Honeymoon in the USVI?

[Tyrone777]

Hello,

I am recently engaged and starting to get the plans in motion for our Wedding and our Honeymoon. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions for a honeymoon in the USVI or there abouts? We do not have a huge budget so chartering for a week is out of the question. Thank you for the help

[sailingdog]

It would help if you said what your budget is.

[Tyrone777]

Trying to stay under 5k. Flying in from Cancun and going back to Houston.

[camaraderie]

If you are qualifiedto bareboat, then you can have a week on a 30-35 foot sailboat for less than half your budget. Other thought for a no frills but great experience is to go camping in the national park on st. john...which is a ferry ride from st. thomas. ....

http://www.nps.gov/viis/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Cinnamon Bay has a water sports center that rents snorkel gear and windsurfers, and can arrange day sailing, snorkeling and scuba diving lessons. A campground with bare tent sites, prepared sites and cottages is adjacent to the beach. There is also a camp store. Call 340-776-6330 or 800-539-9998 for camping reservations.

Lots of hikes, trails, snorkeling, beautiful beaches etc. AND you can always go into town for a nice meal or dancing etc. in Cruz Bay.

[TSteele65]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

If you are qualifiedto bareboat, then you can have a week on a 30-35 foot sailboat for less than half your budget. Other thought for a no frills but great experience is to go camping in the national park on st. john...which is a ferry ride from st. thomas. ....

http://www.nps.gov/viis/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Cinnamon Bay has a water sports center that rents snorkel gear and windsurfers, and can arrange day sailing, snorkeling and scuba diving lessons. A campground with bare tent sites, prepared sites and cottages is adjacent to the beach. There is also a camp store. Call 340-776-6330 or 800-539-9998 for camping reservations.

Lots of hikes, trails, snorkeling, beautiful beaches etc. AND you can always go into town for a nice meal or dancing etc. in Cruz Bay.

Seconded. Those beach cottages at Cinnamon Bay are a little primitive, but clean. And you can't beat the location for the price. The only drawback is they're a little far from town (if you consider that a drawback).

[wiseleyb]

On St. John: If Cinnamon Bay isn't your style (I stayed there for a month, and, it's camping, but fun, nice people, possibly too many kids) I'd suggest renting a condo if you're not going with chartering a boat. You can get pretty sweet condos for around $2K/week. They're not water front, but, with a rental car (watch out for Donkeys) it's not a big deal.

If you're there over New Years absolutely don't miss the New Years Eve party on Jost Van Dyke (it's on the BVI but they have boats that make the run for new years).

If you win the lottery http://www.caneelbay.com/ is where you want to stay.

[wiseleyb]

One more thing... (others may disagree) - I wouldn't stay on St. Thomas if you paid me and I've heard St. Croix is best avoided as well (I've never been there though). This was 10+ years ago, so it might have changed, but St. Thomas was a dive when I was there.

[TSteele65]

St. Thomas was ruined by cruise ships.

It is impressive watching 4-6 of them queuing up to enter the harbor at 5AM, though.

[camaraderie]

Wisely...St. Thomas is not only Charlotte Amalie...there are lots of nice places on the eastern and northern shore. But Charloote Amalie is a cruise boat trap and not safe at nite.
Nevertheless...St. John would still be my recommendation for a land based honeymoon.

[wiseleyb]

I'm sure Camaraderie is right... I should have mentioned that I was basing that on one night in Charlotte Amalie and taxi ride across the island from the airport to where you catch the St. John ferry. I think Bill Clinton staid on St. Thomas last time he was down there - so I'm sure there's something nice about it.