St. Maarten vs. Aruba vs. Grand Cayman

[boriska00]

Good evening everyone.

We are trying to decide for next spring between the 3 locations above.
Traveling with 2 kids (6 and 8 years old) at the end of March.

We've been to St. Maarten and absolutely loved it. Stayed at Divi Little Bay
The entire week was very relaxing, weather, beach, food, everything was great.
Exploring both sides of the island was great too. St. Maarten was very laid back, which we liked.

So we wonder how does Aruba compare to this? We are looking at Divi Phoenix Beach or Divi Village Gold Resorts.

What about Grand Cayman? Moritt's Tortuga on the east side of the island is the one we're thinking of there.

All the help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[byebye]

I don't know about GC but I've been to Aruba & St. M. and I would think Aruba would be better for your children especially the Marriott Aruba Surf Club. They have great children activities and a Lazy River. I don't know how the Divi is though.

 

[Pappy Mentos]

Either Aruba or Grand Cayman would be an excellent choice for you and your family. Both are very family-friendly and the weather for each should be excellent at the end of March.

In Grand Cayman, we did not stay at Morritt's, but we understand it is at the East end of the island and somewhat isolated from the rest of GC. We have heard the accomodations are wonderful and the beach is very good for swimming and snorkelling. Most of the resorts in GC are on 7 mile Beach which is the West side near Georgetown and the airport. Morritt's is about a 45 minute to 1 hour drive away. If you go, be sure to book a trip to Stingray City, which is a huge sand bar at the mouth of the giant bay that's in the middle of GC. You will be amazed to be standing in the middle of the ocean in about 4 feet of water where you will be swarmed by friendly sting rays looking for food. Also visit Dolphin Cove to swim with a dolphin and the Turtle farm to see giant sea turtles. The children will be thrilled. Also, spend a day on 7 Mile Beach and it's pristine sand and super clear water. Also spend a day at Rum Point for a very relaxing beach experience. Obviously, you would need to rent a car and the activities can be a little expensive.

In Aruba, the resorts are primarily in two areas, the low rise section and the high rise section. Both are above Oranjestead, the capital, which is just above the airport. Divi Village is in the low rise section, Divi Phoenix is at the lower end of the high rise section. If you have a choice, go to the Phoenix, especially if you are in one of the newer towers that were built 3-4 years ago. The Phoenix has a nice pool with a swim up bar, a fairly large beach with calm water that is between 2 stone jetties. On Aruba, the children would love Philip's Animal Garden, which is a rescue shelter where zoo animals are housed such as kangaroos, camels, goats, horses/ponies and monkeys. There is also a Donkey Sanctuary on the island, the national park (and caves), the Butterfly farm and other places to explore.You could also drive down to the Baby Beach which is a very sedate area of the ocean at the bottom of the island. Aruba also has a very large amount of wonderful restaurants.

 

[arubanut]

Either Aruba or Grand Cayman would be an excellent choice for you and your family. Both are very family-friendly and the weather for each should be excellent at the end of March...


In Aruba...
...Divi Phoenix is at the lower end of the high rise section. If you have a choice, go to the Phoenix, especially if you are in one of the newer towers that were built 3-4 years ago. The Phoenix has a nice pool with a swim up bar, a fairly large beach with calm water that is between 2 stone jetties. On Aruba, the children would love Philip's Animal Garden, which is a rescue shelter where zoo animals are housed such as kangaroos, camels, goats, horses/ponies and monkeys. There is also a Donkey Sanctuary on the island, the national park (and caves), the Butterfly farm and other places to explore.You could also drive down to the Baby Beach which is a very sedate area of the ocean at the bottom of the island. Aruba also has a very large amount of wonderful restaurants.

Ditto...

Last year we toured this property,we wanted to buy so bad!

This reminded us the very reason we fell in love with Aruba(1991).
Quiet and just a couple of steps from pool to beach.

Would not stay in tower(older building).

"Beach Villas at Divi Phoenix"

 

[wptamo]

Hiya,
We stayed at Divi Little bay and it was awesome! Beach was great for swimming and snorkling ! Lots to do and see all over... We toured a bit too...

Stayed also at Divi Peonix Beach villas and also loved it, everything was right there,nice pool, great beach, not so good to snorkle on tho as water a tad silty... Our first Divi stay was Divi golf, very nice ,great pool with a fun slide too! Kids liked that! Ok me too!

