Re: Back from Caneel Bay Honeymoon- St. Johns!! (w/ PICS & review)
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Back from Caneel Bay Honeymoon- St. Johns!! (w/ PICS & review)
Original post by Aug07OFCbride
Hello again ladies!
I'm already thinking about when we can plan to go back! It was AMAAAAZING. I wrote a review too, so Ill post it here (and at the end of my wedding review when i get it up and post that on Brides Review). Its LONG (sorry) but hopefully it will help someone who is still trying to choose a honeymoon location, ppl looking to plan a vacation in general (or even other people who have mobility issues and are looking for an accessible and beautiful vaca spot)!
Caneel Bay Resort in St. Johns (www.caneelbay.com) is one of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. If you are looking for absolute seclusion and relaxation surrounded by pristine beaches, you have to visit Caneel!! The resort is in the middle of a National Park and Forest, which is gorgeous. During our stay, we saw all different types of birds, as well as deer, donkeys, etc.
It was so hot when we arrived at the St. Thomas airport which was so small and packed, that after the long travel I was a bit irritated, but we were greeted with such a warm reception that my mood and attitude quickly shifted! The airport lounge for
Caneel Bay resort guests was by far the nicest out of them all. It was cool and had complimentary drinks and treats available. The employees were incredibly hospitable to us. They actually had a wheelchair waiting at the airport for us just in case, though we didn’t need it because we checked my lightweight one from home as baggage. We only had to wait about a half hour before we were to leave for the ferry, so we passed the time with a trip to the airport liquor store. The liquor there is super cheap, so I recommend stocking up there before heading to your resort. We picked up some Rum Punch and wine. Then our driver, who was so cool and friendly, drove us in nice van to the ferry. They drive on the left side of the road, which was screwing with our heads the whole time! Our driver chatted with us the whole way, telling us about himself and the area. Downtown St. Thomas, right by the ferry, is amazing for shopping. It was flooded with tourists.
The whole crew on Caneel’s ferry (Caneel Bay Mary II) was amazing. The captain, the crew- especially Tilbert, and Tasia the hostess were all incredibly friendly and helpful in terms of telling us about what St. Johns and Caneel had to offer. They provided complimentary drinks, so we enjoyed a couple glasses of fresh Rum Punch. The ferry ride was about a twenty minutes long, flew by, and we so enjoyed ourselves by taking in the gorgeous island views. We passed by many beautiful hillside mansions as well as ruins where they used to trade goods from years and years ago. We knew then that we would want to try to charter a private boat during our stay to really take it all in.
Upon arrival to Caneel, we were greeted with moist towelettes and introductions to three of the resort managers, all of which were incredibly nice- one of which was Matthew (the front desk manager) who graciously took us on a brief tour of the resort on one of the carts and we passed by the Sugar Mill ruins, Equator restaurant, bar, fitness center, pool, tennis court/massage area, the “Self Centre,” and the rest of the stunning grounds. Matthew went so out of his way, neither one of us has ever received that warm of a reception before. He brought us (and the bell hops brought our bags) right to our room, #25 which is a beachfront room on Caneel beach with an accessible side entrance to the porch and a few front steps down onto Caneel beach. We were so excited as he showed us in. The room was immaculate and decorated with modern Caribbean touches. The ceiling is vaulted and the remote air conditioner is so refreshing when entering from the island heat. There was a complimentary bottle of champagne and Cruzan rum for us, as well as other beverages and a whole stocked bar (of course, that's not complimentary).
Our cleaning lady, Paulette, was such a sweetheart! We can't say enough about her. She was notified before hand that I had mobility issues and made sure to rearrange the furniture for us to allow for plenty of wide-open room space. She also brought in a shower chair for me. She said she has been here for 33 years, because “she loves her guests, and her guests love her.” She told us to make ourselves at home and wants all her guests to feel as if they are surrounded by family. That is exactly how we felt. She came and chatted with us every day, cleaned everything in ways to make it easier for me to get around, and before we left she came to give us huge hugs and a beautiful large sea shell to remember her by. Each night around 7 or 8pm, there is also turn down service. A very sweet woman turns the bed down and lays out our breakfast/lunch menu for the next day, as well as our favorite touch- a quote on a piece of paper with a beautiful sea shell. We loved collecting the shells every night. I think the lady must have been irritated by the end of the week, because we started putting the service tag on the door but only to get the quote and shell from her and not to have her do turndown service, hehe. Overall, all of the employees seem so willing to make any reasonable accommodation that they can to enhance your stay.
