Suggestions for All Inclusive Vacations

I tell you.. I couldn't believe how inexpensive Ireland vacations were. My husband and I were planning on going in August. Thru AuthenticIreland.com they have lots of packages.. even a rent a cottage for a week.. it was cheap like 300 bucks, with rental car included. That didn't include airfare, which was about 600 bucks. But I was super excited, Ireland is beautiful!

"Beaches" is the family branch of Sandals. http://www.beaches.com/

:)

There's also a bunch of winter resorts with snowboarding, skiing, and lessons/ chid mnding set up for families that's much much more local. Here and in Canada. They're not set up as all inclusive, but with the package deals they may as well be.

Have fun!

I am all about the all inclusive vacations! But here is my advice on the ones I have been to. The hubbs and I have gone with our daughter and have gone to adult only ones.
So if you bring the kids.... We went to Beaches Boscobel (Sandals family) in Ocho Rios Jamaica. I’m not sure where you'll be traveling from, but we flew in from the Pacific Northwest. 2 days of travel with a little girl under one! Insane but we made it. But then, you have to take the shuttle from the airport to the resort which is almost 2 hours so keep that in mind. Totally worth it! Except the beach is way too small. The nanny service is great when you just want some time alone. We just got the standard room and it was big enough for us. King size for the hubbs and I, and they provided a crib for our little girl. The staff was amazing. Everyone was happy to help with anything you need. We even went to Sandals Dunn’s River for a day while our daughter stayed in the nursery. It was nice to get away at no extra cost. Just be prepared for kids running everywhere! Ok now onto adult only...

We have been to two. Couples Negril, Negril Jamaica. Amazing as well. The shuttle ride was only about an hour. We were greeted with drinks and got to our room in about 30 mins. I was so happy with the beach this time. Much bigger and much calmer. Swim up bar is the best invention ever! We stayed in a beachfront suite this time and to be honest we didn’t need to spend the extra money on it. We are the type of people that are never in our room. Now on the other had I did make use of our private hammock. All rooms should come with these!!Amazing resort, totally worth every penny. Will be going back.

The second we went to was Sandals Grande Antigua. Now this is a whole other story. The staff is horrible. Took over an hour to get to our room. Once we finally did, they brought the wrong luggage. We got sick of waiting (30 mins) for our luggage that I sent my husband to just go grab it. While this is all going on, the other luggage is sitting outside our room for the next 2 hours. I feel bad for the people that it belonged to. I would have gone off on somebody for that. So we get over that and let it go...saying someone is just having an "off" day at work. We do all have those days. So we understand. But that was just the start. Never had enough water. They only give you about 4 bottles a day in your room. This is not enough. Every time we sat down for a meal I would ask for water and would not get it until my meal was almost over. The service at the entire resort sucks! Go at your own risk. The power went out every night, no joke! Don’t expect anyone to go above and beyond for you. I will say that the grounds are beautiful and the food wasn’t bad. The sunsets were some of the best I have ever seen. Oh and keep in mind they advertise for a casino, which is not on the resort grounds, you have to go at your own risk. Basically, I could keep going on and on about everything but I was not happy with this one. And we spent alot more on this resort, then the other two.

But the all inclusive route is the way to go. It's very nice not having to worry about money once your there.Hope this was helpful for you. If you have any other questions let me know, I'll give you any answers I can :)

I have not been to many all inclusives, but my husband and I did stay at 2 of them in Jamaica for our honeymoon. Couples Negril and Couples Ocho Rios. That was the most amazing vacation! Beautiful resorts! I want to go back so badly! Oh....no kids allowed there. Hence the name. :o)

I have a friend that has taken her family on a Disney cruise - she raves about them! You can join the kids for activities and/or meals, or let the staff supervise while you lounge in the adult only pool... Everyone wins!

My husband and I went to the Grand Velas in Puerto Vallarta and it was stellar! We never really thought we would be "all inclusive" sort of vacationers, but really it was the best, especially for our budget. We weren't sure before if we would take our children at a younger age to Mexico, but now we can't wait to. There was much to do, we felt very safe, and there were quite a few kiddos around (which made me miss ours when we were there!) We actually booked that trip through costco. On thinking of returning to Mexico we found another all inclusive in Puerto Vallarta, which I'm sorry I can't remember the name, that was cheaper than the Grand Velas and had a great pool for the kids with a pirate ship that looked like great fun for them.

Many of the all inclusive resorts are in areas where the summers are very hot and humid! Before you book anything, I encourage you to check average monthly high and low temperatures and humidity levels. I spent a summer in Mazatlan, and the daily temperatures of 100 degrees or higher with 90-100% humidity made active outdoor activities a real challenge. Cancun, Puerta Vallarta, and most other beach resorts in Mexico have similar climates. Florida summers are also hot and humid. On the plus side, summer is often the low season for the all inclusive resorts, and the prices are discounted.

