General Caribbean vacation question (not dive-specific)

[bcaderunr]

Yup - Have to agree. This situation is positively screaming: "Disney Cruise".

 

[arew+4]

St Thomas?
Lots of top side activities, and under rated diving. Some very nice houses and condos to rent.

 

[ibj40]

I would think Riviera Maya would be your best bet. Not necessarily Cancun proper but anywhere south of Cancun down to Tulum. Lots of AI resorts there that are great value. Lots of activities for young and old, including eco parks, Fifth Avenue in Playa del Carmen, Mayan ruins, beaches, cenotes for snorkeling or diving, ocean diving or snorkeling, etc. Can’t go wrong there for a big multi-generational family vacation. The evening show at Xcaret is a must-see. Wonderful music, dancing, story - just all-around great show. Otherwise, the resorts will have live music and shows in the evenings.

In terms of 2-3 bedroom suites, some resorts will have that - you’ll need to shop around. I’m not sure what your budget is, but Banyan Tree Mayakoba has 2 and 3 bedroom villas at the very high end.

Villas - Banyan Tree Mayakoba

Diving is decent all along the Riviera Maya, but excellent if you take the ferry to Cozumel as a day trip. Cenote diving is wonderful but not necessarily appropriate for beginners.

Other than “would prefer to stay away from huge hotels”, the Riviera Maya ticks all of your boxes.

Check out condos in Puerto Aventuras. Checks most of the boxes, especially the live music one.

Fly into Cancun, take a private charter (we use Cancun Valet) to the compound. Within day trips to multiple attractions, including the must see, and award-winning Xcaret Theme Park. Grab a cab and head to Playa del Carmen for late afternoon/evening on Avenida 5, more places to eat and entertain on that one street than almost anywhere in the civilized world. Excellent diving both immediately off-shore, as well as the cenotes (we use Dive Aventuras).

In lieu of all-inclusive, there is great access to food basics at the Chedraui grocery store right across the highway from the main entrance of the compound, plus local produce at the Farmer's Market inside the compound on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Most of the condos are equipped for cooking. Many options for dining around the central lagoon, as well. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all covered, you can even get pizza delivered from a couple of different places, although we prefer Paparazzi.

On off-days, you can knock around the compound, take in the dolphin discovery experience for free (the compound surrounds the lagoon used for the shows), and grab a Margarita at any one of the restaurants the face the lagoon.

If you would like any more specific information, please feel free to PM me.