Going on family vacations is usually the best part of the year! However, the planning can be tiresome and monotonous. For those of you who dream of warm, sandy beaches in the Caribbean with your family, this article is for you!
First, it is hard to get everyone’s schedule to match up when planning a family trip. The most logical time would be the summer, since the kids will probably be out of school then. However, with summer camps, lessons and all of the other things that kids have going on in this day and age, it can still be tricky to try to plan a vacation in the summertime-tricky, but not impossible. Your child may have to miss a few horseback riding lessons, but it will be worth it to spend some quality time with the family.
Coming up with the money might be another factor. A lot of people just don’t have thousands of dollars sitting around to go on a luxurious Caribbean vacation for them and their children. A better way to go about doing this is to save up all year before your trip. Perhaps you can put a fixed amount into a “vacation” account for twelve months before you go on your trip. It doesn’t have to be a lot of money, but a few hundred will probably do it. Some people might be thinking, “A few hundred a month is a lot to me!”—which is understandable. However, a trip to the Caribbean for four or five people just isn’t going to be cheap, any way you plan it. You can look into cheaper options, such as all-inclusive packages, but even those can be expensive, especially with airfare added in for several people. Look for discounted airfares for young children, though. This could save a bundle.
Depending on your children’s ages, it may be worth looking into on-site baby-sitting at the resort you are thinking of staying at. Many places offer this luxury so that you and your spouse can have a night- or a few nights- of uninterrupted, romantic, marital bliss. Do your homework on the baby-sitters- get references, meet them in person, etc.- and then, enjoy!!! You deserve it!
Make sure that you also check what the weather will be like when you are in the Caribbean. You don’t want to go during hurricane season, or when a hurricane is supposed to hit. Make sure that you bring the appropriate changes of clothes- remember that it can get cool in the Caribbean at night. Also, make sure to bring plenty of sun tan lotion and sun glasses. Children can get very easily burned in the hot sun. Don’t forget to also bring floats/swimmies, etc. for children who may go into the pool. You may want to learn basic CPR before you go on your trip- or at the very least, only swim when lifeguards are on duty.
Learn about what there is to do near your hotel before you go on your trip. Of course, the internet can be a huge help in finding out what activities are either available on-site at your hotel, or very close to your hotel. You also may want to find out about the crime rate in the place you will be staying. There are some places that have exceptionally low crime rates in the Caribbean, but then there are others which have an exceptionally high crime rate, too. If you stay in a place with the exceptionally high crime rate, you might want to mostly stay on-site at your hotel, and look for a place that has entertainment at the hotel every night, if you so desire that type of thing.
Most of all, have fun and be safe!
