Club Med has several family-focused resorts: Punta Cana, Cancun, and Sandpiper (FL).
My 11yo son and I stayed at the resort in Punta Cana in February an had a great time. The food was good, accomodations clean and comfortable, and the kids programs are excellent.
Club Med runs some great specials. I was able to get good rates travelling as a single parent. My son was charged at the kid rate rather than the adult rate which is what we usually end up with.
What do they do to get various vacationers to mingle and interact? Cruises are good at that...just wonder who Club Med handles it?
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I love traveling. I've been to Dinsey at all different times of the year with Christmas being my favorite. I've been to six continents and hope to very soon visit Antarctica. Australia and Fiji are among my all time favorite foreign destinations.
Probably the most notable trip was October 2002, when we were at Bali the night of the first bombing there. *** You will find me on Cruise Critic as well with the same user name. Happy Travels to all!!!
Past Trips (Most recent first):
Aug09 WDW Week; June-July09 RCCL AK Cruise, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Disney Land and Four Corners region; Apr09 RCCL Voyager of the Seas; Feb09 RCCL Mariner of the Seas; Dec08-Jan09 Voyager of the Seas; Oct98 Fiji's Matangi Resort; May-June85 UK & France vacation; many others before these.
It looked like there were lots of activities for a 9 year old.
Basketball, Soccer, trapeze lessons, in-line skating, sailing, kayaks, shows, parades, meals with the group, etc. The kids seemed to really like the GOs.
We generally cruise, but thoroughly enjoyed Club Med. I liked the fact that I was free to mingle, or not, as the mood struck. The GOs do a good job of encouraging guests to take part in activities be it pool games, fitness classes, or dancing at night in the club. I will definitely visit a Club Med again.
It looked like there were lots of activities for a 9 year old.
Basketball, Soccer, trapeze lessons, in-line skating, sailing, kayaks, shows, parades, meals with the group, etc. The kids seemed to really like the GOs.
We generally cruise, but thoroughly enjoyed Club Med. I liked the fact that I was free to mingle, or not, as the mood struck. The GOs do a good job of encouraging guests to take part in activities be it pool games, fitness classes, or dancing at night in the club. I will definitely visit a Club Med again.
Are the Gos like a Cruise Director and their staff?
Thanks for the great input...definitely makes me think it would be a viable option for us. Narrowing to an AI in Mexico or the Caribbean vs. a week as WDW again.
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I love traveling. I've been to Dinsey at all different times of the year with Christmas being my favorite. I've been to six continents and hope to very soon visit Antarctica. Australia and Fiji are among my all time favorite foreign destinations.
Probably the most notable trip was October 2002, when we were at Bali the night of the first bombing there. *** You will find me on Cruise Critic as well with the same user name. Happy Travels to all!!!
Past Trips (Most recent first):
Aug09 WDW Week; June-July09 RCCL AK Cruise, Vegas, Grand Canyon, Disney Land and Four Corners region; Apr09 RCCL Voyager of the Seas; Feb09 RCCL Mariner of the Seas; Dec08-Jan09 Voyager of the Seas; Oct98 Fiji's Matangi Resort; May-June85 UK & France vacation; many others before these.
We were at the Sandpiper Resort about 5 years ago. All the dining was family style and events & activites were scheduled throughout the day to encourage participation. Each evening the Buffet had a different theme and their was corresponding entertainment. There were a TON of activities for kids. They had a lake and pools and circus training. Our son was only 18 mo at the time and he loved the Daycare camp and the teachers.
We recently went to Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico and had a fantastic time. All the glowing reviews on Tripadvisor are right on. We traveled with our 2yr old, who attended their Miniclub nearly everyday. (Wow, mom and dad could actually relax by the pool or on a bed on the beach and read!) The childcare is great, and there many activities for older kids, tweens and teens too. (One day my daughter will love the mani-pedi teen spa treatment!)
We had a big, family room. Essentially two rooms connected together: one with two twin beds and the other with a king-sized bed. Nice to have the space and not pay extra.
The food is delicious, too, and it was wonderful to be able to order food and drinks at any time of day and not worry about cost. The poolside tacos were yummy! My favorite was the woman who made hand-made tortillas for fresh chicken tacos or quesadillas every evening. There were local food options as well as great kid staples (plain pasta, chicken nuggets, fruit and veggies) every evening.
They do encourage group participation, if you choose. There are nightly shows and a bar/nightclub area which goes on for those without sleeping kids. (Though they have a "pajama club" if you want to drop your kids off for the night.) The staff make you feel included and very welcome.
We are not usually all-inclusive resort travelers, but would not hesitate to return to Club Med Ixtapa for ease of planning and travel there + the stress-free, relaxing vacation we had.
Club Med Family Resorts
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