Hey there!
We are planning to go on a 5 day trip during the Christmas holidays. We have narrowed down the following 3 options:
Maui (Hawaii)
Cancun (Mexico)
Cruise ship
We will have a 3 year old with us and are tight on budget (don't want to spend more than 2K). Which of these places do you think would be kid friendly, budget friendly and enjoyable? We would like to get away from the everyday stress so are looking for a relaxing vacation. I personally would love to visit Maui but I know its going to be costly and there will be probably too much crowd at that time of the year.
Has any of you been to any of these places during the Christmas vacation? How was your experience? How much crowd was there (we certainly want to avoid a crowd like the Niagara falls sees during the May long vacation ;)..)? Any tips for travel with preschoolers to these places? What to do/see and what to avoid etc? Any precautions to take, like particular vaccines etc for that time of the year?
Thanks all!
Thanks everyone! I have decided to skip Maui and Mexico. We have already been to Disney World.
Disney Cruises sound nice. Will have to look into them.
I have posted a part-2 of this question for a few Caribbean options, please let me know your suggestions on them - Thanks again:)
I wouldn't take kids to Mexico anytime soon and I doubt you'll be able to get a Maui vacation for 2K, so I'd look into a Disney or Nickelodeon cruise.
I vote Cruise for you. It's the best bang for your buck by far and sooo family friendly. We are actually leaving tomorrow for one!! This will be the 3rd one we have taken with the kids (3 & 6 now). I think there are crusies that leave from Texas too, so you can get away without airfare which is HUGE.
A balcony is a MUST. Nice when your child falls asleep to be able to sit outside....and no, we have never felt at risk with our kids out there....even when our youngest was 2.
Things to do...there are camps for the kids to go to in order to give you some adult time. And you won't feel bad about it because they give you and hour by hour schedule of FUN stuff they will be doing with the kids. There's face painting, scavenger hunts, t-shirt coloring contests and so one. They give you a phone so they can contact you if needed. We like to drop our kids for an hour during the day and maybe for an hour or 2 at night to go hag out alone in the casino or to a show.
There are pools, bars, resturants (formal and buffet style), shows and so on. Around the clock food. You get your kid a hot dog and they don't want it, you walk up and gt them something else....all food is already paid for. Room Service is 24 hrs and free too. You see multiple destinations. You walk out of your cabin and someone is in there making up the beds and giving you fresh towels. There is a gym if you want to work out and a salon if you want to be pampered. There is always a formal night (sometimes 2 on a 7 day trip) and we use that to get all gussied up and have a family photo taken. $20 for the picture and we are good till next year ;)
My parents travel all the time and just got back from Hawaii in July. They said it was CRAZY expensive. $40 for breakfast one morning and my dad had eggs and my mom had toast and tomatoe! YIKES! 4 beers, $36
We have been to Cancun years ago. I liked it, but had to worry about the water (and everything like veggies washed in it and ice in your glass). The night life was for adults and a lot of begging children on the streets. I would not take my kids there at this age.
If you have any more cruise questions, let me know :)
A cruise by far is the most bang for your buck. You can find activities for the child, have quality time with your husband, and see some awesome places in a week or however long you want to be away. You can bring alcohol with you in your bags (we did because it is ridiculously expensive otherwise) and the food is inclusive. Also, cruises are super cheap during off season, which would be December.
They have kid friendly Cruises, like Disney cruises and such. SUPER kid friendly and they have activities and crew members that keep the child entertained if ever you want an afternoon/ evening off!
I would skip Mexico.
Not only is the political situation.... ah... not great (firefights on the streets in some areas, kidnappings in others, lots of blockades, LOTS of crime -far more than normal, even in 'safe' areas, because the police and military are in a war in other areas), but the public health is absolutely abominable currently. There's always a lot of public health concerns (the whole "don't drink the water" issue, foods fertilized with human waste, and parasites galore) but because the govt is at war in Monterray and many other areas with the cartels, the health standards throughout the country have just PLUMMETTED -who knew it could get worse?- because of lack of funding.
Either Maui or a Cruise Ship sounds FANTASTIC. (Many cruise ships have completely cancelled all their mexico runs, while some have just cancelled certain areas or completely nixed all "excursions" off the boat into Mexico.)
We just came back from Maui and loved it. And December weather is still great. But then it's great year-round. The only problem is that airfare from Dallas will pretty much eat most of your budget if not more. We went in July, which is peak season (as is Dec) and each ticket was over 800. And it is a long haul for a 3yr old. Most of the cheaper flights from Maui back to DFW comes in as a red eye (layover from a west coast city). We stayed 1.5 weeks so it was worth the red eye and we took the day off when we got back to recover from the red eye flight.
Cancun is fun and cheaper than Maui. I have heard mixed reviews of the environment there right now. But, several people I know have gone there this year and said they didn't have any problems. But they also stayed in the higher end resorts and didn't venture out except to the tourist spots like the Mayan ruins. I have also been told within the popular hotel strip in Cancun that it is pretty secure.
The cruise will be the best bang for your buck and short time away. Most cruises that cater to kids will generally have activities for 4 or older so your 3 year old may not get to do much of them. But there is the pool and I'm sure they would have babysitting on board for you to get some R&R.
You might want to also look into other locations on the east or west coast line. If you are looking for some warm places, FL or southern California might be good. CA is less crowded in the tourist areas during that time of year than the summers.
As to health precautions, no vaccines needed but it is the winter so flu and ear infections are in abundance. One winter, we almost had to extend our stay in CA because my then 2 year old had an ear infection, which is not a fun air flight for the kid or for anyone sitting around you on the plane. We luckily found out two days before leaving and got strong antibiotics. She still had a mild infection but not to the point where her ear drums could have popped. We did still endured the crying when the plane took off and landed. Just something to think about if you purchase anything non-refundable.
Happy vacation planning!
Hmm I was going to say Maui but then saw your location. I assume
the plane trip to Cancun would be shorter. I still think I would go to Maui. Loved it there. You could get a condo do you can make your own meals and save $.
I bet if you looked now, you can find a cheap deal on airfare. I say do it. Go to Maui and HAVE FUN!
Aloha and Merry Christmas! :)
I have been to Cancun in December but it was a long time ago. A 3-year-old would probably enjoy the beach. Otherwise, it is kind of a party town.
If you do the cruise you might want to make sure you get a family cruise with activities for the 3-year-old or you may not be able to enjoy it.
I know you didn't mention it, but DISNEY WORLD is awesome around the Christmas holidays. The weather in FL at that time is usually beautiful and the park decorated is sooo cool. My guess is you could get a package deal and be under your 2K budget. Good luck.
