Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    
    Hi Kelley!
    	
    	I'm soooo jealous--I wish I was a bride-to-be!!  I got married
    in October and wish I could do it all over again.  
    
    	We went to Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
     It was an all inclusive resort which means that you pay one fee
    and everything is included.  You don't pay for food or drinks, and
    if you smoke, cigarettes are included.  All water activities are
    included.  It was really a wonderful trip, with lots of things to
    do!!  We're planning to go back...
    
    	If you want more info, don't hesitate to ask, I love talking
    about it!!
    
    	My friend an her husband went to St. Thomas on their honeymoon
    in May and loved it.  They had a lot of rain, but still thoroughly
    enjoyed themselves.  They stayed at a time sharing condo there,
    so I can't really tell you anything about the hotels.  I remember
    her saying that the island is beautiful and the people are very
    friendly.
    
    	Have fun and best wishes!!
    
    	Sheryl
    

    Kelley --
    
    We didn't go to Jamaica for our honeymoon a few years back, but
    we did go for vacation.  Montego Bay was a bit too "touisty" and
    crowded for me, so we went to Runaway Bay at the JAMAICA! JAMAICA!
    resort.  It was all-inclusive as well, plus pick airfare and airport
    transportation.  They also organize trips to other isalnd spots
    like the falls and barter towns in Ocho Rios, a raft drift down
    the Marth Rae, a canoe drift, and horseback riding on the beach.
    
    You don't get the spectacular sunrises or sunsets, because you're
    smack in the middle of the North coast, but of the resorts we visited,
    (we got a chance to visit others, and they ours), ours was the nicest
    and most private.  They had special buffet breakfasts and lunches
    at the beach every day, special entertainment every nite, special
    dress-up nites (Pirate nite, beach party nite with games, limbo
    nite), and lots of afternoon activities; sailing, snorkeling (great
    snorkel trip to sunken shipwreck), catamaran trips, glass bottom
    boating, windsurfing, and games of all sorts: goat racing, beach
    chess (3 foot high tokens!), wood carving, crafts, and so on!
    
    A 10 day visit cost 2 of us under $3000 in October, and it rained
    for 20 mins. one afternoon only.  It was a Delta Dream Vacation
    booked at a travel agency (that included air from Detroit to Atlanta
    to Miami to Jamaica).  If you don't buy souvenirs or go on the extra
    resort trips, you don't have to spend another cent!
    
    Enjoy!
    
    -- Sue

    RE: .1
    
    Two other "club-style" (all-inclusive) resorts in Jamaica are
    Couples in Montego Bay and Hedonism II in Negril, the West-most
    side of the Island.
    
    Both are owned by the same Corporate group (whoever that may be).
    I can only vouch for Hedonism II. I've gone there 5 out of the
    last 6 years, so there must be something about the place that appeals 
    to me. :-)         
    
      Alan

	First, let me warn you that you should look up the term "hedonism"
    in the dictionary.  If this isn't your cup of tea, Hedonism II
    and Couples may be offensive to you.  (I don't know when you were
    there, Alan, but during our visit in 1986, we had these terms
    graphically defined for us upon our resort visit!)
    
    And if you've considered the Poconos, that's where we went, let
    me tell you that they were more commercial than expected, less private
    than expected, and the entertainment wasn't great.  The mountains
    of Pa. are some of the most beautiful sights you'll ever seen in
    the fall, however, and the couple we shared dining arrangements
    with all week are now friends of ours.  (We keep in touch and visit
    occassionally.)  It is a good place for relaxing, silence, long
    walks, and crisp morning swims in the pool.  It's alot cheaper than
    Jamaica, if you're tight on funds, as we were.
    
    -- Sue

    We went to St. Thomas for our honeymoon last April AND LOVED IT!
    I did a lot of research on most of the islands in the Caribbean,
    and settled on St. Thomas.  It all depends on what you are looking
    for.  Night life? Gambling? Solitude?
    
    I picked St. Thomas for it's combination of most of those things.
    
    A few of the selling points were:
    
    1. It is a U.S. Virgin Island, so there is not need to exchange money
       (that's if you consider this a hassle)
    
    2. It is a lush tropical island, lots of greenery and flora, as
       opposed to the southern islands like Aruba.
    
    3. There is no gambling, but the island offers pretty much everything
       else, night life (if you choose, or you can just relax), beautiful
       beaches (there is Meghan's Bay at St. Thomas which National 
       Geograhic voted one of the 10 most beautifil beaches in the world!),
       cheap transporation.
    
