Wobbly knees, small kids in tow, pro fall United flights- where to go?

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diverjen

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Location
Denver
# of dives
100 - 199
Looking ahead to a dive trip next year. We have been to Bonaire 3 times, BVI side trip and the Phillipines once. Before we were divers we went to Mexico, Belize, Jamaica, & Roatan as snorkelers. We are AOW and have a hundred and dozen or so dives.

We have a will be 3 & 5 year old in tow and a family member non diver in tow for childcare and companionship.

With a second knee cap dislocation, the shore diving which we love is probably going to be traded in for a while for boat or dock diving and with the kiddos/non diver in tow probably not some super remote or quiet.

We have so many miles on United so we want to fly with them.

Timing late summer/fall

I would love to hear your thoughts/suggestions.

I've been thinking about:

1) Bonaire, stay at Den Laman use the dock and do some boat diving

2) Curacao stay at the family resort, easy shore entries and some boat diving ( but no United)

3) Belize? Can my kids survive ferry to a Caye?

4) Turks and Caicos?

5) Maui/Kauai ($$$$)

6) Little Cayman (will everyone be bored deal with the puddle jumper?)

7) Something I haven't thought of?

TIA. I'm excited to think about something else right now
 
You didn't list Jamaica as an option, but there is a Riu in Negril that is next door to the Couples where we have stayed half a dozen times. Have to admit that we saw Negril diving improve from our first trip in 2003 up to around 2015, and then our last two trips (most recent in December 2019), the environment has degraded a bit.

You can get to Ambergris two different ways, either water taxi or plane. I've done both.

Water taxi isn't nearly as bad as going from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel in bad weather, as the entire passage is interior and shallow water. Air is faster, however clearly more expensive, and with kids and nanny, might be prohibitive.

No knowledge about your other options.

You might look into mainland Riviera Maya, say Tulum or Akumal (we've stayed in Puerto Aventuras fifteen or more times) or somewhere in between.
 
@drrich2 has posted trip reports for several family vacations so he may be able to advise you.

We recently dived with St Croix Ultimate Blue Water Adventure (SCUBA) in the US Virgin Islands and they are a valet dive op that does the heavy gear lifting for you. I have a bad back and so I really appreciate valet dive services, plus they made it very easy to get back on the boat which can be tough on the knees.

st croix SCUBA diving PADI dive shop virgin islands boat dives SCUBA dive training
 
Let me add a couple comments on other suggestions for the places I've been.

Turks & Caicos - Provo means long boat rides to the diving. Grand Turk doesn't have much of anything and the diving is from pangas that you climb into from shallow water which will not be ideal for your knees. My wife and I did a week there and wished we were in Cozumel.

Maui - expensive and the boat dives leave from Kihei towards the southern part of the island while most of the resorts are to the north.

Little Cayman. Fantastic diving. The puddle jumper is fun. I'm not sure what the options are for families. We stayed there (pre-kids) at Pirates Point which didn't allow children.

Jamaica - diving isn't great and since it's not really a diving destination, the resorts don't put much effort into it. The AIs are great for kids though.
 
Thanks Guys - I will totally checkout Coz - we have snorkeled there a few times pre certification and the direct/relatively short flight thing is always a plus.

I love and follow @drrich2 and his travels. I think we started diving/posting around the same time. I think he would know the struggle is - do the Hubs and I ditch the kids and go where we really want (Little Cayman, Turneffe Atoll/Blackbird Caye, Liveaboard, PI or Idonesia is too far/too expensive/too long away) or try to make it a family trip with compromises where everyone has a good time. We are soft coral, macro, easy shallow types and that doesn't always lend to the family destinations. I have never left my girls except for being hospitalized to have that second one and they are coming up on 3 & 5 so at some point I hope to just do a spouse trip, but I am not sure that I am ready quite yet.

The knee and leg are strong for climbing ladders and lugging gear, its getting in and out of a rocky shore that is a no go with the stability I have or don't have.
 
3) Ambergris Caye, Belize, your kids should be fine on the water taxi with 3 adults to watch over them. Yes, they may get a bit bored but still, should be fine.

I'm not knowing your budget of course, but since there are the 3 adults and 2 kids, you can take a taxi from the international airport to the municipal airport and fly over to the Caye that way. Still not as cheap as the water taxi but less expensive over all than flying from International Airport to the Caye. And the view, wow.
 
My kids are 12 and 7. For winter vacations, they've been in Jamaica, Maui/Kauai, Puerto Morelos (before the younger one was born), and Boynton Beach. What we've found is they are happy as long as they have a beach and warm water. We did regular outings, except in Jamaica, but it's more because we were bored than they were. As far as the setup, all inclusives really lower the stress level, especially if buffets are back by the fall. Second would be a place with a kitchen and a decent market nearby. Eating most of your meals from off-site restaurants is my preference when travelling with adults, but a distant third choice with kids.

I've worked in a few dives on these vacations, but they've never been actual dive trips. Diving is tiring and of course dealing with 2 young kids all day long is exhausting. The only way I'd consider doing a dive trip with kids is at an AI with easy boat access and enough activities for the kids that they aren't looking for you to entertain them every minute that you're not diving.

