Coz, Roatan, Costa Maya - what to do 1 & 3 yo

[sas80]

Looking for suggestions as to what to do with a 1 & 3 yo in Coz, Costa Maya and Roatan.

 

I'm pondering Gumbalinda in Roatan so we can see animals - anyone ever been?

 

What to do in Costa Maya? We've done David and Ivan and the ruins tour

 

We typically stay on the ship in Coz but are open to suggestions.

 

Thanks for any thoughts!

 

 

FYI - in case anyone is interested, we are doing 2 things differently this cruise.

1) we have booked balcony/interior connecting and plan on putting the kids into the interior and bringing a baby monitor. This worked out to be a bit cheaper ($40) than booking 4 in one D1, but just because of current pricing. It will be interesting to see what kind of a difference it makes overall.

2) We are going to skip formal dining all together. We will still get a babysitter for 3 hours every night but plan to eat casually and enjoy the abundance of free time we will have. Maybe see a movie, hot tub, take romantic walks, etc. Personally I'm curious to see if my waistline expands a little less because of this :)

[crusinmama06]

She is 1 already! :eek: Holy Moly time has flown!

 

Cozumel, we like Passion Island. Deserted island. Only cruise ship guests. Free flowing food and alcohol. The kids had a blast at the playground, the trampoline and the kiddie ATVs (the ATVs might be gone, heard there had been an accident a couple of months ago). Actually that's where the picture of my youngest was taken in my signature, her on the ATV. It was Passion Island. She was 4 at the time.

 

Costa Maya - I will be completly useless to you because we decided to stay in the port area last time and use the pools. It was a fun day for the kids, easy day for us.

 

Roatan, never been.

[sas80]

She is 1 already! :eek: Holy Moly time has flown!

 

Cozumel, we like Passion Island. Deserted island. Only cruise ship guests. Free flowing food and alcohol. The kids had a blast at the playground, the trampoline and the kiddie ATVs (the ATVs might be gone, heard there had been an accident a couple of months ago). Actually that's where the picture of my youngest was taken in my signature, her on the ATV. It was Passion Island. She was 4 at the time.

 

Costa Maya - I will be completly useless to you because we decided to stay in the port area last time and use the pools. It was a fun day for the kids, easy day for us.

 

Roatan, never been.

 

She will be one on December 30th. Time definitely flies. She is such a hard headed stubborn headstrong little girl! (and we just don't have anyone in the family like that :rolleyes:) I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that this is our last baby and time continues to march on, despite my efforts to stop it.;)

 

Passion island - that is strictly a ship excursion, right? What exists in the way of amenities? Food good? Drinks good? I worry about the baby and being able to nap her.... I suppose we could finally drag the uv tent along.... Tell me more....

[2112]

We went to the beach in Mahahuel in Costa Maya and I don't think my 3 year old ever had more fun in his life. The beach has a very gradual slope and the water was very clear so I don't think I've ever seen a safer beach for young children. Very clean beach too. Chairs and umbrellas a free to use us long as you buy some food and drinks from what ever restaurant owns the chairs. It is $3 per person to take either a bus or taxi into town and it is $2 per person back to the port. No charge for our 3 year old. The beach is most crowded near the center of town and there are fewer people at the edges of town. We really loved the place. Here are some photos:

 

http://www.pbase.com/2112/costa_maya

 

During our last cruise we went to Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. Nachi Cocum is an all-inclusive beach club. It is $49 per adult and your children will be free. We thought it would be a great relaxing day. They have a swimming pool as well. This did not work out quite as well as we were hoping. The problem is that the beach slopes very steeply into the ocean here and the sand is coarse. So, if your children are the type that might run toward the ocean then it is not the safest beach to be. Since we had to keep both eyes on him every second and since we had to do a lot of chasing, it wasn't what we were hoping for. Our son did enjoy the pool so that part worked out well.

 

http://www.pbase.com/2112/cozumel_2009

 

It has been several years since I've been to Roatan, but Roatan does have some nice beaches. Once word of warning about Roatan's beaches is that they are famous for sand fleas/no-see-ums. If they bite you some people get a bad rash. Bites can be avoided by using Avon skin-so-soft which gums up their teeth (they can't bite though it).

[sas80]

We went to the beach in Mahahuel in Costa Maya and I don't think my 3 year old ever had more fun in his life. The beach has a very gradual slope and the water was very clear so I don't think I've ever seen a safer beach for young children. Very clean beach too. Chairs and umbrellas a free to use us long as you buy some food and drinks from what ever restaurant owns the chairs. It is $3 per person to take either a bus or taxi into town and it is $2 per person back to the port. No charge for our 3 year old. The beach is most crowded near the center of town and there are fewer people at the edges of town. We really loved the place. Here are some photos:

 

http://www.pbase.com/2112/costa_maya

 

During our last cruise we went to Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. Nachi Cocum is an all-inclusive beach club. It is $49 per adult and your children will be free. We thought it would be a great relaxing day. They have a swimming pool as well. This did not work out quite as well as we were hoping. The problem is that the beach slopes very steeply into the ocean here and the sand is coarse. So, if your children are the type that might run toward the ocean then it is not the safest beach to be. Since we had to keep both eyes on him every second and since we had to do a lot of chasing, it wasn't what we were hoping for. Our son did enjoy the pool so that part worked out well.

