aymekae
Ayme of the Southern Isles
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2008
- Messages
- 489
Key West:
Walked to the Hemigway Museum and Lighthouse Museum. Glad we did, but wouldn't feel the need to do again. The walk was lengthy, but I think older kids/teens wouldn't have problem; I wouldn't do it if anyone has mobility issues.
Grandy Cayman:
Nautilus Semi-Seb and Snorkeling Excursion (booked through DCL): Short and sweet, I thought it was a good value (I believe $35/pp for 2 hours). The shuttle ride to the sub was very short. The tour guide was charming and knowledgable. We saw lots of fish and coral and a few shipwrecks. Near the end, the captain dropped anchor, donned scuba gear, and went outside to "feed the fish" so we could watch from our portholes. Then they led us upstairs to don snorkeling gear and we snorkeled around the boat for about 45 minutes. Before we snorkeled, we saw hoardes of tiny jellyfish in the water, and when some of us voiced our concern, the tour guide said, "Some days they're feisty, some days they're calm. If they start stinging, get out of the water." And they were stinging, but I guess they were little enough most folks weren't bothered by it. After I got stung twice, I went back. Those who stayed the whole time ended up with little red welts on their arms and legs. Nobody seemed to care but me!
It was my first time snorkeling. Then a short jaunt back to the shore, and at that point, we could either catch a shuttle back to the ship, but I believe they also said they would shuttle you to the beach if you wanted. On Grand Cayman day, our tour started at 7:30 AM, ended before 10 AM, and we were back on board and enjoying the pool the rest of the day before most folks had even gotten off! I give the excursion 9/10. I wouldn't *mind* doing it again, but I would probably try something different first. It seemed to be a great option for families. Except for the 5 year old girl who started swimming away from the boat and her mother "lost" her briefly. You know your kids, just make sure to have the talk about safety and whatnot prior to the excursion!
Cozumel:
Booked a reservation at Nachi Cocom through Island Marketing, Ltd. (deposit is required by credit card, the balance is due upon arrival in cash only). This is a private beach area that limits the number of guests to 100 per day, and you will have your own dedicated lounge chairs in the shade. There is also a pool and hot tub with lots of space to lounge around. Included in the $55/pp fee is a 3 course lunch (simply delicious... you must try the guacamole!) and unlimited beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They have other services you can add. We added an hour long couple's massage in an open air cabana overlooking the ocean. At only $70/pp plus tip, it was SO worth it. (Though don't make the same mistake I did... if you can see out, others can see in! Everyone kept their swimsuits on, though my masseuse practically ripped mine down before I had a chance to think about the logistics of it.
Just be sure to think about what swimsuit to wear to make it easier, as they will want full access to your entire back, and there is no private place to change and get comfy before it starts.) The massage itself was wonderful, though vigorous. My DH also booked 30 minutes on a jetski, which he thought was fun; I thought it was expensive for $30, but I didn't go and don't like the things, so YMMV. You can also buy a photo of your arrival in Mexican hats, and they had other water entertainment for rent, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to that. What I would do differently in the future is come dressed for the beach (it was gross having to change in their bathroom) and try to split a taxi with other folks heading to the same place (we talked about it on the Dis before going, but forgot to set it up). Taxi fare to get there for 2 people was $16, and $16 to return. They accepted US dollars for everything. Pretty much, this was our day: Arrive, pay the balance, got escorted to our loungers, got shown all the extras we can buy (it was a soft sale, as we had already pre-booked our fun), got our first drink order in, relax, relax, relax, have a massage, eat a wonderful lunch, relax, relax, relax, got in the hot tub near the end of the day. Most people were gone by 2 PM. The place didn't close till 5, our ship didn't leave till 6, so even when we left at 4:15 or 4:30, we had the place mostly to ourselves for a few hours!! Oh, and there will either be taxis out front, or they will call one for you. WE WOULD DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Walked to the Hemigway Museum and Lighthouse Museum. Glad we did, but wouldn't feel the need to do again. The walk was lengthy, but I think older kids/teens wouldn't have problem; I wouldn't do it if anyone has mobility issues.
