Western Caribbean excursions with kids?

[atakkat]

Any suggestions on excursions in Roatan, Belize and Costa Maya? In Cozumel we will probably do Paradise beach again... My kids are 4,6, and 8. Thanks.

 

Kathy

[I&MsMom]

Hi! Never been to Roatan, but we were in Belize with kids 2 & 5 and then again when they were 3 & 7.

 

The first time we went to Caye Caulker on our own using the water taxi. Underestimated how long it would take to tender (our 1st experience), and while we enjoyed the day, we had less time than I had anticipated on the island and I was a little stressed about the timing of it all. The next time, we took a ship-sponsored excursion (our one and only to date): River Wallace and Altun Ha. The tendering was really, really slow because there were large swells that day, but at least we were ahead of those not on ship excursions. The river portion seemed a little long at the end for the kids, but otherwise it was a great day.

 

When the kids were 3 and 7, we were in Costa Maya. We did the Chacchoben ruin tour with David & Ivan and then spent the rest of the day, including lunch, at Majahual. My 7 year old LOVED Chacchoben, and I enjoyed it as well, although I didn't get to hear all that the guide was saying, as I was following the 3 year old around in her ramblings. Still, a gorgeous setting, and I'm very glad we went.

 

Any specific questions, I'll be happy to try and help.

[Deemuch]

Hello,

 

I am just new to this forum so this is my first posting. I am taking a cruise in January & also will be going to Roatan & Belize . We will also be going to Cozumel, Ochios Rios & Grand Cayman as well. I am looking for suugestions on any excursions that would be suitable for us as a family, my kids aged 8 & 11 yrs.

 

You mentioned Paradise beach in Cozumel...would you recommend that? I originally planned to do the Atlantis Submarine tour & then spend rest of day at Channuaab Park, but after last night I found alot of info that states the park is not worth it. Apparently it substained alot of damage from the hurricane last year, and just only opened a short time ago. I was mainly interested in a fun beach/snorkeling day, and now I am glad that at least I know that it isn't the right place to go. Many of the reefs etc are gone & fishes are non-existant...not to mention the beaches. So I came across some info for Paradise beach, and went to their online site & it seemed like it would be alot of fun. Did you go pre or post hurricaine, and is the snorkling good, and do you have to go far out to do so?

 

Anyone else have info on whether the submarine tour would be ok as they go 100 feet deep, so maybe the coral/reefs were not as damaged?? Is it worth it?

 

 

If you scrapbook, the forums at Scrap your trip are excellent....you can get some helpful info for excurisons etc...as all the posters are people who love to take pics/scrapbook & travel...so in general you can find alot of good info covering all sorts of travel including cruises & ports.

 

http://site.scrapyourtrip.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=7

 

 

I got some useful info for tours in Beluize & Roatan there...so you may want to check it out under Western Crusies.

 

 

 

 

Any suggestions on excursions in Roatan, Belize and Costa Maya? In Cozumel we will probably do Paradise beach again... My kids are 4,6, and 8. Thanks.

 

Kathy

[I&MsMom]

DeeMuch: Hi! we went to Paradise Beach both before (1/05) and after the hurricane (2/06). Had an equally great time both visits. There is no (or not much) snorkeling from the beach, but by the second visit, they had a boat that would take you out to a reef (not sure how much it costs, as we didn't do this.)

 

As to the Atlantis submarine, we did this after the hurricane. It was our only experience with this. I'm not a diver, so I don't know what is "normal", but I found it fascinating. Not sure how you would feel about it. Maybe ask on the Cozumel board? The kids had a great time - they were plastered to the window the whole time. At the same time, "know not, want not" and this may be a better experience on one of the other islands...??

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

[eyegel]

My wife and I hit Roatan and Belize on NCL two years ago with our children who were aged 2, 3, and 4 at the time and Costa Maya three years ago on RCCL with two childen (then 2 and 3).

 

In Belize, we took the "Wildlife Adventure" tour which is billed as:

 

"Navigate scenic Old Belize River by motor launch, watching for crocodiles, howler monkeys, and other wildlife. Stop at The Olde River Tavern for a Belizean lunch followed by a trip to the famous the Belize Zoo, home to regional species cared for in their natural environment behind protective fencing."

 

Everyone enjoyed the zoo and the boat ride. My kids and my wife, however are very finicky eaters with an extraordinarily limited repertoire of foods they will eat. I kept the kids from whining by stuffing them with packages of Doritos that I purchased at the gift shop at the Tavern.

 

In Roatan, we hired a taxi driver for the day for $75. He took us for a tour around town pointing out some houses and some wrecks just offshore. We went north to the Iguana Farm, then came back to spend the afternoon at place near the northern end of West Bay. The kids played in the water. Before we had to change our destination for our cruise this December, I had planned to hire a taxi to take us to the Garifuna cultural center, over to do a mangrove tunnel tour, then back to a beach. Another option I considered was going to the Sante Wellness Center, where the kids could swim, my wife could have a massage, and I could hire their skiff and guide to go snorkeling or shallow reef fishing. Their website is at:

 

http://www.santewellnesscenter.com/cruise_visitors.htm

 

One word of warning about Roatan:

 

TAKE INSECT REPELLENT AND USE IT!

 

There are "noseeum" sand fleas with a bite so innocuous that you will not even feel them biting. For some people, it is a minor annoyance. For others, it triggers an allergic reaction which can make you utterly miserable. My wife, oldest daughter, and son were all bitten, but felt fine by the next morning. For my middle daughter and me, however, things got progressively worse and worse. Two days after leaving Roatan, we had to join the long line of patients to see the ship's doctor. It took a course of oral steroids to stop the spread of pruritic red splotches over my body. Until the doctor explained what was going on, I would have been prepared to swear that the stateroom attendant was dousing my bed with itching powder. My daughter (who is now 5 and is usually very calm) was so traumatized by the experience that the mere mention of the prospect of going to Roatan (as we had planned to do this December) would send her immediately into a hysterical fit of wailing "NO DADDY! NO DADDY!"

