Now is the time to plan that family vacation, only 2 months before the summer will be here, so here’s a few suggestions what do, the family way.

Cruise Lines who cater to families have added staterooms that can accommodate more guests in one room, added more adjoining and connecting staterooms, improved their children’s clubs and daily activities.
The same can be said for the hotels and Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico, many have rooms that can accommodate 4 or more in 1 or 2 bedrooms and family suites. They offer special supervised programs for children – based on age, as well as planned activities for all members of the family to enjoy together, such as pool or beach volleyball, sailing, and snorkeling.
Here are some suggestions and my favorites.
Plan in advance, be sure the type of rooms you need are available. The larger the group, the further in advance even up to a year.
 Check the type of rooms & suites offered – how many guests are allowed in a room, do they have connecting or adjoining rooms, Many Resorts are offering  “children free” with parents, get the details, see if it works for you. 
If  you are going to an all-inclusive resort, check if they offer ”children stay & eat for free”, if not are there any discounts for the family.
 What type of programs are there for the kids and for the adults?  What is there to see away from the resort, that will appeal to all members of the family. Types of restaurants for kids and adults on and off property.
Finally, many resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico include transportation between the hotel/resort, check how many does the van hold.
Here are my choices for that family vacation. I’ve included mainly the children activities.
In Jamaica there are 2 exceptional resorts that cater to families -Beaches Negril on beautiful 7-mile beach and Beaches Boscobel, located outside of Ocho Rios. These two resorts have  ranging from standard rooms to 3 bedroom suites that will accommodate large groups. Some suites have Butler and Concierge Service, a plus but it does not come free.
The Sesame Street characters are a trademark of all Beaches Resorts they mingle with the children day and night.  Most activities offered at one resort can be found at the other such as – XBOX 360® Game Garage a favorite of both adults and kids,
Pirates Island a 18,000 sq. ft water park, with a Lazy River that goes around the island, Spiraling tunnels over 200 feet long, Arched bridges, Water cannons, Plunge pool, Misting pool and a pool-side grill. There are Kids camps, with counselors to organize activities and  keep the kids busy all day, they are  divided into groups based on ages.
For fun in the water guests of all ages can enjoy the Canoes/Kayaks, Sail boats, Hobie Cats, Banana boats, Windsurfing, Hydrobikes, Scuba-diving and 2 Huge waterslides
Land sports are Table Tennis, Day/Night Tennis with lighted courts, Shuffleboards, Fitness Center, Billiards, Croquet and Board Games
And for the adults the exclusive Red Lane Spa with an array of treatments for relaxation, rejuvenation, and beauty.

Breezes Resort, Trelawny, Jamaica takes about an hour from the airport in Montego Bay.
Families will love it here, the variety of activities, starting with an enormous kids pool complete with a 124′ long waterslide, an aqueduct shooting water into the pool, a fountain that sprays streams of water into the air, an incredible 124-foot waterslide, a rock climbing wall, and a circus with a workshop featuring lessons on the flying trapeze, trampoline, and juggling – lessons are included with the Circus workshops at no cost.
The supervised kid’s program, with nannies to care for and entertain the kids, accepts children from 6 months to teens.
Adults have four tennis courts- all lit for night play, basketball, Rock climbing, Hobie Cat, windsurfing and kayaking – if you don’t know how instruction is included – free. Use of the Circus workshops with instructions – at no cost.  Scuba Diving and jet skiing are available for a Fee.  After dark there is Bubbles Disco.
This resort accepts up to 4 guests in a room.

Azul Beach Hotel is a family-friendly, boutique-style property  on a gorgeous beach 20 minutes from Cancun International Airport. All of the 98 rooms are just steps from the beach, pools, restaurants and bars.
There is a kids club, baby equipment, Fisher Price toys and kids under 3 are always free. Children are welcomed with a fruit smoothie in a kids fun cup and given a vacation book they can personalize. Adults are welcomed with champagne. 

