Pre-cruise Ramblings...

[canadaman111]

Canadaman- I'm born & raised in Toronto but I now live in Austin TX. We're also going on the Breeze in Sept.

 

We've made the drive from Toronto to Texas numerous times, including the winter. I agree with you- if bad weather is going to hit, I prefer to have my vehicle so I can plan to leave early, leave late, drive around weather... flying you are totally at their mercy!

 

Several people have mentioned different hotels- I'm big on the Marriott chain and there's a SpringHill Suites on Galveston, about 15 mins from the port where we stay when we're cruising. One thing to look for to help save costs is a hotel that includes breakfast- many of them have much more than just a continental breakfast now- omelets, waffles, breakfast burritos (you'll be in the south, after all!)... with 6 people breakfast included in the price is a big savings.

 

Several people have mentioned it, but I strongly advise you to log onto the Breeze webcam around 5 PM ET on a Sunday, and watch the sailaway of the Breeze- GUARANTEED to get the most bored cruiser excited about your trip!

 

As I mentioned, I lived in Toronto. And Texas. And Florida. And Chicago. We've made so many long distance road trips for vacations that we're expert at it now... even doing it with a second generation, my 8 yo grandson! if you plan it right and take lots of quick power breaks, bring lots of snacks and a cooler full of water and drinks, you can make it a great adventure... there's so much to see on the drive down here to Texas!

 

If you manage to get down to Galveston a day or 2 before the cruise, don't worry- there's tons of things to do to keep your family busy... swimming in the ocean if the weather permits- remember that at that time of year, it can be kind of cool here. Last week our temps dropped to 12 (-11 C) and tomorrow it's going to be 80 F (25C)... so lots of weather variation this time of year. Moody Gardens is another cool place.

 

One thing no one mentioned, is that from Dec to March that area of Galveston is prone to fog. It happens quite often and can play havoc on your departure/arrival time for the cruiseship. Last month the Breeze was stuck just outside Galveston harbor until late afternoon, and once all the new passengers got onboard, it was afternoon of the next day before they actually departed. Not to scare you, just to make you aware so you can plan accordingly (if the fog is bad at your hotel, check with Carnival and maybe stay at the hotel a bit longer than you would otherwise).

 

I spent several long weekends for a few summers as a teenager in Hanover with a girlfriend of mine... loved your area of the country!

 

 

Thanks for you post. I can't believe you spent time in little old Hanover, that is crazy!!

 

I think I have looked into the Springhill Suites in Galveston, and it doesn't hold 6 people. That seems to be the problem I am running into. Most hotels don't hold six people. The closest one to the port I have found is in Webster by NASA. I seems like it is only a 35-40 minute drive from there. We are still trying to decide if we should pre-book our rooms or just book them as we go. We can save a lot by pre-booking but is is then non-refundable so i am not sure what we are going to do yet

[pumpkin1172]

411 days until cruise

 

 

 

Has anybody bought the bottomless bubbles package? We are thinking of buying that for each of us. The older kids will definitely get their fill of pop. My wife and I aren't planning on to many "adult" drinks. With 4 kids to keep track of we aren't going to be drinking to much. Maybe 1 or 2 drinks a day we figure.

 

Hi Canadaman

 

I recently just got off my first cruise with my dd who is 22. With her being legal drinking age in the US, she wanted the cheers program. And because we were staying together, we both had to purchase it. ( She paid for her cheers program...momma paid for everything else ;) )

 

I have mixed feelings about it. Did it pay for us to use it. Yes and No. Which is not an easy answer. It was awesome, because we could order anything we wanted and not have to worry about what we were ordering. We hit the coffee bar everyday. It was great to have my favorite London Fogs. We could order bottles of water as well, which was nice while lounging on sea days.

 

If I was going on a longer cruise, or depending on who I was cruising with I would probably not purchase the cheers again. I'm not a big drinker, and on days when your in port, you don't have as many hours to consume alcohol.

