Ok, friends. We are planning a honeymoon for the end of May of this year, and I am seriously overwhelmed by the options and would love some help.
Here’s what I have so far: * We want nice beaches and snorkeling but also want other activities (hiking, horseback riding - just something active) * I do kind of want some of the “luxuries” (maybe they aren’t really, but they feel like luxuries to me) like a swim up bar (I guess those are fairly common now?) * We like the all inclusive idea but aren’t married to it (just each other as of May 15th...I know, I’m hilarious) * We are flying out of Dallas-Fort Worth and are pretty flexible on the exact dates * Budget is approximately $7k * We do know the stray hurricane can brew in May and will get insurance accordingly * Fiancé has ruled out Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and maybe Jamaica - he scares easily and is worried about safety (I know - take precautions, don’t be an idiot, etc. etc. but it’s a battle I didn’t feel the need to fight this time, especially as it sorta helped me narrow stuff down, and we have the budget to go elsewhere)
So...Aruba? St. Lucia? One of the less popular islands in the Bahamas? (Though honestly I want to go to the Atlantis water park that has the water slide past sharks one day...) Anguilla? The Caymans? Virgin Islands?
submitted by When I was trying to decide if/where/when to go on a babymoon with the husband, I tried searching here and didn't have much luck in finding answers or reviews. I'm sharing this experience in the hope that it helps others!
**First things first** - Zika! Bahamas have been cleared from the Zika risk by the CDC since February or so of 2018. This means there hadn't been a Zika case reported in the Bahamas since February of 2017. And, FWIW, neither of us even got a bug bite during our time there. Can also confirm that the Bahamas are crawling with pregnant ladies! I think we saw at least 8 others at our resort alone.
**Timing** - We went the first week of September - I was 28/29 weeks. Definitely hurricane season, but that also means it's the *least* busiest month. We were there 6 days/5 nights. I could've stayed forever ;)
**Flights** - We live in the midwest, for reference. On the way there we had three flights - 3 hours - 1 hour - "1" hour (more like.. 30 mins). On the way back it was a little more direct with only two flights - "1" hour - 3+ hour. Definitely try to see if you can board early due to pregnancy, drink lots of water, wear compression socks, and try to get up and use the bathroom hourly if you can. The last flight back was the worst, mainly because the flight attendants weren't able to get up until nearly an hour into the flight (for possible turbulence that we never hit!) for drink service, and then they were stingy with the water! I probably could have asked for more, though. I will say that I am lucky in that it's been a fairly unicorn pregnancy for me and have had few aches/pains/problems overall, so YMMV on flying on the later side of pregnancy.
**Precautions Taken** - We did get travel insurance in case I suddenly became high risk and had to cancel. We shopped around using
squaremouth.com and got the "cancel for any reason" package as cancelling for pregnancy medical-related reasons can be tricky (also were covered in case of hurricane or other medical emergencies). I also made sure my health insurance would work there, found out about the hospitals on island and that they had level 2 NICUs (we stayed on the main island for this reason, though from what I read any pregnancy complications tend to be sent to the US). Also got my medical records at the last OB appointment before we left.
**Resort** - Breezes! I was really nervous about this because the reviews were pretty extreme! Some love it, some hate it. It worked out perfect for us, though. I think some of that has to do with the timing (slow month), and we don't have super high/expensive expectations. Don't go during spring break/end of school year - it will be overrun with high school/college kids coming to get drunk (they even warn you of this when booking). This resort is all-inclusive, but more of the "budget" variety. Apparently the biggest complaint is that they don't have shrimp/lobster out every night like some of the all-inclusives in Mexico (or other resorts?) do - so if you're used to that, keep it in mind. They had nightly entertainment, and also activities going on every day. We really enjoyed most of the night shows. Didn't go for the daytime stuff, but I wasn't there to be active - I just wanted to sit on the beach, read and relax!
**Food/Drink** - No top shelf liquors or anything (not that I cared about those!). We liked their main daily buffet - had that for breakfast and dinner almost every day and got a snack from the beach/pool hut for a small lunch. The food wasn't fancy, but it had good flavor and spice and good variety. They also have restaurants that are first come, first served (no reservations). We tried it once and weren't super impressed, but YMMV. They had your basic virgin drinks - daiquiris, pina coladas, fruit juices and pops. I will say the daiquiris were DELISH. I'm not a huge fan of them usually, but they were made with real strawberries, which I think made all the difference compared to what I'm used to.
**Babymoon Package** - So right now, it seems they've discontinued this. :( We told someone else at the resort about this deal, and the front desk told them it's no longer available and that they are "revamping" it. So, keep an eye out, or call and inquire. Worst they can tell you is no. BUT it was pretty awesome - free upgrade to the "ocean front" room from the "ocean view" room (this is only when an ocean front is available - there's a HUGE difference in price between these rooms!), cabana included every day (normally $50/day), extra pillows, breakfast in bed one day, and a couples facial. All for $200. Oh, and if we were out late enough, room service left us little goodies at night (luggage tags, power bank, ear buds, etc). Worth every penny!
**Other random stuff** - We didn't do any special packages or outings, but there was a sea turtle that liked to hang out near the west side of their roped off swim area, which was really neat! S/he hung out with us one day and got fairly close :) There was also a baby shark that swam through one afternoon- s/he kept his distance! We also caught the bus into town a couple days just to get out and get souvenirs, check out the straw market. Wasn't too bad, but not amazing. The new Baha Mar is also next door and a bus runs between the nearby resorts and there. It's like a Vegas casino/hotel.
All in all, so glad we went for it. It was beautiful and relaxing. Our first experience at an all-inclusive resort, and we were pretty happy with it. We would probably go back ( I say probably *only* because I like to travel and see new places - if we we had unlimited vacation days, I'd definitely be back), but maybe fake me being pregnant for the babymoon deal, if available. :)) We're really glad we chose it over Baha Mar or Atlantis - more expensive for less, and the larger complexes mean it takes longer to get to the beach!
A couple pictures! Feel free to ask me any questions - be it in here or PM! :)
Edit: to fix link formatting
Going in October - December timeframe. We're excited about the Bahamas for the beauty, culture, food, people, and I'm always a fan of getting another passport stamp.
My fiance and I are equal parts laid-back and adventurous. Weddings are stressful enough and I will be moving across the country immediately afterwards, so we'd like a worry-free honeymoon after all that.
We like cruises, but are also interested in all-inclusive options in the Bahamas. The only two I am aware of are Atlantis and Sandals. Atlantis seems more of a family setting, doesn't really scream 'honeymoon'. We'll look into Sandals, but definitely open to other suggestions.
Google has only been mildly helpful. TripAdvisor is no help, they don't break all-inclusives out into their own category, everything is lumped together with regular hotels. Fiance is going to talk to a travel agent, but I will never pass up a chance to solicit Reddit for suggestions on something like this.
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