|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All Reviews
|
|
| Sapphire Beach Resort - St. Thomas |
|
|
|
My family and I vacationed in St. Thomas in March 2003 and it was my first visit to the Virgin Islands. I have been to the Cayman Islands a long time ago and loved it! St. Thomas was equally as beatiful with the blue/green water and white sandy beaches. I was not as impressed with the snorkeling in St. Thomas though as I had been in the Caymans. However, we never went out on the far out reefs we just ventured out from the different beaches so I'm sure there were better spots. We did see some pretty coral and fish and the water was clear, beautiful and warm!
Sapphire Beach was by far the most beautiful place we could've stayed. We were all pleased with the resort. There were a few minor problems with the room that could occur anywhere but the resort itself was fantastic. The beach was better I thought than any of the others we saw on St. Thomas or St. John which we also visited while we were there. We went to Magens Bay, Cinnamon Bay and Trunk Bay and none of them (though all spectacular!) quite compared to Sapphire beach. We spent almost every morning enjoying the comfy lounge chairs that were always plentiful along the beach and towels were free. The view of the water there was also amazing and you could see some of the neighboring islands as well.
There was a bar and water sports shop where you could sign up for Scuba Diving trips, check out (free) snorkeling gear, etc. It was very convenient. Also there is a restaurant right next door and they catered at least 2 or 3 beach parties while we were there that cost only $10-$20 for the buffet and included almost anything you could imagine. I am a vegetarian and they charged me $5 because I had no meat on my plate! The staff was friendly and helpful and the overall experience was very pleasant. Also on Sapphire Beach is a very nice pool (which of course we didn't use because we were too busy sunbathing and swimming in the ocean!). The pool however is frequented by some of the large iguanas that roam around the point past the resort. They are all over down there. It was really neat to watch them. There is a bar right beside the pool that serves lunch and we ate there a few days because the food was really good and reasonably priced. Our experience with the local restaurants was not as good. Whale of a Tale we thought was WAY overpriced for the quality of food. However, we loved the Greenhouse in Charlotte Amalie. They have buy one, get one free drink specials and dance parties on Thursday nights. That is supposed to be the main place to go on a Thursday if you want night life. Duffy's Love shack was the local dance place/bar and Poor Man's Bar was fun because you could play pool there and the bartender puts all the alcohol for your drinks on the bar and you mix them yourself! Cheap too! In St. Johns, I highly recommend Woody's for happy hour! That was the most fun we had I think. They even take your picture and post it on their website. Also, the Duffy's over there is better for dancing than the one in St. Johns I thought. The best place to go for breakfast was Deli Deck in the Havensight Shopping center. They have an indoor/outdoor dining area and the food is good and reasonably priced! It was more of a casual dining place kind of like a Denny's.
To anyone considering a wedding at Sapphire beach there is a beautiful lookout point that extends out over the water and at the end is where they set up for the weddings. We walked out there a few times just for the view. It would be a beautiful spot!
If anyone wants to ask me any questions feel free. My email is powerssm@hotmail.com but please put 'ST. THOMAS REVIEW' as the subject line so I don't delete it as junk mail. Thanks
|
|
|
|
| Caneel Bay - St. John |
|
|
|
I am currently planning a family trip to the DR and found your web site to be a wonderful resource. When I saw a separate site for Caribbean resort reviews, I decided to submit one on Caneel Bay.
I was motivated to offer our experiences after reading Caneel reviews, both good and bad, on several web sites. This review is lengthy but there are many points to cover on why or why not Caneel Bay may be a place you would like to visit.
