What is your CC strategy?

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I still am not quite sure how to plan out our CC day. DS and DH want to go snorkeling. DD is too young for that. I am interested in parasailing, but am nervous about that. I would like some beach and water time with the kids, and I know the kids would want to go to kids clubs as well. How would you plan out your day given these issues? Please, plan my CC day for me!!!!!

We have early dinner seating, and we do plan on getting up early so we can enjoy the beach as much as possible!

 

[Favorite Auntie]

I don't really have a strategy...I just try to have a great time! It's not too hard to do... You should let your DD do the club if that is what she wants, it is her vacation too. That way you can snorkel and parasail and not worry about her. Maybe make a deal that she spends some family time after lunch, around 3 or so. That would still give you an hour or so before you have to be back on the ship.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I had already planned on sending DD to the clubs, she will love it there. I just want to make sure that we have our family time as well as doing what we individually want to do.

 

[jrabbit]

The clubs are on the island, away from the beach. DD should have fun there and be easy to get to if needed or wanted.

The snorkeling is ok at CC the earlier you get out there the better, less sand stired up. And you will want to get out to the "Advanced" section to really see critters and other stuff.

Once you have snorkeled and parasailed and if DD is still happy in the clubs, you and hubby should head over to serenity bay for a little while. Its quieter overthere and the water and beach are even more beautiful than at the family beach.

 

[Rippington'sFan]

Yes, I agree with the last post...if you have some free time head over to Serenity Bay (Adult Beach) and check that out. Might as well enjoy a Konk Kooler or 3 while your there too!

 

[goodstarr]

Leave the ship as early as possible, allow kids to go to the island club first, schedule parasailing for earliest time possible, couple time at serenity next, get kids and do lunch together (noonish), then all go to family beach for snorkeling.

 

[wovenwonder]

I personally just enjoy relaxing on CC. Your cruise stay is so SHORT --- don't try and go commando and lose the 'cruise feeling'. I wouldn't plan ANYTHING! Just enjoy the beach and the atmosphere --- YOU will LOVE IT!

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Good morning PRINCESS VIJA.

What is your CC strategy?

Run to the water's edge and throw my towel in so I can claim the ocean for my son and I...

 

[newbycruiser]

no, it's mine, I saw it first...

Castaway Cay strategy, how aobut hurricane Isabel strategy, huh? Or if there IS a Castaway Cay? We leave on Sunday, probably on a mystery cruise!

 

[gdulaney]

Originally posted by Buckaroo's Dad
Run to the water's edge and throw my towel in so I can claim the ocean for my son and I...

No fair BD...I wanted to claim to the ocean....


Seriously though... if you're worried about the parasailing...(like I was!!!)...don't be. Once you start up, it's the most peaceful and relaxing thing in the world. It was so beautiful and the views are fantastic! Don't forget to bring a waterproof camera.

Don't forget Cookie's BBQ --- or the konk koolers. Although I once drank a couple of konk koolers on an empty stomach and believed I could swim (I can't!). Thank goodness for the voice of reason (a/k/a my husband)!!

Have fun!!
Ginny

 

[WDWLVR]

Castaway Cay strategy:

If you want to snorkle claim an area by the snorkel lagoon and get in early. We did this in May and had most of the water to ourselves for the first hour. The water was clear and we saw everything we wanted. As we were coming back out it seemed lived eveyone else was coming in.

If you want to relax and have kids (or just don't want to go all the way over to Serenity Bay) go to the faaaaaaaaaar end of the family beach. We've done this on a number of cruises and the area never seems to get crowded. On our May 2002 cruise I think we were in that area for about 2 1/2 hours with only one or two others famiies around us. It was nice!

If you want to relax on Serenity Bay - wait for the tram. Our first visit my MIL insisted we should walk - we were dead on our feet by the time we got there!

 

[christinou]

My kids did not want to go to the kids club on the island, they love the ocean, and that were they wanted to be. As much as they loved the club on the ship, there was not much appeal on the island.
But that is just my kids, they are part fish, and need the water.....

 

[Padre Disney]

wdwlvr
We have been to CC twice and never made it past the far end of the family beach. In october it will just be 4 adults and we want to be at Serenity Bay all day.
Question is I have never noticed the other tram to get there. We took the first tram from the ship as far as possible. Is there another tram that picks you up near where the other tram drops off for a ride over to the adult beach?

 

[CRSNDSNY]

We don't have too much of a strategy either. Our big decision is usually -- What CC lunch buffet will we eat from today? LOL

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on the way you look at it ), we don't have kids, so we just head over to Serenity Bay to get a hammock and chair. We also like walking around the island a bunch, people watch and a bit of shopping. What a perfect island to just relax!

 

[jrabbit]

The tram to Serenity Bay is quite a ways from where you get off of the tram from the ship. At the far end of the family beach there is the "big toy" out in the water, the Serenity tram is just a little ways past that. When walking from the Magic tram stop, you stay on the paved path that leads past the shops, rest rooms, Cookies BBQ, more outdoor lunch seating, some Bahamian shops, and then you are close to the Adult tram stop.

Tip for those going down to the far end of the family beach -- if you are renting tubes or floats, they have another rental station down there, so you don't have to lug them from the snorkeling area.

 

[Buckaroo's Dad]

Hey WDWLVR.

If you want to relax and have kids

Doesn't each one exclude the other???...

 

[WDWLVR]

Hey BD - maybe! Guess that's why we never had kids!

 

[WDWLVR]

Originally posted by Padre Disney
wdwlvr
We have been to CC twice and never made it past the far end of the family beach. In october it will just be 4 adults and we want to be at Serenity Bay all day.
Question is I have never noticed the other tram to get there. We took the first tram from the ship as far as possible. Is there another tram that picks you up near where the other tram drops off for a ride over to the adult beach?

The tram that goes down to Serenity Bay is just past Cookies BBQ. In fact here's what we did in May:

Snorkel at the family beach and then relaxed until lunch. Lunch at Cookies then boarded the tram over to serenity bay. Snorkeled over there for another hour or so and then back to the ship. BTW if you go right to serenity bay in the morning they have lunch over there too.

 

[Padre Disney]

Thanks Mary

 

[dclwdwlover]

Hope this helps: This is how we did it last time w/one kid (now 17) in the Wild Side & one (now 12) that was in the clubs on the ship but we kept out of the club on the island to have time with him.
We got the Getaway Pkg. for the 3 of us (excluding the 17yo - who we only saw for lunch & later in the day) & first started by renting our snorkel & raft equip. & snorkeling for 1 1/2-2 hrs. Then we did the banana boat & then my husb. & 12yo did the 'bike in the water' thing. Then we all ate lunch together @ Cookies & then my husb. & I headed off to do the bicycles while our son stayed up on the beach building in the sand. By then our older son was done in WS & spent time w/his brother on the rafts in the family area in the small end near the life guards & we went off to Serenity for an hour & relaxed. When we got back we snorkeled & floated again with our kids for awhile before heading back to the ship.

This trip will be very similar with the exception that we're adding parasailing instead of the banana boat & bike-thingy for us in the early am & for the kids in the early pm. We'll just fit in everything else around that.

Hope you get to relax and enjoy everything you want to.