Looking for recommendations/experiences with Caribbean area for vacation

[Phokus]

Is there any point to visiting multiple islands, like on a cruise or whatever?

 

[purbeast0]

Is there any point to visiting multiple islands, like on a cruise or whatever?

cruises in general don't interest me. i don't want to spend the majority of my vacation on a boat crammed with thousands of other people, then when i'm at the island be rushed to do stuff.

but then again, when i go on vacations, i don't sit around at the resort the whole time either. i'm out and about.

 

[smackababy]

Is there any point to visiting multiple islands, like on a cruise or whatever?

On average, 27 people disappear from cruise ships per year with no body ever recovered. So, there might be a point to taking a cruise, but it might not be strictly vacation.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Grand Cayman is awesome, its a very wealthy island, so it is kinda expensive, but its generally safer than many cities in the US.

I think Cancun had the best beaches of the places i've been. And its decently affordable, at least it was when I was there. As an added bonus, Cozumel is just a short boat ride away, and I have always had fun there.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Is there any point to visiting multiple islands, like on a cruise or whatever?

Cruises used to stop at a port until late at night, and you could experience the night life of the island. Ships grew and grew and grew, and the tourist industry grew and grew and grew, and much of the original adventure of cruising is lost.

That said, being out on deck and sightseeing as you approach can be quite amazing. Sitting on your private balcony with a cold drink and a good cigar enjoying the view can help to kill some the stress of the working world.

 

[Exterous]

Is there any point to visiting multiple islands, like on a cruise or whatever?

I liked it. It made it easier to see what islands we would want to come back and visit for a longer time and which ones we wouldn't want to. We would want to go back to St. Maarten, St Kitts, and Barbados. We have much less interest in returning to the Bahamas and St. Lucia

 

[Anubis]

That said, being out on deck and sightseeing as you approach can be quite amazing. Sitting on your private balcony with a cold drink and a good cigar enjoying the view can help to kill some the stress of the working world.

I don't really have an interest in cruises but I agree that sounds pretty cool

especially when coming into an island like Grand Cayman where the boat is taller than the highest point on the island

 

[TheSlamma]

Grenada, Dominica and St Lucia are my favs in that order.

 

[Jodell88]

Tobago or bust.

Mildly NSFW?
https://youtu.be/vLkb8kJabwo?t=47s

 

[Printer Bandit]

no love for haiti?

 

[AmdEmAll]

Ambergris Caye in Belize or if you want off the beaten track, Cay Caulker, Belize

Safe
English is primary language
Not expensive
2nd largest barrier reef in the world
etc...

Adding Belize to the list for a future trip.. it does look really nice.

my #1 recommendation would be Turks and Caicos (specifically providenciales). google "Grace Bay" and you will see why it was rated one of the #1 beaches in the world. the island is just completely relaxed and has the best vibe.

my #2 would be aruba. been there twice and would go back there in a heartbeat. i love everything about aruba. there is a lot to do here and partying is there if you want to do that too.

barbados and bahamas also own, as does cancun. the only place i've been in the caribbean that i wouldn't recommend is costa rica. it was okay but nothing special. but i know costa rica is huge and i would probably go back ,just not to the area we went to. it was for a wedding so we didnt' have a choice as to what part of the country we visited.

and about puerto rico... while i've never been there, my coworker who sits right next to me grew up there and moved here like 10 years ago, and he hates it lol. and that's not common for spanish people, they usually have a lot of pride in their countries. he said he would not recommend going there though and would much rather go elsewhere in the carribean.

as for aruba not feeling "topical" enough ... you are crazy. it is extremely tropical. although, it is more of a "desert" than other tropical places with lush forests and what not. but when i think tropical, i think turquoise water and white sand beaches. they don't have palm trees there, but the divi trees are pretty awesome. and there is a constant breeze in aruba so you never feel too hot.

Turks & Caico's looks very nice, a bit expensive though and not mountainous at all.

Aruba is climbing up the list.. keep hearing great things about this island. We will want to do a lot of snorkeling, kayaking, jet ski.. How arid is it though? I don't want it to be like Arizona.. those tree's do look really cool however.

Puerto Rico is just meh for me.. 51st state basically.. granted I haven't explored it much more than staying one night at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris.. which was nice but the beach wasn't all that great.

Mexico is out of the question.. my mom thinks its nothing but cartels.. same with south america and central america.

