Best Family Beaches

[NYmomma]

I thought a thread about the most kid friendly beaches you have encountered in your cruise travels would be interesting. Has anyone run across that perfect combination of beauty, shade potential (for our delicate babies), and convenient bathrooms?:)

[Raider07]

Marriott section of 7 mile beach was fine. They had a bar with food and drinks for all with a bathroom. You get 1 chair and a bottle of water or soda for $10 a person. The hotel is also across the street if you need a more private bathroom in the lobby.

 

Costa Maya also had a nice beach for the kids with lots of tables by the water. There isn't a great bathroom while in town, but at the port it is okay for the whole family.

[leighuf]

I'm also interested in the responses to this question. thanks.

[NYmomma]

Hi Raider07,

Thanks for replying. I'm a little confused though, where is the Marriott located that you suggested?

[crusinmama06]

NYMomma - 7 mile beach is in Grand Caymen...the Marriot is there

 

So here's the rundown of beaches we've been to and how family friendly

 

St.Martin - Orient Beach - Went here on a Disney excursion. It is a European Beach so tops are optional and clothing is optional at one resort at the far end of the beach. Kids didn't seem to notice the lack of clothing on some people. Tried to stand under the sun shades of one of the resorts with the stroller and some guy comes out and starts yelling at me in French. :eek: He said I was standing under the VIP awning (which was empty by the way) and he grabs the stroller (with baby) and starts pushing it through the sand. :mad: I yelled at him to stop and he shoved the baby under a beach umbrella.

 

The beach was beautiful...just heaven. It wuld have been perfect if I wasn't being screamed at in French. ;)

 

Coco Cay - RCCL's Private Island

Perfect...beautiful white sand beaches. Facilities everywhere. Lots of stuff for the kid's to do

 

Labadee - RCCL's Private Area

Perfect too. I didn't like it as much as Coco Cay but it was beautiful in it's own way. Dragon's Breath Point is cool for the kids. The rock formation looks like a dragon and you can hear the dragon breathing

 

Bahamas - Atlantis Resort Beach

I think you have to be a guest of Atlantis to access this beach but this was pure heaven here!

 

Cabbage Beach and Cable Beach Bahamas are both suppose to be very family friendly. We are going in August and will try them out.

 

Cozumel - Playa Mia - Facilities including changing rooms. Pool with smaller depths for the younger kids. You can rent water mats at the beach. This was very family friendly. I wasn't thrilled with the sand, it seemed coarse to me...not as fine as the Bahamas. But it was beautiful in it's own right.

[Jotul]

Castaway Cay - (Disney Private Island) - Heaven on Earth.

 

St. Thomas - Coki Beach (next to Coral World) - Found it to be too crowded, small and commercialized (people trying to rent you equipment, chairs, etc).

 

Grand Cayman - Grand Hyatt - 7 Mile Beach - Every chair has a shade on it. Beach was a lot less crowded than Beach Club next door. Water was perfectly turquoise and calm. The pool was also a nice diversion.

 

Labadee - What CruisinMama said. :)

 

Cozumel - Paradise Beach - Lots of umbrellas a chairs, nice "toys" (ice berg, trampoline, floats, snorkeling equipment), not a lot of beach space for digging and playing in the sand. Got quite crowded by the end of the day.

 

Those are the only beaches I've been to that I can remember (went to Barbados 10 years ago, but got back teh ship with sunstroke, so I've blocked that beach out).

 

Oh, Aruba! Went there on a land vacation, but the beaches there were beautiful, especially Baby Beach. Highly recommend that beach.

 

Turks & Caicos has a nice beach as well, but went there through a Beaches resort, so I don't know if that counts. :)

[NYmomma]

Thanks for the information! I went to Cable Beach, Bahamas on a land vacation and it was very nice. But I don't know the info on where to go, how to get there etc. from the cruise ships.