Millseas Minute: Group Trips

I have been absolutely blessed and cursed with group trips. My wonderful grandparents have blessed my family of 25 with not just one but four going on five family trips. I am absolutely blessed to be very close with my family and as such these trips are always a blast with lifelong memories. But our love for travel and our experience throughout the Caribbean has put me in the position to take over planning the trips following my father's passing.

This is a logistical funhouse. Not only are there 25 opinions but there are 25 round trip flights and 11 hotel rooms all within budget. Not to mention the pressure of delivering a vacation better than the last - the number of hours spent researching is high. Here's what I do and how I start specific to big group travel. I start my search by looking at all-inclusive resorts.

Some love an all-inclusive, some not so much. The common cons to an all-inclusive resort include sub-par food, lower quality alcohol, and a one-size-fits-all entertainment package to satisfy the masses. I get it - it's not the boutique-y, super luxurious getaway that you can get elsewhere but here we love an all-inclusive resort, and with a big group - it’s the only way to go! For starters - it allows people to have some independence in a group. Do you want a drink? Do you want a snack - just go and get it. There is no bother with a large credit card bill at the end of the week - that brings the trip over the budget because cousin Vinny had one too many late-night pizzas and virgin pina coladas - it is all included. So first things first - we filter based on all-inclusive resorts. Refer to our 'Millseas Minute: How We Research' to see some of our well-loved resources that assist us in our planning process. For a big group - the tools are the same!

With regards to all-inclusive resorts, the largest variety of options is going to be at your Mexico's (Cancun, Riviera Maya, Tulum, Playa del Carmen, etc.); Dominican Republics, and Jamaica. I've been to Mexico 5 times; Dominican twice and Jamaica - once. I don't have all the experiences but here is my high-level summary of these below:

• Mexico - of the above list, this is our favorite! I think Mexico of all of the other islands has the best food and bang for your buck. On the whole - there is a focus on the ambiance, being the lushest of the other locations and better food.

  • Riviera Maya - our top recommendation. Good beaches - nice luxury - lots of palm trees - good food - close to the airport and just a great all-around package.

  • Cancun - a great second option. I think that the quality of the hotels, beaches, and food take a minor seat behind Riviera Maya with the focus on a good time versus the luxury. We have been out to the clubs, we've done the beach parties - it’s a fantastic place to have fun! If you're not looking for a party - there are still plenty of options here being close to the airport. The beaches are soft, the water blue and warm - you really can't go wrong picking Cancun.

  • Tulum - we didn't make it too long in Tulum. One reason - the bugs. It could have been the time of year, it could have been the location of that particular resort but the bugs were horrible. I'm talking a normal small square tile with every inch covered in a stick bug-like critter. The doors - every inch filled - good luck finding that doorknob. It was a little too much for us to handle - and we were out. I'd like to say I'd be happy to give it another try because I don't think Tulum got the fairest of reviews. But with so many other wonderful destinations around the world - it's not high on the list.

  • Playa del Carmen - we love a playa del carmen. If you don't want to stay here - you can easily do a day trip excursion to experience the town that has a ton of shopping. Playa del Carmen is located right next to Riveria Maya making it more populated but still just as great. In my experience, the hotels are a little smaller as the focus is getting into town more than rotting on the resort (we love to rot!).

• Jamaica - I'm sorry I didn't love me a Jamaica. Armed guards with AK47s on either side of the beach. The sand was fine but not great. The resorts - okay - not endless and bountiful - not very tropical but not bad. I like Jamaica but it's not our top choice. Now I understand Jamaica is now also experimenting with the huts over the water - very Maldives vibe - and I wouldn't say no to that. We definitely didn't do the right excursions or potentially stay at the right place - so I will hold my judgment on Jamaica until I go back - but similar to Tulum, it's not necessarily a high priority or high on that bucket list to go back. *Refer to our post 'Millseas Minute: DR, MX, and JAM' for a Jamaica redemption experience

• Dominican Republic - I think the beaches at the Dominican are the nicest of the options. But while you have great beaches - you compromise on the quality of food and the risk of an upset stomach from drinking the water. Do I think the quality of the food makes it a no-go? No - not at all.

Now that we've briefly gone over the main locations - let's talk about some of the smaller island options. In our group - we have children - which limits the number of all-inclusive options throughout the Caribbean. There are all-inclusive hotels but they do come at a price both in terms of $ and amenities. At your Mexico's you can get a great resort with 10+ restaurants and multiple pools - at your smaller islands - the land isn't there. That's because the purpose of the resort is different. Yes - yes they're all there to ensure you have a wonderful vacation - but on a smaller island, the focus is the brilliance of the island rather than just the resort. There is a focus to getting out and exploring, and as such hotels typically have a more boutique-y feel and stereotypically focus on the experience of the island - rather than keeping you entertained on the resort.

For our 2022 big family vacation - I wanted to pull out all the stops and find a small island that would be within budget but also check all of the big family boxes. Here's what I looked for as I explored Expedia: multiple restaurants; swim-up bar; beach scene - that's it. Kept it simple. I spent a few hours searching Expedia and other blogs looking for recommendations but ultimately narrowed down my search and presented two options to the family to vote on:

• Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, St. Lucia

• St. Kitts Marriot Resort and The Royal Beach Casino

We are excited to announce that we will be going to Coconut Bay Beach Resort in July of 2022! The main reasons that St. Lucia beat out St. Kitts were the beauty of the mountains surrounding St. Lucia; the number of restaurants and bars that the hotel offered; and the number of things to do at the resort such as the lazy river and the kids' waterpark. I spoke with my mother-in-law, a long-time travel agent, who stated that the beaches at Coconut Bay can be a bit rougher than your traditional Caribbean experience due to the coral reef but that was the only negative she had to say about the place. She recommended we look at the Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort, instead, 5-minutes down the road but with the calming Caribbean water you seek in your getaway. I loved the Windjammer - but it was a little too small for a family of our size. As a family of this size, we typically become pool people anyways as my grandmother has limited mobility and the sand adds an additional complication to that matter, so it wasn't a huge consideration factor. If anything, some of the more active adults saw it as a plus as Coconut Bay offers kite surfing which has been an adrenaline bucket list item for me!

As we are traveling as a large group in 2022, we needed to be sure that we were safe and our money was safe. As such, travel protection is the way to go. Now airlines and insurance companies aren't dumb. They make money and are profitable for a reason. If you are looking for any sort of protection - be prepared to pay. However, in this day and age, you never know what tomorrow brings and as such, it was a compromise that we were willing to make. As you price out and budget your trip - keep this in mind. For instance, a flight to St. Lucia was advertised at $460pp however upon further look in order to get rescheduling or cancellation protection the cost of the price rose to $723pp and $840pp, respectively. That doubles a costly part of the trip and as such is definitely something to keep in mind as you begin your travel planning.