Any island not requiring a passport?

The US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico

neither of which are cheap!

most places which require a passport aren't cheap either! let's face it. it costs to go to the caribbean.

Well, "not too pricey" doesn't necessarily mean cheap. It's all subjective of course. What kind of budget are you looking at? We can make better suggestions that way. We found Puerto Rico less expensive than St. John USVI. Look at Vieques or Culebra.

not too pricey means not $200 a night. It also means if I can find a little bungalow or cottage over a Hotel room that would be cool. A little bit of charecter over glitz.

Anybody have suggestions about Vieques or Culebra? And has anybody traveled there recently?

Thanks again everyone,

Jonathan

You can probably still enter most places in the Caribbean without a passport. Your problem is returning to the US after your trip.

Response #1 has given you your options. You need a passport to enter the US when you return from anywhere else in the Caribbean by air. If your miss's has applied for one she can still reenter the US with a certified copy of her birth certificate, government issued photo id and a copy of the passport application until sometime in September 2007.

State Department Passport Requirement

I met some people in the BVIs who recommended a cheaper option on St John - I think it was called Cruz Bay Apartments or something like that. I've always wanted to go to St John, but a tent village with major uphill walking to the bathroom, or $2000 at Caneel Bay not in my future - so I've been meaning to look into this place, but havent.

If you can get a passport, you can definitely stay somewhere nice in the BVIs for your budget. Mongoose on Tortola is wonderful and about $150 night if you book a week.

#6 except the airlines get fined for not making sure you have the proper ID before you leave the country. I was once on line in Cancun behind screaming Americans who won some contest and somehow boarded a flight in the US with no ID - and Continental was going to refuse to board them due to the potential fine.... The screaming worked - not only did they get on the plane, but they managed to get my exit row seat!!!

I understand that the OP's wife will not be allowed to board the outbound flight to the Caribbean without having a passport. As far as I know a US citizen can still enter most Caribbean islands without a passport. The changes are on the US end.

For Culebra, check out http://www.islaculebra.com/puerto-rico/guesthouses.html. There is also a forum there where you can get good advice from folks on the island. Culebra is very laid back, and also a bit rustic. What the Caribbean was like years ago I guess. We have not stayed at Club Seabourne, but could see ourselves staying there. Each is its own little cottage.

There are some "reasonable" apartment type of places in St. John. We haven't been back to St. John in several years, but we really found the island quite expensive, especially in terms of dining. And you pretty much have to rent a car to get around, or you spend tons of $ on taxis.

Happy planning and congrats!