We took our son to Mexico with us when he was 18 months, and again a year later, and had wonderful experiences. Mexico is very family oriented. We saw and did things we had never done before in our travels, just because we were focused on child-friendly activities.

it depends on where you are headed to. In Puerto Vallarta Mexico there are tons of all inclusives...check out trip advisor for reviews on the different places it is a great site with reviews by travlers to places all over tripadvisor.com

Sandals is adults only.

If you want to be with the kids Disney cruise or Disneyland package.They're at the perfect age.

Dreams Resort and Spa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Google it...it's amazing. They are nestled in between two mountains, so the beach is private, and they have 5 amazing restaurants to eat from on site, and they are all amazing. The service was also fantastic. There is never a need to leave!

There are a lot of all-inclusive resorts in Cancun. Ones for adults only and ones that include children. I've stayed at the Adventura Spa Resort and the Le Blanc Resort, both in Cancun. Both were fantastic! They had multiple restaurants within, huge pools, lots of activities on-site and off; snorkeling, touring Mayan ruins, scuba diving, parasailing, yoga, fitness rooms, dancing classes, golf, etc. And best of all you never have to bring your purse or wallet (except when shopping, of course)!
My Dad went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica too but said he liked Cancun better. Either way, look up some resorts and compare reviews, pricing, etc. And above all have a blast!

We took our 2 year old to Montego Bay Jamaica and stayed at an all inclusive resort called Sunset. We had a blast. There is a water slide park there and a kids club included in the price so you can leave the kiddos and have some adult time if you want. The only complaint I had was the rooms are a bit spartan and the floors are tile. I wishd I had brought slippers for the room. Also we chose Montego Bay because that is where the airport is and we didn't want to drag the baby on a 2 hour bus ride out to Ocho Rios. We have stayed at Sandals Ocho Rios before and that was very nice. There are tons of tours and activities to do around there if that is your thing... In Mo Bay we only went into town once and just hung out at the resort the rest of the time.

you do not say how long you will be but some places depending on what you want you could google amusement parks there are some in idaho you could also look at rent or vegas thay have activities for adults and children
have fun

For the best all-inclusive vacation, I'd have to go with a cruise. I've only been on Royal Caribbean, which was wonderful...we really felt like royalty;>

Brandi, I've been to Disneyland twice and both times thought how much fun this was and how much more fun it would be with kids. My granddaughter will be 9 in a month and she's been asking to go for a few months now. I know she would enjoy it. I'm not sure that my soon to be 6 would have so much fun.

I was in my early 30's and twice near DisneyLand on business and was only able to stay for most of one day each time. It was a blast! While there we ran into a family of someone with whom we worked and they were also having great fun. Their two kis were probably around between 9 and 12. We all agreed that although we were getting tired it was the best time we'd ever had at an entertainment park.

I've seen ads for packages that would allow a family to divide their visit into more than one day and could even include other sites such as Knottsberry Farm. I really enjoyed Knottsberry even tho I was one of 2 adults, both of us co-workers.

Both of these trips were 30 or so years ago. One was off season and the other during spring break. The park was very busy and it's no doubt even busier now. I don't know how well they've planned for increased crowds. A positive was that there were so many places to see and/or ride that we never waited very long in line. Perhaps 20 minutes or so. We had no waits at Knottsberry Farm.

About 15 years ago I helped chaperone my middle school daughter's group to a Twelve Flags Entertainment Park (I'm not sure I have the name quite right) in California. I don't remember where, now. We took a bus load of kids. Again, I very much enjoyed the trip in spite of being with a bus load of kids and a bus that broke down for several hours in Medford. We came from Portland.

We didn't have such parks when I was a kid. I became a very much grown up kid on these visits. On the first trip, my co-worker said he had as much fun watching me as he'd had before. I know my 9 yo granddaughter would love any of those parks. I think that my grandson at 3 or even my granddaughter at 3 would have fun but they would've tired all too soon. Then again, they fit in a stroller and both of my grandkids could fall asleep and be unconcerned while the rest of us did our thing.

I've also been to Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, and very much enjoyed the country, people and culture. I've read about resorts like Sandols and think that would be a great family vacation also. I don't know if it's Sandols or another family resort in Mexico. I've never been but they sound great.

I've also read about cruises with programs geared towards kids. Again I very much enjoyed the cruise I took on the Mediterraneon. The ship was small and only employees of GM were aboard. No children. I could see how a cruise could be great fun for kids too if kids were a focus. The cruise companies go out of their way to be sure everyone is having a good time.

I've read about a cruise company with DisneyLand focus. I think that would be ideal. It sounded like their focus was very much on the kids but still catered to adults. Being on a ship is so relaxing. The food is excellent. There are pools, sports courts, evening entertainment, etc. By being on the ship parents would get to know the adults involved with their children and feel comfortable spending time away from the children as well as with them. The best of both worlds.

