I have 3 children, ages 8,6 and 3. We are cruising on the Paradise March 7, 2004. I am still totally confused about what to do in Belize and Roatan. Has anyone been on a good ship's tour for kids that is NOT more than, say, $50.00 per person (if we pay this much I want it to be really worth it). Has anyone tried Goff's Caye with and 8 and 6 year old?
We are to scared to go on a private tour in these places...what if the driver's car breaks down and we miss the ship? I am also not so thrilled about any long (more than half hour) drives with 3 kids in the car (or on a boat for that matter.)
We are doing so much in Cayman and Cozumel, that I would have just loved to relax in Belize and Roatan on a nearby beach.
Or, do those of you with kids recommend just staying on the ship for most of the cruise?
I don't think that my 3 year old is going to be that crazy about being left in Camp Carnival and really wanted to take her to the beach...
If we do stay on the ship, does the pool area get really crowded in the morning until lunch?
We did Roatan and Belize two years ago. Unfortunately our excursion for Belize was about 80.00 a piece. It was called Shark Ray Alley. We snorkeled with sand sharks and stings rays. An unbelieveable experience and well worth every dime we paid. It takes about a 45 min. boat trip to the site after that we were take to Ambergris Caye for lunch and some swimming on the beach, that is where Temptation Island was shot. Roatan we did the beach thing, I can not remember the name but it is absolutely beautiful on that island. The side you tender from is very poor and you have to get to the other side of the island. I would not hesitate to take your 3 year old on the Roatan beach escape, but I wouldn't do the snorkeling with someone that young. I can understand you not wanting to leave them on board but, Shark Ray Alley is really an excursion worth taking if they still offer it.
We went on the Paradise last year to these port with our boys (8&12). We missed the Belize port b/c the winds were too strong and we couldn't tender into shore.
In Roatan, we went to a beautiful beach...think it was called Parrot beach...a bus takes you through town (which is very poor) to the beautiful beach (close to a very nice resort)...there are lawn chairs, kayaks, they did a pinata for the kids...it was fun if you just want to relax for the day. There were facilities on the beach (restrooms, hammocks, and place to grab drinks/snacks.)
The area just off the pier will have many kids trying to sell you large sea shells (the kind you blow into and they make a loud sound)...think twice before buying...they will stink up your cabin like nobody's business...
Also, note that the Paradise pools are salt water, so be sure to take goggles/masks for the kids for when they are just playing around in the pools.
I stopped in Belize and Roatan with my then 3-year old daughter. Well, actually she was almost 4. In fact, she celebrated her birthday onboard. Anyway, I didn't take any of the excursions offered (on NCL) because they are all very long. Where the ship drops anchor is rather far from any of the excursions, so they all involved a long bus ride. As far as I know, there isn't a beach near the port. Because the ships drop anchor so far out, its a long tender ride in. What I did was take the tender in, which was a fun trip for my daughter, walked around a little bit (we found a really nice shop run by an American ex-patriate right outside the gates) and then came back to the ship and hung around.
As for Roatan, I think we went to the same beach that was mentioned above. It was quite lovely, nice light surf, a luncheon, facilites and a nice little shop that had some lovely craft items. That was definately worth it.
Also, this was the beach that I began to teach my daugher how to snorkel. They are never too young. I just started with the mask so she could see under water by holding her breath. I just taught her her how to use the J tube this past summer. Anyway, the beach is a nice place to start because the water is crystal clear and there are some nice species of fish that swim around your feet. She was so excited because she got to see a needle nose fish.
Oh, and she did LOVE the kids program on NCL. In fact, she loved it so much I had to litterally drag her away sometimes to spend family time with us! Frankly, I didn't think she would be interested. Anyway, just check it out when they have the orientation the first night; you might be pleasantly surprised!
I have obtained a list of Carnival's excursions. Since there is no real "beach day" in Belize, I would like to try a beach in Roatan. Which is better, the Parrot Tree Plantation or Tabyana Beach? Which is the shorter bus ride...I have 3 young children.
There must be a few places to port....on the Paradise we did not tender into shore, we were parked right on the dock. The bus ride to Parrot Tree was about 30-40 minutes...not sure how long to the other beach you mentioned.
Still Stumped about Belize and Roatan
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