Where would you go?

[Bwana]

As I think I mentioned before, after 25 years of marriage I finally gave in to my wife's desire to go somewhere warm and sandy. Less than two weeks before that bitch Irma was born, we booked for a stay at St. John, (Insert the Hee Haw tune, "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all...), and then Irma passed directly over the island. Needless to say the place no longer looks ANYTHING like a tropical paradise and though I know they rely on tourism to make their living down there, I'm not real keen on taking my once-in-a-lifetime trip to an island that looks like the entire thing was sprayed with agent orange.

It appears as though we might have an "out" in that the place we have reservations for have offered us a full refund, so if we want to go elsewhere it would only be at the expense of switching our plane tickets, about $200 each.

If faced with the same situation would you keep your reservation and hope for the best or go elsewhere? If "elsewhere," where would that be?

I know, first-world problems and I would love to help those folks out, but this trip is a big deal for us so we want to make the most of it. FYI - going somewhere just to sit on the beach is NOT my thing so we were looking forward to the other things the island has to offer.

Thoughts?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I doubt St John will be ready for tourists for some time. Aruba used to have some pretty reasonable flights and its an awesome island.
BKB

[Thumper]

Aruba and St. John are very different types of islands. I think St. John is prettier, but I prefer Aruba. It's really a tough call to choose one over the other. Aruba is a bit more predictable as far as the weather is concerned. It's a bit arid, so you don't normally have to worry about getting rained out ... and remember, less water also means fewer bugs. If I had to choose one over the other, I'd lean toward Aruba.

One MAJOR thing to consider ... you say you were already booked for St. John. A passport is not required for St. John, so you may not have one. (?) A passport IS required for Aruba. I thought I'd throw that out there just in case.

[BarryBobPosthole]

The food is better in Aruba.

BKb

[Thumper]

The food is better in Aruba.

Agreed!

[BarryBobPosthole]

There is a restaurant there in Orangestad called The Wagon Wheel. At least there was in 2004. It was bar none one of the best meals I've ever eaten anywhere. And that includes munchie induced meals.

We bumped into a guy on the beach sitting under an old awning. He had his boat pulled up right in front of it. Romeo Cruz was his name and he was/is a commercial diver. He was our divemaster for two whole weeks and it was also some of the most memorable diving I have ever got to do. We had dived a cattle boat on a really cool wreck called the Jane Sea the previous day and it was horrible. Our divemaster in our group of six lost the three of US. So Romeo was just our speed. I met an old gentleman on that boat who was in his late sixties and still diving. He had some old photos he showed us of him diving off of the northeast coast of the US in the early 60's with those big dual hose regulators and round scuba masks. And rubber wetsuits, not neoprene.
Anyway, I'd go back to Aruba in a New York minute. If you go Bwana you have to take your wife to snorkel at Baby Beach. She'll love you forever for it.

BkB

[Bwana]

Keep them coming guys as the furthest south I've ever been is San Antonio and Tampa Bay so I have ZERO knowledge of the warm and sandy locales. Mountains and quakies are more my preferred environment.

As for passports, we've got that covered.

[Chicken Dinner]

Not an island, but I would avoid Cancun. Luckily, I was there on business as I wasn't all that impressed. The only other place I've been was Jamaica. It was nice enough and has tons of all-inclusive resorts. But, not much to do outside of relaxing on the beach, etc. I'm thinking my next trip like that might be a cruise. I've never been and don't even really care where it goes as vegging by the pool would be my main reason for going.

[BarryBobPosthole]

CD, you are way too young for cruising. The casinos suck, its one big endless buffet that'll remind you of hogs at a trough, and you'll have to dress up in your CfO uniform every night for dinner. BelievemewhenItellyou, crusing ain't fer you. And let me just say that the pool doesn't have the scenery you want.

Another island that comes to mind, Bwana, is St Lucia. You'll have to see if there was much hurricane damage there or not. The Windjammer would be my recommendation there. We liked it so well that we went there twice, and we hardly ever do that.

