swimming at 7 mile beach

Exploring Outside the US with Carnival


Before setting sail on Carnival Cruise Lines, no one in our little family had ever been outside the country. Okay, I had been to Mexico a few times as a child, but nothing too exotic. So, being able to take our children exploring outside the U.S. with Carnival was a pretty big deal.

kids on cruise

Carnival Cruise

As we made our plans and chose our ports of call, it began to dawn on me that my kids were going to see some pretty amazing landscapes. Although they may have seen some beaches here in the states, I knew that they would be nothing compared to the crystal clear waters we were headed for in the Caribbean. They were in for some amazing views and wonderful memories.

1st time cruising together

Our first port of call was Cozumel, Mexico. It was also the only port where we decided to actually embark on a shore excursion. The kids had no idea what we had planned and Colby and I could not wait to get them on shore to find out. After a bit of shopping, we were on our way to Dolphinaris, where we each had the opportunity to interact with dolphins. It was an incredible experience that the kids still talk about. Not only did we learn a wealth of information about dolphins, but we were also fed authentic Mexican food and enjoyed a refreshing soda.

interactive dolphin experience

But Cozumel had much more to offer than the dolphin experience. Before we boarded the Carnival Magic, we shared a tropical drink from hammocks along the crystal blue waters. Plus, the drink hut had WiFi so that everyone could log in and check their social media accounts for a bit. (It was nice to unplug for the week but the teens enjoyed being able to connect for an hour. Ha!)

swimming at 7 mile beach

Another day at sea led us to the Grand Cayman Islands. We decided that we really just wanted to hang out at the beach. A quick taxi ride led us to the amazing 7 Mile Beach. The water was the cleanest we had ever seen and the white sand beaches were beautiful. The kids jumped in waves, built sandcastles, collected rocks, and walked along the shoreline. It was difficult to walk away from the area when it was time to head back.

Montego Bay Jamaica

Last but not least, we made our way to Montego Bay, Jamaica before heading back out to sea on our venture home. It was a wonderful day in Jamaica and we found even our views from the ship were majestic. Pulling away later that afternoon the kids were finally able to understand all of the places they had been. They knew their experience was one to be grateful for. In just 7 days they had explored 3 new areas of the world and understood the significance of the trip.

kids cruising Carnival

It was an incredible opportunity to show our kids new places and to be able to enjoy our first time in each country with them.

cruising with teens

Learn more about the ports of call Carnival Cruise Lines offers by liking Carnival on Facebook and following @CarnivalCruise on Twitter.