Looking for some travel advice

[Dnaber]

Would like to take a 5 day trip to somewhere in the Caribbean where I can go diving and the wife can go shopping. Needs to be clean and safe. Needs to be all inclusive. Night life would be ok but we are not really night folks (we are old..... not dead, just enjoy quite time). We are really just trying to get the heck out of the area for a few days of relaxing time away from family and work. I was thinking St. Thomas, or something like that. But as I have never been I would appreciate some advice. Looking to go around June or July. Thanks

 

[diversteve]

There's apparently a lot of crime on St. Thomas. We didn't see any even after stumbling around semi-drunk the last night of Carnivale but you can tell by the gated entrances and fencing around most of the resorts - even out in the quieter East End. There's two AI resorts there - the Marriott Frenchmans Reef or Bolongo Bay - both about 15-20mins. from town. Quite a few dive operations - in that area I like Red Hook Diving. I don't know the shopping situation there but it's probably all downtown or by the cruise port on the east end of town.

Another option could be Grand Cayman. It's pretty safe, 300 offshore banks are there for a reason...The true AI is Cobalt Coast but it's on the North Wall so good for diving but 20mins. or so drive to town for shopping. Almost all of that is located in Georgetown near the cruise port. On a busy day there can be 4-5 ships in also. After they leave it's very pleasant - shops/restaurants are pretty un-crowded. Another option might be Sunset House - the dive resort south of town. It's walking distance or a very short cab ride. Not a full AI but they bundle diving/room/breakfast.

Next option could be Nassau - should be a simple direct flight from SofL. There's at least several AI resorts there - on Cable Beach or Paradise Island - IDK the names but I think one is a Wyndham on Cable Beach. There's shops in the Cable Beach area, a big outdoor market Downtown and on Paradise Island around the Atlantis mega- resort. May be busier than you'd like.

Downside to Nassau is there's two dive operations and it's all boat diving. Stuart Cove's is the shark dive people - they dive a lot of reef/wreck sites on the south side of the island. Since Nassau is north, they shuttle you but that can be a 45min. ride with multiple resort pickups. The other option is Bahama Divers located in the marina east of town. They also provide a shuttle between Cable Beach, Paradise Island and the shop but it's more like 10mins. Depending on where you stay there's also a fairly extensive tourist shuttle that runs between Cable Beach, downtown and Paradise Island. For 4-5 days I'd weigh not getting a car - especially if the AI picks you up at the airport - that's a fairly expensive ride.

Last option might be Curacao - there's only one true AI resort though - Sunscape. The mini-SB Surge was there this past December so read that forum for info/resort comments from our members. It's maybe 10 minutes from town and I'm pretty sure they have shuttle. The wife might really like Curacao - the famous waterfront colored buildings shown in their ads are a shopping area, a block behind it is a several block long market and across the harbor - walk across the swinging bridge - is the RIF fort/Renaissance shopping complex - a two? story outdoor shopping area integrated into the fort.
Additionally there's a new shopping/dining complex called Mambo Blvd. that's a short walk from Sunscape - IDK what's there as it wasn't finished when we were there last.

Good diving on Curacao - IMO as good or better than Bonaire. If your wife has any interest in the beach, most of those are also dive sites with on-site dive operators. Ocean Encounters is on-site at Sunscape for both boat and shore dives and the Dive Bus will also pick you up there for escorted shore dives elsewhere on Curacao - they dive many of the best.

hth,

 

[Lionfish51]

my wife and I are going to Cozumel in October, been there about 15 times, great shopping you can walk downtown anytime completely safe and clean, cant go wrong there!!
Rick

 

[decompression]

Coz or Barbados

 

[Lionfish51]

I prefer Cozumel 100 times over Barbados
It's not the same there anymore
Was just there in Decrmber
Rick

 

[Ontwreckdiver]

Mexico. Playa Del Carmen would be a god place to stay. Your wife can go shopping along 5th Ave. There all kinds of restaurants & bars to visit. You can do some ocean diving, cenote diving and take the ferry across and do some Cozumel dives one day. There are a ton of all-inclusives in all price ranges in and around Playa. There is an area just south of town is called Playacar that has a bunch of all-inclusives. Mexico is also a shorter flight than most of the Caribbean islands.

 

[KathyV]

For only 5 days I think you should be looking for a nearby location. Since you are in northern Florida you may not be interested in staying close to home but southern Florida offers great diving and topside attractions - I don't know of any all-inclusives.

If you go to Beaches on Provo in the Turks and Caicos you will be at a huge, all-inclusive mega resort with diving and lots of land-based entertainments included and local shopping available. No cruise ships on Provo either. Long boat rides to the reefs though.

St. Croix has diving and shopping but the only all-inclusive is the Divi resort and it is far away from everything and doesn't have an onsite dive op.

Grand Cayman is safe, beautiful, clean, and has great diving and excellent shopping - and not just in Georgetown - Camana Bay is a beautiful upscale community near 7 Mile Beach that is built around a lovely shopping center. Nothing is cheap in the Caymans, but it is a first world country and offers lots of amenities and attractions, restaurants, nightlife, and entertainments. (Florida, the T&Cs, and St. Croix aren't cheap either - I have expensive tastes!)

As diversteve said the only all-inclusive on GC is Cobalt Coast and it is north of 7MB and rather far away from the shopping and attractions. But Sunset House might work for you, it is on the South Sound just below Georgetown and the 7MB and it offers accommodations, boat diving and unlimited shore diving, and breakfast is included - but you will have to buy lunch and dinner. Cathy Church's studio and photo shop are on the premises and it is very close to Pure Art, a charming shop and gallery packed with handcrafts, artworks, jewelry, and loads of lovely small items: Pure Art Gallery & Gifts, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Sunset House is also close to The Wharf Restaurant and if you are on-island on a Saturday night you can go and see a show performed by The Barefoot Man. He's very funny, irreverent, and entertaining and popular with us "slightly older folks": http://www.barefootman.com/

My favorite Cayman all-inclusives are the small, diver-dedicated resorts on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, but there is not much to do topside besides relax and enjoy nature while in the sister islands. The Cayman Brac Beach Resort has just completed renovations and they have a huge infinity pool and a 2-story beach bar, and they have a small spa, exercise room, tennis court, bicycles, and the resort hosts nightly entertainments like trivia, movies, and bingo (it's actually a lot of fun!) They have a great on-site dive shop and short boat rides to beautiful reefs. Not much night life. It's not a shopping destination either - but plenty of time for relaxing and enjoying the sea and the natural beauty.

I just took a look at the CBBR website and found a 5 night, 6 day trip in mid-july for a diver and non-diver for $2060 total and that includes ocean view accommodations, all meals, 3 drinks per day per person, 3 dives per day for the diver, airport transfers, and hotel taxes and service charges. That doesn't sound bad. The only things not included are dive shop tips and airfare (it is an extra $100 per person roundtrip on Cayman Air to travel to the sister islands - but it is a short hop and you can take a jet to CB).

Good luck!