What are some do’s and don’ts doing a honeymoon at a sandals resort? Need a butler? Get a cheaper room? One resort way better than another? Appreciate any feedback.
OT: Sandals Honeymoon
- Thread starter Delta_dawg
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Sandals is always a better venue for the side piece, some other guy's wife, or your wife after you've done something stupid.
It's your honeymoon, book a few nights at Hermitage Bay in Antiqua or the Astra Suites in Santorini.
Sandals may be easier on the budget, but most have a McResort feel to 'em. Shop around for something extra fancy or more off beat. Good luck and happy honeymoon.
My rule of thumb for the Caribbean is to go to non-sovereign islands. Usually safer so you can walk around and get a feel for the local scene without worrying about a shiv to the back from someone on a combo of crack and DMT. Aruba, grand cayman, turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands. Saint barts if you’re richer than me. Bermuda if you want a non-Caribbean island that’s cool, but Caribbean is my preference. I can give suggestions if you’re not already locked in for sandals
We aren’t locked into any island yet. Just figured sandals resort would be nice but that’s why I came here. Seems like there’s always some good travel advice.
Boring
Go to the cool islands where you can get the full crack and DMT experience. Live like John McAffee for a week.
Go to the cool islands where you can get the full crack and DMT experience. Live like John McAffee for a week.
You can do better and worse than sandals. You are guaranteed a decent quality with sandals. You probably overpay for that guarantee. If you know anybody that you trust that has taken a good trip lately, you can probably find a better value that way. But sandals is a safe option if you don’t.
OT Question/Opinions from the Pack requested. Thought I would piggy back this on this thread. You guys do a great job of this OT stuff before sports crank up again.
Next year is a big anniversary for the wife and I. We never had a real honeymoon because of kids/work. We've never been outside the US but I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a cool, maybe all inclusive trip to one of the tropical locals for 55+ folks. If you think we should not do that part of the world you can say so. My other thought was the mountains or another coast. Please feel free to private message me for my email. I need to get in front of this for timing and money sake. July 26,2022 will be our 25th.
Next year is a big anniversary for the wife and I. We never had a real honeymoon because of kids/work. We've never been outside the US but I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a cool, maybe all inclusive trip to one of the tropical locals for 55+ folks. If you think we should not do that part of the world you can say so. My other thought was the mountains or another coast. Please feel free to private message me for my email. I need to get in front of this for timing and money sake. July 26,2022 will be our 25th.
You already have all the tropical shirts for an island get away so that’ll save you a few dollars
You’ll have a good time at sandals. Sand, sun, and booze make for a good time. The honeymoon on top of that makes it better. A butler isn’t necessary, but the other posters report about the waiter coming by whenever needed and never letting your drink get low sounds nice. I guess it depends on your budget. I’ve done all inclusive at resorts cheaper than Sandals, and regretted it. I don’t know anyone that has regretted sandals. Yes, there are more expensive and probably nicer, but Sandals is a good product. A friend of mine went to the one where there are three Sandals on the island (st Lucia?) and enjoyed being able to check out other spots during the week. Also, congrats.
We’ve went to Sandal’s 4 times and had a blast every time. Didn’t enjoy the Butler, but not because he wasn’t great, but my personality just isn’t wired to allow someone to wait on me like that. It was uncomfortable for me.
My pro tips would be the following things:
- pay for the room that has the outdoor tub on balcony (they have privacy curtains, etc.). If you upgrade just a level or two they’ll put you in the exact same room as the cheaper ones, except on first floor
- so don’t skimp on the rooms, although the cheaper ones are plenty nice
- don’t hesitate to order whatever the hell you want off the menu.. they truly do not care, and when they say all-inclusive, they mean it
- the Jamaican staff is some of the friendliest and most talented people you’ll ever meet.. we’ve developed friendships with some of the Montego Bay staff, and going back to see them is always fun
I’m sure there are nicer places, but we are kind of in that situation where we KNOW we love sandals, so we are hesitant to try something different and not enjoy it as much.
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I don't have much to add, other that we did our honeymoon at Sandals Antigua 8 years ago. It was worth it, for sure, but there are definitely cheaper options available with just as much amenities if you look hard enough.
I’ve been to many different Caribbean islands and Aruba felt the safest and was by far our most enjoyable. We were actually there a couple of weeks before Natalie Holloway’s disappearance. In Aruba no one is constantly harassing you to buy crap, we could walk down the street at 2am without fear. It’s one of the few places in the Caribbean that I would go back to. I’m still trying to figure out how to get home with that five gallon bottle of Johnny Walker Black they had in the grocery store.
