Want to take family ( 2 adults, 3 kids, 8,6 and 4) somewhere warm and sandy over Christmas break.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

You can't go wrong in the Cancun, Riveria Maya area. We go 1-2x year. Customer service is great at even the lower end resorts. We have a now 8 year old and she loves the kids clubs, it is her vacation away from us.

Xmas is very crowded, we always leave the Saturday just before the holiday, the prices are a lot lower that week. I think you probably won't get great deals. Watch for the 90 minute time share presentation that lasts 3 hours, many places but not all expect you do to this to get a great price on the trip.

Bottom line for us, we shop the deal rather than the location, all the locations and staff will be good. The variable on the places is if they have the same buffett every day or al la carte menu also name booze vs local brands. For a week, who cares.

Dreams was one of our favorites, very high end. But we also loved Sea Adventure (formerly Blue Bay), it was a 3 star, but the most kid friendly we have been to.

I don't have any specific recommendations for resorts, but some general bits of info and cautionary notes. Christmas break is going to be WAY busy at all resorts and prices sky high. Also, be aware that flights are going to be full and usually over booked, which can make for some stressful flying. Before you get your heart set on a particular country or destination, suggest you check out the air connections. If you can get a non-stop somewhere, I personally would put that destination at or near the top of my list. I have friends who booked a family getaway (with adult family members, flying from different places) at Christmas one year. Several of them missed a connection due to bad weather. They ended up losing two whole days of their vacation because, once they missed their original connection, they literally couldn't find any flights with open seats to get them there. It wasn't a matter of the airlines not trying to help them get there, but there literally were not any open seats for days..

As far as particular resorts, we don't have any kids, so can't really help much with that. I assume your kids have passports?? If not, get them. Your main options are going to be Mexico (mostly Cancun), Jamaica and the DR. With Jamaica and the DR, recognize that the hotel could be a long way from the airport, which you may not want to deal with, with three small kids. Most vacation flights for JA fly into MoBay, so if you're looking at JA, look for someplace that's not real far from MoBay. For the DR, be advised that there are about 3 major airports there, so check air routes from your area. Hope that helps a little bit.

Thanks so much for the guidance. We've already blown off anything during Christmas break, so were probably going middle of January for my wife's birthday. At our kids ages, a week out of school won't kill them. We'll get the homework in advance and have them do it down there.
Airfare is just ridiculous, even after the holidays. We've gone back and forth between an all-inclusive, a villa and a charter boat. Just can't get all the stars aligned. Do any last minute deals come up this time of year? I fear that everything is at to over capacity. Coming from Chicago, it seems the minimum airfare anywhere is a thousand bucks apiece...minimum.

Part of that airfare is fees, the departure tax used to be paid in cash, but now added to the ticket, $65/person.

Here is another thought for you since no one else has suggested it.

Cruise prices drop in January, and cruises are pretty much all inclusive. There are some extras how many is up to you. Also, some cruise lines have great children's programs. Our granddaughter had ball on Royal Caribbean.

If you do decide on a cruise do not try to book it yourself. It can get complicated. (Learned that the hard way). Make sure you use someone like Bonnie Buchanan who specializes in cruises, or a travel agent who is certified as a cruise agent and had lots of experience.

Sue

Thanks very much Sue
In contact with Bonnie and we're working on a trip mid January.
This forum is a travelers dream! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />

You are very welcome. These forums are great sources of information.

At the end of our family cruise our granddaughter who was 6 at the time wanted to know if they could just live there. She is now 11 and has requested that we go on another family cruise.

Please post in the Afloat section to let us know how things go.

Sue <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Looking forward to a week of fun and sun with our little ones. Took a trip last February, just adults on a BVI bareboat. Great trip, but missed the kids. Promised them this year they would come along. They're begging to be on the sailboat, but not ready to have them onboard a pitching cockpit, so a cruise may be the best solution.
Soon though.. Can't wait to have them at the helm sailing in paradise!
Thanks again for the great advise!

Our favorite resort is in the Playacar gated community just a few minutes south of Playa Del Carmon, on the Yucatan - the Iberostar Tucan. An AI resort in a gorgeous jungle setting (complete with a variety of animals including monkees) situated on a beautiful, clean beach. The staff is excellent, and their kids program is amazing. After entertaining the kids all day they have the kids entertain you at night before the main show. We're a couple, and although this is a family resort we love it there. Can't recommend it enough for you, take a look at the reviews on tripadvisor, and you can see pics and videos on this site.
You fly into Cancun which s an easy flight from most parts of the US, and it's a 50 minute transfer to the resort but worth it. And if you'd like more to do the prime excursion spots are nearby, and PDC offers shopping.
Just a thought - I love Tortola and the BVI, but the other part of our time is spent here.
If you look at a cruise be sure to research well as a cruise is very different than a land-based vacation. We cruise too, but you really need to select the right ship and the best itinerary for your family. Carnival has an exceptional kids program, as does Disney of course. But the adults need to enjoy them selves as well!

Edit - here's the Tucan link -
http://www.ib-board.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=03n5adool1h6nihq743vgg91c4&#14

Sorry, that's Playa Del Carmen !

Thanks crmoores,I think we have decided on a cruise. They'll keep the kids occupied all day, Dreamworks characters on board and plenty for the adults.
Through a recommendation from a fellow TTOL'r, hooked up with Bonnie from Cruise One. Highly recommend her for any future cruising plans. Very thorough and knows her stuff.
Also a TTOL sponsor.