If you’ve thought about traveling with your kids and grandkids, you’re not alone.

As families move apart from one another, travel becomes a way to create memories and celebrate milestones together.  Last winter we escaped the cold weather in NEPA and took a family trip  at Beaches Ocho Rios.

If you’re like most grandparents, you probably love to spoil your grandchildren with toys and clothing. But toys lose their sizzle and are quickly tossed aside, while clothes are quickly outgrown. A better idea? Take your grandkids on vacation. In the long run, experiences can be so much more valuable than “things.” Working parents would much rather money or gift cards towards a trip than toys. With limited vacation time, parents would love to get everyone together and kids of any age enjoy reconnecting with family they may not see often. That’s why a multi-generation vacation is so great and Beaches Resorts is the perfect place to take one. 

 

Tips for Taking Plan A Multi-Generational Vacation

A multi-generational vacation at an all-inclusive resort not only frees you from pleasing all family members all the time, but also eliminates budget-busting surprises.  The all inclusive usually covers a bevy of basics: accommodations, meals, non-motorized sports, and entertainment, which means that you pay once at the beginning and really don’t need to worry about spending a fortune while there. That’s the reason our family decided to take a Beaches All Inclusive Vacation at the the Ochios Rio location. 

So, if your athletic granddaughter is eager to try sailing, surfing, and snorkeling or your grandson wants a fourth glass of milk at dinner, there are no extra charges. Plus, these escapes all offer plenty of diversions to keep you busy. Of course, you can also do nothing at all and just relax on the beach or by the pool. One of our favorite things to do at Beaches was playing pool by the pool. The little kids got to ride the water slides while the other kids and parents played some pool.

 

Take a Break (from each other)

Plan to take a break from each other! Since Beaches is an all inclusive resort, we didn’t have to worry about making plans together all the time. Plus, if we didn’t want to send the kids to the Beaches Kids Club, we could just leave them with Grandma and Pop for a few hours while my husband and I got to spend some time together. 

Honestly, my parents were great to travel with because they wanted to give us some family bonding time with our kids and we wanted to give them some personal time together. There were some nights that we would meet up after dinner. Allowing the two of them to dine alone. The kids would much rather spend time with Grandma and Pop then us and there were times they didn’t feel like going to the Beaches Kids Club, so my husband and I totally took advantage of this and got to go have a drink together without the kids. It also meant we didn’t all have to get up at the same time to go out to breakfast, which was great for the early risers and my teenagers who prefer to sleep in. We often just met up on the beach.

 

We all know that too much togetherness can ruin even the most epic family trips. Grandma and Pop decided that the banana boat was a little too much excitement for them and they just weren’t interested in snorkeling, but that was something that the kids really wanted to do. So, the grandparents got to spend a day relaxing on the beach,  while we spent quality family time and took the kids on the banana boat and snorkeling. The beach is so close that the grandparents were able to watch them on banana boat. The best part is that the snorkeling took place right at the resort, so we weren’t gone too long and it was FREE (it’s included in the Beaches all inclusive price).  

Adjust Activity Levels

On a multi-generational trip, you want everyone to be able to keep up, but not at the expense of having a good time. You don’t want to over-pack your itinerary — it’s a vacation after all! But you should plan at least a few activities in advance. Beaches Resorts offers a variety of activity for people of all ages. Golf, so we didn’t have to worry about using our phones. Reservations are required for some of the water activities like snorkeling, glass bottom boat, and scuba-diving, banana boat, kayaks, paddle boarding and windsurfing activities do not need reservations. We did the glass bottom boat as a group and it was neat to how the grandparents see the ocean through the kids’ eyes. 

 

There are a ton of great local tours at Beaches Ocho Rios. As a family, we decided on the Dolphin Swim at Dolphin Cove Ocho Rios. There are a number of packages, so not everyone has to swim with the Dolphins. The kids had an opportunity to swim with sting rays and sharks and interact with unique exotic birds, snakes and iguanas on the nature trail. Grandma and Pop decided to join the kids to swim with the dolphins, which was a wonderful experience to share together.

 Make Memories with Family Travel

We bought a journal for the trip so the kids could document the time together and made sure that Grandma and Pop added to their journal.  We also made sure to purchase a good quality underwater camera to take pictures both on land and sea. Plus, we didn’t have to worry about using our smartphones.

 

The journal had a place for the kids for the kids to write about their experiences while on vacation and we also had the grandparents write in the journal. This is something that the kids will cherish forever. Plus, they love going back and reading about things that may have forgotten and also reading how much fun grandma and pop had on the trip. 

 

 

Of course, you needn’t plan an elaborate excursion to spend quality time with Grandma and Grandpa. You can go for a walk on the beach or go for ice cream, which is pretty much available all day long! 

Don’t go crazy with excursions on a Multi-Generational Vacation, especially when you book an all inclusive.  Spending quality time can be just as fun for the whole family. Just plan something soon—we promise, you’ll regret it if you don’t!