As far as food, overall we were not very impressed…then again, we so did not go there for food! For breakfast, we would fill out what we wanted for the next morning and leave it out on our door at night. This is a “breakfast basket” option, where a basket is delivered to you in the morning, at a time you specify, and you can set it up out on your porch or do a breakfast in bed. We enjoyed all of the breakfast choices. They sometimes include front pages from the New York Times in the basket as well. There was a free continental breakfast option near the front desk, but we were never up early enough to take advantage of it. For lunch, there is also an option of filling out what you want for the next day and leaving it out on your door at night. It is the “picnic lunch” option. Then you pick up your coolers of food up at the front desk and can eat it anywhere on the resort. There were only four choices for picnic lunches, none of which were very good at all, so we stopped doing that after a day or two. Instead, we started eating at the Grille. This is the most casual restaurant on the resort. It is located right at the front entrance of the resort, next to the bar. It requires no reservations and most people come in their beach cover-ups. The food overall was so so, and by the end of our stay we started to get so tired of it! Thankfully, the day before we left, they changed up the menu so we got to enjoy some new options and they were the best yet! Overall, there is not much of a selection and we found that to get anything decent you have to order something pretty standard, something you know can’t be messed up (I would usually get the tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil sandwich and Nate the BLT or paninis). For dinner, we started by ordering room service, which…surprise…comes from the Grille. Again, we were not very impressed. The wait is usually an hour for food to arrive as well. On our first night, the woman who delivered gave us her best wishes and left us with some marriage advice- “You take the good and you take the bad. You put them together and you make it work.” Simple, but we appreciated it. It seems that for everything, the island natives have a piece of wisdom to share. We made reservations one night to eat inside of the Sugar Mill Ruins at the Equator Restaurant. There is a set up fee, but it was worth it for the private, romantic atmosphere. The food, however, was disappointing again. Thankfully, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner from start to finish at the most formal restaurant at the resort, the Turtle Bay Estate House (the accessible entrance is around the back of the restaurant). It was perfect! Prices for everything on the resort are exorbitant. Though once we got there and saw how beautiful it was, we really didn’t care and just enjoyed ourselves to the fullest.
Our only minor annoyances during our stay, which really didn’t even bother us that much and pale in comparison to the absolute beauty of this island, are the sand gnats ('no-see-ums') that come out at 5pm like clockwork, though Matthew did warn us and they provide bug spray. They sting when they bite and leave little welts, which itch like hell. We also were greeted with a very large cockroach during our first night; thankfully again they provide a huge can of raid. And neither spray has that rancid chemically scent any more so we weren’t bothered to use a bunch of it. On day 3, we asked the concierge/activities desk how much it would cost to charter a private boat and without much thought or looking into anything, she quickly said it would be around $500. We thought that was ridiculous and let it be. On day 6, I thought we should specify exactly what type of boat and how long we would want to charter the boat for, for a more accurate quote. We contacted the concierge/activities desk to arrange for a private powerboat charter for two hours around St. Johns. They quoted $265 and $85 for a captain, which was more reasonable and they said that they would leave us a confirmation note on our door, but they never did. The next day we contacted them, but they said that no plans were made but that they would check into it and to call back, which we did for a third time later in the day. Again, no one knew anything about it and they said to check in later. We went personally to the desk and the woman told us she called all around and didn’t find anything. At that point, we were so over it anyway. Also, the “Self Centre,” the mind body spirit center, was not wheelchair accessible. So, although I was incredibly excited and interested in checking out some of the sessions and activities, I wasn’t able to. It seemed ironic to me that of all of the places, this center wasn’t welcoming to all guests. The sessions, treatments and consultations they offer, group or private, all centered specifically on my particular interests and what I want to gear my career towards (mind body connection, energy medicine, chakra meditation, etc.) making it all the more frustrating that we couldn’t go. A friend of mine who honeymooned there and whose husband has a disability as well let me know when they went the people from the 'Self Centre' came to their room to accommodate them. I feel so stupid that I didn't think to ask them to do this for us. Lastly, we were honeymooners staying on Caneel beach (because it has accessible rooms on either end- 14, 25, 26, 29), which is beautiful but is the busiest beach among the six at Caneel. It is one of the only beaches where children under twelve are welcome, as well as guests visiting the beach from off of the resort. It is also the location for water sport activities, making it more crowded even in off-season. I would suggest that honeymooners try to request a quieter place on more secluded adult beach such as Scott beach (the rooms on Scott are called premium beachfront, but to be honest I think our room, plain beachfront, offers much more for the price). Of course, the great thing is that no matter where you stay on the resort, you always have the option of exploring different beaches and finding which one you like best.