 

It was nice knowing that I had paid all the gratuities at once, and not have to worry about how many beverages I was having and the gratuity over and over with each drink ordered.

 

Depending on what you drink, if your a beer drinker, don't purchase the cheers. They have beer specials that you can purchase ( buckets ) for cheaper than mixed drinks. They also have different mixed drinks on sale each day. The mixed drinks run around 8.95/drink. If you are in port, you do get charged a sales tax on top of that. Even with the cheers package. I'm mixed drink kind of gal. And we tried quite a few lol :eek: :D.

 

I hope this helps to answer your question. Like I said...I'm not a big drinker, so, if I was to cruise again, it would depend on who I was cruising with. If I was with the hubby...I would not purchase it, as He doesn't drink. If I was going with the daughter or on a girls trip and depending on the length of the trip, I probably would.

[Shaded Lady]

I buy the Bottomless Bubbles each cruise. You can buy an insulated Carnival mug from them- $6-7 each I think, but we bring our Carnival mugs with us now.

 

The cost is $6.50 per day per adult, plus 15% gratuity. It's 4.95/day for kids. Well worth it if you're a soda drinker like me. You can get it refilled at any bar and in the MDR. The one drawback some mention is that a lot of bars serve the soda from a can- it's warm, poured over ice and they complain it tastes watered down to them. I personally have never noticed that- in fact I find the consistency of buying my Diet Coke out of a can much better than what comes out of a fountain- too much syrup, not enough, too much CO2... out of a can I know what I'm getting.

 

Each person has to have their own BB sticker on their Sail & Sign card if they want to use the program. Trying to share is a pain and not worth the hassle, except maybe for your little one. If she drinks soda, it's probably better to just get a glass off your sticker and pour it into her sippy cup! Just note that you can only get one refill at a time, unless you bring all the S&S cards to the bar. Otherwise, they'll refuse you if you ask for 2...

Edited January 11, 2017 by Shaded Lady

[scoutfinch72]

Thanks for you post. I can't believe you spent time in little old Hanover, that is crazy!!

 

 

 

I think I have looked into the Springhill Suites in Galveston, and it doesn't hold 6 people. That seems to be the problem I am running into. Most hotels don't hold six people. The closest one to the port I have found is in Webster by NASA. I seems like it is only a 35-40 minute drive from there. We are still trying to decide if we should pre-book our rooms or just book them as we go. We can save a lot by pre-booking but is is then non-refundable so i am not sure what we are going to do yet

 

 

 

We are a family of 5 and frequently bring one of my nieces along to help with our kids when we travel. We have stayed at Springhill Suites in a bunch of states and all have had 2 queens and a double sofa bed. Our 2 boys have shared the sofa bed and been fine. They are some of the larger rooms and because it's a newer chain most of the hotels are new construction.

 

 

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[canadaman111]

We are a family of 5 and frequently bring one of my nieces along to help with our kids when we travel. We have stayed at Springhill Suites in a bunch of states and all have had 2 queens and a double sofa bed. Our 2 boys have shared the sofa bed and been fine. They are some of the larger rooms and because it's a newer chain most of the hotels are new construction.

 

 

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The spring hill suites Galveston website won't look you book 6 in a room. Even though it says their is 2 beds and a sofa bed. Maybe I have to call to get 6 in a room???

 

 

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[Warm Breezes]

411 days until cruise

 

Christmas is over, new years is over, 2017 is here. It won't be 2 long here and we will be at the one year mark. The first year has went fast and I sure this year will as well.

 

I think we have realized that our only option is to drive. Flying is just to expensive and complicated. To get a decent price we need to drive 8 hours to catch a plane. That is to far just to get to a airport.

 

Has anybody bought the bottomless bubbles package? We are thinking of buying that for each of us. The older kids will definitely get their fill of pop. My wife and I aren't planning on to many "adult" drinks. With 4 kids to keep track of we aren't going to be drinking to much. Maybe 1 or 2 drinks a day we figure.

