Excursions with Toddler- Progresso and Cozumel

[TXDaveHorn]

We have a 3 year old who is almost 4 who will be going with us. We are cruising in July and being a young family are on somewhat of a budget. We are doing the 5 day cruise on the Carnival Elation with a day stop in Progresso and Cozumel.

The best combo we came up with for excursions was:
In Progresso:
All Inclusive Beach Resort Getaway

The thing is, I did not see anything else in Progresso I think the kid would enjoy. This looks like something we could all enjoy. The only thing that stinks is I would like a nice beach and some of the reviews have people saying the water is not so great...I'd love to do the Mayan stuff but I think he might be pretty restless, and its July...and 3 year olds are free, so we are looking at $160 for the 3 of us, with food and drinks (though obviously we won't get toasted with a kid, but we like to have a few drinks).

In Cozumel, we thought

Scenic Cruise, El Cedral Town, Museum & Shopping


might be fun. I love history, my wife can do some shopping, and it seems like they move from thing to thing quickly, which is great for my son's attention span. And he is free on this one too! So $130 is our total price. And since I am a (moderate) Christian, the first church in the Americas seems like something it would be nice to see.



So they both look fun but my concerns are, are we missing out big time by going to the beach in Progresso and not Cozumel?? And, I did not see either of these excursions offered by third parties... should I be looking at non-cruise booked options? I saw an all day resort in Cozumel but it says nothing about transpo....


Oh! This is our second cruise but first with the kid! We went to the Bahamas 2 years ago on a Royal Caribbean cruise and loved it! We have been on 2 non-cruise vacations since (though one was more of someone else's wedding), and neither compared! We are so excited and our son is really excited about the "big boat!"

Also, while he is a 3 year old, I think he can handle both of these excursions without bothering others. He is surprisingly disciplined. Not sure what I'm doing right but sure it will backfire in the teen years!

[Herfnerd]

I never do excursions thru Carnival, but the beaches in are much nicer in Cozumel than in Progreso

[hdawson]

There is a small Zoo in Merida.

[bubbles79]

I agree with Herfnerd I do not do the Carnival excursions just because they are so crowded usually! We did them our first cruise and ever since then I've booked my own.

The beaches in Cozumel are spectacular! I didn't do the beach in Progreso because of the reviews. I hope you have fun with your toddler

[WilliamLawson]

I would do this completely the other way around. Do the history stuff in Merida/Progreso where there actually is some, and do the beachy stuff in Cozumel, where there actually is a nice beach!

[ebpope@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by TXDaveHorn

We have a 3 year old who is almost 4 who will be going with us. We are cruising in July and being a young family are on somewhat of a budget. We are doing the 5 day cruise on the Carnival Elation with a day stop in Progresso and Cozumel.

The best combo we came up with for excursions was:
In Progresso:
All Inclusive Beach Resort Getaway

The thing is, I did not see anything else in Progresso I think the kid would enjoy. This looks like something we could all enjoy. The only thing that stinks is I would like a nice beach and some of the reviews have people saying the water is not so great...I'd love to do the Mayan stuff but I think he might be pretty restless, and its July...and 3 year olds are free, so we are looking at $160 for the 3 of us, with food and drinks (though obviously we won't get toasted with a kid, but we like to have a few drinks).

In Cozumel, we thought

Scenic Cruise, El Cedral Town, Museum & Shopping


might be fun. I love history, my wife can do some shopping, and it seems like they move from thing to thing quickly, which is great for my son's attention span. And he is free on this one too! So $130 is our total price. And since I am a (moderate) Christian, the first church in the Americas seems like something it would be nice to see.



So they both look fun but my concerns are, are we missing out big time by going to the beach in Progresso and not Cozumel?? And, I did not see either of these excursions offered by third parties... should I be looking at non-cruise booked options? I saw an all day resort in Cozumel but it says nothing about transpo....


Oh! This is our second cruise but first with the kid! We went to the Bahamas 2 years ago on a Royal Caribbean cruise and loved it! We have been on 2 non-cruise vacations since (though one was more of someone else's wedding), and neither compared! We are so excited and our son is really excited about the "big boat!"

Also, while he is a 3 year old, I think he can handle both of these excursions without bothering others. He is surprisingly disciplined. Not sure what I'm doing right but sure it will backfire in the teen years!

LOL> A 3 year old is pretty easy to please. I have heard the cenotes are awesome in and near Progresso. Just GOOGLE 'Progresso cenotes' for info & images. They are supposed to be much better than Progresso beaches. Carnival & Mr. Lawson offer cenote trips. I also read about a double decker bus in the market in Progresso. That would be fun for him. 'Scoot over' I wanna go too. ☺ I am sailing this month with my 9 year old grand. Her first cruise.

Have a great time with your family.