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OT: Caribbean with young kids - suggestions?

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NickRU714

Heisman Winner
Aug 18, 2009
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Expedited Passport thread reminded me.

Looking to take the kids to the Caribbean during Spring Break (April 2023).
7 year old son
Daughter will turn 6 during the vacation

Any family friendly island or resort suggestions?
Wife and I have gone to Antigua a couple times just us.
Would prefer a different island though.

Not looking to take 5 mile hikes or all day adventures
Perhaps a couple fun excursions but nothing intense (snorkeling for example)
Would be spending majority of time at resort/beach/pool.
 
NickRU714 said:
Expedited Passport thread reminded me.

Looking to take the kids to the Caribbean during Spring Break (April 2023).
7 year old son
Daughter will turn 6 during the vacation

Any family friendly island or resort suggestions?
Wife and I have gone to Antigua a couple times just us.
Would prefer a different island though.

Not looking to take 5 mile hikes or all day adventures
Perhaps a couple fun excursions but nothing intense (snorkeling for example)
Would be spending majority of time at resort/beach/pool.
Click to expand...
The Hard Rock is Punta Cana is great for families. Lots of excursions included - dune buggy, etc. there’s an ice cream bar. Food decent for all inclusive. Obviously open bar for adults. I think 10 pools. Huge resort, you never leave the grounds
 
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9scrltknght0 said:
Beaches in Turks & Caicos - huge property with lots of room options depending on budget. Lots of water activities, food options plentiful, kids club for the young ones if mom and dad want some time alone, etc.
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Beaches is great for kids. Negative is $$$$. Looking at $8-10k for the week
 
NickRU714 said:
Expedited Passport thread reminded me.

Looking to take the kids to the Caribbean during Spring Break (April 2023).
7 year old son
Daughter will turn 6 during the vacation

Any family friendly island or resort suggestions?
Wife and I have gone to Antigua a couple times just us.
Would prefer a different island though.

Not looking to take 5 mile hikes or all day adventures
Perhaps a couple fun excursions but nothing intense (snorkeling for example)
Would be spending majority of time at resort/beach/pool.
Click to expand...

any good suggestions for a cheap Caribbean family vacation?

sorry for the OT to those offended. Looking for a reasonably priced Carribean vacation with 3 kids under 10. probably 3 nights sometime between April 16 and April 26. Any recommendations?
rutgers.forums.rivals.com rutgers.forums.rivals.com
 
9scrltknght0 said:
Beaches in Turks & Caicos - huge property with lots of room options depending on budget. Lots of water activities, food options plentiful, kids club for the young ones if mom and dad want some time alone, etc.
Click to expand...
I was just about to post the same
 
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Zak57 said:
Atlantis. They have everything you need on property and can even go on some excursions if needed. Beach, pools, water park, casino, restaurants, etc.
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Second this. I’ve visited there while in the Bahamas and it’s definitely kid friendly .My brother took his 5 and 2 year old to Atlantis last year and loved it. If you’re there and want to gamble, head down the street to the Baha Mar. playing blackjack overlooking the beach is quite the experience.
 
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Grand Cayman is incredible, but expensive.

Seven Mile Beach is stunning. Crystal clear water with an abundance of waterlife so snorkeling (or scuba) is incredible.
You can go swimming with giant sting-rays which I have done twice and would love to do again.
There is a natural preserve you can explore that is full of BLUE iguanas.
There is a turtle center that allows you to pick up/touch sea turtles.
We have done kayaking in the bioluminescence bay at night. It is a short kayak tour that takes you to a lagoon where the water glows blue when you swim in/touch it.

I have always rented a car on the island (you drive on the opposite side) but it is super easy and convenient to get around.

I have never felt unsafe there. Many restaurants and types of food. You can also go grocery shopping and cook yourself if your facilities have a kitchen.
 
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NickRU714 said:
Expedited Passport thread reminded me.

Looking to take the kids to the Caribbean during Spring Break (April 2023).
7 year old son
Daughter will turn 6 during the vacation

Any family friendly island or resort suggestions?
Wife and I have gone to Antigua a couple times just us.
Would prefer a different island though.

Not looking to take 5 mile hikes or all day adventures
Perhaps a couple fun excursions but nothing intense (snorkeling for example)
Would be spending majority of time at resort/beach/pool.
Click to expand...
Our go-to island is St. John. 2/3 of the island is preserved national parkland. The beaches are literally perfect on the northern shore. Lots of fun secluded places to explore. One main resort is the Westin. Otherwise, there are a bunch of smaller places. Lots of hiking and snorkeling. You can also take a boat (private or public) to the BVIs (Tortola and Jost Van Dyke).
 