 

There are still no excursions listed on Carnival's site. From what I have read we should see some coming u soon. We are looking forward to that. We still figure we will just book one beach day on one of the three islands.

 

We don't find the Bottomless Bubbles worth it for us. Our kids don't drink pop at all (their choice), so worthless for them. DH and I drink pop, but I like the ice tea and DH likes the lemonade on board so if we do get a craving for pop we just purchase one (usually only happens once or twice a cruise). Another reason is you can still bring cans of pop on board Carnival Cruises. We used to bring a couple 1 ltr bottles just to keep in the room if we got thirsty at night but those are no longer allowed. We discovered the 8 pk 7.5 oz cans before our last Carnival Cruise and they worked out great. Perfect for the middle of the night thirst and easy to carry on an 8 pk of diet for me and Sprite for DH.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Warm Breezes

[watermelonqueen99]

OP, since you have small children, look into the Hilton Rose Hall through Resort for a Day in Montego Bay. It has a gorgeous beach, it's all inclusive, and has an amazing lazy river and water slide. We're going back there for the second time in August.

[Morgan3701]

Do plan for fog. I love sailing out of Galveston but coming back into port to car or shuttle can be delayed by fog conditions

 

Hilton Rose Hall is wonderful. We stayed at the all inclusive but when cruise passengers came in there was plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the water. It has beach, beautiful gardens and Lazy River.

[dan4182]

We live just NE of Houston. The fog can occur year round but seems to be worse in the Fall and Winter (October through March). It's not as bad in the Summer and early Fall.

 

 

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[tgirl25]

We are driving from Ontario Canada to Galveston. It will be roughly 24 hours

Hate to say it but plan for much longer. I am in the Chicagoland area and it took me about 21hrs in late Dec early Jan to drive each way to Orlando(14hrs the 1st day, 7 the 2nd) and I was exhausted by time I arrived and just wanted to go lay down.

 

Maybe you like driving better then I do, but TBH I will take flying any day over driving especially with kids kicking my seat and asking if I am there yet. Plus on long road trips I always seem to get pulled over, so that is never helpful either.

 

I would personally do the drive to Chicago and fly in, 8hrs driving is alot better then 24 especially in winter here. The issue then is delayed flights and and parking(Ohare is spendy but I can make suggestions). But again this is just me. I will never again drive to Orlando, the snowstorm I drove back in on the 65 through Indiana had us playing the game "What side?"(which is guessing which side of the road the next car off the road will be on, we were doing about 30MPH due to the high winds and snow so it took 2 extra hours to get home(23hrs) in Jan of 2015. So you will need to plan for more time. Your 24hr drive is likely to be more of 30hrs in the wnter, and driving to Chicago more like 10ea way, however cutting 20hrs approx off might be worth it since driving with a carload of kids could head you for an accident and not even make it to the cruise...

 

Either way GL and keep checking prices. Southwest is only cheaper on Tuesdays, and Spirit you have to prepay for bags to get the best price, they tend to be the cheapest out of ORD

 

My suggestion is plan a trip this summer that is far, see how you feel about driving 8-10hrs 3 days in a row. I am good the 1st one up to 14, but I really hate a 2nd day of driving even if I only drove 6-7hrs

[bburk00]

Just wanted to chime in on your journey. We live in PA and originally from Texas. As far as ice/snow just be aware that southern states don't really have the infrastructure to clear the roads as they do up north. So snow/ice shuts down pretty much everything. I wouldn't let that worry you though because huge ice storms are few and far between unless you are going through the Panhandle.

 

My wife doesn't fly so we drive every where. All of our family still lives in Texas so we do the 24 hour drive from PA every now and then. We've also driven down to Florida multiple times to either cruise or go to Disney. The drive is nice, I love driving and as long as you consider it as part of the adventure then it's really fun.

 

We went on our first cruise in May of 2016, 16 hour drive to Port Canaveral. It was such a blast that as soon as we got back we booked a cruise from New York to Saint John NB for October 2016. Now we have one for April 2017 from Baltimore, October 2017 from New York, May 2018 from Baltimore and October 2018 from Baltimore. So yes, we fell hard for cruising. Absolutely love it.

