Royal Caribbean Cruise Guide: Eastern Caribbean Port Recommendations with a Toddler
Naptime isn’t long enough to get everything done. Save yourself hours of research, and check out these toddler-friendly port suggestions. We’ve got you covered!
We loved the ports we visited while on our Royal Caribbean 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise onboard Symphony of the Seas. Our voyage took us to Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St Thomas, and “Perfect Day at Cococay” (Royal Caribbean’s island). We thoroughly researched toddler-friendly adventures at each port, and came up with a mix of activities our family would enjoy.
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San Juan, Puerto Rico
We were so lucky to visit San Juan on our voyage - not all Eastern Caribbean itineraries include this port. However, I was shocked to learn our ship would only be in port from 5pm to 10pm! Additionally, the sun was setting at about 5pm during our voyage, so not only would we be pushing our toddlers 7:30pm bedtime, but also visiting in the dark. For all these reasons, we determined it was best to stick within walking distance of the ship and explore the nearby areas of San Juan by foot (and stroller).
The port area, Old San Juan, is both hilly and uneven, with cobblestone paths and broken-up sidewalk. We figured we might have better luck approaching bedtime with a stroller rather than carrying our son in our arms (a carrier would be a good option for this port if you have a strong, steady member of your family).
We set off, roughly following this self-guided walking tour around the inner portion of the Old San Juan. Along the way, we came upon a few local artisans and a fresh coconut water vendor. We saw some sculptures, the famed “La Fortaleza Street”, and street art, including “La Puerta de la Bandera”. We were drawn to a Mojito bar, “El Cafetin”, which surprisingly allowed children. The drinks were good, and the company (admittedly mostly tourists) was very friendly. They shared a recommendation for a pizza restaurant called “Pirilo”, that could quickly seat our family of 3 (though we saw a party of 10 waiting outside for about an hour). The restaurant is located upstairs, but the atmosphere was relaxed, and full of locals/non-cruise passengers. Our meal was delicious and reasonably priced. Although we opted for non-traditional Puerto Rican cuisine, we treated this as a “night out on the town” and had a wonderful time. After dinner, our son was still in good spirits, so we grabbed a scoop of gelato at “Anita’s Gelato”. While the line was a little long, we didn’t mind as we knew we would get our turn to sample to our heart’s content before making our choice. At this point, we felt we should head back to the ship for a reasonable bedtime.
What We Recommend
San Juan felt very safe and almost quaint, even in the dark. If you are visiting at night for just a few hours, like us, we recommend picking a few “must-see” spots from this self-guided walking tour. The area isn’t very big and getting around Old San Juan is fairly straightforward. Stop for dinner and drinks at any casual spot that grabs your attention. While there are a number of fancy/not-so-toddler-friendly restaurants, you will easily be able to tell by the volume of the restaurant. Find a spot for dinner early, as you will compete with other cruise passengers for a table. Keep the expectations of your little ones in check and head back to the ship while everyone is still having fun. If you visit during the daylight hours, check out “Castillo San Felipe del Morro”, or venture by cab to less touristy restaurants outside of the Old San Juan area.
For this adventure, we suggest you bring:
Toddler snacks
Comfortable walking shoes
A flashlight if visiting at night and you have concerns about dimly lit paths
An umbrella stroller or hiking-style carrier
A light jacket depending on the weather
Philipsburg, St Maarten
Royal Caribbean offers several port excursions, but we found few activities suitable for toddlers and only a handful of additional options when doing our own research. The most enticing option was to enjoy the sunshine and watch the planes land over Maho Beach, as our toddler loves pointing out any plane or helicopter in the sky.
Maho Beach is about 30 minutes by taxi from the cruise terminal. The beach area is small, doesn’t have a lot of shade, and the waves are not toddler-friendly. We knew we wanted somewhere our son could play somewhat independently and were pleased to find a “day pass” to Sonesta Maho Beach All-Inclusive Resort.
Prior to our cruise, we purchased the day pass to Sonesta Maho Beach All-Inclusive Resort. The resort seemed like a good option as it had beach access, a swim-up bar, and a toddler pool. The day pass included all beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) as well as dining at any of their restaurants/snack areas. We arrived at 11:30am, and there were still plenty of beach chairs and complimentary beach towels. We hopped in the pool and ordered some drinks from the swim up bar. About an hour later, we put on cover ups and headed to the open-air restaurant called “The Palms”, where we ordered lunch and were able to watch the planes fly over the iconic Maho Beach. While the resort had its own private beach with plenty of seating, a short walk can take you to the public portion of Maho Beach where you can feel the rumble of the planes flying right over you! We chose to stay back a little not to overwhelm our son. I played in the waves, while my husband played in the sand with our toddler. When we felt it was time to reapply sunblock, we headed back to the resort, then into the toddler pool. The pool had a few slides for kids 2.5-8years or so, but not much else. The depth was about 18inches - 24inches. After our son looked thoroughly tuckered out, we headed to the Ocean Terrace Restaurant, where we grabbed a few snacks for our son, and some dessert for ourselves, before calling a cab to head back to the ship. Since our son had skipped his nap up until this point, he napped in the cab back to the ship.
