Hi all, checking in and getting excited with all the fantasy buzz this week. It looks like we are going to have a small intimate meet thread. Have any of you been to any of the ports we are stopping at? If so what's fun to do excursion wise? We have little kids so I'm not holding out too much hope that there are a lot of options for us with two kids under 5.
"Au contrair" or however ya spell it in French.
Excursions w/ little ones are quite possible if you do your research, know what will keep your kids interest, pick the right ones, possibly do on your own which allow to come and go when you need to for your family's schedule, reserve It's A Small World Nursery as early as possible ie.) I can book things in 49 days b/c I'm silver. If it's your 1st cruise you can book in about 64 days. The key is to book as soon as you can.
We didn't think we'd want to be w/o our kids much on our 1st cruise. I think our boys were 3 & 5. We had to DRAG them kicking and screaming out of the club, unless we were leaving to something they wanted to go to or they had already passed out asleep. We quickly the learned importance of different color highlighters markers & planning. Kids each got their own color & would highlight 2-3 events in the club they wanted to do most. We all got together & highlighted our family events, dinner, shows, family activities, & Mom & Dad time.
On our 1st cruise which was an Eastern here's what we did for excursions:
St. Maarten:
We got off the boat as early as possible, grabbed a cab to Orient Beach and asked the cab driver to drop us off at a spot that would be more family oriented (we still some very old very saggy or very heavy nude beach walkers), sunscreened every 30 minutes, left by 11am & still were burnt like lobsters--we use rash guards now to help protect our fine Irish skin. Boy, I loved our Alaskan cruise & Canada. Pale skins all around & you can get tea anywhere brewed properly.
(Ask our eldest son about his mild panic attack when I announced we were moving to Canada. We're not, but in the moment I was pretty serious.)
We had lunch, left the kids in the club, received a pager, they knew which excursion we were on & we loved:
Golden Eagle Catamaran (3.5-4 hours)* Sail across the sparkling Caribbean waters in a catamaran, and enjoy swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. Pastries and an open bar are provided, after your snorkeling adventure. Snorkeling equipment is provided.
Price: Adult $69 (ages 10 & up)
All ages excursions you might enjoy:
Seaworld Explorer Coral Reef Exploration (2.5 hours)
Retreat to Grand Case on the French side of spectacular St. Maarten via a scenic bus ride. Once there, board the Seaworld Explorer semi-submarine for a one-of-kind glimpse into the wondrous world beneath the surface of the translucent blue sea. During the 45-minute trip, a diver will be on hand to "escort" a variety of aquatic life in front of the viewing chambers so you can be sure to see it all up close. Afterward, take in the Caribbean sights before your return back to the ship. This tour is available to All Ages; since it involves a boat/vessel, infants under 3 years of age must have a child's ticket. Travel time from the pier to Grand Case, and back again, is approximately 30 minutes in each direction.
Price: $45 (ages 10 & up) $29 (Infant-9)
St. Thomas
We did the submarine but they've raised the age on that to 5, which was proably a smart idea considering that my little guy had to use the bathroom despite going just before getting on & limiting his drinks that morning. He held it
, but my guess is that they had one too many accidents or crazed parents who didn't read/listen when they were told NO bathrooms onboard.
My suggestions for you that I've done or heard others do w/ little ones:
Paradise Point Tramway (1 hour) (You can do this one your own for slightly less money too, but the ease of doing excursion via Disney is nice too.)
Drink in the spectacular vistas while enjoying a frozen libation from a moving room with a view! The scenic Paradise Point Tramway takes you to the top of the point, where you can enjoy the shops, nature trail and cafe - and don't miss the tropical bird shows held twice daily.