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NickRU714 said:
Expedited Passport thread reminded me.

Looking to take the kids to the Caribbean during Spring Break (April 2023).
7 year old son
Daughter will turn 6 during the vacation

Any family friendly island or resort suggestions?
Wife and I have gone to Antigua a couple times just us.
Would prefer a different island though.

Not looking to take 5 mile hikes or all day adventures
Perhaps a couple fun excursions but nothing intense (snorkeling for example)
Would be spending majority of time at resort/beach/pool.
Click to expand...
Cayman Islands is a great destination for a family . Quiet, safe and some wonderful swimming, fishing , day excursions with great places to eat. A bit pricey but having vacationed in 13 Caribbean islands it is one of my favorites . Really it depends on what you out and family truly like.
 
T2Kplus20 said:
Atlantis = tourist trap (and not a real Caribbean experience)
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He didn't ask for a real Caribbean experience. He asked for something fun to do with kids that also had beaches. Atlantis also has many different price points depending. While it gets crowded it still is so big not everyone is on top of each other.
 
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Aruba has what you're looking for and I always run into Rutgers fans there. Hyatt on Palm Beach or a bunch of other hotels in that area (3 Marriotts, Hilton, etc.). Good pools (Hyatt has a water slide) and beach, very calm ocean, and water activities/excursions accessible right on the beach there. You can do as much or as little as you want. Tons of restaurants in walking distance, or take a short cab ride if you'd like more options. Don't stay downtown in Oranjestad, as Palm Beach is much nicer and more to do, and don't stay at an all-inclusive, as there are so many good food options/restaurants to try, even for picky kids.
 
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Been to Atlantis, Beaches Turks, Punta Cana, Puerto Rico and a couple of Jamaica spots with my kids.

Flights to Atlantis and Turks will be very expensive any week that kids are out of school in northeast so that might limit things.

Beaches Turks is very nice but more expensive than it should be.

Atlantis is great for kids, they will be entertained for quite a while at the water. Hotel grounds are huge so will turn some people off, and hotel is a bit upscale so as someone said above not really a carribean experience, and food bill can add up quick.

PR flights are usually decent, kids really liked Conquistador, small water park and cool private island beach. The san juan hotels arent exactly kid spots, more for couples that want to sit by the pool and go out to dinner.

Punta Cana, not impressed by the beach or the hotels.

Jamaica - negril beaches was very nice but also expensive. The beach there is perfect and they have a small water park. Hilton Rose Hall was surprisingly good considering its not too expensive, had a little water park and lots of kids activities.

Common thread on pretty much all of the above are water parks at the hotels. Great way to entertain and tire out the kids.
 
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st lucia has coconut resort which has slides, lazy river, paint ball, pool games, tons of stuff for families etc. Lots of cheaper excursion like quads, etc
 
Caribbbean is way over rated with not much to do and sky high prices.

FL is far better. Has all the same amenities, easier travel and great beaches with other attractions for far less. Jmho.
 
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Florida is great … will be down there in mid August… man I love the heat .
 
9scrltknght0 said:
Beaches in Turks & Caicos - huge property with lots of room options depending on budget. Lots of water activities, food options plentiful, kids club for the young ones if mom and dad want some time alone, etc.
Click to expand...
I second this. And probably wouldnt consider anything else.
 
RUEd said:
Beaches is great for kids. Negative is $$$$. Looking at $8-10k for the week
Click to expand...
The cost is really the only downside. It is expensive. But it is very well done and fits his needs perfectly. Nothing else really on that level.
 
Rutgers Chris said:
Second this. I’ve visited there while in the Bahamas and it’s definitely kid friendly .My brother took his 5 and 2 year old to Atlantis last year and loved it. If you’re there and want to gamble, head down the street to the Baha Mar. playing blackjack overlooking the beach is quite the experience.
Click to expand...
The problem with Atlantis is it is ridiculously crowded. The lines for the waterslides are offensively long. And food there is the most expensive i have ever seen. You can buy into a mealplan which helps, but good luck getting reservations anywhere. The facilities are nice, but I would never go back. Just not looking to fight that hard for things on an expensive vacation.
 