Grandy Cayman:
Nautilus Semi-Seb and Snorkeling Excursion (booked through DCL): Short and sweet, I thought it was a good value (I believe $35/pp for 2 hours). The shuttle ride to the sub was very short. The tour guide was charming and knowledgable. We saw lots of fish and coral and a few shipwrecks. Near the end, the captain dropped anchor, donned scuba gear, and went outside to "feed the fish" so we could watch from our portholes. Then they led us upstairs to don snorkeling gear and we snorkeled around the boat for about 45 minutes. Before we snorkeled, we saw hoardes of tiny jellyfish in the water, and when some of us voiced our concern, the tour guide said, "Some days they're feisty, some days they're calm. If they start stinging, get out of the water." And they were stinging, but I guess they were little enough most folks weren't bothered by it. After I got stung twice, I went back. Those who stayed the whole time ended up with little red welts on their arms and legs. Nobody seemed to care but me!
It was my first time snorkeling. Then a short jaunt back to the shore, and at that point, we could either catch a shuttle back to the ship, but I believe they also said they would shuttle you to the beach if you wanted. On Grand Cayman day, our tour started at 7:30 AM, ended before 10 AM, and we were back on board and enjoying the pool the rest of the day before most folks had even gotten off! I give the excursion 9/10. I wouldn't *mind* doing it again, but I would probably try something different first. It seemed to be a great option for families. Except for the 5 year old girl who started swimming away from the boat and her mother "lost" her briefly. You know your kids, just make sure to have the talk about safety and whatnot prior to the excursion!Cozumel:
Booked a reservation at Nachi Cocom through Island Marketing, Ltd. (deposit is required by credit card, the balance is due upon arrival in cash only). This is a private beach area that limits the number of guests to 100 per day, and you will have your own dedicated lounge chairs in the shade. There is also a pool and hot tub with lots of space to lounge around. Included in the $55/pp fee is a 3 course lunch (simply delicious... you must try the guacamole!) and unlimited beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They have other services you can add. We added an hour long couple's massage in an open air cabana overlooking the ocean. At only $70/pp plus tip, it was SO worth it. (Though don't make the same mistake I did... if you can see out, others can see in! Everyone kept their swimsuits on, though my masseuse practically ripped mine down before I had a chance to think about the logistics of it.
Just be sure to think about what swimsuit to wear to make it easier, as they will want full access to your entire back, and there is no private place to change and get comfy before it starts.) The massage itself was wonderful, though vigorous. My DH also booked 30 minutes on a jetski, which he thought was fun; I thought it was expensive for $30, but I didn't go and don't like the things, so YMMV. You can also buy a photo of your arrival in Mexican hats, and they had other water entertainment for rent, but I didn't pay a lot of attention to that. What I would do differently in the future is come dressed for the beach (it was gross having to change in their bathroom) and try to split a taxi with other folks heading to the same place (we talked about it on the Dis before going, but forgot to set it up). Taxi fare to get there for 2 people was $16, and $16 to return. They accepted US dollars for everything. Pretty much, this was our day: Arrive, pay the balance, got escorted to our loungers, got shown all the extras we can buy (it was a soft sale, as we had already pre-booked our fun), got our first drink order in, relax, relax, relax, have a massage, eat a wonderful lunch, relax, relax, relax, got in the hot tub near the end of the day. Most people were gone by 2 PM. The place didn't close till 5, our ship didn't leave till 6, so even when we left at 4:15 or 4:30, we had the place mostly to ourselves for a few hours!! Oh, and there will either be taxis out front, or they will call one for you. WE WOULD DO THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN.
I would love to see everyone's input too. 
Also, has anyone ever been at Christmas? Debating between Christmas cruise (we have been at WDW at Christmas, now trying to decide btwn WDW or cruise for Christmas this year), or WDW at Christmas and cruise at Spring Break. The kids think it would be cool to be onboard at Christmas, but I think I would prefer a cruise at Spring Break -- we do water port adventures -- how cold is it at Christmas?! 
bump