 

We have 2 boys so not quite as large as your family, ages 13 and 7. But if you guys really enjoy cruising you should look at sailing on the Pride from Baltimore or whatever they are going to put in New York since they've removed the Sunshine.

 

I spend at least an hour a day reading cruise boards, watching youtube review, etc. It's very addictive. I look forward to hearing more about your adventure.

[canadaman111]

Just wanted to chime in on your journey. We live in PA and originally from Texas. As far as ice/snow just be aware that southern states don't really have the infrastructure to clear the roads as they do up north. So snow/ice shuts down pretty much everything. I wouldn't let that worry you though because huge ice storms are few and far between unless you are going through the Panhandle.

 

My wife doesn't fly so we drive every where. All of our family still lives in Texas so we do the 24 hour drive from PA every now and then. We've also driven down to Florida multiple times to either cruise or go to Disney. The drive is nice, I love driving and as long as you consider it as part of the adventure then it's really fun.

 

We went on our first cruise in May of 2016, 16 hour drive to Port Canaveral. It was such a blast that as soon as we got back we booked a cruise from New York to Saint John NB for October 2016. Now we have one for April 2017 from Baltimore, October 2017 from New York, May 2018 from Baltimore and October 2018 from Baltimore. So yes, we fell hard for cruising. Absolutely love it.

 

We have 2 boys so not quite as large as your family, ages 13 and 7. But if you guys really enjoy cruising you should look at sailing on the Pride from Baltimore or whatever they are going to put in New York since they've removed the Sunshine.

 

I spend at least an hour a day reading cruise boards, watching youtube review, etc. It's very addictive. I look forward to hearing more about your adventure.

 

Thanks for your Post. There seems to be 2 types of people, those who enjoy long distance driving and those who don't. I have only done one long distance multi day drive. That was the first time we went to Disney. 15 hour driving days didn't bother me at all. I am 10 years older now, so maybe that will make a difference.

 

P.S. We are 400 days out today!!!!!!!

[Warm Breezes]

Thanks for your Post. There seems to be 2 types of people, those who enjoy long distance driving and those who don't. I have only done one long distance multi day drive. That was the first time we went to Disney. 15 hour driving days didn't bother me at all. I am 10 years older now, so maybe that will make a difference.

 

P.S. We are 400 days out today!!!!!!!

 

Agree. DH and I love to do road trips. Luckily our kids were/are good travelers. If your kids are good travelers and you are prepared for a long trip then you should have no issues.

 

We have mixed it up over the years, sometimes driving (up to 24 hours to Miami) and sometimes flying (if I found a great deal). This past year really tested us on our love of driving though. We started out with a road trip to New Orleans for a our Dream Cruise (12 hours each way). Then DS(22) moved to Minot, ND for his first post college job and DH and DD made the road trip to move him (16 hours each way). DS(22) car blew up a month later (the car dad helped him pick out when he moved) so we bought him a new car here (he is faithfully paying us back) and DH made another trip to Minot and back to deliver the new car to him. We then drove to Minneapolis (8 hours each way) to meet DS half way for a Tigers/Twins game. Then it was off again in October to New York (12 hours each way) for our Sunshine cruise and finally another trip to Minot to bring my mother to visit DS for Thanksgiving. We are currently looking at renting a house in Orlando in May and a cruise from Miami in September....I told DH we were flying this year :p:D.

Edited January 21, 2017 by Warm Breezes

[tgirl25]

Agree. DH and I love to do road trips. Luckily our kids were/are good travelers. If your kids are good travelers and you are prepared for a long trip then you should have no issues.

