best itinerary for kids

[lauriedun]

My husband and I are considering taking our kids on our next cruise and were wondering what would be the best itinerary for kids. Our only decisions so far is that it will be Carnival and we will drive to the port. (We live in the midwest.) By "best itinerary" we mean safe, kid friendly activities that are preferably not too far from the port, and relatively inexpensive since there are five of us.

 

Also..any advice on "safe transportation" in port would be helpful. Open air taxis make me kind of nervous, as do some taxi drivers. Our kids are 2, 5, and 8 by the way.

 

Any advice is appreciated! My husband and I are experienced cruisers but have never taken the kids! (They are just now starting to complain about this! lol)

[crusinmama06]

To me, the Eastern Carib has the more YOUNGER kid friendly activities than Western Carib. I had a rough time finding excursions that would allow my young kids on them when we travel on the Western Carib itineraries.

[Travelitis]

We're just the opposite and prefer W Carib for affordable activities in port. The private island is always a good one, because it's a no-cost beach day with food right there at the beach. There might even be a playground. I think we saw that when we were on the Grand.

 

We like Cozumel because you can walk right off the ship to the shopping. Paradise Beach was an inexpensive cab ride, and the beach was free. The changing facilities were clean, and it was a very family-friendly place. We bought a round of drinks which cost less than on the ship. You can also rent a car and tour the island very easily and for much less than if you take a ship's tour. We have 5 also, so we know how that can really add up.

 

Grand Cayman is another port where you can affordably go on your own to a beach. Shopping is walking distance.

 

We've taken our kids to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, but they were older than yours. The youngest was 4 or 5 at the time. We went into town and walked around Costa Maya on our own. We went into stores where no English was spoken and had the most wonderful time. A man invited us to see how his shop made tortillas, and we went (after asking first) into a meat market where the meat was out in the open without regrigeration. Outside it smelled awful, but inside there was no bad smell at all. The locals were so friendly. It was the most educational experience our kids have had on vacation and a real eye-opener about the luxuries we have. We got to see a glimpse of real Mexico, but I don't know if it's still as unspoiled now that so many cruises stop there.