    4. Great Restaraunts - I wouldn't recommend doing a meal plan -
       that way you can explore other eateries on the island, and
       there are a lot of very good ones.
    
    5. Extremely friendly residents (I'm sure this is the case on many
       of the islands), but these people seem to go out of their way,
       this was a great plus for us.
    
    6. St. John is just a 20 minutes boat ride away.  This is a nice
       1 day trip.  St. John is a very *quiet* island, not too much
       going on, but 3/4 of it is a National Park and very lovely.
    
    7.  St. Thomas has great shopping (Jewelry, liquor, linens,
        perfumes) all duty free!
    
    
    I could go on and on.  We just loved it and are planning on going
    back for our 5th anniversary.  I say 5th because it is rather
    pricey.  But we knew this up front and saved up, it was worth
    every penny.
    
    Feel free to write me if you want more info!
    
    Dorothy
    

    We went on a cruise to the Carribbean for our honeymoon and just
    loved it!  We went to St. Thomas (which was my favorite), San Juan,
    Nassau, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (you can skip this
    one).  We enjoyed the cruise because everything was paid for ahead
    of time so we didn't have to worry about running out of money. 
    And the cruise was forced relaxation for us which was much needed.
    
    We also have some friends who spent their honeymoon on St. Martin
    and just loved it.  I think if you like sun and fun that any of
    the Carribbean islands will suit you.
    
    Good luck and have fun.
    Cathy

    RE: .6
    
    We are thinking of going on a Carribean Cruise next winter - What
    cruise line did you go on?
    
    Suzanne

    We went on the NCL line on the Southward.  The only thing I would
    do differently is to choose a larger boat and more sea time.  We
    thought that less sea time was better, but there were so many
    activities during sea days that sometimes they were better than
    being in port!  We ended up on that particular cruise (which was
    a honeymoon cruise -- something like 263 honeymoon couples) because
    it left on a Sunday and we were married on Saturday.  So if you're
    on a honeymoon, take a Sunday cruise.  Otherwise, avoid Sunday cruises
    and take one that leaves on Saturday because you won't want to be
    where all the activities are geared towards honeymooners.
    
    Cathy

    Thanks for the great advice.  We are looking at two cruise lines
    - NCL and Carnival.  We were thinking of a cruise that goes to an
    island every other day and is at sea every other day.  The saturday
    cruise sounds like a good idea - we are going with 4 other couples
    - it is definitely not a honeymoon but a big party vacation.
    
    When we went on our honeymoon, we ran into honeymooners every where
    too!  Yes, honeymoon couples can be spotted a mile away and we were no
    exception.  But they are fun to meet - so much in common - we had some
    good times with other honeymoon couples.  We went to Hawaii for 12 days
    - beautiful and we cannot wait to go back. 
    
    

    I would highly recommend Hawaii for your honeymoon if you can afford
    it. It's not as expensive as alot of people think. We went there
    for our honeymoon two years ago and spent about $3500 max for airfare,
    hotel, meals, extras etc. You can really get a good deal if you
    shop for your travel agent. 
    
    We spent 5 days on Oahu (crowded, but beautiful- a million and one
    things to do), and 5 days on Maui (extremely quiet, romantic, lots
    of things to do here too. Each island is breathtaking and has something
    different to offer. I look forward to visiting Hawaii again some
    day and maybe even moving there!!!!  Good Luck with your plans!

    I second that recommendation - Hawaii is wonderful.  But since
    you spend two days traveling (12 hour - 10 hour flight) you have
    to spend more than a week there.  We spent 6 days on Kauai and
    4 days on Ohahu and traveled two days.
    
    Kauaii is great for a honeymoon - lush, exotic flowers, gorgeous
    beaches (Lumahai was our favorite - this is where South Pacific was
    filmed), a breath taking canyon, and lots of sight seeing and hiking to
    do.  On Oahu we stayed on the North Shore about 1 hour from Waikiki.
    Waikiki was a great place for shopping, sight seeing and night life,
    but not a great place for a quiet honeymoon.  The north shore on Oahu
    was more serene but close enough to travel to all the tourist
    attractions. 
    
    Oh and on Oahu a must see is the Polynesian Cultural Center - what a
    wonderful experience this was.  There were villages spread through out
    the center each representing a polynesian island.  There were craft
    lessons, dance lessons, history lessons, and shows all followed by a
    wonderful polynesian dinner and a show that was out of this world. 
    
    I cannot wait to go back to Hawaii!  We would love to move there some
    day too!

