Summer $avings

May 10, 2009

The kids’ club at Club Med Punta Cana keeps
little ones entertained.//© Club Med

It’s something that families treasure forever — the memories from a summer vacation. As the excitement of spring break begins to wear off and the days get longer, anticipation for the long summer break begins to build. So, what will your family be doing this year?

Summer vacations are some of the most memorable experiences for children. It’s like recalling a favorite Christmas gift. Everyone remembers their favorite summer holiday. It could be as simple as a hot, sticky day in July spent running through the neighbor’s sprinklers or it could be as exotic as a Caribbean beach vacation. This year, many families will find that taking the familiy on a once-in-a-lifetime getaway is cheaper than ever with last-minute travel specials intended to help those struggling to keep their bank accounts in the black.

With its abundance of family-friendly and all-inclusive resorts, the Caribbean is an especially popular destination for multigenerational groups. In a recent national survey of travel agents conducted by Family Getaways’ parent company, Northstar Travel Media, LLC, agents reported that, next to couples, families book the most travel to the Caribbean.

Our survey also revealed that the average price of a Caribbean vacation falls between $1,500 and $4,999, making this year’s summer savings even more important to families. With trips coming in over the $1,000 mark, affordable deals allow kids to stay, eat and even fly for free.

All-Inclusive Resorts

In our survey, all-inclusive resorts were the most popular for families, making summer savings at these properties extra enticing.

Sunset Resorts is welcoming families at their Jamaica resorts with savings of up to 35 percent. The Play in Paradise sale, with rates as low as $140 per person, per night, is available at the company’s two family-friendly, all-inclusive resorts — the recently renovated Sunset Beach Resort & Spa in Montego Bay and the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios. And the best part is, two children stay free. Rates include all meals and beverages, cocktails, non-motorized watersports, daytime and evening activities, taxes and tips.

Both resorts have recently ramped up their Club Mongoose kids’ program, and families taking advantage of the Play in Paradise sale will also receive a free summer portrait. Everyone can also enjoy the resorts’ new poolside Dive-In Movie and Dinner — kids can even watch from the pool while floating on water tubes. Other activities include bonfires on the beach, beach Olympics, ping-pong tournaments, kayak relay races, scavenger hunts, kids’ volleyball, mini-golf putting contests and a variety of video games. And for parents, the addition of Sunset Resorts’ new Nanny Program means that they can have a night out on their own.The Play in Paradise Sale is valid for travel from June 7 to Sept. 30.

Club Med’s new Kids Stay Free special is making family travel easier on the pocketbook. The special allows one child, age 15 and under, to stay free with a paying adult at Club Med Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, through Dec. 19 when booked by June 30.

The recently renovated Club Med Punta Cana offers a multitude of family-friendly features, including a stunning beach; kids’ clubs for every age group — even for hard-to-please teens and tweens — kid- and baby-friendly dining and more.

Iberostar Hotels and Resorts is offering tremendous savings with its Kids Stay Free promotion. Available through December, the promotion saves families up to $100 per night, per child (for a maximum of two children) at Iberostar’s family-friendly, all-inclusive properties.

For kids, resorts offer spacious playgrounds and children’s pools, where families can safely enjoy the water. Lucy’s Mini-Clubs offer fully supervised, age-appropriate activities for children ages 4 to 12. Adding to the value, the Iberostar all-inclusive experience includes tips and taxes, food and beverages, non-motorized watersports, entertainment and resort activities.

Family-Friendly Hotels

In light of the struggling economy, this summer may be one of the best times for families who feel like splurging on a luxury vacation to take advantage of the deals offered by some of the Caribbean’s most extravagant resorts.

Located on 5,000 acres in Montego Bay’s Rose Hall area, AAA Five-Diamond The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Rose Hall is offering an all-inclusive package starting at $409. Escape to Luxury includes complimentary accommodations and dining for children under age 12 when accompanied by an adult. And now through May 31, when you book four nights on the Escape to Luxury Package, you’ll receive a fifth night free.

Package rates include accommodation in a gardenview room; daily breakfast or in-room continental breakfast; lunch at Mangos restaurant or the Reggae Jerk Center; dinner at either Horizons or Mangos; all beverages; taxes; gratuities; and service charges, including access to the spa, fitness center, Internet access, sailing, windsurfing and other non-motorized sports equipment.

The Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in the Bahamas is offering special summer savings for families with the Love Your Family program, which offers a variety of complimentary, family-focused activities for a value-added vacation.

At the resort, kids and parents alike can take part in many complimentary family-friendly activities through the Love Your Family Program. Together, families can enjoy dive-in movies, where the latest family-friendly flicks can be viewed poolside while enjoying freshly popped popcorn, fireside storytelling and stargazing. Families can even participate in Bahamian Idol, a talent competition featuring local folk songs.

Parents may also opt to enroll children in the Sheraton Adventure Club, which offers an endless variety of daily and nightly activities and hands-on educational programs to keep kids entertained.

At Jamaica’s Rondel Village, a villa resort nestled among tropical gardens along Negril’s famous seven-mile beach, families can take advantage of the Spring/Summer Sale, which offers savings for guests who book three nights or more. Guests booking through July 8 will receive a 20 percent discount off regular room rates. Up to two children, ages 11 and under, stay free when sharing a room with an adult. Rates start as low as $284.

The Westin Resort, Aruba’s Delight in Family getaway is offered just in time for summer. As part of the package, children receive complimentary admission to the renowned Westin Kids Club (a $60 value, per child, per day) and enjoy free dining — with their parents — at the resort’s six on-site restaurants.

At the resort, families can reconnect with a variety of activities like Movies Under the Stars (Thursdays and Sundays); Fireside Storytelling (Fridays); and Stargazing (Tuesdays) with professional telescopes. During the daytime hours, snorkeling, kayaking or visiting the nearby Arikok National Park will keep parents and children entertained. Rates start at $309 per night for travel through Dec. 19, with a two-night minimum stay.

Destination Deals

The whole of the Cayman Islands is celebrating summer with its exceptional Cayman Summer Splash travel deals. Families can escape to the Cayman Islands anytime from June 1 to Sept. 7. This year’s Summer Splash promotion includes a Kid’s Fly Free deal on Cayman Airways — in addition to allowing kids to stay, eat and play free at numerous hotels, restaurants and attractions — making family travel easier and more affordable than ever.

Children (one child per paying adult) fly free from any Cayman Airways gateway city — New York, Miami or Tampa, Fla. At more than 25 island hotels, guests who book five nights pay for four and kids stay free with one paying adult. Several attractions, including Atlantic Submarines, Boatswain’s Beach and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, are allowing kids to enter free with a paying adult. Kids also eat for free from the children’s menu at participating island restaurants. The Cayman Summer Splash also includes deals on dive packages and rental cars. Packages can be booked through Sept. 2.