Cruising the Caribbean with extended family is something we have come to look forward to annually. This February, we were more than ready to leave the snow and negative temps behind! Not only do we enjoy cruising during winter to escape the cold, but it is also a great time for Caribbean weather as the dry season is between mid-December-April.
This year was my first time departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, which is just 45 minutes from Orlando. We ALWAYS arrive a day early for a cruise and stay the night in our port city (or in this case, Orlando). Trust me on this one, you do not want to miss the boat because of a delayed flight! Unfortunately, I am speaking from experience. We used the company Go Port to transfer us from our hotel in Orlando to Port Canaveral the day of embarkation and it was super convenient. At the time of booking, we also made a reservation for transportation from the ship to the airport at the completion of the cruise.
TIP!
In the baby/toddler phase of life, the car seat situation can often make travel a little complicated. We have been fortunate to get by without one on these cruises. We always look for a hotel that offers complimentary shuttle service from the airport, and then also use a shuttle service for transportation to the ship. The same goes for a crib/pack-n-play. It is so nice to not worry about packing and carrying those big items!
Living on a boat for a week looked much different this year with our toddler than it had in previous years (read about our Caribbean cruise experience with a baby here!). We climbed up and down stairs, walked up and down hallways, and made laps around the top-floor track. Excursions looked different this year too, but for the better! The beaches were a hit and Little C was digging and dumping sand to her heart’s content!
TIP!
Each cruise ship/cruise line has their own rules and culture. While we love the Celebrity Cruise Line, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it strictly for family travel. Children must be toilet trained before using pools, and most facilities on board are geared for adults. However, there is a kids club that allows children ages 3 years and up to be dropped off during set hours. Kids under 3 are welcome to use the play center with their parents’/guardians’ supervision.
Our Cruise: 7-Night Caribbean Cruise
Our Ship: Celebrity Equinox
Departure City: Port Canaveral, Florida
Itinerary:
Day 1: Embarkation Day
Day 2: At Sea
Day 3: Key West
Day 4: At Sea
Day 5: Coco Cay
Day 6: Nassau, Bahamas
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: Return to Port Canaveral, Florida
Excursions:
For those new to cruising, when you dock at a port destination, you have the option to get off the boat and book a tour with an independent agency at that port. These are typically much cheaper than booking through the cruise line. However, your ship will sail a its scheduled time- whether or not your tour group makes it back in time. For this reason, we always book our excursions through the cruise line. They use trusted agencies and if something were to go wrong while you are out (flat tire, tour running long, etc.), the ship WILL wait for passengers who booked through them.
Key West:
After thoroughly exploring the ship on our sea days, we were so excited to get off and see Key West! The minute we stepped off the boat we were met with the laid-back, island vibes of this southernmost US island city. Key West is filled with great casual dining options, shops, bars, and sites to see. To get a taste of it all during our short stop, we decided to take the Old Town Trolley Tour with hop-on, hop-off privileges. We purchased our tickets right near Mallory Square where the ships dock. This activity was great with a toddler because she enjoyed riding the “train” (to be clear- this isn’t a train! There is a train ride option in Key West but it is a full hour and you cannot climb off during the tour!) but if she began feeling antsy we could always get off at the next stop. We brought our collapsible stroller with us and it was perfect for the day. The tour guide had a spot to hold it during the trolley tour and we could grab it on our way off.
We decided to hop off the trolley at the southern side of the island, at the Casa Marina Resort & Beach House (stop 10). A block away from this stop is Higgs Beach Children’s Playground, a fenced in playground with a sandy surface right off the beach. It has great playground equipment for both littles and bigs, as well as a bathroom and shelter. After getting the wiggles out of Baby C, we strolled through the nearby Key West Garden Club at West Martello. These gardens are free to explore and were a great place for butterfly and water fountain sitings, two things our toddler loves!
If you are interested in taking the iconic photo at the southernmost point, it is just a short walk from this area. We recommend walking there instead of taking the trolley as it gets very busy at that stop!
We ended our trolley tour at stop 13, on Duval Street. From there, we walked to Kermit’s Key Lime Shop for our obligatory, and in our opinion, one of the best, slices of key lime pie (although be sure to visit Blue Heaven restaurant to compare!). Although there are multiple Kermit’s, we enjoy visiting the one off Elizabeth street the most as it has a nice little garden and sitting area outside!
Perfect Day at Coco Cay:
Coco Cay is a private destination in the Bahamas, exclusively for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean cruises. This was probably my favorite port of the entire trip! The beaches are incredibly beautiful, food and drinks are conveniently located (and drink packages that you have on ship are also valid at Coco Cay!), there are a ton of bathrooms throughout the island, and there is something for everyone to do and enjoy. Guests can get around by a tram or walk along a well-paved path.
Our first stop at Coco Cay was a visit to the Oasis Lagoon pool. This pool is completely free and has plenty of lounge chairs, a zero-entry splash zone, and a swim up bar. After pool time, we joined some family members at a cabana on Coco Beach Club. This is a paid experience, but we found it to be completely worth it. Our cabana included a fridge full of drinks, a couch and multiple other seating options, a couple hammocks on the beach, and a butler who took our appetizer, lunch, dessert, and drink orders. Snorkel gear was available to use, as well as water loungers to relax on in the sea. Just steps away from our cabana was a heated infinity pool!
Although we didn’t have time to visit these other areas, Coco Cay also has several free beaches to visit, a free children’s splash zone, and a large waterpark for an additional cost.
Beach Day at Pearl Island, Bahamas:
After arriving to our port in Nassau, we headed toward our planned excursion on Pearl Island. A small boat took us from the dock to the island, where we were able to enjoy a relaxing beach day. Pearl Island is a narrow stretch of land with a walkway that runs its length. On either side of the walkway are beachy areas with lounge chairs, food and snacks, and water activities like paddle boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, and water trampolines/mats. The beach was great for all ages, with gentle waves and smooth sand. We brought a handful of beach toys from home and they were put to use on this day!
Overall, we greatly enjoyed our cruising experience and we are already excited for the next trip! Help us out for next time – What are your recommendations for cruising, visiting the Caribbean, or traveling with kids in general?