Fellow T men,
I am planning a Caribbean trip this spring for the wife and I(14 yr anniversary).
Do you guys have any suggestions? I am looking to maybe do some scuba diving, and just enjoy the beach, etc -not so much night life.
Thanks.
I’d say, Playa del Carmen is good and cheap. There are plenty of excursions you can do. It is close and there isn’t much ground transportation involved.
I cannot speak for many other Caribbean locations.
[quote]Rktman wrote:
Fellow T men,
I am planning a Caribbean trip this spring for the wife and I(14 yr anniversary).
Do you guys have any suggestions? I am looking to maybe do some scuba diving, and just enjoy the beach, etc -not so much night life.
Thanks.[/quote]
Grand Cayman and the Cayman Islands if you like to dive.
Really nice beaches, too.
And you can get excellent Cuban cigars.
And Tortuga rum.
aruba is my choice because it’s easy to get there, very affordable and the whole island has a small town feel to it…not overrun w/ commercialism and hustlers. you can find isolated stretches of beach anytime you want and the water is pristine. i’d recommend staying in the section called “palm beach” which has the nicest hotels on the island.
We went to Sandal’s Grand Bahamian Couples resort for our wedding/honeymoon. it’s an all inclusive place for food and drinks. You can book activities, but they cost extra.
I would be about 3500 or so for a week for a basic room.
I would go to St. Thomas or St. Barts.
Both are VERY nice, top beaches in the world and good food. St. Barts can be a bit pricey but it’s a private beach so you’ll have it all to yourself.
I’ve been in a mountain bike race at St. Thomas before which was a total blast. Only annoying thing are the cruise ships but oh well.
Yo Mamma,
You can get Tortuga Rum at the Maimi airport 
Now stop drinking that cheap stuff!
I’m not that big of a fan of Grand Cayman, I went there over the Holidays…it’s too much like the main land (Florida).
[quote]CrewPierce wrote:
Yo Mamma,
You can get Tortuga Rum at the Maimi airport Now stop drinking that cheap stuff!
I’m not that big of a fan of Grand Cayman, I went there over the Holidays…it’s too much like the main land (Florida).[/quote]
Whaddya mean, Florida???
The smoky haze of cigars and the constant rum buzz obviously gave me a different perspective. Plus, I hang with a rough crowd in Georgetown.
Cozumel is supposed to have very good diving. I am not a diver, but I enjoyed my trip there in 2003 quite a bit.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/mexico/cozumel/
Dollar is still relatively good vs. the peso as well…
Check out Sandals resort. I took a trip to Jamacia and it was pretty nice. Sandals has packages for all over the Caribbean.
[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
CrewPierce wrote:
Yo Mamma,
You can get Tortuga Rum at the Maimi airport Now stop drinking that cheap stuff!
I’m not that big of a fan of Grand Cayman, I went there over the Holidays…it’s too much like the main land (Florida).
Whaddya mean, Florida???
The smoky haze of cigars and the constant rum buzz obviously gave me a different perspective. Plus, I hang with a rough crowd in Georgetown.
[/quote]
Haha to me Grand Cayman has a lot of rich old bankers and not enough locals. A friend of my family’s lived there for about 5 years until he got too bored there and left!
Granted the fishing is good there, off shore bank accounts rock, no taxes on anything, and Guy Harvey’s is a good place to eat.
However the $1.25USD to $1 Cayman Dollar kinda sucks. At least that’s what it was 2 weeks ago when I was there.
I don’t dive so I dunno about all that, waverunner racing is my thing 
Cozumel and Playa Del Carmen are both really nice without all the people like there is at Cancun.
This is my next vacation. I am going to charter a sailboat with a small crew and go “island hopping”. We will make a few stops at some of the main islands and stay in a hotel for a few days and relax.
We are going to sail a small chain of islands from Puerto Rico to Antigua:
Between the main islands there are thousands of tiny uninhabited islands that we will stop at and go fishing or just hang out and maybe camp.
I can’t wait!
Cozumel has excellent scuba diving. Grand Cayman does as well. Grand Cayman has better beaches to enjoy while Cozumel is somewhat limited in the beach department. Sandals resorts are a little pricey and the quality seems to have slipped, compared to some of the newer places being built.
Punta Cana is the best bargain in the Carribean right now ,in my opinion. Most of the hotels are new and the airport is a breeze to get in and out of. Good diving, excellent beaches and very good food. The Riu resorts are nice in Punta Cana and are an excellent value for the money. For a second honeymoon take a look at Secrets in Punta Cana. They have a small revolving door in each room for room service to make a delivery…clearly a good honeymooner feature. It’s all inclusive. Palma Real in Punta Cana is also a nice honeymoon type spot. It’s owned by Paradisus resorts and is all inclusive. I’d choose Secrets and Palma Real in that order if it was me.
Have fun and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Thanks for all the info guys.
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Check out Sandals resort. I took a trip to Jamacia and it was pretty nice. Sandals has packages for all over the Caribbean.[/quote]
My fiance and I are looking at getting married in Spring 2009 there. Any other insights you could provide would be great. Please PM me.
(We are working via a travel agent. Lots of hoops to go thru on the marriage thing.)
[quote]btm62 wrote:
usmccds423 wrote:
Check out Sandals resort. I took a trip to Jamacia and it was pretty nice. Sandals has packages for all over the Caribbean.
My fiance and I are looking at getting married in Spring 2009 there. Any other insights you could provide would be great. Please PM me.
(We are working via a travel agent. Lots of hoops to go thru on the marriage thing.)[/quote]
btm
Jamaica requires 48 hr. residency before the ceremony. You will need to go down 2 full days before the ceremony. Sandals will offer you a package with wedding planner. She will arrange to have the minister at your location at the appointed time. Take the package. You can’t get this done right yourself and the travel agent should advise you to do the same. You do not need a bloodtest and if you are divorced you will need a copy of your divorce decree.
The minister will give you a handwritten liscense after the ceremony and you will get a cool looking official one in about 6 mos. thru the mail. If you are not travelling with people, they will provide a witness or two or you can grab other guests to witness the ceremony. It’s all good fun. The photographers on the properties are usually first rate and know how to shoot the pictures on the property very well. Tip the minister on your own. They are poor and they will use the money very well in the church.
As I said. I don’t like Sandals much anymore. A little pricey and the properties have slipped. If you haven’t already decided take a look at Sans Souci or Swept Away. Both are as nice or better then Sandals and less costly.
Any questions PM me.
If you’re going to be diving, Cozumel is arguably the best diving in the world.
If you’re into boating/sailing, check out the moorings in the BVI’s. You can sail around them diving on your own, if you’re comfortable and qualified enough, and its like having your own private 40 foot island. Sorta. You can get Cubans as well as any sort of rum you can think of there, as well.