St. Barts Most Expensive in Caribbean?

andynap

Senior Insider
According to TripAdvisor



The Wall Street Journal news department was not involved in the creation of this content.

  • PRESS RELEASE
  • March 5, 2014, 6:05 a.m. ET
Costs Of Caribbean Escapes Highlighted By TripAdvisor TripIndex
Puerto Rico is the Most Affordable Tropical Trip for U.S. Travelers in March and April; And Its Big Bucks to Stay at St. Bart's

Average Price of a One-Week Caribbean Getaway for Four is More than $7,000
NEWTON, Mass., March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As much of the country continues to suffer a cold winter, TripAdvisor(R) , the world's largest travel site*, today announced the results of its TripIndex Caribbean, a cost comparison of a one-week trip for a family or group of four to 20 popular Caribbean destinations during the travel period of March 1, 2014 -- April 30, 2014. The TripIndex Caribbean evaluated travel expenses including the average round-trip airfare from the continental U.S., a seven night hotel stay, dinner for six nights and a half-day snorkeling excursion for four.
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63178-tripadvisor-tripindex-costs-of-caribbean-escapes-average-price-7k
The average cost for a one-week trip for a family or group of four traveling to the Caribbean during the spring travel period is $7,152, and they can expect to pay around $3,253 for round-trip flights and $2,772 for one week in a hotel.
Go to Greater Antilles for Savings
-- U.S. travelers seeking Caribbean value may consider several destinations
in the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico, the least expensive
destination on the TripIndex with a total cost of $4,609; Jamaica which
ranks as the second best value ($4,631), and the Dominican Republic at #4
($5,315).

-- The most expensive Caribbean spots are located in the Leeward Islands:
St. Barthelemy (St. Bart's) is the priciest Caribbean destination on the
Index at $12,486 -- 17 percent more expensive than the second priciest on
the list, Anguilla ($10,709). The British Virgin Islands round out the
top three costliest Caribbean spots at $9,712 for the week. "After a particularly harsh winter, many Americans are desperate to escape the Polar Vortex and thaw out in the warm waters of the Caribbean, " said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. "The TripAdvisor TripIndex reveals that U.S. travelers heading to Dominican Republic, Jamaica, or Puerto Rico within the Greater Antilles can get more value for their money and save 36 percent compared to other Caribbean destinations."
Caribbean Hotel Values
-- The average nightly rate for a Caribbean hotel during March-April is
$396.

-- The costliest stays are in St. Bart's, where the average nightly rate of
$844 is more than two times the average for the region.

-- Savvy spenders can find the least expensive rooms in the Dominican
Republic, where a one night stay is around $177. Travelers could stay
nearly five nights in a Dominican Republic hotel for the cost of a single
night in St. Bart's. Airfares to the Islands
-- For flights to the Caribbean departing and returning on a Saturday, the
average fare per person during the spring travel period is $813.

-- At an average of $509 per round-trip ticket, Puerto Rico offers the most
affordable airfare for travelers flying from the continental U.S. That's
less than a one-night hotel stay in the six priciest spots for lodging on
the TripIndex.

-- Airfares to and from Anguilla are the most expensive at an average
fare of $1,316. Round-trip tickets for a family of four ($5,263) cost
more than an entire one-week vacation to the three least expensive
destinations on the TripIndex. Travelers Save at U.S. Territories
Trips to territories controlled by the U.S. are 20 percent less expensive than the average Caribbean vacation cost. Here is the average cost of visiting the Caribbean ranked by jurisdiction:
1. U.S. Territories -- $5,696

2. Independent States -- $6,459

3. France and/or The Netherlands Territories -- $7,536

4. U.K. Territories -- $8,676 Most Affordable Caribbean Destinations

Destination Hotel Flights Meals Snorkel Trips Total
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
1. Puerto Rico $1,582.28 $2,037.96 $697.20 $292.00 $4,609.44
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
2. Jamaica $1,512.63 $2,313.56 $505.92 $298.68 $4,630.79
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
Trinidad and
3. Tobago $1,359.12 $2,531.32 $692.28 $188.28 $4,771.00
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
Dominican
4. Republic $1,237.39 $3,203.96 $489.84 $384.00 $5,315.19
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
St Maarten-St
5. Martin $1,911.91 $2,624.64 $737.16 $292.00 $5,565.71
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
6. Bahamas $2,294.25 $2,346.00 $961.92 $213.32 $5,815.49
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
7. Curacao $1,581.23 $3,250.76 $793.20 $207.32 $5,832.51
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
8. Bermuda $2,577.82 $2,067.64 $1,158.84 $260.00 $6,064.30
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
9. Aruba $2,521.19 $2,764.28 $739.92 $234.68 $6,260.07
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
10. Grenada $1,981.14 $3,754.36 $634.08 $252.80 $6,622.38
--- -------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ---------
Most Expensive Caribbean Destinations

