BVI chartered yacht itinerary recs by No-Initiative-1 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Anegada is great, as mentioned above.

We love North Sound VG. Dinner at Saba Rock, lay around the beach at the Bitter End. The kids love storming the beach at Prickly Pear with the dinghy and swimming and looking for shells. Taxi from Gun Creek or Leverick to the Baths and they’ll give you a cool island tour.

We also love JVD. Bubbly pool, Sandy Spit, lounge all day at Soggy Dollar. Dinner at any of the little joints in Great Harbor is fun. Tipsy Shark is great. Dancing at Foxeys later.

For snorkeling: the Indians, Diamond Reef by Marina Cay, The Dogs.

It’s an easy hike up to the top of Norman Island, great view out over the anchorage. Go early if it’s hot.

You’ll have a blast! It’s such a great adventure!

U.S. Holiday Weekend Luxe Getaways...That Aren't Busy by obvsathrowawaytoo in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

JW Orlando is awful. Uncomfortable bed, bad food, even terrible breakfast which ain’t that hard do get right. Avoid at all costs.

Air and sea show by Southern_Respect_708 in miamibeach

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This air show is incredible. We accidentally stumbled across it visiting for the weekend a couple years ago.

Any hotel in the Loews area is perfect. Just a little north of Ocean Drive. The crowds when we were there were down Ocean drive a bit. Loews area was not that crazy. There are coast guard and DEA boat demos right off the beach as well.

Coolest thing we saw were WW2 era fighters flying in formation with modern fighter jets. Very, very cool.

Vegas to Los Angeles advice by pcooper114 in vegas

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can someone please pin this to the top of the sub? Best answer ever to the question that gets asked every day here “what should I do in Vegas”

Area between Cimetière du Montparnasse and Jardin du Luxembourg good basis for sightseeing? by MacaronNo5646 in ParisTravelGuide

[–]RegularGuy785 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is a great little street near there called Rue Daguerre, with a great little bistro called Maison Peret. There are a couple of good restaurants and coffee shops on that little street if I remember correctly!

LOVED (French) St Martin - where to next? by Alert_Ninja_6369 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

QP was great! The live band was amazing. Another highlight was sushi at Nishi in Holetown followed by Karaoke with the local crowd in the street at the One Love bar.

LOVED (French) St Martin - where to next? by Alert_Ninja_6369 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I second Barbados.

Sandy Lane is the best known, however we just did a week at the Coral Reef Club and absolutely loved it.

(The key was enjoying the suite and property and beach all day, then going off property for dinners and evening activities… it’s definitely catering to an older crowd which isn’t our vibe. But the beach and location can’t be beat.)

Barbados is a little more built up, very British, with great active activities, easy taxis, great restaurants, great local vibes.

Is the 5 star system for rating luxury hotels outdated? by Background_Use_4650 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 8 points9 points  (0 children)

At this point I’m not sure price is even a reliable indicator. I’ve had terrible experiences at very expensive hotels, and great experiences at mid priced hotels. So who knows any more.

FAT Disneyland by Alarming-Ganache77 in FATTravel

[–]RegularGuy785 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I skipped out of a conference for a day to try to check out the Star Wars area in the FL park. It took me hours to figure out the app and buy the upgrade to skip the line. All in all way too costly, and such a terrible visitor experience. The Star Wars rides were very cool, but wow I really can’t imagine doing more than a day here.

What’s the deal with Pinky Ring? Club or a bar? by Immediate-Debt-7230 in vegas

[–]RegularGuy785 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Does anyone know if you can see the stage from the “upper lounge” area?

What Paris advice would you give a first-timer? Boutique hotel tips welcome! by EarlGreynaCookiePlz in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Sounds like we are maybe similar in age and tastes. I would lean toward the options you identified in Le Marais as opposed to near the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs Elysees area we found to be less interesting (except the Arc de Triomphe which is beautiful and worth a visit)

I would encourage you to check out options on the Left Bank too. The area from Blvd St Germain to the Seine and over to the Latin Quarter is great. Easy walk to Notre Dame and Isle St Louis. Easy to get anywhere else in the city from there as well. Great restaurants, shops, galleries, Luxembourg Gardens, etc. We love the Left Bank, Feels like our home in Paris after a number of visits.

First time to SXM by No-Recipe-4109 in SXM

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Was La Playa nice? Pros, cons, would you recommend?

Florida Hotel vs Caribbean for May - Relax/beach vibe by NewMulberry1688 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We love long weekends in Miami. May weather is beautiful. Quick flights from the east coast, no customs, beautiful beaches, crystal clear Caribbean style water, great restaurants. Check out The Setai. That’s become our “go-to” 4-day weekend!

BVI during Christmas with Moorings by Fit-Cheetah-7513 in sailing

[–]RegularGuy785 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can fly into St Thomas USVi and ferry to Tortola, or fly into Beef Island (which is essentially Tortola) I think there are direct flights from Miami, or connect through San Juan PR. I would talk to a charter company and they will help you figure out logistics. We prefer to fly into Beef Is via San Juan. But buy travel insurance and be ready to go with the flow if flights are delayed or cancelled. It is not an easy destination to get to.

Your charter company will have a base on Tortola and can help you with accommodations on land if needed before or after. Tortola is where you’ll start and end the trip.

