Trying to choose the most "family friendly" cruise...

[MamaParrotHead]

Debating between Glory Western, Legend Western and Splendor Eastern. Travelling with kids 3.5, 5.5 and 9. Also with my grandma, 80, and people ranging from ages 28-60.

 

I'm thinking there wouldn't be much for us to do with the kids in SJ, and honestly don't know much about La Romana or Freeport, even after browsing on the POC boards.

 

Also wondering if I should be leary about Roatan/Belize with the kids. ??? Although we LOVE Coz and want to take the kids snorkeling in Belize (although wouldn't mind snorkeling Trunk or Cinnamon Bay in St. John's).

 

Nassau and Freeport I could take or leave, but Freeport seems to be a bit more of a pain in the butt as far as getting anywhere and options for things to do/see, and the dolphin encounter offered in Nassau seems to be a better deal than the one in Freeport (the Freeport one states you only interact with the dolphins for 5 minutes?!).

 

We've been to St. Thomas, Nassau and Coz, but really enjoyed St. Thomas and Coz, wouldn't mind going back to either. Nassau...ehhh...won't be a deal breaker. We've done both Eastern and Western and really don't have a preference to the route.

 

Can anyone recommend family-friendly excursions in any of these ports? We've never sailed with the kiddos before.

 

We can get a better deal with the military rate on Splendor, still a deal but less off on the Glory cruise. About the same price all around.

 

As for our priorities...I did prefer the Valor over the Triumph. But I don't know if it was because it was newer when we sailed her, the port times were longer or because I may prefer the Conquest class of ship. Also, what are the Camp Carnival facilities like on each of these ships?

 

Can anyone help me? Thanks. :p :D

 

Itineraries:

Glory

Coz 10-6

Belize 8-5

Roatan 8-3

Freeport 10-6

 

Splendor

SJ 5 p.m.-midnight

St. Thomas 7-5

La Romana D.R. 10-5

Nassau 12-6

 

Legend

Belize 9-5

Coz 9-6

GC 8-5

Roatan 8-3

[askfrog]

I don't know how much help I'll be since we haven't went yet. But when we were looking those were 3 of our choices and we decided on the legend. We have 4 kids and at the time of cruise they will be 4, 8, 12, 14. We decided not to do Glory because Freeport didn't sound like it had much to do and we liked the itenerary for the legend better than the one for splender even though it would be nice to go on a new ship Our plans so far are-

Grans Cayman- the rays, reef, and Rum Point

Cozumel- a Beach break

Belize- we are thinking the Manatee watch, reef, and Bannister beach

Roatan- we aren't sure yet

but those might change since we are still over a year away:( .

April

[As You Wish]

I'll be sailing Glory with my 2 year old DD in December but with a different itinerary than yours. It will be Cozumel, Belize and Nassau. I have been to Belize previously, and it is the one port I'd recommend a Carnival excursion instead of booking independently. The Carnival excursions will take you on a tender directly from the ship to wherever you are going. For the upcoming cruise, I'll be doing the Private Island Beach Break in Belize which takes you to a beach with a children's play area. They have a restaurant there and paddle boats and kayaks available for rent. Belize is a port where I would not recommend just wandering around. I think you'll have a much better time if you book an excursion.

 

When researching my cruise, I found that the western caribbean ports tend to have more activities for kids than the eastern ones which mostly offer beaches and shopping. The western ports have beaches but also excursions like stingrays, turtle farm, zoos, submarines...

 

Whatever you decide, have a great cruise.

[crusinmama06]

Itineraries:

Glory

Coz 10-6

Belize 8-5

Roatan 8-3

Freeport 10-6

 

Splendor

SJ 5 p.m.-midnight

St. Thomas 7-5

La Romana D.R. 10-5

Nassau 12-6

 

Legend

Belize 9-5

Coz 9-6

GC 8-5

Roatan 8-3

 

All of the Camp activities are pretty much the same fleetwide so you can check them out in my signature, just click on Camp Carnival Capers after you click on the link.

 

As far as the SHIPS are concerned, I have no idea.

 

But let me try to help you with some of the ports...

 

I have done Nassau's dolphin encounter 2 times and Freeport's once, they are both EXACTLY the same. You sit around a pool dangling your feet in in water. The dolphins can swim in and out of the pool out into a lagoon. They do a talk about the dolphins. They ask groups of 2's to come into the water. The dolphins do some behaviors. They snap your picture getting a kiss. The whole thing lasts about 45 mins. At Freeport they have a parrot that you can take pictures with. But all in all, don't choose a ship based on these two excursions. They are the SAME.

 

St. Thomas has Coral World, my kids LOVE that place.

 

For me, San Juan is a throw away port. I have never been there but we are going on our next cruise. It arrives so late there is just not alot to do.

 

Cozumel - stay away from Playa Mia. It's just not that great for families. There are better places. Here is a link for some family friendly places to see in Cozumel

http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/Pages/Kids.htm

 

Grand Caymen - If the kids are game, then go to the Stingray Sandbar. My oldest didn't want to go anywhere near the stingrays. ;)

 

I know nothing about Belize, Romania or Rotan

[walkswife]

Debating between Glory Western, Legend Western and Splendor Eastern. Travelling with kids 3.5, 5.5 and 9. Also with my grandma, 80, and people ranging from ages 28-60.

 

I'm thinking there wouldn't be much for us to do with the kids in SJ, and honestly don't know much about La Romana or Freeport, even after browsing on the POC boards.

 

Also wondering if I should be leary about Roatan/Belize with the kids. ??? Although we LOVE Coz and want to take the kids snorkeling in Belize (although wouldn't mind snorkeling Trunk or Cinnamon Bay in St. John's).

 

Nassau and Freeport I could take or leave, but Freeport seems to be a bit more of a pain in the butt as far as getting anywhere and options for things to do/see, and the dolphin encounter offered in Nassau seems to be a better deal than the one in Freeport (the Freeport one states you only interact with the dolphins for 5 minutes?!).

 

We've been to St. Thomas, Nassau and Coz, but really enjoyed St. Thomas and Coz, wouldn't mind going back to either. Nassau...ehhh...won't be a deal breaker. We've done both Eastern and Western and really don't have a preference to the route.

 

Can anyone recommend family-friendly excursions in any of these ports? We've never sailed with the kiddos before.

 

We can get a better deal with the military rate on Splendor, still a deal but less off on the Glory cruise. About the same price all around.

 

As for our priorities...I did prefer the Valor over the Triumph. But I don't know if it was because it was newer when we sailed her, the port times were longer or because I may prefer the Conquest class of ship. Also, what are the Camp Carnival facilities like on each of these ships?

 

Can anyone help me? Thanks. :p :D

 

Itineraries:

Glory

Coz 10-6

Belize 8-5

Roatan 8-3

Freeport 10-6

 

Splendor

SJ 5 p.m.-midnight

St. Thomas 7-5

La Romana D.R. 10-5

Nassau 12-6

 

Legend

Belize 9-5

Coz 9-6

GC 8-5

Roatan 8-3

 

Cozumel I would suggest Paradise Beach for the kiddos.... nice, clean beach with bar and restaurant.... floating trampoline and ice berg, kayaks and things....very resonable...

 

Nassau.... I suggest Atlantis and the digs....

 

Grand Cayman we snorkeled .... but friends of ours liked the Butterfly Farm and Sea Grapes Beach....

 

Freeport ... my daughter liked the dolphin encounter

 

Belize... we did cave tubing but yours are to young.... friends of ours did an excursion to I believe Caulkers Caye.....