Carninval Vista Western Caribbean with 3 year old toddlers

[skgirls]

We will be in the Western Caribbean with my twin toddlers this March. I'm looking for any suggestions for Ocho Rios for an easy beach day. Someone here recommended Royal Palms in Grand Cayman, any experience there? Should we get a cabana? Did anyone experience any your time dining? We usually eat early, around 5:30. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[kitkat343]

Hi, I can't recommend an easy beach, but your kids might love Dolphin Cove (we took our son there when he was 2)

 

In Jamaica, we visited Dolphin Cove, which is an excellent stop for people with children or those who love animals. There are various swim with dolphin programs, and a dolphin touch programs for nonswimmers, pregnant women and children. The Princess tours do not allow children under the age of 8 to participate in dolphin touch programs, so if you want your children to participate in this excursion you would need to book it directly through the Dolphin Cove (and please don't tell them you are arriving on a cruise ship since previous trip advisor reviewers were refused booking when they told Dolphin cove they were traveling to Jamaica on a cruise). The Dolphin Cove has a lovely touch tank, where your child can hold starfish, and you can feed love birds by hand and get your photograph taken with lots of parrots on you. There is also an opportunity to take pictures with either sharks or stingrays. Please note the time of the shark show, since

this show is very bad and the performers in this are also the same people who help you pose with stingrays and sharks. You should visit the other attractions during the shark show, and for the 15 minutes prior to the shark show since the trainers are preparing for the show and can't help you touch the animals. Dolphin's Cove is also located right next to the spectacular Dunn's River Falls, which my family greatly enjoyed visiting. Lunch was excellent jerk chicken at Scotchie's. Richard Brooks at excursionochorios@gmail.com provided us with an excellent tour of Jamaica. He guided my family through Dunn's river falls, and helped my mother pick out an authentic Jamaican meal at Scotchies.

[cb at sea]

GC is an easy DIY day..no excursions needed. The buses on GC are fabulous...$2.50 pp...so easy, so efficient!

[skgirls]

Thank you for the great info! I e-mailed them. Carnival shows a dolphin cove encounter and it says children under 4 are free. My question is 6-hour tour sounds very long for my guys, wonder if we book through Carnival is it close enough just to take a taxi back to cruise ship if they get tired and such. Also, Dunn's river falls is it suitable for kids and elderly? My in-laws would most likely join too, FIL is almost 85. Thanks again!

[Essiesmom]

Climbing Dunn's River Falls would not be for young children and the elderly. You start at the bottom and climb up slippery rocks...Take your own water shoes. It's not easy. I took a tour on Princess and did not climb the falls. but you can walk down next to the falls and see them climbing. there are areas where you can dip your feet in and cool off, and some benches in the shade for rest. And in those places someone climbing could get out and walk the rest of the way. EM

[kitkat343]

We sailed Princess, so they may have more restrictions on Dolphin's Cove than Carnival. I don't remember exactly how close Dolphin's Cove is to the port, but I do know it is located very close to Dunn's River Falls. We absolutely did not take our 2 year old there, since it is wet and slippery, but our private driver took my son and I back to the ship, where my son took his nap. My husband and the grandparents went to Dunn's River Falls (grandparents in their 60s. They enjoyed walking along the bottom of the waterfall and did not climb but this is still wet and could be really tough with 3 year old twins) and Scotchie's (great jerk chicken) for the rest of the afternoon. Your party may wish to separate and Dunn's River falls is an excellent choice for part of your party once the twins have hit their limit. Our private tour cost less than the Princess tour, and let us do the dolphin touch program which we couldn't do on the ship tour for a child.