My last recommendation is to spend a little extra and take your wife to Kauai. The flights will be more, and you'll have to rent a car but it is one of the best places I' e ever been. I think we've been there four times now. And the best part? It's America.

BKb

[Bwana]

Hey Posthole,
How is Aruba for snorkeling? None of us are scuba divers but the other couple we are going with are into snorkeling so that was part of our plan while at St. John. Snorkeling, eating good food, drinking cold drinks, perhaps a bit of fishing for me, and any other adventures we can find are all on the agenda.

I'm guessing that good scuba diving does not necessarily equate to good snorkeling?

[BarryBobPosthole]

I wasn't impressed with the snorleing overall at Aruba with the notable exception of Baby Beach. You really need a car to get there, or at least you did in '04.

BKB

[Thumper]

Again I agree with Post-Toastie (this getting habit forming). Personally, I think the water itself is nicer around St. Johns than Aruba. I may be wrong, but that was my impression.

[Thumper]

CD, you are way too young for cruising. The casinos suck, its one big endless buffet that'll remind you of hogs at a trough, and you'll have to dress up in your CfO uniform every night for dinner. BelievemewhenItellyou, crusing ain't fer you. And let me just say that the pool doesn't have the scenery you want.

Don't listen to that old curmudgeon Bwana. You have to take it all in perspective. You know me, my favorite vacation is what I call "adventure travel"! THOSE are the trips I'd take with my SEAL buddy, then we'd do things and go places not a whole lot of people have ever done or gone. It is NOT recommended for the "inexperienced" traveler though. It's also an escape from TOURISTS. I enjoy being a traveler ... NOT a tourist. (yes, there's a big difference) ;)

Now, I also LOVE cruises, but they're just like movies. How many times has someone told you they saw a GREAT movie, then when you watched it, you thought it sucked? Most around here like full-sized trucks, I prefer mid-sized. I like milk chocolate, Lynn prefers dark chocolate. I'm not real fond of traveling Europe, I prefer Asia. Some people like country living, others you couldn't drag away from the city life with a Mack truck! I think you get my point.

Back to cruises. There's the vacation "with kids". That's a whole 'nuther ballgame and varies wildly depending on their ages. Example, the LAST thing I (personally) would do, is go on a Disney cruise. BUT, if you have younger kids, they'd have a blast and there's also plenty of adult activities to be had. Lynn and I love to eat out and there are a bazillion options on a cruise. We tend to take cruises where the buffet is NOT like a pig trough, but even then, if you're an Okie snob, there are usually 10 or so "specialty restaurants" (extra charge) on-board. ;) Regarding food, Lynn used to be in the business and serviced the cruise industry at one time. Some cruises buy the cheapest crap the broker can supply them, others are mid-range and others are high end with their food purchases. Example, Carnival has shit for food. They cater to the younger, party crowd and the emphasis is on liquor sales, not food. If you're a party boy and want to live on hot dogs, that's the way to go, plus you'll have more of the eye-candy P-hole likes by the pool. If you have money to burn or just want a very pleasant, top-notch experience to impress the wife, you can go with Crystal or Oceania.

You can relax in your cabin, hang out by the pool (where they always have a grill going, hamburgers, dogs, fries, drinks ... that sort of stuff), or just hang out on one of the many decks and watch the world go by. While at sea, you can catch a movie in the theater or attend the many shows going on. From the library to the tennis court, there's usually something for everybody. On some ships, you can actually shoot skeet from the stern. When you hit your ports, you can take excursions ... from museums to zip-lines, lying on the beach next to a beach beach bar listening to Jimmy Buffett to Reggae. Just get away from the port unless you like shopping in endless souvenir shops.

