Best ports with 7mo & 3 year old?

[canadian85]

I'm thinking of booking a cruise in January with a 7month old and a 3 year old. We've never cruised before so I don't really know what to expect.

 

I will most likely book with Carnival (price is a big factor). Right now i'm looking at either:

Destiny to Nassau, Half Moon Cay & Grand Turk

or

Destiny to Ocho Rios & Georgetown, Grand Cayman

 

Can anyone suggest which they would choose?

We most likely would not do any excursions, probably just find a close beach.

Any help is appreciated!

[MamaParrotHead]

DEFINATELY the eastern route. You dont want to go to Ocho Rios with kids (IMHO), Grand Cayman there isn't much to do on the island other than snorkel.

 

Nassau has some nice all-inclusive resorts to just roll off the ship and get a day pass to. HMC gets RAVE reviews as a laid back and beautiful beach day, as does Grand Turk.

[6rugrats]

Agree; I wouldn't even consider Ocho Rios. Half Moon Cay is a beautiful beach; great for your kids.

[chipmaster]

7 month and 3 year old :eek:

 

ANy port where the only thing you want to do is beach or a port where there is nothing that interest the adults. Of course if your kids are good sitting in stroller or baby carrier anything is possible.

 

When my kids were that young it was vacations where there were beaches, pools or simple stuff that would amuse them and easy access for afternoon naps etc.

[rjm1cc]

I think at this age you would be better off leaving then at home and getting some alone time. I think they are to young to enjoy any port.

[6rugrats]

I think at this age you would be better off leaving then at home and getting some alone time. I think they are to young to enjoy any port.

 

I agree with this. That, or take them to a land vacation at a beach someplace, not a cruise. But, OP didn't ask my opinion about that!

[Carolin]

I'm sure you and your family would have a lovely family vacation. I highly suggest you get a balcony cabin that will fit four people. When your kids are down for the night, you and your spouse can spend some time together without disturbing the little ones. Your 3 year old will be eligible for Camp Carnival. The little one will not be able to go to camp or go into any of the pools. Kids have to be potty trained to go in. You will have to pay full 3rd/4th person rates for the kids and will get hit up with per day tips for all four of you. $10 per day per person. Your kids will love Half Moon Cay. Mull over the figures and determine whats best for your budget and your family. The best part for you is no cooking and no cleaning.

[MamaParrotHead]

My theory on travelling with kids is that it's not only for the kids to make memories, but for you as parents to make memories as a family as well. As long as you're aware the baby can't be in Camp Carnival, I don't see any difference between taking a land vacaton or a cruise. A vacation is a vacation and how you take yours isn't any of my, or anyone else's, business.

 

Safe travels!

[canadian85]

Thanks for the replies!

 

DEFINATELY the eastern route. You dont want to go to Ocho Rios with kids (IMHO), Grand Cayman there isn't much to do on the island other than snorkel.

 

Nassau has some nice all-inclusive resorts to just roll off the ship and get a day pass to. HMC gets RAVE reviews as a laid back and beautiful beach day, as does Grand Turk.

I was leaning more towards this. We've been to Nassau (prior to kids) and I would feel safe taking them there.

 

I think at this age you would be better off leaving then at home and getting some alone time. I think they are to young to enjoy any port.

I'm not looking for alone time, i'm looking for a family vacation...

 

 

 

I wouldn't leave the 3 year old at the camp anyway and (if this baby sleeps in the stroller) we would take turns swimming with the 3 year old.

 

I'm actually trying to decide between the cruise and an all-inclusive. We've been to Cuba when our daughter was 8months and again at 20months and she was great. She loves the beach and pool. We wouldn't do a land vacation anywhere other than Cuba (with kids that age) but I'd like to try a cruise. I don't think we can afford a balcony room - I don't know how it works in the states, but my wife will not be working for a year and will only be making 55% of her pay.

 

I like how I know exactly what the land vacation will cost before hand. It's hard trying to price a cruise! (since i'm new)

[MamaParrotHead]

I can try to help you with figuring out expenses on the cruise. Here's what we usually spend money on:

 

Drinks/sodas: (maybe 3-4 drinks per adult per day, 3-4 sodas= about $50 pp per day on SEA days...if it's a port day I'd say it'd be half that), you could also do the soda card for $40 per adult as well, if you're not big drinkers. Lemonade, iced tea, coffee, milk and juices (other than from the bar) are included in your cruise fare. Easy to slim the budget in this area based on what you need it to be.