I agree. I’ve been to a few places in the Caribbean and Aruba was by far the one I felt the most safe in. No need for an all inclusive in Aruba because it’s safe enough to walk around. I hear Turks and Caicos is like that too but I’ve never been.
Only downside I found to Aruba is the wind. Maybe I just caught it at a bad time but felt like a constant 25 mph.
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This may be dated, but on the butler, the only thing it was good for was getting into the sit down restaurants. In general, the food is going to be mediocre. Depending on which resort you go to, there will probably be a restaurant or two that is an exception that either requires reservations or a decent wait for the limited first come, first serve options. When we went, they would allow people to send their butlers to hold their spot in line for the one good restaurant on site. If they still do that, that's a pretty big deal. There was always something decent to eat, but it definitely would have been nice to have a good meal each night. Otherwise, I've never been in any all inclusive where there wasn't a bar nearby at all times and basically zero line. And the idea of not having to get out of my lounge chair to go get a drink just doesn't seem like a huge perk; I don't literally want to sit in one place all day; avoiding 8 to 10 trips to the bar over a course of a day just doesn't seem like a big deal. We do tend to not go in peak season though, so maybe the no line thing isn't always true.
As far as upgrading the room, we tend to not spend time in the room. Maybe if we upgraded to nicer rooms, we would be more inclined to hang out in the room, but we tend to want to be out and about. If you are the type of personality that you are going to want to chill in your room for a few hours each day to be completely away from people, you will want to upgrade (not sure how many people really need this; while you may not have privacy out on the grounds or beach, you generally won't have people trying to talk to you or anything).
Another potential upgrade, depending on what resort you are at, may be for the location of the room. Personal preference, but we just didn't find it to be a big deal to not have the room closest to the beach. To me, the whole appeal of the all inclusive is that whatever you want you just ask for. We're not lugging beach chairs or umbrellas to the beach. They provide towels. Throw a book and sunscreen in a dry bag back pack and there's nothing we need to come back to the room for. If we want to go back to the room to do things we can't do in public, I'm willing to walk a little for that. If you are upgrading and getting the water view, then that might be worth it. But for us, the location is just not that big of a deal.
If you drink liquor, make sure you ask for what you want by brand. Sandals will have decent liquors to choose from, but if you don't specify, you will get the headache in a bottle brand that you wouldn't even recognize. Same thing with their named drink menu. They will generally just tell you the type of liquor. If you order one of those, ask for it with the brand name you want.
Seconded…did Aruba for our honeymoon and it was phenomenal. Felt way safer there than most anywhere in the US….and the best time we probably had there was pounding beers at a local hole in the wall (bar that also happened to be a gas station) near the Mangel Halto snorkeling area.
Shame that it still gets any sort of a bad rap at all because of missing white woman syndrome and one psycho that also killed someone in another country too….and is now locked up.
Secrets is pretty damn solid.
You don't need a butler, but it's nice to have one. Sandals resorts are all different - read reviews and check price points. I thought the one in Montego Bay was fine...we had a really great weekend, but it wasn't a place I would return to. If you just want endless drinks and sand...it's a great option.
If you want an even better all-inclusive experience, check out Secrets. The food and service is better and more consistent than Sandals (in my experience). Secrets Maroma Beach (Mexico) is amazing, great service, pretty solid food, good entertainment and a good value. Secrets Punta Cana is great for laying on the beach all day and endless drinks (not much else). We did Secrets for a few years when the kids were little and we just wanted to get away, sleep on the beach and drink for a few days.
However, it's your honeymoon - if you can afford it - there are much better options than all inclusive resorts.
Banyan Tree in Mayakoba (Mexico) is dynamite. Service is spectacular. Really cool rooms - they are all suites - lots of privacy, private pools. Food and drinks are pricey...but really good - best overall food I've had at a beach/island/Caribbean resort. Great golf course. Bikes. Awesome beach.
I don't think you can beat the water in the Bahamas - just get off Nassau. Kamalame Cay is basically a private island at prices similar to a high-end all-inclusive. The service is super laid back - make your own drinks during the day at the bar, etc., but the food is amazing, the water is awesome and all of the excursions are private - fishing, snorkeling, flats tours, basically whatever you can imagine. The pool there sucks...but we didn't miss it. You get your own golf cart and can explore the island and find your own true private beach or pay for them to take you via boat to your own little island for the day/afternoon.
