Marauder40

Asked this in a existing thread in the Carnival forum, but never got an answer so I will try here.

We will be going to Amber Cove for the first time, but it is the second trip to the DR.  We see three different Zipline adventures in the excursion listing for Carnival.  One is called "Over the Ocean with Beach & Lunch" and lists Wild Play Adventure Park Coconut Cove.  The second is "Wild Ride, Zip Line and Rope Course" which also is at Coconut Cove. The third is called "Extreme Zipline" but doesn't list where it will be.  The first one the reviews talk about a long windy ride down dirt roads.  The third only has review that doesn't mention the trip to the location.

Due to different interests in the DR my wife and I will probably be splitting up with each of us taking a kid.  She will be taking my daughter and my wife easily gets car sick and got car sick riding normal roads going to multiple hotels in the DR in the Punta Cana area so we were wondering if anyone has tried any of the different zipline adventures in Amber Cove area and if any of them had a better ride to, especially the "Extreme Zipline" which looks like it is in a different place from the other two.

We know about the zipline at the cruise center but they want to do a little more then that.

Any ideas?

We will also be doing Amber Cove for the first time.  We see three different Zipline adventures in the excursion listing.  One is called Over the Ocean with Beach & Lunch and lists Wild Play Adventure Park Coconut Cove.  The other is called "Extreme Zipline" but doesn't list where it will be.  The first one the reviews talk about a long windy ride down dirt roads.  The second only has one review.  The third is Wild Ride, Zip Line and Rope Course which also is at Coconut Cove.

Due to different interests in the DR my wife and I will probably be splitting up with each of us taking a kid.  She will be taking my daughter and my wife easily gets car sick and just got car sick riding normal roads in the DR in the Punta Cana area so we were wondering if anyone has tried any of the different zipline adventures in Amber Cove area and if any of them had a better ride to, especially the "Extreme Zipline" which looks like it is in a different place from the other two.

We know about the zipline at the cruise center but they want to do a little more then that.

Any ideas?

Anyone have any experience with kids and the different seasickness meds?   First cruise ever coming up.  I have a 11 year old and a 15 year old.  From what we can tell we will get the 15 year old the patch, but the patch isn't allowed on the 11 year old.  Both my kids have issues with car sickness, my son can get it just from normal riding in a car, my daughter gets it if she does things on her phone/tablet.

51 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

May I suggest that you surprise them the day of the cruise? That would really make it a  moment they'll never forget!

We thought about that but my parents almost let it slip twice with them and they will be watching them this weekend while my wife and I go to a wedding.  We figure it will better coming from us then if my parents let it slip.  One set of grandparents just got back from a cruise and the other set is getting ready to go on one and they have both slipped and said "You will be going on one soon" but we were able to distract them by adding in the word "maybe" to what they said.

Thanks again for your help.  I may be asking you a few more questions after this weekend, and those questions would be based on their questions.  This weekend is when we will officially be telling both kids what we picked for the vacation.  We have had the trip booked for a few weeks, but haven't told them yet.

Thank you staying around even though you get hate.  Even though I am a new member, I apologize for all those that might do that just because of your age.  I really appreciate your help.  

The last time we took my daughter on a big trip (beyond Disney and beach trips) was when she was 12 and we went to an all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic.  They just had two clubs, a teen club and a kid club.  She was to young for the teen club, they wouldn't even let her use it and based on the type of stuff they had and the people attending she was way to old for the kid club, there were only two other kids near her age in the resort and there was a language barrier with them, so she had to be with us the entire trip.  I am hoping things will be a lot better for her on this trip.

4 minutes ago, jbethel11 said:

Also, if I recall correctly when I was 11 years old in Camp Carnival (I am a teen now), they made you write down EXACTLY where you were going and when you were going to be back. 

 

P.S. It would make your son look "cool" if he had a phone and texted you, lol!

I realize that the type of kids varies cruise to cruise, but what was your experience as an 11 year old.  Were there several kids your age or were you the only one or what?  

How about your experience as a teen?  My 15 year old thinks she will be bored in the teen areas.  She tends to be shy and not real good at making friends.

P.S. My son is trying to get use of my daughter's old Ipod now that she has an iPhone.  Maybe this will be the excuse he needs to really get it.

First cruise ever coming up with my family.  We have an 11 year old boy and a 15 year old girl.  Not sure about other cruise lines, but on Carnival parents have the option of letting their 11 year kids sign them self in and out of the Kid's club or not allow them to.  It is my understanding that occasionally the Kid's Club will have scavenger hunts around the ship and if the kid isn't allowed to sign them self in and out of the club they have to stay in the club and do something other then the scavenger hunt.

My wife is concerned about letting him go wherever he wants, more for safety reasons then anything.  What is other's experience with this?  We are considering giving him permission to sign himself in and out but telling him that he is only allowed to do it for something like the scavenger hunts.

My son is already nervous enough about being in the group he is in because he would be the oldest of his age group within Carnival and if he can't sign himself in and out he will think he is being treated like a baby.

I keep seeing people saying that Cove balcony rooms have easier on and off ships in ports.  How does that work?  Do you just mean that there is an advantage because you are on a lower floor or what? 

Not like you can just jump off the boat from your Cove balcony or something like that (although I am sure some jerk tries once and awhile.)

First time cruiser here.  We currently are booked with late dining and waitlisted for the early time.  We have two kids (15 and 11).  How does it work if our dining isn’t changed and say we want to eat at a different time?  I assume we can’t eat in the MDR except our assigned time but can eat on Lido.  Do we just tell someone that we do this?  Do they scan our cards when we eat on Lido or what?

Wow, was close to making a reservation at Pier 66 for my trip in August.  I stayed there a lot in the 90s when doing work in the area.  Glad I picked Embassy Suites instead.

Does anyone have any personal experience with this excursion and bad weather?  I assume that they aren’t as inclined to cancel based on weather as if it was a US based tour (due to how sue happy people are.)  

Not sure about a 30 minute walk in the rain then fast moving currents with my 11 year old kid.  Does this tend to be an excursion you can wait until last minute to book after you are sure weather will be good or what?

How about drinking water?  Do you have to bring your own water for the hike or what?  

My family will be going on their first cruise in August on the Carnival Magic.  Does anyone have any experience with kids that are near the border ages and the kid's clubs?  My son is 11 and is worried he will be to old.  We realize there is a group for 9-11 but how many are in that group on a typical cruise?  Do the 11 year old kids usually have fun or feel everything is to babyish?

The reason I am asking is that a couple years ago we went to an all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic with my then 12 year old daughter (now 15.)   We tried to take both of them to the Kid's club there and she felt she was to old for that group and she was to young for the teen's club.  We looked at the activities and the age groups at the Kid's Club and we could see what she was talking about.  It turned out there were only two other 12 year old kids in the entire resort and both of them were also avoiding the Kid's Club.  Since my son didn't want to be in the Kid's Club either since his sister didn't have to, we ended up having to have the kids with us the entire time.  Luckily we had extended family on that trip so we could get some breaks, but on this cruise we won't have any extended family.