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For Sale: Day Passes to Caribbean Resorts
How to enjoy the amenities at an all-inclusive beach resort for less
Jason Cochran
March 2006 issue
Tuesday, February 21, 2006;
Just because you don't have a room at an all-inclusive beach resort doesn't mean you can't horn in on all the amenities. Day passes cost a small fraction of the $300 and up some overnight guests pay--and you can expect lunch, as well as access to pools, beaches, tennis courts, volleyball games, gyms, and often, kayaks, snorkeling gear, and all-you-can-drink swim-up bars. Cruise passengers find that arranging their own day visits costs far less than going on excursions offered by the ship. We've listed what a taxi should cost from the island's main port; haggle in advance to make sure you're not paying more. Always make reservations in advance.
ANTIGUA
Grand Royal Antiguan Beach Resort
Occidental Grand Pineapple Beach
Sandals Antigua Caribbean Village & Spa
BONAIRE
Harbour Village Beach Club
COZUMEL
Allegro Cozumel
Occidental Grand Cozumel
ST. KITTS
Sugar Bay Club
ST. LUCIA
Ti Kaye Village
WHERE FOOD COSTS EXTRA
Curaçao
What you get for $45: Half a mile of secluded beach, 42 acres of gardens, gym, Internet café, pool with swim-up bar. The taxi ride: 7 minutes, $17. Contact: 268/462-3733, grandroyalantiguan.com
What you get for $50: Breakfast and lunch; aerobic lessons and volleyball; and use of four tennis courts, two pools, gym, and snorkeling equipment. The taxi ride: 25 minutes, $30. Contact: 268/463-2006, allegroantigua.com
What you get for $100: Access to a lush romantic resort, with secluded paths and two-person hammocks. Also, five pools, five hot tubs, all manner of water sports, and activities and fun (steel drum bands, scavenger hunts). One catch: Sandals is a couples resort and prefers that even day guests visit in pairs. The taxi ride: 10 minutes, $10. Contact: 268/462-0267, sandals.com
What you get for $14: A pool and great snorkeling, with a shipwreck and reefs just off shore. Lunch is in a restaurant modeled after an antique ship. The taxi ride: 10 minutes, $12. Contact: 305/567-0509, harbourvillage.com
What you get for $45: Two pools, hammocks, and a beach with mellow waves. Bonus: Unlimited Corona and Negra Modelo on tap. The taxi ride: 15 minutes, $15. Contact: 800/858-2258, occidentalhotels.com
What you get for $50: A resort that's less built-up and slightly more luxurious than sister propery Allegro Cozumel. The taxi ride: 15 minutes, $15. Contact: 800/858-2258, occidentalhotels.com
What you get for $45: A five-acre resort with low-rise buildings, two pools, and a beach with crashing waves. Calmer Timothy Bay is a five-minute walk away. The taxi ride: 10 minutes, $10. Contact: 869/465-8037, sugarbayclub.com
What you get for $60: A clifftop pool, kayaks, and beach chairs where a mountain brook meets a volcanic-sand beach--all in a particularly remote jungle. Add $10 if you want to go snorkeling. The taxi ride: None (round-trip shuttle from the port included). Contact: 758/456-8101, tikaye.com
Bahamas
St. Thomas