Tagong

On the birthday' date=' a child can move up to the next level and will "age out" of the Vibe. In your case, yes, on the day the child turns 3, they can be a drop off in the Oceaneer's Club. If you have reason to want a new KTTW reflecting the new age, this can be done at Guest Services (for instance, when someone turns 18 or 21, they often want this code printed on the card).[/quote']

 

 

You're a rockstar moki'smommy . As a follow up I suppose we wouldn't be able to book a BBB appointment in advance for that 2 year old that will turn 3 on the cruise because their embarkation age will be under the restriction, would that be accurate?

Thanks ArthurUSCG. I was hoping this would be the case but haven't been able to connect with DCL today to confirm. I guess they are 'experiencing higher then normal call volumes' given it's Summer 2018 release day for us Silver CC members and newbies.

Hi all, I feel like I should know this answer but what's the deal if a child turns three during the cruise. Are they able to participate in BBB and Kids Club activities from their third birthday moving forward or must they be three prior to embarkation?

I was in Aruba 2 weeks ago and we got a cab to Moomba Beach Bar on Palm beach for $14 for the cab.

The bar is pretty and waitress was very friendly, got buckets of beer and lunch and the beach is pretty and we all enjoyed our day. Had the waitress call us a cab when we were ready to go back and $14 back to port.

Did Moomba serve you on the beach or did you get seats in the restaurant for lunch? TIA.

Thanks for your review khm1.

If you had to stay all day at one of the three Aruba beaches you visited on your trip which one would you choose and why?

I will be there in less than 10 days and Palm and Eagle appeal to us given the amenities available but Baby appeals because the calmness of the water. Eagle and Palm seemed very waving in your photos. Is that typical of these beaches?

TIA

On our first visit our daughter was 22 months and we're going again in a couple weeks (she'll be 4.5yrs). If your kids are content with sand and water this is a beautiful place.

True. In that case, if the OP wants a beach day, it won't really make any difference whether they pick Eagle or Palm beach- they'll be equally crowded, and one won't be less "kid friendly" than the other.

 

OTOH, if there are only one or 2 ships in port, both beaches will be less crowded, and still both beaches will be equally kid friendly. But Palm Beach will still be bigger and offer more food and drink options.

 

Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure how the OP defines kid friendly. Personal safety ( drunkenness or drugs on the beach)? water safety ( deep drop offs, rip currents, water craft close to shore)? Clothing optional beaches? I don't think any of those apply.

Kid friendly to me entails all those things but the order or priority varies from person to person. To me I'm more concerned with facilities offering food/drink and water safety. Is there a clear winner between Palm and Eagle here?

We took a taxi to Eagle Beach right as we walked off the ship. $13 for the taxi. Lots of palapas. We paid $40 for 5 chairs and 2 palapas that were next to each other. Someone came up to help us just as we walked onto the sand. There's a beach bar right there.

Do you recall the name of the beach bar that was nearby?

We went to Eagle Beach in May of this year, there were very few people there. We rented loungers under a huge palapa in front of the Amsterdam Hotel. The beach is stunning...quiet, clean, jet ski rentals, bar/restaurant on the beach, showers, restrooms. I would not hesitate to go here again.

 

Rose

Which facility offered you access to showers/washrooms food/drink etc?

The family and I were there in December (2016) and had no issues what so ever.

We've done Western a couple times and we typically find a nice beach bar and hang there for the day. I was very tempted in Cozumel to take the Cozumel Kids Hop tour which takes you to a few beach bars around the island that are more kid friendly. I can't endorse it because we didn't do the tour but it will certainly be a consideration on our next tour of the Western Caribbean.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Natalie was going to aboard over Christmas but going on vacation shortly after. Hence my comment! ;)

 

ex techie

Having sailed December 17 - 24 I can confirm that Natalie was indeed the CD over the holiday period. She gave no indication, at least when we were around, whether she was going on vacation soon or not.

1. You can just grab a taxi from right at the port, or walk across the street to the local bus station and grab a bus that will drop you at Eagle.

 

2, You cannot reserve umbrellas or chairs on Eagle. Once you arrive just look for the staff and tell them you want chairs. Umbrellas are hit or miss based on availability.

 

3. You cannot use the hotel/resort facilities such as their pool. However, you can walk over there and use the rest rooms or eat in their restaurant/cafe. There is also a beach bar on Eagle (with an afternoon 2 for 1 Happy hour) that is open to all as are the rest rooms.

 

4. To get back to the beach you simply walk a few feet to the road and look for a taxi, bus, or shared van/taxis. You will likely not wait more then 5 minutes to find some kind of transportation.

Is the beach bar similar to a bar/restaurant where you can sit down and have a meal or is it more of a shack where you can get drinks/snacky food and take it back to your chair? TIA

Visited Le Galion two years ago with my wife and DD (20 months) and loved it. It isn't the most prestine beach but very nice. It has the calmest water you'll find though which is why we chose this beach. A little snack hut offers food and drink as well as chair rentals. We are considering going back in Feb.

