nassau sounds very disappointing

[saraschuelke]

I read here about so many people that say stay on the ship with your kids because beaches are not great. I wanted to go on a cruise to see beutiful beaches and sites. I could only come up with 4 nites on disney cruise line because it is over 3000.00 for a family of 5. Should I be going on carnival to western caribbean for the same price. I hate to spend over 3000.00 and it not be worth it....Any help would be great.....

Also if you have been on the carnival with kids, do you feel comfortable or are people looking at your like this is not a place for children.........such as dinner, and shows....

thank you

 

[zurgswife]

I just got back from a 4day Carnaval.....There were a number of kids there.....they did seem to have kid activities for them....They didn't seem too out of place.....

we are doing the 4day also.....I'd love to play at the atlantis but the cost is too high....so yes we are also planning to stay on the ship....but if I wanted to see beautiful beaches I don't think I'd plan a cruise....I'd go there directly....

 

[carolsherman]

DON'T DO CARNIVAL WITH KIDS I DID IT IN NOVEMBER WITH DS10 AND DS 7 IT was one of the worst mistakes I ever made they have nothing going for the kids to do they were so very very bored we ended up jumping ship in St. Thomas and they flew us home I would never recommend Carnival ever

 

[zurgswife]

Sounds like the above poster has first hand experience with the kids events.....

I was just with a group of married ladies on a long weekend getaway......So, we had a blast...

PS....how did you manage to get them to fly you home????

 

[Bev J]

Have you checked royal carribbean? There are some fantastic prices out there right now, the voyager class ships have so much to offer a family. You could do 7 days for what you are paying and see much nicer ports. I am not knocking down DCL but if it is a great family vacation you want with in your budget then take a look. Try some of the internet sites for pricing. I saw some really good ones at www.seasavers.com or www.mytravelco.com.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by zurgswife
Sounds like the above poster has first hand experience with the kids events.....

I was just with a group of married ladies on a long weekend getaway......So, we had a blast...

PS....how did you manage to get them to fly you home????

If you are not pleased with a Carnival Cruise, they will you home, free of charge, from the first port they reach outside of the United States. I believe you also get a refund on the cruise.

 

[saraschuelke]

thanks for your thoughts. I wish nassau had something fun for the kids.....

 

[NewtoWDW]

We did the Blue Lagoon excursion in Nassau and it was wonderful! You said you wanted to see beautiful beaches and it certainly was. We spent the day relaxing on a non-crowded beach because some very informative board member here told us to go to the other side of the island. We went there and there was no one else there. Then we came back in the afternoon and walked around some of the shops in Nassau. I think we got the best of both worlds!!!

 

[cgannon]

We ejoyed the beach at Blue Lagoon. The kids liked the boat ride over. I would suggest bringing some snacks along.

 

[kramer_clan]

I have done the Blue Lagoon Beach Day twice and both times had a great time. Some people have commented that it was dirty and not much to do, but the Island is pretty big and if you head away from where you are dropped off, you can get a nice spot. I like this excursion for younger children because of the lagoon. The food is not that bad---not great, but edible. Remember that if your kids drink a lot of soda and such, you will need to pay for that on this excursion. You do get a drink with your lunch.

Vicki

 

[SeattleMark]

Originally posted by saraschuelke
thanks for your thoughts. I wish nassau had something fun for the kids.....

There are tons of things to do with the kids! How about having a day at The Atlantis Resort ? It has a HUGE waterpark, a Discovery Channel Kids Camp, the largest outdoor aquarium in the world (including a clear-domed walkway, where sharks and fishes are all around you!). While the Disney excursion doesn't give you full access to the waterpark and pools, if you rent a room at the .Comfort Suites right next door, you get FULL privledges, just as if you were staying at the Atlantis. We've found that this wasn't much more expensive than doing the Disney excursion for a family of 4. There's also jet skiing, snorkeling, kids pools, huge waterslides off of a "Mayan pyramid" (including one that has a 60ft drop, then shoots you through a clear tube that runs through the shark pool!) , etc.

Or how about taking a snorkeling trip? There have been many recommended here, or riding on your own underwater "motorcycle" type thing, without getting your hair wet! You can check out lots of options at Shoretrips.com

If you just hang around the cruise dock, you'll think it's a dump. If you get out and about, it can be absolutely wonderful.

Have fun!

Mark

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

The first time in Nassay with kids we did a tour of Atlantis and the island and if was fun and took up enough time that we got back to the ship for lunch and then enjoyed the pools and such.

I am going on a RCCL cruise in August and will be doing the Atlantis Beach break but this is a mommys only trip so I will post on my experience. A number of posters get day rooms at the Comfort Inn or Atlantis and have been happy. The Atlantis Resort was beautiful and the aquariums were awesome and the beaches were very tranquil and had nice soft sand. Back before kids we went to the Blue Lagoon beach and loved it and DCL also has some excurisons you can look into.

But I do agree Nassau is not the best port and that is why we switched to the 7 day this next time. But on a short cruise you can't get that far and you still get to go to Castaway Cay

 

[Bev J]

The pirates museum is a fun thing for a family to do. It is about a 15 min walk from the port or you could take a cab. The beaches on paradise island are ok, but you have to find some that are not owned by a hotel. Nausaua is pretty dirty and crowded with people and cars and you will be hounded to have your hair braided, mine is very short and I got really tired of them asking me. You really have the perfect spot for nausaua-the ship so take advantage of uncrowded pools and enjoy.