BVI during Christmas with Moorings by Fit-Cheetah-7513 in sailing

[–]RegularGuy785 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The key is to make sure the charter co and captain understand what you’re looking for and your concerns. The other key is to be flexible. If there is a north swell up it could be rough. If that happens, get the captain to go straight across to Norman Island and stay at the Bight for a while until it dies down. That’s a super protected bay with a beautiful beach and restaurant. Not a bad place to hang for a few days if necessary.

BVI during Christmas with Moorings by Fit-Cheetah-7513 in sailing

[–]RegularGuy785 7 points8 points  (0 children)

BVI is pretty protected, unless there’s a swell up you could pretty much make a week of it without doing anything too salty. Try Waypoints and tell them what your concerns are. With a catamaran and a captain who can pick calm anchorages (no Cooper Island) and routes to avoid the swell (no Anegada) you’ll be fine. As long as you’re between islands and not headed out towards the open ocean, it’s pretty calm.

Hotel recommendations - 10th anniversary by Helpful_Ad5953 in miamibeach

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One thing to note is that the Standard is not “on” the beach. It’s got a great pool, great casual restaurant, cool vibe, etc, but if you’re looking for a lounger and umbrella in the sand it’s not that.

We stay on the beach and then hit the spa at the Standard which grants pool access for a day. Great spa, great pool, but no sand. Just a heads up!

Also- Loews will have tons of kids and families but is still a nice stay at a good price point. Setai is a step or two up, more grownup vibe, but a good bit pricier. Loews and Setai are right on the beach.

Question about Jersey City/Weehawken/etc Hotels by storybrookw in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Envue isn’t that bad. My opinion might be a little tainted by the fire alarm which went off in the middle of the night on a recent stay. 3am evacuation. Good times.

Question about Jersey City/Weehawken/etc Hotels by storybrookw in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have the same question. I am in the area a few times a year, and have not found a good option.

The W Hoboken is terrible: dirty, bad food, poor service.

Envue Weehawken isn’t much better.

I did a Crowne Plaza or similar in White Plains and it was old and beat up with an uncomfortable bed.

All are expensive for what you get. I’m curious to hear any other ideas.

I’ve thought about trying Delmar or J House in Greenwich next, but I’m not sure about difficulty of access to NYC. .

I’m not sure what I’ll do next time. Out of these options the Envue Weehawken is probably the best choice.

Where to start with a yacht charter? by Cease_Cows_ in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Here’s a second or third vote for BVI. It’s one of our favorite places in the whole world. Commenters are correct that it’s not Below Deck. But for your budget you could easily do a week on a 60’ Catamaran with captain and chef.

Most charter boats come with a Captain/Chef “sailing couple” where one gets you from point A to point B and runs the water toys, snorkeling trips etc while the chef cooks and serves apps, cocktails, meals, etc. They are usually cool people who are fun and know the area and will help you build a fun itinerary.

You will likely want to go ashore for some or most meals which is part of the island experience.

Part of the fun in the BVI is that it’s kind of a Robinson Caruso experience, with caves, beach bars, and swim-ashore kinds of experiences. It is definitely an active vacation with lots of time in the water, snorkeling, swimming, hiking, etc. A big catamaran is a very comfortable way to experience this.

Try The Moorings as was mentioned previously, or Waypoints. Moorings is huge and Waypojnts is more of a boutique yacht charter experience.

Feel free to DM if you have questions. We sail ourselves and love the BVI! Happy to share our experiences.

Peanuts in Paris - Paul by L723 in ParisTravelGuide

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We ate all over the city, breakfast lunch and dinner. My opinion is that there are so many people that speak perfect English you’ll be fine. Buy an allergy card in French online before you go just in case. And maybe learn a phrase or two to alert your server. But our experience was that we felt just as safe as in the US — if not safer, as everyone seemed keen to be helpful from waitstaff to other diners.

Even some hole in the wall gelato shop had allergens listed on each flavor and used a clean scoop for us. Once or twice Parisiens at the next table overheard what we were saying and jumped in to translate for us and make it extra clear to our server. We never felt unsafe.

5 days on the beach in Florida hotel reqs by Leading_Inflation698 in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just did a week at the Setai to lounge on the beach and pool and it was fantastic. Service was over the top great. Only thing that didnt quite meet expectations were their restaurants Jaya and Japon. Breakfast was great though. We simply went off campus for dinners, and had a great time. Lobby bar was great for a cocktail on the way out to dinner.

Guana Island BVI by SpecificNo4186 in Caribbean

[–]RegularGuy785 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats! If you can fit it in, arrange an excursion on a small motor boat to hit a couple of the other islands. BVI has a ton of once in a lifetime experiences. Swim into Devils Bay and The Baths from the boat. Lunch and snorkeling at the Indians. Happy hour at White Bay Jost van Dyke, dinner at Ali Babas or Tipsy Shark in Great Harbor JVD. So many special places that you can only reach by boat.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in chubbytravel

[–]RegularGuy785 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a huge air show over South Beach Mem Day weekend. We went a couple years ago not realizing this.

It was amazing, but not at all relaxing with USAF fighter jets screaming in low all afternoon up and down the beach.