Caribbean vacation in 2 days!

[Ardentfrost]

On Saba? I mean, it's a rain forest there, and so they have very cool hiking trails. Saba is an inactive volcano and it goes up pretty high, if hiking is your thing. They also have easier trails.

There is only one beach, so to speak, in Saba. That's not what people go there for though. If you want beach, go to the Bahamas. Like I said, Saba is more for diving and nature-type stuff.

The food is good on the island. Some places better than others. Seafood is awesome (of course).

If you want planned activities then go to a resort somewhere. Don't go to Saba, lol.

If you want to see a lot of stuff and are willing to spend more money, go island hopping down there. From Saba you can see St. Eustatias, Kitts, St. Martin, and St. Barts. There are also a few others really close (all the lesser Antilles are a short flight). That'll give you a pretty well-rounded island experience if that's what you're into.

Really, I suggest going to a travel agent and getting suggestions based on what YOU want out of the trip. That and research is how I found Saba.

[Thorgrim]

Everyone that goes there goes for good drinking and good seafood...we both don't like drinking and while food is nice, we've both been to the shore enough that good seafood isn't an amazing experience anymore, and we're both skinny so obviously food isn't our thing anyway

Like I said I was looking for something to do in the Ameicas that you can only do in the Americas (excluding the US)...skuba diving is one...we can not skuba dive for our entire honeymoon, especially when we haven't even done any training and don't know how we'll like it for extended periods

Hiking is not our thing, we have a handful of state parks in ne PA and we don't go there regularly

[Ardentfrost]

You gotta decide WHAT you want to do. Then decide where you want to go based on where will offer the best for your what. I knew Mel and I wanted to go scuba diving, so I looked for the best diving in the Caribbean. If all-inclusive resorts has been our what, I'd have chosen St. Lucia or something. If mixing in with interesting locals, maybe TNT. If white sandy beaches was it, that's like 90% of the dang Caribbean.

If you went to Venice or Madrid or wherever, what do those places offer that you both like? History? Landscapes? What?

This is how all vacations should be planned. Set a goal for the vacation, THEN decide on a location based on the goal.

[Thorgrim]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

You gotta decide WHAT you want to do. Then decide where you want to go based on where will offer the best for your what. I knew Mel and I wanted to go scuba diving, so I looked for the best diving in the Caribbean. If all-inclusive resorts has been our what, I'd have chosen St. Lucia or something. If mixing in with interesting locals, maybe TNT. If white sandy beaches was it, that's like 90% of the dang Caribbean.

If you went to Venice or Madrid or wherever, what do those places offer that you both like? History? Landscapes? What?

This is how all vacations should be planned. Set a goal for the vacation, THEN decide on a location based on the goal.

we both like different things

ill tell you right now if we had my choice, we'd be having our honeymoon in disneyworld, but that recieved a big laugh and we moved on

if it was up to her we'd be having dinner on the beach at whatever was rated the most exclusive and expensive beach in the world, i said i didnt think that'd be my thing


i know your answer is "well theres a bunch of stuff on the internet" but that's the problem too...there is TOO much on the internet, and im going to be drowned in 1000 sales pitches full of information that is not accurate or even if it is, there's so much of it and they make everything sound so wonderful, it's not very helpful

and, all my friends are like me, engaged and unmarried, except for a few that are single, out of dozens of friends i do not have a single close one that has been on a honeymoon that didn't involve sitting on a beach and getting drunk...exactly what we both agree we would hate doing (even at night)

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

arden how much is skuba diving in the caribbean? for 2

my fiance and i were talking about cutting expenses on our honeymoon because it can quickly go from $3000 to $30,000 if you're not careful, i think we settled on $6000 for now (we're just tossing ideas back and forth)

she loves sitting on the beach and doing nothing, i hate the beach during the day, she loves to just lay out all day on the beach, and im not a big fan of good food...so im a little unsure of how to make it different than other times i went to virginia beach and loved it when i was trying to get laid but hated it when i was tied down

your 'fiancee' i assume . Mine and myself are going to sandals whitehouse in Jamaica for 5 nights for 2000, plus 1 k for airfair, and scuba certifications back home and equip would have been another 500 (but she didn't want to so we aren't getting certified.
It was the right choice for me because it is completely all inclusive. As I am a cheap bastard I wanted something where I really wanted to not worry about the price of anything and just relax. It really isn't expensive in the end, with free booz, food, scuba, and just about every water sport on the house.

