REVIEW - On the Dawn for Spring Break, family trip with young kids

[debway]

Thank you so much for the great review! We sail in 12 days and I can't wait. I'm hoping most of the college spring breakers will be back in school, but it may not be so. I'll be with 3 16-year old girls and they don't need (or maybe they do!) to be seeing that stuff!

[usckatieh]

Great review! I really appreciate your port information especially about Harvest Caye. It makes me feel better about that stop!

[catinhat]

We went on the Dawn in January of 2016 and then again in February of 2017. Loved it all. Costa Maya was my favorite part..........Maya Chan. I love hearing others reviews!

[Franchesca2009]

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. We are going in 17 days to the Dawn with our 2 young daughters (almost 4 and almost 2). I have been super nervous about bringing them and have them jump over board or something. It seems to me, based on your review that, that is not the case, so that makes me feel so much better! We are going with another couple whose baby just turned 1. Sadly, we are aware that our youngest ones wont have a place to be supervised other than by ourselves. Quick question in regards of transportation to the port. Did you bring your own car seat? Did you just store it somewhere in the cabin? I've been looking for someone who can have car seats available so that we don't have to bring them but haven't have any luck on that yet :( Also, thank you for posting about the kids pool. So, I read that kids can't enter the pool even with "swimming diapers". Does that mean that my almost 2 year old couldn't enjoy the pool? Is there a bathroom near by the kiddie pool? My oldest is potty trained but sometimes she discovers too late that she needs to use the potty. Again, thank you so much for your review. I will be writing down places to go based on your review. Have a wonderful day!

[Franchesca2009]

Ports - Cozumel

 

Norwegian docks at Punta Langosta in Cozumel, which we had never been to before. It has a nice little two level shopping mall right at the end with restaurants, shops, excursions, taxi stands, etc.

 

We booked a dolphin encounter through Dolphin Discovery at Chankanaab Park. I purchased it through Groupon for $65pp, much cheaper than through the cruise line and our 3yo was free. It included admission to Chankanaab as well, which is $21 pp. We took a cab there which was $12 each way for the 4 of us.

 

I can't say enough about how much we loved the dolphin encounter. It was a very small group and we were in the water with "our" dolphin Ramsey a long time, I think around 45 minutes. Every single one of us got to have multiple up close interactions. I only wish I had some photos but they don't allow cameras and the professional photos are absolutely ridiculously priced. They wanted no less than $140, even though I really only wanted one picture of the four of us. [emoji19]

 

Chankanaab was beautiful too and had lots to do - a free sea lion show, snorkeling ($), restaurants, nice pool, beach, shopping, and nature exhibits. We stayed there all day and had a blast.

 

Shopping mall at Punta Langosta

 

Chankanaab beach

 

Pool

 

Shallow kids part of the pool

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

This is AMAZING! I literally JUST went to Groupon and booked this for us!!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

[mjkacmom]

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. We are going in 17 days to the Dawn with our 2 young daughters (almost 4 and almost 2). I have been super nervous about bringing them and have them jump over board or something. It seems to me, based on your review that, that is not the case, so that makes me feel so much better! We are going with another couple whose baby just turned 1. Sadly, we are aware that our youngest ones wont have a place to be supervised other than by ourselves. Quick question in regards of transportation to the port. Did you bring your own car seat? Did you just store it somewhere in the cabin? I've been looking for someone who can have car seats available so that we don't have to bring them but haven't have any luck on that yet :( Also, thank you for posting about the kids pool. So, I read that kids can't enter the pool even with "swimming diapers". Does that mean that my almost 2 year old couldn't enjoy the pool? Is there a bathroom near by the kiddie pool? My oldest is potty trained but sometimes she discovers too late that she needs to use the potty. Again, thank you so much for your review. I will be writing down places to go based on your review. Have a wonderful day!

Only DCL and some RCCL ships have splash areas for diapered kids (not pools).

