Tag: Caribbean

The Caribbean is an idyllic destination for tropical nuptials and Almond Resorts is now giving couples the chance to get married abroad for free at its collection of all inclusive resorts in Barbados.

Engaged couples will receive free Caribbean weddings when they book seven nights or more in a deluxe room or higher category at Almond Beach Club & Spa or Almond Casaurina Beach resort.

The Wedding for You Complimentary Package includes the choice of a wedding location at the hotel property, a professional wedding coordinator, a registrar, single tiered wedding cake, bouquet and boutonniere for the bride and groom, bottle of Champagne, a Best man or Maid of Honour if required, postcards of the property and island, and all taxes, government fees and charges.

Couples who book at least ten nights in a deluxe room category or higher and stay at any of Almonds Resorts’ properties to host their free Caribbean weddings will receive the Unforgettable Wedding For You package which includes all of the above-mentioned extras in the basic wedding package plus additional extras such as a decorated guest room, manicures for the bride and groom, a special celebration dinner for two with personalised menus, breakfast in bed the morning after the wedding, and two commemorative glasses.

The luxury resorts can cater for Barbados weddings of any size and couples can upgrade their wedding package to the Treasured Wedding For You package, the Opulent Wedding For You package or the Platinum Wedding For You package.

Married couples who are looking to renew their vows with a romantic Caribbean wedding ceremony will receive a free package if they stay for at least seven nights in a deluxe room.

The Vow Renewal package includes a wedding location of their choice at the property, clergy/magistrate, bottle of Champagne, single-tiered celebration cake, and a corsage for the bride and boutonniere for the groom.

Couples can choose from romantic beach weddings, ceremonies in lush tropical gardens or nuptials by the poolside at either of the luxury all inclusive resorts.

Barbados is a perfect location for romantic destination weddings and brides and groom can enjoy unique white pink sandy beaches; calm turquoise waters that are perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving activities; world-class golf courses; and thriving wildlife reserves.

Looking for a golf included, scuba included vacation? Or how about an all inclusive luxury resort providing all these facilities in the middle of the beautiful pristine waters of the Caribbean? The Sandals All inclusive luxury resorts provides the perfect getaway! Golf, scuba diving and water sports galore. If youre looking for an adventure filled holiday, Sandals is the perfect spot for you!

Golf And More Golf

If youre looking for a vacation filled with a whole lot of golf, then Sandals challenging golf courses in Jamaica and St. Lucia will have you sweating it out! These green globe certified luxury resorts. The Sandals Golf and Country Club is huge, with 18 holes and a yardage of 6502!

Its scenic location at a height of 750 feet among the hills of the Ocho Rios makes it a perfect place to admire natures beauty AND play your favorite sport! If youre looking for a golf included vacation, then this is definitely up to the mark, to say the least! Oh and did I mention that tipping is completely optional?

Theres more golf from Sandals at St. Lucia too! This course however is smaller with just about nine holes and a yardage of 2475.

But in no way is it any less challenging because it is set among rolling hills and challenging fairways! If youre a Sandals guest, green fares is included for you! So when I said golf included, I meant it! There are also complimentary PGA golf clinics on the properties of these all inclusive luxury resorts!

Scuba Included Too!

Luxury included vacations at the Sandals all inclusive luxury resorts are made even more special because they come with scuba included packages. You can enjoy he most amazing dives in the Caribbean and all with the help of the guidance of certified professionals, not to mention high quality equipment! In fact, if youre a newbie, you can also learn diving to a depth of 30 ft underwater!

You have to pay a fee for this lesson of course!

Not just scuba diving, Sandals offers a whole range of water sports for your comfort and pleasure. These include snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, waterskiing, hobie Cats, windsurfing and even Aquastrikes. However, do keep in mind that water skiing and glass bottom boats are not available at all properties. This can however be overcome if you go in for their Stay at 1, Play at 7 offers, which allows you to enjoy the facilities of ALL resorts even if you stay at just one property!

At the Sandals Luxury included vacations are beautifully done and the staff goes out of their way to ensure that you have a pleasant stay at Sandals all inclusive luxury resorts!

Once every four years, women get the chance to get down on one knee and pop the question to their loved ones on Leap Day.

According to a recent survey carried out by Sandals Resorts, one in three women would consider proposing to their boyfriends on Leap Day, 29th February, and for a third of couples, the Caribbean would be the favourite choice for romantic destination weddings.

The survey revealed that 20 per cent of the women asked said they would be scared in case the proposal was rejected but it appears that 40 per cent of men would accept and two thirds of them would not be embarrassed.

It appears that the majority of women who would propose come from the East Midlands while women in Wales are the least likely to take the plunge. Ladies living in the North East might find they have more luck because half of the survey participants from the region say they would like their girlfriends to ask them to marry them.

The results of the survey have been revealed just as recent research shows that more couples in the UK are getting married and weddings abroad are on the increase.

Geoffrey Beattie, a Professor of Psychology and Relationship Expert, commented: This new research by Sandals Resorts shows that the Leap Year tradition of women taking the initiative in proposals of marriage is now chiming with the underlying attitudes of people in the UK today.

More and more women (and men) seem happy with the idea that it is perfectly acceptable for women to pop the question. This seems to reflect a more egalitarian society in terms of relationships and dating, with women no longer prepared to play second fiddle, and taking the initiative whenever it is necessary. Given that marriage is a key milestone in many people’s lives it is refreshing to see that things are changing.

A third of the respondents said that they would choose Caribbean weddings and honeymoons for their special occasion which is good news for Sandals Resorts.

Sandals Resorts owns and operates several luxury hotels and resorts across the Caribbean that offer the perfect venues for romantic destination weddings and relaxing honeymoons.