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T2Kplus20 said:
Our go-to island is St. John. 2/3 of the island is preserved national parkland. The beaches are literally perfect on the northern shore. Lots of fun secluded places to explore. One main resort is the Westin. Otherwise, there are a bunch of smaller places. Lots of hiking and snorkeling. You can also take a boat (private or public) to the BVIs (Tortola and Jost Van Dyke).
Click to expand...
Maybe the prettiest islands I’ve been to, but stayed at Caneel Bay which unfortunately closed after being devastated by a hurricane and will never reopen
 
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charliem24 said:
Maybe the prettiest islands I’ve been to, but stayed at Caneel Bay which unfortunately closed after being devastated by a hurricane and will never reopen
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Yup, broke our hearts to see what Irma did to the island. Caneel Bay was/is a complete loss. We always stay at a Westin villa, but spend a lot of time at Caneel Bay for the outdoor lunch and the adjacent beaches (with Honeymoon beach being our favorite). After years of nothing, it does sound like 2023 is the year when Caneel Bay will go to another owner or technically leaser. News From St John is a great source for info on Caneel Bay and the island in general.
 
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Rutgers Chris said:
Second this. I’ve visited there while in the Bahamas and it’s definitely kid friendly .My brother took his 5 and 2 year old to Atlantis last year and loved it. If you’re there and want to gamble, head down the street to the Baha Mar. playing blackjack overlooking the beach is quite the experience.
Click to expand...


We are taking my kids, 7 and 5, to Atlantis in November over teacher's convention. I will report back, but have 1-2 excursions booked, but mainly will hang by the pool/beach.
 
My kids are 7 / 5 and this past spring break we went to the Bahamas. We didn't do Atlantis - hadn't heard the greatest things and wasn't exactly thrilled to go to a place I went as a kid 30 years ago - but rather Baha Mahr. It was a home run / enormous success. Majority of people were families with similarly age kids and our kids loved it. There's like 8 different pools, an entire water park, beach, etc. and we didn't leave the broader complex. Would highly recommend.

We were supposed to do Grand Cayman / 7-Mile beach for SB in 2020 but clearly that didn't happen. So while I can't say anything about the place, based upon how much planning / researching / talking my wife did about it, I'd venture to say it's probably a solid spot.
 
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Ridge 22 said:
The problem with Atlantis is it is ridiculously crowded. The lines for the waterslides are offensively long. And food there is the most expensive i have ever seen. You can buy into a mealplan which helps, but good luck getting reservations anywhere. The facilities are nice, but I would never go back. Just not looking to fight that hard for things on an expensive vacation.
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Baha Mahr was like that too. I made fun of my wife when she said we needed to make dinner reservations like months in advance, and of course, it was exactly correct.

The wierd part was the one night we didn't have a reservation, even if you tried to walk into a place (at like 5:00 and with no one there) they'd tell you they're sold out / don't have any tables. Not sure if that's a COVID thing or just the way they work.
 
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Zak57 said:
Atlantis. They have everything you need on property and can even go on some excursions if needed. Beach, pools, water park, casino, restaurants, etc.
Click to expand...
Atlantis is great and it is a short easy flight

I would recommend Harborside at Atlantis - timeshare units with full kitchen and washer/dryers. Food can get expensive and having a kitchen can be a huge convenience and money saver. We stay there every year (have been going for probably 15 years now)- it’s a little walk from there to the water park area, but I think it’s worth it.
 
We did family trips to Puerto Rico and Jamaica when the kids were little, but I honestly can't remember where we stayed. I can check with the better half. Now I do have some recommendations if you want to go to the Island of Mauritius, but I don't think you want to do that flight with a 6 and 7 year old.
 
Leonard23 said:
Aruba has what you're looking for and I always run into Rutgers fans there. Hyatt on Palm Beach or a bunch of other hotels in that area (3 Marriotts, Hilton, etc.). Good pools (Hyatt has a water slide) and beach, very calm ocean, and water activities/excursions accessible right on the beach there. You can do as much or as little as you want. Tons of restaurants in walking distance, or take a short cab ride if you'd like more options. Don't stay downtown in Oranjestad, as Palm Beach is much nicer and more to do, and don't stay at an all-inclusive, as there are so many good food options/restaurants to try, even for picky kids.
Click to expand...
I'll add Riu Palace Aruba. We just completed our 13th trip to Aruba last week and it was great as usual.
Riu also has the Riu Palace Antilles right next to it. Both are all-inclusive. Palace Aruba is for families and Palace Antilles is couples only. Each has 5 restaurants but you can use the Buffet restaurant and all the other facilities in either. (Except for the kids).
Oh, forgot to add - No Hurricanes

