Spring Break Destination with toddler?

[gymnbomb]

I'm thinking ahead to next March and looking for a "girls trip" vacation over spring break. Total of 5 people, 2 in their 60's, 2 30's-40's, and 1 18 months old. We may do a cruise, that is kind of our default, but also looking for other options. Budget of about $4-5000 per room (2 adults per room, plus toddler in one) including airfare would be nice, but is somewhat flexible. i.e. While I would love to do Beaches Turks & Caicos it is not in the budget! Looking for warm, relaxing, easy with the little one, but a few things to do for the adults would be nice.

Edit: And while we do like beach houses sometimes, for this trip we don't want to have to cook, clean, bring lots of supplies, etc.

[mmsmom]

I’d look for an all inclusive with a kids club in Mexico or Dominican Republic. Cheap Carribean is a good site to book through. They used to do eBates as well.

[gymnbomb]

I’d look for an all inclusive with a kids club in Mexico or Dominican Republic. Cheap Carribean is a good site to book through. They used to do eBates as well.

Has anyone been to one they would recommend? I have been to a couple in the Bahamas before. One was pretty meh. The other was good when we started going there, but went downhill over the years.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[essnce629]

Club Med Ixtapa or Cancun? Not super expensive, good food, tons of activities, and they even have a kid's club for toddlers.

Sent from my SM-J700P using Tapatalk

[khalloc]

You could still go to Turks and Caicos. Just skip Beaches. Most people dont actually recommend going to Beaches if you look at the TripAdvisor forums. I am not sure why so many people think its the place to go. The beach there is no where near as nice and spacious as many other resorts. There are many other resorts on the island that have nicer rooms and better service and then you can pick which restaurants you want to eat at (good ones!) or just use the kitchen in your condo. You wouldnt need to bring anything except yourselves and clothes. Condo resorts come fully stocked. It will probably be much cheaper as well.

[marinkitty]

Look into renting a house/villa that comes with staff. It sounds extravagent - but it really isn't. Sure, there are some super expensive places, but there are more mid-range spots too. Best of both worlds. We've done this in Mexico (Tulum - three generation extended family trip), Jamaica (Negril - girls trip) and Costa Rica (Cabo Matapalo - immediate family trip) and have been very happy. And it usually prices out the same or less than a resort stay for the same number of people. Some locations seem to have more staffed houses than others where a self-catering rental is the norm - besides the ones I already named, check out Dominican Republic and the Bahamas (the smaller, less touristy islands).

At each place we've had a caretaker couple or a group of staff who will stock the house, mix drinks, make whatever meals are desired for reasonable costs, clean the house, help arrange outings and secure reservations. Usually the meals are cost of groceries, sometimes a small up charge to cover transportation to and from the market and then a cost per person for the meal - breakfasts about $6 pp, dinners maybe $12-15. Super reasonable and amazing service all in the comfort of your private house with plenty of space to hang out.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Look into renting a house/villa that comes with staff. It sounds extravagent - but it really isn't. Sure, there are some super expensive places, but there are more mid-range spots too. Best of both worlds. We've done this in Mexico (Tulum - three generation extended family trip), Jamaica (Negril - girls trip) and Costa Rica (Cabo Matapalo - immediate family trip) and have been very happy. And it usually prices out the same or less than a resort stay for the same number of people. Some locations seem to have more staffed houses than others where a self-catering rental is the norm - besides the ones I already named, check out Dominican Republic and the Bahamas (the smaller, less touristy islands).

At each place we've had a caretaker couple or a group of staff who will stock the house, mix drinks, make whatever meals are desired for reasonable costs, clean the house, help arrange outings and secure reservations. Usually the meals are cost of groceries, sometimes a small up charge to cover transportation to and from the market and then a cost per person for the meal - breakfasts about $6 pp, dinners maybe $12-15. Super reasonable and amazing service all in the comfort of your private house with plenty of space to hang out.

How does one go about finding that? That sounds daunting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marinkitty]

How does one go about finding that? That sounds daunting!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've rented both of the ones I was in charge of planning through VRBO but my college friend who planned the girls' trip used a travel agent who did all the leg work for her. When I search on VRBO I go into the filters and check the housekeeping box and the luxury box - you still have to read the fine print but usually those are more likely to include on site staff - cooking, pre-stocking etc services are usually listed as extra or available on request, and then you just arrange them when you rent.