Honeymoon Discussions

Adults-only, all-inclusive honeymoon in late Sept-suggestions??

The fiance & I have been back & forth in emails to different agents about where to go for the honeymoon.  We're hoping to have 7-10 day trip on a $5K budget, that figure including our spending money.  Our choices came down to Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, or Panama.  Dominican Republic doesn't feel exotic enough (although I'm sure it's still beautiful) & the fiance says it's too "3rd-world" for him.  St. Lucia seems like the perfect choice, except it's priced at the top of our budget, not leaving room for extra spending.  Plus, this place seems to be trending & we would like our destination to be 'different' than most couples.  Panama is limited on all-inclusive resorts & weren't getting great reviews.

I'd like to have beautiful beaches to lounge on & have beach service provided (where's my foofy-drink w/the umbrella in it?).  We'd also like to do some jetskiing, parasailing, & ziplining if possible.  We want to the service to be excellent, like we're being pampered.  We'd like the option, if we desired, to go off property for sites, shopping, eating, dancing, etc.  The fiance is hoping to have a room w/a jacuzzi tub, I prefer a patio/balcony.  We want room service to be included also.  We're worried about the hurricane belt, but at this point, we may go with it (better check with the fiance again).

We were just about ready to settle on Panama when we read poor reviews on the property.  So now it's back to the drawing board.  Hoping to get some other options, if there are any.......

Thank you anyone & everyone in advance!

Re: Adults-only, all-inclusive honeymoon in late Sept-suggestions??

  • Most of the Caribbean islands are poor, so the Dominican Republic is no more third world country than Panama or St. Lucia. Even with the poverty, these countries are beautiful and should not be missed because of our thoughts on what "third-world countries" are like. In fact, the Dominican has some very highly rated adult only all inclusives, such as Iberostar Grand, Excellence, and Secrets that are among the best in the Caribbean. That being said, I'd check out El Dorado Resorts in the Riviera Maya. You can head to Playa Del Carmen for shopping and eating, there are activites in the area, you'll have the high end all inclusive environment you want, and good food.

    Also just a side note that given your budget and your expectations, you may not be able to get exactly what you want. You may have to compromise in some areas, especially length of stay.

     







  • We loved bahia principe ambar in Punta Cana. All inclusive and adults only. We felt pampered. Pretty much meets most if your criteria. All those islands are poor. Most of the activities you want to do off property can and should be done on the property.
  • KCollins41390KCollins41390 member
    First Comment
    edited May 2014
    Not sure if you both would consider Mexico, but Le Blanc was probably the most extraordinary adults only hotel I've ever been to! Feel free to PM me if you want more info, we got a great deal.
  • i was looking into St. Lucia for the same time, but we learned that's their rainy season, so we are going to push ours back. you might want to look into seasonal climates and such, to help narrow down your decision
  • Uklaw88Uklaw88 member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its
    We just booked our honeymoon at the Secrets resort in Montego Bay. All inclusive, adults only. Amazing :-)
  • KGold80KGold80 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    We booked an adults only all inclusive in playa del Carmen - Paradisus La Perla.
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  • We booked at the Grand Palladium Bavaro - Adults only suites in Punta Cana, we are also going the second week in September.  A co-worker just returned from the resort and said it was fabulous. 
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  • I second Playa del Carmen. The beaches are among the most beautiful I have ever seen. We stayed at the Royal Playa del Carmen and it was amazing. Marble floors, jacuzzi for two in every room, all-inclusive (with fantastic food and great service), candles lit every night, a patio/ balcony with a hammock. The shopping there is great, the fire show on the beach is fun. We took an excursion to a park about half an hour away where there is snorkeling and ziplining. We were spoiled and didn't lift a finger all week unless we wanted to.
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  • Well, if DR is too "third world" for him, he probably won't like St. Lucia and Panama. All of those countries have extreme poverty. They all have beautiful resorts, but you have to drive through some poor areas to get to them. 
  • My FI and I just booked our honeymoon in the DR for the last week in September. We are staying at Excellence with the "Excellence Club" "Honeymoon" and one other package for $3,500. It is all-inclusive and adult only. We are going to be overlooking the garden with our own patio and hammock/ have a jacuzzi tub in our room. If you do the "Club" package you also get access to a private section of the beach. We used a travel agent who has sent many people there on their honeymoon and all have absolutely loved it. I have heard that the bus ride there is interesting (going through poverty stricken towns) but with all-inclusive you really never need to leave the resort.
  • I booked my honeymoon with Sandals Resorts in St. Lucia.  It is an all inclusive resort, adults only and they have different types of rooms.  We booked a butler suite which includes room service as well as our own butler to make reservations for us and make sure our stay is just the way we want it.  Not including air fare our stay at Sandals (butler included) came to $2,525 for 4 nights 5 days.  We also have a balcony and pool in our room.  I signed up for weddingvibe.com where they booked by honeymoon for free and answered every question I had. 
  • I'd recommend Jamaica, if for no other reason than the flights are cheaper since there are so many more airline options than the smaller islands. We stayed at Sandals Montego Bay in 2009 and LOVED it. We got a concierge/mini-bar level room on the far right end of the resort map, which has balcony/patios and offered a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, and we booked a ziplining excursion that was close by, so I think it has most of what you're looking for. The beach was private, so no vendors, but I don't recall drink service (however there was a bar on the beach, so it wasn't a big deal to go get a beverage). Even in September, you're going to be at the high end of your budget to do that for 7 days, I think we paid just shy of that 5 years ago.
  • sirenoftheflame - which sandals did you stay at in st. lucia? we are looking at the butler suites and they seem to be way more expensive...
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