There’s a summer promotion for families this year on Aruba, and most of the island is getting in on the action. Kids 12 and under get free accommodations at any of 17 participating resorts when sharing the same room with one or two full-paying adults; both the Divi Aruba and Tamarijn Aruba all-inclusive resorts offer on-the-house accommodations for kids as old as 17. You’ll also get complimentary children’s activities and a family gift (varies with hotel). As for family fun, kids get discounts and freebies all over, including cut-rate admission to De Palm Island water park and a free half-day snorkel sail with Red Sail Sports (for kids through 11 years old). Check out the website for lots more deals and discounts.
Package: One Cool Family
Rate: Varies
Nights: Varies
Contact: aruba.com
The water park at Atlantis on Paradise Island is every kid’s dream come true (see our Top Caribbean Adventures for Families), but with this deal, a stay here can be part of a parent’s fantasy trip too. You’ll get the fourth night free on a four-night stay, as well as unlimited access for the whole family to the on-site, 141-acre Aquaventure water park and the hotel’s marine habitat, where the kids can get up close and personal with more than 50,000 sea creatures. Kids under 11 always stay for free, and if you book by June 30, you’ll get one free companion airfare from cities in the continental United States per room.
Package: Fourth Night Free
Rate: From $999 per room for a family of four
Nights: Four
Contact: 800-285-2684; atlantis.com
In honor of the resort’s 16th birthday, Mango Bay, in Barbados, is throwing itself a yearlong party. With the Sixteen Candles promo, kids celebrating their 16th birthday in 2010 will pay a rate of only $16 when sharing a room with two paying adults for at least seven nights, and with the Standard Sweet Sixteen promo, each parent can also get a $16 discount per person, per night.
Package: Sweet Sixteen
Rate: From $425 per room, all-inclusive, not including discounts
Nights: Seven
Contact: 246-432-1384; mangobaybarbados.com
Take your pick of either the St. Kitts Marriott or the Aruba Marriott – both resorts are offering a great escape for a family of four. The package includes daily complimentary breakfast for two adults and two children 12 and under, pizza and a movie one night, and nightly milk-and-cookies turndown service. Each resort also offers special perks for the kids – in St. Kitts, there’s a special spa menu offering a “princess for a day” pampering session, and the Bon Bini Kids program in Aruba offers full- and half-day options to keep the kids amused when mom and dad want some alone time.
Package: Escape
Rate: St. Kitts from $239; Aruba from $314
Nights: Minimum of four
Contact: 888-727-2347; marriott.com; use promotional code MAJ.
Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, on the Dutch side of St. Martin, is offering a sweet deal for families of four – two kids 12 and under can stay and eat free with two paying adults. The resort has three restaurants, but if you prefer to eat in, suites come with fully equipped kitchens – and Divi’s new online grocery service enables guests to have their in-room refrigerator stocked before they arrive. There’s plenty to keep kids busy too, including three pools, a game room, a water-sports center, lighted tennis courts and an activities center to coordinate off-site diversions.
Package: Kids Stay & Eat Free
Rate: From $180 per room, per night
Nights: Varies
Contact: 800-367-3483; divilittlebay.com
Various Locations
All-inclusive pioneer Club Med is offering vacation deals for families (two adults and two kids) at three of its Caribbean properties this summer. Guests can save up to 50 percent on a seven-night all-inclusive vacation at Club Med Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, Club Med La Caravelle, in Guadeloupe, or Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, in Martinique, depending on the type of room. Club Med membership fees ($60 per adult, $30 per child) are extra.
Package: Club Med Family Escape
Rate: Rates start at $91 per person, per night (for a family of two adults with two children traveling for seven nights).
Nights: Minimum of seven
Contact: 800-258-2633; clubmed.us
Plan your next vacation with these Top Caribbean Adventures for Families...
* Rates for 2010 were current at the time of publishing; Contact each resort for current rates.
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