Mom and daughter getaway
 

I want to take my Mom somewhere in the Caribbean as she's always wanted to see the "blue water". She is 67, I'm 39. We like the beach, I will snorkel a little otherwise we like sightseeing shopping, food, and a little casino gambling. I'm debating either a cruise or going and staying on an island with great beaches. I'm intrigued by inclusive resorts but most looked geared to the couple or kids. Any advice or direction is appreciated.

Whether a resort is all inclusive or not...there will be either couples or families with chldren.
What time of the year will you be going? What type of budget are you considering???
Where is your departure point?

I meant the all inclusives are often geared toward one or the other. We are open to time of year. We will fly from Baltimore or Philadelphia, cruise from either of those or eastern florida. Budget maybe $2000 but I have flexibility. Thanks!

For your budget- do you mean $2000 for accommodations or for AL for accommodations and food? Or do you mean airfare and hotel? Be a little more specific so others can help you. Also, like schmerl pointed out, the time of year might be a big factor in the price and therefore the recommendations you get.

good girl. have fun. sorry I cannot help.

Is your $2,000 budget per person or for the two of you? Is that just for your accommodations or does it include food and airfare? How long a trip are you planning? Answers to those questions will help us narrow down suggestions.

FYI - $2,000 per person for a week is not much especially if you are going in high season and your budget includes airfare (which can easily eat up $400 to $700 per person).

Here are some hints:

No matter where you go or where you stay you are going to find families and/or couples. Resorts like Atlantis (Nassau) and Beaches (Turks & Caicos) and a handful of others like them do cater to families but by and large the vast majority of resorts in the Caribbean are used to having "single" guests. FYI - cruises are perfect for "non-couples".

Cruises - often the most economical way to visit the Caribbean. You can find varying itineraries and prices that will fit your budget. Consider taking a Caribbean cruise that leaves from Miami or Fort Lauderdale as airfares from Baltimore or Philadelphia might be lower. Other option is to cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico - there's often low airfares to that island. Cruises are somewhat like AI's in that accommodations and food are included. Some cruise lines also include adult beverages, land excursions and even airfare in their price structure but those will probably be out of your budget range. Still, you should have no difficulty finding a week long cruise in the $2,000 range.

Airfares - it's less expensive to fly into one of the "major" islands (Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic) or those you can reach non-stop from your nearest international gateway airport (perhaps St. Thomas, Aruba, St. Martin, etc.) - taking connecting flights and/or ferries to smaller out of the way islands can add significantly to your travel costs.

Beaches - almost every island has beaches and "blue water" so don't let that be a driving factor. Some islands are noted for having excellent snorkeling on others it's just average and still others it's almost non-existent so determine how important snorkeling is TO YOU and choose your island accordingly.

Gambling - not every island has casinos so if gambling is important to you that will limit your choices. Islands that have casinos include: Aruba, St. Martin, Antigua, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and a few others. FYI - if you take a cruise most ships have on board casinos.

Shopping - while you can shop on every island destinations noted for lots of duty free shopping include St. Thomas, St. Martin and St. Kitts plus Puerto Rico has lots of stores.

Food - you'll find interesting food on every island. You expressed an interest in All inclusives - most moderately priced AI's have mediocre food (your budget of $2,000 even if its for one person and doesn't include airfare WILL NOT get you into any high end AI) so if you don't go on a cruise and food is important to you plan on eating "off resort" to maximize your dining pleasure. You can often find some very good and reasonably priced "local food" on any Caribbean island.

Good luck in your search.

www.hardrockhotelpuntacana.com
www.atlantis.com
My top 2 for what you want...
Usually hop a cheap Big Front seat flight down on
Spirit.com first class for coach price.

Have fun!

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cheapcaribbean good deals on sales.

Again...we need to know when you'll be going. For instance...the Bahamas would not be a good choice during winter months...other areas are prone to hurricanes at certain times of the year. Please give us more info as to time and and whether your budget is per person and includes flights.