augustlily

I am planning to surprise my fiance with our honeymoon destination (getting married in August), and am debating between the Caribbean or Hawaii. We live on the East Coast, so I'm curious if the extra flight time is worth it. We are hoping for:I am looking for: a great resort on a beach that is swimable, a fabulous pool with swim-up bar, great snorkeling and boat trips, wonderful restaurants (cheap and expensive), striking scenery, interaction with wildlike while snorkeling, a bit of culture, a "safe: destination, and the option to be quiet and romantic or have plenty of activity if we so chose. We want something memorable, fun, and romantic -- we live on the coast in Massachusetts, so we are beach people, and are looking for an unforgettable trip -- something we can't experience at home.

I have done tons of research, but have never been to the Caribbean or Hawaii, but have been to Mexico and enjoyed it. Although the Caribbean is much closer, my feeling is that is why we consider Hawaii for our honeymoon. When else would we get to go so far for a trip? The Caribbean seems more do-able for future shorter trips. (We are hoping to spend 10-12 days on the honeymoon.)

If you have been to both, please let me know what you think! THanks!

TedTurner

If you'd like several dozen ready opinions to read, check the archives above.
This same question has been discussed and debated many times here and in the US section. As the islands don't change too quickly, days-old or weeks-old opinions won't be any more valuable than posts from 2002 or before.

augustlily

I have read all the old posts, but looking for people to respond to me specifically. Can anyone weigh in?

jacketwatch

If your heart is set on Hawaii as that special place for your honeymoon by all means go there. Would you have doubt if you did not go there? And if you have 12 days consider seeing two islands. Maui and Kauai maybe. The latter has the Na Pali coast which is esp. scenic. Anything specific I could answer? Cheers and congrats! Larry

Dreps

In my opinion, nothing can compare with a cruise on Radisson's Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia. We did a 14-day back-to-back cruise on it in February. There is plenty of beach time (very little actual cruising), the scenery is spectacular, snorkeling is great. The ship is small (320) people, no fancy dressing up. Food is fantastic -- you can eat alone or with others any time you want. They also had a great band. You can combine a one-week cruise with a pre-cruise stay on one of the island resorts, if you wish. If interested, check out rssc.com. (Some travel agents give slightly better prices.) You didn't mention a budget.

cruisin_tigger

Hi Augustlily - I've been to both the Caribbean and Hawaii. In fact we just got back from a trip to Maui and Kauai in September. I would recommend Hawaii hands down. We came from Chicago and were lucky enough to get a non-stop flight (9 hours - yuk) but so worth it. You get everything - mountains to beaches. Kauai, north shore - Great resort on a beach with an AWESOME swim up bar is the Princeville Hotel. Has three other restaurants on the property that are great too Sunday Champagne Brunch ! The Princeville Hotel is very expensive, but we stayed at a condo within walking distance and it was much more affordable. We only rent condos, much cheaper than hotel rooms and have full kitchen, washer & dryer in unit, etc., which helps save on meals. Would eat stuff from the grocery store for breakfast & lunch and then eat great dinners. Snorkeling on Kauai is good also - lots of sea turtles and tons of different fish. Plenty of great snorkeling from shore - wouldn't really ever need to take a boat trip. There is also great hiking on the north shore - hiked up Kalalau trail to the waterfalls - 7-8 miles of hiking but worth it.

South shore is more laid back, we spent the last few days of our trip there just snorkeling at Poipu Beach and relaxing. We did do a tubing ride that was really fun - http://www.kauaibackcountry.com/tubing.html. A bit pricey, but something totally different.

We loved Maui too. Plenty of snorkeling and again lots of sea turtles and fish. Got up for the sunrise at Haleakala and then hiked 8 miles round trip down into the crater. That is a totally surreal experience, felt like you are hiking on the moon.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask since its impossible to fill in enough info for everyone.

Knowing

We got married in Hawaii and have spent the other years in the Carribbean. We are returning to Hawaii again this winter- first time in almost ten years. Since this is your honeymoon, I recommend Hawaii. The hotels and gardens are beautiful. The beaches in the Caribbean are better, but the pools in Hawaii make up for it. Although we prefer the sense of culture in the Caribbean, we left Hawaii with a sense of wonder. We live in MN,and it is a long flight for us no matter where we go. However, the extra travel time for you will not be a big deal in the end as Hawaii will keep the spirit alive in your memories and you'll find many smiles in the years to come.

gplimpton

It's a gross oversimplification to compare "Hawaii" to the "Caribbean", since each of the islands in each group are so different.
Is the Caribbean low crime or high crime? (Aruba and Jamaica are polar opposites).
Is Hawaii prettier then the Caribbean? Well, I'll take Kauai over Grand Cayman any day, but I'll also take St. Lucia over Lanai.
Food quality? Hard to beat Maui...but Anguilla has better overall dining IMO.

You can make generalizations about water color and temperature, crime, hotels, etc, but there are still wide variations in the particulars from one island to the next.

floridabound

St John, USVI. Gorgeos and much easier to get to than Hawaii from the east coast.

St John's beaches are among the "best" in the world. Caneel Bay resort is the upscale place but we preferred a villa for our honeymoon. It had fantastic views and 10 min ride to all the gorgeous beaches. It is an island to explore. It takes only 30 min go to from one end to the other.

It's on a par with Berumda....However, we thought nothing could compare to the beaches on St. John....

Congratualtions. go to USVI on-line and will find tons of info....

djay

I would suggest you consider two addtional items, your budget and your future. As for budget, you can experience a wonderful honeymoon in the Carribean for less than Hawai. As for your future, consider the idea of returning on anniversaries. Living on the east coast makes it a short plane ride to most all of the Carribean. This means you could return more often than Hawai. Either way I am sure you will have a wonderful time, after all how can you go wrong with your lover and paradise?

Congrats and enjoy!