We have not done a Caribbean Island vacation. We all get restless sitting on a beach day after day, so for example, at Christmas, we opt for more adventurous destinations such as London, Costa Rica and Israel. Maybe as my kids get older and their workload intensifies, they will opt to chill out on a beach on their school breaks, but for now, the Caribbean is not for us.
However, many people that I know, head to the Caribbean almost every Christmas and/or February break. One chain of resorts that I have heard is great for families, are the Beaches Resorts. Beaches Resorts are all inclusive family Resorts. Although, I have never researched these resorts myself, I believe that they are reasonably priced, they have an unbelievable amount of activities and large accommodations for families. There are 2 Caribbean islands that have Beaches Resorts. Jamaica has 2, one in Ocho Rios and one in Negril. There is also a Beaches Resort on the Island of Turks and Caicos. My son Daniel is in the year of many Bar Mitzvahs. He has one friend who is taking about 10 of them to Beaches Turks and Caicos in May. Gulp!
Sandals Resorts, include Beaches Resorts and are all-inclusive Caribbean resorts specifically designed for romance, read as you cannot bring the kids! Sandals has resorts on many Caribbean islands such as Jamaica, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, Grenada and Barbados.
So if you are a family or couple, that like to go to Beaches or Sandals Resorts, how might you get there on points?
Well Bank of America offers 2 point earning credit cards specifically branded for Beaches and Sandals Resorts. With the Bank of America Beaches Resorts’ Visa Signature Credit Card and the Bank of America Sandals Visa Signature Credit Card, you earn 2X Bank of America WorldPoints on Sandals or Beaches vacations and purchases made at resorts. You can then redeem these WorldPoints (IF YOU HAVE A LOT), for free nights at Beaches and/or Sandals Resorts. You can read about these unfavorable redemption options here.
Sandals Resorts also has its own loyalty program, Sandals Select Rewards. Once you are a member, you will receive Sandals Select Rewards points for every paid stay at any Sandals or Beaches Resorts, which can then be used towards savings on future reservations. In addition, to reward your ongoing loyalty, you will be eligible to attain higher membership levels and earn milestone goals including a complimentary 7-night stay. Your membership is completely free (the only eligibility requirement is that you are a past guest of Sandals or Beaches Resorts). When you join, you will receive 10,000 enrollment points.
The best way, I believe to get to a Beaches or Sandals Resort on points, is to earn points using either a Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard or a Capital One Venture Rewards Card, both cards offer 2x points on every purchase. If you use one of these cards for most of your purchases, you can build up your points quickly. You can then redeem points for these resort bookings. Right now, the Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard has a 40,000 sign up bonus offer and the Capital One Venture Rewards Card also has a 40,000 sign up bonus offer.