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I'm looking for 7 nights, in or around the caribbean (no long flights), all inclusive preferred but not mandatory, budget is <4k.

We love the beach and would prefer somewhere with amazing beaches.

I'm looking at St. Johns and Aruba currently.

Any help?

10/27/2010 3:33:27 PM

What time of year? I'm sure that probably matters.. I know my sister just went to Grenada one of the selling points was it was far enough south that the chance of having to deal with any hurricanes was super minimal. If its outside of hurricane season though then I guess that doesnt matter.

10/27/2010 3:39:26 PM

The Westin St. John Resort & Villas and The Westin Aruba Resort & Spa are excellent properties.

10/27/2010 3:52:29 PM

Paradise Island has a couple all-inclusives that are reasonably priced with flights.

10/27/2010 3:53:30 PM

^ I would definitely second Paradise Island. Atlantis Resort ROCKS!

10/27/2010 3:54:56 PM

Oh yeah, going on at the beginning of June.

10/27/2010 3:56:38 PM

my boss just got back from St. Lucia - he stayed at the windjammer. Looks like a good time.

10/27/2010 3:59:38 PM

starlit nights in paradise

on the isle of Sanibel

10/27/2010 4:32:49 PM

Secrets Maroma. /thread.

I went there with my wife on our honeymoon and we were blown away. I have gone on family trips every year for the past 12 years to all inclusives, so I have lots of experience. This is a nice sized resort - it doesn't have a casino or golf course, but there are plenty around. Cancun is 30 minutes away by taxi and Cozumel is 1 hour away by ferry. This had top shelf liquor, is rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world by discovery/travel channel and everything was awesome. They wait on you and and foot, have top shelf alcohol and beers (other places only have local beer, which is the suck) and room service. Everything is included. They had some amazing food. If you want to see pictures, PM me and I'll friend you on facebook so you can review my album, which includes picture of the food. Every room had satellite TV, so you had American channels.

I have been to punta cana, Cancun, Cozumel, curacao, etc.

Also, you can get a cheap direct flight to Cancun. If you left at 7AM, you could be on the beach by noon.

10/27/2010 4:32:50 PM

I definitely recommend an all inclusive couples only resort. It is more laid back not having to worry about paying for anything (or even carrying a wallet), and my experience at Sandals was that the service was phenomenal. We went to the Sandals Grande Antigua, and it was a very nice bonus on the honeymoon that there were no kids or singles running around. Huge percentage of honeymooners (we were there in may) or couples celebrating anniversaries, etc.

Pay attention to the dining options and what you will get with your all inclusive. You don't want to get hungry or bored. The main downside of Antigua was it is an extra flight leg from most airports as we connected from Charlotte to Puerto Rico on the way down (they did have a direct to Miami though) but it was worth it IMO being somewhere slightly less traveled than the Bahamas or Jamaica.

10/27/2010 6:34:44 PM

is doing something in central america (belize, costa rica, honduras, etc) too long of a flight?

still technically "around" the caribbean

you can find amazing deals in these places AND i think it'd be cooler to visit than like, st. john or something.

just my opinion though.

10/27/2010 6:41:09 PM

I went to Turks and Caicos, although didn't stay in an all-inclusive, but there were a couple nearby. Loved the location and the beaches, would recommend it.

OH and for ours spent just over 2300 for flight and hotel for 6 days...so I would think under 4k should be no problem...

[Edited on October 28, 2010 at 12:17 AM. Reason : ..]

10/28/2010 12:16:40 AM

We went to Cozumel and had a really good time. Stayed in Cozumel Palace a few nights and then this really tiny villa-style place on the north end of the island the first night (they changed our flight). I had a really good time, the place was really nice, and there was stuff to do outside of the beaches.

This was June and there were a lot of places where there was noone on the beach, but you had to go to the north end of the island. Most of the good beaches were on the north and south ends. The north end is about a 3 mile cab ride away though, so if you want a place where the beach is right where you are, might be worth looking at a different place. I like it though.

10/28/2010 8:24:08 AM

occidental in aruba...we stayed 7 days all-inclusive and it was awesome. we want to go back when we can afford it.

