1st time cruisers bringing the kids, too! Any advice?

[boobear]

This will be our first cruise (carnival, esctasy 4/4) and we will be bringing our 3 kids ages 14, 11 & 6. Any advice, tips or excursions not to miss out on? Thanks for ANY tips & advice!

[tarbashchaputi]

Hey there,

 

We travel with our 3 year old all the time. There is lots to do with the kids on the Carnival Ships. Specifically the Camp Carnival Program was outstanding! You should have a great time with them.

[cali-croozer]

Go to the Camp Carnival meeting the first night to sign up your 6 year old and get the schedule (if it's during dinner time, just pop in, sign up and get the schedule). Make your 11 and 14 year olds go to their meet and greet (not sure of the age groups--check the Carnival Capers when you board, the ship's newsletter). At their age, they can attend alone. At the meet and greet, they will meet the Camp Carnival counselors for their age group and make friends. They'll also be given the Camp Carnival schedule for their age group. Camp Carnival is a pick and choose thing........they are sure to find at least a few activities they will want to participate in.

 

Don't buy a soda card for the kids unless they are big soda drinkers. There are lots of free drinks for them (juice, milk, chocolate milk, lemonade, punch). The 6 year old and 11 year old can get a free soda in the dining room at dinner, but you may have to request it.

 

The picture they take of your family, upon boarding, makes a nice first page for a vacation scrapbook. Be sure to take lots of pictures on formal night. There is no obligation to buy, but you'll probably find one that you just have to have.

 

Buy lanyards for your kids so they can hang their sail and sign card (room key) around their neck (especially for the older ones).

 

Speaking of sail and sign card, you don't have to activate the kids cards. They can be room only keys. There is really nothing they need to buy on the ship. If they want to use the arcade, give them a daily budget or have them bring their own money.

[yst347]

You have a long day in Cozumel so you have many options open to you. Cozumel is one of our favorite ports. We have been there many times. What sort of things are of interest to your family? beach? snorkeling? shopping?

 

We have not taken a cruise that stops in Playa del Carmen yet so I have less personal knowledge to offer. I can tell you that if you are interested in seeing the Mayan ruins in Tulum you are much better off doing it from Playa than from Cozumel.

 

My mother-in-law may come to visit next fall. We are considering taking her on the Ecstacy for her first cruise. Please keep us posted on your experience. We live in Tomball, just north of Houston.

 

yst

[boobear]

This is such a wonderful place to get advise! Thank you so much for the tips. I think most seasoned cruisers forget what it's like to be the 1st timers again. Little things like the kids getting their own sail & sign card...I didn't even realize they got one, let alone that I could have it only activated as a room key.

 

Our interests on port will be beach, oldest would like to snorkel, some sightseeing and of course, shopping!

 

Again, great advise so far....keep it coming...I think I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

[cali-croozer]

Regarding sail and sign cards....yes, everyone in your family will be issued one. It is not only a room key, but a charge card (for the adults, kids-optional on this one), and your identification for getting on and off the ship. So, Mom----collect everyone's cards on port days because you'll need them to get off and on the ship.

 

 

For Cozumel, I recommend Chankanaab. It is a $10 taxi ride each way, per taxi, and $12 per person to get in (your younger children may be cheaper, I'm not sure). The snorkeling is great there (you can bring you own equipment or rent theirs). There are no vendors on the beach to bother you, but there's a small shopping "village" with reasonably priced goods. There is a long strip of sand with lay down chairs and palapas for shade. There's also a nature walk with replica mayan ruins and a small museum. There is a restaurant and a couple of bars. Also, a small mini golf course (about $2 to play). The bathrooms are very clean. One note: to enter the water, you must walk down rocky steps, so be sure to bring water shoes. There is a small sandy entrance to the water that families with small children hang out at. We really had a relaxing time at Chankanaab.

[yst347]

I will keep my comments to Cozumel as I know it well, hopefully others will comment on Playa del Carmen.

 

The Ecstacy is scheduled to be in port from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. This gives you alot of time to do different things. You can spend the day on a beach and spend the evening in San Miguel, or just spend the evening at the pier or on the ship if you are worm out after the beach.

 

Mr. Sancho's beach club is a very nice beach. No admission is charged, they have a good restaurtant and bar as well as plenty of beach chair. The use of the beach chairs is free. You can rent things like jet ski's. The snorkeling can be iffy here as it is on the southern tip of the island and currents often make the water cloudy. Here is a link:

 

http://www.mrsanchos.com/

 

Chankanaab park is a lovely nature reserve. The snorkeling here is excellent. The Dolphin encounter is also here. If you want to swim with the dolphins you will need to make a reservation or book through the ship. You can read about the Dolphin encounter at this link from Cozumel Insider's website.

 

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/Ddenc?From=Activities

 

San Miguel, the only city/town on the island is very nice. It is well worth a stroll in the evening. You will also find some terrific restaurants. One of our favorites is Pancho's Backyard in the Los Cinco Soles. They have also openned a restaurant in the shopping complex at the pier but we have not eaten there. They have a coupon you can print for a free margurita, YUMMY!

 

http://www.loscincosoles.com/panchosbackyard/home.htm

 

All of these are doable by cab. Cab rates are fixed on the island. Charges are by zone not per person. Mr. Sancho's is about $12, Chankanaab is about $10 and San Miguel was $7 on our last trip (nov 2003) though I have read this has increased to about $10.

 

Anyway, this should give you a start. Happy cruising!

 

yst

[tiggerificandi]

We have taken our children on cruises in the past and I am taking the youngest this spring break on the ecstasy 3/7/05. She is 12.

 

The first time we took the kids (6 and 7) on a cruise they didn't want to leave camp carnival to go onto the island. We had to drag them out of there. Now they know ... it will still be there when they get back.

 

The last time we went, the kids were 10, 12, 15. They all went their seperate ways with their own age group. We sat at the same table pretty much so they knew where to find us most of the time. If we weren't there, we were napping in the room. Your 6 year old will have to be signed in and out of the camp carnival by you or your spouse. The others I would give the times that they must check in with you. We would tell us to meet us for lunch on deck, or at 5 to get ready for dinner, etc.

 

We always do our own excursions on cruises. Cozumel is really easy. You could rent a car as it is so small an island, but I haven't done that yet. We went to Chankanaab the first time we went, then went back to the ship for lunch, and then back out to shop and very much enjoyed Carlos O Charlies. We sat with other shipmates and danced and had a great time buying shots for other people in the restaurant. The second time in Cozumel we just shopped as it was our 4th city on the cruise, and we were exhausted. So we shopped and went to Carlos O Charlies again. No kids with us on either Cozumel trip though. This time with the 12 year old, I think I will take her to Chankanaab and enjoy the day there and then some shopping.

 

At Playa (calico) we will most likely walk to the highway from port and WAVE down a bus and get off at Tulum, then take a bus back to calico or stop somewhere on the way. If I there were more than two of us however I would rent a car when getting off the ship so that I could check out a lot of locations. I got the executive rental info from another message, and wrote them about the prices for calico. I still might do that especially if we can find some other cruisers interested in sharing a rental.

 

One thing that I have forgotten to do is to make business cards for the kids. They always meet so many people on the cruises. I think it is the best way for them to hand out their contact info to other preteens/teens. Just put their first name, and email address on it to share with friends they make on the ship.

 

Also, we enjoy doing the formal nights with the kids. Great opportunity for a family photo! Gives them great practice in dining formally as well.

[kstrickman]

You might want to get a set of walkie talkies. They're great for locating the kids.