Ok has anyone been to the virgin islands? Can anyone suggest a great spot(preferably not inhabitated and clean untouched)Beach for a wedding? Ok eloping is not supposed to be THIS hard.

The original plan was to go on a windjammer barefoot cruise...but seen as they have all but announced bankrupcy...thats not happening and we are having problems finding a schooner cruise line that goes to the same places.

So now we are planning a day cruise with a stop at an island for the wedding. But I have never been there and want something quiet...just us....a simple breezy white dress and white board shorts.

I did the BIG italian wedding the first time...and don't want the stress again.

Even the small ceremony at home before we go is getting bigger than we wanted...that will be the one with my DS walking me down the isle and we will have a family ceremony. @_@

I have been there. St Croix is the largest island and is also the most "business" oriented. The seat of the government is there (I think), as well as the HOVENSA refinery, and an Alcoa facility. Despite some of the industrialization, it's still a very beautiful island. The industry is located well away from the touristy spots and nice beaches. You probably won't even see the refinery.

That said, St Croix has the least amount of actual tourists. The last time I was there (about 7 years ago), Fredericksted was almost a dead town due to a hurricane, and Christiansted was growing. The major cruise ships stopped making call at Fredericksted (the deep water pier) and smaller boats began to arrive at Christiansted.

Just off of St Croix is Buck Island. It's a natural sanctuary and there is NO development. It has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Matter of fact, it's been used in several advertisements. Do you remember the Pepsi commercial where the little boy sucks himself into a bottle through a straw? That was shot on Buck Island. There is no camping there or overnight stays. You can take tours by boat, but everyone has to be off the island after dark. There is also an underwater snorkel trail.

St Thomas is the most touristy island. It's a major port of call and has all the t-shirt shops and souvenir crap. I don't care for it.

St John is mostly national park and has the least amount of development overall. There are a couple of hotels on the island that might be able to set up a wedding package of some sort for you. Getting there is a bit of challenge. You have to fly into either St Croix or St Thomas, then seaplane it or ferry over to St John.

Also, the cars are all left hand drive like here, but the cars all drive on the left hand side of the road. It's very daunting, and making right turns isn't for the faint of heart. The Cruzan people are friendly to a fault. Everyone is greeted with a "good morning", "good day", or "good evening". Everyone! The same is expected when you leave somewhere. They're also very, very religious so the beaches have no nudity or hanky-panky, etc... I saw one woman go topless at a beach there and she was quickly advised to cover up. This might be a good thing if you've got kids in tow, etc...

There is some casino activity which is relatively recent (within the last 8 or 9 years). I don't know how many are there now, but I was at the first one built on St Croix for a Bar Mitzvah. It's called the Divi Casino Resort. I don't gamble, so I can't comment on how good that part is. The hotel was beautiful, but it's on the east side of the island which Atlantic, not Caribbean. The water looked quite rough compared the north and west side beaches.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend USVI. It's nice there, but everything is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE!!! For instance, there is little to no natural fresh water. Most everything is from desalinization plants. Almost everything is shipped in from milk, to eggs, to bacon. A reasonable dinner for two can go well past $100.

There are other, better destinations IMO. Check out Costa Rica. It's cheaper there and far more interesting. You'll need some passable Spanish though. It's not like Mexico where everyone seems to speak English. The Ticos like Americans and Canadians, but they don't feel the need to learn English just to keep the touristas happy. I kind of like that.

Check out Aruba

I work with a man from the Virgin Islands. Tell me what you want and I'll ask him











My mom used to live in Florida. Between Navarre and Pensacola there used to be this longish highway that went the length of this narrow island that was a national seashore. There was very little development throught there except for the road. The Emerald Coast is what I think the area was called. It was a gorgeous beach area. Simply stunning with almost NOTHING around there except way off at the very ends of the island.

My brother and his wife got married on Anguilla. We all went to the Virgin Islands, stayed on St. Martin then traveled by boat to Anguilla for the wedding. The wedding, with a local minister was on a cliff over looking the ocean.

The island is absolutely beatiful and not overpopulated.

Anguilla

It has always been a dream of mine to go to the virgin islands. Before I got married it wasn't financially possible...then i got married but life got busy...then my son was born....then the divorce and again it wasn't financially possible.

