Caribbean Destinations for Families

[swainj]

We are looking to book a Caribbean vacation in 2008. My family consist of my husband, our two sons (ages 10 & 5), and me. We enjoy the beach and pool time, hiking, snorkeling, and good food.
We've heard:
1) Bahamas - good but very expensive
2) Aruba - desert island, not tropical, crowded, and murky water
3) Virgin Islands - good beaches, clear water, but hard to exchange into
4) Domin. Republic and Jamaica - unsafe if you leave the resort property.
5) Mexico - don't drink the water and watch what you eat. lots of panhandlers
6) Curacao - very pretty

Any suggestions for a good family destination in the Caribbean? Name the resort.

Thanks!

 

[bestbuyer]

Have had great fun at the Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas, Marriott Aruba Surf Club, Paradise Village Beach Resort in Nuevo Vallarita (Puerto Vallarita) Mexico, Grand Cayman (although we stayed prior to timeshare ownership) at the Hyatt. Domincan Republic is fine if you stay w/in the resort. We did do some excursions which were fun. The resorts are all-inclusives now.....we went many years ago when the Dominican was not really well travelled and we still had a good time. Not a ton of money to do a Dominican vacation. We had no problems in Mexico whether it was Cancun or Puerto Vallarta area (drink only bottled water) Resort food was fine as well as lots of Cancun restaurants. I wouldn't do Jamaica for a week long vacation...going there for one day during a cruise was plenty; not safe. Never been to Curacao (sp?) Lots of islands have panhandlers......unfortunately, that's the way it is. Have cruised to St. Thomas, St. John, St. Lucia, Belize, St. Marten/Maarten, Antiqua, San Juan, and others and you are right, very hard to do an exchange. Too bad it is, since some of these islands I would revisit for a week. Take a look at the amenities of where you wish to stay and see what would work for your two young children. I think you'd be surprised at how much fun you can have if you research a little. Make it an adventure.

 

[jancurious]

My daughter & I spent a week at the Royal Sands in Cancun last November & I would highly recommend it. It is a fabulous resort & extremely well run. We drank the water at the resort with no problems. We had a fabulous 8th floor ocean view. Almost all of the rooms at the Sands have very good ocean views. Lots of activities for adults & kids.

There are five Royals in Cancun & their newest is the Royal Hacienda which was to open at the beginning of this month in the Riviera Maya (just south of Cancun). Check out their website: http://www.royalresorts.com/ I took a tour of it. It's going to be fabulous, too.

The beauty of these resorts is that they trade on II & with there being so many, if you have a reasonable trader, you can probably exchange into one.

Also there are free shuttles that run between the resorts so you can check them all out. If you go on the Mexico forum, there are lots of loyal Royal owners who can answer any of your questions.

I hope to buy one some day when our life is such that we can choose a fixed week of vacation every year!

Jan

 

[gmarine]

We are looking to book a Caribbean vacation in 2008. My family consist of my husband, our two sons (ages 10 & 5), and me. We enjoy the beach and pool time, hiking, snorkeling, and good food.
We've heard:
1) Bahamas - good but very expensive
2) Aruba - desert island, not tropical, crowded, and murky water
3) Virgin Islands - good beaches, clear water, but hard to exchange into
4) Domin. Republic and Jamaica - unsafe if you leave the resort property.
5) Mexico - don't drink the water and watch what you eat. lots of panhandlers
6) Curacao - very pretty

Any suggestions for a good family destination in the Caribbean? Name the resort.

Thanks!

In a nutshell.

1. Caribbean in general is very expensive. Bahamas is no different. If going December through February weather may not be ideal. Mainly in the 70s.
2. Stark desert landscape which is very different but also has great scenery and always great weather. Crowded or not depends on the resort. Murky water? No, have never seen that in all my times in Aruba. One of the best islands for food quality along with St Maarten.
3. VI, yes on all accounts.
4. Depends on the areas of both that you are in. Even though I like Jamaica it wouldnt be my first choice with the family.
5. As long as you are in the hotel zone the water is purified. This goes for every restaurant, shop and bar in the entire hotel zone. Never seen a panhandler in the hotel zone. The Royal resorts are excellent choices.
6. Yes, similar in weather to Aruba but much fewer timeshares.

You might also consider St Maarten and Antigua. You should also see how difficult you flight connections will be to each island from your home. This may weigh in on your decision.

 

[jme]

I decided that a trip to the Caribbean would be "one for the ages", so to speak, because my kids were about 18 & 15 at the time (2 years ago). I knew we may or may not be returning for a long time, so i decided to bite the bullet for a trip. Knowing that an exchange would be very difficult, we instead used Marriott Rewards Points to stay at the St. Thomas Marriott's Frenchman's Reef. We were NOT disappointed. It was amazing, and I'm very glad we made that trip. You only have the kids a short time, and they grow up fast......so, my belief has always been to smell the roses NOW. **** The following year we went to Atlantis...yes , the hotel...not the timeshare Harbourside (altho that would be great) . We stayed in one of the two Royal Towers , and that was beyond amazing...again, I will never regret it. Neither will the kids. We talk about those two trips all the time. The money is spent, but it would have gone to something else...and the memories are just too great. We also see the two places on TV all the time, and say "Remember that!!!" They come running into the room each time it's on TV...whatever. Anyway, I would say, do the best you can to get to the Virgin Islands (even Atlantis in Bahamas).....town, restaurants , beaches (which are fantastic for snorkeling and relaxing in true paradise) , and other stuff are all beyond description. That's why I work hard. No compromises. When you're old and gray you will laugh and reminisce about these trips, and the images will be there forever. Go for it. jme

 

[gailo]

We own three weeks at Fairfield's Bluebeards's Beach Club. It is a small intimate resort with a great beach. From here you can explore with teens all of St Thomas and St John. LOVE IT. It is around a cove from the Marriott which as described is wonderful. You can often find owners who rent their units - depending on when you want to go.

 

[jme]

To add to this wonderful Virgin Isles recommendation, there are so many private little beaches available to spend a day....like the world-famous beach "Magen's Bay" on the other side of St. Thomas from Frenchman's Reef, which is only a 15-minute taxi ride, and the water is quiet and gorgeous....no waves at all, and a longgggg beach all around the cove. ...also, visiting the other close islands of St. John , Virgin Gorda , etc. are fabulous. VG has a place called "the Baths" which has THE prettiest beach I have personally seen, and you have to travel thru the baths' grotto-like maze to walk there....easy and way too cool. Once there, it's spectacular, and the sand under foot is like being in paradise...it's like a 20-acre spa pool...simply mindboggling, with gorgeous huge rock formations all around. The baths are my absolute favorite place on earth, and I've seen every beach pretty much EXCEPT those amazing ones in Thailand... anyway, the Virgin Isles have so many fantastic beaches....kid-friendly....unlike the rough surf in Hawaii....which make it # one in my book. Look up the Baths on Virgin Gorda and you'll see what I mean. jme