USVI-On-Line

Liamsaunt can probably be of some assistance. I think Bermuda might be one of her haunts.

I have never been, but am totally intrigued by this place:

http://www.9beaches.com/

I have been to Bermuda many times both land vacations and cruising. Jet skis may be available but I'm not sure. I don't think there are any dolphin excursions there and I know there's no zip lining. I haven't been in several years but I do know there's nothing reasonable about the lodging options especially ocean front.
I have friends who have stayed here several times are really like it. http://www.rosedon.com/
not at all ocean front though but convenient to town.
There aren't a lot of true ocean front properties, many hotels are on the cliffs overlooking the ocean which require a walk to the beach.
Also let them know there's no car rentals on Bermuda - if they want to get around on their own it's mopeds on the wrong side of the road

Bermuda is a lovely place. If they are set on it they must have reasons. It's not a great place for a budget though.
If you have other questions I'll try and answer.

I know you can zipline on St. Lucia, Antigua and Jamaica. I did it in Costa Rica (one of the best zipline locations in the world) and it was awesome. As far as the dolphin excursion goes, I'd personally recommend that they skip it - there is much evidence that the animals are treated poorly and giving such organizations your $$ just supports it. If you want to see dolphins, there are boat operators who know how to find dolphins in the wild - they're everywhere in the Caribbean.

It sounds like Bermuda really doesn't have what these guys are looking for. Have they considered Maui? It fits the bill on all counts, I believe.

bermuda generally isn;t for the budget conscious--especially in May.
Have they thought about the Dominican Republic--I am fairly certain that they could find all they were looking for there. Other options would be Costa Rica or Belize.

My sister was in the Dominican Republic this year...she said it was fun but certain areas were scary...they, of course were in a resort...but still...if they are young and inexperienced travelers DR might not be a good choice. My parents were in Costa Rica and did the zip lines....they said it was awesome...

piscesgirl0314 - They are young and as his Mother I want them to be somewhere safe. He is a very trusting soul and doesn't always see the danger in situations. He's reminded me many times that I see danger in everything!

Costa Rica is incredible (I was there in May), but I'm not always certain it's the best place for a honeymoon. It really depends on the person. There are large mega resorts in the North, but those are on so-so beaches in areas where over-development has caused some water quality issues.

We did a more nature-centered trip to the Arenal Volcano and the Osa Peninsula. The Arenal area was spectacular (ziplining, hot springs, hiking, active volcano, etc), but not beachfront. I say it's not necessarily honeymoon appropriate because a lot of "roughing it" is involved to really experience the country. If you want to sit around a fabulous resort and never get dirty, CR probably isn't for you. Also, the lack of A/C in certain locations can hinder romance, if you catch my drift.

Have you encouraged them to look on redweek.com? You can get a free guest membership. That site has timeshare rentals and you can get places for a lot less than hotel rack rates. All the major timeshares in Hawaii and the Caribbean have rentals listed.

I absolutely understand...DR is definately a place for an inexperienced traveler...too bad you can't convince them to honeymoon on one of the USVI's or the BVI's. hmmmm...I've spent some time on St Croix and really loved it. I think they are the friendliest of the three USVI's. Don't get me wrong St John is hands down my favorite place on the planet...but the locals on St Croix were all so warm and friendly. There are some nice ocean front resorts and Christiansted is a cool town. Leaving the airport isn't "pretty" because of the oil refinery...but once you get past that it is a VERY beautiful island...might be hard for them to find a place with all the things they want to do...and stay safe....let us know what they decide on...

Hi Jo Ann!

We've been to Bermuda once and liked it very much. We went there in April month, and it was not that warm. We rented a scooter and visited all parts of the island, played lots of golf, visited beaches, English pubs and had a great time in general.

We didn't stay beachfront, but at a guesthouse in a residental area (own apartment with kitchen). The large house was owned by the Austrian consul and he was a really great host.

Wherever you are on Bermuda, water is never far away, as Bermuda is very small.

I am not sure, if Bermuda is enough fun for a young couple on honeymoon.

What about Hawaii? Or my all time favorite - Cook Islands (I know, far away).

Best/Karin

Hi,
We went to Grand Bahama Island last year for our honeymoon. Has everything you are looking for except the zip line. The Westin is a great resort, not too expensive and offers a lot.
The Dolphin experience was a lot of fun, and the dolphins are well cared for. They take them in open water all the time and you can swim with them or they have a large lagoon to go to. I know a lot of people have opinions on this, but what I saw was a great facility with people who care about their treatment.
Their is also a reef on the other side of the Island, called Dead man's reef. Pretty good snorkel.
I felt totally safe there at the resort and across the street is Port Lucaya, lots of shopping and food and entertainment.
The island is fun, not as pretty as St. John, but I would go back.

Sandy

HI,

Bermuda is a great island. I think we love it as much as the VI's.

Other than the zip-line(haven't read that one's been added - not sure where you would zip?), they could probably find plenty to do. There is a Dolphin experience (Dockyards) and probably some jet-ski rentals available. Renting scooters and touring the island is a lot of fun.

As others have said, accommodations are not reasonable. We stayed at the Rosedon (Mary Beth's post) several times; it was reasonable, but when I last checked it too was in the $300+/night range.

I had also looked into 9 Beaches as it does seem interesting. Read a lot of mixed (more very negative) reviews on that property - run down, poor service, etc.

The most reasonable of the beachfront resorts is probably the Grotto Bay beach resort. (have not stayed there). It used to get mixed reviews; you may want to check TA for the latest. It is on the airport end of the island, not near the nicer south shore beaches or Hamilton (center).

There are a lot of good/very good restaurants (by my standards anyway). Prices are probably consistent with St. John.

We usually go toward the end of May (around Memorial day weekend). The water temps are very cool (downright cold if comparing to St. John). The weather is typically mid-high 70's - perfect golfing weather.

What has them set on Bermuda?

Puerto Rico - it has a rain forest on it where I would assume you could zip line, and I think it has the rest.

VickiH wrote: I have never been, but am totally intrigued by this place:

http://www.9beaches.com/

I agree...this place looks cool, is well reviewed (I think) and seems to be affordable.

Zip Line? Isn't Ruth building one?

Jo Ann - VA wrote:piscesgirl0314 - They are young and as his Mother I want them to be somewhere safe. He is a very trusting soul and doesn't always see the danger in situations. He's reminded me many times that I see danger in everything!

I'm finding that this motherhood stuff is not for the faint of heart. As soon as one worry is done, there's another one waiting on the doorstep. While I haven't been to Bermuda I really like the look and reviews of Pompano Beach Club.