 

We have mixed it up over the years, sometimes driving (up to 24 hours to Miami) and sometimes flying (if I found a great deal). This past year really tested us on our love of driving though. We started out with a road trip to New Orleans for a our Dream Cruise (12 hours each way). Then DS(22) moved to Minot, ND for his first post college job and DH and DD made the road trip to move him (16 hours each way). DS(22) car blew up a month later (the car dad helped him pick out when he moved) so we bought him a new car here (he is faithfully paying us back) and DH made another trip to Minot and back to deliver the new car to him. We then drove to Minneapolis (8 hours each way) to meet DS half way for a Tigers/Twins game. Then it was off again in October to New York (12 hours each way) for our Sunshine cruise and finally another trip to Minot to bring my mother to visit DS for Thanksgiving. We are currently looking at renting a house in Orlando in May and a cruise from Miami in September....I told DH we were flying this year :p:D.

 

Wow, what a year. Orlando is great. check out OrlandoDreamVacation dot net, have rented their homes before and they are big, the theming on point and the pool is pretty awesome to.

 

Yeah, I am getting used to driving but it is not my favorite. I just don't find it overly relaxing to always be on guard if others are not driving well, or becoming distracted myself by conversation or what not. At times it is just more cost effective, but other times I worry that if I get a flat how easy will it be to change the tire with all the crap in my trunk. What if my car overheats or has some other issue so I always get it in for a pre-trip checkup. In the end you just have to weigh out what it will cost verses 1 way or the other and if the 1 way is actually worth the price difference. Now that it is just me alot of times driving is foolish, but when I have others and the time it can be worth it and the drive.

 

Example, solo cruise in about 2wks. I am flying and have arranged flying in the day prior, getting a room, and shuttles to and from port. Not worth driving solo for a 21hr drive in winter. ***However, I am going with family in Oct so the 4 of us are driving down in a straight shot to get to Mobile, about 13hrs and then night in hotel followed by the cruise and hella long drive home after. Air into Mobile is 350-400pp without baggage allowance for coach. We can drive and get hotel for about the same price as 1 airline ticket, so for that it is worth it.

 

I think the more people you have the more worth it it generally is to drive. I just worry in winter about what could go wrong and how that could ruin my cruise. Flaying can to but is a good reason to not take the last flight flying in the day prior...

 

Anyway good luck, maybe it will be a mild winter next year like this has been so far, who knows

[Shaded Lady]

The spring hill suites Galveston website won't look you book 6 in a room. Even though it says their is 2 beds and a sofa bed. Maybe I have to call to get 6 in a room???

 

 

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I just tried to make reservations at the Spring Hill Suites in Galveston- they won't allow you to book just one night. Minimum 2 night stay, at least on a Saturday night (I'm guessing they know they have a captive clientele with the cruise ships coming in on Sunday).

 

Regardless if you can get a place that has 2 queen beds and a sofa bed, tell them you're sleeping 4, not 6! Once you're in there, you can always ask for extra towels & pillows, and the bedding for the sofa bed is always in one of the closets. That might work for you, especially considering the little one doesn't really count as a whole person LOL!

[canadaman111]

I just tried to make reservations at the Spring Hill Suites in Galveston- they won't allow you to book just one night. Minimum 2 night stay, at least on a Saturday night (I'm guessing they know they have a captive clientele with the cruise ships coming in on Sunday).

 

 

 

Regardless if you can get a place that has 2 queen beds and a sofa bed, tell them you're sleeping 4, not 6! Once you're in there, you can always ask for extra towels & pillows, and the bedding for the sofa bed is always in one of the closets. That might work for you, especially considering the little one doesn't really count as a whole person LOL!

 

 

That is an idea

 

 

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[dan4182]

Thanks for your Post. There seems to be 2 types of people, those who enjoy long distance driving and those who don't. I have only done one long distance multi day drive. That was the first time we went to Disney. 15 hour driving days didn't bother me at all. I am 10 years older now, so maybe that will make a difference.

 

 

 

P.S. We are 400 days out today!!!!!!!

 

 

Canadaman111, when you get to the 45-30 days out point reach out to me on this forum and I'll give you some travel tips about restaurants, service stations, etc that are unique to the Houston-Galveston area.