Destination Hotel Flights Meals Snorkel Trips Total
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
1. St. Barthelemy $5,905.48 $4,795.52 $1,382.40 $402.36 $12,485.76
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
2. Anguilla $4,064.97 $5,262.64 $1,061.88 $320.00 $10,709.49
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
British Virgin
3. Islands $4,182.57 $4,261.08 $941.88 $326.68 $9,712.21
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
Turks and
4. Caicos $4,490.92 $2,939.24 $1,039.08 $342.68 $8,811.92
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
St. Kitts and
5. Nevis $2,484.37 $5,045.00 $872.04 $266.64 $8,668.05
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
6. Cayman Islands $4,286.73 $2,614.68 $1,020.12 $160.00 $8,081.53
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
Antigua and
7. Barbuda $3,684.38 $3,128.08 $867.84 $292.00 $7,972.30
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
8. St. Lucia $2,786.14 $3,647.72 $953.28 $240.00 $7,627.14
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
U.S. Virgin
9. Islands $2,385.04 $3,229.32 $862.08 $305.32 $6,781.76
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
10 Barbados $2,614.22 $3,235.00 $640.08 $221.00 $6,710.30
-------------- --------- --------- --------- ------------- ----------
Cost Breakdown by Destination
Traveling solo or with a different number of people? Here are the individual costs of common expenses to help travelers budget for their trips:

Per Night Round-Trip Half-Day
Destination Hotel Rate Flight Meal for One Snorkel Trip
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Anguilla $580.71 $1,315.66 $44.25 $80.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Antigua and
Barbuda $526.34 $782.02 $36.16 $73.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Aruba $360.17 $691.07 $30.83 $58.67
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Bahamas $327.75 $586.50 $40.08 $53.33
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Barbados $373.46 $808.75 $26.67 $55.25
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Bermuda $368.26 $516.91 $48.29 $65.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
British Virgin
Islands $597.51 $1,065.27 $39.25 $81.67
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Cayman Islands $612.39 $653.67 $42.51 $40.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Curacao $225.89 $812.69 $33.05 $51.83
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Dominican
Republic $176.77 $800.99 $20.41 $96.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Grenada $283.02 $938.59 $26.42 $63.20
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Jamaica $216.09 $578.39 $21.08 $74.67
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Puerto Rico $226.04 $509.49 $29.05 $73.00 --------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
St. Kitts and
Nevis $354.91 $1,261.25 $36.34 $66.66
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
St. Lucia $398.02 $911.93 $39.72 $60.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
St Maarten-St
Martin $273.13 $656.16 $30.72 $73.00
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
St. Barthelemy $843.64 $1,198.88 $57.60 $100.59
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Trinidad and
Tobago $194.16 $632.83 $28.85 $47.07
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Turks and
Caicos $641.56 $734.81 $43.30 $85.67
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
U.S. Virgin
Islands $340.72 $807.33 $35.92 $76.33
--------------- -------------- -------------- ------------ ---------------
Notes to Editors:
TripIndex Caribbean looks at 20 popular Caribbean destinations, based on spots with the most visits on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers between November 15, 2013 and January 15, 2014. Cuba was excluded due to limited direct travel from the United States.
Hotels: Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel found on TripAdvisor, excluding all-inclusive resorts. On average, about 40 hotels were included in the total cost of each destination. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Hotel Price Comparison for the travel period of March 1, 2014 -- April 30, 2014.
Flights: Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average round-trip airfare for a family of four from the continental U.S. to each destination's airports. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between February 17-24, 2014 for the eight Saturday-Saturday departure/return dates between March 1, 2014 and April 30, 2014. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest U.S. airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PHL, PHX, SEA, and SFO.
Meals: Meal prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of dinner for six nights for four people, consisting of a two-course meal (salad and fish filet entree) paired with two bottles of beer and two sodas. Prices are averaged from three mid-range restaurants.
Snorkel Trips: Snorkel trip prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of a half-day (3-4 hour) guided snorkeling tour for four people and are averaged from three tour operators.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor(R) is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching more than 260 million unique monthly visitors** in 2013, and more than 150 million reviews and opinions covering more than 3.7 million accommodations, restaurants, and attractions. The sites operate in 34 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to millions of monthly TripAdvisor visitors.
TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 20 other travel media brands: www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, , and www.kuxun.cn.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, December 2013
**Source: Google Analytics, worldwide data, July 2013
To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63178-tripadvisor-tripindex-costs-of-caribbean-escapes-average-price-7k
SOURCE TripAdvisor
/CONTACT: Julie Cassetina, (617) 670-6529, jcassetina@tripadvisor.com
/Web site: http://www.tripadvisor.com

The Wall Street Journal news department was not involved in the creation of this content.


