{"id":11618,"date":"2011-02-17T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2011-02-17T12:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/?p=11618"},"modified":"2016-12-15T12:49:51","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T18:49:51","slug":"beat-the-cold-with-an-all-inclusive-vacation-to-aruba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.orbitz.com\/blog\/2011\/02\/beat-the-cold-with-an-all-inclusive-vacation-to-aruba\/","title":{"rendered":"Beat the cold with an all-inclusive vacation to Aruba"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Frostbitten? Warm up with a spring break vacation to the Occidental Grand Aruba All Inclusive.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\nBy Vince Font<\/em><\/p>\n

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Now may not be the time most people are planning their summer beach vacations<\/a>. The winter\u2019s still got a long way to go, and when it comes right down to the way that Mother Nature conducts her business, it\u2019s usually best not to argue — she\u2019s going to have her way whether we like it or not. But if you\u2019re feeling particularly pent up this winter and sense the end of your proverbial rope approaching far too soon, setting the plans in motion for an all-inclusive vacation<\/a> or spring break vacation<\/a> can’t happen fast enough. Leave it to to the Occidental Grand<\/a> in Oranjestad, the capital city of Aruba, to take the frostbite away.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The Occidental is an all-inclusive resort that typically averages in the upper $300s for an overnight stay, but that I managed to secure for four nights at around $1,800 per person — including round trip airfare. To be honest, I\u2019d have paid that much just for the 80 degree weather.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But alas, the tropical weather\u2019s not the only reason that the Occidental is the perfect winter getaway location for you and your family. If you\u2019ve got kids under 12, you\u2019re in luck. The resort has a family-friendly policy where children under the age of 12 can stay, play and eat free.<\/p>\n

The roster of available activities by day are impressive — there\u2019s crystal clear water snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, and even private tennis lessons for the less athletically-inclined of us (the lessons improved my game, but I still struggle with what my mother always called \u201ctwo left feet\u201d) — but the Occidental really comes alive at night. This iswhere the invaluable babysitting services the resort offers really came into play, allowing the grownups to have an evening on the town without leaving resort grounds — dancing, shooting craps, and taking in the free nightly entertainment. Once the fun was done and the children collected, a night of sleep was in order, a welcome respite made effortless by the comfortable king size beds of our marble-floored retreat.<\/p>\n

As far as beach vacations go, the Occidental is one of those places that\u2019s got so many on-site attractions that you may end up missing the beach altogether. But if you ask me, that\u2019s far preferable to the kind of resort you simply cannot wait to leave.<\/p>\n

The price of all-inclusive vacations at the Occidental includes not only the round-trip flight to and from your destination, but hotel costs, meals, drinks, activities and tip. When it comes down to saving money and convenience, there\u2019s no other way to go.<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/strong><\/p>\n