What We Recommend
While we had a great time, my recommendation comes with an asterisk. I don’t want to complain (and if I had to do it all over, I’d still pick this adventure) but I do feel it is important to share my full review so you can make the best decision for your family.
First, the resort did not feel fully clean. There was leaves and dirt across some of the pathways, and collecting in the sides of the pools. Granted, prior to our arrival there was recently a “tropical storm” that passed through, so I am totally willing to overlook that issue. Second, the food at both restaurants was mediocre at best. Our son’s macaroni was actually fairly awful, and my burger was passable but nothing particularly special. The buffet food appeared to have been sitting in the warm tropical air for just a little too long. Lastly, the water was chilly! I was hoping this resort would have slightly more comfortable pool temperatures, but it was shocking to the system at first.
However, my biggest concern was actually the toddler pool. The depth was just right for our 34 inch son… except when he lost footing and could not stand himself back up. The pool deck was slippery and our son took a tough tumble. We stuck very close to him and made sure he stayed safe. If you choose to visit, please come with appropriate expectations so you can fully enjoy yourself!
For this adventure, we suggest you bring:
Toddler snacks
Wear your bathing suit
A change of clothes or at least bathing suit covers for everyone (required at restaurants)
Watershoes for the pool deck, especially for your kids
Life jackets/floaties, if needed
Sunscreen and hats
An umbrella stroller (the walk from the ship to the taxis is about 1/3 mile)
Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas
When in paradise - head to the beach! We knew we wanted a beach day in St Thomas since it has one of the top 10 beaches in the world - Magen’s Bay. Not surprisingly, many other people on our ship had the same idea. As soon as our ship was cleared for disembarkation, we were on our way!
The first step in getting to the beach was to grab a taxi (don’t be distracted by the many gift shops along the promenade! You can stop at those on the way back). At the taxi stand, we noted “3 passengers,” to which they asked, “can he (our toddler) sit on your lap”? While I don’t love to travel without a car seat, I understand some scenarios are better handled without towing a car seat. I was happy to hold my son on my lap, as I felt that was a safer solution for him. And, as it turns out, the taxis on the island are not taxi cabs, but rather more like open-air taxi buses, with six rows of bench seating. We grabbed a spot in the middle of the taxi and tucked our umbrella stroller under the bench seat, as our taxi bus of 30 people headed to Magen’s Bay. Honestly, I think this was the highlight of our son’s day - he called it a “school bus” and was beaming the entire 30-minute drive. There were some beautiful views along the way as we drove over the mountaintop to the other side of the island.
Upon arrival to Magen’s Bay, each guest was asked to pay $5 to enter the public beach (no fee for our toddler). We then paid the taxi driver the $10 per person (again, no fee for our toddler). There was a restaurant/bar/giftshop at the beach where we paid for two beach chairs ($20 each) and one umbrella for the day. We selected our chairs and unloaded all our gear.
Finally, we were ready to get in the water. It was easy to see why this is one of the top beaches in the world - the water is crystal clear and perfectly still as it is protected by beautiful green hills on both sides. The sand is soft and warm (not hot).
We were ready for lunch at about noon and ordered chicken sandwiches, french fries, and passionfruit juice. I should note the onsite grill is pricey - two entrees, a side, and one drink came to just over $40. But it is the only thing around - so they got ya where they want ya! We were lucky we had packed lots of snacks for our toddler.
We perused the onsite gift shop which had an assortment of beach toys, pool noodles, boogie boards, “Magen’s Bay” and “St Thomas” clothing, plushies, and other gift items.
While in the shop, I heard other guests excitedly talking about seeing turtles, so I grabbed my snorkel and headed out to the group of people snorkeling in the bay. They told me where they had seen them, and within 5 minutes, I spotted two turtles! Over the next half hour, I followed them (at a respectful distance) and came across five more turtles. Thankfully, my husband was happy to play in the sand with our toddler while I went on this mini-adventure.
At about 4pm, we packed up and headed back to the taxi pickup area. It took about 20 minutes to get a taxi as others were waiting in line. When our taxi pulled up, it was a bit of a free-for-all trying to get a seat, so don’t be shy or you’ll be pushed out.
We stopped and grabbed a souvenir at the shops along the dock, and headed back onboard to freshen up before dinner.