I think your decision will depend quite a bit on your children's personalities. My granddaughter is outgoing and game for almost anything. The first time I went to 24 Hour Fitness she didn't want to leave the kid's room. She was one of the oldest at 8 and that didn't matter. The set up seemed a bit young to me but she had a wonderful time and didn't want to leave. On the other hand my grandson is quieter and covers his ears when things get too noisy. He takes time to get to know other kids. I think DisneyLand might be too intense for him.

From what I've read about a child focused cruise and a resort such as Sandols I think both of my grandchildren would enjoy it. And parents get to do some adult things too. If you took the cruise, you'd have some time at DisneyLand too. I don't know how expensive it is.

When I was a kid 50 or so years ago our family went tent camping at Clear Lake and Paulina Lake in Central Oregon. We camped near the lakes. I know the area is used by more people now but when I was there a few years ago the tent campground seemed similar tho larger. When I was 10, I had brothers 8, 6, and 3, We were camping when the youngest was still a non-walking baby. I remember having a lot of fun. Our parents didn't care if we got dirty and camp food is the best! The smell of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon served up with pancakes. The summer I'm remembering I took a doll and a lot of doll clothes. My brothers took cars and trucks and we all used our imaginations. Of course I am remembering from a child's view. :)

Everyone in my family would love to just spend a week at the beach, rent a cabin or condo near the beach and for the most part veg out. The only problem would be getting an adult break. My daughter, my two grandchildren and I have sometimes joined my cousin and her husband and we took turns entertaining the kids. We usually go to Rockaway Beach. Seaside and Cannon Beach are just too crowded any time of the year now.

I'm less energetic now and enjoyed just sitting on the beach watching the kids while they play in the sand. For the last two years, at ages 7 and 8, my granddaughter loved to explore. When it was just the two of us we walked close to the bank, looked at plants and other odd objects and sometimes pretended we were on an expedition. She has quite an imagination! She loves a fire in the earl evening on which to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. She thought it was even more fun for her the night it got dark earlier than we'd thought and there was a fine mist. We hunkered down with a tarp and warm coats. A blazing fire and the sound of the ocean are wonderful. We do have to keep track of the kids. They know no danger. They are beginning to understand. (8 and 5)

When my daughter was 8-10 we met my parents in Medford and spent a week visiting relatives. We stayed in a Motel 6 with a pool which made the vacation the best for my daughter, a water monkey. We also spent quite of bit of time at Lithia Park in Ashland. I think it's one of the most beautiful parks I've been too. There is a very shallow creek that my daughter loved. Also a good playground and at one time a small zoo. i don't think the zoo is there any more. The Shakespearan Theater seems like it's part of the park. The town definitely caters to tourists which should make it easier to get a trustworthy babysitter. I'd ask that they be certified by the state. One gets this with a criminal background check. I'm not sure that they're called certified but it's something like that. My daughter, 7 or 8, and I rode in a horse drawn buggy. The driver was adept at entertaining my daughter. We still talk about it. They have evening concerts at the Band Shell in the Park. Families bring a picnic, sit on the ground or on benches to listen to the music. I don't know if they still do them, I thought it was one of the most fun things I did when I visited as a child. My grandmother didn't like to be outside in the evening (mosquitos and other bugs) so we'd go early, early, to park on the street next to the Band Shell. I always wanted to get out but of course my anxious grandmother always said no. We did walk and I played in the park during the daytime. There were, maybe still are, duck and swan ponds. We took bread to feen the ducks. Guess that's not considered healthy for the ducks now. The swans especially fit right into the fairy tales I loved. The theatre looks like a castle and the park with it's ponds, trees, flowers and running stream did feel like it was straight out of fairyland.

My grandparents lived in Ashland and I spent a month with them every summer while I was in grade school. I've been back several times, been to the Festival several times and it still feels like a small town tho it's grown alot. Ashland has several restaurants with good food and reasonable prices that encourage the presence of children. The last time we were there my granddaughter was an only child at 3. She fit right in.

Writing has brought fond memories. I think that I've enjoyed every place I've been, both with and without children. Now there is so much info on the Internet one can plan ahead more easily. I think you'll enjoy where ever you go if it holds interest for you and fits in with your children's personalities.

I should've looked to see where you live before I started writing. I've been to Victoria and Vancouver B.C. Never with children that young. Both have beautiful parks. I've driven to Nanimo and taken a ferry to one of the islands in Puget Sound. Unfortunately I didn't have young children in my life at those times and didn't pay any attention to activities for kids. Both cities are large and probably do have kid stuff to do.

Kids would enjoy the acquarium in Seattle. There is a wonderful museum in Vancouver that my 9 yo granddaughter would love.

One of my friends took her son when he was around 10 to Victoria. He loved the ferry ride. They had a good time.

The Washington coast has many wonderful vacationing spots as you no doubt know.

We stayed at a "Couples" resort in Jamaica which was awesome! I think it is adults only though. Regardless of where you go I think that all-inclusive is the way to go!!

It is only a vacation without kids ;-)

The Moon Palace Resort in Cancun is lovely.