 

Excursions: we're doing a route similar to this, and doing mostly beach days as well. HMC you can use your Sign & Sail cards for, since everything is run/owned by Carnival...so I'm counting beverages the same as a sea day. Grand Turk I'm hearing things are pricey, but the ship is close so we may just choose to go back and eat lunch onboard (which may also be an option in Nassau for you, as the ships dock close to the stretch of beach with the resorts you may be interested in getting day passes to). I looked into day passes in Nassau a while back and I'm thinking they run around $20 per person for the day. Grand Turk there is no charge to use the Margaritaville/Cruise Center beach.

 

Pictures: (this is where I blow a lot of my budget, but also can be tailored to your needs/preferences)...they run about $20 per 8x10 (and you have to buy the 8x10, you can't just order a smaller print). The thing is, though, you can email Carnival after you return and they'll give you a copyright release so you can make whatever copies in whatever sizes you wish. The smaller 5x7 photos are taken of you getting off the ship in port or at dinner, those are like $12, I think. This is another area you can completely cut out or atleast cut down if need be.

 

Spa: overpriced, skip it

 

Steakhouse: nice, but not necessary. Plus baby can't go to Camp for babysitting until after 10, I believe, and it isn't somewhere you'd want to bring a baby.

 

BINGO: rip off, skip it

 

Casino: not my thing, I personally skip it

 

Souvenirs: We usually grab a few tshirts and a Christmas ornament from each port we visit. You could plan/tailor this to your preferences as well.

 

Autotips: These run $10 per person, per day. Including the baby. Which some people balk at, but if you want to be technical, your baby makes as much (if not more) of a mess as do adults (as far as the room stewards handling the dirty diapers and vacumming cheerios up off the floor, LOL).

 

Misc: things like transportation to/from the port, pre-cruise hotel stay (I, as do most others, recommend flying into port the night before the cruise), airfare, bagagge fees from the airline, snacks and such in the airport, meals in the port city the night/morning before boarding (these boards are great for finding cheaper and easier alternatives to the overpriced mediocre buffets that most of the hotels offer...like a McDonald's or Au Bon Pain or even a drug store near the hotel to pick up doughnuts and juice to just tide you all over until you get onboard for your first big lunch).

 

 

I hope that helps! I personally think that cruising with kids is a very relaxed way to vacation. If I can help you out any further, please don't hesitate to ask.

[sandytoes03]

I think at this age you would be better off leaving then at home and getting some alone time. I think they are to young to enjoy any port.

 

The OP already decided that she doesn't want to leave them home, but wants to vacation with her kids. I would too!

 

OP, the Eastern route has some great options. There is a beach/pool directly off the ship in Grand Turk. I think it's at Margaritaville, but lots and lots of families go there.

 

Half Moon Cay--perfect beach day.

 

Nassau--again, lots of options for beaches. There are some resorts you can go to for the day, or maybe an excrusion to a beach is the way to go here. Lots to choose from.

 

I think you and your family will have a fantastic time!

[canadian85]

Thanks, that is a big help. We don't drink pop and our excursions will probably be just going to a beach (or just walk around if it's too cold to swim). Looks like just the flight, hotel & transfers and drinks are all I have to worry about. Although I don't like the idea of pre-tipping, we usually tip more than we would without a messy kid.

 

Ps, i'm a he. haha.

 

Since it was brought up, has anyone been on all-inclusive and cruise with a baby to compare?

[A&Jfamily]

Haven't done an all inclusive, but I just wanted to second the Eastern Route.

 

HMC - just splurge for a cabana so you can enjoy the day and the baby can be cool.

 

In Nassau, there is a nice excursion to Blackbeards Caye - the 3 yo might enjoy feeding the sting rays. The water is calm and clear for the baby.

 

And Grand Turk in one of my new favorite places. There is a beautiful beach if you are willing to walk out a ways to the right as you come off the pier. From the water, we could see just two people out there on the point. Didn't have time to walk out there after our excursion, but can't wait to some day!

