Anne and Jim Stewart and their two teenagers are happily counting down the days till their Jamaica Spring Break.

They're not rich -- or crazy to take a vacation when everyone is cutting back. In fact, they almost didn't go this year, says Anne, a Connecticut physical therapist. Yet, despite the recession, they didn't want to forgo the opportunity for some much-needed family time. ''It won't be too long before the kids are off to college and won't want to be with us,'' she explained.

So the family compromised. Instead of a full week, they're going for just five days. And a Web search yielded a terrific deal at an all-inclusive resort so there shouldn't be many extra expenses -- just $3,000, including flights for the four of them.

DEALS ABOUND

As we count down to Spring Break in April, a lot of you are telling your kids, ''Not this year!'' -- 79 percent of those surveyed by TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com), in fact. But maybe it's time to think again. We all need a break from all the gloom and doom. And you'll be surprised at the deals this year.

''We're seeing three times as many hotel promotions now,'' added Orbitz.com spokesman Jeanenne Tornatore, with plenty of rooms for under $100 a night across the country.

''We haven't seen deals like this in years,'' said Genevieve Brown, senior editor at Travelocity.com. Her tip: Book an air-hotel package and save $300 or more.

You don't need to plan ahead either this year.

''Families need to know this year we're seeing a lot of excellent last-minute deals with hotels willing to throw in freebies or perks to entice guests at the final hour,'' says Arabella Bowen, editorial director of www.shermanstravel.com.

Even the national parks have gotten into the act. Every ''A'' on a report card earns $10 off the room rate (up to $30) at the Grand Canyon (www.grandcanyonlodges.com). (Use the code STAY4A.) You'll find plenty of bargains at state parks, too.

Here in Florida, take your pitchers and third basemen to Spring Training (www.floridaspringtraining.com), where tickets are a lot cheaper than major league stadiums and your little leaguers might get close enough to get an autograph. Sarasota (www.sarasotafl.org) is celebrating the final Spring Training season with the Cincinnati Reds before they move to Arizona and offers appealing hotel deals.

You'll find bargains and freebies in Orlando with its new Bundles of Free Smiles campaign (www.bundlesoffreesmiles.com) and packages at Walt Disney World (disneyworld.disney.go.com) and Universal Studios (www.universalorlando.com) that offer free nights, park admission and significant savings.

CATCH A CRUISE

Maybe this is the time to try a cruise. Many cruise lines are offering shipboard credits and deals where kids cruise for $99 (Norwegian, for example, www.ncl.com), or even free (www.disneycruises.com). On a four-day cruise, Carnival is offering deals under $1,400 for a family of four. Cruise Compete (www.cruisecompete.com), which enables travel agents to offer you the best deals they have for the time you want to travel, touts some Holland America sailings for just $70 a person a day, says spokesman Heidi Allison-Shane.

Look at an all-inclusive. Club Med (www.clubmed.com) offers $499 per person deals for an entire week at some of its family resorts.

Don't discount places you thought were too pricey either, especially if you can snag a cheap flight. Use up those frequent flier miles.

And go for a long weekend rather than a week. Windjammer Landing in St. Lucia (www.windjammer-landing.com), for example, is offering 50 percent off the room rate in ''sun dollars,'' credit for food and activities. Hotels.com, meanwhile, has a luxury for less sale (www.hotels.com/luxuryforless) that promises upscale lodging for as low as $89 in cities across the country.

Wherever you want to go, don't be shy about asking the resort/cruise line/hotel to up the ante -- a better room, free breakfast, free kids' club. Remember, they want -- and need -- your business. And you need that time together.

''The kids are only going to be this age once,'' says Anne Stewart.

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