 

http://www.pbase.com/2112/cozumel_2009

 

It has been several years since I've been to Roatan, but Roatan does have some nice beaches. Once word of warning about Roatan's beaches is that they are famous for sand fleas/no-see-ums. If they bite you some people get a bad rash. Bites can be avoided by using Avon skin-so-soft which gums up their teeth (they can't bite though it).

 

Thank you for the info. I have heard that about Roatan. thanks for the reccomendation of the skin so soft!

[Liltx31]

Could you get a babysitter for Roatan? I ask because the best excursion we have had was their last year through the ship. It is the kayaking and snorkling. It was wonderful and the snorkling is in a bay right from the beach. We saw so much coral, fish, lobster, octopus. You swim out to a huge drop off which is cool to see. AMAZING! They also take you up a hill after kayaking down the beach and the view is wonderful! Our guide gave great information about the island and the vegetation. The food was great as well at a little rest. in the village. It was a wonderful experience and lasted about 5 hours.

 

In Costa Maya I would just head for the beach in the town. The kids will love it and the water is very safe as it is protected from waves.

 

Cozumel, not sure with kiddos probably not worth beaches as most are rocky or crowded. I have heard about paradise beach but never been. Maybe just go to the square and let them run around a bit, have lunch and head back to the boat.

 

Monica

[tmitchell82]

We were in Roatan with our DD, who is 5 last month. We went to Gumbalinda Park to do the Pirates, Birds, and Monkeys of the Caribbean. It was basically a walking tour and you get to see Parrots and other birds (even hold the parrot) and then interact with the monkeys. The monkeys will literally climb on you, but they are very tame and are controlled by handlers. DD loved the monkeys, despite it raining on us half the time. There is also a pool, beach and such there and you can go back to the ship when you want which was nice. It was a nice shore excursion and something I would recommend doing with kids.

 

Tim

[sas80]

Could you get a babysitter for Roatan? I ask because the best excursion we have had was their last year through the ship. It is the kayaking and snorkling. It was wonderful and the snorkling is in a bay right from the beach. We saw so much coral, fish, lobster, octopus. You swim out to a huge drop off which is cool to see. AMAZING! They also take you up a hill after kayaking down the beach and the view is wonderful! Our guide gave great information about the island and the vegetation. The food was great as well at a little rest. in the village. It was a wonderful experience and lasted about 5 hours.

 

In Costa Maya I would just head for the beach in the town. The kids will love it and the water is very safe as it is protected from waves.

 

Cozumel, not sure with kiddos probably not worth beaches as most are rocky or crowded. I have heard about paradise beach but never been. Maybe just go to the square and let them run around a bit, have lunch and head back to the boat.

 

Monica

 

Mmmmm, I'm not so sure I feel entirely safe about leaving my kids behind on the ship while I am in port. there is too much distance between myself and them in this situation. Your tour in Roatan does sound amazing tho!

 

I'm thinking we will just head for town and the beach in Costa Maya. We did the ruins last time we were there, very fascinating, but we didnt have time to explore the actual port.

 

We are entertaining Paradise Beach in Coz. We'll see....

[sas80]

We were in Roatan with our DD, who is 5 last month. We went to Gumbalinda Park to do the Pirates, Birds, and Monkeys of the Caribbean. It was basically a walking tour and you get to see Parrots and other birds (even hold the parrot) and then interact with the monkeys. The monkeys will literally climb on you, but they are very tame and are controlled by handlers. DD loved the monkeys, despite it raining on us half the time. There is also a pool, beach and such there and you can go back to the ship when you want which was nice. It was a nice shore excursion and something I would recommend doing with kids.

 

Tim

 

Thanks for the review. We were already leaning towards doing this and I think this mentioned sealed the deal :) I dont think our DS (3) is going to be adventurous enough to hold a parrot (the baby probably will) BUT he will love the animals close up! Lol, we will be sure to remember to pack our umbrellas!

[MamaParrotHead]

We were just in Coz and Roatan with 2, 6, 10 and 14 year olds.

 

Chankanaab in Coz was GREAT for kids. Steps into the water, if you want to take them snorkeling (the water was crystal clear, calm, plenty of fish to see) and you can rent vests at the dive shops on the beach. There's a freshwater pool. A small sheltered area for the tiny ones. A playground on the beach. Animals to see. Facilities are clean, food is good and inexpensive. Beach is clean and powdery soft sand. 10 minute cab ride from the pier.

 

Roatan we did Tabayana Beach and it was GORGEOUS, my fave day of the trip. Probably 20-30 minute ride from the pier. Facilities were spotless, food was good and inexpensive, the water was calm and gorgeous blue, plenty of chairs and good service. Sand was soft and good for playing in. There's even a little shopping right there on the beach.