 

Enjoy your trip, the anticipation and planning are part of the fun.

 

 

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[canadaman111]

Canadaman111, when you get to the 45-30 days out point reach out to me on this forum and I'll give you some travel tips about restaurants, service stations, etc that are unique to the Houston-Galveston area.

 

Enjoy your trip, the anticipation and planning are part of the fun.

 

 

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Thanks man. I appreciate that

 

 

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[canadaman111]

368 days until the cruise

1 year from today we will be on our way by this time in the morning on our way to Texas. I am really looking forward to the 3 day drive at this point. We just drove to Montreal a few weeks ago for a hockey game. It was a 7 hour drive for us each way. I enjoyed it.

My wife just had her gall bladder out last week. I had my hernia fixed back in November, so we should be both ready medically for the cruise.

Cruise planning has been a bit on the back burner recently. I honestly feel like I am ready to pack up and go. I have done a lot of research in the last year since we booked. I am sure though I can learn more. We are just kind of waiting for excursions to be released at this point. We are just going to book one excursion. We want to do a beach day in either Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, or Cozumel.

That is all I have for now. Sorry if these posts are getting kind of boring......

[dawnjam1]

I have spent the last hour and a half reading these posts and have enjoyed it!

 

I also live in the Houston area. As an experienced cruiser and mother of 4 I can give you some tips as well. First of all, do what you feel comfortable doing as far as your travel plans, however, bring more money than planned and give yourself a time cushion. That trip BACK to Canada is going to be the hardest part of the trip making it to the point that you need a vacation to recover from your vacation! LOL!

 

Hotels - Stay in Webster or Texas City or even North of Houston in Humble or Kingwood if coming on 59 or Conroe or The Woodlands if using I45. The drive will have little traffic going to the port the next morning and it will give you a little better rest and probably save you money on lodging and food as well. Also, as a very experienced traveler, you DO NOT have to book a room for 6. You need to book a room for 4 and ask for a couch bed as well. If there is not one available, the less expensive option is to throw 2 twin air mattresses into the back of the car and use those. They are VERY affordable to purchase.

 

Let me give you some inexpensive ideas to give your kids a taste of all of the countries you are paying to visit. We too, try to keep to a budget. We plan one big excursion and two beach days normally. Having done your itinerary many, many times I would recommend the following:

 

Jamaica - take a van (cab) on your own to Dr. Cave's beach. Get there early enough to rent chairs and enjoy the day. It is super inexpensive (even for 6) and they have great facilities. The food is very reasonable as well but we normally just eat a big breakfast and have a late lunch once back on the ship (taking snacks we brought on board in our bags like peanut butter crackers, etc). We have done the big Carnival and others excursions but I hate feeling trapped for the day as well!

 

Grand Cayman - This is usually our big excursion day (we usually have 6-10 ppl and rent a private charter yacht for the day totaling about $600 or $60-$100 pp for the day). The guide will take us to the stingrays and other points we decide to go to our can just take us to places they want us to see. It is reasonable enough for us price wise and they always say this is the best part of the trip. VERY laid back.

 

However, for a less expensive option there is the public bus to the beach and back. VERY affordable and very nice. Cayman is a lovely place and safer than most any place you can travel.

 

Cozumel - There are a few options here that would be great for your family....first off....if you want something EXTREMELY memorable I would splurge here for the Dolphin swim. I would book it on my own and take a taxi to the park. You also get a meal with this and time on the beach at the park after. Or you can eat, look around and go back to the shopping at the port and restaurants to hang out. Not really sure if the little one can do the swim but maybe the encounter!

 

Another option would be going to Paradise or Mr. Sanchos. My kids love the water park options and the price for not doing it all inclusive is VERY reasonable. We do AI but book on our own with taxi as well.

 

You are going to have a great trip! Since you are driving you can bring some extras to keep your room more organized and save money! Be sure to research those too!

 

Have a FANTASTIC trip!