Bahama's is now out.. I'll explore those in the future when I get a boat

Jamaica and Haiti are definitely out lol

I really would like some experiences of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It looks gorgeous and its suppose to be fairly cheap.

Right now its Punta Cana DR, Virgin Islands, Aruba are the top but im still doing research.

 

[AmdEmAll]

I've traveled across the Caribbean. A lot of the islands are six and half a dozen of each other. Here's my thoughts.

My favourite destinations:
Aruba: Yes, it's arid, but there's a lot to do there. Some of the most beautiful beaches and great restaurants, shopping. The nearby reef and sunken ships add plenty of opportunity for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Cuba: Sadly, you guys can't go yet. Which is good for us because it's only loud French Canadians we have to deal with. The people there are super nice, and it's one of the safest islands to travel. Old Havana is a must-visit if you like history.

St Martin: Beautiful island with good shopping and decent beaches. Not much to say about this one.

Grenada: The spice island. If you're looking for tropical, this is it. Also a great culinary experience.

Barbados: Not much to say about this one either. It's the richest island in the Caribbean, but still offers tropical atmosphere if that's your thing.


Least favourite
Antigua: The home to AnyDVD and not much else. People here were very rude.

St Lucia: It's a rundown and impoverished island, that never feels quite safe. Outside the luxury resorts, there's not much to do here.

US Virgin Islands: Nothing particularly wrong with these islands except that they're heavily Americanized. It felt like a trip to Florida.

Neutral
Puerto Rico: Old San Juan is cool to visit but can be done in a day.

St Kitts and Nevis: A quiet spot to visit if you're looking to just veg out for the week. Nothing else beyond that.

Curicao: Like Aruba but not quite as nice as Aruba. Go to Aruba

Bahamas (Nassau): I made the mistake of going during Spring Break. A drunk frat boy tried to steal my hat. I guess that soured my impression of this island. Outside of that, the whole island feels like a giant tourist trap. Go there for Atlantis and nothing else.

Not sure what to pick? I highly recommend a cruise. Lets you see multiple islands, because most of the attractions there can be seen in a day anyway. Stay away from Carnival and Royal Caribbean and look for smaller, more intimate ships. You'll have a better time.

Aruba is sounding great! Look forward to going to Cuba one day soon, I bet it has some really nice desolate beaches.

St Martin is great.. went there the last 3 years.. rented a car the entire time which you have to do. I love the crazy driving people do over there.. I just join in on the fun. Also Maho.. im an aviation enthusiast.. enough said.

Barbados.. by richest you mean its really expensive im assuming? Saint Barths is the same way.

Grenada looks interesting.. need to research more.

cruises in general don't interest me. i don't want to spend the majority of my vacation on a boat crammed with thousands of other people, then when i'm at the island be rushed to do stuff.

but then again, when i go on vacations, i don't sit around at the resort the whole time either. i'm out and about.

Honestly cruises don't really interest me at all either.. You come into port.. and you get a few hours on the island and thats it. Not enough time.. then you have to worry about food poisoning.. things breaking on the ship.. pirates.. etc.

 

[MomentsofSanity]

I'll echo the recommendation of Barbados. Can be pricey if you do the resorts but there are some very reasonable accommodations especially right in St. Lawrence Gap. Area is filled with restaurants and bars. Doesn't have the tourist feeling which is true on most of the island.

For anyone considering Barbados check out Rostrevor right in The Gap for accommodations. Studio/apartment style rooms with kitchens. Save a bundle doing some of your own meals and the hotel itself has an amazing rate. Nightlife is awesome in this little area.

Only reason I miss my ex. Most of her family lived on that island.

Oh. MUST find Chicken Rita's in Oistens if you go just once. Best home cooked chicken you'll ever have. Quite the experience!

 

[Jodell88]

I strongly recommend Tobago. It has everything other Caribbean Islands have and then some.

I also recommend the MyTobago website. It has forums where you can get answers to any questions you may have.
http://www.mytobago.info/welcome.php

 

[John Connor]

Look out for Pirates! Watch this and you don't have to spend the money...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLZAejMTZVo

That is my all time favorite ride! I want to go back so bad.

 

[John Connor]

2nd best part about Aruba is if you're Dutch, you can make pretty white girls disappear and not have any issues!

True dat.

 

[mmntech]

Aruba is sounding great! Look forward to going to Cuba one day soon, I bet it has some really nice desolate beaches.

