Advice on West. Carrib. excursions with a 15 month old

[CoppellCruiser21]

Hi everyone!

 

We'll be cruising the Valor in Sept on the Western Carribean leg with stops in Belize, Roatan, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. I'm bringing my 15 month old with me and I've been driving myself nuts worrying about what to do with him during the port stops. I figure it would be too hard to book excursions since I absolutely will not allow him in a car without a car seat and plus, I'll also need my stroller and that just gets to be too bulky for one car.

 

My question is, is there enough stuff to do right around the ports or tender areas that is safe and will not involve us venturing too far away from the ship? He loooves the beach so as long as the beaches are clean and safe, we will be happy enough just doing that. We're also prepared to just hang out on the ship if need be.

 

Any advice from anyone who's visited these ports, especially if you had experienced it with a young toddler, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[CruizinMom2c]

I am going to Grand caymen myself here in a few weeks...but haven't been with a toddler yet.

 

 

I have been to cozumel last april with a 11 1/2th month old...and there is shopping right there at the port...but I think the closest beach is within driving distance...we didn't want to have to drive..so we just shopping and then went back on the ship (esp since we had already been there before).

 

 

This time...I am not sure if we will try to see how far the beach is...our little one will be 15 1/2 months old on this cruise...so I can't wait to see what others might suggest for cozumel and grand caymen

[crusinmama06]

Get an umbrella stroller and a travel car seat - seriously. There are compact car seats that fold flat and are no problem to carry around. We discuss them all the time around here. I can't think of any way to just walk to a beach at those ports.

 

Especially Belize, you don't want to just "walk around" there. It's not safe.

 

I use this seat - it's for children 22 - 40lbs. It folds flat in my suitcase and I just hook it to the stroller once we get to the desitination.

http://www.safebeginnings.com/WebComponents/Catalog/Public/showproduct.asp?frg=FRG&id=832

 

There are some other seats that some others here recommend.

 

You can get an umbrella stroller for $20.

 

I used to avoid taking taxis when my oldest was a baby and I now regret missing some really great places.

 

Your other option is to see if the cruiseline uses a BUS to any of its excursions. The buses do not allow car seats because there are no seatbelts.

[cb at sea]

Definitely DON'T bring your regular, big stroller. An umbrella stroller will be easy to lug around, and on the ship, will allow folks to pass you in the hallway! (The hallways are narrow!) It's easier all around!

[Ashelleigh]

We took our 11 month old in April and an umbrella stroller(maclaren triumph). Even though it reclines, he just wasn't comfortable in it. I plan to take our full size stroller on our October cruise. My advice is to judge you baby for the strollers. Sure, the umbrella stroller fits nicely through hallways, doorways, in the room, etc.... We ended up carrying our son a lot more becuase of him fussing in the Maclaren. When I come off my October cruise, I may come back and say the only way to travel is with the umbrella stroller...it seems to work well for most everyone else. I feel I won't know for sure until I try my full size one. :)

[Tripinbrums]

I agree a baby umbrella stroller is the way to go!

[jkrislc]

You'll be disappointed with Belize if you don't book an excursion as there's not much to do once you leave the port village area. However, I disagree that the port is unsafe, at least as of our last cruise there two and a half years ago. We felt very welcomed and appreciated for being there and did walk around the town quite a bit.

 

The Wildlife Sanctuary/Zoo might be a good option for you and the only one that comes to mind. You'll take a nice charter bus, but of course seat belts wont be available and thus a car seat cannot be used. Once at the sanctuary, you'll see a number of native animals, which should peak the curiousity of your 15 month old. This was actually one of the best excursions we ever took.

 

Here's an excerpt from the review I wrote back then about the Belize tour:

 

After a few minute wait as other tour buses cleared the area, we were ushered to our bus, which was quite comfortable, well air conditioned, and offered ample leg room. Heading out of Belize City along its outskirts, our tour guide stated that we would do the city tour on our way back in order to avoid traffic.

 

Along the way to the Belize Zoo, Elise provided us with the history of Belize, pointed out various landmarks, and provided us with some Mayan folklore. Then after about 45 minutes, we arrived at the Belize Zoo, which cares for orphaned animals, injured animals, and the like. The point is that none of the animals are taken from the wild.

 

Because smoking is not allowed within the zoo grounds, a short break was provided here. In addition, bathroom facilities were available and bottled water was provided.

 

While the zoo was primitive, it provided a good opportunity to see a number of native animals, some of which I had never seen before. Elise was our guide in the zoo as well, and she obviously knew the animals quite well. Even when the animals could not be readily seen, Elise knew where to look. Further, she knew each animal by name and each of their histories.

 

The zoo portion of the tour ended in the zoo's gift shop. While we were encouraged to buy merchandise to support the zoo, Elise also told us that she could tell us where to get similar items in town if we so desired.

 

The ride back to the port provided us with the tour of Old Belize. Along the way, Elise pointed out the deep water port for cargo ships and stated that Carnival had plans to build their own pier near there. It was also obvious that Belizeans are quite poor judging from many of the homes we saw.

 

After the tour, we were dropped off at a restaurant about two blocks away from the port area for a complimentary rum punch. We decided to pass and instead followed Elise back to the port area. Along the way, we asked Elise about were to get some fruit and if it was safe to eat. She said in season fruit should be available on the street and that it was safe to eat because all food venders, even those on the street, were licensed. She also pointed out some shopping that was separate from the port area.

[Kerry's Girls]

Definitely DON'T bring your regular, big stroller. An umbrella stroller will be easy to lug around, and on the ship, will allow folks to pass you in the hallway! (The hallways are narrow!) It's easier all around!

 

My experience has been different. I cruise with my full-size double tandem stroller with no problem at all. I need the durability of a full-size on the uneven sidewalks/roads in port, and an umbrella stroller doesn't provide the comfort, versatility and sun shade that help make the cruise more pleasant. Though the hallways are narrow, I don't spend a lot of time in the halls - just getting from cabin to elevator and back. My rule of thumb has been, as long as it isn't wider than a wheelchair it works out fine. I do always try to book cabins as close to the elevator as possible, and you just have to know that you're going to wait for elevators - but I'm never in a hurry.

 

Best,

Mia

[Tripinbrums]

I am the same way about carseats. Go to Babies R US and get a travel carseat. We always use an umbrella stroller. I think a full size stroller is just too bulky for a cruise ship. Pushing through lounge chairs and the on deck buffets would be really hard. Plus for the taxis in these little towns, they don't have the space for it. I would have to say that Cozumel is the most beautiful port for snorkeling. We have been to a lot of island, and we like it the best. We get a taxi from the port, it's like $10 and go to Chakanaab Park. This is a very clean beach. It is mostly rocky near the water, but they used to have a little sandy lagoon for the little kids. They used to have a restaurant, ice cream, gift shops etc. It is where the have the dolphin excursions to the side of this place. My husband and I take turns snorkeling. We do not like shopping so the city didn't appeal to us. Cozumel has a lot of history, so you should Wikepedia it. The amount of fish and colors are amazing. Of course all of my info is before it took a direct hit from a hurricane. Good Luck!