Planning a Tropical Vacation

Planning a Tropical Vacation
Planning international tropical vacations and making reservations requires planning and organization. Here is an easy checklist to follow to keep yourself on track and help make sure nothing is over-looked:
1. Check that everyone in your traveling party has a current passport. If someone does not, following the steps listed after this one won't really matter
2. Now that all in your party can exit the country as well as enter your destination country, its time to decide what that destination is. A number of factors go into this decision, such as your preference on island size, vacation style, housing accommodations, how "touristy" and populated of a destination you like, or if you find small-town and intimate more relaxing and refreshing. Or, if you prefer boats to planes, consider taking a little longer to reach your destination and enjoy an ocean-front view for a few days by taking a cruise.
3. In choosing your vacation destination, also take the
Planning a Tropical Vacation
size of your traveling group into account. Cruises are a promising idea for singles, couples, and families (as long as no one in your party has very sensitive motion sickness). There are Caribbean resorts worth researching that are more appropriate for singles or couples: in Jamaica there is the Hedonism II and III, as well as the Royal Plantation by Sandals; St. Lucia's most promising option is Ladera Resort and Spa; Antigua boasts of the Beach House of Gallery Bay Resort. Some land-based family-friendly, all-inclusive, options in Jamaica are Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort Montego Bay and the Beaches Negril Resort & Spa. Similar ideas for your family vacation in St. Lucia are the Almond Morgan Bay Resort, or in Antigua, look into St. James's Club.
4. Almost as important as having a valid passport, double check on how you can obtain your destination country's tourist visa. Many countries don't require any pre-planning or approval for a traveling visa, but some do. A great place to
Planning a Tropical Vacation
find out what needs to be done before you leave or what documentation you need to bring with you, is to visit your tropical destination's official website.
5. If all in your traveling party can be flexible on your tropical vacation reservation dates, get each one to make up a list of those options in order of preference. This flexibility gives you a much greater chance of being able to take advantage of available savings in planning your trip. As you start out, keep in mind that Caribbean travel times reach their climax from December to April. So your best bet of finding discount packages would be from June through August.
6. But keep in mind that many off-peak months are a direct result of the weather. In the Caribbean, June 1 through November 30 is hurricane season. But the chances of your tropical vacation being ruined by a hurricane are pretty slim, so don't be afraid to take advantage of the off-season discounts.
7. Call ahead with your tropical vacation reservations and ask about reserving spots for those in your traveling party interested in any special activities and restaurants available. Then you can arrive at your destination confident that you will have access to your massage, boating, favorite foods, etc. and that you won't here the words "we're all booked up".
8. The last step to ensuring you have a wonderful, stress-free, rejuvenating vacation before you leave your house, is to pack smart. Packing smart for your tropical vacation means making a list at least a week in advance from your leave date and then continuing to edit and add to that list right up until you leave. As you write down the essentials (like personal hygiene products, underwear, sunscreen, and swimsuit), don't forget to research whether or not your resort or any of their restaurants you're hoping to enjoy have a dress code. In the same way, don't leave actually packing that list for up until the day you leave, either.

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