Western Caribbean with pre-teens

[FrogFritter]

We are sailing on the Magic and will be doing the western route. We will be bringing our children, DD11 & DS12.

We have never cruised with the kids before and know it will be a different experience and are looking forward to it.

 

I have read a ton of reviews but would like to ask for some additional information.

I am totally clueless as to what we should plan for ports. In the past we have done cave tubing in Belize, a Victor Bodden Tour with the monkeys in Roatan, been to Cozumel a few times and always just shop and drink and we missed Costa Maya due to weather.

 

My goal is to do something fun (even a beach day is good) but not go broke, plus we would like to visit some ruins but don't want to sit on a bus for a lot of hours.

 

Anything specific that you've done with kids that was amazing? Please tell me about it.

Thank you [emoji1]

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Edited August 15, 2016 by FrogFritter

[pjinaz]

I have taken my kids on cruises since they were 2 and 4, they are now 15 and 17 and love it. In Cozumel there are lots of beach clubs, Paradise Beach, Mr. Sancho, Nachi Cocum and probably a few others. All of these have been a hit with my family. Paradise is probably best for lots of activity and is affordable. They all have websites where you can check them out for yourself. I don't know what other ports you are visiting for sure. If you go to grand cayman the turtle farm is nice for kids, and the beaches are very nice. Where else are you stopping?

 

I'm sure you will have a great time.

[FrogFritter]

Thank you for the reply. I did read about those beach clubs in Cozumel- just wish there were just 1 so I didn't have to decide lol. Let's just say the joke in our house is that if I made a decision it is always the wrong one.

We are going to Cozumel, Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[Warm Breezes]

I also recommend Paradise Beach for Cozumel. We have done Theris Dixon Tours 2x in Roatan and loved it. You can customize to what you want.

[flyersfan1129]

We love Playa Mia Grand Beach Park in Cozumel. While it may not have gourmet food, it is indeed ALL inclusive. All of the water sports are included, all the drinks for the grown ups are included, and for a $10 tip your glass will never be empty. The souvenir photos are not included, but we got five GORGEOUS shots of our son for $25. We have been there twice, and would not hesitate to go back. We have also been to Mr. Sancho's, and it was nice, but the all inclusive there had lots of things that were not included in the all inclusive price.

[jediyoda9008]

For Costa Maya, I definitely recommend going to Maya Chan. All inclusive beach resort type place. I think its like $60 per adult and totally worth it! We went back in April and it was great! Open bar with good drinks, a lunch buffet with all you can eat tacos (chicken, fish, etc. all made right there and absolutely delicious!). Each family/group gets their own little cabana type thing with a couple of chairs, hammocks, etc.

[FrogFritter]

We love Playa Mia Grand Beach Park in Cozumel. While it may not have gourmet food, it is indeed ALL inclusive. All of the water sports are included, all the drinks for the grown ups are included, and for a $10 tip your glass will never be empty. The souvenir photos are not included, but we got five GORGEOUS shots of our son for $25. We have been there twice, and would not hesitate to go back. We have also been to Mr. Sancho's, and it was nice, but the all inclusive there had lots of things that were not included in the all inclusive price.

Oh this sounds great. I am going to check it out again. Thank you.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[FrogFritter]

For Costa Maya, I definitely recommend going to Maya Chan. All inclusive beach resort type place. I think its like $60 per adult and totally worth it! We went back in April and it was great! Open bar with good drinks, a lunch buffet with all you can eat tacos (chicken, fish, etc. all made right there and absolutely delicious!). Each family/group gets their own little cabana type thing with a couple of chairs, hammocks, etc.

This sounds doable. I don't mind flying by the seat of my pants on cruises but I want to make sure they have a good time. Thank you for your suggestion.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[FrogFritter]

I also recommend Paradise Beach for Cozumel. We have done Theris Dixon Tours 2x in Roatan and loved it. You can customize to what you want.

Thank you - a customizable tour sounds perfect in Roatan! I had thought about this but didn't want to jump on something that wasn't recommended.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[Seago2]

In Belize I would definitely do cave tubing again. Your kids are the perfect age for it. I've been three times, with kids each time. It's a lot of fun.

[cb at sea]

Go to your local library and check out a guidebook on your ports....libraries have them! Read up on what there is in each place BEFORE you start booking thing! You may find that you don't really need excursions to do what you want! Guidebooks tell you about beaches, shopping, food/drink, transportation, safety, etc. Good to know something about where you're going. Let the kids in on it, too...have THEM read the guidebooks, too!

[FrogFritter]

Go to your local library and check out a guidebook on your ports....libraries have them! Read up on what there is in each place BEFORE you start booking thing! You may find that you don't really need excursions to do what you want! Guidebooks tell you about beaches, shopping, food/drink, transportation, safety, etc. Good to know something about where you're going. Let the kids in on it, too...have THEM read the guidebooks, too!

Thanks - I think I will have them go tomorrow and look. I never thought about trying guide books lol forget those things with the darn internet.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[PoolSlider]

My kids are 2 years older than yours but I've found that splashing out a bit on experiences on vacation is worth the money. Taking the kids to visit Mayan ruins in the same year they studied Mayan culture was beneficial. Seeing howler monkeys in the canopy and dolphins and other "high impact" marine life gave them a real life introduction to biodiversity and the importance of preserving sanctuaries for other species. I'm not advocating giving up relaxation in favor of education but...yeah...maybe I am.

