Having doubts about my itinerary choice...HELP!

[MamaParrotHead]

I *thought* I had our big Friends & Family cruise all picked out. Now that I'm ready to book, I want to be SURE.

 

Here are my concerns (anyone with relative experience, please comment! :)), sailing with what will be a group of 15-20 people, kids aged 4-14:

 

A.) 4 port days.

I know when it's just *us* as a couple going strong for 3 ports days, we're pretty wiped out. Are the kids going to be running ragged and crabby because of there being 4 of them? If so, that sure as heck isn't going to be any fun for anyone.

 

That extra port day means more money for excursions. I opened my big mouth about a Dolphin Encounter (not a swim) in Cozumel= $$, Belize you can't just go off and do your own thing = $$, Costa Maya is supposed to be less expensive = no biggie, Nassau we wanted to do the Digs (previously in Nassau, I really didn't see much else to do, especially with kids) = $.

 

Camp Carnival- having only 2 sea days, IF they FOR SOME strange reason, aren't into CC would be a good thing, less time for me to attempt to entertain them.

 

B.) Belize

Is Belize actually *safe* to take kids into? I've heard mixed reports. For those who may have been to both Belize and Ocho Rios, is it comparable to that?

 

I have an email and a call into my PVP to help me out. Problem is we really want to go the weekend following Thanksgiving, and from what I've been able to dig up on the Carnival website, the ships are heading out of the Carribean at that time. I want to do a Conquest class ship. I didn't care for the Destiny class and based on that experience, I really don't think I want to go smaller or older. I know I want a 7 day, because of what we're paying for airfare, anything less would be silly. I know I want 2 adjoining OV cabins...we could save some $$ here, but I can't see anyone being real happy campers if we're all smooshed into a quad OV.

[MellowMel]

I don't think kids would be any less crabby with 4 port days or 3. Especially since you know your kids limitations. I'd keep younger kids off long bus tours. In the past, we've tried to keep our tours less than 2 1/2 hours. We will do some longer ones in Alaska this summer but I think the kids will love it!

 

We're doing Nassau with our kids in December. I'm going to try the dolphin encounter there at the Blue Lagoon Island. I've done the Digs at Atlantis and it's really nice but I think young kids think an aquarium is an aquarium so I don't know if I'd bother. The dolphin encounter in Nassau takes about 3 1/2 hours and then you can head back to the ship if the kids are getting tired.

 

DH and I love Costa Maya. Here's what I recommend as an inexpensive outing. Take the bus from the port over to Majahaul. Find Cat's Meow (if it opens back up after the hurricane). Grab a table on the beach, order drinks and coconut shrimp and let the kids play right there in the beach. Then you'll take a taxi back to the port.

 

I've never been to Belize, but is there some kind of beach break? I'd consider doing something like that with mine. In Cozumel, my kids like the beach and sometimes they are just happy shopping for a souvenier and then enjoying time in the ship's pool or the kid's club.

 

Enjoy!

[MamaParrotHead]

I don't think kids would be any less crabby with 4 port days or 3. Especially since you know your kids limitations. I'd keep younger kids off long bus tours. In the past, we've tried to keep our tours less than 2 1/2 hours. We will do some longer ones in Alaska this summer but I think the kids will love it!

 

We're doing Nassau with our kids in December. I'm going to try the dolphin encounter there at the Blue Lagoon Island. I've done the Digs at Atlantis and it's really nice but I think young kids think an aquarium is an aquarium so I don't know if I'd bother. The dolphin encounter in Nassau takes about 3 1/2 hours and then you can head back to the ship if the kids are getting tired.

 

DH and I love Costa Maya. Here's what I recommend as an inexpensive outing. Take the bus from the port over to Majahaul. Find Cat's Meow (if it opens back up after the hurricane). Grab a table on the beach, order drinks and coconut shrimp and let the kids play right there in the beach. Then you'll take a taxi back to the port.

 

I've never been to Belize, but is there some kind of beach break? I'd consider doing something like that with mine. In Cozumel, my kids like the beach and sometimes they are just happy shopping for a souvenier and then enjoying time in the ship's pool or the kid's club.

 

Enjoy!

 

My problems with the darn excursions are pretty much self-inflicted, unfortunately, because I opened my big trap all ready about them to the kids.