Me and my friends were there twice within past 2 years with 3 kids. 7, 11 and 13. The island is very safe just like other Ditch islands. Both time we took water taxi to Klein Bonaire. The small inhabited island is right off the main island and water taxi runs every hour. They have beach area with beautiful turquoise water and snorkeling area if you like to snorkel. Any beach within walking distance from the pier would rocky for the kids to enter the water.

ODECCIT - thanks for jumping in on this thread. Always appreciate the guidance of others in these situations. I've heard of Klein and it sounds great. Is so uninhabited though that we would have to bring our own food/drink? No chairs etc. Is that correct?

Agree, Labadee is a beach day you don't want to miss. The last time we visited Jamaica with a 2.5, 1.5 and 6 month old we booked a day pass through resort for a day. We were supposed to go to Jewel Runaway Bay but rough waters led to us docking in Montego and not Falmouth. We ended up a Hilton Rose Hall and had a fabulous day. Your old kids will love the water park at each Jewel or Hilton. The twins, probably the same if they are water babies as both feature lazy rivers.

Otherwise, if you aren't looking for a beach/resort day you may want to look at rafting (not white water) down the Martha Brae. This was reco I received but ultimately decided to go with the beach day in Falmouth.

I just wanted to know if anyone could tell us about their experience. Was it the highlight of the trip? Did they think it was worth the hefty price tag?

 

Thank you.

One of the best things we've ever done on a cruise. We bought a dress in advance so we only did the hair, makeup and nails which is a bit of a savings but equally as amazing in terms of the experience. My wife and I watched our daughter got a Princess makeover and we were in tears while enjoying some mimosas.

This Chico has been worth its weight in gold for us. Bought it 3 yrs ago for our first cruise and will be taking it on our fifth soon. Used at 8mon, 21mon, 2.5yr and 3.5yr. You can't do better than this in my opinion.

http://www.chiccoshop.com/gear/strollers/lightweight/liteway-plus-stroller---polaris/04079317810070.html?cgid=gear_strollers_lightweight_strollers#selected=bcMssiaagYsJoaaadh20g9YX9e&start=8&cgid=gear_strollers_lightweight_strollers

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THANK YOU! This was excellent and very helpful!!! We are sailing with an almost 3 year old, so the advice and experience seems quite relevant. Thanks again.

Thanks for taking the time to read LizzyTx. If you have any questions let me know, always happy to take the time to answer for a fellow cruiser.

Hi Lizzy,

I did this route with my wife and 3.5yo daughter back in February and will again in December. We had a fantastic time at two beaches (Cane Garden and Magens). You may find my review helpful. See below.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2319514

Hi ugagal07 thanks for reading and your question.

Everyone has a different opinion on the whole taxi / car seat debate. On our second cruise our daughter was 1.5 years and a little big my North American standards for her infant car seat but we took it and used in cabs no problem. That said; some cabs don't have seat belts and some do so you can't always strap it down. At 2.5 and 3.5 years (including this cruise on Fantasy) we opt-ed for no car seat.

In Tortola we were in a traditional cab (large van) and just put the regular seat belt around my daughter. In St. Thomas we took the the Magen's Bay transport back which was a fairly large safari style vehicle which had no less than 25-30 on it.

If at any point we felt unsafe or uneasy about our decision to forgo the car seat we would have opt-ed for an alternative form of travel to our destinations but we didn't get to that point.

If you're still nervous you can look into local buses, private transport or some places even have companies where you can rent car seats.

As an alternative you may want to look in a company like Resort for Day which we used last year who take you in an air conditioned bus to a local resort for the day. Fees vary depending on the resort you go to but at least that way you avoid the transportation debate.

Happy cruising!

Thanks for the kind words; CurrenceDreams, TDND4 and Rachel6236. I'm working with the admins to get the photos up and visible. Thanks for your patience and please be sure to come back and check for photos.

Happy Sailing.

For the foodies and those interested in the dining rooms and some menus. See below.

Royal Court menu from Formal Night. Try and filet. My personal favourite from the cruise.

Royal Court. I wonder who gets to sit at this fancy table in the middle of the room?

Dessert menu from Prince and Princess night. I believe we were in Enchanted Garden.

Menu from Disney Junior Breakfast. First sea day on our cruise. Took place in Animator's Palate.

Adding some pictures.

Meeting Mickey in the Terminal after checking in.

Animators looking like Arendale

Cane Garden Bay

Rhymers is where we spent the day.

View of the port area in Tortola.

Havensight port in St. Thomas.

I'll post some more later today if everyone is enjoying. I have a few of the other dining rooms as well as a couple menus. Let me know what you'd be most interested in seeing and I will try and dig those photos up. I have non of the room. Sorry.

Happy Sailing.

smheese,

Have sailed on both in each of the last two years. See my reviews below. Comes down to personal preference as amenities are virtually the same with a few exceptions.

Magic (2015)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2161780

Fantasy (2016)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2319511

Happy Sailing.