We did St. Lucia for our honeymoon. Stayed at a resort that has changed names a few times that sits between the Pitons. St. Lucia is a cool island to rent a Jeep and drive around for a day. The water there is great too - good snorkeling, etc. I think we would have been bored at an all-inclusive on our honeymoon. One of the coolest things we did was get a helicopter transfer to and from the airport - really cool way to start and end the vacation - plus those island roads in a taxi would've sucked.
You don't need a butler, but it's nice to have one. Sandals resorts are all different - read reviews and check price points. I thought the one in Montego Bay was fine...we had a really great weekend, but it wasn't a place I would return to. If you just want endless drinks and sand...it's a great option.
If you want an even better all-inclusive experience, check out Secrets. The food and service is better and more consistent than Sandals (in my experience). Secrets Maroma Beach (Mexico) is amazing, great service, pretty solid food, good entertainment and a good value. Secrets Punta Cana is great for laying on the beach all day and endless drinks (not much else). We did Secrets for a few years when the kids were little and we just wanted to get away, sleep on the beach and drink for a few days.
However, it's your honeymoon - if you can afford it - there are much better options than all inclusive resorts.
Banyan Tree in Mayakoba (Mexico) is dynamite. Service is spectacular. Really cool rooms - they are all suites - lots of privacy, private pools. Food and drinks are pricey...but really good - best overall food I've had at a beach/island/Caribbean resort. Great golf course. Bikes. Awesome beach.
I don't think you can beat the water in the Bahamas - just get off Nassau. Kamalame Cay is basically a private island at prices similar to a high-end all-inclusive. The service is super laid back - make your own drinks during the day at the bar, etc., but the food is amazing, the water is awesome and all of the excursions are private - fishing, snorkeling, flats tours, basically whatever you can imagine. The pool there sucks...but we didn't miss it. You get your own golf cart and can explore the island and find your own true private beach or pay for them to take you via boat to your own little island for the day/afternoon.
We did St. Lucia for our honeymoon. Stayed at a resort that has changed names a few times that sits between the Pitons. St. Lucia is a cool island to rent a Jeep and drive around for a day. The water there is great too - good snorkeling, etc. I think we would have been bored at an all-inclusive on our honeymoon. One of the coolest things we did was get a helicopter transfer to and from the airport - really cool way to start and end the vacation - plus those island roads in a taxi would've sucked.
Cayman - Seven Mile Beach is the tourist area, and I’d recommend staying there. I’ve stayed in a hotel there but I’ve had better success with AirBnb. The hotels are pretty steep. I had an Airbnb across the street from Kenneth Dart’s mansion for under $200 a night. The Ritz was a quarter mile away from $1000+ a night. The beaches are public, but the hotels will swarm them with chairs. There are public access trails all over though, so you can get to the water. Lots of good restaurants. Sunshine Grill is a good chill cheaper option. Casa 43 is really good Mexican - have probably been there five times. Chicken Chicken is another good, cheap lunch place. I haven’t been to Blu by Eric Ripert at the Ritz, but a friend of mine said it’s great - definitely high end though. The dinner places I’ve been to have all been good.
Stingray City is fun and you can probably do a 3-4 hour trip with multiple snorkeling stops for $50. Smith Cove is a free snorkeling spot that’s pretty good but the stuff you see on the way to Stingray is way better. I recommend renting a car for a day or two. Sunday is the party day there for locals, and you can drive over to Rum Point on the opposite side of the island and walk out into the ocean and drink beer with people partying on boats. Starfish point is right by it too and there’s starfish everywhere. Botanical gardens are OK and I’ve done it most of the times I’ve driven to Rum Point.
Aruba - I’ve stayed at the Hilton which was nice. nice pool, nice beach, massages, not too crazy. Casino onsite with poker room. Lots of walkable restaurants. Can walk south but there’s not much there. Walked north to the ritz casino, which I think the best one. But we’ve also stayed at the Boardwalk small hotel, which I think is awesome. It’s not on the beach but tucked away and super relaxed. It’s across from the Ritz, though, and they give you a beach access card for the Ritz with 15% off of restaurants. The Marriott was massive and loud and chaotic but looked pretty nice too. We are at a restaurant there which was good. Did a catamaran and went snorkeling. Did not do the flamingo thing - you either had to stay at that hotel or show up early and hope there was spots. Kitchen Table by White was this awesome restaurant with fixed menu and you start by drinking champagne and watching the sunset as you get to know everyone at your table for the night. I think it closed during COVID but I get emails from whatever replaced them sometimes, so I think it’s a similar deal now.