10/28/2010 3:31:42 PM

Don't do it in the butt on your first night. You save that for later.

10/28/2010 3:32:40 PM

i suggest donating to NPR and winning a trip so it doesn't cost you anything

10/28/2010 3:36:24 PM

don't get married. don't do it.

to help give options, what do you want to do?
-sit and drink on the beach?
-find an adventure?
-never leave the bedroom?

answering that will help reccomend a place.

10/31/2010 2:48:05 PM

+1 for Cozumel. There are some really touristy areas in Cozumel, but then there are some good quiet places. The beaches are AMAZING... of course, most of the beaches in the Caribbean are amazing. I've never been snorkeling until I went to Cozumel. After that trip, I kept dreaming of being a fish in the ocean. It was just one of those experiences you'll never forget. Like, being at the top of the tallest mountain or your first time having sex. Seriously, it kind of just blows you away.

10/31/2010 4:15:15 PM

FWIW, I just bought a plane ticket to Cancun at a very reasonable price. As to where we'll be staying I haven't decided yet. Either mainland (Playa del Carmen), Cozumel, or further south like Tulum, Mahahaul, or something else closer to Belize.

Everything I have read points to Cozumel.

10/31/2010 8:50:34 PM

Quote :

"don't get married. don't do it. "

I have to agree with this.

11/1/2010 4:00:08 PM

get married. do it.

11/1/2010 4:02:50 PM

I'm pretty much convinced that Secrets Maroma Beach looks like the best bet. I can do 7 nights there with airfare for about 4k.

I'm also intrigued by Cozumel...but it seems much more touristy and the beach isn't right there?



[Edited on November 4, 2010 at 12:36 PM. Reason : ]

11/4/2010 12:28:38 PM

Quote :

"don't get married. don't do it."

LOL. I agree to a certain extent. Seen too many people get married for the wrong reasons, or with the idea that all of life is better that way.

If you do, do your fucking homework. Look at it with a cold, hard, accounting eye. Think...the rest of your life with this person, and if not, a hefty chunk of $dollazbuxfranklinz to get out of it.

That said, I'd pick some place warm, sunny, with lots of water, booze, and alone time...where I could fuck outdoors if I wanted to. Cuz I loves me some outdoor fuckin'...and by all means, do it, because that shit dries up after a while.

11/4/2010 1:12:53 PM

I don't really need advice on marriage or fucking, I've got those covered.

Just need advice on honeymoon location. Thanks!

11/4/2010 2:42:49 PM

We went to Playa del Carmen back in May and had a blast.

http://www.realresorts.com/The_Royal_Playa_Carmen/

Wherever you decide to go, have fun. Do all the stuff you can, we hardly spent any time on the beach and had a blast.

11/4/2010 2:50:39 PM

Get a local hotel room for the first 2 nights and then fly out after that. You won't leave the room the first two days anyway.

11/4/2010 7:07:57 PM

1.) Go somewhere that inspires you to fuck.
2.) Fuck.

11/4/2010 8:22:53 PM

We took a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean and had the best time ever. Can't imagine another vacation ever topping it. The time of year you go determines what kind of crowd will be on the ship (i.e., kids, old people, college kids, etc.). We went in late August and had no complaints at all. We heard a TON of negative things about Carnival, so we chose Princess and were totally impressed. Cruises are all inclusive save for the alcohol and any extra activities you might want to do while on the islands (horseback riding, snorkeling, etc.)

11/7/2010 9:50:34 AM

We're thinking about something like this as well. What about late fall/winter?

11/7/2010 6:22:22 PM

Quote :

"1.) Go somewhere that inspires you to fuck. 2.) Fuck. "

If you need to go somewhere to be "inspired" to fuck then you are marrying the wrong person.

11/7/2010 7:22:53 PM

True enough, honeymoons are wasted on the young. Much more necessary in old age.

