Need some good vacation ideas!

[RK@UST]

Mazatlan is great this time of the year.

[wakolman]

We went to Breezes Runaway Bay in Jamaica. I thought it was a good vacation. They have since remodeled, and it looks even better. All inclusive, even the watersports (scuba down to 40' w/passing short lesson in the pool, sailing, waterskiing).

www.superclubs.com

They have many resorts in Jamaica, as well as other countries.

I would recomment St Martin island, Le Meridien hotel on the French half of the island. Really beautiful.

The other option is the Black Rock Sheraton on Maui. Great location and stay in the huts by the ocean.

I thought COzumel was good for diving and cheap food/drinks.

GO to the coast along France/Spain/Italy during the summer.

[jdl xstar]

Old thread but I have same questions for a Summer vacation... Looking at places in the carribean. I prefer all inclusive but doesn't have to be if the price is right and there are good restaurant options near hotel.. The Sandals in St. Lucia - the big Sandals there, not sure of the name, has caught my eye. Anyone ever been?

[TxsRiverRat]

Originally Posted by jdl xstar

Old thread but I have same questions for a Summer vacation... Looking at places in the carribean. I prefer all inclusive but doesn't have to be if the price is right and there are good restaurant options near hotel.. The Sandals in St. Lucia - the big Sandals there, not sure of the name, has caught my eye. Anyone ever been?

One thing I love is Caribbean island travel (and other international destinations). That being said, I’ve been to Maui, Cozumel 8-9x, Jamaica 2x, Grand Cayman 2x, Punta Cana, Puerto Rico 2x, Cancun 3x, Bahamas 2x, Mallorca, and all over Spain and Israel.

As far as the A/I resorts, I have been to Breezes and Royal Decameron in Runaway Bay in Jamaica, The Allegro in Cozumel 2x, two Palace resorts in Cancun, and the NOW Lorimar in Punta Cana. Some of these resorts were 3 star, some 5 star...

I just got back from Ambergeris Caye in Belize and that was not A/I... I had a privately owned condo I rented for 10 days and it had a full kitchen in it.

Simply put, all I can say is, the food and drink at the A/Is suck... Just plain suck...

My suggestion is that you find where you want to go, get on www.vrbo.com and find an affordable condo rental and go a-la-carte. You can buy local beers and liquors and make your own drinks just as easy and BETTER IMO. I’m not one of those that eat a full American breakfast each day, so a trip to the local convenience store for cereal, milk, OJ, water, fruits and snacks is just fine, plus I eat in privacy in my own room if I so desire.

If you’re a scuba diver, there is no better bang for your buck than Cozumel. However, I will say the fact that I was able to scuba with 10 ft sharks and see dolphins and whales on my trip the The Great Blue Hole was freaking AMAZING... Plus on my last dive I was actually able to touch a spotted eagle ray.

If you want gorgeous beach, this is my top list in order of beautiful beaches in order of preference:

1. 7 Mile Beach, Grand Cayman
2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
3. Wailea, Hawaii
4. Mallorca, Spain
5. Lucillo Beach, Puerto Rico
6. Tiberias, Israel

If you want awesome scuba, I suggest Cozumel, Ambergris Caye and Maui.

Re: Waterskiing vacations, IIRC, Gordon Rathburns only sold week long packages, and it was not cheap. I know personally, I can not ski 2 sets per day in a slalom course. By day three, I would need hand and back replacement surgery... So all that skiing money I paid for would go to waste. Also, if you’re thinking house boating vacations on Lake Powell, I’ve done it and I hated it. Too much work for a vacation – I just want to relax... Plus the waterskiing really sucked there, my .02 cents.

MC

[clrussell]

I havnt been to the sandals in st Lucia, but I have been to st Lucia.. I went to jade mountain, you'll have to google it, it was extreme! I loved the place, the whole island was awesome and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get away.. I went for 7 days and shut the phone off when I left Miami and turned it back on in Miami when we got back and never missed it while I was down there! Jade is super exclusive, super expensive but super awesome! Sandals would probably be cheaper and still pretty dang nice! We have actually talked about going to the sandals down there sometime.. The water is super clear and when we went in may it was about 85 degrees average with I think 80 degree water temp? It was great!


Tapatalk

[bbymgr]

Ive been to the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. We had a great time. The island is pretty small, but there is still plenty to do. Like RiverRat, I have also stayed at a Breezes and will agree that the food sucked there, but I have always had excellent food at Sandals. Since the island is so small, it is very easy to go to any of the restaurants at any of the Sandals on the island. We went to La Toc three times for dinner. You have 15-20 restaurants to choose from. I also agree with RiverRat that if you want to do some diving, then Cozumel is a better destination. The reefs are bigger as the water temps are better for coral growth.

[jdl xstar]

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions, russell and txriverrat. Hawaii is also a possibility but never thought the water/beaches were as nice as what one can find in the carribean- but I may have to re-visit a Hawaiian vaca based on your recommendations. As for Jade mountain- I have definitly heard of it! It might be a little too expensive for what i'm looking for but I can tell it is an amazing place.

[skps190]

We also have been to Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Food was great, as well as everything else. Zip lining was good, rode horses on the beach, my favorite part was the helicopter tour from the resort to the airport. A bit pricey but way better than a 2 hour bus ride, and a great way to see the island. We will probably go back for an anniversary trip.

[TxsRiverRat]

Originally Posted by jdl xstar

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions, russell and txriverrat. Hawaii is also a possibility but never thought the water/beaches were as nice as what one can find in the carribean- but I may have to re-visit a Hawaiian vaca based on your recommendations. As for Jade mountain- I have definitly heard of it! It might be a little too expensive for what i'm looking for but I can tell it is an amazing place.

If you seriously consider Hawaii, and you plan to hit Maui, I highly recommend you stay in the town of Kihei... The hotels will rape you with the food prices. A friend of mine just got back and said the breakfast buffet at the hotels are now $35 PER PERSON - wow! In Kihei you can eat at catch of the day types of places for under $40 for both of you. Plus all the really cool nightlife in Kihei is alot of fun... the dive boats take off from there as well.

Be sure if Maui is what you select, to contact me, I have my own insiders guide I typed up for a family member that went also...

MC