#1TravelMom

Hopefully I'm not violating any rules by posting this. Just thinking of some things we've done in Cozumel that our kids enjoyed and thought I'd pass it along. There is an animal shelter a short ride from the piers. They gladly take donations and welcome tourists to walk their dogs. We usually check with them and see what they need (treats, collars, leashes, etc.) and either take them or stop at the Mega store and get what is needed. We usually get a group of dogs and walk/run them around the neighborhood. We return and get another group and do the same. The dogs are soooooo excited to get out of the cages. We always have time to spend on the beach afterwards.

We have been visiting Roatan for 15 years on cruises and resort vacations. We know the island well. Our youngest has been going with us yearly since she was 3 years old. This is what I'd recommend. Book Ronystours.com - Freestyle tour. This will allow you the most flexibility. You will have a private driver for the day so everything can be at your own pace. You will get a friendly, reliable driver that speaks good English(very important). Many of the companies just assign random drivers they've hired - some speak very little English. We have always felt very safe in Roatan - We trust Rony and his drivers completely. First, visit Mayan Eden. We have visited 5 monkey/sloth parks many times in Roatan. I think this one is best for small children. The monkeys and sloths are not in cages. They roam freely. Your guide will give you nuts and the monkeys will come to you if you'd like. This park is nice for small children because they can walk around and watch the monkeys without being closed in a cage with them. Another guide will climb a tree(crazy high with no safety rope)and bring down a sloth for you all to hold. There are large birds you can hold also. It is also a small zoo with several other animals to see. You can also walk across a suspended bridge. I can't imagine children your age not having a great time at Mayan Eden. You will be able to take amazing pictures. We like the other parks, as well, but for small children - I'd definitely chose this one. I'd spend the rest of the day at West Bay Beach. It is the clearest water - so beautiful! Depending on your budget, you can get a day pass at a resort and have use of the pool as well. The beach is the highlight. To the far left(facing the ocean) is a spectacular reef. Your children may be too young to snorkel, but they can still see fish. We were just there 2 months ago with younger children in our group. You can bring a blow up floats - they can wear goggles and look at the fish on the reef. It is very shallow in some places. Lots of beautiful fish. The beach has soft sand and very small waves. In front of Paradise Beach Hotel is a huge oversized beach chair - cute family photo. Two photo ops if you have a private driver. One at the little gift stand at the top of the hill on the way to West Bay. There is a beautiful overlook behind the little shop. Also, on the way back, your driver can pullover and you can get a photo with the Roatan sign and another with the ship in the background.

We have been to El Yunque several times. The hike to the largest falls may be a challenge, but worth it if you are able. I recommend renting a car and going on your own. Driving in PR is just like US and El Yunque is easy to find and navigate. If you go with a tour, you are stuck to their schedule. We like to go to the falls and take a swim, visit the smaller falls, climb the lighthouse - all at our own pace. The beach is not impressive to me - I'd make a day at the Park.

San Juan will be difficult with mobility challenges. One fort has steep ramps/steps, the other has a loooong walkway to the entrance. Many of the streets are cobblestone/brick and uneven with hills and traffic. Would a stroller or adult stroller(unsure of son's age) be an option? There is a beautiful walk outside the city wall along the water with a beautiful tree-lined path and fountain leading to it.

From everything I'm reading, MSC requires in person testing.

We are doing back to back cruises. The first does not require testing, the second does. We are spending two nights in between near the Orlando airport. We are looking for testing that accepts insurance. There are 9 of us so $65 per person at the airport will add up fast. Any suggestions?

I'm going to suggest you look at specific ships, not just a cruise line. Warning: Just my opinion. We would choose Norwegian Getaway over Royal Caribbean Serenade of the Seas, but would choose RCCL Harmony of the Seas over Norwegian Star. Not a lot of American cruisers consider it, but our last cruise was on MSC Seaside and our group LOVED it. Ages: 7-62 - all had a great time. We just booked MSC Meraviglia for October. Also, what itinerary is interesting to your family? We have been to Roatan 15-20 times and will continue to go every year. Others don't enjoy Roatan. If you have islands you'd like to visit, look at your dates and port schedule and that could narrow down your ship choices. My youngest is 18. It's really important to us that our kids have a great vacation as well as us. Some of our favorite excursions have been: Monkey/Sloths/Ziplining/Snorkeling West Bay in Roatan, Cavetubing in Belize, Climbing Mayan Temple Coba from Cozumel, Swimming with Stingrays in Grand Cayman, Hiking to the waterfalls and visiting forts in Puerto Rico, and Downhill coaster and climbing Dunns Falls in Jamaica. Maybe look for excursions that interest you so you have some adventures to look forward to as well as a great ship.

Another vote for the zoo. We really liked it. You could make a stop at Junkanoo Beach on the way back and just walk from there to the ship.

We've been on many cruises. Very difficult to find a cabin with no noise. I'm a super light sleeper and once I'm awake I find it very difficult to get back to sleep. I sleep with earbuds in with a constant rain shower sound. Works great for me. You could maybe try something like this at home and see if it could work for you. A speaker with sound doesn't work for me as I can also hear every little sound outside the cabin.

I would use Ronystours.com. Nothing against Viator, but you just don't know what you'll get. With Rony, you will know you have a reliable driver who will make sure you have a great day. His rates are very reasonable. I have spoken to people on several cruises who booked with ship excursions and sites like viator. Cruise excursions can be crowded, you have to go with the group on the group schedule. With the tour booking sites, you can get a random driver who doesn't speak English. Roatan is a beautiful island. I'd make sure you can make the most of your day.