Hotel Riu Palace Aruba | All Inclusive Hotel Palm Beach

www.riu.com www.riu.com
 
Ridge 22 said:
The problem with Atlantis is it is ridiculously crowded. The lines for the waterslides are offensively long. And food there is the most expensive i have ever seen. You can buy into a mealplan which helps, but good luck getting reservations anywhere. The facilities are nice, but I would never go back. Just not looking to fight that hard for things on an expensive vacation.
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We did the meal plan when we went but was a little disappointed in it as it seemed all the restaurants on the meal plan were either always booked up or shut down for the night.
Funny thing is that with a few problems we had with the rooms- such as being adjoining - they upgraded us into the concierge level which gave us free breakfast, small lunch, open bar from 5-8pm and a few other perks. Only had to buy dinner and drinks during the day.
But, to go there when school is out would be crazy. It is packed even on school weeks. And super expensive no matter how you look at it.
Younger kids- you almost have to do an all inclusive if you plan to spend most of your time on the resort grounds. I did Negril when my sons were 8-10 and right after my divorce so it was just the 3 of us. If you can put up with a long ride from airport to resort- it may be your best bet. I like the other parts of Jamaica better but Negril seems more kid friendly
 
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yesrutgers01 said:
We did the meal plan when we went but was a little disappointed in it as it seemed all the restaurants on the meal plan were either always booked up or shut down for the night.
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We had the same experience. If you didnt book your reservations well in advance of your stay, you were basically shut out of all the restaurants, even if you had bought into the meal plan (which was still ridiculously expensive). Best case, you could get a seat at the bar at 10:00pm. Just too much headache for the cost.
 
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Been to Turks a couple of times, but I don't think its the best place for kids - more mature. I agree with the posters that recommend Paradise Island and PR - the most to do for kids with water parks and rainforest (PR). El Conquistador is great spot in PR. One spot I would recommended very highly is Playa Del Carmen. Easy flights to Cancun, the nature theme parks (XCaret and Xel Ha) are tremendous, Tulum is cool, and great snorkeling. And won't blow your wallet up.
 
Been to many places in the Caribbean (Turks, Aruba, VI, PR, DR, Bermuda, Bahamas, etc.) Also stayed at various Ritz hotels in FL. For wife and I sure, Ritz properties, Turks and Atlantis work great, but for kids your age not so much. Even Atlantis is not the best choice, as someone mentioned, too crowded. Our kids favorite and ours is a little place called The Royalton in DR. Sure, you can do Beaches in Turks, but it will cost you twice as much.

The Royalton is not the swankiest property, and who knows, may need some updating. We haven't been there in 5 years....but, what sets this one apart is the kid friendly water park, it is super fun for kids your age. Well, they have to like big, fast slides. Just make sure your kids are at least 48 inches tall. They will not let them on the big slides if they are 47-7/8 inches tall. They are very strict about this, at least when we have been there. This is the one my kids (now older) always want to go back to.

Our normal day was mornings at the water park, afternoons pool side. Swing up pool (4 Foot) has a bar, kids down margaritas and pina coladas all day. There is a entertainment crew by the pool all days. They literally grab your kids and get them involved in every activity throughout the day (lots of music). You can just sit and watch. Sometimes you are coerced to participate in the actives. The most fun being a pool obstacle coarse they set up with these giant inflatable obstacles. There also poolside drinking games for the adults, foam pool parties, etc.

So, if you have not figured it by now, you will not find an uppity crown here. Mostly families from all over the US, but not necessarily the NYC metro area crowd. Metro area crowd stay at the Hard Rock a couple of properties down. This is just a fun relaxed beer drinking crowd from down south and the Midwest. Way more fun that the Ritz crowd.
 
Beancounter88 said:
Been to Turks a couple of times, but I don't think its the best place for kids - more mature. I agree with the posters that recommend Paradise Island and PR - the most to do for kids with water parks and rainforest (PR). El Conquistador is great spot in PR. One spot I would recommended very highly is Playa Del Carmen. Easy flights to Cancun, the nature theme parks (XCaret and Xel Ha) are tremendous, Tulum is cool, and great snorkeling. And won't blow your wallet up.
Click to expand...
But crime is a growing problem in Cancun area.
 
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