 

I was debating between doing the Dolphin Encounter at Blue Lagoon or Chankanaab. I think we'd enjoy the facilities at Chank and just make that our stop for the day, other than grabbing a few tshirts in the mall at the pier on the way back to the ship. I'd like to try the kids snorkeling somewhere where the water is real shallow and they can stand up.

 

Kids are into aquariums and zoos...I think the Digs are probably a good bet, and wandering about town a bit. That I'm not real concerned about.

 

Belize I have my eye on a boat ride to Bannister Caye with a short stop for snorkeling (not for the kids, for DH and I, they can either swim on the other side of the boat or DH and I can take turns hanging with them ON the boat), then a run through the Manatee preserve on the way back to town.

 

I was totally planning on Majahual for the day at CM.

 

No long bus tours for us, let alone the kiddos.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

[crusinmama06]

I have a question, are you going to be able to go to Atlantis digs and NOT have the kids screaming for the waterpark? When we go to Atlantis, the kids walk thru the digs to get to the next slide, they barely pay attention to the dig ;) And my kids are 3 and 7. So when in Nassau, we book a room at Atlantis.

[MamaParrotHead]

Well..it just so happens that my kids are huge chickens (like their mother :o ) when it comes to rides, so I don't think that will be an issue. Found this out the hard way after planning a mini-vacation last summer to a huge waterpark. Yeah. They spent 2 days in the 4" end of the wave pool. :D Worked for me, less lines to mess around with. :D

[crusinmama06]

Well..it just so happens that my kids are huge chickens (like their mother :o ) when it comes to rides, so I don't think that will be an issue. Found this out the hard way after planning a mini-vacation last summer to a huge waterpark. Yeah. They spent 2 days in the 4" end of the wave pool. :D Worked for me, less lines to mess around with. :D

 

That's ok, I think I would rather be in your shoes. I just spent 3 days trying to reign in my 3 year old at Great Wolf Lodge water park. I swear I had to go get my hair colored today because she made me so gray. :eek:

 

My kids have NO fear. None at all. If she is tall enough for it, she WILL ride it. (can you say Tower of Terror at Disney? :eek: )

[karenj4546]

I've taken my DD to Belize a couple of times (last one was for a full week!)

IMHO, Belize is as safe as any other port we've been to. Not much to do/see right off the ship, but some nice excursions (though I'd never to NCL's "Belizian Beach Day" again....nasty water, nastier drinks, etc.) Warm water to play in, nice snorkeling....just watch for warnings about jellyfish...on our 1 week trip last year, they were out in force!

[Dr_DNA]

That's ok, I think I would rather be in your shoes. I just spent 3 days trying to reign in my 3 year old at Great Wolf Lodge water park. I swear I had to go get my hair colored today because she made me so gray. :eek:

 

My kids have NO fear. None at all. If she is tall enough for it, she WILL ride it. (can you say Tower of Terror at Disney? :eek: )

 

Crusinmama- My 3 year old has no fear as well! He isn't tall enough to go on the thrill rides and fights every step of the way because he can't. I thought that I would cure him of it last summer by putting him on one of those huge pirate ships that rock back and forth. (The Carnies let him on even though he was at least a foot too short). Well, that made it even worse because he loved it! He had better grow over the winter or else Hershey Park this year will be even more miserable for him!

[crusinmama06]

Well, that made it even worse because he loved it! He had better grow over the winter or else Hershey Park this year will be even more miserable for him!

 

Oh yeah nothing sucked more for my youngest child than being a Hershey's Miniature. Then came the hershey "kiss" which still desn't allow her to go on the sooper dooper looper with me and her older sister :rolleyes:

 

I swear the only way my kids look at the height chart is "how much do I have to grow before I can get on the next thrill ride?"

 

(Sorry OP for threadjacking offtopic)

[MamaParrotHead]

Oh yeah nothing sucked more for my youngest child than being a Hershey's Miniature. Then came the hershey "kiss" which still desn't allow her to go on the sooper dooper looper with me and her older sister :rolleyes:

 

I swear the only way my kids look at the height chart is "how much do I have to grow before I can get on the next thrill ride?"

 

(Sorry OP for threadjacking offtopic)

 

LOL...I remember my grandparents taking me to Hershey when I was like 10 or so. The most daring ride they could get me on was the space needle thing that had windows shaped like kisses, ROFLMBO.

 

Thanks for all the input, everyone.

 

My PVP called the other day and it turns out I had picked out the best sailing for me, based on my criteria.