With properties in St Lucia, the Bahamas, Antigua, and Jamaica, engaged couples can choose beach weddings or elegant tropical ceremonies within lush fragrant tropical gardens.

Couples getting married abroad at any of Sandals’ resorts can take advantage of the complimentary Beautiful Beginnings WeddingMoon package at Sandals Resorts if they book a holidays for a minimum of six nights. Wedding packages are also available and can be tailor-made to suit individual requirements.

The official Caribbean hurricane season stretches from June 1 – November 30. It’s rare to see a large storm in either June or November and most major hurricanes occur between August and October, with the peak season usually being September.

The upside is that prices are lower for the Caribbean during this time and resorts are less crowded. So what do you do if you want to get away during hurricane season?

Buy Travel Insurance
You must buy the trip cancellation insurance before the storm is announced, otherwise it will be deemed a pre-existing condition, so always purchase insurance the same day you book your trip to be safe. Most travel insurance policies will cover a trip disrupted because of a hurricane when you are forced to arrive late or leave early for your trip, but you’ll be reimbursed only for the affected days until the airport or resort reopens. You will usually be reimbursed for the days you are forced to stay at a resort during a hurricane, but be sure to always read the fine print on your policy to make sure you know what they will actually cover.

Try to Avoid the Storms
Track hurricanes online with weather websites during the season. Some good sites include:

The National Weather Service – National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Hurricane & Storm Tracking for the Atlantic & Pacific Oceans
http://hurricane.terrapin.com

Hurricane News and Information
http://www.hurricanetrack.com

Weather.com Tropical Storm Center
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/

Pick Your Location Well
When planning a trip to the Caribbean during hurricane season, it is good to know that hurricanes are less likely the further south you go. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and St. Vincent, including the islands below them, are the least hit by hurricanes. However, as Grenada discovered in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan, never say never and keep in mind that hurricanes are unpredictable.

Go on a Cruise
The good thing about cruises is that they can usually sail around the worst of a storm. And today’s ships are extraordinarily safe and with the advanced weather tracking available today, bad weather is something they can avoid. The downside is that the cruise line always reserves the right to reschedule port calls and change itineraries for weather-related reasons and therefore you may not get to visit the places you had hoped to.

Pick a Resort That Offers a Hurricane Guarantee
Recently, many of the largest resorts and resort chains, have started instituting a hurricane guarantee, offering guests their money back for days lost to bad weather. For example, in the unlikely event that hurricane force winds (as defined by the U.S. National Weather Service) directly hit the Sandals or Beaches resorts while you are a guest, interrupting the use of all the included activities, Sandals or Beaches Resorts will offer a free replacement vacation to be taken at any Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice. Go to http://www.best-family-beach-vacations.com/caribbean-hurricane-season.html for more resorts that offer hurricane guarantees.

Make the Best of It.
If you do get caught on vacation during a hurricane, try to make the best of it. As long as there is no danger present, relax indoors and focus on other activities.

My husband and I got caught in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico during hurricane Keith in 2000. He was still my boyfriend at that time and unbeknownst to me, he planned to propose on our second evening there. We got dressed for dinner and arrived at the hotel restaurant to find it boarded up. We saw the line up in the hotel lobby, everyone was being evacuated from the hotel to one farther up the coast. We ran back to our room, packed and got on the next bus out – not the evening my husband had planned!

When we checked into our room at the new hotel a few hours later, he still had the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. The winds were blowing and it was raining so the romantic walk on the beach he had been hoping for was out. He couldnt put it off any longer so he dropped to one knee and proposed then and there. It was definitely a memorable evening, hurricane and all!

Solaya Hotels & Resorts is getting ready for the opening of its debut luxury resort, Eden Roc at Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic next month.

Tourists will be able to enjoy Dominican Republic holidays at the brand new ultra-luxurious resort when it opens its doors to guests in March, 2012.

The new Eden Roc at Cap Cana boasts extravagant accommodation including 34 freestanding suites and three magnificent bungalows where guests can relax in a stylish and lavish environment.

Each of the suites has a private swimming pool and spa that has been designed by the famous Dominican architect, Franc Ortega.

During holidays to the Dominican Republic, visitors staying at the new hotel will be able to use the outstanding facilities that include three Jack Nicklaus signature golf courses, tennis courts, a full-service spa, the Eden Roc Kids Club, the Caletn Beach Club and several gourmet restaurants.

Paolo Sanavia, the CEO of Solaya Hotels & Resorts, commented: “We consider opening Eden Roc in the Dominican Republic the most exciting prospect the destination has seen in years. Our mission is to create an exclusive beachfront haven that provides discerning travellers a new level of secluded luxury.

“With our choice location, personalised services and unmatched amenities, we will provide a diverse segment of luxury clientele ranging from families to honeymooners with tailored experiences that will last a lifetime.”

World famous Milan-based designers, Marina Nova and Carlo Belgir captured the spirit of the French and Italian Rivieras and combined it with traditional Caribbean influences to create a striking yet serene ambience throughout the resort.

The resorts jungle-themed Kids Club is fantastic for children enjoying a family holiday in the Dominican Republic. The club is surrounded by lush tropical flora and fauna and has been designed to resemble a huge tree house. It offers a dining area, a mini spa, video games and many more fun activities.

Set upon 30,000 acres, Eden Roc Resort at Cap Cana is situated just 20 minutes from the International Punta Cana Airport on the eastern coast of the Caribbean island.

Cap Cana is a popular destination for holidays in the Dominican Republic due to its miles o beautiful beaches, championship golf courses, marinas, and luxury beachfront Dominican Republic hotels.

Solaya Hotels & Resorts is a privately-owned company that is in the process of developing a portfolio of luxurious boutique hotels across Latin America, the Maldives and Europe.