Just Booked - Adventure of the seas

[allready]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

[PR Cruisers]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

 

Maybe I cant help you with your question, but you are going to have a great cruise, because I think that Adventure of the Seas is the best ship of the fleet...

[MariaoftheSeas]

I would think the beaches would be the easiest.

[ckrobyn]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

 

Curacao sea aquarium

Palm Beach - Aruba

Mullet Bay Beach - St. Maarten

Megans Bay Beach - St. Maarten

 

You booked a wonderful ship! Have fun :D

[sunlover5]

Great ship, great cruise!!! I know my 3 yr. old grandson would love the ariel tram ride in St. Thomas. CkRobin already gave the suggestion of the Sea Aquarium in Curacao. Curacao also has the swinging bridge. They do have a trolley tour and the open fish market. If you have a stroller he might like that!! Have a great time, one of our best cruises!!! My favorite ports!!

[sandytoes03]

Love the AOS! Great ship. Stick to the beaches. In St. Thomas Magan's Bay is lovely--just grab a cab outside the pier. Then in Ms. Maarten we went to the Divi resort for the day. It was really nice. Haven't been to the other two ports. Have fun!

[Buffettfan 225]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

I recommend bringing sand/beach toys from home. Grab a bunch from dollar store/walmart. They will keep him amused, and perhaps a friend will join him. More shovels the merrier.

Just bring a mesh bag to hose them all down and carry them. Maybe a few plastic trucks etc. - I recall the trick of new toys are so much better than normal toys from home. So keep them a "secret" until trip.

 

I too highly recommend Megan's Bay-

Our open air taxi was $8 and $4 admission for each adult (not sure of child pricing)- bring small bills as the beach admission is paid at entrance while sitting in open air taxi . I think this is a great family beach- so calm, clear, lifeguards on duty, bathroom and shower facilities. There is also a place for casual food. (we brought boxed cereal and water to get us by and returned to ship by lunch to eat for free :rolleyes: ) Plus sun was not as hot.

If you do plan on renting any chairs or floats- go inside to giftshop and pay and come back out with receipt.

You will love the AOS, and from walking around have a great kids program and pool area.

p.s. I would also highly recommend the luggage express option when you come home. Much easier with a child in tow. I have posted our cruise and review in detail- just do a post search under my screen name.

[39august]

By the way, Megan's Bay is on St. Thomas, not St. Martin. Mullet Bay is lovely but an expensive cab ride from the ship dock. You might try Little Bay at the Divi resort. It is much closer. I think someone posted that it is $4 each way for taxi to Little Bay on St. Martin.

[Buffettfan 225]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

I just remembered- if your son likes planes, we all enjoyed Maho beach in St.Maarten. It is small but sandy. The reason to go though is the planes that fly right over beach- I mean directly overhead to read the numbers. Your son may enjoy it- I know we did. Just set up near sides of beach, not middle as planes create a sand exfoliation! Do a search on Youtube for Maho Beach. We only stayed less than 2 hours but were quite entertained. It is on the dutch side. Otherwise concierge recommended Dawn Beach.

 

On Aruba- Butterfly farm- we didn't go to this location, but son when younger enjoyed the Houston butterfly house. Aruba has one -perhaps others can comment on it. Dress him bright colors and perhaps he would attract some for photo ops. Otherwise can check out Palm beach - Holiday Inn used to have a cheap daily rate (or free) good place for drop off.

 

side note: St.Maarten was the biggest problem of people getting left behind. Many got caught in traffic from French Side. It took us 20-30 min to get to beach at 11:30 and taxi came back at 2pm- it took over an hour to get back just to downtown- we then took water taxi back across water.

[Traveler723]

Coral World is on St. Thomas www.coralworld.com

Lots of fun things for the baby to see and do.

[Bigerr19]

We just booked our next cruise. It will be the first time sailing with our soon to be 3 yr old. Can anyone offer any advice on excursions with this age in Curacao, Aruba, St Martin, St Thomas.

 

Thanks

 

There's a link to my review of that same itinerary in my signature below. At that time my son was 6 months old and we did some sort of excursion in each port. The only one we really needed to have the grandparents with us was the snuba at Coki Beach on St. Thomas, as my wife and I had to be in the water at the same time. Otherwise, he was with us for everything we did.

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

 

Have a great cruise, it's a great itinerary!

[maggieq]

I would agree with ckrobyn on Mullet Bay in St. Maarten...we went there in May and it has to be the most beautiful water on the island. The only reservation about going back there is if you don't rent a car....taxis don't stop there as much as the ones do at Orient, Divi, etc. We had to wait quite a while and we had to call one...they were not waiting.

 

We have also been to Orient...ok to me, divi...nice and quiet and close to the ship....Maho...ok but again like mullet you need to give yourself extra time to get there and back..

 

Aruba - Palm beach, for sure. I would use Moomba Beach. Take the bus,it's so much cheaper than a taxi and they stop every 15-20 minutes. If you want to go to the low rise area beach. You can rent chairs onthe beach across from the Amsterdam Manor. They have a bar right on the beach for drinks/snacks, etc.

 

Curacao - We did a boat to beach excursion the first time on the AOS. Beach to me, was not as nice as Aruba.

 

St. Thomas - Have done Trunk Bay..it was cloudy and rough the day we went in 2004. We did the Sunny Liston tour and that was good...pretty much the same as Godfrey about $35 now I think per person. They give you time to shop and then give you a tour, mountain top, drakes seat, etc. and then beach time --we went to Sapphire and were not impressed. This past May we went to Magens Bay $8 pp each way for a taxi and $3 pp to get in, or was it $4. you also have to pay for chairs, etc. It was beautiful.

 

Hope that helps.