For me it's a toss up between Divi Phoenix Villas and Divi little bay...as my fav

Divi Pheonix Villas have nicer newer units, water at Divi little bay is clearer... We stayed in3 bedroomCasita, nice big unit.....
I hope to be able to alternate between the two every other year!
I found flights a bit cheaper to Aruba than St Martin, but a tad longer flight....

Best thing to do is visit both and then decide which you like best! Either will be fine I'm sure!
Stayed at Divi little golf this past March with my buddies and we visited and enjoyed all the Divi resorts, so you can always do that.... Oh yes, we did Dpalm island when the kids were younger and they loved the water park!! Think they were 11 and 13 at the time....

Not sure I was able to say which is best.... Guess cause I like both a lot!

Enjoy!

Paul

PS
Last Oct I arranged a vows renewal for our 25 on beach by Divi in Aruba, so ya guess Aruba is our fav....

 

[Conan]

The east end of Grand Cayman is quite remote. We were there in March many years ago and were unlucky weather-wise. In later years we preferred staying along seven mile beach on the west side.

Aruba is not as foreign/European as St. Martin (particularly its French side). The weather is not as variable as other Caribbean islands; you're almost guaranteed hot, dry (and windy). Aruba has many American chain restaurants. Personally we preferred the foreignness of St. Martin but others will differ.

 

[LisaRex]

I was struggling to decide between St. Marteen and Grand Cayman for our couples trip in Jan. Here's what I gathered from all the info I read:

Flights (from Ohio) were about $100 cheaper to GC vs. SXM, and there were a ton of options to choose from.

Lodging was significantly more expensive on GC if you wanted to stay on the western (touristy) area.

Snorkeling is reportedly outstanding off GC; meh off SXM.

Food is better, and cheaper, on SXM.

More active nightlife on SXM (e.g. casinos, live music). Also more activities, such as hiking, ziplining, day trips, boat charters).

GC is flat and not very scenic. SXM has hills and mountains.

SXM attracts a lot of nudists (<--seriously)

SXM has a European flavor; GC has more of a generic flavor.

GC attracts a wealthier crowd than SXM.

***

That's all I've got; I'll know more in February!

 

[Laurie]

We've been to both Morritt's Grand and recently to SXM, where we stayed at Belair which shares the Divi beach. Both are excellent beach locations, and the above comparisons are mostly accurate (except we didn't encounter a lot of nudists on SXM - only 2 at Cupecoy Beach, none at Orient).

For a family vacation, I don't think you'll run out of activities in one week at GC, nor find the east end too isolated with a car, at least we didn't. We had some windy weather but even so, I'd go back to Morritt's in a heartbeat- personal preference over 7-mile beach, for the consistent walk-in snorkeling. We're not usually beach people who are happy lying around in the sun "relaxing" for too long - but could have hung at Morritt's beach for more days than we had there.

One additional comparison: supposedly, petty theft is an issue at SXM, so we didn't ever leave anything in the trunk of our car or in our car, as requested by our car rental company. This became an issue a time or two when we were out for the day, and had more stuff than we wanted to lug around with us. So if we had our snorkel gear, we couldn't go off on a hike, or didn't want to. On Grand Cayman, we felt comfortable visiting other beaches, and leaving stuff in our trunk.

 

[Lou]

We have been to all 3 locations and our favourite of the 3 was Grand Cayman. We stayed at Morritts Grand. There were lots of things to do as mentioned...Rum Point, Turtle Farm, Stingray City, and also the Botanical Gardens where you will see the endangered blue iguana. We enjoyed them all. We also loved the remote location of the East end. You do need to rent a car, but we found driving (even on the opposite side of the road) not to be too difficult. In Aruba, we stayed at the Divi Golf and Beach Resort. It was a very nice resort with a good beach.

 

[Mauiwmn]

We've been to Grand Cayman a few times and loved it. We stayed at the Westin resort on 7 mile beach and the Hyatt resort before it was destroyed in a hurricane.

Stingray City is a blast. The turtle farm is fun as well for kids. 7 mile beach is gorgeous with clear water and sugar like sand. Fabulous snorkeling and driving all around. Beautiful sunsets on 7 mile beach which rival Maui. Food was expensive and there is little nightlife. Not much to see on the rest of the island. But if you enjoy the beach and water sports it is wonderful.