    	All this talk about Hawaii is making me so homesick... <sniff>
    	The last time I went home, I stayed there for a year (right
    	before I went to California to join DEC.)  
    
    	Hopefully, I'll be going for a visit later this year (I promised
    	my parents that I'd visit them, since it's so hard to talk them
    	into leaving Hawaii to visit us here!)  :-)
    
    	Anyway -- other good sights on Oahu -- Paradise Park (way in
    	the back of Manoa Valley) features all kinds of exotic tropical
    	birds, and includes a huge walk-in mesh cage where you can have
    	these incredible birds land on your shoulder.  Also, Sea Life
    	Park (out past Diamond Head towards Kailua) has shows featuring
    	dolphins, etc. (in case no one has mentioned it already.) Gorgeous
    	setting!!
    
    	I'm also hoping to move back home (eventually.)  I started
    	kindergarten in Hawaii and graduated from the University of
    	Hawaii at Manoa in 1976.  (I miss it a lot!!!)

                                 
    RE: .4 
    
  >	First, let me warn you that you should look up the term "hedonism"
  >  in the dictionary.  If this isn't your cup of tea, Hedonism II
  >  and Couples may be offensive to you.  (I don't know when you were
  >  there, Alan, but during our visit in 1986, we had these terms
  >  graphically defined for us upon our resort visit!)
    
    Sue, I've gone there in 1982, '83, '84, '85, and 1987. (Too bad
    I missed you in '86 :-) ).
    
    To be sure, HEDONISM II is an "adult-oriented" resort. They do not
    allow anyone under the age of 18 as guests.
    
    Perhaps the best way to decribe the place's philosophy is "Live-and-Let-
    Live. And, most importantly, ENJOY!!"                                   
    
    There is, truly, something (many things) for everyone there.
                                         
    All this talk about HEDONISM II is giving me an itchy finger to
    get on the phone to my travel agent............ (What's another
    thousand on plastic, he says? :-) )
    
      Alan

    It's been 11 years (and 2 weeks) since my wife and I had our
    honeymoon on St. Thomas. My brother and his wife had theirs
    there as well. We all highly recommend it. Take the boot to St.
    John for a day. Shop til you drop. Visit the beach an Meggans Bay.
    Ride a glass bottom boat in the harbor. Walk the streets; the people
    are great.
    
    I want to go back can you tell?
    
    			Alfred

    We went to St. Thomas 12 years ago and on our honeymoon and after
    visting other Carribean islands, find that St. Thomas was pretty
    good.
    
    We stayed at Frenchman's Reef which was nice (but nothing more than
    a big Holiday Inn).
    
    Two recommended restaurants : the 1829 House and L'Escargot.
    
    The shopping is better than most of the other islands and you have
    the option of going to St. John or St. Croix for a diversion.
                                                                 
    Plus the people were qenuinely nice, someting which you don't 
    always find on some of the islands.
    
    Boy, I really want to go BACK!

    We went to the Poconos for our honeymoon -- we were poor students
    in Binghamton NY at the time and even a weekend at Birchwood stretched
    our budget pretty badly.
    
    Birchwood had a lot of private cabins and we loved it, but I don't
    think it's still in business.  (We heard it burned.)
    
    If you have the money, I'd recommend the cruise.  We've been twice,
    once for four days and once for a week, both times on NCL, and we
    loved it.  It's a very get-away-from-it-all feeling -- and NOTHING
    makes you feel as pampered as sitting on the deck at sunrise with
    a cup of coffee brought to you by a white-jacketed waiter after
    you've been up all night dancing in the lounge . . . sigh.  
    
    We're thinking of going on yet another cruise in a year or two,
    as soon as Steven's old enough.  (We took Kat on both cruises, by
    the way, and she had a wonderful time.)  This time we're thinking
    of Royal Viking, Royal Caribbean, or Sitmar, all of which go to
    slightly different ports.  
    
    Travel agents have brochures just dripping with pictures that make
    you want to pack your bags and leave tomorrow.
    
    --bonnie

    
    I am going on my honeymoon in June and we're thinking of St. Martin
    - has anyone been there?
    
    
    I've been to St. Thomas and St. John's and preferred St. John's.
    We rented a jeep for a week and stayed in a cottage overlooking
    Caneel Bay - the cottage, which was quite large (2 large bedrooms,
    living room, kitchen, wrap around deck) was $700.00 for 1 week -
    this was in september of 1986.   We went on a day trip to St. Thomas
    for shopping but couldn't wait to get back to the seclusion and
    untouched beauty of St. John's.  When we wanted company, we went
    to the center of the village and partyed with the islanders.
    
