Family resort in Virgin Islands? Or somewhere else warm?

Hoping to go on a much-need family vacation to somewhere (anywhere) warm the last week in February. Two kids are 6.5 years and baby is 1 year. Looking for somewhere with a beach, pool, maybe a kids-camp so we can relax for a few hours, and decent food. Preferably not longer than 4 hours on a plane so the 1-year old doesn't completely freak out. Saw some good reviews for The Buccaneer in St. Croix... anyone been there?  Other recommendations?

http://www.casaybelresort.com/things-to-do/

We like the Red Hook area of St Thomas.  This place is family friendly.  We stay at a different resort right up the road, but we use this beach.  Plenty of decent food less than a mile away in Red Hook.

http://www.antillesresorts.com/2sapphirebeach.htm

Atlantis in the Bahamas, Disney Cruise from Florida.  

I got married at the Buccaneer in St. Croix 8 years ago and loved it!  It's great for a laid back, non-touristy vacation.  There's not a ton of activities or places to visit, but that is what we liked about it- there was enough to do if we wanted to and plenty of time to relax.  Small pool which I think is fine for young kids but you'd probably spend most time at the beach anyway which is nice.  We didn't have kids at the time but there was a kids camp. Food was great at the resort and there were several really good restaurants on the island.  We rented a car and toured the island ourselves.

Only issue is that last I checked there are no direct flights so you would have to switch planes in Miami or San Juan I believe.  Looking forward to visiting again sometime with our two kids!

beaches Negril in Jamaica is great. Beaches Turks & caicos even better but it may be cooler temps that time of year. 

Make sure you check the weather before you book, much as I love Sanibel in Fl it is way too cold there in Feb for a beach vacation.  Probably not warm enough (for me) in the Bahamas either.  

Aruba is always perfect weather and has direct flights (at least it used to a few years ago).

With kids that age you might look at condo rentals so you can put them to bed early / down for naps and still be able to hang out with the spouse.  Plus going to restaurants 3x a day with a 1 year old can be a challenge so access to a kitchen for breakfast and snacks is ideal imho.

The Franklyn D Resort in Jamaica isn't super fancy but has all of the things you describe and more. Every stay comes with a vacation nanny, so you can get a break when you need to. You can spend as much time with your children as you would like and also get time with your spouse. It's the only way I've found to have a vacation, rather than just a change of scenery. It's the only place I've ever been where you don't hear the adults squabbling. 

We went last year and both of us had never really been into the idea of an all-inclusive and now we're going back again this winter. I'm happy to tell you more. Check out the TripAdvisor ratings too. 

We stayed at the Buccaneer in St. Croix for our honeymoon little over 8 years ago and loved it.  No kids at the time but with pool and beach there was a lot to do.  St. Croix is very relaxed given there are not the cruise ships that some of the other islands have.  Small enough island you can explore it in a day if you are looking to do something.  Christiansted is just a short shuttle ride away as they have little shops and restaurants.  If you do go be sure to check out the beer drinking pigs (google it).

These are all great suggestions, thank you!  The idea of a vacation nanny is AMAZING, especially since the baby still naps 2x/day and it would be great to spend that time out and about with the older kiddos.

sitting poolside at St John Westin right now.  lots of families, great beaches, snorkling, but tons to do at the resort for kids. last night they showed Aladdin in the pool and kids watched in tubes and on noodles.  night before they had a beach BBQ.  sorry picture is sideways, but pool is nice and big, and an iguana swims across it everyday at 2, which kids love.

St. John is my absolute favorite Caribbean destination with the caveat that the travel time is formidable compared to a one-stop destination -- car to EWR, plane to St. Thomas, taxi to ferry port, ferry to  St. John, taxi to destination or the Jeep rental guy, with waits at each step and the consideration of car seats. That's more or less two whole vacation days. 

I've done it several times alone with two small children, but you might get as much or more relaxation time out of a week at a condo with a kitchen and two bedrooms in Aruba or Grand Cayman. Just depends on your family's tolerance for travel days.

we rent our car at the St thomas airport and then drive to the car ferry, so for us, its only about an hour.  we come here every year and find you need a car to get to the best snorkling because the beaches can be remote, and to take cabs would be less economical than renting a car.

if you stay at the westin, there is a special westin ferry from the st thomas airport, so you can avoid all the transportation agita if you dont want to rent a car

jmo said:

These are all great suggestions, thank you!  The idea of a vacation nanny is AMAZING, especially since the baby still naps 2x/day and it would be great to spend that time out and about with the older kiddos.

It's revolutionary. Do it.

many of the big family AIs gave baby/kids programs so even w/o the nanny, there is plenty of opportunity for alone or older kid time. Beaches & Dreams are two of the top chains. A new player in Jamaica- Jewel resorts is nice too. Just toured Jewel Runaway bay yesterday and it's a nice moderate property that prices well.

A bit off topic but I would encourage everyone to scroll to item 4 on this list of destinations for a  mini-vacation.

we loved Atlantis and its a great place for small kids and activities.  for the price, the rooms arent good,the resort food is atrosiously expensive.  if you go, check an extra bag full of bagels, juice boxes, granolabars and crackers.  you can walk across the street and buy liquor, which is expensive but nowhere near the onsite prices.  the activities are top notch, but also above what you would pay in a different resort

conandrob240 said:

many of the big family AIs gave baby/kids programs so even w/o the nanny, there is plenty of opportunity for alone or older kid time. Beaches & Dreams are two of the top chains. A new player in Jamaica- Jewel resorts is nice too. Just toured Jewel Runaway bay yesterday and it's a nice moderate property that prices well.

