Virgin Islands Trip

[dmclone]

Thanks for the advice, not young (39-43) if that changes anyone's recommendations. Mainly what we do on our yearly trips is eat good food, a few activities and a lot of drinking and hanging out at the pool/beach. Sounds like either would be up our alley. Thanks again everybody!

I'm a little older than you but we have similar tastes:

Fly to cancun
Take a shuttle to a ferry
20 minutes later you're on Isla mujeres
Rent a golf cart for a week
Drive that golf cart to your airbnb
If you go with at least one other couple you can stay at a million dollar house with a private pool on the south side (busy) of the island
Hang out by the private pool 6+ hours day
Eat/Drink at great places for embarrassingly low prices
Go to the local grocery store and get booze/beer/food for 1/3 the price of the u.s.

If you want beaches you'll have to take the golf cart to the opposite end of the island but they are some of the best in the world. The snorkling is also good. The only downside is that it's no longer a secret so it's getting busier and you'll also see a heavy military presence but we've never seen anything sketch.

We've done this I think 5 times and it's pretty amazing. If you go with another couple or two it will be similar to price of an all inclusive without all down sides of an all inclusive.

 

[isufbcurt]

I'm a little older than you but we have similar tastes:

Fly to cancun
Take a shuttle to a ferry
20 minutes later you're on Isla mujeres
Rent a golf cart for a week
Drive that golf cart to your airbnb
If you go with at least one other couple you can stay at a million dollar house with a private pool on the south side (busy) of the island
Hang out by the private pool 6+ hours day
Eat/Drink at great places for embarrassingly low prices
Go to the local grocery store and get booze/beer/food for 1/3 the price of the u.s.

If you want beaches you'll have to take the golf cart to the opposite end of the island but they are some of the best in the world. The snorkling is also good. The only downside is that it's no longer a secret so it's getting busier and you'll also see a heavy military presence but we've never seen anything sketch.

We've done this I think 5 times and it's pretty amazing. If you go with another couple or two it will be similar to price of an all inclusive without all down sides of an all inclusive.

Sounds nice but personally I prefer the mindlessness of all inclusives. I show up have fun and don't have to do anything but enjoy myself.

 

[dmclone]

Sounds nice but personally I prefer the mindlessness of all inclusives. I show up have fun and don't have to do anything but enjoy myself.

I get that piece. I tend to get annoyed by others so walking to the fridge to grab a beer is worth it to me.

With that said, I went to an all inclusive last year in Belize that only had 14 huts on an island and it was one of my favorite relaxing vacations ever. It cost probably 3x of what I spend in Mexico and I was only annoyed by others a few times.

 

[isufbcurt]

I get that piece. I tend to get annoyed by others so walking to the fridge to grab a beer is worth it to me.

With that said, I went to an all inclusive last year in Belize that only had 14 huts on an island and it was one of my favorite relaxing vacations ever. It cost probably 3x of what I spend in Mexico and I was only annoyed by others a few times.

We are big people watching fans. lol

 

[pourcyne]

So funny, just got a promo from one of those hotel chains that do points...two free nights in the V.I.

Here's the catch...cheapest tix RT from Des Moines to the VI until this fall, right around $1200 +.

Ouch.

 

[isufbcurt]

So funny, just got a promo from one of those hotel chains that do points...two free nights in the V.I.

Here's the catch...cheapest tix RT from Des Moines to the VI until this fall, right around $1200 +.

Ouch.

We usually drive to Chicago and fly from there.

 

[Mr Janny]

I'm a little older than you but we have similar tastes:

Fly to cancun
Take a shuttle to a ferry
20 minutes later you're on Isla mujeres
Rent a golf cart for a week
Drive that golf cart to your airbnb
If you go with at least one other couple you can stay at a million dollar house with a private pool on the south side (busy) of the island
Hang out by the private pool 6+ hours day
Eat/Drink at great places for embarrassingly low prices
Go to the local grocery store and get booze/beer/food for 1/3 the price of the u.s.

If you want beaches you'll have to take the golf cart to the opposite end of the island but they are some of the best in the world. The snorkling is also good. The only downside is that it's no longer a secret so it's getting busier and you'll also see a heavy military presence but we've never seen anything sketch.

We've done this I think 5 times and it's pretty amazing. If you go with another couple or two it will be similar to price of an all inclusive without all down sides of an all inclusive.

We were just down in Cancun this past week, although not on Isla Mujeres. On the plane ride back, I sat next to a guy who did exactly what you are suggesting. Said he's been doing it for 20 years and that it's the only way to do Cancun.

 

[Angie]

Check out the Buccaneer on St Croix.

Home - The Buccaneer Resort St. Croix US Virgin Islands

%

www.thebuccaneer.com

 

[Drew0311]

Sounds nice but personally I prefer the mindlessness of all inclusives. I show up have fun and don't have to do anything but enjoy myself.