 
Turks and
4. Caicos $4,490.92 $2,939.24 $1,039.08 $342.68 $8,811.92



Thanks for posting Andy. We are headed here in April, and our air and hotel were under the above numbers, and with suggestons from the Forum we will be bringing food from home. The Caribbean can be done on a budget. :) It is all in the prep work. Can't wait to get there!

C
 
because its the least expensive trip we do on a per diem basis - every year...my upcoming long weekends to Portland and Boston will be far more expensive (per diem).....it doesn't have to be expensive at all....but if I am a reader who doesnt know that and believes everything I read I am going to cross it off my list....

so on second thought......maybe that aint so bad....:devillaugh:


and even my upcoming JVD trip for 2015 is very reasonable and thats with a villa on the beach, but meanwhile they got the BVIs as killer steep as well..
 
The fine print found on the link.

Notes to Editors:
TripIndex Caribbean looks at 20 popular Caribbean destinations, based on spots with the most visits on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers between November 15, 2013 and January 15, 2014. Cuba was excluded due to limited direct travel from the United States.

Hotels: Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel found on TripAdvisor, excluding all-inclusive resorts. On average, about 40 hotels were included in the total cost of each destination. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Hotel Price Comparison for the travel period of March 1, 2014 – April 30, 2014.
Flights: Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average round-trip airfare for a family of four from the continental U.S. to each destination's airports. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between February 17-24, 2014 for the eight Saturday-Saturday departure/return dates between March 1, 2014 and April 30, 2014. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest U.S. airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PHL, PHX, SEA, and SFO.
Meals: Meal prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of dinner for six nights for four people, consisting of a two-course meal (salad and fish filet entrée) paired with two bottles of beer and two sodas. Prices are averaged from three mid-range restaurants.
Snorkel Trips: Snorkel trip prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of a half-day (3-4 hour) guided snorkeling tour for four people and are averaged from three tour operators.
 
The fine print found on the link.

Notes to Editors:
TripIndex Caribbean looks at 20 popular Caribbean destinations, based on spots with the most visits on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers between November 15, 2013 and January 15, 2014. Cuba was excluded due to limited direct travel from the United States.

Hotels: Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel found on TripAdvisor, excluding all-inclusive resorts. On average, about 40 hotels were included in the total cost of each destination. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Hotel Price Comparison for the travel period of March 1, 2014 – April 30, 2014.
Flights: Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average round-trip airfare for a family of four from the continental U.S. to each destination's airports. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between February 17-24, 2014 for the eight Saturday-Saturday departure/return dates between March 1, 2014 and April 30, 2014. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest U.S. airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PHL, PHX, SEA, and SFO.
Meals: Meal prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of dinner for six nights for four people, consisting of a two-course meal (salad and fish filet entrée) paired with two bottles of beer and two sodas. Prices are averaged from three mid-range restaurants.
Snorkel Trips: Snorkel trip prices included in the TripIndex specify the average cost of a half-day (3-4 hour) guided snorkeling tour for four people and are averaged from three tour operators.
The not so fine print is at the bottom of the post.
 
I was just pointing out to Mike that the numbers weren't based on using FF miles, cooking in and staying in Auberge PA :cool:
 
I still think it's totally bogas like Mike R. We spend way more going to Hawaii and don't get nearly what we get on St. Barts. We practice the same habits. Rent a place of our own, enjoy cooking our own food about 1/2 the time, use some miles for about 1/2 the family. But in Hawaii we can't afford a place with daily maid service, a view to die or or on the beach (we have had both for under $2500 a week in SBH) Food is just as expensive for that quality...Plus I've never been alone on a beach there... not ever. I don't know how it compares to other Caribbean islands but for us it is more affordable than simalar trips.. Looked into a cruise recently for a family of four... St. Barts is a better deal by far!
 
Does anyone know what an average is? There are low prices and high prices and you divide by the number of places and so forth. And these were hotels not villas.
And I agree that Mike has bogas.
 
TA attempted to create an index of costs using four person trips at hotel they have reviews on and average airfares. Same for food. Can these costs be beat? Of course they are averages of averages is some cases. I think the relative ranking is probably fair enough. It isn't rocket science.

Now where to go to dinner tonight on this expensive island without a reservation?
 
andynap;878161 And I agree that Mike has bogas.[/QUOTE said:
most in here would agree with that...:eagerness:

and thats what grounds me...I would start to get nervous if they liked me....:cool:
 
My experience has been 5 days in Anquilla and 5 days St Barts in similar properties and the cost about the same. St Barts better food and Anquilla better beaches.
 
Hotel prices aren't totally relevant in SBH since mist visitors don't stay in hotels, but I understand that they need a common metric. I have now been to SBH 8-9 times and have never stayed at a hotel.
 
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