Hello, Looking for a family beach vacation in the first week of April.

NYC to beach - non stop (don’t want to transfer etc)

All inclusive or inexpensive food.

Everything seems very expensive (airfare/hotels etc).

Is this an impossible wish?

Not impossible - The most budget friendly destinations which also happen to have the largest concentrations of All Inclusive are:

The Dominican Republic
Cancun
Jamaica
Playa del Carmen
Cozumel

All have non-stop flights from NYC (for Playa del Carmen fly into Cancun then take 45 minute drive).

Of course without knowing your budget it's impossible to say whether you'll find those destination to be "inexpensive".

Check airline and travel websites for package deals but since the first week in April coincides with Easter there will probably be some price premium you'll pay for that week. If you can postpone your trip for a week or two you'll probably find lower prices.

Hi, Thank you. Let me explain further..

We have a 2 and 6 year old (boys).

We have never stayed in an all-inclusive hotel.

We have only been once to the caribbean (St. Barth's) and loved it.

This time we are looking for
1) beautiful setting
2) not having to do anything besides lounge
3) activities for kids (don't need a kids club. they will be with us and love beach/pool).
4) not having to worry/wonder about food.
5) no crowds
6) Budget of $5000 for 1 week (airfare+hotel+food).

What do you think of Martinique? Norwegian air has not posted April fares but until March its very cheap from NYC. Club med or Cap est lagoon?

Also, inflexible with dates due to school holidays..

Martinique is "very French" - not the best place to go if you don't speak the language. Club Med is not the place for families - mostly singles and young couples - big "party atmosphere". Sorry, not familiar with Cap est Lagoon so can't comment.

You won't be able to avoid crowds if you are going during Easter Week - it's the second busiest time period in the Caribbean (busiest is between Christmas and New Years), especially if staying at more budget friendly hotels/resorts. Very high end properties, maybe but budget properties, no.

Your budget for 4 people is on the low side. You'll probably use somewhere between 35% and 50% just on airfare if flying during Easter Week so look at All iInclusives in The Dominican Republic, Cancun and Cozumel - they will be the destinations where you'll get biggest bang for your buck.

It is a bit of a tall order to find something in that budget IMO. Easter is a big deal in many parts of the world and spending it in the Caribbean is a popular thing to do, hence the high prices.

Check out websites such as Jetblue who have several destinations with direct flights from the NY area. You'll see the air fares are pretty high as most people already booked their Easter vacation. And that includes the usual list of destinations wheeled out whenever budget & AI is mentioned.

There are less expensive AIs on other islands which always seem to be overlooked e.g Jolly Beach Hotel on Antigua, a good solid 3 star hotel (don't book the cheapest room type though), Barbados has 3 star AIs eg Discovery Bay and others, St Lucia has several in the 3 star range, St Maarten is easily reached from NY (however much damage was suffered during the hurricane and I know the apartment we stayed in in Grand Case was totally destroyed.) The issue however remains the same, the high prices at Easter vs your budget.

Norwegian are operating to Martinique & Guadeloupe until 24 March 2018, there won't be a service in April. Both islands are beautiful, if you remember any school French, you can get by. Le Cap Est Lagoon is one of the best hotels on Martinique and is 5 star which conflicts with your desire to keep to a low budget (unless you mean $5000 per person?)

As stated, most AI resorts are in Mexico, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic. We love the Playa del Carmen area of Mexico. There are many family friendly resorts there.
Check out Apple Vacations and Funjet for package deals for your dates.

Look at deals on travelzoo and cheap Caribbean. You might be able to book them cheaper for yourself, but both web sites make it easier to see what is available. Often they are deals for 3-5 days, so it might work better to shorten the vacation a little bit.

I think $5,000 for 4 people is tight, (but doable) in Mexico. Plenty of AI resorts that might fit that price range, but don't expect 5 start resorts either. It won't be a dump for that price, but you won't find much luxury at that price.

I also recommend looking at BookIt.com or Cheap Caribbean.

hi, thank you all.

1) Is Norwegian NOT going to going to Martinique AFTER March 24th? Because Cap est actually has very decent rates.
2) Will Bermuda be too cold in April? Fairmont Southampton has very good rates on travelzoo right now

Bermuda is too cold to swim in april

The best value by far is Mexico, which hasn’t the highest quality and best food for the lowest prices. But the reason you are seeing such high prices is because it’s before Easter, which is April 1. Go after the second Sunday in April and it will be much cheaper. The first week of April is when every European is on vacation.

Sorry, I mistyped. Mexico has the highest quality and lowest prices.