Slow Travel, Fine Life - Hilaya State of Mind

(Must Read) Parents Island Survival Kit

Hi Lingling,

 

I have two young kids (one 2 yr, another 5 yr) and we’d like to bring them to

Hawaii

for a week or so. They have never been to an island before, and I am a bit nervous for what we should prepare as parents.

 

Would appreciate any insights that you might have.

 

Mary Ann

 

 

Hi Mary Ann,

 

Let me share with you the following “Parents Island Survival Kit” from a fellow travel counselor – I have shared that with many of my friends and Hilaya travelers and they all love this!

• Sunscreen-is a must

• Any stuffed animal or blanket that a child is extremely attached to.

• Coloring or activity books and crayons-this is good to have on the plane, in restaurants, and on long car rides.

• A stroller and a backpack carrier are great items to bring for infants and toddlers. And of course, car seats( you could rent one as well)

• Dramamine for motion sickness

• Snacks and beverages

• Disposable cameras for each child-this is a great way to keep the kids interested in what is going on around them. They are able to save memories of their vacation memories after their own perspective.

• You can also have fun with your kids by creating a scrap book of your island vacation memories after you return and have photos developed!

• Map-free mays are provided when you rent a car.

• Small first aid kit

• Sense of humor! Kids  will be kids and there is nothing worth ruining your entire vacation over.

 

 

What's an all-inclusive vacation?

•H

Hi Lingling,

What’s all-inclusive vacation about? 

 

Sally

 

 

Hi Sally,

 

I’ve compiled the frequently-asked-questions for all-inclusive vacation as below and hope this helps.

 

What’s an all-inclusive vacation?

• Round-trip air fare and airport transfer, hotel room accommodation, all the meals, and entertainment programs

• It is much cheaper than if you buy them separately (and… sometimes, kids can stay free!)

• People also use all-inclusive resorts for weddings, group reunions and other large events

• Again, travel agents have better deals and deeper knowledge than a website

 

What do families do there?

· Day activities: Whale watching, Scuba lesson, Watching the sun rise... or set... on the beach, Biking through the breeze, Euro-bungee, Aqua gym, Yoga, Practice putting on a beautiful green , Tennis, Beach volley ball , Cooking classes, Cocktail lessons, Slow beach walks, Archery, Badminton, Toss horseshoes, Croquet, Soccer, Ping-pong…

 

· Evening activities: Moonlit theme parties, Outstanding music and shows, Big screen outdoor movies under the stars, Evening craft market  ... and other surprises every night

 

What are popular destinations for all-inclusive vacation?

• Caribbean, Bahamas, and Costa Rica

• Mexico (Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun)

 

What’s the best time to go?

• High-season: Mid-November through May

• Low-season: June through Mid-November

• Best time: Late October/early November

• Best-to-avoid time: August to November is the Hurricane season

 

2-year old friendly Caribbean for first-time cruisers?

Hello Lingling,

We have a 2yr daughter and are thinking of Caribbean cruise this thanksgiving. Would you like give us some suggestion such as,

1. which itinerary is better for the first time Caribbean cruise, east or west?
2. which ship line is better for family with little girl?

Thanks.

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Hi,

Thank you for contacting me for your cruise.  To answer your questions:

1. Western or Eastern Caribbean.

Princess 7-day Eastern Caribbean Itinerary         Princess 7-day Western Caribbean Itinerary

As you can see from the itinerary, eastern Caribbean islands tend to be smaller and closer, so you will spend less time to sail (the days that you are on the sea) but more time to go shopping and beaches. But note the options of shore excursions tend to be fewer.

On the contrary, western Caribbean islands (Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Bahamas, etc) are bigger and further away from Florida, so you will spend more time (compare to Eastern) on the sea. Meanwhile, you will have variety of shore excursions to select other than shopping and typical beach activities. And water quality tends to be better.

For first-time cruisers, although you will get great experience from either itinerary, I probably would recommend Western Caribbean cruise as it's more like a traditional cruise experience - you are on the sea, away from the crowed cities. and you can have more choices when it comes to shore excursions if you do want to go ashore.

That's also part of the reasons why we took Western Caribbean last March. We met many families repeated taking the same itinerary (each year!). Of course, we will do eastern/south/north Caribbean later.

2.  Which cruise line(s) for family with 2-year-old little girl?

One thing that you might already know, the free childcare services (it's not totally free as you need to pay some money each day for like $ 10 per day, but it's really nominal fee) on most cruiselines start at age 3. That means you will either have to pay for childcare, or take them with you, or leave them at home with grandparents.

Having said that,  let me recommend the following to actually overcome this and still have a good time:

Choose Disney or Princess. Disney will be my first recommendation as it's been constantly and consistently ranked as THE most family-friendly cruise. They have a nursery services which you pay around $ 6.00 per hour but it's really great services and the facilities are fantastic!

One unique thing about Disney is that they don't have Casinos, so the cruisers for Disney are mostly families with kids (especially young kids) which provides a great environment for you and your child.  Note that because of this - and all the Disney-type entertainment programs - Disney cruises tend to be priced higher than average cruises as Casino income is an important on-board revenue for cruises.

Princess is also wonderful for kids - you can see from my travel blog :-) - but most importantly, among all the travel agent community ( and I am in a network of over 600 professional travel agents ),  Princess has been constantly ranked as a very good cruise line for families. Princess is also famous for great food and high quality entertainment programs among large-size ships (defined as over 1000 passengers).  But the price point of Princess is lower than that of Disney.

Get a group of multiple families with kids at the same age.

If you have other friends who also have kids at age 2 or below 3,  call them and invite them to join you for a group cruise.

Not only will you get a good deal - group rate - but also you guys can share childcare responsibilities while moms can go shopping, dads are taking care of the kids ( or dads go to late night shows, moms watching the kids ) - or one family is taking care of the kids for one day at a time.

Let me know if this helps. I will be more than happy to help your questions or booking (early booking discount/group rate can save up to 20%).

Lingling | lingling@hilaya.com | 604-375-0398