[FrogFritter]

My kids are 2 years older than yours but I've found that splashing out a bit on experiences on vacation is worth the money. Taking the kids to visit Mayan ruins in the same year they studied Mayan culture was beneficial. Seeing howler monkeys in the canopy and dolphins and other "high impact" marine life gave them a real life introduction to biodiversity and the importance of preserving sanctuaries for other species. I'm not advocating giving up relaxation in favor of education but...yeah...maybe I am.

Oh I totally understand what you're saying. I am just worried DS12 will ruin something educational by being miserable. I wish we had taken them prior to this age so they would have an idea of what it's about. All he is excited for is to see the arcade, use the waterslides and meet other kids. DD11 on the other hand wants to experience everything she can and will not complain at all. I think there are some ruins that are not too far from port that we might check out - I think that would be a good time for all.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[GradUT]

For Roatan, I HIGHLY recommend the Radical Adventures snorkeling tour. We went with our kids--older than yours-- and had a fabulous day. The owners and the crew are so friendly--your kids will enjoy talking with them. The sailing on the catamaran is good as is the snorkeling. And the food they freshly prepare for snacks and lunch is delicious. This tour was the highlight of our Caribbean cruise a couple of years ago.

 

http://www.svfreeradical.com/

[pjinaz]

All the ideas given here for Roatan are good. You can also just hang out at the beach at the port it is pretty nice and right off the ship along with shops. In Belize I would recommend having a tour like the cave tubing. To me there isn't much to do there and it's very hot. One cruise we stayed on the ship and had an extra sea day. It's been years since we went to Costa maya but we went to a scuba diving resort and spent the day ther. It was nice, but far from the port.

[jlfawley]

Cozumel....check out the amazing race. It was alot of fun for my kids a few years ago.

[tandemcruzr]

For Roatan, you may want to take a look at Little French Key (littlefrenchkey dot com)

[A&Jfamily]

We are sailing on the Magic and will be doing the western route. We will be bringing our children, DD11 & DS12.

We have never cruised with the kids before and know it will be a different experience and are looking forward to it.

 

I have read a ton of reviews but would like to ask for some additional information.

I am totally clueless as to what we should plan for ports. In the past we have done cave tubing in Belize, a Victor Bodden Tour with the monkeys in Roatan, been to Cozumel a few times and always just shop and drink and we missed Costa Maya due to weather.

 

My goal is to do something fun (even a beach day is good) but not go broke, plus we would like to visit some ruins but don't want to sit on a bus for a lot of hours.

 

Anything specific that you've done with kids that was amazing? Please tell me about it.

Thank you [emoji1]

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

My son's have been cruising since 2 and 8 respectively and are now 12 and 18, so I can confidently recommend:

 

Belieze - Altun Ha and River Wallace. You get the ruins and an awesome boat ride with all kinds of wildlife, all within and hour on a bus with AC.

 

In Roatan, you can do something again like Victor Bodden - mine loved the zip lining and the monkeys. But Island Marketing was even better because our driver took us to a place that let us hold a sloth, in addition to the monkeys and birds. We opted not to zip line but rather enjoy and island tour. Tabayana (West Bay Beach) is my favorite for snorkeling from the shore. This is the favorite port of both my boys so we always do something here.

 

As for Cozumel and Costa Maya, I would just make these beach days to save funds. There are lots of suggestions on the ports of call board, but my tween son was happy to just chill on the beach and snorkel at MoneyBar in Cozumel. But if you have more funds to blow, Chankanaab in Cozumel is a favorite too.

[Otowncruiser]

I also think Playa Mia is a great option. Water toys and all activities included. Last time we bought just the day pass for the kids (which includes all the activities but not food and drink) and my husband and i got the AI mainly for the drinks. Our kids were small so went ala cart with food for them.

 

We are booked on the Wild on Roatan Wildlife tour through Island Marketing for Roatan. $42 per adult, $32 per child includes admission to iguana farm, sloth/monkey hangout ,and a couple of other places and also goes to West Bay. Not sure if there will be others in pur group but our last tour with them was private.

[KatieCharlotte]

My 12-year-old votes for Paradise Beach in Cozumel. We've been there twice, and she'd love to go back. It's nice to pay one price for everything, including inflatables that are challenging enough for preteens, the pool, and snorkel gear.

 

When the kids were 8 and 11, we did the Mayan Ruins and River Wallace in Belize. The combination of a boat ride with animal sightings, a good chicken lunch, and climbing ruins was a hit, even with the 11-year-old who was previously opposed to the idea of learning on vacation. :D They still call this their favorite day ever.

 

In Roatan, we enjoyed a private tour with Victor Bodden, so I can't recommend anything different.

[OCruisers]

Take advantage of being docked at Mahogany Bay in Roatan. The beach and chairs are at no addition cost and the beach area would be fun for the pre-teens.

By saving on excursions $$ there you will have more to spend elsewhere. :D

[FrogFritter]

So many amazing ideas!! The Mayan Ruins & River Wallace sounds like it will please everyone.

That's a good idea to do the AI for adults and not the kids.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[CascaisCruiser]

We were in Cozumel last week and went to Paradise Beach. Between the water inflatables and the pool, my kids (8 & 13) loved it.

On our cruise last year, we did cave tubing in Belize and a zip-lining/beach excursion with Victor Bodden. They really enjoyed both of those also.

[FrogFritter]

I want to thank everyone for the replies. There are so many more ideas here than I had before.

I have been stalking the port of call boards for months but they were not as informative as this was. We are getting guide books today and sitting down this weekend to review everything here and make decisions.

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk