DIY things to do in Grand Cayman and Cozumel for a young family? - Page 2 - The DIS Discussion Forums

SeidlFamily3 · 01-13-2013, 01:13 AM

My family and I (two adults and a 4year old) just took the first Magic cruise out of Galveston cruise this past September. We brought along a collapsible red wagon we bought at SAMs Club for $65 . It was a dream!!! We even had SEVERAL cruise passengers ask if we would sell it to them. In the Grand Cayman there is a bunch of walking to get to where you are going. And the streets are busy busy busy with traffic....crazy driver traffic, might I add. I hope you all have fun we really really did! We heard a lot of others bragging about the turtle farm, we hope to do it next time!

Ancaster · 01-13-2013, 01:14 AM

Cozumel is 945am-545pm

Paradise Beach looks great, any other adventures we should try?
Or should that fill the day?
(both my kids are under 8)

disneymagicgirlsdd · 01-13-2013, 01:19 AM

Definitely the Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman! My mom and I went, just the two of us, but my two brothers (2 and 4 at the time) would've loved it. While we did that, the 2yo stayed in the nursery while step-dad and 4yo did the pirate thing and said it was really fun. Good luck!

Ancaster · 01-13-2013, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancaster

How do you book the turtle farm when you arrive?
After you get off the small boat, through a vendor or reps from the turtle farm?

Will it be tight trying to fit that, lunch and also the beach?

(Grand Cayman day is 730am-330pm)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancaster

Do you recommend Royal, 7, Grape, or Tiki (one with facilities to change, shower; casual restaurant lunch; other small kids under 8)

Take a taxi? Or public transportation?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ancaster

Cozumel is 945am-545pm

Paradise Beach looks great, any other adventures we should try?
Or should that fill the day?
(both my kids are under 8)

Bump to hopefully save me reading multiple threads, great info on this forum.

Comments to my questions anyone?

Drew Sailbum · 01-14-2013, 05:01 AM

If you want to wait until you arrive there will be multiple vendors holding signs offering an excursion to the Turtle Farm, often coupling that with a stop at Hell.

Any tour to the Turtle Farm will be happy to drop you off at a beach location on the way back to the port. It would then be up to you to take a taxi or catch a bus to get back to the tender pier.

Several popular beach locations in Cayman have good and easy access for food. Royal Palms, SeaGrape, Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and Tiki Beach are some of the more popular locations due to available services. For just a few hours with small kids I'd go to Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and eat from the food trucks or next door at Calico Jacks. The kids will enjoy the beach and the playground equipment.

Ancaster · 01-26-2013, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew Sailbum

If you want to wait until you arrive there will be multiple vendors holding signs offering an excursion to the Turtle Farm, often coupling that with a stop at Hell.

Any tour to the Turtle Farm will be happy to drop you off at a beach location on the way back to the port. It would then be up to you to take a taxi or catch a bus to get back to the tender pier.

Several popular beach locations in Cayman have good and easy access for food. Royal Palms, SeaGrape, Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and Tiki Beach are some of the more popular locations due to available services. For just a few hours with small kids I'd go to Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and eat from the food trucks or next door at Calico Jacks. The kids will enjoy the beach and the playground equipment.

^Thanks!

Anyone know what the cost of a taxi ride is supposed to be to 7-mile (or back)?

And how much the Turtle Farm Tour is when you buy from a vendor?
(These vendors are from TF? How do you trust them?)

Ancaster · 01-26-2013, 05:39 PM

Uppidty

perfectmatch300 · 01-26-2013, 08:44 PM

Grand Cayman Turtle Farm

http://www.turtle.ky/

You can book online if you want to avoid the port vendors.

RedxPanda · 01-26-2013, 09:20 PM

Hi! We're on your cruise, but you probably know that by now!

For Grand Cayman, we booked tickets to the full access pass for turtle farm (pool/snorkel/aviary/etc) on the website for a discount.. just print out the confirmation. They offer transportation, so we plan on getting in line early for the tender that day to make sure we get off the ship in time.

For Cozumel, we are going to Mr Sanchos and doing the All Inclusive. Our DD is young enough to be free, so we're going that route. I also considered Chankanaab and Paradise beach. Taxis are easy to get to/from any destination.

See you soon!

su_A_ve · 01-27-2013, 01:06 AM

So we plan on doing the San Gervasio ruins and Discover Mexico tour in Cozumel - kids are tween/teen. We booked this thru DCL already.

For GC, kids want to stop by Hell and maybe a little beach time. But not sure about the Turtle farm. DCL beach pass is sold out, so we are looking to do this on our own. Any suggestions for this?

TIA.

Ancaster · 01-27-2013, 01:17 AM

Nevermind. If it was a couple of bad reviews out of the last 10, I'd take it with a grain of salt, but reviews seem mixed to the extreme.

