Hi folks,

My fiancee and I are looking for a place to honeymoon next winter. We've looked into Sandals, but that's all we're really aware of. Any suggestions for some other resorts? We're leaning towards some sort of all-inclusive, but are open to any Caribbean resort, particularly on Barbados, or Antigua...

Thanks!

Club Colonna in Antigua is a family type resort that is all inclusive except for drinks but it has an incredible sailing program.

There are a number of other all inclusive resorts in Antigua including Jumby Bay, if you can afford the pricey rooms.

If it is not against the rules, here is a website that discusses Antigua exclusivly.

If drinking is not a sport for you, then you might not want to stay at Sandals.

There are 2 Almond Beach resorts on Barbados...similar to Sandals.
The St. Lucia Sandals Golf and Spa is really nice.

I'm not a big fan of St. Lucia. A beautiful island but lots of poverty. Lots of people trying to do something for you or sell you something. Don't get me wrong, I do admire these people for going out and trying to make a buck. It's a lot better than just begging for it. I'm just not sure I want to be bothered by it while on vacation.

A number of islands all share the same problem. It is all very sad. Such beautiful islands all filled with wonderful , warm, hard working people. It is a shame they have such corrupt governments.

Thanks for the tips - we just got back from a 7-island cruise and are acutely aware of the poverty. That's one of the reasons we're considering a place like Sandals - seems like we can stay on the compound or go to the other Sandals resorts elsewhere on the island.

While I normally like an adventurous vacation, it's not something I'm particularly interested in for a honeymoon...

quote:

Originally posted by Will Knapp:
Thanks for the tips - we just got back from a 7-island cruise and are acutely aware of the poverty. That's one of the reasons we're considering a place like Sandals - seems like we can stay on the compound or go to the other Sandals resorts elsewhere on the island.

While I normally like an adventurous vacation, it's not something I'm particularly interested in for a honeymoon...

That's right, there are 2 other Sandals properties on the island of St. Lucia and they have a shuttle going between them. Just show your wrist bracelet and all is included.
We were not bothered by anyone on the island as we had a car to use for 3 of our 7 days and got around quite abit.
One of my co-workers has family who live there and we took lots of clothing, school supplies etc. for them. They really appreciated this as the hurricanes do a lot of damage to these islands.
In the Sandals properties entrance is restricted so you won't be bothered there.

quote:

Originally posted by Will Knapp:
Thanks for the tips - we just got back from a 7-island cruise and are acutely aware of the poverty. That's one of the reasons we're considering a place like Sandals - seems like we can stay on the compound or go to the other Sandals resorts elsewhere on the island.

While I normally like an adventurous vacation, it's not something I'm particularly interested in for a honeymoon...

You won't need to stay confined to your resort if staying on Antigua. While crime has increased in recent years, the violence seems mainly directed at locals. The increase is significant compared to what it was (from when murder was just unheard of, to 1-2 murders a year as of late) but the crime rate is barely noticeable when compared to other U.S. cities of similar size. You can pretty much travel anywhere on the island and feel very safe. Your might be approached by 1-2 homeless people in St. Johns but other than that you should not be approached. As always use a little common sense like not wandering back streets late at night.

I have stayed at a number of Sandals resorts in the Turks, Bahamas and Jamaica and every one of them was top shelf... and very safe on property which you really never, ever have to leave.

When you get to Sandals, you put your wallet in the safe and leave it there until you leave. No tipping, no extra charges (except for the Spa) so you don't need money and the staff works like they are working for tips.

I drank Courvasier (not sure of spelling) one night at the bar and my glass was never empty so everything they do it top shelf. The food is very good too with a lot of Italian chefs.

There is a reason they are #1...

I thought I would add my two cents on Sandals. We have stayed at Sandals - Montego Bay and it was great. We stayed at Sandals - Antigua and while it was nice the food was really not that great. The big difference between the two though was the age of the clients. I felt that Montego Bay was a much younger crowd than Antigua. I'm not sure if that is always the case or we just happen to catch it that way. We have also stayed at Beaches - Sandy Bay Jamaica and we were greatly disappointed in the food and service.

Rather than an all inclusive have you thought about staying at Atlantis in the Bahamas. The property is so huge you really don't need to go off the resort. Multiple restaurants, casino, swim with the dolphins, etc..