My husband and I have vacationed at Caneel Bay three times in seven years. Our first trip was our honeymoon in June 1995. We returned again in May 1999 over the long Memorial Day weekend. Our last trip was over the 4th of July week in 2002. My husband and I absolutely love Caneel Bay. It is a very unique place.
|
|
| ON-ISLAND OPTIONS |
| As far as resort options St. John really only has two, the Westin (formerly the Hyatt) and Caneel Bay. The Westin is like Disney World and Caneel Bay is like a deserted island. They could not be more different. If your idea of a dream vacation is pool bars and cable TV, stay at the Westin and leave Caneel Bay to the travelers that desire peace, quiet, and beautiful beaches.
|
|
| THE JOURNEY |
Upon arrival at the St. Thomas Airport, you are taken to downtown Charlotte Amalie. Depending on the Caneel ferry schedule, you may have time to walk around town. Check the resort’s ferry schedule, which may be helpful when you arrange flight times in and out of St. Thomas. We liked the opportunity to have a chance to wind down for an hour or two before catching the Caneel ferry. There are many waterfront cafes where you can enjoy the atmosphere.
We always look forward to the Caneel ferry. The ride is so relaxing and there are so many things to see along the way. If you are interested, one of the ship's mates will be happy to play tour guide by pointing out areas of interest along the way. They serve punches, both rum and non-alcoholic, on the trip to the resort. After a greeting of cold facial towels at Caneel’s dock, we were immediately transported to our room. Take your bathing suits in your carry-on or purse. While the luggage arrives within a reasonable time, you will want to hit the beach as soon as possible.
|
|
| THE RESORT |
Caneel Bay is spread out over nearly 200 acres. The rooms are scattered around the resort and I don’t think there is a room that is more than a five-minute walk from one of the beaches. We walked every path on the resort and all room categories certainly had their positive points.
Anyone considering Caneel Bay should be fully aware that this resort is quiet. No congo lines or limbo bars here. There is evening entertainment at The Caneel Bar, which usually consisted of live island-type music.
The breakfast buffet is wonderful. We rarely each lunch because it carries us through to dinner. I believe they also have a complimentary continental breakfast but it may end too early for some people.
I read in reviews varying opinions on service at Caneel. Our experiences were positive. Just remember, on St. John, it is island time.
The restaurants are good. Eat at the Equator on the first night, preferably before sunset, as the view is great. On our first trip, we included meals with the package. The second and third time, we dined both on and off the resort. Cruz Bay is a short taxi ride away and we liked the variety in town.
The grounds are stunning. The resort runs little jitney buses around the resort but we prefer to walk. If you are a walker, take sneakers along, as there are many paved paths and dirt trails to explore.
|
|
| THE ROOMS |
We stayed on the same beach all three trips and in the same room twice. (Why mess with a good thing?) Buildings are either one or two stories and all rooms have patios or balconies furnished with chairs and loungers.
The rooms are tiled with nice furnishings. Air conditioning is a recent addition. We were there in July and didn’t use it. There is a mini-bar in the room with the typical mini-bar prices. If requested, the resort will bring in a small refrigerator. On all three trips, we went to town the first day and purchased refreshments for the beach.
There are no TVs or phones in the rooms. There are phone stands in close proximity to all the rooms and the main resort building has a nice business center.
|
|
| THE BEACHES |
All are unique and beautiful. The resort provides great beach towels. There are more than enough beach chairs and rafts. At times, we were the only ones on the beach.
The resort also provides snorkeling equipment for use during your stay trip. Being that St. John has many places to snorkel, this is a very nice feature. Pick it up at the dock.
|
|
| OFF THE RESORT |
If you like to explore rent a Jeep either at the resort or in town. The taxi buses are convenient and reasonable but we like the freedom to roam the island. St. John is stunning; each bend in the road brings a view more beautiful than the last.
Trunk Bay is a popular snorkeling beach. Skip it. All the St. Thomas cruise ships run day trips to this spot. On the day we visited, it was packed. We couldn’t swim without getting a fin in the face from the person in front of you. You are paying Caneel prices to be on Caneel beaches, enjoy them.
The town of Cruz Bay is the main town on St. John. Bars and restaurants range from the predictable tourist-type traps to local establishments. Because we chose local seafood, we always had good food wherever we ate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
