Punta Cana

I've heard Cuba is nice...











But actually, I e heard that the place will start to get nicer now that the U.S. Allows travel there. So Ive heard....
 
Ye.
I wanna go before we commercialize it.
I wanna see it the way it is. That culture thing is so cool to me.
 
A lot of the people I know at work on our European teams have gone to Cuba (and some multiple times) and all say it is a great place to visit. I guess it is a fairly big tourist destination for them. I would love to go. Personally I have no desire to ever go to an all inclusive. I would much rather go somewhere an enjoy local things and food wherever I go, not just stay in one resort area.
 
We stayed in Punta Cana at the Majestic Colonial for our friends wedding. It was nice. It's a whole other country once you step outside the gates to the resort though.

If you just want to lay around and relax, check out a cruise. We took one of the Carnival ships right here out of Charleston and I think it was maybe $1000 for 7 days. That didn't include alcohol, but I think you can buy a package for that. Food was great, the boat was fun and 2 out of the 3 ports had nice beaches. Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay were really cool. Nassua, Bahamas not so much.
 
jcramsey said:
. Nassua, Bahamas not so much.
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Next time try Bimini. ;) That place is quaint and not touristy at all.

I'm surprised we didn't end up in jail there... Doing doughnuts in the middle of the dirt roads with a souped up golf cart at 4am all while drinking in our 2nd round of 24 drinks. And then going diving at 8am 65' down. Lol.

Wow. That was a wild trip. Memories.

Ok back on track! Hijack over. :)
 
My wife and I went to Riviera Maya a few years back. It was pretty nice and affordable.

If you don't factor in the E Coli poisoning I got and the massive ballistic diarrhea I had for half the week there and two weeks after I got home. I was cautious as hell too. I won't be going back. :lol:
 
Ron said:
My next big trip is a private catamaran cruise around the BVIs...
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My wife and I have done this twice. Rented a catamaran and my buddy who went to sailing camp down there when he was younger was the captain. First time was over new years and had four couples. Second time was over thanksgiving and three couples. Slept on the boat and just cruised around to the different islands in the BVI's and US VI's doing whatever we felt like. Wasn't cheap but damn did we have a good time and make memories we will never forget.
 
ncsutj said:
My wife and I have done this twice. Rented a catamaran and my buddy who went to sailing camp down there when he was younger was the captain. First time was over new years and had four couples. Second time was over thanksgiving and three couples. Slept on the boat and just cruised around to the different islands in the BVI's and US VI's doing whatever we felt like. Wasn't cheap but damn did we have a good time and make memories we will never forget.
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@rockcity

I'm in, how about you?

The Clemmons' kept talking about becoming sailors a few years ago, we could get them on board and that would be our 3 couples...
 
My wife just booked 5 nights in June for under 25. Including air out of charlotte.

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Ron said:
@rockcity

I'm in, how about you?

The Clemmons' kept talking about becoming sailors a few years ago, we could get them on board and that would be our 3 couples...
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I'm in. I love to travel and Bri is in as well once I tell her.


I had started getting my captain's license but quit as life got in the way. :) I can pretend to be a sailor.

I like adventure. So long as there is beer, rum, good food, and at least 1 dive, I'm in. :)
 
Probably going to try for 6 nights or 7 nights...wife says, if we go, she wants to make it worth while. I'm deathly afraid of flying, so I also want to go for as long as we can afford and really enjoy myself.
 
rockcity said:
I had started getting my captain's license but quit as life got in the way. :) I can pretend to be a sailor.
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So you are saying you aren't a captain, but you make a strong seaman?
 
Cherokeekid88 said:
Probably going to try for 6 nights or 7 nights...wife says, if we go, she wants to make it worth while. I'm deathly afraid of flying, so I also want to go for as long as we can afford and really enjoy myself.
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After 7 nights, you'll likely be more than ready to come home. ;)
 
rockcity said:
After 7 nights, you'll likely be more than ready to come home. ;)
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This is what I am thinking. Its making my stomach hurt just thinking about flying.
Now its time to do my research and figure out where we can go. We will be going from July 25 - August 1st or some sort of variation of that, give or take a few days.
 
