Dos and Don’ts of Planning an All-Inclusive Family Vacation to the Caribbean
Are you interested in having the Caribbean be your family’s next vacation destination? If so, you are making a great choice. With that said, you might be looking for some helpful travel planning tips. Keep reading on for some tips that will help ease the process of planning your family’s upcoming Caribbean vacation.
DON’T assume there isn’t an age restriction at your favorite or first choice all-inclusive Caribbean resort. Unlike in the United States, many all-inclusive Caribbean resorts have age restrictions. Often times, this is designed to keep small children from distracting couples on romantic getaways or honeymoons. You will typically see limitations that prohibit children under the ages of 14 or 16 from staying onsite. Before you get too excited about an all-inclusive Caribbean resort that caught your eye, verify that your children are old enough to vacation there.
DO start planning your all-inclusive Caribbean vacation early. You, your spouse, and your children will need passports to travel to and from the Caribbean. These passports can take one to two months to arrive; therefore, giving yourself extra time is recommended. Moreover, you have more options and time to examine those options when booking your trip early. Don’t worry though; you won’t miss out on any last minute travel deals and discounts. Despite what we often think, resorts have deals and discounts that are just as great throughout the year. Moreover, there is no having to rush to plan your trip at the last minute.
DON’T think that third-party travel websites offer the best deals and discounts; they aren’t the only place to find them. Obviously a family trip to the Caribbean is going to cost more because you are traveling with more people. That doesn’t mean you need to spend an arm and a leg either. When it comes to comparing prices, always keep quality in mind. A cheap hotel does have a very affordable price tag, but there might not be a lot of fun things for you and your children to do onsite. Once you do find a good resort, look around for the best deal. In addition to visiting third-party travel websites, check official resort sites because they too are home to some moneysaving travel deals and discounts.
DO checkout family friendly activities at your favorite all-inclusive Caribbean resorts. Family-friendly activities are essential when planning an all-inclusive family vacation to the Caribbean. Basically what you want to do is consider the activities that your children enjoy and search for them; you want a resort where it will be fun for your family to stay. Most resorts are home to onsite swimming pools, but what about a game room for children, a childcare service for children of all ages, scheduled activities just for the youngsters, and so forth?
DON’T forget about inclusions; check these too. An all-inclusive Caribbean resort with many family-friendly activities is nice, but opt for a resort where most of these activities are listed as inclusions. Since many resorts have onsite childcare, you and your spouse might be interested in some alone time. Look for inclusions of things you might enjoy without the kids. Generally speaking, your inclusions include food, snacks, drinks, tips, and some forms of onsite entertainment. As for that entertainment, you should find swimming pools, hot tubs, and fitness centers that are free to use. Swimming, kayaking, fishing, and tennis are just a few of the many commonly listed inclusions.
DO familiarize yourself with what costs extra. Not only is it a good idea to familiarize yourself with the inclusions at all-inclusive Caribbean resorts, but what costs extra too. Typically, a resort doesn’t share this on their online website; they are just likely to say “additional fees apply.” You can call or email the resort to get more information. Most budget travelers are families; therefore, having an idea of what costs extra and how much extra will make it easier to plan your trip.
DON’T travel offsite unless you need to. First and foremost, offsite travel isn’t being advised against for safety reasons. All popular vacation destinations in the Caribbean are safe and a great place to visit; you are encouraged to use good judgment no matter where you are. This tip is more designed for convenience and financial purposes. Since your food, snacks, drinks, and many different types of entertainment are already included in the cost of your stay, you and your family can save money by not doing these things at an offsite location. Moreover, you won’t have to worry about packing your entire family onto a bus, into a tax, or in a rental car.
Author Bio: Breezes.com makes it easy to plan your next Caribbean vacation. Checkout their great selection of all-inclusive Caribbean resorts today.
Category: Travel
Keywords: All-inclusive travel, all-inclusive Caribbean travel packages, all-inclusive resorts, all-inclusive