jbrinkm

We were able to do Paradise Beach PAYG in April, a spring break cruise. I would suggest calling before you go and having a backup plan in case they are full with AI customers. Their website also states if they know in advance that they'll be sold out. If you're unable to call, I'd suggest checking at the port to see if they have room. Our cab driver tried to scam us once we were in the car and starting to drive - he told us that Paradise Beach was full for the day and we should go to this other place. We didn't listen to him and Paradise Beach was almost totally empty once we got there, so try to get your information before getting in your taxi!

YES! This is me - I enjoy seeing the decorations and was a bit envious that I hadn't thought about doing it this last cruise. When the kids were younger, I didn't have the time or energy, but now that they are teens, I can get them involved in doing this! Maybe a "door off" or something competitive between their room and ours 🤣

We ended up packing and using a Pur filter pitcher in our room to provide all of the water we wanted to drink, and it was a great decision for our family to have with our reusable bottles (and yes, we flew in!). The pitcher is really lightweight and doesn't take up a lot of room if you fill it up with clothes - also clothing protects/insulates it in the suitcase! We'd grab some ice from somewhere on our way back to the room at night and throw it in the top while filtering to create cold water for the evening and first thing in the morning, and then also fill up our bottles to put in the fridge when we weren't using them. For a family that drinks a lot of water, I would highly recommend!

We were there in April, and I second everything that @pklein9747 wrote. Best for: relaxing and snorkeling. We really, really enjoyed the snorkeling here -right off the shore (but yes, down steps not wade in - the area has sand but it must be brought in because there is no natural sandy slope to the water, but that is what makes the snorkeling so good). I could have snorkeled for hours, just up and down the shoreline. I would also skip Chankanaab next time. The Mayan area was somewhat interesting to walk around, and I think the park would be better than the cabanas if you have younger kids, but not worth going a second time with my teens, even with the discounted price. We did Paradise Beach a la carte for a few hours in the morning so the kids could do the inflatables and we ate over there, then headed to the Cabanas for the afternoon to snorkel and chill as Paradise Beach got more crowded. It was a really, really nice day. I think the food was a bit better at Paradise Beach - my husband stayed at the Cabanas for the full day because he had to work (said it was REALLY nice to work in a cabana on a beach if he had to work on vacation, LOL) and said the guac was canned, not fresh, and the food was just mediocre. Kids didn't like their smoothies either. Our food over at Paradise Beach was really good. We did all share the fruit plate at Cabana Beach - that was delicious. However, their credit card machine was "broken" and we had to pay with cash even thought I had checked beforehand about paying with credit. We ended up using a lot of cash on the food and drinks there that we hadn't planned for (in addition to an extra taxi ride due to an attempted scam, but that's another story...) The entrance is a little strange - I felt like we were "backstage" - but people greeted us and showed us the way to our cabana (we had #2). The people who work here were fantastic. Happy to answer any other questions!

We were on Allure in April and I thought my kids (ages 12 & 15) would enjoy the arcade but they didn't even use it once. I'm glad I didn't prepurchase! There were two arcades - one by the teen area and one on the boardwalk, and they were often closed when my kids wanted to use them. Also, check your crown and anchor benefits if someone posts them just before you go. There was an offer for $25 back in onboard credit if (not sure if just teens or all kids) spent $50 in the arcade when we went. That was a better deal than the prepaid credits. Also it was apparently hard for people/kids to check their credit balances? - they could only do it at the casino... not sure if that has changed now or not.

I'm in the camp of never doing a dolphin experience, but if you also have a stop in Roatan (sometimes bundled with the other two), I've read good things about the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences and their dolphin program.

Yes it is! You just walk up all the stairs (6 flights?) to the rooftop. The pool is not large, however, but the views are very nice.

@CaroleSS Could you messaging be disabled? I tried to PM you but was denied. I would love a copy of the games you created! Can you PM me, and I'll give you my email address?

I'm picturing like a yin/yang symbol?

Yes! and yes!