 

Dawn

[canadaman111]

I have spent the last hour and a half reading these posts and have enjoyed it! I also live in the Houston area. As an experienced cruiser and mother of 4 I can give you some tips as well. First of all, do what you feel comfortable doing as far as your travel plans, however, bring more money than planned and give yourself a time cushion. That trip BACK to Canada is going to be the hardest part of the trip making it to the point that you need a vacation to recover from your vacation! LOL!

 

Hotels - Stay in Webster or Texas City or even North of Houston in Humble or Kingwood if coming on 59 or Conroe or The Woodlands if using I45. The drive will have little traffic going to the port the next morning and it will give you a little better rest and probably save you money on lodging and food as well. Also, as a very experienced traveler, you DO NOT have to book a room for 6. You need to book a room for 4 and ask for a couch bed as well. If there is not one available, the less expensive option is to throw 2 twin air mattresses into the back of the car and use those. They are VERY affordable to purchase.

 

Let me give you some inexpensive ideas to give your kids a taste of all of the countries you are paying to visit. We too, try to keep to a budget. We plan one big excursion and two beach days normally. Having done your itinerary many, many times I would recommend the following:

 

Jamaica - take a van (cab) on your own to Dr. Cave's beach. Get there early enough to rent chairs and enjoy the day. It is super inexpensive (even for 6) and they have great facilities. The food is very reasonable as well but we normally just eat a big breakfast and have a late lunch once back on the ship (taking snacks we brought on board in our bags like peanut butter crackers, etc). We have done the big Carnival and others excursions but I hate feeling trapped for the day as well!

 

Grand Cayman - This is usually our big excursion day (we usually have 6-10 ppl and rent a private charter yacht for the day totaling about $600 or $60-$100 pp for the day). The guide will take us to the stingrays and other points we decide to go to our can just take us to places they want us to see. It is reasonable enough for us price wise and they always say this is the best part of the trip. VERY laid back.

 

However, for a less expensive option there is the public bus to the beach and back. VERY affordable and very nice. Cayman is a lovely place and safer than most any place you can travel.

 

Cozumel - There are a few options here that would be great for your family....first off....if you want something EXTREMELY memorable I would splurge here for the Dolphin swim. I would book it on my own and take a taxi to the park. You also get a meal with this and time on the beach at the park after. Or you can eat, look around and go back to the shopping at the port and restaurants to hang out. Not really sure if the little one can do the swim but maybe the encounter!

 

Another option would be going to Paradise or Mr. Sanchos. My kids love the water park options and the price for not doing it all inclusive is VERY reasonable. We do AI but book on our own with taxi as well.

 

You are going to have a great trip! Since you are driving you can bring some extras to keep your room more organized and save money! Be sure to research those too!

 

Have a FANTASTIC trip!

 

Dawn

 

 

Thank you for your reply. It is very informative

[hishorselover]

I love the planning too and thought I was in the minority! I am so frustrated that my husband has zero interest in planning and even talking about our trip!!!

[canadaman111]

I love the planning too and thought I was in the minority! I am so frustrated that my husband has zero interest in planning and even talking about our trip!!!

 

My wife has got much more interested in talking/planning the trip in the last little bit.

[dan4182]

My wife has got much more interested in talking/planning the trip in the last little bit.

 

 

Canadaman111, you will be coming for your cruise close to the end of our morning fog season in Galveston (Dec to Feb).

 

There is a small possibility of morning fog in late February/early March. This can delay the ship getting into port to discharge the passengers from the prior cruise and delay your departure that evening.

 

Ditto to the suggestion that you spend the night before embarkation an hour or two outside of Galveston. Room rates are cheaper the further from Galveston that you get.

 

 

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[AmberMarie]

We love Tremont in Galveston because we like to bar hop for a couple hours at the cute little bars in downtown-- play pool, listen to live bands, etc. We also enjoy the rooftop bar at our hotel when the weather is nice. But we pay the price for the Galveston hotel because it's part of our vacation experience.

 

 

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