One thing I enjoy about cruising is that most everything is covered by the price of admission. Your hotel room (cabin) is paid for the duration of your trip. That means you unpack when you check in and pack when you check out. You can visit 6-8 different countries if you want and your transportation is paid for ... (try flying to all of those countries!). Your meals are covered ... we usually hit the buffet for breakfast and lunch, then go to the dining room for dinner. I'm not sure of the line P-hole is referring to, but the only dress code at dinner is long pants (I wear nice jeans ... no holes, etc) and a button down shirt. I used to always take a suit for formal night, but our line relaxed that requirement and did away with the mandatory tie and jacket. About the only change I make on formal night is I wear dress shoes instead of tennis shoes and I trade my jeans for Dockers. On steak and lobster night, I have my waiter skip the steak and just bring me three lobsters! (there's no limit, you eat whatever you want on a cruise ... again, covered by the price of admission). If you want to skip the dining room and eat in your shorts and Cabellas t-shirt, you can still hit the buffet or the grill anytime you want. Add up what you'd normally pay for all of those meals, transportation, shows/movies, etc. and hotel room with free HBO, Showtime plus a zillion others and a cruise is actually dirt cheap in the long run!

[Bwana]

Good insight Thumper and much appreciated.

As of now the major focus seems to be on Grand Cayman with a few peeks towards Aruba.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Cayman is nice, lots of good snorkeling. And they have an awesome hot sauce there called Big Black Dick's.

BKB

[LJ3]

and that's when they realized this thread would be forever dead.

[Arty]

Don't listen to that old curmudgeon Bwana. You have to take it all in perspective. You know me, my favorite vacation is what I call "adventure travel"! THOSE are the trips I'd take with my SEAL buddy, then we'd do things and go places not a whole lot of people have ever done or gone. It is NOT recommended for the "inexperienced" traveler though. It's also an escape from TOURISTS. I enjoy being a traveler ... NOT a tourist. (yes, there's a big difference) ;)

Now, I also LOVE cruises, but they're just like movies. How many times has someone told you they saw a GREAT movie, then when you watched it, you thought it sucked? Most around here like full-sized trucks, I prefer mid-sized. I like milk chocolate, Lynn prefers dark chocolate. I'm not real fond of traveling Europe, I prefer Asia. Some people like country living, others you couldn't drag away from the city life with a Mack truck! I think you get my point.

Back to cruises. There's the vacation "with kids". That's a whole 'nuther ballgame and varies wildly depending on their ages. Example, the LAST thing I (personally) would do, is go on a Disney cruise. BUT, if you have younger kids, they'd have a blast and there's also plenty of adult activities to be had. Lynn and I love to eat out and there are a bazillion options on a cruise. We tend to take cruises where the buffet is NOT like a pig trough, but even then, if you're an Okie snob, there are usually 10 or so "specialty restaurants" (extra charge) on-board. ;) Regarding food, Lynn used to be in the business and serviced the cruise industry at one time. Some cruises buy the cheapest crap the broker can supply them, others are mid-range and others are high end with their food purchases. Example, Carnival has shit for food. They cater to the younger, party crowd and the emphasis is on liquor sales, not food. If you're a party boy and want to live on hot dogs, that's the way to go, plus you'll have more of the eye-candy P-hole likes by the pool. If you have money to burn or just want a very pleasant, top-notch experience to impress the wife, you can go with Crystal or Oceania.

You can relax in your cabin, hang out by the pool (where they always have a grill going, hamburgers, dogs, fries, drinks ... that sort of stuff), or just hang out on one of the many decks and watch the world go by. While at sea, you can catch a movie in the theater or attend the many shows going on. From the library to the tennis court, there's usually something for everybody. On some ships, you can actually shoot skeet from the stern. When you hit your ports, you can take excursions ... from museums to zip-lines, lying on the beach next to a beach beach bar listening to Jimmy Buffett to Reggae. Just get away from the port unless you like shopping in endless souvenir shops.

