want to be safe, I want English to be the spoken language, and I want beautiful clear water beaches,several that I have to myself at times.
Flight from Midwest is usually 2 legged, as we go to Atlanta, then straight to St. Thomas. Take a cab to other side of island, take a 10 minute ferry ride to St. John, then you can literally walk to some nice places from the ferry. Cabs are right there also, but we never use them except to occasionally go to Trunk Bay when we don't mind sharing the beaches.I prefer to use VBRO to get my place and rent a condo for a week at a time. Many cool open area places to eat and drink at Cruz Bay. And I know where all the cheap happy hour spots are at.

 

[ShortInSeattle]

+1 for St John. Lovely nature walks. We've done 3 cruises in that part of the world and Disney was the best, Carnival the worst.


SIS

 

[Bestwifeever]

I've broken down the OP's into a few parts:

(a) DH has "The Caribbean" on his bucket list. It's not on mine at all, seriously, and I don't know why.

(b) I tried planning a trip earlier this year, and airfare & travel from the Midwest seemed to be a bit of a pain.

(c) I wasn't impressed with our timeshare availability there, and I don't look forward to driving on the wrong side of the road.

(d)....DH ... has some post-chemo cognitive issues...

Okay, reading this again--

(a) OP's DH wants to go to the Caribbean--not a cruise, apparently, and only once to check it off his list. We did a Caribbean cruise long ago and then made several vacations to Cozumel as a result, but it doesn't sound like this is what the OP is looking for. OP doesn't even want to go to the Caribbean .

(b) Coordinating airfare and travel seems to indicate a package to a single island/coastal area would be in order.

(c) BUT it also sounds like OP has a time share she would like to use. In that case, she's limited to destinations that have available properties, and she probably has to do airfare/travel separately on her own. Maybe someone here who is familiar with timeshares can give her some ideas--I don't know anything about time shares.

(d) I hope the OP's DH is doing all right and will enjoy the trip.

 

[SumDay]

Thanks everyone for the input. We've decided on a cruise. Sometime this year - that's all I know so far.

I'm sure I'll love it.

 

[PackingBags]

I was hesitant about cruising too. 4 years ago we went on our first and LOVED it. We now do 1-2 every year. April we are cruising on the Allure of the Seas