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| Yes | 74% | 183 votes | Total: 248 votes | |
| No | 26% | 65 votes |
Yes
by Carole Hill
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Add to FavoritesWhen I think of enduring summer heat, one of the first places that comes to mind is Death Valley, California! Now that is no place to be near for a summer vacation!
I realize there are hot spots all over the world, such as Libya, Egypt, and Australia for example, but it is more likely to expect record highs in those desert climates. As hot as it might get in the summer, the Caribbean doesn't strike me as a destination to stay away from because of the heat!
This is not to say that it can't get hot on some islands in the Caribbean. I believe the further south you travel, you may encounter slightly higher temperatures, but generally speaking, the weather is consistently moderate year-round with little seasonal variation. Trade winds seem to temper the heat of the sun on the windward side of the islands and it is possible that the leeward side may seem warmer. In fact, I have learned that you can find just about any terrain from dry calm water bays to tropical rain forests on one island. Of course, there are some islands better suited for water sports due to more wind and waves, but for the most part, the temperatures from the warmest season to the coolest only vary approximately four degrees! If I were told that I could leave right this minute for a trip to Barbados, my bags would be packed in a heartbeat!
I would never consider the time I spend in the Caribbean in terms of endurance! What I mean to say is that there is nothing to endure when spending time on any island in the Caribbean, except enduring the beauty, joy and exhilaration you feel while there.
As for the costs to get there and what your expenses are while staying in the Caribbean, I have to say that I haven't noticed any bargain fares in more recent months. There was a time when you could get deals on airfare and hotel rates in the summer, but I believe those days are gone! As for shopping, you can still find adorable handcrafted souvenirs, but again, there was a time when I could go in November or early December and shop for Christmas gifts to bring home at remarkable prices. It looks like those days are gradually slipping away as well. It is entirely possible that local merchants have gotten wiser to the tourists and the millions of cruise passengers that come at all times of the year for that matter, looking for deals, in particular on silver and gold jewelry, perfumes and linens!
The only time I have noticed any real drop in price on airfares, hotels or cruise prices is during Hurricane Season (starting around the end of August through September.) If you have ever experienced the ravages of high hurricane winds, you certainly will not find the lower costs a lure to get you there! I, personally, am not one of those thrill seeking "tornado chasers" or lovers of strong wind and hurricanes, so you won't see me in any part of the Caribbean at that time!
The pleasures of the Caribbean can be yours in the summer or whatever time of year you so desire. Each island offers its own unique charm and character, so go ahead, live it up, explore, hike, snorkel, scuba, enjoy a myriad of other water activities, and do as much as you can handle, or relax under a coco palm with a tropical rum punch! It's all good!
Yeah mon!
Learn more about this author, Carole Hill.
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No
In the summer, the islands in the Caribbean are hot, humid, sweaty, bug-infested and run by resentful, unhappy people who can barely hide their hatred for North American tourists. In fact, those islands are like that at every time of the year. If that sounds too harsh, I'm truly sorry for those sincere folks there who try to do their jobs and keep the tourist industry going.
However, the still-unsolved case of the high school girl's murder on Aruba, and where the obvious killers were set free, is just one example of how corrupt the leadership of the islands is, and why I can't recommend anyone visit the Caribbean in the summer or any time of the year. My opinions are based on years of personal experiences.
Until I retired recently, my job was to set up and run annual recognition conferences for a major financial company. Over more than 30 years, I worked our programs, usually for six consecutive weeks each, in hotels and resorts on Bermuda, Aruba, Trinidad, the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean areas. I've also directed our conferences in Canada, Hawaii, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Monaco and France. In the U.S., our conferences were in Florida, Nevada, Colorado, California and resorts in many other states.
Of course, when I went into a facility with a crew of our own employees to set up for hundreds of delegates, including their accommodations, food, entertainment and awards programs, I often ran into problems. It was our prime responsibility to solve them quickly and effectively, so that our delegates and their families ... usually 1,500 adults and kids at each conference ... would have the maximum enjoyment and security. In my experience, our biggest task was dealing with the hotel staffs. We were definitely not arrogant nor abusive, but we were a prestigious company, we paid top dollar and expected no less than total cooperation and value for our money.
While hotel management always made promises of total cooperation, the attitude of the staffs could be an entirely different situation. Unfortunately, I found that our most prevalent problem was with the hotel workers in the Caribbean. I was certainly aware of the political and economic disparities and racism still existing in those islands since colonial days, but the hotel, transportation and restaurant workers always seemed to be in a constant state of resentment. Worse, they took out their anger on visitors, including guys like me trying to do my job.
I've never forgotten the deliberate lack of cooperation, and at times, outright verbal resentment, I experienced when I worked my assignments on Caribbean islands. Since I've retired, I've flown to and cruised from many places as a private citizen, including England, France, Scandinavia, Hawaii, Russia, Holland, Italy, Canada, Ireland, Mexico, South America and Alaska. However, I've never ventured back to the Caribbean islands.
Learn more about this author, Ted Sherman.
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