One thing I enjoy about cruising is that most everything is covered by the price of admission. Your hotel room (cabin) is paid for the duration of your trip. That means you unpack when you check in and pack when you check out. You can visit 6-8 different countries if you want and your transportation is paid for ... (try flying to all of those countries!). Your meals are covered ... we usually hit the buffet for breakfast and lunch, then go to the dining room for dinner. I'm not sure of the line P-hole is referring to, but the only dress code at dinner is long pants (I wear nice jeans ... no holes, etc) and a button down shirt. I used to always take a suit for formal night, but our line relaxed that requirement and did away with the mandatory tie and jacket. About the only change I make on formal night is I wear dress shoes instead of tennis shoes and I trade my jeans for Dockers. On steak and lobster night, I have my waiter skip the steak and just bring me three lobsters! (there's no limit, you eat whatever you want on a cruise ... again, covered by the price of admission). If you want to skip the dining room and eat in your shorts and Cabellas t-shirt, you can still hit the buffet or the grill anytime you want. Add up what you'd normally pay for all of those meals, transportation, shows/movies, etc. and hotel room with free HBO, Showtime plus a zillion others and a cruise is actually dirt cheap in the long run!

Agree. Cruises are awesome. Carnival is the party cruise line. Also the cheapest.
My inlaws have been on 7-8 cruises on Celebrity, Holland, and Royal Caribbean. They liked them well enough.

A year ago when my oldest graduated high school, we made our vacation that summer a cruise. All the family went. Inlaws, out laws, there were 12 of us all together. We booked Carnival (it's the cheapest). My father in law has talked about it ever since. He always said he "liked" cruises, but that Carnival cruise was the best party he's ever had.
Of course it could have been the company, but Carnival keeps it low key and fun.

Also - as for the food. Being around a dozen people who have been on top line cruises, and Carnival, the food has been described as "a little better". You'll have more food that is clean and good than you can shake a stick at.

[Thumper]

Yep, Grand Caymen is pretty cool. Good snorkeling. I think our favorite was Stingray City. (take a waterproof camera with you) I think we did Stingray City, Starfish Point and Coral Garden. I believe you can catch a boat that will stop at all three and they usually supply your gear, snacks and drinks as well as food to feed the stingrays and various fish at the Coral Garden. Touristy, but still fun. The stingrays are HUGE and tame. You can swim with them, pet 'em, hand feed 'em, hold 'em up for photos, etc. I enjoyed it. If you want to take a nice hike, there's an easy trail to take and you'll most likely see some of the island's wildlife. Problem is, I can't remember the name of it. It's on the northern part of the island. The Mystic Trail maybe? I'll see if I can find it when I have a few spare minutes. There's also a beach that (when I was there) is mostly used by the locals, but there's some awesome snorkeling there at a reef just off-shore (short, easy swim). I can't remember the name of that either, but it's right by a big cemetery. Ask a local, they'll know where it is.

Oh, I don't buy souvenirs very often ... occasionally an overpriced t-shirt maybe. BUT ... you HAVE to pick up a few jars of the local pepper jelly! You can't buy it anywhere else in the world (unless it's changed since we were there last). They make it locally and do not export it. Since you'll be flying home, pick up as many jars as you can fit in your luggage without going overweight on your bags. ;)

There are a zillion restaurants and most any type food you'd want, including MANY American restaurants. TBH, I can't even remember where we ate, so I can't do any name dropping. (Lynn probably remembers)

[BarryBobPosthole]

Study up on your shuffleboard rules.

BKb

[Thumper]

I dug up a few pics of Stingray City ... I did mention that these things are big, didn't I? If there are a bunch of cruise ships in port, it can get a little crowded, but there are so many rays around, there's no shortage of them to interact with. All those dark spots in the water (pic 2) are other rays.


9415 9416 9417

[Bwana]

Traveling partners are thinking drink and food prices on GC are overly pricing so looking at other alternatives. Planning an evening meeting to discuss over pizza and drinks this evening.

The latest focus is on Curacao...

