Southern Caribbean with a 2YO

[christygobar]

Hi all,

 

We are going to the S. Caribbean on RCCL in the fall. Ports of call include St. Croix, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados.

 

Has anyone hit these ports with a toddler before and have some recommendations for things to do? I'm sure we are going to plan on plenty of beach breaks, a glass bottom boat tour and some simple walking around the port.

 

We will also be bringing MIL, so if there's something DH or I really feel is a "must-do", she can help. But it's her vacation too, and I don't want to make her feel she is along to be a babysitter only :)

 

Would love to hear some of your suggestions! Thanks!

[B_Mc]

I'm no help, but I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes because we'll be doing the similar trip in March with a 3 y.o. and almost 1 y.o.!

 

I'd plan to bring a good stroller if your LO will nap in it during the day and look for one of those little sun tents for the beach to give your LO a break from the sun. That's as far as I've thought so far!

 

We're also traveling with Grandma and Grandpa and it is awesome to have them along. Even if DH or I stay in the cabin during nap/bedtime, it is so nice to have someone to hang out with or another cabin to visit in. We also take full advantage of when they want to spend quality time with DS bright and early in the morning - and we sleep!

[B_Mc]

No one can help us out???

[6rugrats]

No one can help us out???

Did you have a specific question?

[cb at sea]

I'd recommend getting a guidebook on your ports, so you can find out ALL of the things that might interest you AND your child! A bit of research goes a long way toward making the most of your day ashore! Libraries have guidebooks, if you don't want to buy one.

[travelhound]

We are just taking our first cruise with a toddler (21 mo at time of sailing) this December, so I don't have an specific info for you. But, I have been looking at the ports board and there are some good recommendations on there usually. We are going to different ports than you are, but check out each port individually.

 

You'll most likely just be doing a beach break type excursion, whether it's through the ship or on your own. If you had grandma and grandpa babysit one day, my personal recommendation would be to do a catamaran sailing to/by/near the Pitons in St. Lucia. I don't think I'd bring a two year old on a catamaran, but that's up to you. The Pitons in St. Lucia are iconic and once you see them you'll know why.

 

Have fun!

[BeagleOne]

I agree that your best bet might be to post on the individual island boards but here are a few observations from my recent solo cruise.

 

St. Croix: there is a nice seafront walk in Frederiksted where a lot of vendors set up on ship days. Lots of colorful stuff to look at, and there's a park to run around. The fort is worth seeing. There was a playing field/playground across the street from the fort but I don't know if it's a school ground or a park where anyone can go.

 

I didn't go to the beach on the other side of the fort but it is good according to some friends of mine who did go. Christiansted is about a 30-minute cab ride away but you might have to sit around for awhile waiting for the cab van to fill up. Christiansted is mostly interesting for its architecture. The fort there is also very interesting but whether it's worth going on a long van ride with a toddler is of course up to you! :)

 

St. Maarten: I spent almost the entire day at Maho because I'm an airplane nut. Some of the tours stop there for awhile. The planes are super-close and it's noisy, but if your child is into vehicles like my nephew was (and still is!), it might be fun for a bit. I wouldn't recommend being right under the flight path with a small child, of course, because of the risk of being blown around and getting sand in your eyes, but you can watch from the side. The only shade is at the bars on either end of the beach so be prepared for that. I don't know much else about St. Maarten apart from that beach!

 

Antigua: I loved English Harbour the first time I saw it as a teenager. Not sure that a toddler would be at all interested, and it's not that near the port, but if you or your husband are interested in Caribbean colonial history, it's a must-see. There's a market there that has stuff for kids and there are lots of places to poke around, so even if a child wouldn't necessarily appreciate the history, there'd be stuff to see and do.

 

St. Lucia: It takes at least an hour to get to Soufriere village near the Pitons, and the road is winding and up and downhill a lot. You can also get there by speedboat or catamaran. I agree they're worth seeing but depending on the direction you're sailing, and the time of day, you might be able to get an excellent view from the ship. I went on a tour with Spencer Ambrose; might be worth checking out.

 

Barbados: I've heard that the "wading with the sea turtles" is pretty cool and there is usually some beach time included with those tours. Haven't done it myself though. I rented a mini-moke and had a great time getting thoroughly lost. The beaches on the Atlantic side are great to look at but not safe for swimming. Some of the west side beaches are beautiful though.

 

Hope that helps. If you go to Maho please wave at the planes for me!

[Karysa]

Hi all,

 

We are going to the S. Caribbean on RCCL in the fall. Ports of call include St. Croix, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia and Barbados.

 

Has anyone hit these ports with a toddler before and have some recommendations for things to do? I'm sure we are going to plan on plenty of beach breaks, a glass bottom boat tour and some simple walking around the port.

 

We will also be bringing MIL, so if there's something DH or I really feel is a "must-do", she can help. But it's her vacation too, and I don't want to make her feel she is along to be a babysitter only :)

 

Would love to hear some of your suggestions! Thanks!

 

Try http://www.thebutterflyfarm.com/

We went last year while visiting St. Maarten and enjoyed it very much. There is a great beach, Le Gallion that is 300 yards from the butterfly farm. The beach is calm, clear and shallow with some natural shade and nicknamed Baby Beach. This combination would be wonderful for a family with a small child. Maho Beach where the Airplanes land is cool but it is very loud when the big jets come and go so you may want to take along a earphone headset for your little one if you go there.

[B_Mc]

Did you have a specific question?

 

As OP stated, looking for suggestions about what to do on the islands with toddlers!

 

Thank you for the tips!

[ultimate_jatt]

We're going on a family cruise on the Carnival Victory in 1 week doing the Southern Caribbean tour -- PR, St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Maarten. We'll have a 3.5 yr old, 18 month and 6 month. Right now, we haven't booked any excursions and will decide day by day what to do since the kids will dictate when we get off the ship and back.

 

I'll post an update in a couple of weeks with any suggestions.