IM the same way. I love not having to plan drinks and food. Just go, get in the pool, eat myself to death and drink myself to death. Not worry about money and all of that.

 

[pourcyne]

We usually drive to Chicago and fly from there.

At $.56 a mile for mileage, it costs me $183.12 to drive to Chicago. Parking in Lot G at O'Hare is $15 a day, or $105 for a week. Even at minimum wage, my time is worth $7.25 an hour, so 6 hours approximately for $43.50.

So, my "savings" adds up to

366.24 mileage RT
105.00 parking
87.00 minimum wage RT
________
558.24 "savings" (I'm not counting my pain and suffering at O'Hare, America's worst airport)

Now, I could fly to St. Thomas from Chicago for $457 on Spirit, BUT that flight leaves Chicago at 8 p.m. and there's a TEN HOUR LAYOVER in Orlando. Even so, that ticket really costs me $1,015.24.

Right.

 

[cowgirl836]

That's on our list:
St. Lucia - was freaking awesome, the best I've been to
Antigua - was awesome to just not as awesome as st. lucia
Dominican Republic - just a sliver below Antigua but still great

up next - Grenada and then Barbados after that

almost did St. Lucia for our honeymoon back when. Seems I need to keep it on the list.

 

[isufbcurt]

At $.56 a mile for mileage, it costs me $183.12 to drive to Chicago. Parking in Lot G at O'Hare is $15 a day, or $105 for a week. Even at minimum wage, my time is worth $7.25 an hour, so 6 hours approximately for $43.50.

So, my "savings" adds up to

366.24 mileage RT
105.00 parking
87.00 minimum wage RT
________
558.24 "savings" (I'm not counting my pain and suffering at O'Hare, America's worst airport)

Now, I could fly to St. Thomas from Chicago for $457 on Spirit, BUT that flight leaves Chicago at 8 p.m. and there's a TEN HOUR LAYOVER in Orlando. Even so, that ticket really costs me $1,015.24.

Right.

I don't look at things that way.

 

[isufbcurt]

almost did St. Lucia for our honeymoon back when. Seems I need to keep it on the list.

Sandals® Grande St. Lucian: All-Inclusive Resort [Official]

Official website of Sandals® Grande St. Lucian: ✓ Unlimited food & drinks at 12 restaurants ✓ Free golf, scuba diving ✓ Play at 3 resorts - Book your suite!

www.sandals.com

Yes. The water was so clear and beaches really nice. Plus there are some cool excursions like the Pitons (twin mountains) and the volcano mud baths.

 

[SCNCY]

almost did St. Lucia for our honeymoon back when. Seems I need to keep it on the list.

My wife and I got back from there about a month ago. The resort we stayed at was nice, but the food was below average in my opinion. We also just stayed on the resort the whole time.

 

[SCNCY]

Sandals® Grande St. Lucian: All-Inclusive Resort [Official]

Official website of Sandals® Grande St. Lucian: ✓ Unlimited food & drinks at 12 restaurants ✓ Free golf, scuba diving ✓ Play at 3 resorts - Book your suite!

www.sandals.com

Yes. The water was so clear and beaches really nice. Plus there are some cool excursions like the Pitons (twin mountains) and the volcano mud baths.

Same, the beach and water was really nice.

 

[cowgirl836]

My wife and I got back from there about a month ago. The resort we stayed at was nice, but the food was below average in my opinion. We also just stayed on the resort the whole time.

ah, we had looked at staying further down I think in the Pitons area and doing lots of hiking.

 

[SCNCY]

ah, we had looked at staying further down I think in the Pitons area and doing lots of hiking.

We stayed at the Royalton, which is on the northern tip of the island. Makes for a long ride from the airport. I’d recommend finding a place closer to the airport. I got motion sickness and had to stop twice to puke.

 

[isufbcurt]

ah, we had looked at staying further down I think in the Pitons area and doing lots of hiking.

We did the Piton hike. I was really sore the next day. I think the really exclusive expense not all inclusive resorts are by the Pitons. I think it's call Sugar Beach. We met a couple on the hike staying there and they were telling us how much they spend on each meal and we were floored by the $$.

 

[isufbcurt]

We stayed at the Royalton, which is on the northern tip of the island. Makes for a long ride from the airport. I’d recommend finding a place closer to the airport. I got motion sickness and had to stop twice to puke.

Next time we go we are taking the helicopter ride from the airport to the resort. Our resort was also on the north side and that drive is horrible.

 

[cowgirl836]

We did the Piton hike. I was really sore the next day. I think the really exclusive expense not all inclusive resorts are by the Pitons. I think it's call Sugar Beach. We met a couple on the hike staying there and they were telling us how much they spend on each meal and we were floored by the $$.

Anse something....maybe Ladera looking quickly, don't remember looking at Sugar Beach. Sounds like it'll be good to go back nowish with more money than we had at 23