First Family Cruise, Carnival Breeze, Galveston-Western Caribbean

Greetings All!

My wife and I took our first cruise 10/2001 on the, then, smoke-free "Paradise" Western Caribbean We had an excellent time and truly enjoyed everything about it.

This is our first cruise with our family. (Daughters 8,12) Our youngest will be turning 9 on the cruise. We are sailing the last week of Feb. We picked cabin 8212.

We booked the late dinner because I figured it would be hard to get the kiddos ready before then anyways, and, I remember how much I enjoiyed the social aspect of the dinner time, and we believe our kids will get to know other kids better that way.

When we cruised last time (forever ago) we booked all our shore excursions independently, although I do not remember who with. I am wanting to book great family style shore excursions for this trip, with the understanding my youngest can be timid to try new things.

I would like to know:

1. Montego Bay: If I do the resort pass at Sunscape Splash, is the snorkeling there enough to be fun to the little one? Or, should I book Doc Cave Beach trip? (Worried if youngest will like blue hole or the falls)

2. Grand Cayman: We did a stingray city and snorkel trip with a non-Carnival charter that was awesome, but I cannot remember who. I remember it was a wierd name. Any ideas who to go through?

3. What to do in Cozumel?

4. ANY suggestions all of you experts have to help us, I would appreciate it!

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

CA Dad

Hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving.

I have no recommendations about excursions.

With regards to dining I would go Early or My time dining. If your kids like kids club there is usually a session from 7-10pm. We travel as a big family group and the kids eat dinner with us and then hang out with there friends until 10.

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Check out the day passes at Mr. Sancho's in Cozumel. Short ride by taxi from ship. Great facilities, food, beverages, amenities. We had a great day there.

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Greetings All!

 

My wife and I took our first cruise 10/2001 on the, then, smoke-free "Paradise" Western Caribbean We had an excellent time and truly enjoyed everything about it.

 

This is our first cruise with our family. (Daughters 8,12) Our youngest will be turning 9 on the cruise. We are sailing the last week of Feb. We picked cabin 8212.

 

We booked the late dinner because I figured it would be hard to get the kiddos ready before then anyways, and, I remember how much I enjoiyed the social aspect of the dinner time, and we believe our kids will get to know other kids better that way.

 

When we cruised last time (forever ago) we booked all our shore excursions independently, although I do not remember who with. I am wanting to book great family style shore excursions for this trip, with the understanding my youngest can be timid to try new things.

 

I would like to know:

 

1. Montego Bay: If I do the resort pass at Sunscape Splash, is the snorkeling there enough to be fun to the little one? Or, should I book Doc Cave Beach trip? (Worried if youngest will like blue hole or the falls)

2. Grand Cayman: We did a stingray city and snorkel trip with a non-Carnival charter that was awesome, but I cannot remember who. I remember it was a wierd name. Any ideas who to go through?

3. What to do in Cozumel?

4. ANY suggestions all of you experts have to help us, I would appreciate it!

 

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving.

 

CA Dad

1. I would recommend tubing on the White River - that is appropriate for your whole family and really clean and fun to do. It would be half a day - not such a big commitment for the kids, but scenic and it is the REAL Jamaica and not just some resort.

2. GoBe?

CrazyCrabCayman?

3. Playa Mia would be awesome!

https://www.playamia.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=capturecozumel

lots and lots to do! They even have an underwater Mayan city to snorkel.

Mr. Sanchos is also nice - just not as many options.

Try Capt Marvins for stingray city in Grand Cayman. We are doing Mr Sancho's via Playa Mia in Cozumel because we want less kids, (we are inbetween kids and grandkids..lol) No recommendation for Mobay, that is the question of the day for our stop in March, but our worries are keeping two 21 year old boys out of trouble!

Try Capt Marvins for stingray city in Grand Cayman. We are doing Mr Sancho's via Playa Mia in Cozumel because we want less kids, (we are inbetween kids and grandkids..lol) No recommendation for Mobay, that is the question of the day for our stop in March, but our worries are keeping two 21 year old boys out of trouble!

Send them on the zip lining and tubing combo. No much they could do wrong with that or go to Mystic Mountain- a bit further from the port but plenty to do within the park - ski lift, bobsled ride, huge and challenging zip line course. Sometimes members of the Jamaican Bobsled team are there to sign autographs.

I cruise often with my kids, about the same age. There are a couple of parks in Playa Del Carmen (water taxi ride from Cozumel) that they really enjoyed. Try Xplor Park for great zip lines, underground river and dune buggies. An excellent day.

We also did Xcaret, but it was more commercial.

We did B2B 2 weeks on the Breeze - it's a great ship!

Have fun!!!

Thank you for the reply, and the advice about the dining.

Thanks for all those suggestions! Playa Mia looks like a lot of fun!

Do you have a suggestion about dining time? Should we keep the 815, or, make it my time for the kids to have freedom. (and us to have a date possibly)

That's an individual choice.

We always choose standard late dining. That's our family time - my kids get freedom and flexibility during the day.

And I prefer not to rush back to the ship to shower and eat.

And I like to have continuity of dining room staff, and know our table is ready.

For me, I am a planner. I prefer to board the cruise with most decisions made, so I can really relax the mind and just let go!

Whatever you choose....have an awesome time!!!

3. What to do in Cozumel?

Pasion Island is a lot of fun and probably a bit more kid-friendly that what I've heard about Sanchos. They have water toys and kayaks. I did the Carnival excursion there...

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