What We Recommend
We highly recommend visiting Magen’s Bay, if you can accept that there will be others doing the same. It was beyond gorgeous, very comfortable, and relaxing. While the onsite amenities are pricey, they offer something we have come to value - convenience! This excursion cost us each $35 in taxi and beach fees, $20 for lunch, and $20 for chair rental (our toddler was free, but kids needing their own seat or chair would need to pay). The taxis are easy to navigate, and a fun ride!
For this adventure, we suggest you bring:
Toddler snacks
Wear your bathing suit
A change of clothes or at least a bathing suit covers for everyone
Snorkel gear as the water is clear and the sea life is abundant in the deeper water
Life jackets/floaties, if needed
Sunscreen and hats
An umbrella stroller, if needed (The walk from the ship to the taxis is about 1/3 mile)
Beach toys (or make friends with kids who have them)
Beach towels (you can take them off the ship as long as you return them)
Cash for paying the taxi driver and beach fee ($40 per person would be enough)
View at the end of the dock entering Perfect Day at CocoCay
Perfect Day at CocoCay
Royal Caribbean has done a great job with this little island, and has included everything you would need on an idyllic beach day. While the island looks really big on a map, it was fairly simple to navigate - nothing ever felt too far. We spent a little time in each of the complementary areas and loved what they all had to offer.
Splashaway Bay - A huge area with dumping water buckets, soakers, sprinkler “trees”, ground level squirters - perfect for toddlers who might be uncomfortable in a pool. There is also an area with a few toddler-friendly slides that dump out into a shallow pool, however, kids must be 36 inches to slide and parents cannot accompany their children down the slide. If this area is too overwhelming, there is a smaller pirate-themed water-play area as soon as you reach the end of the dock, called Captain Jill’s Galleon.
The Oasis Pool - A massive pool and a hot spot for adults and singles, with its swim-up bar and DJ spinning jams. There is a zero-entry side of the pool, which preoccupied our little one for awhile. However, the pool was a little chilly and got too deep too quickly for us to be comfortable in it for long.
Chill Island - On the perimeter of the island, you will find this beach area is well protected and has calm waters. The sand is comfortable, and a lot of people prefer this area. There was a mix of families, older couples, and large groups enjoying this beach. We found the water to be to be a bit murky, though we visited shortly after a tropical storm.
Harbor Beach - Visible as you make your way off the ship, this beach is centrally located to many of the other complementary attractions. There are a few sand games for use, and the water is perfectly calm.
South Beach - If you are looking to entertain the whole family, including active adults and teenagers, this is the perfect area. There are a lot of games including beach volleyball, foot-pool, ping pong, and basketball. Not only is there swim up bar, albeit a little underwhelming, but there is also a bar and an order-and-go snack shack. The water here is fairly clear, and you can swim out to a sandbar (tide permitting).
Getting Around: There is a fun tram that takes passengers from the ship to each area on the island. It is fun and convenient to ride, and they come frequently! I think this was our son's favorite part of the day as he is currently going through a bus phase!
Lounge Chairs: We were pleased to find that all areas had and abundance of lounge chairs, so much so that we were able to change our location throughout the day without issue. The only exception is at Splashaway Bay where there were only a few Adirondack chairs around the perimeter. I think this is by design so that parents are enticed to stay close to their little ones. Keep in mind, when we visited, we were the only ship in port. It may be more challenging if another ship docks the same day.
Grub: The food on the island was good- similar in quality to the Windjammer on board. Chill Grill had tacos, burgers, hot dogs, fries, a salad bar, soft serve and some warm sandwiches like Philly cheesesteaks and Cubanos. The Snack Shack had mozzarella sticks, fried chicken sandwiches, funnel cakes, and cookies. The bars serving alcoholic drinks were on par to those on the ship.
Lost and Found: The staff goes around at the end of the day and brings all lost and found items to the ship so anything you may have lost at Cococay could possibly have found it’s way back to the ship.
What We Recommend
It is totally feasible to explore the whole island with a toddler, but if you prefer to plop down and make a home base for the day, we recommend posting up between Splashaway Bay and Harbor Beach, near the edge of Captain Jack’s Bar/Restaurant. This is a good central spot to make quick trips to the water play areas, Chill Grill, and for enjoying the calm waters of Harbor Beach! It is also one of the closest spots to the ship, in case you need to head back to your room for something, or take your toddler for a nap. However, the whole island is family-friendly.
For this adventure, we suggest you bring:
Wear your bathing suit
A change of clothes/bathing suit covers
Watershoes or sandals
Sunscreen and hats
An umbrella stroller as the walk from the ship to the island is far, and it is also useful to lug your stuff around
Beach toys (or make friends with kids who have them)
We did not find the waters clear enough nor there to be abundant sea life to warrant brining snorkels to the island.