My kids love the beach and GC day is short(er) than Coz. Think we'll just go to 7-mile.

Oh, yes, hi RxP! See you soon!

Ancaster · 01-27-2013, 01:33 AM

Just read some reviews.

Sea Grape vs 7-mile.

Which one would you go to with small kids (under 8)?
(preferably with facilities and a restaurant nearby)

Brancaneve · 02-22-2013, 12:17 AM

We were on the Fantasy earlier this month and did not purchase any excursions through Disney.

In Grand Cayman we took a taxi van to Royal Palms. We just loved it there. Kids were free to get in and I think we paid $10 for the two of us. Royal Palms consists of a nice beach area with a restaurant, bathrooms, outdoor showers and umbrellas and.chairs to rent. The water was heavenly! I would certainly go back. Taxi drivers were always out front and ready to take you back to port if necessary.

In Cozumel we rented a jeep ahead of time through Avis. We had a tough time finding the physical location of the car rental. It felt like we were on an episode of the Amazing Race!!! Once we had the jeep we had a wonderful time driving around the island. If you go to the opposite side from downtown you will find the most incredible beaches that are geared for swimming rather than diving. We stopped at a restaurant called Rio ??? (can't remember the name). They had fresh fish and an amazing beach. The coral kept the waves calm and we saw a lot of tropical fish. No one bothered you....it was incredibly tranquil and low key.

Lake_Mary · 02-23-2013, 04:49 PM

Anyone do the turtle farming your own on a late arrival day? I'm on the 3/2 fantasy and it says we don't arrive in GC until 10:30 and the turtle farm doesn't have transportation that late - at least, that's what they say online. Waiting on email response but would love input from any DISers.

Mtopher4 · 04-19-2013, 03:59 PM

Nachi Cocum
Going my 2nd time next month.. It's all inclusive.. The lunch is to die for good.. all you can drink..bottled water.. snacks.. bathrooms a pool.. beautiful beach.. it's picturesque..
Highly recommend

Cab fare is $16 each way

They limit the amount of poople so it's not crowded

01-13-2013, 01:19 AM	#18
disneymagicgirlsdd Earning My Ears Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 24	Definitely the Turtle Farm in Grand Cayman! My mom and I went, just the two of us, but my two brothers (2 and 4 at the time) would've loved it. While we did that, the 2yo stayed in the nursery while step-dad and 4yo did the pirate thing and said it was really fun. Good luck! __________________

01-26-2013, 08:44 PM	#23
perfectmatch300 United We Stand Will ride anything with "roller coaster" in the name! Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: FLORIDA! Posts: 3,504	Grand Cayman Turtle Farm http://www.turtle.ky/ You can book online if you want to avoid the port vendors. __________________

01-26-2013, 09:20 PM	#24
RedxPanda DIS Veteran Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 1 hr to WDW :: 30 mins to PC Posts: 537	Hi! We're on your cruise, but you probably know that by now! For Grand Cayman, we booked tickets to the full access pass for turtle farm (pool/snorkel/aviary/etc) on the website for a discount.. just print out the confirmation. They offer transportation, so we plan on getting in line early for the tender that day to make sure we get off the ship in time. For Cozumel, we are going to Mr Sanchos and doing the All Inclusive. Our DD is young enough to be free, so we're going that route. I also considered Chankanaab and Paradise beach. Taxis are easy to get to/from any destination. See you soon! __________________ Kristina - CM Summer of '01 - Main Street, MK \|\| Marc \|\| Sofie (1.5) Past Sailings/Recent Trips CCL Triumph - 7N E. Caribbean - 12/2006 \|\| NCL POA - 7N Hawaii - 3/2010 \|\| CBR - 3N/4D 4 Park Marathon - 5/2010 Disney Magic - 4N Bahamas - 5/2012 - Trip Report Disney Wonder - 5N W. Caribbean - 1/28/2013 - CC Review Booked Sailings Dummy Date on Disney Dream

01-27-2013, 01:06 AM	#25
su_A_ve DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 2,117	So we plan on doing the San Gervasio ruins and Discover Mexico tour in Cozumel - kids are tween/teen. We booked this thru DCL already. For GC, kids want to stop by Hell and maybe a little beach time. But not sure about the Turtle farm. DCL beach pass is sold out, so we are looking to do this on our own. Any suggestions for this? TIA. __________________ '77, '84, '94, '00 - Off site '01 (BC), '03 (ASMu), '05 (BC), '06 (YC), '08 (YC), '08 (CSR), '09 (CSR) '10 (BC), '10 (CSR), '11 (BC), '11 (CSR), '12 (5n Dream), '13 (5n Wonder) °(((=((===°°°(((===========================================

