ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS AND CRUISES

At all-inclusive resorts and on cruise ships, those pesky planning details -- such as where to eat and what to do -- are largely decided for you, leaving families time to just relax together. That alone makes them worth the higher price tag for a number of readers. Michelle Klotzbach of St. Peters, Missouri, for example, celebrated her parents 40th wedding anniversary at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in the Ozarks, where the group (ages 1 to 72) could go boating, swimming, fishing, bowling, golfing, hiking, and more. "With everything right there at the resort, we didn't have to drive anywhere if we didn't want to."

Cruises take this convenience factor even further. Nan McDaniel of Charleston, West Virginia, sailed the Caribbean with an extended family whose ages, interests, and personalities were extremely wide-ranging. "Some families slept in, some were up early. Some lounged by the pool, others were active all day long. My older parents could see new sights every day, did not have to walk far, and could rest frequently in their cabin. The best part of this vacation was there was absolutely no bickering. We credit this to the fact that there was really no work to be done -- no cleaning, no planning, no cooking. Instead, we were simply able to enjoy each other."

Start your planning at Groople, an online booking agent that specializes in group travel, where you can reserve hotel rooms, cruises, flights, rental cars, and more.