Need post Irma alternate family vacation/dive ideas.

[hammet]

For the last five years, I've been taking my wife, who doesn't dive and (now) nine year old daughter to Beaches in Turks and Caicos during the first or second week in December. While not the technical diving around (sometimes I'd come up with 2000 psi still in my tank), it was easy for me to practically walk out of our room and onto the dive boat, do a couple of pretty dives, and be back in time to meet the family for lunch. Then I could spend the rest of the day with the family at the pools, beach, water park, sailing a hobie cat, etc. Even got my kid to do the PADI Seal Team course last year and she absolutely loved it. That time of year, the place was never crowded and we really couldn't wait to go back again.

We've just received notice that Beaches will be closed mid December for repairs. So the wife and I are looking for a really family friendly place where I could get some decent diving it and still be able to spend plenty of time with the wife and kid.

Any ideas?

 

[Wookie]

Any of the many other Beaches or Sandals properties scattered around the Caribbean?

 

[KathyV]

Any of the many other Beaches or Sandals properties scattered around the Caribbean?

I think that Sandals are couples-only, but there are other Beaches resorts and other Caribbean family-friendly all-inclusives available in various destinations and hopefully some of them have survived the recent storms.

Grand Cayman is a very family-friendly destination and the Seven Mile Beach is comparable to Grace Bay Beach, and happily Irma missed them. They don't have big all-inclusive resorts like Beaches but there are many beautiful condo complexes on 7MB that offer daily maid service; and there are lots of restaurants, good grocery stores, and topside activities. There are also some resort hotels on 7MB like the Westin and Marriott.

Most of the dive ops will pick you up in a van or by boat on the beach, and some of them offer options for kids and junior divers, take a look at DiveTech.

 

[Wookie]

I think that Sandals are couples-only, but there are other Beaches resorts and other Caribbean family-friendly all-inclusives available in various destinations.

Grand Cayman is a very family-friendly destination and the Seven Mile Beach is comparable to Grace Bay Beach. They don't have big all-inclusive resorts like Beaches but there are many beautiful condo complexes on 7MB that offer daily maid service; and there are lots of restaurants, good grocery stores, and topside activities.

Most of the dive ops will pick you up at your lodgings and some of them offer options for kids and junior divers, take a look at DiveTech.

You are right, I guess that's what Beaches is all about. In St. Lucia, when I lived there a million years ago, we had a couples Sandals and a family Sandals. Seems the family Sandals is now a Beaches. Some Club Meds are also family friendly, but I'd guess the one at Columbus Isle is pretty wiped out.

 

[hammet]

Any of the many other Beaches or Sandals properties scattered around the Caribbean?

Was thinking about Ochos Rios, but the diving looks meh. Plus it would probably be filled to capacity with the T&C spillover.

 

[Wookie]

Ochos Rois diving is Meh. St. Lucia is not.

 

[scubadada]

Was thinking about Ochos Rios, but the diving looks meh. Plus it would probably be filled to capacity with the T&C spillover.

Beaches is only in T&C and Jamaica. I would probably not go to Jamaica for diving. If you want to stay with an AI, good for nondivers, there are probably other choices, but generally not with a beach that looks like Grace Bay

There are many AI choices on Cozumel, or maybe Bay Islands or Belize? Curacao also comes to mind. How about one of the Hawaiian Islands?

 

[hammet]

wife suggested grand Cayman. i can't argue with that for diving...plus stingrays
and turtles and horseback riding for my daughter. gonna do some more research asap

 

[scubadada]

wife suggested grand Cayman. i can't argue with that for diving...plus stingrays
and turtles and horseback riding for my daughter. gonna do some more research asap

Only thing you're giving up is AI. Though a bit off the beaten path, you may want to look at Cobalt Coast. good but the beach and close access to the venues on SMB. A car solves many of those defects.

 

[hammet]

looking at wyndham reef resort.
anyone been there?