We took our first family Caribbean cruise for spring break. It was our son’s first trip out of the country (age 9), so we wanted to ease into international travel with something a bit easier and more kid-focused. After much research, we picked Norwegian Cruise Line because of the family-friendly services and reviews.
We started our cruise adventure in the port of Tampa, Florida. There’s a huge parking garage adjacent to the port, which was convenient. We recommend leaving plenty of time for parking and the embarkation process. We stood in a lengthy line for embarking onto the cruise ship, the Norwegian Dawn. It was a pretty seamless process after the line started moving – they check ID’s, take your photo, you drop your luggage, and get your room keys.
The ship
Since we were somewhat late to making our reservations, we used the bidding system to upgrade our stateroom. Surprisingly, it worked and we got an upgrade a week before our trip! Our room was a balcony stateroom with a pullout bed for our son. It was a bit tight but worked out fine since we’d packed lightly. Pack in soft-sided luggage if possible so that you can unpack your belongings into the closet and not have to deal with suitcases getting in your way.
We set off to explore the ship and get our bearings – taking in the Grand Atrium with live music, theater, pool, restaurants, Pulse fitness center, and Splash Academy kids club. We recommend that your room location be near the central stairway; that allowed us to move quickly through the floors and navigate through the ship easily. Using the elevators was painstakingly slow during peak hours, and we liked the little bit of exercise. Speaking of, the gym had all the equipment we needed to work off those buffets. 🙂
We had upgraded to the “Free at Sea” package so would often sit by the pool while our son enjoyed the kids club at the Splash Academy. We also took in a few evening shows in the Stardust Theater – a comedian and an aerial circus show. Our family also enjoyed giant checkers or chess along the jogging track on the top deck and also played the card game Phase 10 while listening to live music in the Grand Atrium. So many laughs!
We ate most meals at the buffet restaurant, Garden Cafe, due to convenience, but we also enjoyed sit-down meal service at Aqua and Venetian and a pub-style meal at O’Sheehan’s Bar & Grill. We did also make a dining reservation (part of our upgrade package) for a date night while our son happily hung out with his new friends in the kids club. This was at the Italian restaurant La Cucina and was a nice change after many buffet meals.
Ports
Our port stops were the highlight of the trip! We were excited to share some culture with our son and see the sights! The first stop after a full day of sailing was Cozumel, Mexico. We highly recommend that you get out of the ports to see more culture and eat at local restaurants. Research ahead of time so you know where you’re headed and be brave enough to not just rely on the cruise’s excursions.
The first port stop, after a full day of sailing, was Cozumel, Mexico. I had researched ahead of time so knew where we were headed when hailing a taxi. We spent the day at the Money Bar Beach Club, enjoying great tacos, nachos, drinks, and snorkeling right in front of the restaurant. Lounge chairs and towels were provided, as well as bathrooms, showers, and a great diverse menu.
The second port stop was Roatan Honduras. We again wanted to get out of the cruise port and into the island. We hailed a taxi and drove across the island to Half Moon Bay, about a 15 min drive. Here we snorkeled in the shallow clear water for the morning, seeing amazing tropical fish and even a couple of cuttlefish. We had lunch and then took a small boat to the nearby West Bay Beach. This area was busier, with more tourists, bars, restaurants, and hotels. We snorkeled there also but preferred the waters and relaxed atmosphere of Half Moon Bay.
The third port stop was Harvest Caye. This is a private island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line, located in southern Belize. It was a relaxing day by the pool and beach, but it really didn’t give us any sense of the Belize culture, people or food. It ended up being our least favorite port of the 4 stops because it was just too manufactured.
The last port stop was Costa Maya Mexico, another cruise-manufactured port. It was constructed adjacent to Mahahual Mexico, a fun little surf town. We elected to do a half-day excursion to Chacchoben Mayan ruins in the morning, and then relaxed at Mahahual for the afternoon. This was great exposure for our son to both history and current Mexican culture… The Mayan ruins tour was in a nice air-conditioned van, provided bottled water, and a brief history lesson as we rode the 50 min to the ruins. We even saw a group of spider monkeys playing in the trees!
Once back at the Costa Maya port, we took a short taxi ride over to Mahahual. We walked along the beachfront promenade and found a great beachfront restaurant, Yaya Beach Club, to relax and watch the waves for the afternoon. We highly recommend this restaurant for amazing tacos and smoothies!
After another full day of sailing, relaxing on board, we arrived back in Tampa, Florida. As we disembarked, we each voted on our favorite ports: a unanimous win for Roatan Honduras!
This was a great first family Caribbean cruise and foundation for our son’s future international travel adventures!
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