11/7/2010 7:31:01 PM

bump

11/8/2011 10:09:22 AM

I used the search function, and I have read some posts on Secrets Maroma, but has anyone else been there, recently or not, regardless of honeymoon or just a vacation? Looking at possibly going for my honeymoon next September. Quote we got was $3600(including airfare/7 night stay) for the preferred club ocean view junior suite. Just wanted to see if anyone had any reviews/thoughts on the resort for that price, worth it or not?

11/8/2011 10:10:53 AM

do not post on tdub while on moon unless its fdt pics!

11/8/2011 12:25:20 PM

Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraiso /thread

11/8/2011 6:32:14 PM

if you go to an all-inclusive resort, plan on eating at least a couple of meals off of the resort if you're going to be there for 7 days. No matter how many food choices the place has, everything starts to taste the same after a few days.

with that being said, I highly recommend going all inclusive in Cancun/Cozumel. It's really nice not having to worry about carrying cash or anything on you other than a hotel key. You'll also find that the service at the resort is just as good as off the resort, and tipping the wait staff at an all-inclusive resort goes a LONG ways. I tipped our bartender at one of the lounge bars in Cancun $20 at the beginning of the night, and they kept bringing top shelf drinks to us the instance our glass got empty.

11/8/2011 11:11:16 PM

I stayed here. Best time of my life.

http://thingsyoushoulddo.com/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/rockhouse-hotel.jpg

http://negril-jamaica-videos.com/images/resorts/rock-house-overview2-09.jpg

11/9/2011 10:10:54 AM

We went to Secrets Maroma in May and were very pleased. We didn't have an ocean view which didn't matter to us. The room was excellent and the restaurants were too. The best part is the beach- we stayed on the beach every day except one when we went horseback riding nearby.

Talked to others there who had been to several resorts in the area and they all seemed to think Secrets Maroma was the best. Moon Palace is down the road, but apparently they have some sort of beach preservation that prevents them from raking up the sharp shells.

Maroma's beach is raked each day and we noticed they clear out most of the seaweed. The water is gorgeous. There are bars scattered about and great service. We'd go back in a minute.

11/9/2011 1:08:20 PM

we went to secrets st james in jamaica back in may. we did the premeir club which i thought was worth it. we figured with it being the newest (at the time) secrets resort it would awesome. however, the food was pretty bland, the staff wasn't especially friendly (at least the women) or in any kind of hurry to do anything, and multiple restaurants made substitutions on our orders without telling us before hand. ex: oh we ran out of steak so we brought you this piece of fish instead. our package came with a couples massage which was pretty awkward as the two massage therapists talked to each other the whole time. don't get me wrong, the food wasn't bad, and the staff wasn't mean or anything, but it just didn't feel very warm or inviting. we wouldn't go back to that secrets resort. however, i've heard nothing but good things about maroma beach and in hindsight, we probably should've just gone there.

however, if you are looking for something a little more on the adventurous side (ziplining, rafting, hiking, etc), we went to costa rica two years ago and had an awesome time. we stayed at the lost iguana in arenal and were very impressed. the staff there was awesome, the excursions we scheduled through the hotel were great (as were our guides), and the facilities were nice and quiet. all of the rooms at the lost iguana have a view of the arenal volcano which is the most active in costa rica. very cool place, especially at night when you can see streaks of orange falling down the volcano.

11/9/2011 2:33:46 PM

I'll read through this thread to see if I can get any ideas, but wanted to go ahead and post.

First, I've got a while to figure this out, but I'd like to do it pretty far in advance because I know its usually cheaper (or maybe I can find out the cheapest times to book through this thread) to do it earlier and I'm sorta of a planner (especially in regard to this situation). But we're getting married in late October of 2013. So I've got over a year.

Second, we have some time constraints. My fiance is a teacher and we'll probably be leaving Sunday night/Monday morning and will have to be back by the next Monday at the latest. I was throwing around some ideas like Thailand and Fiji...but we've shot them down because we would spend too much time traveling. They would be options if we were doing a two-week honeymoon...but that just isn't the case.