There are no phones in rooms, though they’re conveniently located around the island and near the front desk. Wi-fi is available but only on Turtle Beach and near the front desk. There is also Internet café next to the front desk and activities desk. Not that we should be worried about that though (I did sneak on a few times, hehe).
We called the front desk on day 2 to remind them that our TA told us a beach wheelchair would be available and sure enough, about ten minutes later, we had one on our front porch. It rides much smoother over some of the paths than our lightweight regular chair does. The whole resort has paved roads, paved paths or pretty solid dirt/sand paths making it easy to get around. They also have transportation circle the main roads on the resort to take you where you want to go.
We loved Scott beach, as it is quiet and secluded. In fact, there were several times that on this nice sized beach, it was just us. And even at its most crowded while we were there, there was maybe 15 other people around. The sand on all of the beaches is almost white and the water is the brightest aqua blue I have seen and very calm. So calm that this was the first time in over a decade that I have able to get in and swim in the ocean, a feeling I can’t explain!!!! We picked up our snorkeling gear for free (all water sport activities and equipment are free for guests) and snorkeled every day. We saw huge schools of minos, small fish, turtles, stingrays, barracudas, etc. We had an almost close encounter with a barracuda and then sting rays, not cool for my first time in the ocean in way too long. One great perk is that the nicest guy drives around all the beaches fairly often throughout the day offering cool drinks (alcoholic and non) to people on the beach. We made friends with him fast. Also, our favorite drink at the bar by the Grille is definitely the St. Johns sunset (Coconut Rum, cranberry juice, orange and then apple to make it look like a sunset). Mmmmmm!
As far as attire, close to the front desk/bar/gift shop/Grille area, and any beach area women and men are okay being casual- women should be wearing cover-ups over bathing suits and men need shirts. During evening hours, women are okay in appropriate evening attire and men in Bermuda shorts and collared shirts, unless you are eating at the Turtle Bay Estate house, where men are required to wear long pants.
The weather during our first day was perfect. On day 2, we had a bit of wind and rain after a morning of sun, due to the nearby hurricane.Luckily the hurricane completely missed us. Day 3 was just about the same as day 2. Day 4 was SCORCHING!!! Lying out on the beach, I thought my skin was melting. Day 5 was partly sunny, still an okay beach day. Day 6 was sunny with quick squalls of rain, one hit us on our leisurely, romantic stroll home from dinner, and we got soaked! Day 7 was sunny and perfect! Our last day, traveling out, was rainy. Which was good, so we didn't feel like we were completely missing out.
The resort seems ideal for families, honeymooners/couples (we saw two weddings there during our stay), and people with any type of mobility issue. It is ideal for honeymooners and couples because there are designated adult beaches that offer seclusion and quiet, but it if also ideal for families and children because Caneel beach is full of activities and welcomes children under 12. We plan to try to go back again some day! Hopefully we can bring some family next time, since it is a kid friendly place too.
Beyond how we chose to spend our time there, which was essentially enjoying the beach all day, there are so many other things to do- scuba, sailboats, kayaks, tennis, pool, massage, movie presentations, visit St. Thomas (Caneel's ferry goes back and forth between St. Johns and Thomas all day long), sailing trips, cocktail cruises, tours of St. John, watercolor lessons, fishing/boat charter, self drive powerboat rentals, jeep rentals, babysitting & childrens program, self centre programs (provides meditation, yoga, Pilates, T’ai Chi, Jing Energy Flow Therapy and wellness consulting services), etc......