We've visited St.Maarten a few times on cruise ships. We did not care for the island. The beaches were not as pretty as Grand Cayman and the snorkeling was poor. They do have nude beaches which can actually be scary. People were topless at the non nude beaches there as well. It was quite uncomfortable for my daughter to see a very elderly woman topless during our snorkel tour. Some people should not go topless! My husband was disappointed that there weren't any hot women topless.

 

[boriska00]

Thank you all for your insight and help!

I guess we'll eventually compare for ourselves.
We ended up booking at Divi Phoenix for next spring break with kids.
The year after, we'll try to go to GC so we have the full picture.

And after that, we'll be good to go back to Divi Little Bay

Yes, I was afraid to book into Divi Little Bay (even though it showed availability) on an off chance they'll cancel it shortly before the actual trip.

Thanks again all,
Boris

 

[post-it]

Great comparisons from everyone. Can you go without a car rental on either Island, or at least just a 1 or 2 day rental?

 

[boriska00]

Glenda,

I can only speak for St. Maarten, and you do need a car there.
There are many things to see on the island and you really want to be free to move around.

Of course, you could take a taxi everywhere you want to go, but that will get expensive very quickly.

We rented from a small local company and the price was very reasonable.

-Boris

 

[stmartinfan]

We've visited St.Maarten a few times on cruise ships. We did not care for the island. The beaches were not as pretty as Grand Cayman and the snorkeling was poor. They do have nude beaches which can actually be scary. People were topless at the non nude beaches there as well. It was quite uncomfortable for my daughter to see a very elderly woman topless during our snorkel tour. Some people should not go topless! My husband was disappointed that there weren't any hot women topless.

We've been to all three islands and enjoyed them all. But St. Maarten is our favorite. It is correct that SXM does not have very good snorkeling, but it's got dozens of beaches and most are lovely while several are quite spectacular. I personally find it's hard to really get the flavor of somewhere when you only see it as a cruiser.

While there are a few isolated beaches where naturists will go nude, the primary place is one end of Orient Beach where the naturist resort is. Anyone can walk the beach there but you can also definitely avoid it if that's your option. I've certainly never thought of those beaches as scary! There are people of all ages, mostly couples and families, so it's just average people like on any beach. (And I'm not someone who'd ever go without a suit.)

In regards to topless, it's important to remember that SXM is half Dutch and half French. In Europe it's much more common to see women--of all ages--topless on the beach. And many of the tourists on SXM are European. But it's still rare that you'll see more than a couple of women topless and usually on French side beaches. My young adult daughters have been going to SXM since they were preschoolers and just consider it normal for SXM. I personally think it's good that they understand that different cultures regard their bodies differently.

 

[LisaRex]

StMartinfan, I'm the Cruise Director for our upcoming couples trip to SXM. I want to plan some things, but not overplan because I know how weather, etc affects the best laid plans.

I have some questions for you, if you'll indulge me:

1) Would you recommend an introductory tour (e.g. Bernie's), or do you think it's fine to just drive around on our own to get acclimated?

2) Have you ever done the Rhino tours? It looks like fun, though I'm also considering doing a jet ski excursion.

3) Pinel Island - worth it or not?

4) Have you ever taken a day trip to Anguilla? We have a few avid snorkelers in the group and the snorkeling is reportedly much better there.

5) What are the outstanding beaches that you refer to?

Thanks so much for your input.

Lisa

 

[stmartinfan]

I always love to comment on SXM

 

[Laurie]

I'm obviously not StMartinfan but wanted to chime in:

Pinel Island - yes IMO definitely worth it.

It's very pretty, hiking trail/path, different beaches (bayfront or oceanfront) very close together within walking distance - you can stay with others or find a private spot pretty easily on foot. Not any good snorkeling the one day we were there last month. You don't have to plan too far in advance because the ferry goes at least every hour, no reservations needed, is a 5-minute ride, come back whenever you want.

We didn't give it high enough priority and didn't get there til our last day on a 2-week stay - wished we'd gone sooner and had more time that day, and/or had time to return.

 

[loafingcactus]

Could someone chime in on safety as well? I'm seeing horrible things and I don't feel like I have the information to judge if the "these islands are DANGEROUS" thing is like Mexico (don't do stupid things like get involved in the local drug trade and you'll be fine) or like, I dunno, Chicago.

 

[Pappy Mentos]

Could someone chime in on safety as well? I'm seeing horrible things and I don't feel like I have the information to judge if the "these islands are DANGEROUS" thing is like Mexico (don't do stupid things like get involved in the local drug trade and you'll be fine) or like, I dunno, Chicago.

