Caribbean Family Travel


Discount Plans & Packages

Sometimes the best approach is purchasing a special package directly from the hotel, purchasing an airline vacation package or tracking down the best price via the Internet.

Hotels often offer special packages based on activities or special occasions: golf and scuba packages, wedding and honeymoon packages, Carnival packages are some of the most common.

Read all the fine print carefully. Are the rates per person or per room? Are airport transfers included? A rental car? Are there special conditions, such as a 7-day stay or the requirement of staying certain days of the week, such as from Saturday to Saturday.

Don't rely only on printed matter in making your decision. Call the hotel and talk to the front desk about any specials. They have the most current information.

Condos and Villas

These are increasingly popular with large families since they can be a good bargain—as long as someone is willing to do the cooking. Meals are one of the largest vacation expenses and a condo or villa reduces them substantially.

Having your own kitchen eliminates the problem of picky eaters since they will have precisely what they want (assuming it's available on the island). You can eat whenever you want, having breakfasts at noon if you like, which would not be possible in most restaurants.

Condos and villas also eliminate the need for dressing up whenever you dine, having to be around a bunch of strangers and conforming to established hours.

Furthermore, many condos and villas offer CD, DVD or VCR players, not available in most hotel rooms.

Luxury villas often provide the option of a cook, maid service and sometimes even a car and/or driver.

Regardless of how expensive, condos and villas offer more freedom and flexibility than hotel rooms. This is why they've become so popular in places like Grand Cayman.

Where To Stay Part 1

Where to Stay Part 2

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Caribbean Essentials

When is the best time to go? Depends on how much money you have and what you want to do on your Caribbean vacation.

What about traveling by cruise ship? No better way for a quick introduction to Caribbean islands.

Does one island really differ from another? Here's a Caribbean vacation sampler that shows just how different they are.

Where are the best beaches? Excellent question. Some islands have almost none. A Caribbean vacation without a beach? Yes!

Where is the Caribbean's best hiking & walking? You mean Caribbean cloud walking? Or hiking a hundred feet below sea level?

What about seeing animals? Want to feed a shark? Pet a dolphin? Watch nesting sea turtles? Here's where to go for an animal friendly Caribbean vacation.

Who throws the biggest parties? In the Caribbean, they're called Carnivals. Everyone has one of these blowouts.

How do you pronounce Caribbean? Islanders say "ker-e-be-an." So should you. Here's why.

Why is "Caribbean time" different?  Because sometimes the clock seems to run backwards or stand still. But it's a vacation, remember?

Just for fun. Test your Caribbean IQ. Warning! This is irreverent.

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