The key to this resort is that the nanny is always with you so you get to know them. I'm not as keen on the kids club type situations. 

I understand. Personally, I prefer a club setting where there are always people around and the kids interact with other kids. I also think the food and rooms at FDR are pretty poor. There are better resorts for the price, IMO. And they offer 1on1 sitting for a nominal fee so if you want that you can get it and have a better more 5* experience.

The kids are always around other kids! They don't sit in the room, alone, with the nanny! Ha! 

And I think that's the basic difference is in the expectations. I don't need a 5-star experience. I need a vacation. And the beauty is that I can always find my kid and my kid can always find me but the burden of childcare is shared with someone I trust. The nannies look out for each other but the whole resort is basically a kids' club. And I don't think you're counting the tremendous value of having someone who can sit in the room while your kid naps so you can be free to do something else. 

I would never go if I didn't have kids (no one should) and I don't need waiters trying to upsell me on wine or to pay $20 a day for wifi for it to be a vacation. This place is truly all-inclusive. There was never an expectation for tips (though we did tip generously...the minimum wage in Jamaica is $2/hour). 

not sure what you are referring to about up selling? Beaches, Dreams- no real attempts to sell except by photographers. They are all- inclusive a.

My point was simply you can get a much nicer room and much better food for the price of FDR

The only other AI I've been to is a Barcelo and I felt like they were constantly trying to charge us for stuff: internet, upgraded drinks, etc. It was kind of stressful.

I agree with annemarie that having a nanny who could stay in the room with the baby during naps is HUGE.  But.... I just made the mistake of looking at the Beaches resorts.  Holy cow, they are gorgeous.  And have kids camps. And day cares.  And beautiful rooms.  Wow.

jmo said:

I agree with annemarie that having a nanny who could stay in the room with the baby during naps is HUGE.  But.... I just made the mistake of looking at the Beaches resorts.  Holy cow, they are gorgeous.  And have kids camps. And day cares.  And beautiful rooms.  Wow.

Yeah... I priced out Beaches Turks & Caicos once. That will not ever be happening for our family, amazing though it may be!!

TarheelsInNj said:

jmo said:

I agree with annemarie that having a nanny who could stay in the room with the baby during naps is HUGE.  But.... I just made the mistake of looking at the Beaches resorts.  Holy cow, they are gorgeous.  And have kids camps. And day cares.  And beautiful rooms.  Wow.

Yeah... I priced out Beaches Turks & Caicos once. That will not ever be happening for our family, amazing though it may be!!

I just priced out Beaches Ocho Rios and it's $2,000 more than FDR! Hey, if you can swing it, go for it.

annemarie said:

TarheelsInNj said:

jmo said:

I agree with annemarie that having a nanny who could stay in the room with the baby during naps is HUGE.  But.... I just made the mistake of looking at the Beaches resorts.  Holy cow, they are gorgeous.  And have kids camps. And day cares.  And beautiful rooms.  Wow.

Yeah... I priced out Beaches Turks & Caicos once. That will not ever be happening for our family, amazing though it may be!!

I just priced out Beaches Ocho Rios and it's $2,000 more than FDR! Hey, if you can swing it, go for it.

Absolutely!!! I'm sure it's an amazing vacation. Just not in the card for us  

We went to Beaches once, in the off season, for a milestone anniversary, with three children.  It was amazing, and was all inclusive of almost everything (except my teen's scuba lesson).  There were also plenty of options to spend on off-site excursions, but we didn't need them. 

It was a splurge, but did include any drinks except upgraded wine, water sports, children's activities, all restaurant options, airport transit, etc.  I think it even includes some scuba if you already know how.

The kids programs there are very good, and have separate facilities by age level.  We didn't have direct experience with the baby/toddler programs, but were very impressed with what we used.  Happy to answer questions if useful.

In general, I'd dig deep when resorts promise childrens' programs...it is a small and special set of resorts that have full-time programs with their own facilities for small children.  When my first was young, we went on on or two vacations at places that advertised children's programs and found that they operated, sometimes, out of a conference room, and weren't something we chose to use.

Excellent advice re: kids programs, thank you.  That's yet another reason why the nanny arrangement would be awesome.  @conandrob240, if we were to splurge on Beaches (either Negril or T&C), do you have any advice about rooms?  We'd LOVE to have a separate bedroom for the kids so we could enjoy some lounging time after they go to bed.  The selection at T&C is overwhelming, and I can't quite figure out if the "suites" at both locations are really suites, or just a room with a couch and kitchenette.

jmo, I do have lots of advice for you. I am on my last 1 1/2 days in Jamaica right now (Sandals Royal Caribbean- beautiful) but can get much more detailed when I am in my office with access to all my stuff at home. Negril prices much, much better than T&C which has gotten really crazy. 

Annmarie, Beaches is nothing like the Barcelo chain. Some of those AIs are pushing timeshares and it does get really aggressive. You don't find any of that at Beaches nor can you tip. If you are military or police/firefighter, can also get 10% off.

I'll add ( in case it isn't clear) I am a travel agent and can book any of these resorts.

As a family of 5, we stayed at Beaches T&C in a room/suite that had a master bedroom with a small balcony, then a long hallway including the bathroom, and a pocket door separating it from a children's bedroom that had bunk beds and a trundle bed.  No kitchenette (all inclusive resort...), but we did have mini-refrig and bar in the master bedroom.

Many room types, spread across four major neighborhoods, but the representatives are helpful at sorting it all out.  Happy to answer whatever I can.