02-22-2013, 12:17 AM	#28
Brancaneve DIS Veteran Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Elk Grove, CA Posts: 1,101	We were on the Fantasy earlier this month and did not purchase any excursions through Disney. In Grand Cayman we took a taxi van to Royal Palms. We just loved it there. Kids were free to get in and I think we paid $10 for the two of us. Royal Palms consists of a nice beach area with a restaurant, bathrooms, outdoor showers and umbrellas and.chairs to rent. The water was heavenly! I would certainly go back. Taxi drivers were always out front and ready to take you back to port if necessary. In Cozumel we rented a jeep ahead of time through Avis. We had a tough time finding the physical location of the car rental. It felt like we were on an episode of the Amazing Race!!! Once we had the jeep we had a wonderful time driving around the island. If you go to the opposite side from downtown you will find the most incredible beaches that are geared for swimming rather than diving. We stopped at a restaurant called Rio ??? (can't remember the name). They had fresh fish and an amazing beach. The coral kept the waves calm and we saw a lot of tropical fish. No one bothered you....it was incredibly tranquil and low key. __________________ url=http://distickers.com/ticker/][/url]

01-13-2013, 01:13 AM	#16
SeidlFamily3 Earning My Ears Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 10	My family and I (two adults and a 4year old) just took the first Magic cruise out of Galveston cruise this past September. We brought along a collapsible red wagon we bought at SAMs Club for $65 . It was a dream!!! We even had SEVERAL cruise passengers ask if we would sell it to them. In the Grand Cayman there is a bunch of walking to get to where you are going. And the streets are busy busy busy with traffic....crazy driver traffic, might I add. I hope you all have fun we really really did! We heard a lot of others bragging about the turtle farm, we hope to do it next time!

01-13-2013, 01:14 AM	#17
Ancaster Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 82	Cozumel is 945am-545pm Paradise Beach looks great, any other adventures we should try? Or should that fill the day? (both my kids are under 8)

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01-14-2013, 05:01 AM	#20
Drew Sailbum Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Cayman Islands Posts: 151	If you want to wait until you arrive there will be multiple vendors holding signs offering an excursion to the Turtle Farm, often coupling that with a stop at Hell. Any tour to the Turtle Farm will be happy to drop you off at a beach location on the way back to the port. It would then be up to you to take a taxi or catch a bus to get back to the tender pier. Several popular beach locations in Cayman have good and easy access for food. Royal Palms, SeaGrape, Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and Tiki Beach are some of the more popular locations due to available services. For just a few hours with small kids I'd go to Seven Mile Beach Public Beach and eat from the food trucks or next door at Calico Jacks. The kids will enjoy the beach and the playground equipment.

01-26-2013, 05:39 PM	#22
Ancaster Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 82	Uppidty

01-27-2013, 01:17 AM	#26
Ancaster Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 82	Nevermind. If it was a couple of bad reviews out of the last 10, I'd take it with a grain of salt, but reviews seem mixed to the extreme. My kids love the beach and GC day is short(er) than Coz. Think we'll just go to 7-mile. Oh, yes, hi RxP! See you soon!

01-27-2013, 01:33 AM	#27
Ancaster Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 82	Just read some reviews. Sea Grape vs 7-mile. Which one would you go to with small kids (under 8)? (preferably with facilities and a restaurant nearby)

02-23-2013, 04:49 PM	#29
Lake_Mary Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lake Mary, Florida Posts: 145	Anyone do the turtle farming your own on a late arrival day? I'm on the 3/2 fantasy and it says we don't arrive in GC until 10:30 and the turtle farm doesn't have transportation that late - at least, that's what they say online. Waiting on email response but would love input from any DISers. __________________ Disneyworld pass holder family since 2001 First Disney Cruise 2/5/11! Sailed away to the Western Carribean on the Magic 2/11/12 Magic Eastern, Pirates IN the Caribbean Cruisers Fantasy booked! 3/2/2013 Sailing away on the Western Itinerary

04-19-2013, 03:59 PM	#30
Mtopher4 DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 532	Cozumel Nachi Cocum Going my 2nd time next month.. It's all inclusive.. The lunch is to die for good.. all you can drink..bottled water.. snacks.. bathrooms a pool.. beautiful beach.. it's picturesque.. Highly recommend Cab fare is $16 each way They limit the amount of poople so it's not crowded __________________ Lisa, Wife of 18-1/2 years to Mike and Mom to Christopher age 11 and twin girls Ashley and Jessica age 8 TEXAS Disney Fantasy Apert Cruise May 11-18, 2013 http://www.apert.org/Bock Ashley'sMAW pre-trip planning http://www.disboards.com/showthread....1#post35407954 May 9-13th

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