Silver and Gold Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 32

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Karisma Hotel & Resort

MULTI-GENERATIONAL TRAVEL

– By Marianne Vogel
Imagine the memories you will have after a vacation with your children and grandchildren ! The options are numerous , the experience unforgettable .
Today ’ s baby boomers are younger than ever , not only in years but in health , due to better knowledge about nutrition and exercise , and improved medical developments . After retirement , many are travelling more , and are now including their children and grandchildren in sharing their special events such as milestone anniversaries and birthdays . Wedding celebrations have also become preludes to multi-generational travel with the whole family .
It is becoming nothing unusual for a parent to call a travel professional and make a booking for all their children , whether they live in the area or in another province , and want them all together for mom ’ s 70th birthday or their 50th anniversary . People no longer want to have this kind of celebration at home with all the planning stress involved , but would much rather enjoy having the children and grandchildren join them in a fun place like Dominican Republic , Jamaica or Mexico , where some hotels gladly cater to multi-generational family travel .
I have noticed the growth of grandparents wanting to share an experience with their grandchildren at a resort , where they can just make one stop and enjoy watching everyone have fun at their own pace !
Great places to go The Karisma Hotel & Resort chain has a “ Generations ” hotel in Mexico , offering three bedroom options , including special services and amenities that cater to this type of family travel . I have been there myself , and amenities provided are just amazing ! Beaches is another hotel chain that caters to the multi-generational set … and this type of service is quickly growing in the travel industry .
Many of the Grand Bahia Principe hotels also have family rooms , which consist of two-room suites that can accommodate up to seven people – and the savings are worthwhile ! There are other hotels also offering family rooms , but be careful on what property you ’ re interested in , and have your travel agent do some research , as some hotels are equipped to handle these situations better than others .
Some have bunk beds ( which can be small enough to only fit a child ) while others offer just a big room with lots of beds . When children are a little older , you can also just book a number of rooms as a group , which can mean discounts plus maybe even a free room if there are over ten people in the group ( note : children under a certain age usually will not count as part of a group booking , but will still receive a good discount if there are enough adults in the group ).
Multi-generational travel doesn ’ t only mean taking a flight to a warm place – many families choose to get together and rent a full cottage or house together for a week . A client of mine has done this for a group of sixteen or more , and have enjoyed a beautiful Canadian lake getaway , where the family ranges from 10 to 75 years old . It ’ s a great experience when everyone contributes to the “ theme of the week ,” sometimes it ’ s country music and everyone brings a favourite country song or meal , sometimes it ’ s a favourite game night contribution . It ’ s a great opportunity to renew family ties and get some much-needed R & R while catching up with loved ones .
Cruising with the family Cruises are a popular way to enjoy a multi-generational vacation . Disney Cruise line is one example , as they offer adjoining cabins … so mom and dad and the kiddies have one cabin , while grandma and grandpa are in the next one over . The little ones can have fun with Mickey or Snow White , and the adults can enjoy some adult time watching a show or enjoying dinner alone , as Disney even offers babysitting services ! The Disney Specialist at our agency has shared numerous stories from satisfied customers , and their shared photographs say so much !
Royal Caribbean also has amazing kids programs that will keep the youngsters occupied for the day , with on-board

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