[Thorgrim]

im looking at Sandals resorts packages...i love the inclusive dining...no tipping...appears they have a skuba diving down to 30ft (is that too shallow for any real fun?)

however, they do include a lot of free "premium drinks" all day and all night...feels like im wasting my money spending it on liquor i will not drink :/ but everything else looks good for a honeymoon

[Thorgrim]

also looks like the bahamas has the clearest water...? (In the caribbean)

[Ardentfrost]

30 ft is plenty if you don't go to a volcanic island (bahamas is not, neither is most of the caribbean). If you see white sandy beaches, it's not volcanic.

[7960]

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

your 'fiancee' i assume . Mine and myself are going to sandals whitehouse in Jamaica .... It was the right choice for me because it is completely all inclusive. As I am a cheap bastard I wanted something where I really wanted to not worry about the price of anything and just relax.

I went to Sandals Halcyon on St. Lucia and loved it. It was $2700 (approx) and was worth every penny. A friend went on a cruise that same week and we were comparing notes and he asked how much mine cost. He said his was "about that, but then he got his bar bill and that was another $1k." Then he asked about my bar bill and I said "all inclusive means all inclusive. I could have gone there with $10 for the cab." He was floored. His cruise was well over $3500 when he factored in drinks.

If Whitehouse is anything like Halcyon you're going to have a fantastic time.

[Ardentfrost]

$2700 including the flight?

[7960]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

$2700 including the flight?

yes, it was 11 years ago.

[Ardentfrost]

Ah, lol, I thought that was a bit inexpensive.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Ah, lol, I thought that was a bit inexpensive.

Now my sister books Caribbean travel so I could probably get it for about that if I asked her to book it for me.

Get this.......... her job is to travel around the Caribbean and try out resorts to see if her company should buy rooms there to re-sell. So her job is to go try all the amenities...she HAS to go diving and horseback riding and get massages and eat at their restaurants and then tell her boss if the place is something they should sell.

She said it was a fantastic job until she had kids and travel wasn't a problem. But it requires 75% travel so it really cuts into family time so she's moving to the job where she manages the people who do that travel. Now she'll get the best of both worlds...she can go when/where she wants or stay home and compile the reports.

[Thorgrim]

Sandals is about $4000-5000 for an all-inclusive trip where EVERYTHING is paid for, even tips (most importantly all those expensive restaurants) and yes airfare

It looks like a good deal, the only thing is it seems to be designed for the traditional couple that drinks all those expensive tropical drinks several times a day, which could end up being hundreds of dollars but they mark it off...we don't drink so...oh well...

My point is...with airfare, do you know of what a 5-6 day HM to the bahamas would cost without a package...and no i dont want to live in a shithole, but I'd like it to focus on skuba diving...not beach parties and booze

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Ah, lol, I thought that was a bit inexpensive.

we are going may 25th-30th for 3100 with airfare, so it's not that far off.

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

we are going may 25th-30th for 3100 with airfare, so it's not that far off.

That's pretty sweet. Doing the all-inclusive, pampered thing is something my wife and I want to do at least once. Might do it sooner than I thought based on those prices.

[7960]

Originally Posted by nbiggershaft

we are going may 25th-30th for 3100 with airfare, so it's not that far off.

where?

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

That's pretty sweet. Doing the all-inclusive, pampered thing is something my wife and I want to do at least once. Might do it sooner than I thought based on those prices.

I was not impressed with the "all inclusive (minus the booze)" cruise we went on. I would go back to sandals halcyon in a heartbeat.

[RMNIXON]

No Pics Yet?

Bummer!

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by 7960

where?

Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa - All Inclusive Vacation
Sandals Whitehouse Jamaica, booked it 6 months in advance so we got 50% off.


guess they have some last minute stuff too
Sandals Resorts : : Hot Sale

[Thorgrim]

Land + Air (Bahamas)
$3,953.40

For 6 days all inclusive for two...i thought that was an amazing deal?