Caribbean Trip--all-inclusive or Not??

Hi E.,

I think all inclusives are worth their money if you plan on taking advantage of the alcohol.

With two kids, I cannot see spending +/-500 a night for an all inclusive, like Atlantis. It is beautiful, but insanely expensive. We stayed in Nassau, Bahamas, at the Nassau Beach Hotel which was right next to the hotel with the casino, pool slide (free), etc. It was 59 dollars a night, yes, 59 a night - beach front, nice, big room, discounted activities through the hotel, ie horse back riding on the beach, day cruises, jet skiing, etc, 85 and sunny everyday...nuff said.

Buses are only a dollar and it only took about five minutes to get downtown. They run all day, and stop at all of the resorts. There is enough affordable things to do on the beaches, etc. that I would not spend the money on the all inclusive. Local business owners are always willing to make a deal.

Meals were cheap! We did buffets at the neighboring hotel for breakfasts and lunches, ($8.95 each) and for two of us, dinners were around 30 plus drinks. Cheaper route - if you would like some cocktails, shop at the local liquor store. Since Bacardi is made right on the island, a big 1.5 liter bottle is around $10.

I am sure all-inclusives have their benefits, but with kids, I prefer the freedom of going where we want, when we want. If you go to Nassau, check out Stuart's Cove!! Awesome water stuff to do with the whole family. It is about a 30 minute drive from down town, but if you book an activity with them, their bus comes to get you wherever you are staying.

BTW - Bacardi factory on the far side of the island - tours and samples. ;)

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful, safe trip. I cannot wait to go back!!
L.

We went a Sandals all inclusive resort in Ocho Rios. Most of the meals had a buffett style option with lots of dishes -- this would make for easy feeding with kids. They also had a few sit down restaurants with waiters, but for most of our meals we went the more casual route.

Make sure to check what "all inclusive" actually includes. I've been to Mexico where it only meant meals and no activities. At Sandals it was a LOT of activities they offered but not all of them. It was most of the stuff run by the resort, maybe 85% of the resort activities were free. It was plenty for my husband and I. Rides to and from the hotel from the airport were included and we were "prohibited" from tipping. All alcoholic drinks as well as other drinks were included.

In the area we stayed there was a family resort... I want to say its called the Starfish? It was very popular with families. They even offered nanny services if you and your husband should want them. The nanny would come with the family to the beach, etc - be an extra pair of hands and help make sure everyone played safe around the water. It was very appealing to people with several young children. One couple we talked to said you could hire the nanny to stay after hours (they left at 6pm or so usually) and Mom and Dad could get a romantic dinner alone.

I can't wait to go again when the kids get older... enjoy your trip!

I say all-inclusive. All-inclusive is going to be much easier than buy as you go. Once everything is paid for, there is nothing to worry about. If your kids go to dinner and don't eat, no big deal, just go back later! If you want to show up in stuff that is slightly nicer than beach attire, okay!

I do suggest that if you go to an all-inclusive, make sure that you go to one that has at least one buffet. The one we go to in the Mexican Riviera (Barcelo) has a buffet every night to eat at. 2 nights you eat at their other restaurants, but most nights, it's buffet. It is actually great this way! They change the "theme" of the food every day so it doesn't get boring, and it is super convenient for fussy/grumpy/uncooperative kids!

It does cost more to stay at an all-inclusive, but it usually is still cheaper than staying some where and buying the food separately! An average dinner can run from $50-$100, and that's just dinner. Adding the "inclusive" option is normally not that expensive per day per person. (Plus, mom and dad get all of the "adult drinks" to enjoy free too!)

I would highly recommend an all-inclusive with small children! Particularly for one of the reasons you just mentioned and the fact that they usually have kid's programs, babysitting service, and lots of activities kids enjoy. I've heard rave reviews about Beaches Turks and Caicos, and we're hoping to check it out in 2011. Meals are SO expensive in the Caribbean -you'll save money if you have an all-inclusive.

DO check out the "all inclusive FAMILY resorts". Sandals branch is called "Beaches". There are several Beaches resorts in the caribbean

With two toddlers, I'd highly recommend Beaches all-inclusive resort in the Turks and Caicos. They have a Sesame-Street themed kids program with all sorts of activities for the little ones. You can pick and choose when -- if at all -- to put your kids in the kids camp. There are many restaurants to choose from -- from nice buffets and casual dining to "adults only" fancier restaurants if you have a relative along to watch your kids one night -- or if you want to take advantage of one of their babysitters. The food is high quality, and b/c it's all inclusive, you don't have to stress about if and when your kids are hungry. If they just want a snack, you can go to the cafe and grab a yogurt or cookie or fruit. The beach there is gorgeous, and there are many nice pools, swim-up bars, ocean kayaks, nighttime entertainment, and generally a lot of fun things to do. We plan on going back again with our kids sometime in the next few years.

Most definitely! My parents are taking us to Jamaica in February and we're staying at an all inclusive family resort. "All Inclusive" is including snacks in our room, which is a great feature with a 2 yr old! Its not only sit-down restaurants...there are buffets and snack shops too.