Any Travel agents, or people familiar with carribean destinations

[DebMcDonald]

I'm planning a vacation for my daughter and I for December, early december. I'm going to pull her out of school for two days, so our trip would be a Thursday-Sunday. We'd be flying out of Boston, we want a destination warm, any suggestions. When looking I realize that Thursday and Sunday are going to turn into travel days vs vacation days and I'm not sure if I should be looking at destinations that are closer to home. Honestly, I'd love an all inclusive because that way we are not worrying about food, entertainment etc.

 

[Darcy03231]

I would suggest an all inclusive in Punta Cana. We really like the Iberostar resorts.

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

what about a short cruise? We are taking one in Nov. for 3 nights out of Miami and they are super affordable. That way you can see 1 or 2 different islands depending on if its a 3 or 4 night trip.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

I love the Riviera Maya in Mexico. Went to Punta Cana in May and hated it (compared to Mexico). St. Thomas/St. John are beautiful too, but I don't think they have any all inclusives.

For that short of a trip, the first thing I would do is see where you can get a direct flight. You don't want to spend half your trip waiting in an airport!

 

[LKHomemail]

I'm planning a vacation for my daughter and I for December, early december. I'm going to pull her out of school for two days, so our trip would be a Thursday-Sunday. We'd be flying out of Boston, we want a destination warm, any suggestions. When looking I realize that Thursday and Sunday are going to turn into travel days vs vacation days and I'm not sure if I should be looking at destinations that are closer to home. Honestly, I'd love an all inclusive because that way we are not worrying about food, entertainment etc.

how old is your daughter ? what kinds of things do you like to do on a vacation ? what are your expectations for this get a way ?

 

[DebMcDonald]

how old is your daughter ? what kinds of things do you like to do on a vacation ? what are your expectations for this get a way ?

She will be turning 16 on this trip. She has never been outside of the United States. The beach is something that she loves, but I don' t want to beach all day and have nothing to do at night. This trip will be in place of a 16th birthday party and I would love to surprise her with it. There is a carnival cruise that leave out of Fl on the 3rd and returns the 6, but you leave port at 4:00 and return early in the morning on the 6th, so that's almost as bad as spending two days in the airport, I'm not sure that I want to pull her out of school for one more day.

Also, I have never traveled without my husband so this has made me a little nervous and I thought the inclusive route might be easier on me....

 

[An_Island_Girl]

We also fly out of Boston, and find that All Inclusive travel to Mexico is perfect for our family. Non-stop flights are only 4 hours long, so as long as you have an early flight down, and a later flight back, you can still enjoy a little more of a short vacation. Try pricing out your trip through Funjet.com as they often have many great vacations, then you can take those prices to your family travel agent to match or beat the online prices.

Good Luck!

P.S. We too love the Iberostar chain (as another poster mentioned) both in the Dominican Republic and in Mexico.

 

[Darcy03231]

Just keep in mind that if you're flying you will need a passport. I beleive that with cruises that both originate and end in the US you can still cruise with a DL and birth certificate.

We gone to several All inclusive resorts with our children (also teens). We've found we really like the Iberostar resorts. There's always something to appeal to everyone.

 

[travelgirl06]

Cruises are a good option, I would look for one that visits a private island or another port other than just Nassau (I'm not a huge fan of Nassau). With cruises you can also look at cruises that leave from different departure ports (e.g. Cape Canaveral, Tampa, New Orleans, Galveston, etc.) in case airfare becomes an issue.

All-inclusives are a great option too. The SuperClubs resorts have pretty good pices too. I've never stayed at a SuperClub, but we priced several all-inclusives for our wedding before settling on an adults-only option. Be sure to compare what the all-inclusves include; for example, if you think watersports will be a top priority, look at which watersports are included at which resort, some offer tons of activities, while others have a more limited selection.

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

You don't NEED a passport for a cruise, but it is so much safer to have one. What if you would become ill and have to stay in a different country when the cruise ship leaves...then you would have a problem returning to the U.S. without a passport. If you go...get a passport.

If you like the idea of all-inclusives, The Riviera Maya Mexico has fantastic all inclusives that are reasonably prices, beautiful beaches, plenty to do and a great option. Normally there are plenty of flights to Cancun from most any airport. Just do your research (tripadvisor is a great site to do that).

Other wonderful islands of the Caribbean are The Virgin Islands (many choices) and The Caymans, But they don't have many (if any) all-inclusives.

What a wonderful gift for your daughter. Enjoy your trip.

 

[scrdofbugs]

My vote is for Atlantis in the Bahamas. They have a water park, aquarium and several pools even a open pools (not to swim in) with sharks, sting rays, turtles that you can help feed. We stayed in the Beach Towers and it was beautiful. We never left the resort. There was tons to do and they have a ton of restuarants. http://www.atlantis.com/

 

[buzzgirls&dad]

We have been to Beaches Turks & Caicos for the last 3 years and will be going again in Feb. It is a great all inclusive resort. Not the cheapest but well worth the $. There is even a coral preserve right off the beach with beautiful sea turtles. Over the years we have made friends with the staff, and they are wonderful and even through us an anniversary party last year. The prices are the best that they have been in the four years of booking. (already booked for Feb.) If you have specific questions feel freee to PM me.

 

[taylor3297]

My favs are Grand Cayman, St. Barts, St. Kitts, and Antigua. I am not a fan of the Bahamas (unless you are staying at Atlantis) nor Jamacia.

 

[4Seasons]

We have been to Beaches Turks & Caicos for the last 3 years and will be going again in Feb. It is a great all inclusive resort. Not the cheapest but well worth the $. There is even a coral preserve right off the beach with beautiful sea turtles. Over the years we have made friends with the staff, and they are wonderful and even through us an anniversary party last year. The prices are the best that they have been in the four years of booking. (already booked for Feb.) If you have specific questions feel freee to PM me.

I'll definately second this recommendation. I was there in May and it was incredible. Check out my pics, the link is in my signature.