[Julienatul]

We are family cruisers and my kids are similar ages. My 4 yr old is about to go on her 10th cruise and my 18mo old is going on his 4th. I would go Eastern. Nassau, you can head to the beach. Half moon is the private island with a beach and grand turk had a great pool at Jimmy Buffets, very family friendly an lots of kids there and shade. We sailed there last dec with our 4yr old and 12mo old. I think a cruise is much easier than land based, no worries about car seats and dinner reservations. Food and room service 24/7. Your 3yr old will love camp carnival.

[MNmomof4]

One thing you should consider with children your age is the car seat issue. Would you really want your child in a car without a car seat? It's a personal choice of each parent but because I have 2 kids in car seats I do excursions that dont require a taxi or car. We love walking around the ports with the stroller. Cruise lines' excursions are ofter by bus (check before) and you don't have to worry about car seats. I actually prefer inside cabins when traveling with little ones since it makes nap time a lot easier. Enjoy your cruise!

[canadian85]

I know we can do Nassau on foot, so we won't need a taxi there.

I'll have to research the other two more but,

HMC i'm assuming we can walk to beach and Grand Turk, we can either walk to beach or there is some sort of town to walk around? Is that right?

I'd like to avoid using a taxi if possible.

 

In Grand Turk, if we walk to the beach, should we bring the stroller? I wouldn't want to carry it to the beach, so should we just carry the baby?

[jerin]

Strollers can be difficult in many ports, I'm a fan of backpack carriers or slings or front/side packs (with a 3, 2 and infant, we put the 3 in the backpack, the infant in a sling, and the 2 on a leash, since she was hard to contain). Terrain (including beaches, cobblestone/brick streets and stairs) is much less of an issue that way.

[MNmomof4]

I had our double stroller in st martin in january and it worked fine for us. It was about a 20 min. walk to the beach and it carried our towels, beach toys and drinks and after playing in the water all day my 2 yr old fell asleep on the walk back. She ended up taking her nap it in. It wasn't difficult bringing the stroller right up to the water.

[A&Jfamily]

I know we can do Nassau on foot, so we won't need a taxi there.

I'll have to research the other two more but,

HMC i'm assuming we can walk to beach and Grand Turk, we can either walk to beach or there is some sort of town to walk around? Is that right?

I'd like to avoid using a taxi if possible.

 

In Grand Turk, if we walk to the beach, should we bring the stroller? I wouldn't want to carry it to the beach, so should we just carry the baby?

 

HMC you will tender a shore, right to the beach. In GT, there will be a beach right next to the pier. But if it was me, I would put the baby in a body carrier and walk to the right. You will pass an area FILLED with conch shells that your older might like, then then you will come to a big white sand point. Looks like you would have it mostly to yourself. In GT, the "port" is owned by CCL and has a little shopping area. If you want to tour the island, you will need to take transporation to town - you can get more info on the ports of call boards. Some people rent golf carts, but I think you have to get to town to do that....

[canadian85]

Thanks, I think we'll leave the stroller. We won't stray too far (we'll have to come back to explore when the kids are older!)

 

Now I just need the price of the flights to come down!

[Mack2]

Thanks, I think we'll leave the stroller. We won't stray too far (we'll have to come back to explore when the kids are older!)

 

Now I just need the price of the flights to come down!

 

Frankly, I think the stroller is priceless for the infant. Aboard the ship, if the baby is sleeping or restless, you can roll them around and park them (if sleeping) close by while eating at the MDR or something.

 

For several cruises, we brought the stroller along. It was a sturdy Maclaren umbrella stroller. It folds up nicely when having to get on a tender, and it was really useful for carrying our necessities and shopping bags at port (instead of hanging bags off of dad, i.e. ME, like a pack animal)

 

The problem with a backpack carrier (especially on a bright, sunny, Caribbean day) is the absence of something to keep the sun from beating down on the baby... especially if you're not lucky enough to get a nice shady spot... and if the older one wants to be carried, you can't stick him up on your shoulders if the baby is glued to your back (or front)... and in the heat... it IS like glue.

 

As a side note, because the rules for the pools on board say something about non-potty trained kids forbidden from the pools, many cruise critic members recommend a blow up pool thing for the little ones.

 

 

edit:

Oh... I think land based all inclusives end up being more expensive... at least, when I priced a cruise vs Beaches... the Cruise came out cheaper.