Family cruising is a great way to take a laid back vacation, with all the children  programs to keep them busy during the day, parents are free to do as they wish.
Royal Caribbean who has fleet-wide youth programs, including the new Babies 2 Go program which allows parents to order baby food and supplies online for delivery to their stateroom, a new My Family Time Dining with dinner for children and the new Crown and Anchor Society Youth Program for kids under 18 years, allowing them to earn credits for future cruises.
Norwegian Cruise Line Kids Crew program is fleet-wide kids. They recently signed a 3 year partnership with Nickelodeon to feature themed entertainment and programs year-round - beginning in April on selected ships and this summer on their new EPIC
On most of their ships they have a kids Café with a kid’s height buffet.
There are family rooms and suites for large families, while most of the standard rooms allow only 4 guests.
Carnival Cruise Line offers Camp Carnival for youngsters, Circle C for 12 to 14 years and Club O2 for 15 to 17 years, this program was developed with Coco Cola, it is fleet-wide, has a dance floor with a DJ, sound & light system, large-screen plasma TV, a coke-tail lounge with non-alcoholic speciality drinks.
Elsewhere on board are twisting water slides, water parks, in-door and out-door play areas and an expanded children’s menu.
Princess Cruises which has one of the largest fleet of ships, offers fleet-wide a range of children and teen programs, which vary by ship. Among them are Educational activities Such as Jr. Chef at sea – with hands-on food preparation; a Science center, An Explorer program, developed in conjunction with the National Park Service, and in Alaska for those on the Voyage of the Glaciers Cruise, the option to take a 5 night land tour with Jet boat rides, panning for gold, and a  tour to  Denali National Park.

Contact me for more information, to make a reservation or just to ask questions. My phone is 949 388 3362, email (which is best) is awaytotravel@cox.net

Visit my other websites for information and specials – www.cruisesandresorts.info http://sites.google.com/site/cruznowgroup      www.awaytogo.4mydeals.com   http://17g8yf.cruiseepic.com http://www.vikingrivercruises.com/myagent/awaytotravelmonagraham/ 
www.aatkings.com/us/awaytotravel

Its time to discover for yourself, one of the best kept secrets in the Caribbean 

Turks & Caicos – which is fast becoming a well-known place to go for a very memorable vacation. 

The Turks & Caicos Islands are said to have been discovered by Columbus in 1492, and despite being on the map for longer than most other island groups, the Turks and Caicos Islands (pronounced kay-kos) still remain part of the less-discovered Caribbean. Just 575 mi (925 km) southeast of Miami on the third-largest coral reef system in the world. 

It was not until the early 1980’s when Club Med Turquoise Resort opened that Providenciales – and Turks & Caicos in general – started to become a  tourist destination. Since then a lot of new hotels and condos have been built, and the small, salt raking island country of Turks & Caicos has grown into what is quickly becoming recognized as one of the world’s premier beach destinations. 

You arrive, on one of the many Airlines serving the islands, at Providenciales home to many boutique hotels and condos, most of which are on Grace Bay; but there is one of the most exciting Resorts – The Ultimate Beach Hideaway – a one-of-a-kind, unbelievably exciting all-inclusive family vacation Resort – it’s Beaches Turks & Caicos – with something for everyone. While it is lauded as a family resort, and it does cater to kids – with a 45,000 square-foot, latest water park; three magnificent villages – whose architecture and ambiance reflect Italy, France and the Caribbean; incredibly rooms and suites, some with Butlers; a powder-white-sandy 12-mile beach, Sesame Street characters, the new Xbox 360 Game Garage and a sizzlin’ teen disco, a kids Grill and Pizzeria, for the most important guests – the kids. There is also something for the adults – fine restaurants with gourmet dining featuring Italian, Seafood, Sushi, Japanese, French and Caribbean; plus a variety of bars, some of them swim up and a Red Lane Spa with a variety of treatments for everyone – but mainly used by the adults. At night there is local entertainment run by some of the employees and participated in by the kids. an array of activities in the pools and things to do at sea - the banana boat, snorkeling, catamarans and Scuba diving, you’ll be lucky to do it all in 7 days. 

Revel in the warmth of the sun, stake out your own palm tree, discover new shades of turquoise as you gaze at the ever shimmering waters, close your eyes and let the cool sea breezes caress you, drag your beach chair to the edge of the lapping waves and let them flow over you – aah – complete relaxation what you’ve been seeking for so long, you will not want to leave, and when you do you’ll start planning how to return.