[Egghead]

Traveling partners are thinking drink and food prices on GC are overly pricing so looking at other alternatives. Planning an evening meeting to discuss over pizza and drinks this evening.

The latest focus is on Curacao...

I was going to suggest Curacao. My favorite is Bonaire, but you need to be a diver to fully appreciate, and there aren't a lot of other touristy things without some deep research or prior experience. Curacao has some great history and some pretty unique tings to do or visit. All three islands are outside of the hurricane belt (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao - the ABC islands) so a lot less likely to get hit or be hit while you are there.

And I haven't been that impressed with GC...

[DeputyDog]

If you are a bit adventurous, I'd recommend San Andres.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BarryBobPosthole]

Thats a new name I haven't heard of before. Its going on my list to research! Looking ks awesome from what I saw on a quick search.
Besides, some columbian from Columbia has gotta be good!

You know anythng about the divng there?
BKB

[DeputyDog]

That's where I got my open water cert. There are a lot of really nice places around the island to dive on. We did some by boat and there were a few places on the western side of the island where there is nice shore diving. I'd have to check my dive log to remember all of them but a couple were la piscina and el faro. The only negative was the fire coral. Have to make sure you stay away from that.

The cool thing about the island is you can rent a golf cart for the time you're there and go anywhere you want. You can drive the coast road all the way around the island in a couple hours.

One of my good friend's mother grew up on the island and had inherited land there. We went with them for a couple weeks a few years ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thumper]

Egghead:
All three islands are outside of the hurricane belt (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao - the ABC islands) so a lot less likely to get hit or be hit while you are there.

Last month, I think he said the trip was planned for March, so hurricanes would not be an issue while they're there. Hurricane season ends at the end of November.

I was going to suggest Anguilla, but I think they suffered severe damage from Irma, so I don't know what the place will be like in the next few months.

Bwana, it kinda sounds like your friends are in the driver's seat and you're just along for the ride. It's hard to make suggestions when the playing field is constantly changing.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Thanks, DD, I'm going to have to research that one.

BKB

[Thumper]

San Andres??? Heck, isn’t that a big ol’ butt-crack in California? 😁

[DeputyDog]

No, that's San Andreas. The one I'm talking about is a parrot shaped island off the coast of Nicaragua you dufe!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bwana]

Yeah Thump, I hear you. They are the ones that have been after us for years to go with them to STJ, so we are sort of tagging along but they are asking for input.

They have been to quite a few places but this trip to STJ would have been their 4th as they love the laid back atmosphere, centralized food/drinks area of Cruz Bay, & the many from shore snorkeling opportunities.

The plan is to try to find somewhere comparable to STJ that isn't crazy expensive.

St Andres...need to check that out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thumper]

No, that's San Andreas. The one I'm talking about is a parrot shaped island off the coast of Nicaragua you dufe!

Ha ha! Just messin' with ya'. I used to live along the fault line. ;)

[DeputyDog]

I knew you were.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BarryBobPosthole]

Ha ha! Just messin' with ya'. I used to live along the fault line. ;)

In honor of Niner........'Its Bush's fault'

BKB

[Bwana]

After a bottle of Ketel One consumed on the front porch with our traveling companions we have decided on...either going to Grand Cayman or Curacao. A decisive bunch we are not.

Currently waiting on affirmation of a full refund for our STJ villa and then will test the waters with American Airlines about getting a full refund rather than just rerouting to one of the above. It is nice they are allowing us to reroute with no extra fees but if they will give a full refund, we have found better deals from other airlines to said destinations.

Though Curacao looks more similar to STJ, it sounds like I could do some tarpon fishing on GC. I've been told that when we will be there is prime time for the bigger fish, so it would be awesome if I could check that off of my bucket list.

Stay tuned.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Based on the decision making process, My bet is that there's gonna be a good time no matter where y'all choose to go.

Enjoy it, you deserve it!

BKb