Adult Price: $15 (ages 10 & up) Child Price: $8 (ages 5-9) Under 5 are free
Magen's Bay Beach Break (4.5 - 5 hours)
I would definitely do this one using a cab so you'll be free to go when you want b/c that's all this excursion provides you a ride to the beach--NOTHING ELSE. We did this one on a different Eastern & really enjoyed this beach. We went w/ another family & the kids had fun together, which made it easier on us b/c we had similar ages. Head to St. Thomas' finest beach for a day in the Caribbean sun. Along the 25 minute scenic drive, you'll stop at Drake's Seat known for it's incredible views of the bay and Down Island. Next, you arrive at Magen's Bay where you can swim, stroll along the water's edge or simply relax in a beach chair. Water is provided, food is available for purchase. Floats and water toys can be rented.
Price: $44 (ages 10 & up) Child: $33 (ages 3 - 9) Under age 3 are free
Coral World and Butterfly Garden (3.5-4 Hours)
You can do this on your own too & choose do just one of these. If your 2 year old still fits in a backpack carrier, this would be a great place for one.
Embark on an approximate 25-minute ride to Coral World Ocean Park.
Enjoy approximately 90 minutes of free time at Coral World including the undersea observatory where you view a living coral reef 15 feet below the sea without getting wet. Encounter sharks, stingrays, turtles and other fascinating marine animals. Have the option to visit the beach located next to Coral World. Note: Guests who visit the beach must be back to the meeting point on time or they will be responsible for their own transport back to the ship. Guests should bring swimwear and towels if wishing to swim.
Hop back on your transportation and take an approximate 25-minute drive to the Butterfly Garden. Upon your arrival, meet and greet your friendly guide who will take you on a tour through a tropical garden wonderland where hundreds of beautiful butterflies from around the world fly freely all around you. During your visit, discover the fascinating life cycle of the butterflyfrom meandering caterpillar to fluttering winged insect, and discover the beauty of their colorful winged markings and the uniqueness of their various shapes and shapes. You may also enjoy a parrot show, a kid's favorite.
Following your visit, embark on a 5-minute walk back to the ship. Additional Information. This excursion is stroller accessible. However, some portions of the tour may require Guests to fold accompanying strollers. In addition, lightweight strollers are recommended. This tour is conducted either on an open-air safari bus or a minivan. This tour may run in reverse order.
Snacks and beverages are available for purchase at Coral World and the Butterfly Garden.
Price: $46 (ages 10 & up) $36 (ages 3-9) Under 3 Free
Castaway Cay: Straight to the Kid's Club on the Island Scuttle's Cove w/ restrictions to keep them in the shade. Next heaven in our private cabana massage for two
. Leisurely fruit snack & beach w/o kids for about 15 min & then we missed them too much. Back to pick them up & get lunch. Did the little treck to find the coins, but totally cheated b/c we wanted to keep them out of the sun. We hurried to In Da Shade Games which at the time was almost a secret on CC. We bemoaned our issue of limiting suntime b/c of the previous sun burn to a CM. He walked right over to where the treasure chest for the coins were & then we made a game out of it for our kids to keep looking for the coins. Boy were they surprised & we thus skipped 4 or 5 clue stops. When it got closer to 2 we decided our 5 year old demands to snorkel & find Mickey under the water had to be attempted. He's was a good swimmer, but it's a big snorkel lagoon. I towed him back most of the way. We switched off playing w/ the 3 yr old at the beach & snorkeling. We were more exhausted then the kids.
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/cruise-new/cr-childrensactivities.htm#flounder
http://www.disneycontestblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/cay-map.jpg
Please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors I made. It's way too late & I need to get to sleep especially since I'm losing an hour tonight!
I got my dose of Disney magic!
5weeks today we shall be sailing away
JoJo, once we go "all in", I'll send you a PM.
I haven't organised an FE before, so kinda hoping it stays relatively small, but big enough to be fun
The packing will be done the week before we leave, and yes I am doing the FE for the MV, but just a small group. The main list is around 60 cabins which is just too many, so we have split into those that want to do a smaller group of just 15 cabins which is much more reasonable. I can't say what the FE gifts are as some of them are the same for this cruise too
