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Category Archives: Beach Vacations

Do You Understand Hotel and Resort Dining Plans?

When you are booking travel, some of the terminologies could be clearer, especially when you are trying to consider your budget for meals. Hotels and resorts have meal plans that are added to the room rate. Some meal plans, however, are already included in the overall package. Either way, adding a meal plan is a great way to plan your budget.

Let’s explore some of the meal plans you can consider. There are four common types of meal plans. The most common is the All-Inclusive (AI), followed by the European Plan (EP), American Plan (AP), and Continental Plan (CP).

The All- Inclusive plan represents including all meals, snacks, and drinks. The types of food and drinks may vary from resort to resort and should be considered when booking an All-Inclusive Resort property. Some resorts have classified these by different room categories. For example, the AMRCollection of resorts in the Breathless brand has their EXHALE club that offers premium beverages to those that book that room category. In addition, resorts may use different names for their all-inclusive plans, such as Karisma resorts. They use the term gourmet inclusive.

 

The European Plan (EP) is room-only. Guests in these hotels will pay for any meals. EP is the most common in cities and among most public hotels.

The American Plan (AP) is similar to the all-inclusive plan but only includes 3 meals daily with the room’s price. Just so you know, this may not include drinks and can vary widely from hotel to hotel.

The Continental Plan (CP) is a bed and breakfast plan. It includes your accommodation and breakfast. The type of breakfast can vary from a hot breakfast to a buffet with a few hot items included.

 

In addition to the most common meal plan terms, you may also see Half Board Meal Plan (HB) and Full Board Meal Plan (FB). The Half Board is when breakfast and evening meals are included in your room rate. Breakfast will typically have drinks such as coffee, tea, and juice but will not include drinks in the evening meal. Full Board is when all three meals are included, breakfast, lunch, and dinner; however, no drinks are included. This plan is perfect for those who want to take advantage of their accommodations and amenities and do little outside the resort.

Planning your vacation using a meal plan can help you with your budget and help you not overspend on meals. In addition, knowing that the majority of your daily spending is paid for when you depart for your trip brings peace of mind and helps relieve the stress of deciding where to eat and surprises expenses. Include your travel advisor in this conversation, as they will know which resorts have plans for you and enjoy all your vacation destination has to offer you!

Hawaii with the Littles: You’ll Never Hear ‘I’m Bored’ on These Island Adventures

As far as families vacationing in paradise, the United States has an abundance of great locations. Still, none can offer such a wide variety of activities, natural wonders, culture, and cuisine as the Hawaiian Islands.

You won’t want to skimp on this vacation! Excursions to historic Pearl Harbor, lava, sealife, island hopping, and so much more!

You are in store for a real family bucket list adventure. No need for theme parks here!

Click here to find out more about traveling to Paradise with Little Ones! Complements of our friends at The Compass.

Catamaran Excursion at Beaches Turks and Caicos

It’s hard to believe that Laura and I were at Beaches Turks and Caicos for the 2019 STAR Awards just one year ago. We had an amazing four days at this spectacular resort.

One highlight for me was our Catamaran Excursion. The water in Turks and Caicos is absolute perfection! And I’d never been on a Catamaran before. So I was crazy excited.

On our journey over to the private island, we literally had dolphins swimming alongside our boat. It was like a movie! I did not get pictures, as I wanted to enjoy the moment. But trust me, it was amazing!

We then had about an hour to swim and relax on a tiny, private beach. Normally we could also have snorkeled, but sadly the wind was too strong on this particular day. But I did enjoy simply relaxing in the warm Caribbean water. It was so relaxing.

We then journeyed back to Beaches, and on our boat ride home, watched the most incredible sunset over the water.

But as we all know, pictures speak louder than words!

 

Popular Resorts on the Island of O’ahu, Hawaii

O’ahu is one of the most popular Hawaiian islands for first-time visitors and travelers who visit Hawaii often. Home to Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbour, and numerous museums and aquariums, O’ahu has something for everyone.

There are hundreds of different hotels to choose from for your vacation, and it can feel overwhelming trying to figure out which hotel is best for you.

Watch our most recent Travel Chat video, where we discuss four of the most popular resorts on O’ahu – Kahala, Ritz Carlton, Outrigger Reef, and Turtle Bay.

When you are ready to plan your next Hawaiian vacation, be sure to reach out to your Travel Planner!

Top Beaches in the World

If you do a google search for “best beaches in the world” you’ll get dozens of stunning choices. It’s impossible to narrow them all down to an absolute favorite, so let’s take a look at the Top 5 Beaches in the World.

Okay, fine…I’ll admit that in some of these categories I’m including more than just one location. But they are all in the same general area, and it was too hard to choose just one!

#1 Fiji and Bora Bora (Polynesian Islands)

Fiji is home to over 300 islands and continues to be the #1 spot for travelers seeking paradise. Bora Bora is a tiny island, yet is constantly one of the most popular destinations travelers seeking romance.

#2 Maui and Kauai (Hawaii)

Every Hawaiian island speaks to certain types of travelers, but those seeking the most beautiful beaches continue to flock to Maui and Kauai.

#3 Bahamas

The Bahamian islands are more than just Nassau. Although, there are stunning beaches in Nassau, home of the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island. The Bahamas is also home to hundreds of small, private islands. And it’s hard to ignore Exumas, home to the wild swimming pigs.

#4 Grace Bay Beach (Turks and Caicos)

It’s hard to describe the beauty of this water. Only pictures will do it justice!

#5 The Maldives

Picturesque private villas, spectacular sunsets, and the most incredible white sand beaches you could imagine.

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