 

Costa Maya is just a cruise ship dock set in the middle of nowhere. There are some Mayan ruins nearby which might be worthwhile, but I have not seen them. We took the "Jungle Beach Break" excursion which was exorbitantly priced and just dropped you off at a restaurant and beach up the coast. While the drinks were free, the food was expensive and you would have to down a lot of drinks to make it worth your money. If you intend to just to have a beach day rather than seeing the ruins, I would save my money and stay at the complex at the end of the dock. You can save money by lunching on the ship. At the "port" they have a nice beach, palapas, lounge chairs, water sports, bars, a swimming pool, and shops. One word of warning about the latter. Between the cost of transporting goods to the middle of nowhere and the dearth of competition (because you are in the middle of nowhere), prices for everything are very high (relatively speaking, by Mexican standards). I would strongly urge you to do all your shopping in Cozumel. You can get a good idea of the facilities at Costa Maya by looking at the pictures here:

 

http://www.cancuncd.com/m-costa-maya-pictures/

 

As for Cozumel, you might enjoy taking a tour across the channel. I did one which included Tulum and Xcaret and thoroughly enjoyed both, but this might be a bit too adventerous for you littlest one.

[abitaturbodog]

Deemuch--We have 2 kids, 9 & 10 and will be going to some of these ports ourselves. I've done a bit of research on them, but haven't visited any myself yet, except Jamaica. Here's what I've learned:

 

You might want to look into the zipline and cave tubing excursion in Belize. There are 2 companies that offer this combination and I think your kids will love it.

 

In Jamaica, Dunns River Falls is beautiful. It's fun to say that you climbed a waterfall!

 

We're going to Paradise Beach in Cozumel. I think my kids will enjoy the water toys and playing with the other kids there. I just might have to jump on the trampoline myself!

 

In Grand Cayman, there's a wreck called the Cali that's near the cruise ship docks and is accessible from the beach. We're headed there and then to Eden Rock (also accessible from the beach) for more snorkeling. Check out the GC thread for more information.

 

Costa Maya has a great Mayan ruin to explore. There are these two guys who offer tours out of Majuhal (sp?) The ruins are not too far into the jungle and afterward you have time to relax on the beach in Majuhal.

 

Hope this helps a little bit! You'll learn so much on the destination threads. I spent days reading about each port and taking notes.

 

Have a great cruise.

[zura]

Hello Eyegel,

I was thinking about the Wildlife tour with boys(9,8,5), I know you mentioned the food, but was the rest of the excursion exciting for the kids? Thanks! Do you remember how long that boat ride on the river was?

[pavteam]

Deemuch,

 

When you are in Cozumel, check out Playa Uvas - http://www.playauvas.com/ Check out the Prices - That is what should be the clincher! The total package - drinks (even soda) kayaking, snorkeling, lunch, lockers and lounge chairs - $59.00 for adults and $42.00 for kids under 12!!! You can;t beat that anywhere. AND this is where the cruise line goes for their clear kayak trip and they pay more for just the kayak tour and one drink!

 

Your kids will love it! It is part located in a privileged area of Cozumel, by the marine park of Chankanaab.

 

We took a taxi out which was $11.00 each way - not per person - just per ride. There were 4 in our family. The clear Kayak's were amazing. All the kids I saw that were kayaking, were having so much fun looking under them!

[LauraJo08]

We did south/western caribbean with NCL last february, and it was with my 7 year old sister, and twin 10 year old brother and sister (I was 18 at the time). In costa maya we really wanted to swim with dolphins as a family, but the cruise price was so expensive, so in the little shop area that you go into the beginning, we ended up getting it from a private guy for less than half the price, a private beach, and free drinks and transportation too. Also, my sisters and I got to train the baby dolphins at the end which doubled our time with them. (they choose young girls and women as dolphins are more comfortable with females).

 

We'd been to cozumel at least 5 times before, and we know all the secret snorkeling spots, so we took a taxi to one of our favorites, and it was great.

 

In belize we bought a snorkeling/beach excursion to this gorgeous little private island (it had a bar, beach, volleyball). the snorkeling was bad tho, as it was wavy, but the beach was GORGEOUS.

 

The other place we went was san thomas de castilla, so i can't help you with roatan, but my parents have been there before and I guess the cave tubing is GREAT.

 

Hope this helped.

[LauraJo08]

We did south/western caribbean with NCL last february, and it was with my 7 year old sister, and twin 10 year old brother and sister (I was 18 at the time). In costa maya we really wanted to swim with dolphins as a family, but the cruise price was so expensive, so in the little shop area that you go into the beginning, we ended up getting it from a private guy for less than half the price, a private beach, and free drinks and transportation too. Also, my sisters and I got to train the baby dolphins at the end which doubled our time with them. (they choose young girls and women as dolphins are more comfortable with females).

 

We'd been to cozumel at least 5 times before, and we know all the secret snorkeling spots, so we took a taxi to one of our favorites, and it was great.

 

In belize we bought a snorkeling/beach excursion to this gorgeous little private island (it had a bar, beach, volleyball). the snorkeling was bad tho, as it was wavy, but the beach was GORGEOUS.

 

The other place we went was san thomas de castilla, so i can't help you with roatan, but my parents have been there before and I guess the cave tubing is GREAT.

 

Hope this helped.