Need new beach destination for family and parents
 

Hi parents, my 8 year old boy and sis and husband have been going to Playa Del Carmen/Riviera Maya for the last summers, 7-10 days, all inclusive, different Iberostar resorts.

All inclusives in Mexico work great for us: short flight from Atlanta, my dad cant walk much, no one wants to cook, Mexican food and service is great, great beaches, great pools and kid and adult activities organized by hotel, I can do outdoor escapades (cenotes, dive, snorkel, turtle beach), authentic Mexican culture in town. My son just likes to run around the pools and play with other kids. My mom and sis just veg at the beach.

Looking to try something "similar" (as close as possible) but in a Caribbean island.

The quick flight needs I think narrows it to USVI, Bahamas, Turks/Caicos, Cayman (We have done DR, dont wanna repeat, my mom doesnt wanna do Jamaica). Im leaning USVI for now, St Croix or St John. I do wanna keep something that has local culture to explore at night for me. Thoughts?

DR & Jamaica are going to be the closest thing you will find to the Riviera Maya as far as AIs go. As you are well aware, prices are cheap in Mexico. I think you will find prices quite a bit more expensive as you venture onto other islands. Yes, there are other AIs out there, but you will most likely be paying considerably more.

Have you thought about Barbados? Not sure how long a flight it is from Atlanta but there are a few AI i(i.e. Discovery Bay by Rex to Treasure Beach by Elegant Hotels) in different price ranges and plenty of culture to explore.

Oops, I also was coming to say the DR or Jamaica are the closest fit for what you describe!

Hotel options are pretty limited in the USVI right now. Places like the Westin St. John are still closed for the summer.

I would look into Secret Harbour resort on St Thomas and The Buccaneer on St. Croix.

I loved St John, but are there All Inclusive Resorts there? I know (only from reading this forum) that lots of people favor The Bucaneer on St Croix.

We loved The Buccaneer on St Croix. Not an AI, but does include a fabulous hot breakfast buffet.

I am not an expert on all inclusives (although we just booked one at the Hyatt Ziva in Los Cabos for August). A friend of mine and her husband recently went to the all inclusive Riu Aruba and loved it.

The USVI is not an AI destination. There are none on St John, none currently on St Thomas (Bolongo was before the storms, but isn't currently). If you are willing to do some cooking, you can rent a condo or villa on either island. I can't comment on St Croix.