It's the one thing I have always wanted to do. I have always kept my promises and found a way to do stuff for other people. I made sure I kept my promise and took DS to disney world for his 5th birthday. I am a firm believer that if you want to do something. Make sure it is as you want to do it so you have no regrets and am completely happy with the accomplishment.

When Fiance and I talked about taking the possible trip we talked about what we wanted to do. Then we made the decision to get married and decided that would be the perfect place and time.

Cinder,

if your friend knows of a nice excluded beach where we can have our ceremony and just spend some nice relaxing quiet time together for the day. Preferably somewhere we can take a boat to. No interuptions or worries for the day. We really wanted to do the schooner cruise that goes to all those smaller less inhabited tropical islands. Thanks so much for looking into that for us. you are an awesome gal.

Also I thought it might be cool to go to tortola we are both really interested in the old pirate lore. And possibly one of the dolphin swim programs.

Thanks to all who gave such excellent ideas Some of those Islands are also on the cruises we were looking into. Wish we had the time to see them all.

I was looking at pictures there...very pretty. It was one of the islands on the cruise we had been looking at.

I will tell ya the one place I won't go back to was the bahamas.....geez Nassau was a nightmare...it was scary.....pimped out vehicles blasting stereos w/ blacked out windows.....and our taxi driver hanging out the window yelling at the driver....we were on the floor of the cab as we both grew up in a nearby city here that was BAAAAD growing up....I mean ghetto.

Never eva eva eva eva goin back there.

And when were you going to tell me you got engaged?!

First of all, a big CONGRATULATIONS to you! That's wonderful news, and it's wonderful that you are planning a destination elopment.

I just got back from a cruise - and we stopped in Tortola. It is a beautiful island, but the cruise ships stop there (a lot of them sometimes) so check the schedule of when the ships are docked.

We went on a tour by cab - it is gorgeous......they have two relatively well known beaches, Brewers Bay and Cane Cove (I think, I'll have to look it up again)- both beautiful beaches and not too crowded, unless of course it's "ship day".

Send me your email, and I'll get the BF to send me the photos of Tortola and I'll send them to you....might take a day or two.

Laura

I say the SAME about Nassau - it was the pits! It was our last stop on the cruise, and I only wandered around for about an hour and then got back on the ship - GROSS!

The Bahamas would not be someplace I'd visit again!

Laura

Virgin Islands caught my eye.

Tortola, BVI. For me there is not a more perfect place. We are scuba divers so we have been there several times. It is a friendly, beautiful island with all kinds of different things to do. It is busy in the towns but mainly because it is a sailing mecca. You could do a sail to Virgin Gorda and do it there! Oh my, there is not a more perfect place as far as I am concerned.

Check out the Prospect Reef Hotel. Last time I was there, was about 10 years ago.

My husband wants us to renew vows if we make it through this ordeal and this was the place I looked first.

*shrinks* *gulp* Thought...I ....mentioned...it in...Generall questions II

Dude your scary sometimes :P

yarrrrr.... I can't wait. Hmmm prospect reef hotel I will look that up. Thanks SSS. Which Island had the waterfalls and pools?

That would be so awesome. I will message you in your pm's. wow i think the cat is tired...she seems to be like my 5 year old who gets hyper when he is fighting off sleep. She is doing psycho cat around the house.

OK PMing has glitches....truly my email is xxxxxxxxxx can you post to me when you get this so I can take the email down?

Got it....

I am picking up BF's camera today, will download photos and send you what I got.

I know that St. Thomas is tourist-filled, however, Megan's Bay is awfully pretty, and the resorts are beautiful.....might look into that??

I'll send the photos as soon as I get them.....

Laura

Hey I need your number again...since I lost my phone and had to get a new one I have been slowly but surely replacing numbers. Email it to me. AND WHEN are you coming back down to visit? We will take you to wild things next time your out....but bring your good camera....they have a new lion cub who is soooooo cute.

Here's some advice from a friend of mine who's from the Virgin Islands: Megan's Bay is one of the top 10 beaches ... many hotels are on beaches and have wedding packages ... but if you're looking for something more secluded, St. John may be the way to go because it's smaller & mostly national park.

And I definitely want to come visit again this month or next but now that I'm cast in a play I don't know my availability.

Okie dokie just let me know when and I will let ben know.