                      It was WONDERFUL!
    
    

    Re: .17 --
    
    We spent a week on St. Maarten (we stayed on the Dutch side) just after
    Steven was born, when I didn't want to stay home for another week but
    wasn't quite ready to go back to work.  We'd go back any time. 
    
    It was a lovely island, friendly without begging the way some of
    the poorer islands can be.  The people who work in the stores and
    hotels are welcoming you to their island as their guests, not waiting
    on you.  Some people we talked to found this attitude snobbish or
    unfriendly, but we enjoyed it.  
    
    We stayed at a hotel called the Bel Air Beach Hotel, on Little Bay just
    outside of the capital city of Phillipsburg.  These were lovely suites
    with balcony overlooking the bay, very nicely furnished and $125/night
    in 1984.  (We've been told that prices have gone up quite a bit since
    we were there.)  The complex has all the basic resort amenities, like
    sailboat rentals, swimming, and so on, without competition from the
    larger boats that fill Great Bay, on the other side of a narrow point.
    It was a great place to veg out. 
    
    The city of Philipsburg is only a mile or so away.  It has night clubs,
    restaurants, not as swinging as the French side.  Most of the resort
    hotels are also on the French side.  If you like to go out dancing
    or such, you'd be better off there (The Caravansary got high ratings
    from departing tourists.)

    Wherever you stay, be sure to take one of the catamarans to St.
    Barth's for the day.  A lovely, peaceful island with some surprisingly
    good restaurants.
    
    We also took a day sailing trip on the Gabrielle, a lovely 63'(? --
    memory's growing dim....) yawl that sails up the coast for some
    snorkeling and a gourmet lunch, then sails back.  
    
    I'd be glad to answer any other questions you might have through
    mail.
    
    --bonnie

    
      My fiance and I are going on our honeymoon a year from June. 
    We're thinking of going to Alaska, or if we can afford it, to
    Norway/Scandinavia/Denmark.   We'd particularly love to take a
    cruise through the fiords and by the glaciers.
    
      Has anyone done this?  Did you like it?  Don't bust my bubble, 
    but how expensive was it?
    
    PaulC        
    

    
    Check out SUSHI::ALASKA.  I am planning a vacation to Alaska this
    summer, but have all my info at home.
    
    CQ

I've lived in Sweden and travelled through most of Scandinavia.

The "cruise" up the Norwegian coast is well worth taking, but don't
expect luxury accomodations.  There are also very nice bus tours
through Lappland (Northern Sweden/Finland/Norway).

If you can manage a sailboat, try to charter one through the Stockholm
archipelago, which is like no other part of the universe.

Good luck.

Martin.

    A few months ago, a local paper ran an article describing the
    tours of the Northwest's Inner Passage (I think that's what it's
    called)  Luxury boat, awesome scenery, killer whales and glaciers
    and why am I here ? :-)  

    
    Like totally...
    
    

    When I first got pregnant two years ago, I was SO sick and I felt
    SO bad for myself that I went home one day and told Paul that we
    were going to Bermuda.  We ended up going to St. Thomas because
    it was cheaper--it was wonderful!!              
                                                    
    We stayed at Secret Harbor which I really enjoyed.  The only problem
    was that the JFK arrived in the harbor the same day as us and little
    13-mile St. Thomas was overrun with 18-year-old GI Joe's who had
    just gotten paid and hadn't been on leave for a month.  They did
    things like drink beer and discard their cans in that beautiful
    crystal clear water, start fights everywhere they went, and talk
    a lot about going to the Middle East to kick some a**.  It was
    depressing and more than a little frightening.  (Ah, the youth of
    America.)  They ended up leaving the same day as us!
    
    We snorkeled and sat on the beach and rented a jeep (for some reason
    my husband got quite a charge out of driving on the "wrong" side
    of the road) and shopped and ate out a lot.  It was wonderful. 
    If you do go, you _have_ to go over to St. John's for at least a
    day; it is SO beautiful!!                       
                                                    
    We met a lot of nice folks: another couple from Boston who moved
    down there a month later and have invited us back to stay with them,
    and many "natives" who had never been off the islands.  If they
    ever saw what we've done to Boston Harbor!      
    
    I think you'll enjoy St. Thomas.
    
                                           
    ---For our honeymoon, we took a cruise (from San Francisco to
    Acapulco).  It was really cost effective (relatively) and a lot
    more fun than I expected.  You could do as much or as little as
    you want, and still feel like the cruise was custom-designed for
    you.  I would check out Carribbean cruises if I were you...