[Mack2]

I'm thinking of booking a cruise in January with a 7month old and a 3 year old. We've never cruised before so I don't really know what to expect.

 

I will most likely book with Carnival (price is a big factor). Right now i'm looking at either:

Destiny to Nassau, Half Moon Cay & Grand Turk

or

Destiny to Ocho Rios & Georgetown, Grand Cayman

 

Can anyone suggest which they would choose?

We most likely would not do any excursions, probably just find a close beach.

Any help is appreciated!

 

In regards to the destinations... Grand Cayman would be nice for the Turtle Farm... they have a fresh water pool and shower facilities there now, and of course, the turtles in the zoo area... but Ocho Rios is kinda... meh for the kids.. the activities there are for an older kid... if that.

 

Nassau, the Cay, and Grand Turk are great destinations... Beach destinations, but the Atlantis resort at Nassau has a GREAT aquarium to walk around in.

Additionally, I always like to rave about Ardastra Gardens.

 

This is why:

 

We didn't book an excursion to Ardastra, just kinda went there on our own.. missed the famous Marching Flamingos, but ended up meeting their trainer, and he let the kids interact with them.

They also have this area where you get to feed Lorie parrots... they fly up to you and eat apples right out of your hand.

[canadian85]

Frankly, I think the stroller is priceless for the infant. Aboard the ship, if the baby is sleeping or restless, you can roll them around and park them (if sleeping) close by while eating at the MDR or something.

 

For several cruises, we brought the stroller along. It was a sturdy Maclaren umbrella stroller. It folds up nicely when having to get on a tender, and it was really useful for carrying our necessities and shopping bags at port (instead of hanging bags off of dad, i.e. ME, like a pack animal)

 

The problem with a backpack carrier (especially on a bright, sunny, Caribbean day) is the absence of something to keep the sun from beating down on the baby... especially if you're not lucky enough to get a nice shady spot... and if the older one wants to be carried, you can't stick him up on your shoulders if the baby is glued to your back (or front)... and in the heat... it IS like glue.

 

As a side note, because the rules for the pools on board say something about non-potty trained kids forbidden from the pools, many cruise critic members recommend a blow up pool thing for the little ones.

 

 

I meant we would leave the stroller on the ship (if we just go to the beach in HMC & Grand Turk). Yes I think we might bring a small pool.

 

 

Now I'm kinda worried about the weather though. If it will be too cold to swim I think we'll be disappointed. I guess I can't really plan for that though!

[MamaParrotHead]

We went the first week of December/last week of November and it was fine for swimming. We've also gone April/May and it's just as great.

[momofdss]

 

Since it was brought up, has anyone been on all-inclusive and cruise with a baby to compare?

 

 

We are about to go on our first cruise, so I can't give you a comparison - but I can tell you that we absolutely LOVE all-inclusive vacations. We've been on several and feel it's definitely the way to go....

 

We went to Jamaica once at the Franklin D Resort. When you check in, your family is assigned a nanny for your children. She is there for you every day. Just for your kids. She shows up every morning around 8am and leaves around 5pm, but will stay later for "babysitting" for additional fees (something ridiculously cheap like $5hr). We went with 3 kids the youngest being about 8 or 9 at the time and figured they would balk at the idea of a nanny and that she would be "pushed" aside. But let me tell ya, they fell in love with her. She takes them on excursions (if you want her to), she takes them swimming, she is with them constantly, she follows YOUR direct orders in their care and management. Granted my kids were older than yours, I can honestly say that if we have thought of going back again with our now 3 yr old. We would trust her with our son completely. You control everything as far as what she can do. And she also is responsible for your room (cleaning, stocking your kitchen, etc).

 

They are a little on the pricey side, but I'm a stickler for research and if you can be flexible on dates, you can find a great deal. We went for 7nt 2 adults, 3 kids, out of New Orleans, routed to Miami to Jamaica, roundtrip, transfers to/from resort, all meals, ALL drinks, all taxes, all gratuities - for around $3,000.

 

And if you try to tip - they refuse!! Your tips are included so they are not allowed to accept them......

 

This way, you know the only extra money you need is souvenier money.....and excursion money....... we actually stay 3 more nights!!!