Our Family Vacation

If you follow me on Facebook, you saw the whole thing. Our family vacation blew it out of the water.

My oldest grandson graduated from High School. Has there ever been a better excuse for everyone to get together and celebrate? Especially on a fabulous beach attached to a gorgeous all-inclusive resort, right?

We had ages 11, 12, 18, two in their 30’s, one in his 40’s, one in his 50’s, three in their 60’s and one 70-year-old. 11 total. All coming to the experience with a different set of needs and expectations.

Getting passports for everyone was a big fat hassle. My oldest son and his family of four applied in January. They received their passports in mid-April. Whew. Please give yourselves at least 3 months to receive a new passport this year. The agency is drowning in new applications post COVID.

Finding a beach that isn’t affected by sargassum was another difficulty. That scourge is all over the Caribbean and only a few (I can count them on one hand) resorts are perfectly positioned to stay clear of its’ path.

Then finding great pools, because we were traveling over Memorial Day and knew it would be crowded. We didn’t want to be unable to find pool/beach chairs, or fight for space in the pools.

Terrific food. An 11-year-old does not appreciate fine dining, at least ours doesn’t. Neither does the 12-year-old, or the 40-year-old. Just stating the plain jane truth here. We needed variety and options.

Safety. When you are taking your kids on vacation, you want to know they are as safe as when they are at home in their own beds.

Lodging. Families sharing one room need enough space to unpack, to sit and watch TV while others are preparing for dinner, etc. and a view that will draw them to why they came here in the first place.

Fun. A great water sports desk, a wonderful Entertain team, excellent servers, all of these go into the hour-by-hour experience and either ruin the trip or put it over the top. All the above were incredible.

Kayaks, boogie boards, stand-up paddleboards, swim with the dolphins, great snorkeling, hourly pool activities (aerobics, volleyball, etc.) and even a cooking team that prepared freshly grilled (amazing) foods poolside every day.

There was something fun to do, something great to eat, and plenty of time and space in which to do it, every single day. It was fantastic. The nightly shows were engaging and fun for our entire family. Rated G for Great.

The spa. I was in it every single day, as were the other ladies in our group. It’s the best in the entire Yucatan, and we enjoyed every sublime moment.

The resort I selected has an incredible kid club. Our kids never saw it. And I knew they wouldn’t. It was all about the beach and the pools for them.

Our resort didn’t have a water park. Again, these kids are beach brats, and with that crystal clear Caribbean stretched out before them, they had plenty to do all day long out in nature.

Having said that, I am a huge fan of water parks. I personally love those big drop slides and know of several great family resorts with incredible water parks for your family fun.

The more we can know about your family the better we can select resorts that are the best fit for your trip. The more you can share about age groups and expectations the better we can advise you toward the packages that will make everyone in your group happy.

Anyone can book travel. That’s the truth of the matter. But to orchestrate and organize the perfect family vacation takes skill and expertise. Vacations today are more expensive than ever. Isn’t it imperative to have the perfect trip, rather than take a chance on one that “might be” right and “looks great” online?

Your Globetrotting Friend,
Joy