Top Winter 2008-09 Caribbean Travel Deals

The CuisinArt Resort and Spa in Anguilla will give guests a $500 resort credit when they book a stay of five nights or more between Jan. 4 and March 13, 2009. Nightly rates at the five-star luxury resort start at $740 double occupancy.

Remember the golden days of mid-2008, when Wall Street stocks were still riding high and your 401k still looked robust enough to keep you out of the ranks of 'unretired' Wal-Mart employees? Well, Elite Island Resorts still seems to believe in the American Dream: the hotelier will take your weary stocks off your hands at July 1, 2008 prices as payment for a luxury stay in Antigua, the Grenadines, or the British Virgin Islands.

Daily resort credits of between $110 and $200 are part of the Ritz-Carlton 'Reconnect' packages for winter 2009. The package includes:

• Nightly accommodations
• Daily breakfast for two
• A daily resort credit- for use at food and beverage outlets, spa and for recreation activities

Participating hotels include The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun ($539 with $130 credit); The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall, Jamaica ($465 with $120 credit); The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman ($659 with $130 credit); The Ritz-Carlton, San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino ($475 with $110 credit); and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas ($745 with $200 credit). Rates are valid Jan. 1 to April 30, 2009. For more details, see the Ritz-Carlton website or call 800-241-3333.

Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia used to give guests 'Sun Dollars' -- which can be used to pay for resort services and amenities such as spa treatments and excursions -- worth 15 percent of the price of their room. But the recession has spurred some inflation, and that's good news for guests: the resort is now offering 50 percent in Sun Dollars for every night you stay.

For example, if you stay in a $350-per-night Anthurium Lily Honeymoon Suites, you've receive $175 in Sun Dollars every day.

The resort's 'Melt the Recession Away' promotion is book on stays from now until April 18, 2009. For more details, see the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort website.