reces

We would like to take a family vacation somewhere where our kids (13,15,19) can learn to snorkel, enjoy the beautiful caribbean waters, boat excursions, etc. We just can't seem to find something we like. We have thought of trips like a cruise to the Bahamas or an all inclusive like Jamaica, but nothing stands out yet. What caribbean vacations have you done with teens where there is plenty for them to do besides lay on the beach. This trip is being planned for June 2005.

eileen

A great choice is RCCL's Navigator of the Seas (Western Caribbean Itinerary). Did this with my kids (younger than yours) last November. Daughter snorkled at all destinations, said Cozumel was the best. Stingray City snorkle trip in Grand Cayman is fun. Aruba is also a great family destination.

reces

eileen - I just checked out the RCCL Navigator to western caribbean. It looks really nice and it stops at the places we have considered. Did your kids enjoy the "cruise" aspect of the trip? We went on an RCCL cruise to the caribbean (different islands than this) and loved it, but we were concerned about what the kids would do. It looks like they have programs for teens up to age 17. Did yours participate any any of these? I am assuming we would have to get two rooms as I can't imagine having all 5 of us in a small room.

jpea

I'm not a real cruise fanatic, however, we did take a cruise with our 3 kids. We've stayed in all types of resort destinations from Hawaii to the Caribbean to try out what works best. While renting a condo or villa somewhere can save you dollars, you have to factor in time and money spent on buying groceries and cooking.

All inclusive resorts can be great, but you want to find one that offers more than just buffet meals, and that have activities for kids and teens.

If you've never taken a cruise, I would definitely try one out. Everything is included and they run all kinds of shows and activities to keep everyone happy. The bonus is that not everyone has to do the same thing. If you want to take some excursions and do some snorkelling, you can do that at most cruise stops in the Caribbean.

Good luck!

reces

jpea - when you went on a cruise with your kids, did you get a suite or adjoining rooms or what. The RCCL we just looked at say max 4 ppl per room. They have something called a family suite with a couple bedrooms. Is this the best or should we get adjoining rooms. Which is the cheapest and most convenient? This RCCL western caribbean is really looking good if we can get the logistics down.

jpea

We booked two adjoining cabins on the 2nd lowest level of the Carnival Triumph, which had an ocean view window (no balcony). The balcony rooms were so much more expensive, especially since we needed two. I was worried about what our room would be like, but having the window was a nice feature and worth it over an interior room which is smaller and has no window.

The cabin stewards were great and made up our room to a king bed, while the three kids shared the other cabin, with two single beds and a couch that converts to a bed. They also made that up for us into a bed right away. The bonus is that you get two baths and that extra space and privacy.

We also got a deal by booking with a major travel agency that gets wholesale prices, rather than booking through the cruise line directly.

There are so many different cruise ships with a variety of destinations at all different price ranges. If you can spend the extra money on 2 balcony cabins, go for it! Otherwise, we were very happy with our choice.

reces

thanks for the info. You even answered my next question about whether or not we should book thru a travel agent or online. Thanks again.

gail

Will be better able to answer in a month - when we return from our cruise to Bermuda with 13 and 18 year olds (girl/boy). The plan is for them to share a cabin with twin beds - but we had to officially book one of us in each cabin since can't book cabin with just kids in it.

Our plan is to use ship as floating hotel while in Bermuda and use bus and ferry transportation around Bermuda for the 4 days we will have there. Our older kid, particularly, would not take well to 12 hours in 4 different destinations.

eileen

Hi. Well, it's hard for me to give a good opinion on teenagers as my children were 6 and 11 when we went. They love to travel and this was their first cruise but they enjoyed everything about it. I think my older child enjoyed it the most because I gave her a walkie-talkie and she was able to "roam" on the ship a bit. My husband and I liked it because we were able to have some nice dinners and some adult time while the kids were in the kids clubs at night. We had two connecting cabins -- we chose the promenade view cabins and it was great for us -- the kids could watch the parades and we had a nice bay window with a several story view of the promenade that made what are essentially interior cabins seem not claustrophobic. Since we basically paid for the kids as adults to get the two cabins we did not think the hundreds of dollars extra was worth it for the balcony and I was nervous about the balcony with my kids being in their own cabin. We were hardly in the cabin, so I was glad we hadn't spent that money. I really recommend the promenade view cabins, I have had a porthole view on another cruise and would take the promenade view over that any day.