Many more pics in album...
I'm already thinking about when we can plan to go back! It was AMAAAAZING. I wrote a review too, so Ill post it here (and at the end of my wedding review when i get it up and post that on Brides Review). Its LONG (sorry) but hopefully it will help someone who is still trying to choose a honeymoon location, ppl looking to plan a vacation in general (or even other people who have mobility issues and are looking for an accessible and beautiful vaca spot)!
Caneel Bay Resort in St. Johns (www.caneelbay.com) is one of the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. If you are looking for absolute seclusion and relaxation surrounded by pristine beaches, you have to visit Caneel!! The resort is in the middle of a National Park and Forest, which is gorgeous. During our stay, we saw all different types of birds, as well as deer, donkeys, etc.
It was so hot when we arrived at the St. Thomas airport which was so small and packed, that after the long travel I was a bit irritated, but we were greeted with such a warm reception that my mood and attitude quickly shifted! The airport lounge for
Caneel Bay resort guests was by far the nicest out of them all. It was cool and had complimentary drinks and treats available. The employees were incredibly hospitable to us. They actually had a wheelchair waiting at the airport for us just in case, though we didn’t need it because we checked my lightweight one from home as baggage. We only had to wait about a half hour before we were to leave for the ferry, so we passed the time with a trip to the airport liquor store. The liquor there is super cheap, so I recommend stocking up there before heading to your resort. We picked up some Rum Punch and wine. Then our driver, who was so cool and friendly, drove us in nice van to the ferry. They drive on the left side of the road, which was screwing with our heads the whole time! Our driver chatted with us the whole way, telling us about himself and the area. Downtown St. Thomas, right by the ferry, is amazing for shopping. It was flooded with tourists.
The whole crew on Caneel’s ferry (Caneel Bay Mary II) was amazing. The captain, the crew- especially Tilbert, and Tasia the hostess were all incredibly friendly and helpful in terms of telling us about what St. Johns and Caneel had to offer. They provided complimentary drinks, so we enjoyed a couple glasses of fresh Rum Punch. The ferry ride was about a twenty minutes long, flew by, and we so enjoyed ourselves by taking in the gorgeous island views. We passed by many beautiful hillside mansions as well as ruins where they used to trade goods from years and years ago. We knew then that we would want to try to charter a private boat during our stay to really take it all in.
Upon arrival to Caneel, we were greeted with moist towelettes and introductions to three of the resort managers, all of which were incredibly nice- one of which was Matthew (the front desk manager) who graciously took us on a brief tour of the resort on one of the carts and we passed by the Sugar Mill ruins, Equator restaurant, bar, fitness center, pool, tennis court/massage area, the “Self Centre,” and the rest of the stunning grounds. Matthew went so out of his way, neither one of us has ever received that warm of a reception before. He brought us (and the bell hops brought our bags) right to our room, #25 which is a beachfront room on Caneel beach with an accessible side entrance to the porch and a few front steps down onto Caneel beach. We were so excited as he showed us in. The room was immaculate and decorated with modern Caribbean touches. The ceiling is vaulted and the remote air conditioner is so refreshing when entering from the island heat. There was a complimentary bottle of champagne and Cruzan rum for us, as well as other beverages and a whole stocked bar (of course, that's not complimentary).
Our cleaning lady, Paulette, was such a sweetheart! We can't say enough about her. She was notified before hand that I had mobility issues and made sure to rearrange the furniture for us to allow for plenty of wide-open room space. She also brought in a shower chair for me. She said she has been here for 33 years, because “she loves her guests, and her guests love her.” She told us to make ourselves at home and wants all her guests to feel as if they are surrounded by family. That is exactly how we felt. She came and chatted with us every day, cleaned everything in ways to make it easier for me to get around, and before we left she came to give us huge hugs and a beautiful large sea shell to remember her by. Each night around 7 or 8pm, there is also turn down service. A very sweet woman turns the bed down and lays out our breakfast/lunch menu for the next day, as well as our favorite touch- a quote on a piece of paper with a beautiful sea shell. We loved collecting the shells every night. I think the lady must have been irritated by the end of the week, because we started putting the service tag on the door but only to get the quote and shell from her and not to have her do turndown service, hehe. Overall, all of the employees seem so willing to make any reasonable accommodation that they can to enhance your stay.
