Have you ever thought about traveling to the Caribbean with a dozen or so (or more!) close friends and family members? When you have a major milestone coming up in your life, or if you’ve just received great news, a fantastic way to celebrate is to go on a group trip. You might think group trips involve a staggering amount of planning, but with a little forethought, they’re actually quite manageable—and the discounts you can rack up from traveling as a group are significant. Here are few points to go over before you jet away with your crew to an island escape:

Who’s going, and when?

Who’s on your guest list? Ideally, everyone will get along reasonably well together as a large group—you’ll want to avoid any awkward dinner conversations! Once you’ve decided, it’s easy to settle on dates using an online scheduling tool like Doodle. Simply create a Doodle poll and email it to everyone on your list. You’ll be able to narrow down the best time for the whole gang to travel.

What group rates are available?

Divi Resorts offers great discounts to groups of 10 or more. Call our experienced travel planners at 1-800-801-5550 or email groupsales@diviresorts.com. We’ll see to it that you have everything you need.

Time to book your trip!

It will be easiest for everyone to plan their travel if you settle on dates far in advance. Make sure everyone in your group has a passport!

What do you want to do?

Review the amenities at the resort of your choice, and investigate fun things to do around the island. It’s best to stay flexible, as everyone will likely have slightly different ideas on how they want to spend their time. It’s best to find a couple of “must-dos” ahead of your trip, but don’t forget to leave plenty of time to be spontaneous.

Bon voyage! Here’s to an unforgettable Caribbean getaway with all your BFFs!

When you go on vacation, you’re probably taking photos—and you’re probably sharing them instantly. At Divi Resorts, we see dozens of vacation photos every day as we keep tabs on our social media accounts. We thought you might enjoy a few “best practices” from the Caribbean vacation experts on how to make your trip photos really pop. Your friends and family back home won’t believe what you’re posting on Instagram.

#1 Your photo deserves to be framed!

@candacetravels

Take a look at your surroundings—sometimes you’ll find a great way to frame your shot, like with the roof of a palapa. Your Instagram followers will be jealous.

#2 It’s the little things.

@unenouvellejournee

Try taking closeup shots of the small, unexpected things that really define your vacation—the quirky items that give your trip its personality.

#3 Switch up your angles.

@lingjudith

It’s fun to look at life from a different perspective! Experiment with unusual angles—high, low or from a vantage point that isn’t often photographed (make sure to be safe, though!).

#4 Go off-kilter.

@instacoco_thai

Photography has a “rule of thirds” for a reason. Just place your subject slightly to the left or right of center, and bam—your photo is more stunning already. Good job, you!

#5 People are more than poses!

@celluzzi

Putting your friends and family in the photo is one of the best ways to keep your vacation memories alive. Make sure to get a few shots of the entire group together, but photos of people can be more striking when they’re candid.

Good luck out there! We love seeing what a great time people are having at our resorts. If you’d like to share your awesome photo with us, follow us on Instagram @DiviResorts and tag us!