We were in Roatan recently for nearly 2 weeks. We visited Mayan Eden for the 2nd time. We have been to 5 different "monkey/sloth" parks. Mayan Eden is our favorite. I recommend booking with Ronystours.com. Choose his freestyle tour and you will get a private driver for the day. Visit the beach or other places on your own schedule. So much better than following a group excursion schedule. He will make sure you have a great day!

We've used Stingray Sailing many times. They are the BEST. Contact them and see if they are back fully operational yet and have our date available. I know they had been doing private charters only for a while. If you are with a group or have people on your roll call who may be interested, Stingray Sailing is a great option for a private charter. They are prompt, friendly and most importantly - their boat and equipment is top notch. No junk, leaky masks. They are very responsible in the way they interact with the rays. When we've been there - other boats will be LOADED with people just waiting to touch one or two rays swimming around Meanwhile, our small group has rays all around us. We've done this tour at least 6 or 8 times and will continue. Our family has such a nice time on this boat - so memorable!

We used Cayman Auto Rentals a few years ago. Everything went smoothly. 10 min. +/- walk. We drove you Rum Point for the day.

If you want to walk straight out onto the reef - Infinity is the best place. Just walk straight into the water and you are on the reef. Take care - there are many areas where the reef is too shallow to swim over - it will cut you. You will see lots of fish - close up. I think they are accustomed to snorkelers - it's easy to get great picks if you have an underwater camera. We just stayed at Paradise Beach Resort for 12 days - I snorkeled here almost every day - fabulous. It is a short walk from Paradise Beach, but walking in the sand in the hot sun, it's definitely not as convenient as Infinity. Also, there are lots of boats to take you out deeper if you'd like. But, I just swam out to where the snorkel boats were. If you are a confident swimmer, you can do this. But, you need to be watchful as boats come and go and may not see you. Try the offshore area first, it's really great!

Ronystours.com

Rony and Arnold are both great! They have become friends of our over the years. They will make sure you have a great day. Please don't hesitate to give them a deposit on Paypal with friends and family. He does this just to be sure you will show up. He's totally trustworthy. It is difficult for him if he waits on a family for hours and then finds out that a guide along the road convinced them to go with him. He loses out for the entire day. He is a great guy and really does all he can to help his community. He has a small business and is truly appreciative for each family that books with him.

The beach at West Bay is beautiful with crystal-clear water. Your party will have a great time there. You can just walk right onto the reef or there are many small boats, just approach one and they will take you out if you'd like to go deeper. The reef there is fabulous! I know people way the peddlers are annoying. They are desperately trying to support their families. We just politely say no thank you if we are not interested and they move on. LFK is great and we really enjoy spending the day there. However, I definitely can't recommend snorkeling from there. The waves are too rough. Compared to the serene water at West Bay - easy choice.

We just return from a trip to Roatan. We ate at La Palapa on the beach at Infinity. They have lots of great options - we really enjoyed everything we ordered. My husband really liked the whole grilled fish. Usually, it was caught within hours of him eating it. The pasta with seafood is also really yummy! I'd book transportation with Rony. He is very reliable and will be waiting for you. If you book his freestyle tour, you get a private driver - no waiting for anyone else. You will also be able to stop along the way for photos if you like. There is a nice overlook at the top of the hill before you get to West Bay.

Highly recommend Rony. I'm sure you will feel comfortable with him. We have visited Roatan for 15+/- years. Rony has become a great friend. We just returned from a 12-day visit. Arnold(one of Rony's drivers) drove us all over the island. We took supplies for children and families in a neighborhood in Coxen Hole. We have never felt unsafe. The people are so friendly. The island now has police on the beach. We let our belongings on beach chairs for hours every day. Never had a problem.

If you are traveling with the family, go to West Bay. They can enjoy the beach if not snorkeling. You can either walk directly into the water and onto an amazing reef or take a boat further out if you like. There are many boats along the beach, they will be glad to take you out. You will still be in sight of the beach.

We have visited Infinity while in port. We always use Ronystours.com. A few years ago, we met another family from the ship. They booked with someone else. Their driver hardly spoke English and actually stopped at the grocery store and made a quick stop at his home to drop something off to his wife on the way to West Bay. I would book directly with someone you know will be reliable.

We've used Mayan Divers at the Mayan Princess. Not sure they are the least expensive, but they have nice equipment.

My sister wrote the above post for me as I dictated it to her(I was making chocolate covered strawberries). She was at my house and logged in under her account and I forgot to tell her to change to mine to post. I normally don't read everything she posts, but thought I should mention this in case she posts something like - "We just got back from our first trip to Roatan." We introduced her family to Rony on our recent visit. They had a great time touring the island with us. Rony does a great job with just 2 people or a large group.

We just spent almost 2 weeks in Roatan. We didn't see iguana on the menu anywhere. We didn't even see any during our entire visit.

Look no further. We have cruised for 35+ years. We met Rony on our first visit to Roatan 15+/- years ago. We have very high standards when it comes to excursions. Rony speaks perfect English, he is always waiting when we arrive and is very friendly. He's trustworthy and will do everything to make sure you make wonderful memories while in Roatan. We have a great visit every time!