Take a 7-day cruise to the Caribbean from Miami, USA, visiting four countries: Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Mexico and Cuba.
Notes:
Cruises to the Caribbean from the U.S. don't require any visas, except for Cuba, but it's very easy to fill out a form and pay on board.
To show you the cruise itinerary (click to enlarge for details):
Before boarding the cruise ship:
Florida has several ports that offer cruises. Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale are the three most common departure points. If I were a deliberate traveler to the US, I would recommend taking the baby to Orlando because of Disney World, Universal Studios, etc. And it's worth it to come all the way to the US after playing Disney there and then taking a cruise.
The main reason I chose Miami for this departure was because I wanted to go to Cuba. Of the cruises to Cuba, the only one with better timing was the MSCArmonia from Miami.
The main kid-friendly places in Miami are Everglades Park and the Aquarium.
Everglades Park
has "floating" motorboats that come and go freely over the overgrown waters of the Everglades. Along the way, you can see a variety of wild fish, waterfowl, and alligators. This was the first time I had ever been this close to a live crocodile (when I was learning the alphabet, words beginning with A were basically either apples or crocodiles, so I was familiar with this word). It was like meeting an old friend, and he was very excited.
The following video was shot on the blimp. You can feel the thrill of the "ride" as the boat sails along, and the closeness of the crocodile.
After the ride on the motorboat, you will go to the alligator farm to listen to the introduction and performance of the alligators, and you can also take pictures of the baby alligators.
Miami Aquarium
The Miami Aquarium is different from the New England Aquarium, which we often visit. Each gallery is in a different building, so the tour is a long walk outside. The weather was very hot. The abundance of marine animals on display is not as rich as the New England Aquarium or the aquarium at the Beijing Zoo, but you can see some large marine animals like manatees that are not usually seen.
Personally, I think this aquarium can be used to kill time on boarding mornings (boarding times are all in the afternoon). If you don't have time, you have little to lose by not going.
Shaw often finds plenty of shooting material in the aquariums, snapping shots left and right with his precious camera.
Here's a photo of a flamingo he took with his baby camera:
We didn't take too many photos as we went to the aquarium to kill time.
Below is the turtle release pool. These turtles have congenital or acquired defects for a variety of reasons, either severely deformed shells or mutilated limbs. The aquarium deliberately blocked a place in the artificial river for these turtles to die. Because this place is full of humanity, we took a picture to see it.
(Photos of the exhibit at the aquarium)
Overall, Miami is better suited for an adult vacation (laying on a beach chair, sunbathing and drinking by the ocean or by the pool at the hotel below is very enjoyable), but it's not worth a special trip for a family and kids. A day of shopping before the cruise would suffice.
(Miami's famous Biltmore Hotel)
Day 1: Embarkation/Day 2: Sailing at Sea
The cruise ship we took this time was the MSCArmonia, which is considered relatively small for a cruise ship (because of Cuba's older ports, the ships that usually go to Cuba aren't too big), but it does hold more than 2,000 travelers, and the ship's amenities are all very well equipped.
(It's not easy to take a normal photo. It's a ghost photo)
Boarding is very simple. Grab your luggage and passport, go through security, follow the instructions, and board the ship after a smooth check-in process (the whole process is kind of like a combined check-in at a train hotel).
Above are some photos of our room, including a desk, closet, TV, bathroom and minibar, smaller than the average hotel size, but we still had everything.
After settling in, there will be an escape drill. Learn to use a life jacket and familiarize yourself with the escape route in case of an accident, just in case. It's required by law and everyone must participate. After the drill, the ship officially sets sail.
As a reminder, on your first day on board, always remember to go to the designated desk and associate your credit card with your room card/room number. All future expenses on board will need to be paid with your room card. The cost of this cruise includes room and board. All buffet restaurants are free, as are the designated dining restaurants each night. Travelers can choose to dine in the designated dining rooms or the buffet restaurants. While food and beverages served in the buffet restaurants are free of charge, drinks/juice/coffee in the bars and cafes are available for an additional charge.
After everything was organized, we were free to go. This is when the advantages of a cruise ship come into play. If we were on a land tour, the elderly would definitely not be able to leave for a moment because of the language barrier. Cruise ship is a relatively safe and closed environment, the elderly can freely stroll and participate in any interesting activities. For example, Grandma Chang was overjoyed to see the welcome party by the pool: isn't this a square dance? I immediately joined in and experienced an international square dance:
After this delightful experience, she would look at the day program distributed on the ship every day to find a dance class (which is actually a more advanced expression of square dance). Plus, she could bathe in the pool and spa. Basically, I don't have to worry about the older couple's free time on the ship.
Another lifesaver is the ship's Junior Club, which is kind of like a "daycare center". There are all sorts of toys, like Legos, and you can take care of your kids here and catch your breath. This is very important because the next day we will be at sea all day. Parents should watch their children all day if there is no place for them to play. Kids are bored and adults are tired. With a place where kids can play together, kids have fun and parents themselves are happy.
Shaw often had fun at the youth club. On the last day, the cheering party raffled off a box of colored pencils, much to his delight. And I was happy to take the opportunity to drink coffee and cold juice rum and read a book, as if I were back on that baby-free cruise ten years ago.
There are also kid-friendly pools and water parks on board, none of which are large, but the kids' natural love of water made it a lot of fun:
(An open-air water park where you can play with water guns and slides. The weather is particularly sunny. It's best to wear a bathing suit top and good sun protection.)
Day 3: Jamaica
The first country we arrived in was Jamaica, where the ship docked at the port in the tourist town of Ocho Rios.
Jamaica was originally inhabited by Indians, then became a Spanish colony and finally a member of the British Commonwealth. More than 90 percent of Jamaica's population is now black African and mulatto.