In our opinion, all of the 3 islands are reasonably safe. Of course, you still must be alert and not put yourself in a dangerous situation, such as wandering remote areas late at night. Tourists are always targets due to their unfamiliarity with the area and each island has its share of muggings, break-ins and petty theft. This is the reason many car rental places ask you not to lock your car.

Of the 3, we felt the safest on GC, which appears to be an island with a lot of money and a thriving economy. Aruba is fairly safe in the resort area, but most will warn you about venturing into San Nicholas and other areas inhabited by locals. Same applies to St. Maarten although the French side seemed better than the Dutch side. We did not feel too safe shopping in Phillipsburg, especially the further you went away from the cruise ship dock.

 

[stmartinfan]

In our opinion, all of the 3 islands are reasonably safe. Of course, you still must be alert and not put yourself in a dangerous situation, such as wandering remote areas late at night. Tourists are always targets due to their unfamiliarity with the area and each island has its share of muggings, break-ins and petty theft. This is the reason many car rental places ask you not to lock your car.

Of the 3, we felt the safest on GC, which appears to be an island with a lot of money and a thriving economy. Aruba is fairly safe in the resort area, but most will warn you about venturing into San Nicholas and other areas inhabited by locals. Same applies to St. Maarten although the French side seemed better than the Dutch side. We did not feel too safe shopping in Phillipsburg, especially the further you went away from the cruise ship dock.

This is a good summary of the islands. That said, we've made more than 15 trips to St. Maarten without any issues ever and we love the island. But we use common sense, aren't big on going to bars so are generally back at our TS after dinner, and stay in the main, busy areas at night. We always do a shopping day in Philipsburg, and don't feel uncomfortable in the main streets there during the day when it's busy. I wouldn't walk around there at night, but do go there for restaurants with close parking or valet. I'm also careful not to wear flashy jewelry, gold chains,etc. (not my style anyway) and tend to dress pretty low key because it's a beach vacation.

 

[Laurie]

In St. Maarten, when we wanted to go out at night, the desk staff at Belair gave us a street by street breakdown on where it was safe for us to walk in Phillipsburg, and where not so much. As stated, good lighting and street traffic from the parking lot (or valet parking) to the place we wanted to visit was the issue - so one night when we wanted Indian food after dark, they recommended a place in Simpson Bay instead.

But when we went to Carnival nighttime events (northern edge of Phillipsburg, not Front St) and walked back to our car at 12:30 and 2:30 a.m. in Phillipsburg, the parking lots nearby had huge security presence, and we felt very safe - in other words, they do bring out extra support for certain special events at night.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

Aruba is not our favorite. It is often very windy. Beaches are crowded and commercial with very little island vibe. We liked the Morrits alot. Beautiful beach, great island vibe.

In the future consider st. Thomas.

 

[m61376]

I like Aruba best- the weather is consistently good, and the breeze makes it comfortable so you don't feel the heat. Great beaches and restaurants, and it is generally a safe island (as posted above, there are some less desirable neighborhoods like any place, and you need to use common sense, but definitely it is a place where you feel safe venturing off the resorts, unlike many other island locations).

For a family vacation esp., you need to be careful with some of the beaches in St. Martin; not only is there a lot of topless bathing, I saw multiple instances of changing clothing on the beach.

 

[jjking42]

If you go to St Martin you have top go to Maho beach and watch the planes land and take off.

 

[Bucky]

For a family vacation esp., you need to be careful with some of the beaches in St. Martin; not only is there a lot of topless bathing, I saw multiple instances of changing clothing on the beach.

Sorry, but I just had to laugh about this post! On our first trip to Aruba we stayed at MAO. After lunch at the resort on our first day we decided to walk out and check the beach out. As soon as we entered the palapa area there was this beautiful 20 something yr old young lady laying on a chaise buck naked!

This basically same scenario happened on our first trip to St Maarten also! It's just basically how the rest of the world does things IMO. North Americans tend to be a little prudish. I personally wouldn't do it but I surely don't get upset watching others, except for those that really should keep their clothes on!

We prefer St Maarten much more than Aruba. Just our opinion. Aruba has that hot, arid and windy climate all the time. Basically a desert island. St Maarten on the other hand is truly a more tropical island. St Maarten is also a larger island with more things to see and do. Throw in great beaches and wonderful food and its a no brainier for us.