Sandals resorts

Vehn · #1 05-29-2006, 07:59 PM

Anyone went? I am going at the end of the year w/ the SO and am having a hard time deciding where to go (Bahamas Antigua Jamaica St. Lucia are the options) and how long etc. Any feedback?

Vehn · #2 06-12-2006, 07:45 PM

anyone?

daryn · #3 06-12-2006, 08:13 PM

more interesting question, can anyone recommend to me some good sandals for the gym?

Peca277 · #4 06-12-2006, 08:22 PM

My friends went to Sandals St. Lucia for their honeymoon. Went for a week and said they loved everything about it. I don't have any more details for you, just that it was highly recommended.

Khaos4k · #5 06-12-2006, 08:30 PM

My mom is a travel agent. She sends lots of people to Sandals and most come back loving it.

Rick Diesel · #6 06-12-2006, 08:32 PM

Stayed at the Sandals Royal Carribean in Montego Bay Jamaica for my honeymoon about 2.5 years ago. We were there for 2 weeks and absolutely loved it. The resort was unbelievable, and due to the fact that it is couples only, there are no loud children and everyone is extremely nice.

If you go to one of the Jamaica resorts, make sure you do the day trip to Dunn's River Falls, it was amazing. Also, the Margaritaville in Montego Bay was a great time. PM me if you want addition details/photos.

Tennenbaum · #7 06-12-2006, 08:37 PM

my friend kelly just got back w/ her boyfriend. they loved it. you dont need any money for drinks, food etc...it's all included. no tips nothing. they said you dont need to worry about a thing and it's the best money they've ever spent.

Banks2334 · #8 06-12-2006, 08:38 PM

Honeymooned at Sandals St Lucia 11 years ago(f*k I'm old). Great place, great people. Good restaurants at the resort, water sports, golf, jungle tours etc.

IHateKeithSmart · #9 06-12-2006, 08:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
My friends went to Sandals St. Lucia for their honeymoon. Went for a week and said they loved everything about it. I don't have any more details for you, just that it was highly recommended.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I had two work friends who honeymooned there at almost the same time about 4 years ago. They both loved it, were probably around 24-28 at the time, if that matters. One was a very hard partier, the other more laid back.

Costanza · #10 06-12-2006, 08:45 PM

I went to the one in the Bahamas with my wife, my sister and her husband and another couple 2 years ago.

Food was meh at best, but the more I drank the better it got. I'd say it's on par with Ruby Tuesday's or something like that. Edible, but nowhere near memorable. Fortunately, the drinks were surprisingly good. They use bar-brands if you don't specify but would gladly use better stuff if you request it. By better, I mean stuff in the league of Bombay Sapphire gin, Cuervo Gold tequila, Jack Daniel's whiskey, Bacardi rum, Johnny Walker Black Label scotch, etc. Wine was generally available at dinner, but even though I'm nowhere close to a wine snob I never got a glass of wine I was happy with.

My wife and I and my sister and her husband had an absolute blast. The couple we went with tend to be fairly picky about things (i.e. they brought their own sheets) and were a bit disappointed but still had a good time overall.

One thing to keep in mind is they tend to be a big honeymoon destination. I think we only met about 3 other couples there who weren't on their honeymoon.

We booked the basic rooms but were given an upgrade when we got there. Our room had a bar and refrigerator. There was a bottle of rum, vodka and whiskey, 2 bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne, water, juice, beer and soft drinks which were restocked every day. We were also able to order room service for breakfast every morning which was actually pretty good.

As far as which one, can't really say because it's the only one I've been to. There were a few things that I think make it a good choice, though. They have a few more types of restaurants than some of the other ones. It's an easy cab ride to Atlantis which has a very impressive casino. It was also a shorter and much less expensive flight to get to the Bahamas than St. Lucia (our 2nd choice).

My favorite part of it was the little island which is offshore because almost nobody went out there. The beach at the main resort pretty much sucks. But there's a very nice beach on the island, and they also have a pool with a swim-up bar there. My wife and I decided to check out the island the third day we were there. I tried to talk the others in our group into coming with us but they didn't want to. They have a boat which runs once an hour. The first boat left at 10:00 and we were the only 2 people on it, so we had the entire beach to ourselves for an hour. There were only 2 people on the second boat, and they decided to stay at the pool.

If you decide to go, make sure you make dinner reservations at all the restaurants as soon as you check in. We had to eat at one of the buffets once -- not recommended. You might be able to get in to some of the restaurants without a reservation but I wouldn't risk it. They aren't all open every night which limits both your choices and the number of available seats, so save the trouble and just make reservations when you get there.

We liked it enough that we're starting to plan a trip to another Sandals with another group for next summer. I think it would still be fun as a couple, but having an open bar for a week is just more fun if you have 5 other people with you for karakoe night.