inexpensive excursions????

[LARRY GRITZ]

next week, 09/12 we leave for cosumel,costa maya,belieze and grand cayman. we have 2 boys, 10 and 13 and are interested in participating in doing activities inexpensively that we all would enjoy, anyone out there that can give us some insight we would appreciate it...

regards..

larry

[kevloe84]

Hi Larrygritz,

We were in Belize, Cayman and Cozumel just last month. It was great! We like to snorkel, and have kids, 11 and 14. They snorkeled successfully for the first time on our cruise in Cayman and Cozumel. In Cayman we did a reef and wreck tour with Capt. Marvins. It was $20 for adults and $15 for our 11-year-old. Short, but fun. We also saw a snorkeling area right next to where the tenders come in called Eden Rock. I'd learned about it before our trip. You can snorkel right from shore -- there's steps into the water, and there's no charge except equipment rental. We didn't go, but after checking it out, we wished we had! There's also stingray city tours that I think you get for just a few dollars more. Lots on this site about them already.

In Belize, we did a ship tour (Carnival), which was pricey, but after seeing Belize City, we're glad we did a ship excursion. Bars on the windows there and lots of razor wire on fences. But there are tours to check out on the Web, too, so maybe you can find something. We did a tour that included a stop at Altun Ha, Mayan ruins, which all enjoyed a lot. I'd recommend that if you like that type of thing.

As for Cozumel, we rented a Jeep from Avis, for about $80, including insurance, and drove around the island. Very beautiful place! We stopped at Chank Park, and we could easily have spent the day there. It was $12 admission for adults, $6 for 11 and under. That might be the best bet for your family. You can swim, snorkel and check out the gardens. They have food and drinks available, and chairs in the beach areas.

Hope that helps!

[sunsetme]

cayman we took a cab to the westin and humg out. they have a great pool, then we snorkeled at eden roc in town--very cheap day.

cozumel chankabab is a great place for kids for the day ( or playa sol). many people rent a car tere which may be more cost efficient for a family. also bring a couple of tubes or cheap floats to blow up. I am in my 50s and never cruise without my tubie!

[jstducky]

i would recommend snorkeling and swimming with the stingrays in grand cayman. you can book it yourself through a private tour company rather than the ship excursion. its a lot cheaper this way. this past summer i went and booked with Nativeway and they were amazing! the excursion is just $25 per person and the personal attention you get from their guides is well worth the money! it was the highlight of our cruise!

[Snorkelcat]

Have you checked with the Cruise Line office? I don't think you are going to be going to this area as previously planned. I wouldn't want to! Don't want to meet Ivan the Terrible in 'person'.

[OCruisers]

[B]Larry[/b] .... This thread .........................................

 

EDEN ROCK (click here)

 

......... has a site for Abanks Dive at Eden Rock. As mentioned above, the use of the stone steps to enter the water is FREE!

 

Hope this helps! Happy Sailing! :)

[WEDOFISH]

On Grand Cayman - we like http://www.sotos.com for seeing the stingrays etc. It is a three stop snorkeling trip and quite reasonable.

In Cozumel - we hired a driver on the dock who took us to Chankanaab and gave us a tour. We then stayed for a couple of hrs to snorkel. The driver then picked us up. It was also quite reasonable.

In Belize - we went with a private tour company and were not happy with the snorkeling trip at all. Don't know what we will do next June when we return there!