Ease of travel is also important. I suggested the southern Coz resorts because it ticks all the boxes. Easy quick flight with no complicated transfers, no car needed, AI, walk out to the hotel dock to meet your dive boat. And the diving is really good. It's a step below the best of Asia and a few Caribbean spots like Little Cayman, but it still very enjoyable. Certainly better than Jamaica or Cancun or the DR or other typical family AI destinations.

Of course, I've only been to a fraction of the possible options. I'd see where you can fly nonstop or at least direct that has good diving, AIs and easy access to the dive op. Maybe Grand Cayman or Roatan or Utila?
 
A range of things to think about. Some thoughts:

In general with kids: sand beach, a good kids' club, access to casual diving like a buffet is nice, and destinations more likely to have 'first world' health care in case a kid gets sick are nice. The kind of non-diving excursions you find in popular cruise ship ports are also nice. My first dive trip with a baby in tow was to Key Largo, with access to U.S. hospitals in my mind. Budget-friendly is good when hauling that many people and you've got a family to support. Long plane rides and little kids...ugh!

1.) A Cozumel A.I. with a sandy beach and a kids' club was my first thought. With kids, a sandy beach sloping into the ocean is great. A kid's club the kids love that gets them out of the grown up's hair is also great. Casual dining options like a buffet are also good news. San Miguel is a neat place to walk around. As a cruise ship port, Cozumel has non-diving excursion options, including dolphin encounters (which can be magical your first time).

Be mindful it's drift diving, that's not always the easiest for the macro. you mentioned, and not all sites are shallow.

2.) You might consider an A.I. resort in the Dominican Republic. It doesn't get as much attention as Cozumel, but I hear some good things. On a cruise ship in Samana (not where I'd stay if diving), did an ATV ride - nice people, good time.

3.) Bonaire - the little sandy beach at Den Laman/Sand Dollar is pretty small, and the Den Laman side was rockier when I was there. I love Bonaire, but not what I'd pick.

4.) Curacao - I didn't try the shore diving. Family enjoyed Sunscapes Resort Curacao; the total trip bill was pricey, but our daughter loved the kids' club. The nearby Sea Aquarium has dolphins, and while it's no Sea World, it's a nice place to visit and your kids could enjoy an afternoon there. If you do an ATV tour and they offer to sell you a bandana, TAKE IT!!! Best $5 you will ever spend (cheaper than a new set of lungs).

5.) Caymans - with your group I'd do Grand Cayman for topside amenities for the non-divers, and probably cough up the cash to stay along 7 Mile Beach (but I'd be checking Comfort Suites or Sunshine Suites Resort, IIRC, as the more budget options in that area). Grand Cayman's a cruise port, so there are well-developed excursion options - including dolphins. But I don't read of A.I. resorts, and in resorts that aren't as expensive, what about kids' club options? Don't know about that...

6.) The long round trip boat rides I read of with Turks & Caicos (really Provo.; Grand Turk is a different practical situation) and the expensive topside (on par or higher than Grand Cayman by rep.), but not being a big cruise ship port so maybe not so many topside excursion options... The diving is often deep. I enjoyed T&C, but liked the reef better diving the Caymans, and I doubt this is your best option.

7.) Never been to Hawaii. I'm told the water is chillier than the Caribbean. Endemic species are a draw; I'm under the impression lush reef not so much? Again, haven't been there. The Kona night dive with mantas sounds great. If you're going to take them to Hawaii, I suggest waiting till they're older and better remember the trip for the long haul...maybe when the youngest is 8+? It's such a 'brand name,' expensive, long flight place...who wants to say when went there at age 3 and don't remember it?

Note: My OCD brain goes on the fritz just thinking about researching the options of a Hawaii trip with all those weird place names.

8.) St. Croix could work. Minor cruise action, a little 'sleepy,' but you can find a range of things to do, there is good beach and it's a neat place. We enjoyed a Tan Tan Tours jeep ride - but if you're addicted to the idea of seat belts and car seats for your kids, you might not. Total trip cost can be a bit pricey; I don't hear of many A.I.s.

9.) Chilly mentioned Ambergris Caye, Belize, and it's what I thought of. I've only dove Belize via live-aboard. It's my understanding A.C. would give them sandy beach and ocean fun, while keeping you close to the mainland. I don't know about topside resorts and kids' clubs there. On a cruise stop years ago, we took a boat excursion up New River to Lamani ('submerged crocodile'), walked in the rainforest, visited 3 (climbed atop 2) Mayan ruins (Mask, Tall and Jaguar Temples) - this was pre-kid - and even saw some crocodiles on the river. Nice! If you care to spend a few non-diving days on the mainland, Belize has some things to do. Since cruise ships hit the mainland, on A.C. you may not have immediate access to lots of excursions?

So, to narrow it down before it drove me nuts, I'd take these options (Grand Cayman - Sunshine Suites or Comfort Inn), Cozumel (A.I.), and Dominican Republic (A.I.); be mindful Grand Cayman (from what I've read) doesn't seem to be a big 'A.I. place,' and has a rep. for being pricy. Factor food costs in when you compare trip costs. If the budget allows, consider Sunscape Resort Curacao.

If money's at all tight, I suspect a Coz. A.I. or Dominican Republic A.I. is your friend. Coz. gets far more attention and compare excursion options (e.g.: has D.R. got dolphin encounters?)...whether you like drift diving is a big deal.

That's just my thinking, and I haven't been as many places as a lot of people.
 

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