How Do you guys feel about Cruises? Wife and I were possibly thinking about doing on of these. Seems like all the ports that are local have old ass ships though....
 
I like cruises but you are somewhat limited in what you can do.

If you get sea sick easily, it may not be a good choice.

But they are cheap if you look around.
 
I don't think I would get sea sick. been on boats many times and it never bothers me, but I'm sure its probably a little different. Wish Charleston had more ships that came through... 25 year old ships don't sit well with me for a first time cruiser.
 
Most airplanes are old as well. You are going to be hard pressed to find a new boat for a cruise.


Drive to Miami and your choices are much better.
 
Seems to be some nice cruises coming out of Port Canaveral. 8 hour drive wouldn't be too bad. Plus, the wife and I have always wanted to visit the Kennedy space center.
 
Wife loves cruises I am a take it or leave it guy.
I'll disagree on sea sickness a cruise has no motion..Ive never seen anyone get sea sick on a cruise, except the one time we went almost through a hurricane.

25 years isnt old for a cruise ship as they are majorly renovated every 5-10 years and repowered (drive engines and generators) usually every 7.
Honestly for a first time cruise age of ship shouldnt even be in your top 20 questions.

but...if you are driving to charleston, it is just another 2 hours to Jacksonville and one of the biggest cruise ports in the US. Miami, Lauderdale and Canaveral are better cruise ports, imho because you get longer at first port...but you wont notice the difference on a first cruise.

Actually for someone who has never been to the bahamas a cruise is a great way to see a little bit of 3-4 islands and see where you want to return and spend more time.
Dont do the "first cruise" Nassau, free port and key west so many do out of Charleston. It sucks. Nassau has its bad ass but not near the port. Freeport is Durham on an island without the nice areas of Durham.

Just know this, cruises arent all inclusive as far as drinks go. IF you are a big drinker, buy the $50/day all you can drink package and dont look back. I once ran up a 700 alcohol bill in 7 days...
 
Ron said:
Wife loves cruises I am a take it or leave it guy.
I'll disagree on sea sickness a cruise has no motion..Ive never seen anyone get sea sick on a cruise, except the one time we went almost through a hurricane.

25 years isnt old for a cruise ship as they are majorly renovated every 5-10 years and repowered (drive engines and generators) usually every 7.
Honestly for a first time cruise age of ship shouldnt even be in your top 20 questions.

but...if you are driving to charleston, it is just another 2 hours to Jacksonville and one of the biggest cruise ports in the US. Miami, Lauderdale and Canaveral are better cruise ports, imho because you get longer at first port...but you wont notice the difference on a first cruise.

Actually for someone who has never been to the bahamas a cruise is a great way to see a little bit of 3-4 islands and see where you want to return and spend more time.
Dont do the "first cruise" Nassau, free port and key west so many do out of Charleston. It sucks. Nassau has its bad ass but not near the port. Freeport is Durham on an island without the nice areas of Durham.

Just know this, cruises arent all inclusive as far as drinks go. IF you are a big drinker, buy the $50/day all you can drink package and dont look back. I once ran up a 700 alcohol bill in 7 days...
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I am not a big drinker, but would def want to drink while on the ship.
looks like the places this cruise goes to is Freeport, Nassau, and half moon cay

Half Moon Cay looks killer!
 
half moon cay is a private island owned by Carnival. Everything there is priced like you are still on the boat. $16oz beer cans(aluminum bottles) -$5


Oh and FYI...Im not a vacation snob. I like Carnival cruises. But understand from where the thread started to (excellence all inclusive resort) to Carnival is equivalent to
Good Sushi -> Mickey D's filet o fish
 
I do the same thing you are doing though.
If you can take this piece of advice it will help you tremendously.

Financially a vacation makes zero sense, ever.

If you try to reduce it to the longest and cheapest you will get a touristy trap hell.

Focus on remarkable and memorable. Take shorter and more rare over longer and more ordinary.

Its the difference between lounging on the beach at Ocrakoke or Corrola and getting your 2'x5' square of sand in the middle of the myrtle beach strip.
 
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