Honeymoon destinations?

[LAX Mom]

I'm looking at options for a honeymoon in December 2017 for my son & his future wife. They like the idea of someplace tropical & warm. Both love Hawaii, but they have been there several times. They will be traveling from the east coast and are interested in destinations in the Caribbean.

I know Christmas week will be tough (and crowded), but the preferred checkin date is Dec. 15 weekend. The week prior might also work. I have Marriott timeshares to exchange and Marriott reward points I can use for hotels. I'm also willing to pay cash for a rental of a timeshare or hotel.

I'm not as familiar with Caribbean resorts and wondering what are some of your favorite locations?

Thank you!

 

[Passepartout]

A little off the beaten path, but DW and I got married at a castle in Scotland then had our honeymoon on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. They would not likely be swimming in the sea in December, but it still makes for a memorable honeymoon. Marriotts are nice there. Also easier and cheaper to get to from the east coast than Hawaii.

Just a thought.

Jim

 

[LAX Mom]

A little off the beaten path, but DW and I got married at a castle in Scotland then had our honeymoon on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. They would not likely be swimming in the sea in December, but it still makes for a memorable honeymoon. Marriotts are nice there. Also easier and cheaper to get to from the east coast than Hawaii.

Just a thought.

Jim

Thanks Jim. What great memories....Scotland & the coast of Spain! Love the idea of Spain. It could be very nice in December! I'll suggest it to them!

 

[WinniWoman]

What about Costa Rica or St. Lucia?

 

[Talent312]

If I could do it over, I'd go to Caneel Bay Resort on St. John in the US Virgin Islands. It's in the middle of Virgin Islands National Park. They handle transport from the St. Thomas airport. See: http://www.caneelbay.com/

As a backup, I'd go with all-inclusive on Negril Beach in Jamaica.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/HotelsList-Negril-Honeymoon-Resorts-zfp216798.html

Here's U.S. News & World Report's list: http://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-caribbean-honeymoons/
#1 St. Kitts & Nevis
#2 Cayman Islands
#3 Anguilla
#4 Grenada
#5 St. Martin - St. Maarten
#6 British Virgin Islands
#7 U.S. Virgin Islands
#8 St. Vincent & The Grenadines
#9 Turks & Caicos
#10 Barbados

.

 

[LisaH]

Caneel Bay Resort will be lovely for honeymooners. Tranquil, lush green, and quiet, with lots of nice amenities and great beaches on site. I would vote for that as well. If you have Marriott points, you might also consider Ritz Carlton, Frenchman's Reef and Morningstar on St Thomas.

 

[elaine]

timeshare or hotel? Dec 15 and esp. the week prior are fairly low prices. There are likely II getaways, as well. For Carib, we love Curacao. A Marriott getaway to St Kitts would be nice. Another option is a cruise. Likely low pricing thru 12/15 departures. Normal Zika warnings apply.

 

[RNCollins]

Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands is beautiful. It is ranked as the 2nd Best Beach in the world by Trip Advisor.
http://turksandcaicostourism.com/

I think Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island has a Marriott. The diving there is very good and you can also swim with the stingrays.
http://www.caymanislands.ky/

 

[am1]

I would do a week on the boat in the Galapagos. It was our plan but then decided to go a year after instead. Very memorable but you will be busy morning and afternoon but nights free.

 

[geist1223]

How about Fiji or Tasmania. Been to both and loved both. Going back to Tasmania in January 2019. But for 3 weeks instead of 1.

 

[LAX Mom]

Thank you for all these great suggestions! I'll forward this list to my son & his fiancé so they can research these options. I really appreciate all your ideas! I've been to Hawaii a lot, but have limited experience in the Caribbean.

TUGgers are the best!

 

[LAX Mom]

I have exchanged into a couple of options for the soon-to-be married couple:
1) 1 bedroom with full kitchen at Marriott Aruba Surf Club
2) 1 bedroom deluxe (smaller 1 bedroom with kitchenette) at Harborside at Atlantis

They seem excited about both options & are going to research the locations. DS has been to Harborside & Atlantis many years ago, loved it! We stopped in Aruba for one day on a cruise, again many years ago (I think DS was in second grade?). His fiancé hasn't been to either location.

 

[silentg]

I would go to Aruba

 

[Tia]

Bahamas can be cool in the winter, when Florida freezes the oranges. More then once we've been in the airport heading to STT and listened to other travelers who were returning from the Bahama's

 

[LAX Mom]

Thanks, I hadn't considered the weather in December. I stayed at Harborside once in November & hit a real cold spell. I thought it was just a fluke, but obviously not. I will warn them the weather in December could be cold.

 

[WalnutBaron]

Thanks, I hadn't considered the weather in December. I stayed at Harborside once in November & hit a real cold spell. I thought it was just a fluke, but obviously not. I will warn them the weather in December could be cold.

Islands further south--and therefore closer to the Equator--like Barbados, Granada, Martinique, or St. Lucia--should not present a problem, as average temps are very consistent in that region. For example, on St. Lucia the hottest month of the year is November with average highs of 83. The coldest month of the year is January with average highs of 79.

There are only two seasons in that part of the world--the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy season falls between June and November.