[B4May]

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review. We are going in 17 days to the Dawn with our 2 young daughters (almost 4 and almost 2). I have been super nervous about bringing them and have them jump over board or something. It seems to me, based on your review that, that is not the case, so that makes me feel so much better! We are going with another couple whose baby just turned 1. Sadly, we are aware that our youngest ones wont have a place to be supervised other than by ourselves. Quick question in regards of transportation to the port. Did you bring your own car seat? Did you just store it somewhere in the cabin? I've been looking for someone who can have car seats available so that we don't have to bring them but haven't have any luck on that yet :( Also, thank you for posting about the kids pool. So, I read that kids can't enter the pool even with "swimming diapers". Does that mean that my almost 2 year old couldn't enjoy the pool? Is there a bathroom near by the kiddie pool? My oldest is potty trained but sometimes she discovers too late that she needs to use the potty. Again, thank you so much for your review. I will be writing down places to go based on your review. Have a wonderful day!

 

I totally understand your fears! I felt the same before our first cruise, when my older son was 4. Rest assured that nearly all the public deck areas are glassed in so I feel like it would be incredibly hard for someone to fall overboard accidentally. A person would have to be really trying or doing something very stupid for that to happen.

 

Transportation is tricky with young kids. We were mostly in vans, trams, or buses in port so car seats wouldn't work anyway - you basically just have to hold the little ones on your lap. We did have to take a regular cab once, back from Chankanaab, so I just sat in the back with the kids and hoped for the best. Not ideal but I feel like with travel, sometimes you just have to make it work. :o

 

It is posted that no swim diapers are allowed, but it isn't enforced at all. (Not on Carnival either, BTW.) We definitely saw several other toddlers and even babies in and around the pools. We personally used reusable swim diapers for our youngest as I feel they are better at containing than disposables, and kept an eye on his "schedule" so-to-speak so there was minimal chance of an accident. The littlest ones were only in the few inches of water where the toddler slide is, playing on the wet deck (everything is wet in the kids pool area) and in the hot tub a little bit so I felt like it was pretty easy to keep an eye on things. There is a restroom in the kids pool area if you need to make a mad dash. :D No incidents that I know of from anyone on our whole trip. I'm pretty sure there was a lot more grossness from those college spring breakers than from any of the kids on our ship! :eek:

 

Enjoy your cruise, I know you'll have a great time!

[Franchesca2009]

I totally understand your fears! I felt the same before our first cruise, when my older son was 4. Rest assured that nearly all the public deck areas are glassed in so I feel like it would be incredibly hard for someone to fall overboard accidentally. A person would have to be really trying or doing something very stupid for that to happen.

 

Transportation is tricky with young kids. We were mostly in vans, trams, or buses in port so car seats wouldn't work anyway - you basically just have to hold the little ones on your lap. We did have to take a regular cab once, back from Chankanaab, so I just sat in the back with the kids and hoped for the best. Not ideal but I feel like with travel, sometimes you just have to make it work. :o

 

It is posted that no swim diapers are allowed, but it isn't enforced at all. (Not on Carnival either, BTW.) We definitely saw several other toddlers and even babies in and around the pools. We personally used reusable swim diapers for our youngest as I feel they are better at containing than disposables, and kept an eye on his "schedule" so-to-speak so there was minimal chance of an accident. The littlest ones were only in the few inches of water where the toddler slide is, playing on the wet deck (everything is wet in the kids pool area) and in the hot tub a little bit so I felt like it was pretty easy to keep an eye on things. There is a restroom in the kids pool area if you need to make a mad dash. :D No incidents that I know of from anyone on our whole trip. I'm pretty sure there was a lot more grossness from those college spring breakers than from any of the kids on our ship! :eek:

 

Enjoy your cruise, I know you'll have a great time!

 

 

Thank you so much!! We also use the reusable swim diapers. They truly work great and don't get as bloated as disposable ones! You have been amazing and I am so glad I found your review. It truly has been a major blessing!