Depends where you go. Varadero is the touristy area, which is where I stayed. Beaches are busy there, and will get busier when the Americans start arriving. It was sort of a best kept secret for the longest time for Canadian tourists. Cayo Cocco and Hologuin are supposedly quieter.

As for Barbados, both. It's one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean, thus can be expensive.

As for cruising, don't let bad press scare you away. It's Carnival that's the problem. Friend of mine used to work on ships. Says they're notorious for cutting corners on maintenance. Hence the infamous Poop Cruise. They also own Costa, go figure.

I've done a couple Caribbean cruises smaller ships run by a British owned line. Much more intimate. That was years ago though. I think they went tits up or got bought out or something. Smaller and more intimate ships keep the slob tourists away. The food on board is usually fantastic.

 

[purbeast0]

Adding Belize to the list for a future trip.. it does look really nice.



Turks & Caico's looks very nice, a bit expensive though and not mountainous at all.

Aruba is climbing up the list.. keep hearing great things about this island. We will want to do a lot of snorkeling, kayaking, jet ski.. How arid is it though? I don't want it to be like Arizona.. those tree's do look really cool however.

Puerto Rico is just meh for me.. 51st state basically.. granted I haven't explored it much more than staying one night at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris.. which was nice but the beach wasn't all that great.

Mexico is out of the question.. my mom thinks its nothing but cartels.. same with south america and central america.

Bahama's is now out.. I'll explore those in the future when I get a boat

Jamaica and Haiti are definitely out lol

I really would like some experiences of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. It looks gorgeous and its suppose to be fairly cheap.

Right now its Punta Cana DR, Virgin Islands, Aruba are the top but im still doing research.

snorkeling in aruba is decent. you won't see anything really huge around there, but you will see the typical/normal colorful fish. they have a few places you can go right from the shore as well. last time we went we went on the jolly pirates tour and that was a ton of fun. it is a snorkel booze trip with 3 desintations and then you get a rope swing. we split the cost of the dvd that they sell from your trip, here it is if you are interested in seeing what this trip is like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBGSEDn-DK8

also in aruba, the eastern side of the island is the "rough" side. it's not mountainous or anything, but it's hilly and rocky, and they have some cool tours you can take. we took a horseback tour over there each time we went and you see the rough rocky side of the island. very cool to see.

turks and caicos is more expensive for sure, but there are also far less people and more secluded beaches. either one of those islands are amazing though.

wife and i are going somewhere for our anniversary in september and we're leaning towards going back to T&C but may also go back to aruba (which would be our 3rd time there). i was going to say if it was enough people to check out the villa we rented in aruba, but it looks like you only have 5 people going.

 

[skimple]

Lol at the hate for Jamaica. Went there last year with two little kids and never felt unsafe off the resort. Kids had a blast, people were great, everything was very affordable. Planning on going back if I can get a good flight deal.

Also - look at resorts outside of Cancun in the Yucatan Peninsula (like Barcelo Colonial). Some great values there with great beaches.

 

[mrjminer]

Jamaica

My parents took us there when i was about 10. They had a great time, and so did my brother and I. The place we stayed was Boscobel Beach

 

[McLovin]

I strongly recommend Tobago. It has everything other Caribbean Islands have and then some.

I also recommend the MyTobago website. It has forums where you can get answers to any questions you may have.
http://www.mytobago.info/welcome.php

I could be wrong, but aren't you from and/or live there?


If this is true OP, he would be best source of info.

 

[AmdEmAll]

Any have experiences with Punta Cana, Dominican Republic?

Looking at these 2 resorts on the island

http://www.westinpuntacana.com/

http://www.melia.com/en/hotels/dominican-republic/punta-cana/paradisus-punta-cana-resort/index.html

 

[sunzt]

/thread for later

 

[purbeast0]

never been to DR before, but don't really plan on going there. most resorts there just look like the typical dime a dozen mega resorts you see, and from what i hear, there is nothing that is special about the DR that isn't had elsewhere on other islands. just not on my list of places to go.

but that said, i love cancun and i know it pretty much fits the same description lol. i'm sure it is awesome there.

 

[KMFJD]

Lol at the hate for Jamaica. Went there last year with two little kids and never felt unsafe off the resort. Kids had a blast, people were great, everything was very affordable. Planning on going back if I can get a good flight deal.

Also - look at resorts outside of Cancun in the Yucatan Peninsula (like Barcelo Colonial). Some great values there with great beaches.

The hawkers off the resorts are extremely pushy, this pisses a lot of people off.