Paradise or Pleasure?

[junglejim1]

We are taking our first cruise June 5th on the Miracle to celebrate 25th. Taking our children, (20 and 15).

 

Am undecided between Passion Island and Pardise Beach.

 

Your recommendation appreciated.

 

Thanks

[sugar n spice]

We are taking our first cruise June 5th on the Miracle to celebrate 25th. Taking our children, (20 and 15).

 

Am undecided between Passion Island and Pardise Beach.

 

Your recommendation appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

I've never been to Passion Island but I have been to Paradise Beach. I highly recommend Paradise Beach. Your children will enjoy it as well as you. We went last year just DH and I and loved it. This year, we took our 19 year old DD. She had the best time. It was her favorite place.

[lindalu62]

Been to Passion

It is awesomely beautiful, but drawbacks...

took us about 1 1/2 hour to get there and then back (waiting for all the late cruisers to get to the bus!!!)

expensive

too short of a time on the beach

no pool or activities really

Food was great, drinks were great, staff very friendly!! Beach, awesome!

 

Check out Nachi Cocum also!! Has all that PB has, plus nice pool, swim up bar, hot tub, all inclusive feature, less crowds.

[CozSally]

Here's what I wrote on this topic last October. Although some of the prices may have changed a bit, the conclusion is still the same:

Up until recently I had friends who worked at both, so I never weighed in on a question like this. I still have the friends, but one is no longer working at Passion Island. Now, let me be clear, I have never been to Passion Island. However, at a minimum $69 per person, this tour has always felt rather expensive to me. Let's run through an example:

 

One couple pays at least $138 to go to Passion Island. They go when they're told, they return when they are told. The food is buffet style with limited choices. Beach lounges are the hard plastic curvy kind, non-adjustable. No snorkeling.

 

Another couple goes to Paradise Beach. For argument's sake let's say they dock at Punta Langosta, the dock furthest from PB. They pay $13 in cab fare. They go when they're ready, be it 7am or 2pm. They each drink 5 foo-foo drinks at $6.50 each, plus $5 each to use all the water toys: floating mats, sea kayaks, iceberg climb and water trampoline. Amazingly comfortable beach lounges with quality umbrellas are free of charge. Snorkeling is limited but present. While there, they order a plate of nachos supreme (and they ARE supreme) to snack on ($8), then dine on Shrimp Scampi ($18) and a grilled 14 oz certified Black Angus rib eye ($24). When they feel like it, they take a cab back to the ship for another $13. The total including the most expensive drinks and meals, comes to $151.

 

A more typical couple goes to PB, has a couple of buckets of beer (price not listed, I'm guessing $12 each bucket?), a certified Black Angus half pound burger with melted american cheddar cheese ($10) and a fish sandwich with spiced grilled fish of the day ($9). Including water toys and round trip cab fare, their total comes to $79.

 

When you figure kids into the mix, Passion Island becomes an even more expensive option.

 

Just my 2 cents, or $151 worth :)

[solita]

Being one of those friends Sally is referring to, I can honestly say that there isn't much for kids that age to do on Passion Island. They would have a MUCH better time at Paradise Beach. Food is much better there anyway!

[junglejim1]

Thanks for the info. Every inicator points to PB. I am sure my children will like it better as well as my wallet. Perhaps Passion next time when its just the two of us.

 

We'll look into Nachi Cocum but looks like PB is going to be a winner.

 

Thanks to all. Just joined this board and it looks like a great resource.

 

Jim

[hollym]

Wish I could say I'd been to Paradise Beach, but since DH and I are scheduled to visit Coz this month, we'll be sure to drop by for a look-see and a better comparison.

 

I would have to say that hubby and I have been to Passion Island twice at different times of the year and loved every bloomin minute of it! We both felt it was well worth the $ spent as the beach is totally gorgeous and not at all overcrowded. It is pretty much limited to cruise ship passengers as you have to take the bus and then a barge over to the island. They do stagger the arrival times so as to avoid overcrowding on the beach which we did appreciate.

 

Both times, we found comfortable places to sit in chairs in the shade of palm tree huts. There are also hammocks along the shoreline under the trees. The restroom facilities are clean and you can rinse off afterwards with a shower, though you might find the water a little cool. The beach is positively beautiful, calm and swimmable, which I would think would be great for kids. That said, I wouldn't say it would be very good for snorkeling, but I did see quite a few people go out aways offshore, where there is a sandbar. Perhaps they saw more fish than I did. I saw lots of one kind of fish.

 

Drinks were readily available right there on the beach (yum) and the buffet lunch was delicious with quite a variety of food including chicken and fish, chips and salsa, fresh fruit and green salad. You eat with your ship's group as there are several open air dining pavillions. The staff was very accommodating. We also noted none in our group of four suffered any food-borne ill effects afterwards. I doubt the cruise ships would book this as a shore excursion if they got folks in sickbay after their visit.

 

Don't know why it would take any cruise ship bus that long to get to the island as we've always found our transit time to be around half an hour (Celebrity) and we found our stay to be of just the right amount of time. We went back to the ship refreshed and we liked not having to worry about getting back on time on our own.

 

Different strokes I guess, for different folks. Either way, it seems you'll have a great time. :D

[sugar n spice]

..... and we found our stay to be of just the right amount of time. .....

 

Wish I could say that about our visit to PB. It's never been long enough to suit me. Not any fault of PB though. I have to claim that. :(

 

(I don't know how to add the little icon pictures to my messages or I'd add one of those.....the sad face.)

[sugar n spice]

Wish I could say that about our visit to PB. It's never been long enough to suit me. Not any fault of PB though. I have to claim that. :(

 

(I don't know how to add the little icon pictures to my messages or I'd add one of those.....the sad face.)

 

OH!!! It worked! I was just clickin' away trying to figure out how to add that little icon. I don't know how I didit. I've tried it time and again before now but this is the first time I've accomplished that task!

Wooo-hoooooo!!!