x-mas vacation
 

Mother with two teens and an 8 year old lokking for a great resort to take childern over x-mas. Cruise timing does not seem to work.

You're a little late for one of the busiest times of the Caribbean. You might want to contact a travel agent to see what he/she can find for you.

I agree that if you are planning for this Christmas you may find it a bit difficult to find accomodations at a "great resort" at this late date. FYI - if you are fortunate to find vacancies you may be faced minimum stay requirements over the Christmas/New Years holiday - also expect to pay top dollar for any accomodations - it's peak season in the Caribbean.

It's hard to make specific recommendations without knowing what you mean by "great resorts". Also, since most high end properties (that probably would qualify as "great resorts" are booked a year in advance a lot of the "normal" recommendations us fodorites might make would just be a waste of time or source of disappointmet. At this late date your best bet might be to work with a travel agent who might be able to find you something suitable.

It is a little late to be planning for Christmas, but it can be done. The most popular resorts with repeat clients are probably fully booked, but you should be able to find something at this late date. I'd suggest you start your search with islands that have a high bed count, like Jamaica, St. Maarten, Aruba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Your best bet is to go with a travel package that includes airfare and hotel right now. You could work with a travel agent or do it yourself with a reputable online travel booking agency, like American Airlines Vacations (www.aavacations.com).

If you lower your expectations a little bit in terms of quality and raise them quite a bit in terms of how much you'll have to pay, you'll probably find a handful of places that would work. Once you've narrowed it down to 5-6 resorts that have availability for that time, check back here for specific feedback or just check their ratings at Trip Advisor.

Where are you flying from? A random search on AA Vactions with a departure point of Des Moines, IA, on Christmas Eve turned up availability at La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino on Aruba. Airfare, 7 nights, all meals, all drinks, taxes, and airport transfers come to US $10,000 for a suite. Flying from the east coast will generally be less expensive. Staying at a non-All Inclusive will certainly be less expensive, especially if your teens are charged as adults.

So, there is definitely availability out there. It's just a matter of having the patience to do the searches, and being willing to pay the premium costs of travel for that time of year.

Good luck!

For comparison purposes, you can get a 5-night package of airfare and hotel room at the Halcyon Bay Resort on Antigua, with a departure out of Hartford, CT, for US $4700. This one does not include food or drinks.

FWIW, the Sugar Bay Club on St. Kitts and the Grand Pineapple Beach Club on Antigua are full booked during the Christmas hols.

Tell us where you're departing from and I'll bet we could come up with a pretty good place for you and your kids. Also, what are the ages of your teens? The cut-off age for adult pricing varies from place to place.