Ocho Rios' most famous attraction is Dunn's River Falls. Ten years ago, my mom and I climbed this small waterfall and it was fun! However, this time, I was afraid that it would be too strenuous for old kids to climb the falls, so I didn't choose this attraction and opted for a more relaxing raft tour. If you have older kids (2nd or 3rd grade), it's recommended to choose this viewpoint because there's no better place to have fun in Ocho Rios.
(Pictures are from the internet, so unfortunately we didn't get to go to Dunn's River Falls this time.)
Our choice was to sit on a raft deep in the mountains, less active and different.
I recorded a short video of the young man singing while supporting our raft:
This young man was both strong and young, so even though we set off at the back of the line, we were the first to arrive at the end. This makes Chang, who is full of competitive spirit, especially happy. He'll tell everyone when he gets back that we won the boat today!
Before we left, I bought a handmade model of the exact same raft we rode on as a souvenir to play with in the tub at home:
Day 4: Cayman Islands
Those who have studied finance will have an inexplicable affinity with the Cayman Islands because many Chinese companies listed overseas are not registered in the Cayman Islands. Many Chinese companies listed overseas are either registered in the Cayman Islands or the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
Discovered by Columbus in the early 16th century, it was then called Turtle Island. It was later reached by the British navigator Derek and named the Cayman Islands. It has been a British possession since the 17th century.
It is also the world's fourth-largest offshore financial center, and is known as a "tax haven". 1978 was granted a Royal Decree by the United Kingdom, permanently exempting it from tax obligations. As a result, there are no direct taxes and no foreign exchange restrictions, allowing large foreign companies to come to the island to conduct financial business.
We chose to travel overland to the Cayman Islands. As the name suggests, travel is partly onshore and partly at sea.
For the shore trip, we took a bus and visited several sights, including the Sea of Three Colors, the Rum Cake Shop, Hell (there is an area called Hell where many people come to send postcards that say, I'm sending you this postcard from Hello. And then postmarked Hell), and so on.
The best one for kids is the Turtle Farm (Sea Turtle Farm), where you can buy a packet of feed for the turtles.
As soon as the big sea turtles see their food, they all gather:
At the turtle pond, you can catch a turtle and get close to it for a while. Of course don't look at it for too long, in case the little turtle is uncomfortable.
Turtles are one of the traditional sources of food in the Cayman Islands. It is said that the Cayman Islands is the only place in the world where you can legally eat turtle meat, but we didn't try it.
The highlight of our Cayman Islands trip was Stingray City, which we visited that afternoon.
The crystal clear waters are the famous Devilfish City, and the dark-colored water is the stingrays.
I often go in the water with my baby. The water isn't deep, almost past my waist, so I don't need a life jacket.
The close interaction with the stingrays became the highlight of the trip:
In fact, the most important thing to do when visiting the Cayman Islands is snorkeling, where you can see a lot of fish and coral. But this activity is not suitable for small children, so Stingray City was chosen this time. If adults come by themselves, we recommend choosing the combination trip of snorkeling Stingray City, which will surely leave unforgettable memories.
Day 5: Mexico (Cozumel)
Cozumel (Sumer) is located at the junction of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It is one of the must see islands in Mexico.
Ask why, just look at the picture, just one word "beautiful"!
(My dad's camera is limited. This is a beautiful photo borrowed from someone else.)
We went to XCARET Eco Park, a large eco-amusement park with Mayan culture and natural landscape.
It's also a park for the whole family. The park has a lot of fun and good food (the cafeteria allows you to drink a lot of local specialty drinks that you can't get anywhere else). We didn't take a lot of pictures because we spent a lot of the day in the water. Here are a few pictures for you.
(XCARET PARK GATE)
(REMAINS OF THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION)
The most unique feature of this park is actually swimming in the underground river with a life jacket. The whole thing takes about an hour. Because Chang's dad is a dry duck, he doesn't know how to swim in a life jacket, but he does know how to play, but he doesn't play because it's particularly inconvenient to take the kids with him for fear of accidents. Grandpa and Grandma went swimming all the way and had a great time. The water quality of friends can also take the baby to try:
6-7: Cuba
Since Cuba has long been in a state of "semi-isolation", many people are full of curiosity about Cuba. Most of the passengers on our cruise were traveling to Cuba.
But in general, Cuba is not particularly family-friendly. While there were plenty of photo stops, most of them were dilapidated and would satisfy an adult's curiosity, but would mean little to a child. So, I'll put some photos below for your reference:
(Havana was taken before the cruise ship entered the harbor, and I thought it looked pretty good at the time)
(This Capitol building looks good. It's a replica of the Capitol in Washington, but it's a meter taller than the Capitol in Washington, and the diameter of the dome is a meter long ...)
(Old cars on the streets of Cuba are a sight to behold)
Many of the buildings in Cuba are very unique for those who like to take pictures. Strolling through the streets of Havana, slowing down and watching the locals perform is not a bad way to relax. But as far as family tours go, it doesn't feel very kid-friendly.
The reason I chose Cuba this time was because I had been to three other countries ten years ago and wanted to take the opportunity to visit a new one. Those who have never been to the Caribbean are advised to choose another route (Royal Caribbean, Caribbean, Princess, etc.. all have good 7-day itineraries to the Eastern or Western Caribbean), and swapping Cuba for a swimmer-friendly island like the Bahamas might be more family and kid-friendly.
But I don't regret choosing this route because I just got word that Trump, who fires guns everywhere, has turned his guns on Cuba again. As of June 5, cruises from the U.S. can no longer go to Cuba. We were lucky to catch the last ship.