Bermuda - too expensive for me. I didn’t pay for my rooms, though, and was with friends so it was fun. Went to America’s Cup a few years ago. We had an Airbnb which was nice. Friends’ parents stayed at the Hamilton Princess, Fairmont Southampton, and the St. Regis, so I got to hang out at those and they were nice. Hung out in downtown Hamilton. Also went to Rum Cellar at the Fairmont which was fun but a bud light was $14. Some people traveled with scooters but we took cabs with some weird Uber variation they had. Super unreliable and we probably spent $500 getting around over 5 days. Got stranded once and had to ride back to our Airbnb in a school bus full of Bermuda’s army
Stingray City is fun and you can probably do a 3-4 hour trip with multiple snorkeling stops for $50. Smith Cove is a free snorkeling spot that’s pretty good but the stuff you see on the way to Stingray is way better. I recommend renting a car for a day or two. Sunday is the party day there for locals, and you can drive over to Rum Point on the opposite side of the island and walk out into the ocean and drink beer with people partying on boats. Starfish point is right by it too and there’s starfish everywhere. Botanical gardens are OK and I’ve done it most of the times I’ve driven to Rum Point.
Aruba - I’ve stayed at the Hilton which was nice. nice pool, nice beach, massages, not too crazy. Casino onsite with poker room. Lots of walkable restaurants. Can walk south but there’s not much there. Walked north to the ritz casino, which I think the best one. But we’ve also stayed at the Boardwalk small hotel, which I think is awesome. It’s not on the beach but tucked away and super relaxed. It’s across from the Ritz, though, and they give you a beach access card for the Ritz with 15% off of restaurants. The Marriott was massive and loud and chaotic but looked pretty nice too. We are at a restaurant there which was good. Did a catamaran and went snorkeling. Did not do the flamingo thing - you either had to stay at that hotel or show up early and hope there was spots. Kitchen Table by White was this awesome restaurant with fixed menu and you start by drinking champagne and watching the sunset as you get to know everyone at your table for the night. I think it closed during COVID but I get emails from whatever replaced them sometimes, so I think it’s a similar deal now.
Bermuda - too expensive for me. I didn’t pay for my rooms, though, and was with friends so it was fun. Went to America’s Cup a few years ago. We had an Airbnb which was nice. Friends’ parents stayed at the Hamilton Princess, Fairmont Southampton, and the St. Regis, so I got to hang out at those and they were nice. Hung out in downtown Hamilton. Also went to Rum Cellar at the Fairmont which was fun but a bud light was $14. Some people traveled with scooters but we took cabs with some weird Uber variation they had. Super unreliable and we probably spent $500 getting around over 5 days. Got stranded once and had to ride back to our Airbnb in a school bus full of Bermuda’s army
For half the price of Sandals/Beaches, you can rent a house in Turks, with a chef/butler, and a boat.
https://www.onefinestay.com/home-listing/TK13222/
https://www.airbnb.com/luxury/listi...on_id=p3_1626705996_MWwyfaHFUWcDJse1&guests=1
https://www.onefinestay.com/home-listing/TK13222/
https://www.airbnb.com/luxury/listi...on_id=p3_1626705996_MWwyfaHFUWcDJse1&guests=1
I 17ing hate being married. When I say I hate it I mean I 17ing hate it. 14 years this time. I keep buying big **** to try and push the unhappiness down to a level that I can stay with my kids. That being said. Disney. Greatest place on earth.
Save lots of room for a bunch of food, the endless supply of excellent food is the best thing about these type resorts imo. Sure the tons of fun activities and beautiful scenery is great too but it doesn't hold a candle to the fantastic amount of gorging you can accomplish. Good luck
Yeah, I like going places where people will leave you alone and you can wander around without worrying about people wanting to rob you. Have never stayed in an all inclusive but have met a lot who’ve enjoyed them. Also have met a lot who felt trapped and didn’t like the food or the scene or whatever. Not shitting on them but I don’t think it’s my thing, so that’s why I like the non sovereign islands. Have had a friend who went to Barbados, felt safe, and had a great time
You don't have to worry about that Caribbean decision making know Zombie. If you wan't to go hit sovereign island nations now, I think the 2 closest are Greenland and Iceland.***
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