Club Med was the first chain to introduce the world to the all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean and it continues to cater to kids with activities such as its Circus School. Two other leaders in all-inclusive resorts for children are Beaches, a chain of family resorts that has activities with "Sesame Street" characters for young children, Xbox games for older ones, and Paradisus, which provides a family concierge to individualize the needs for kids of all ages.
Atlantis Paradise Island has its own water park, Marine Habitat and Dolphin Cay. It offers scheduled and organized activities for kids of all ages. While the resort isn't an all-inclusive property, it does allow guests to pre-purchase packages that will include most of your food, drinks and activities.
On Grand Bahama Island, check out Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach, which has a Kid's Retreat with activities tailored to your child's age, including windsurfing, sandcastle building and talent shows.
Cruise travel allows you to see many different places with your kids and are all-inclusive of meals, accommodations and shipboard activities. Most of the Celebrity ships have extensive children's programs with everything from treasure hunts for young kids to late-night dances for teens, giving extra attention to special needs children.
On Carnival, the camp program offers supervised games and activities inside and out by the pool. Carnival also has a kid-friendly menu and babysitting is available when the camp closes for the night.
Whether on land or sea, most all-inclusive programs include some type of childcare. Age restrictions usually apply, with many places not willing to care for babies. When you are looking for a trip to take with kids, ask what the requirements are for camp programs, what activities there are and if there is an extra cost. Also check to see if kids are divided by age, as you won't want to leave your 2-year-old in the same group as teenagers.
If you bring your kids to a place where most of the meals and activities are included, you are able to budget more easily; however, don't expect everything to be included. Some resorts charge extra for certain activities or meals in specialty restaurants. On cruises you need to worry about tips and drinks, as even soda is not included on many ships. Be sure to ask while you are booking your all-inclusive trip, exactly what is and isn't included.
