grand cayman or st john

[patsfan]

planning a trip in july & narrowed the choice to grand cayman or st john
we're taking our kids ages 8 & 5
please help decide which island is a better overall choice for a family seeking beautiful beaches ,nice restaurants & a safe clean island shopping a plus

[Carib Mark]

I never thought I'd do this regarding St John but, .... shopping is minimal, except if you take the ferry to St Thomas where some of the biggest and best duty free shopping is located in the islands. Dining leans to the adult end of things with rather fancy, expensive restaurants and a few bars that serve great food as well. The kids will be welcomed at either type of place, but some people don't like bringing their kids to one or both styles of place. The beaches are awesome however, with great snorkeling and a selection to make from several. StJ now has miniature golf as well. I've not spent a lot of time on Grand Cayman, and don't have kids of my own, but I had to be honest about StJ. Hopefully more people will reply to help more.

[patsfan]

thanks mark

from what i hear , i cant go wrong with either destination , i'll be in paradise on either island !

maybe i'll flip a coin & we'll try the other island in the fall

have you been to turks & caicos yet ?

[Carib Mark]

Turks and Caicos have some of the prettiest beaches in the Caribbean. But, not having been there recently, I'd leave that to so eone who has who may help you see if it fits what you're looking for in the other two islands. Let us know which you choose.

[aruba224]

For T&C check out www.Breezes.com. That should be good for all especially the kids. We are looking into doing that too. Have fun.

[banshee]

Just back from a limited trip to The Cayman Islands. Can tell you that the islands are very expensive. Because of the exchange rate you have to add 20% to anything you buy. We ate at a resraraun and we each ordered nachos and had a drink. The bill came to 63.00. There is nothing cheap in the Caymans. A Whopper at Burger King? $7.00. The beaches are small but nice and the water is crystal clear and warm. The kids (and adults) will love stingray city. I'm not sure I would want to spend more than a day or two on the island but maybe I'm missing something.

[dmharris]

St. John is our adult, no kids get away place. We took our young children to St. Lucia and that was fun, there is a day tour of the island that takes you all over with things that would interest children. They actually filmed the original Dr. Doolittle there. More to do than St. john for children. Save St. John for when they're older and can appreciate finer dining and like laying around. My 2 cents.