9/25/2012 3:00:33 PM

We went to Bermuda and it was a <2 hr flight.. and gorgeous

[Edited on September 25, 2012 at 3:13 PM. Reason : beautiful place]

9/25/2012 3:11:10 PM

Quote :

"Second, we have some time constraints. My fiance is a teacher and we'll probably be leaving Sunday night/Monday morning and will have to be back by the next Monday at the latest. I was throwing around some ideas like Thailand and Fiji...but we've shot them down because we would spend too much time traveling. They would be options if we were doing a two-week honeymoon...but that just isn't the case."

Yeah definitely don't do something like Thailand with that time constraint. It takes about two days to get over jet lag going over there and then two days when you get back. So you're only looking at about three days where you'll feel like your normal self Plus you're looking at 20+ hours of flying time. I would think about doing something in the Caribbean or Central America if you're wanting to do something tropical.

[Edited on September 25, 2012 at 3:15 PM. Reason : a]

9/25/2012 3:15:18 PM

Huh...I had three more paragraphs that somehow got cut off.

Let's see here...

Third...I want to do something different. We both have had close friends and family do the Virgin Islands and they loved it. I think that's where she's leaning...but I think it's something we can always go back and do. So I'm leaning towards doing something away from the Carribean. I've got a hook-up in Santorini, but the travel thing again, and it gets a tad chilly at the end of October there. So I was thinking something in Spain/Portugal..although it's still Europe, I know I can get a direct flight to Barcelona so the travel won't be as bad. Anyone every done Mallorca, Ibiza, or the Canary Islands (I guess that Africa...but technically Spain)?? How is the weather at that time of the year and can I fit it in my budget (below).

Four...still has to be tropical and relaxing. I'm all for adventures, backpacking, and roughing...but the lady wants to be pampered a bit. We're definitely going to be doing our share of drinking and sitting on the beach. So I wouldn't mind exploring some Central American places that aren't quite as mainstream/popular, but we can't "rough it" too much.

Five...I'm thinking the budget will be around $10k right now...but could possibly rise to $15k if the business keep doing well. I've got plenty of time to do research, but just wanted to see if I could get some ideas from this thread.

[Edited on September 25, 2012 at 3:45 PM. Reason : .]

9/25/2012 3:36:57 PM

Wants to go somewhere that isn't Carribean/Central America but doesn't want to travel for a long time. (actually, didn't catch your follow up post)

Does not compute. I think you're just going to have to decide which of those two desires are greater. Get a substitute teacher to fill in.

[Edited on September 25, 2012 at 3:48 PM. Reason : .]

9/25/2012 3:46:32 PM

I mean...I can't travel halfway around the world...but I think we might be able to squeeze a trip into Spain (at least I'd like to look into it).

I don't mind a 9 hour flight and then a quick hop to an island or coastal city. But we can't do a 9-hour flight into Paris, a layover, then a 4 hour flight to Athens, then a 6 hour ferry to a Greek Island.....AND then back again.

It only takes about 8 hours to get from DC to Barcelona (I think??).

9/25/2012 3:54:38 PM

We're going to Maui in a month. Not sure where you're located but you can get a 1-layover flight from RDU to Maui. We're leaving at 8:30 am Sunday and will be there at 3pm.

Also, on a side note we got by far the best price on our Hotel and rental car through Costco (better than any of the travel sites, AAA, etc.). Flight booked using CC points.

9/25/2012 4:12:13 PM

Quote :

"3pm."

3pm EDT? Way to sell it.

Actually that's probably right. It shouldn't take 13 hours to get to Hawaii. right?

[Edited on September 25, 2012 at 4:23 PM. Reason : .]

9/25/2012 4:22:06 PM

i guess it depends on how long the layover is.

it's just under 5000 miles, so just be just under 10 hours + any layover.

9/25/2012 4:29:08 PM

Yeah, that's obviously local time. The point is that you still have a fair amount of a day left when you land (of course you'll be pretty tired). We have a layover in Dallas-Ft. Worth but that's much better than many of the flights out there that have 2-3 layovers each way.

9/25/2012 4:46:54 PM

Yeah...I wouldn't mind doing Kuaui, but (a) I've already been and (b), she doesn't want to do Hawaii from some reason.

9/25/2012 4:50:11 PM