That WOULD make sense, but we were in connecting rooms on Allure and the doors opened inward. It was awkward! Plus the bathroom doors were right there, also, and those opened out into the same space as the outer door and the connecting door. It wasn't as hard in my kids' room because the connecting door came towards our room, but they had the bed closer to the bathroom and it was harder for them to squeeze through the walkway towards the bathroom. Off topic, but WHY do they put any of the beds by the closet/bathroom space...

@Mum2Mercury could you say more about Munchkin? We got it as a gift and have no idea how to play or if it is fun for teens/adults.

I love Cards Against Humanity and there's a family-friendly version called Kids Against Maturity if the original might feel awkward with the teen(s)... there's some raunchy stuff on those cards 🤣 A favorite of ours, and everyone we've introduced it to is Wits and Wagers. Numbers trivia (i.e. how many miles long is the Mississippi River) that people guess and then bet on. If you want to get rowdy, try Pit. Easy to learn, fun, short, loud game.

They are very responsive on WhatsApp if you don't get a response from email.

We really, really loved our animal sanctuary/snorkeling tour with Roatan Getaway Tours (booked through Viator). I think they also offer a animal + beach option or you can plan a custom tour (they list Las Palmas beach as an option on their full day tour). If you are interested in snorkeling at all, this one was great for beginners. Clear, warm, shallow water with interesting animals. Not so much the colorful fish there, but other marine wildlife.

What do you like to do when you're in port?

I haven't used those but we really enjoyed our tour with Roatan Getaway Tours if you're open to other options... they have great reviews on several travel sites.

Gypsea Divers is also very responsive on WhatsApp!

Is Maya Chan really different from the beaches along the Malacon/Mahahual closer to the port? We visited Jaime's in April, and while it was great for what it was, I was picturing beforehand a different kind of experience. I'm not complaining about Jaime's - the food was delicious, the servers responsive and it was a fun day - but I would have been happier lowering my expectations ahead of time. Things are crowded along that stretch of beach & water. The available space for being in the water was small. My son was trying to do the stand up paddleboard and had to be really careful about not bumping into people (and there weren't many people in the water!). Then when he got going, he had to turn around pretty quickly. I'm attaching a picture we took from the roof - if you look closely, you can see the two sandbars running along the sides - those were the boundaries of Jaime's property going out into the water. Also, we were pretty much bombarded with people selling items, although as previous people have said - they weren't aggressive. Just constant. We're thinking about doing an almost identical cruise next year and I'm wondering if Maya Chan is more like beach clubs in Cozumel?

We snorkeled from Cabana Beach (part of/right next to Chankanaab) and the snorkeling was pretty good. Many, many different kinds of colorful fish, right by the (rocky) shore. Water was chilly in April - although it was HOT out so felt pretty good - and there was a current so I ended up appreciating my flippers, but I was pretty impressed with the diversity of fish.

That is what we did also for our April cruise. You "activate" the travel pass with Verizon so you get charged the $10/day for use in different countries instead of roaming. It gives you access to all of your usual plan benefits when you are in another country. Our plan covered Mexico automatically so we were only charged in Honduras when we were in port / off of the ship (my husband had to keep in touch with work). Just remember to turn back off your mobile data when you return to the ship so you don't get charged roaming at sea (you need it turned on when on land using the travel pass).

We preferred WhatsApp on the ship - there seemed to be a delay for us with Messenger. It was quick to set up.

So I feel like I've tried all of the usual tricks - swish in sea water, use a bit of baby shampoo, specialty sprays, don't re-rinse after adding whatever, don't breathe through my nose at all, etc. I don't think I've ever been snorkeling without dealing with some level of fogging. I have decently-priced, reputable brand snorkeling gear, so it is not that the gear is cheap. This is a reflection about two different sets of my own gear as well as rental gear in different places. Would you say this is just a fact of snorkeling and all you can do is mitigate it a small bit? Is my face/head just not cut out for snorkeling gear? Do you have any unusual advice or suggestions for me that I maybe haven't tried? P.S. I love snorkeling and fogging won't stop me - I just wish I could do something to make it a bit easier!