As far as food, overall we were not very impressed…then again, we so did not go there for food! For breakfast, we would fill out what we wanted for the next morning and leave it out on our door at night. This is a “breakfast basket” option, where a basket is delivered to you in the morning, at a time you specify, and you can set it up out on your porch or do a breakfast in bed. We enjoyed all of the breakfast choices. They sometimes include front pages from the New York Times in the basket as well. There was a free continental breakfast option near the front desk, but we were never up early enough to take advantage of it. For lunch, there is also an option of filling out what you want for the next day and leaving it out on your door at night. It is the “picnic lunch” option. Then you pick up your coolers of food up at the front desk and can eat it anywhere on the resort. There were only four choices for picnic lunches, none of which were very good at all, so we stopped doing that after a day or two. Instead, we started eating at the Grille. This is the most casual restaurant on the resort. It is located right at the front entrance of the resort, next to the bar. It requires no reservations and most people come in their beach cover-ups. The food overall was so so, and by the end of our stay we started to get so tired of it! Thankfully, the day before we left, they changed up the menu so we got to enjoy some new options and they were the best yet! Overall, there is not much of a selection and we found that to get anything decent you have to order something pretty standard, something you know can’t be messed up (I would usually get the tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil sandwich and Nate the BLT or paninis). For dinner, we started by ordering room service, which…surprise…comes from the Grille. Again, we were not very impressed. The wait is usually an hour for food to arrive as well. On our first night, the woman who delivered gave us her best wishes and left us with some marriage advice- “You take the good and you take the bad. You put them together and you make it work.” Simple, but we appreciated it. It seems that for everything, the island natives have a piece of wisdom to share. We made reservations one night to eat inside of the Sugar Mill Ruins at the Equator Restaurant. There is a set up fee, but it was worth it for the private, romantic atmosphere. The food, however, was disappointing again. Thankfully, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner from start to finish at the most formal restaurant at the resort, the Turtle Bay Estate House (the accessible entrance is around the back of the restaurant). It was perfect! Prices for everything on the resort are exorbitant. Though once we got there and saw how beautiful it was, we really didn’t care and just enjoyed ourselves to the fullest.
Our only minor annoyances during our stay, which really didn’t even bother us that much and pale in comparison to the absolute beauty of this island, are the sand gnats ('no-see-ums') that come out at 5pm like clockwork, though Matthew did warn us and they provide bug spray. They sting when they bite and leave little welts, which itch like hell. We also were greeted with a very large cockroach during our first night; thankfully again they provide a huge can of raid. And neither spray has that rancid chemically scent any more so we weren’t bothered to use a bunch of it. On day 3, we asked the concierge/activities desk how much it would cost to charter a private boat and without much thought or looking into anything, she quickly said it would be around $500. We thought that was ridiculous and let it be. On day 6, I thought we should specify exactly what type of boat and how long we would want to charter the boat for, for a more accurate quote. We contacted the concierge/activities desk to arrange for a private powerboat charter for two hours around St. Johns. They quoted $265 and $85 for a captain, which was more reasonable and they said that they would leave us a confirmation note on our door, but they never did. The next day we contacted them, but they said that no plans were made but that they would check into it and to call back, which we did for a third time later in the day. Again, no one knew anything about it and they said to check in later. We went personally to the desk and the woman told us she called all around and didn’t find anything. At that point, we were so over it anyway. Also, the “Self Centre,” the mind body spirit center, was not wheelchair accessible. So, although I was incredibly excited and interested in checking out some of the sessions and activities, I wasn’t able to. It seemed ironic to me that of all of the places, this center wasn’t welcoming to all guests. The sessions, treatments and consultations they offer, group or private, all centered specifically on my particular interests and what I want to gear my career towards (mind body connection, energy medicine, chakra meditation, etc.) making it all the more frustrating that we couldn’t go. A friend of mine who honeymooned there and whose husband has a disability as well let me know when they went the people from the 'Self Centre' came to their room to accommodate them. I feel so stupid that I didn't think to ask them to do this for us. Lastly, we were honeymooners staying on Caneel beach (because it has accessible rooms on either end- 14, 25, 26, 29), which is beautiful but is the busiest beach among the six at Caneel. It is one of the only beaches where children under twelve are welcome, as well as guests visiting the beach from off of the resort. It is also the location for water sport activities, making it more crowded even in off-season. I would suggest that honeymooners try to request a quieter place on more secluded adult beach such as Scott beach (the rooms on Scott are called premium beachfront, but to be honest I think our room, plain beachfront, offers much more for the price). Of course, the great thing is that no matter where you stay on the resort, you always have the option of exploring different beaches and finding which one you like best.
