Aruba Vs. St. Thomas -- Opinions?

Kricciar1029

I am currently leaning towards Aruba or St. Thomas for my honeymoon from 5/26/13 through 6/2/13. 

I am so torn!  I like the weather and ease of getting around that Aruba offers, but St. Thomas seems to have more activities that we would like (plus the option of taking ferries to nearby islands).   What do you recommend? 

alithebride

they're my 1st and 2nd least favorite islands. st thomas is just as easy to get around. if it were me i'd stay on st john and keep st ts for a day trip.

why have you narrowed it down to only these 2 islands? they're completely different-desert vs. lush etc....

Kricciar1029

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_aruba-vs-st-thomas-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:aafe628c-0b3c-4a1b-98e6-da5f6833829cPost:7c4f919c-a591-4946-8f70-c942009f768a">Re: Aruba Vs. St. Thomas -- Opinions?</a>:
[QUOTE]they're my 1st and 2nd least favorite islands. st thomas is just as easy to get around. if it were me i'd stay on st john and keep st ts for a day trip. why have you narrowed it down to only these 2 islands? they're completely different-desert vs. lush etc....
Posted by alithebride[/QUOTE]

I am definitely open to more suggestions!  What are the reasons that they are your least favorite, and what are some of your favorites?

I really would like a place where there are plenty of great restaurants because we do not want to do the all-inclusive route.  I also would like some sort of night life, as well as the option for activities/tours that don't center only on water sports.  But a great beach is important as well!  I guess I am looking for a little bit of everything, if that makes sense.  We are trying to keep it at 5K ...

alithebride

playa del carmen or cancun or tulum, barbados, st kitts and nevis, puerto rico (san juan and old san juan),  st lucia and, of course, costa rica.

aruba-the beaches were nice i just found it to be over rated. didnt have much of a personality at all.  st thomas-over run iwth cruise shippers-there are a ton every day. not much of a slow island pace at all.  imo-nice enough but st john is about 10000 times nicer and is a 15 minute ferry ride away. much less crowded, better beaches etc.. just a nicer island. these are just my opinions of course but i wasn't wowed by either of them (once to aruba, 3x to st thomas). i wouldn't pass up a trip to either of course, but if i had my choice i'd go elsewhere.

amyelise25

If you are looking for more than water sports how about Puerto Rico? It has beaches, a booming food culture, historical place, a jungle like area in the middle, Viqueze (sp?) Island with the bioluminescent bay, etc. Cozumel or Cancun has the beaches and the ruins. I also enjoyed Curaçao because it has a lot of history and a beautiful downtown area. The food is really good. The beaches aren't the greatest because there is a lot of coral surrounding them and you should wear water shoes. But the plus is that the snorkeling/diving is awesome. The island has a lot of it's own industry, so their economy is strong and they don't rely on tourism. That was nice.

SuMmErKuTiE

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_honeymoon_aruba-vs-st-thomas-opinions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:11Discussion:aafe628c-0b3c-4a1b-98e6-da5f6833829cPost:7c4f919c-a591-4946-8f70-c942009f768a">Re: Aruba Vs. St. Thomas -- Opinions?</a>:
[QUOTE]they're my 1st and 2nd least favorite islands. st thomas is just as easy to get around. if it were me i'd stay on st john and keep st ts for a day trip. why have you narrowed it down to only these 2 islands? they're completely different-desert vs. lush etc....
Posted by alithebride[/QUOTE]

Ditto this 100%

Aruba and St. Thomas were definitely nice, but they're my least favorite islands well. They're both beautiful, but compared to the other islands they're overrated as alithebride mentioned. Aruba is just a flat dessert with a bunch of AI's, but it is safe enough to go out on your own into town and eat at their great restaurants. St. Thomas has a bunch of great shopping, but is overrun with cruise passengers every day. We LOVED St. John as it was much prettier and quieter than St. Thomas.

Our favorite islands are Curacao, St. John, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, and we LOVE the Riviera Maya area in Mexico: Cancun, Playa del Carmen, etc..

alithebride

yes curacao!!! i LOVE it there!! how did i forget that one? It's my favorite

glamorous0813

I'm doing Aruba for our HM because I've heard amazing things by travel agents and also people that have been rave about it. We also chose it because its out of the hurricane belt, easy to get around, beautiful beaches, and amazing food. I've always wanted to go!

glamorous0813

Ps. My cousin just got back from st. Thomas and said that while it was beautiful, there was nothing really besides beaches. So she said that after about 3 days it felt a bit old and boring.

Lisa50

I've been to St. Thomas (once) and Aruba (three times).  There is more local flavor to absorb in St. Thomas.  The beaches are better in Aruba.  There is much more in Aruba than AIs.  When we go, we stay at the Bucuti Resort in the Tara Beach Suites http://www.bucuti.com/resort.

Both St. Thomas and Aruba have a multitude of activities.  Try Trip Advisor to get an idea of what's available.  It's difficult to make a solid recommendation without knowing what you'd like to do (or not).   Good luck!

Kricciar1029

Thanks everyone! 

sarawrrxd

FI and I are getting married at the Divi Resort in Aruba. We picked Aruba because the arrid climate and beautiful beaches. We picked the all inclusive route because it is easier to handle a large party through all inclusive, but Aruba is known for amazing restaurants, shoipping and nightlife. There are a slew of high rise hotels in Palm Beach with direct access to the restaurants, shopping, etc. and there are also low rise hotels in Eagle Beach, which is much less congested, but about a mile away from the restaurants. 

Stucker052811

Just adding a comment for others reading this since you've already been on your honeymoon by this time. We honeymooned in Aruba and also stayed at Bucuti Beach Resort - We absolutely LOVED it!!  Best beaches we have seen and plenty of things to do. We went on a day cruise with snorkeling stops, para sailing, jet skiing, jeep tour visiting historical monuments and the natural pool, indian caves, etc. We thought there was plenty to do and the food was great! Would definitely recommend Bucuti as well. Very romantic, secluded, laid back vibe with fantastic service.