Holiday Charters

Apple Vacations, Travel Impressions and Funjet Vacations have released most of their December/January holiday charter flights to the Caribbean and Mexico.  Flights are available from Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and more to destinations such as Cancun, Punta Cana and Jamaica. Flight schedules vary.  Note that Cancel for Any Reason insurance is available to give you the confidence to book early (and secure those guaranteed connecting rooms and larger family suites)!  We can even arrange monthly payment plans.

Jungle Beach Retreat

Palmaia, the House of AiA, has officially opened in the Riviera Maya with a theme of “reconnecting with nature, the sanctity of life and the true human spirit.” The upscale and all-inclusive resort has all oceanfront suites. Options include suites for families with a separate room with bunk beds for children, as well as suites with swim-out access to one of the hotel’s four infinity pools and suites set in the ocean-side jungle. All rooms are designed sustainably and without the use of animal products. A Nomadic Guide will be assigned to your family to attend to your needs throughout the stay. The resort also operates the only holistic children’s activities program, run by certified Waldorf Educators.  One of the highlighted experiences is their Architects of Life program led by the in-house shaman who will lead you through rituals such as cacao ceremonies, yoga, meditation and more. The resort will also have a Rituals of Sound program that pays homage to the music environment of Tulum and Mykonos with evening musical performances.

Auberge in Hawaii

Following a major renovation, the all-new Mauna Lani is now an Auberge Resort!  Located on the Kona Coast, the resort is bringing a new level of experiential luxury to the Big Island. It showcases 333 rooms and suites along with five private bungalows, several restaurants and plenty of active pursuits and cultural experiences through their KAINALU active pursuits and Living Culture programs.  There are three different pools including a new family pool and an array of water sports like outrigger canoeing, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and snorkeling and an interactive Holoholo Kids Circle club. To celebrate the new opening, the resort is offering up to $1,000 in resort credits for stays through November 30, 2020. How will your family use your credits?  They can be used for resort experiences, dining, spa, and golf!

Escape to Tenerife

Looking for a new island to explore? Tenerife, the largest island in the Canary Islands, showcases lots of family-friendly resorts, colonial towns, mountain hikes to the third largest volcano in the world, whale watching, amazing star gazing and more. The Ritz-Carlton, Abama, on the western side of the island, has a Family Holidays package valid through December 31, 2020. It includes a Citadel Deluxe room, breakfast, three-course dinner for two adults and one child, access to the spa’s Wellness Experience, free kids club and 30 percent off a second room for children up to age 12. This remote, luxury resort overlooks the ocean and has beach access by funicular, 10 restaurants (2 are Michelin star), seven pools, spa, gym, extensive tennis academy, golf, teen club and an excellent children’s program designed by Jean Michel Cousteau with a focus on the ocean and outdoors. It’s the largest Ritz Kids in Europe! Abundant sunshine and a subtropical climate make Tenerife a lovely year-round destination.

Family Dive Adventures

Kids Sea Camp is celebrating 20 years! Camp dates are set through 2022 (and beyond) and take place throughout the Caribbean, South Pacific and Southeast Asia to the world’s best dive destinations. There is also a new program for empty nesters and private trips too. They truly believe in the transformative power of dive travel and showcase trips to 13 countries and over 24 all-inclusive uniquely customized weeks each year.  Each trip opens minds and hearts to new places, people, and cultures and is geared for families with children from age 4-18.  Your children will unplug and reconnect to the outdoor world and the underwater world through hands-on personalized activities and tours for the entire family.   These trips come in a range of choices to fit your family’s needs, budgets and diving experience levels with a variety of accommodation options (from basic to luxury) and PADI certification programs. Trips are inclusive of meals, diving, tours and other activities.