There are no phones in rooms, though they’re conveniently located around the island and near the front desk. Wi-fi is available but only on Turtle Beach and near the front desk. There is also Internet café next to the front desk and activities desk. Not that we should be worried about that though (I did sneak on a few times, hehe).
We called the front desk on day 2 to remind them that our TA told us a beach wheelchair would be available and sure enough, about ten minutes later, we had one on our front porch. It rides much smoother over some of the paths than our lightweight regular chair does. The whole resort has paved roads, paved paths or pretty solid dirt/sand paths making it easy to get around. They also have transportation circle the main roads on the resort to take you where you want to go.
We loved Scott beach, as it is quiet and secluded. In fact, there were several times that on this nice sized beach, it was just us. And even at its most crowded while we were there, there was maybe 15 other people around. The sand on all of the beaches is almost white and the water is the brightest aqua blue I have seen and very calm. So calm that this was the first time in over a decade that I have able to get in and swim in the ocean, a feeling I can’t explain!!!! We picked up our snorkeling gear for free (all water sport activities and equipment are free for guests) and snorkeled every day. We saw huge schools of minos, small fish, turtles, stingrays, barracudas, etc. We had an almost close encounter with a barracuda and then sting rays, not cool for my first time in the ocean in way too long. One great perk is that the nicest guy drives around all the beaches fairly often throughout the day offering cool drinks (alcoholic and non) to people on the beach. We made friends with him fast. Also, our favorite drink at the bar by the Grille is definitely the St. Johns sunset (Coconut Rum, cranberry juice, orange and then apple to make it look like a sunset). Mmmmmm!
As far as attire, close to the front desk/bar/gift shop/Grille area, and any beach area women and men are okay being casual- women should be wearing cover-ups over bathing suits and men need shirts. During evening hours, women are okay in appropriate evening attire and men in Bermuda shorts and collared shirts, unless you are eating at the Turtle Bay Estate house, where men are required to wear long pants.
The weather during our first day was perfect. On day 2, we had a bit of wind and rain after a morning of sun, due to the nearby hurricane.Luckily the hurricane completely missed us. Day 3 was just about the same as day 2. Day 4 was SCORCHING!!! Lying out on the beach, I thought my skin was melting. Day 5 was partly sunny, still an okay beach day. Day 6 was sunny with quick squalls of rain, one hit us on our leisurely, romantic stroll home from dinner, and we got soaked! Day 7 was sunny and perfect! Our last day, traveling out, was rainy. Which was good, so we didn't feel like we were completely missing out.
The resort seems ideal for families, honeymooners/couples (we saw two weddings there during our stay), and people with any type of mobility issue. It is ideal for honeymooners and couples because there are designated adult beaches that offer seclusion and quiet, but it if also ideal for families and children because Caneel beach is full of activities and welcomes children under 12. We plan to try to go back again some day! Hopefully we can bring some family next time, since it is a kid friendly place too.
Beyond how we chose to spend our time there, which was essentially enjoying the beach all day, there are so many other things to do- scuba, sailboats, kayaks, tennis, pool, massage, movie presentations, visit St. Thomas (Caneel's ferry goes back and forth between St. Johns and Thomas all day long), sailing trips, cocktail cruises, tours of St. John, watercolor lessons, fishing/boat charter, self drive powerboat rentals, jeep rentals, babysitting & childrens program, self centre programs (provides meditation, yoga, Pilates, T’ai Chi, Jing Energy Flow Therapy and wellness consulting services), etc......
Many more pics in album...
