suggestions for cheap Carribean vacation??

[Poker Orifice]

Planning to get away for a week or two at the end of April and wondering where would be a good place to go in the Carribean.
Have heard suggestions that Cuba is fairly cheap. Looking for anyother suggestions. (Belize? CostaRica? DominicanRepublic?)

tks

[BooG690]

Costa Rica is awesome. Super awesome. And cheap depending where you fly out from. What do you want to do on vacation? Relax? Explore? Nature? Actually, it doesn't matter. CR covers all those things.

[kiwiMark]

Were the Lord of the Rings filmed in the Carribean? Do you really want to waste what might be your last vacation ever?

[WillburForce]

Me: My wife has gone to the Carribean for a couple of weeks

Friend: Jamaica?

Me: No, she went of her own accord

[MadMojoMonkey]

I've never been, but I've heard extremely good reviews on Caribbean Cruise ships, from quite diverse sources.

The cruises can be relatively cheap and easy to arrange compared to other vacations.

[jackvance]

I went to St Maarten in december (unibet open poker tourney). Best vacation ever and pretty cheap if you can dodge the cab hustlers. That is, if you go with a male friend. If you go with your gf don't go there it'll cause problems.

[Poker Orifice]

Costa Rica is awesome. Super awesome. And cheap depending where you fly out from. What do you want to do on vacation? Relax? Explore? Nature? Actually, it doesn't matter. CR covers all those things.

Mostly to 'relax'. I might be taking the g/f's parents too & they are both old & not very mobile (84yrs. old, has a walker & has had a few strokes).

Somewhere that we can hang on the beach, float around in the ocean. I'm hoping to do some snorkelling as well (< mostly just puttering around though).
Looking for somewhere quiet/laid-back. We're all 'non-drinkers'.

I'm not 100% sure about taking the in-laws at this point as it'll depend on their health (aka 'if they're up to going'). Planning on going in a couple mos. (late April... as I need to get my passport asap first).
Also wondering if booking a couple mos. in advance during slow/off season would be better than waiting for some last minute deal? (timewise I'm open to going whenever... once I have passport that is. no time constraints with job, etc., can leave on very short notice)

tks for suggestions

[Poker Orifice]

Will most likely be flying out from Vancouver B.C. (will probably fly to Van. & stay at RiverRock for a couple/few nights before leaving & will rendezvous with her parents who will be coming over to meet up with us from Van. Island). I've got a 3-day, all-inclusive pkg. for RiverRock that is collecting dust & figured it'd be a good time to use it.

[BooG690]

A vacation with old people? Finding a cheap cruise ain't hard. Old people love cruises.

Also, resorts can be cheap too but less "old people friendly" imo. Cruises have activities caters to seniors. Old people love activities.

[BennyLaRue]

Tijuana is cheap. Go to a bar called El Gallo Azul and tell them Senora Benny sent you. They'll know what it means.

[Jack Sawyer]

Come to Curaçao! We got it all!

[flomo]

I went to St Maarten in december (unibet open poker tourney). Best vacation ever and pretty cheap if you can dodge the cab hustlers. That is, if you go with a male friend. If you go with your gf don't go there it'll cause problems.

How would you compare it to Thailand?

[jackvance]

How would you compare it to Thailand?

Never been there, or anywhere in Asia, so I couldn't say. I don't travel much tbh.

[BennyLaRue]

Never been there, or anywhere in Asia, so I couldn't say. I don't travel much tbh.

You can say what you know. For example, the ladyboys are uglier in St. Maarten.

[jackvance]

You can say what you know. For example, the ladyboys are uglier in St. Maarten.

Hey now, I'm engaged, all I did was lay down by the pool and on the beach! /official story

[Poker Orifice]

A vacation with old people? Finding a cheap cruise ain't hard. Old people love cruises.

Also, resorts can be cheap too but less "old people friendly" imo. Cruises have activities caters to seniors. Old people love activities.

Good point about the 'old people love activities'.
My concern with a cruise is >> how much walking would they have to do when docked ashore somewhere. ie. would there be use of wheel chairs to take off the boat, etc.

I was really hoping/thinking more along the lines of getting a place right on the water. Even some sort of small cabins or something like that.
I don't think they'd mind too much with bein' bored. We could stay pretty busy just hangin' out & talking a bunch. All of us are looking for a real laid back vacation. (boring = good... as long as there's beaches with great water for swimming in). Myself, I'm hoping to go somewhere where I can just float around in the water for hours, snorkelling, etc.

[Alexos]

Costa Rica is rly awesome, so many things to do there, definitely the best value imo. Cuba and Dominican Republic are prob the cheapest, good choices if you're looking for an all-inclusive type thing. Playa del Carmen in Mexico is similar to Cuba/Dom but an upgrade in terms of quality of service and food. St-Maarten is beautiful but expensive - prob not worth it.

So overall I'd say CR, but if you want cheapest, Cuba or Dominican. I'm from Montreal though - analysis might be diff from Van.

[Poker Orifice]

Costa Rica is rly awesome, so many things to do there, definitely the best value imo. Cuba and Dominican Republic are prob the cheapest, good choices if you're looking for an all-inclusive type thing. Playa del Carmen in Mexico is similar to Cuba/Dom but an upgrade in terms of quality of service and food. St-Maarten is beautiful but expensive - prob not worth it.

So overall I'd say CR, but if you want cheapest, Cuba or Dominican. I'm from Montreal though - analysis might be diff from Van.

thanks for your help

[luckyhearts]

cancun/riviera maya area is very nice.
We loved the all inclusive resorts, but if you are all non drinkers, it may not be worth it. Some of the resorts are nice and right on the beach, no reason to ever leave the property, but if you do taxis are cheap and the bus is under a buck. Everyone speaks english. I used to be able to go to cancun for a week cheaper than florida.(havent priced it lately)
gl and have a great time wherever you go!

oh I highly recommend tripadvisor, look at all the reviews and pics from actual travelers

[swiggidy]

Belize is pretty awesome, my trip wasn't cheap, but included some adventure things.

Was going to suggest Key West, but you don't "drink", and aren't from the U.S. so likely defeats cheapness.

2 additional cents

[Poker Orifice]

thanks for the info. guys!

My brother-in-law (ex) is from Belize (born/raised, moved to Can. ~25yrs. old). I should probably give him a call... but that would mean I'd have to give him a call

[Tom1559]

Get yourself down to San Juan in Costa Rico and then book at last minute with Royal Carribean for their week cruise around the islands. I met loads of Coasta Ricans on the this the last time I did it. Very cheap tickets to fill berths at last minute.

[OngBonga]

St Kitts & Nevis is awesome. I've never been there, I just wanted to say that country name in a sentence.

[BennyLaRue]

St Kitts & Nevis is awesome. I've never been there, I just wanted to say that country name in a sentence.

I was there a few times in Sid Meier's Pirates. Totally rapiered* a guy and hooked up with the Governor's daughter.

* - it's important not to miss the successive letters "ier" in that word or it really changes shit.