Finest Punta Cana

Reservations for Finest Punta Cana are now open! The newly built resort will open on September 1, 2020.  The upscale and all-inclusive resort will cater to all ages with 455 suites divided into an adult-only section and a family section; each with a club level available for added services and amenities such as private pools and beach areas. It will feature spacious Family Suites with two separate bedrooms, Junior Swim-Up Suites, and Two-Story Rooftop Terrace Suites many with private pools along with twelve restaurants, spa with exclusive treatments for families, gym and expansive beachside main pool with pool bars and splash areas. The Imagine Kids Club will offer a mini water park and two Imagine Lounges near the restaurants will have supervised activities for children to allow a little alone time for parents. Book now for the best availability especially for holiday weeks! A current opening special features 48% off regular rates for stays through December 21, 2020 when booked by January 13, 2020.

New Rosewood Explorers

Rosewood Baha Mar recently launched Rosewood Explorers, a unique children’s program with interactive experiences to showcase the history and heritage of the Bahamas. The complimentary program features activities such as mingling with Nassau’s sea creatures as part of a quest to become a junior marine biologist; creating food dishes using local ingredients; visiting an aviary to become bird trainers for the day; and learning about traditional Junkanoo music and dances.  Additional evening sessions offer a movie night under the stars.  Rosewood Baha Mar is the third resort in the Rosewood chain to offer the Explorers program; it first offered this program at its resort in Phuket in 2017 and then at Rosewood Bermuda.  The luxury resort features 237 rooms, multi room suites and villas with 3 and 6-bedrooms…ideal for large family groups.

Four Seasons Nevis Renovation

The Four Seasons Resort Nevis is putting the finishing touches on a major renovation that includes renovated rooms, updated lobby, new food and beverage outlets and a new signature pool.  The pool will feature luxury cabanas, fire pits and an amphibious DJ and bartender!  The resort also showcases a revitalized children’s program which has moved into a new location next to the family-friendly Calypso Pool to offer more outdoor programming and activities for younger guests.  Choose to stay in spacious hotel rooms, suites or residences with up to 6-bedrooms.  The residences are ideal for large families and multi-generational groups and include full kitchens, private pools, golf carts to get around the resort, private chef services and a villa ambassador to make the most of your stay.  The luxury resort also features an array of watersports, golf and tennis clinics, spa, fitness, local experiences and more.  Current offers include a fourth night free and special weekly rates on the residences.

Club Med’s Amazing Family

Club Med has long been a family-focused resort brand.  Now the all-inclusive pioneer is backing that up with a new Amazing Family concept, a family-focused program that was developed from guest surveys.  The idea is to provide weekly activities designed to give multigenerational families the opportunity to bond, create shared memories, spend time together, reconnect and bring home new passions.  It is categorized into five activity times, each with their own uniquely themed offerings and are part of your all-inclusive vacation package. The categories include:

     Time to Splash: This focuses on all things “water fun” (i.e., slip and slides, water volleyball, splash zones).

     Time to Play: This focuses on childhood favorite games (i.e., giant-sized family board games).

     Time to Quest: This activity involves mysteries and challenges as a family (i.e., treasure hunts).

     Time to Recharge: This focuses on relaxing activities for all ages (i.e., family yoga classes, story time).

     Happy Family Time: This focuses on dedicated times for parents and children to participate in resort sports and activities together (i.e., family trapeze classes, archery, kayaking, pickleball).

Each resort will have at least two dedicated family entertainment experts whose sole responsibility will be to animate the program and encourage families to spend time together during their vacation.  After this month, the program will be available at all of Club Med’s North American resorts!

Karisma Updates

Margartaville is going all-inclusive!  The Margaritaville Island Reserve Riviera Cancun by Karisma is set to open in early 2020 with a big emphasis on upscale food and drink.  This is the first resort out of several planned throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.  Karisma is also opening the second Nickelodeon-branded property, the newly built Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Riviera Maya, next to their Generations Resort.   It will include the popular SpongeBob-themed Pineapple Villa, as well as a new, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed “lair” Penthouse. All told, there will be four character-themed Penthouse suites on the resort’s roof, all of which will have infinity pool swim-up access. There will also be an “Aqua Nick” water park and more.