Best Eastern Caribbean Family Holiday Idea
All The Ingredients For The Best Family Vacation
By Heidi Sarna | Last Updated on September 4, 2024
The best family holiday is all about balance; plenty of relaxation and excitement and just the right mix of sea days and port visits. My vote for the right sailing for a fun-loving family with kids of various ages? An Icon of the Seas℠ seven-night cruise. It checks every box for the ideal all-inclusive eastern Caribbean family holiday.
With this ship as your home base for the week, you and your entire family can enjoy three days at sea and three full days exploring destinations. Sailing round-trip from Miami, Icon of the Seas calls on some of the best beaches for families throughout the Caribbean with stops at bucket-list destinations, including St. Maarten, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Thomas and Royal Caribbean's very own private island paradise, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Not only are these eastern Caribbean ports world-renowned destinations, but Icon of the Seas is a dazzler too, with the largest waterpark at sea, eight exciting themed neighbourhoods and Royal Caribbean's largest number of family-focused accommodations to date. This cruise has all the ingredients for the best family island holiday out there. Why not make the most of your time and book a back-to-back cruise!
Do What Floats Your Boat In Port
Whether it's getting down in the cool, soft sand to build a castle or working on your tan while dozing off in the comfort of your beach chair, life is good on this eastern Caribbean family holiday. You'll sail to some of the world's most coveted islands, famous for idyllic shores that invite you to put down a beach towel and stay a while.
And if your best trip involves history or exploration, you'll find that the ports Icon of the Seas visits on eastern Caribbean sailings are some of the best places for nature hikes and heritage sites, from national parks to trails that lead to waterfalls and even colonial homesteads.
Lazy Days In Saint Martin/Sint Maarten
This island, with its French and Dutch sides, is all about fun in the sun. Spread your towels out on some of best beaches for families in the Caribbean, including Long Bay, Cupecoy Bay and Baie Rouge. Simpson Bay, the largest saltwater lagoon in the Caribbean, is often called the "Great Pond." It's an ideal spot for families with young children.
Or combine a beach day with one of the best family activities in Sint Maarten — plane-spotting. Head to Maho Beach to watch the jets land at nearby Princess Juliana International Airport. Aeroplanes making their final approach fly less than 30 metres above the beach right overhead. The experience is thrilling.
Perhaps you're more in tune with a bit of peace and quiet. If so, go to Loterie Farm, a private nature reserve deep in the island's interior. It's a tranquil place to spend a few hours, including a dip in the lovely multi-level pool that qualifies as an architectural marvel. Or choose a self-guided hike through the tropical forest and maybe zip line across the property from tree to lovely tree. Keep your ears trained for the sounds of local birds and watch for the monkeys who call the surrounding forest home.
Another worthwhile pursuit is a hike to the top of Mount Concordia at the French and Dutch border. It's one of the best places for panoramic views of the entire island and also a historic location. The Treaty of Concordia was signed here in 1648 by the two island governors who represented the Kingdom of France and the Dutch Republic, officially dividing the island of Saint Martin and Sint Maarten into the two halves that still exist today.
After all that hiking, you might need a bite to eat. If you're lunching ashore, go for grilled lobster, stuffed crab or cod fritters.
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Scenic St. Kitts
Some itineraries call on St. Kitts & Nevis, a pair of perfect little islands separated by only three kilometres of ocean. When you call on the port of Basseterre in St. Kitts, you can look forward to some of the best family activities in the region.
Explore the seventeenth-century seaside Brimstone Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved forts in the Americas.
If you enjoy breaking a sweat, spend a few hours hiking the long and narrow Mount Liamuiga trail through towering trees and tropical flowers. It's a bit further afield, but the crater of this 1,155-metre dormant volcano provides explosive views.
Hop aboard the double-decker railcars of St. Kitts Scenic Railway's "sugar train" — it's a top kid-friendly activity. The scenic two-hour ride travels along the route used a century ago to transport sugarcane across the island.
If a laid-back day of sunbathing and snorkeling is more your thing, the narrow peninsula in the southeast contains the best beaches in St. Kitts, including Frigate Bay with its powdery sand. Or expand your horizons on a 30-minute ferry ride to the sweet little sister island of Nevis.
If you're staying onshore for the day, snack on conch or spiny lobster grilled over an open fire or look for West Indian specialties like pepper pot and Arawak chicken.
Reach The Top Of St. Thomas
An eastern Caribbean family island holiday could hardly be complete without a visit to Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. A classic Caribbean port of call, the city's harbour is dotted with sailboats and lined with colourful houses and shops — and there are beaches aplenty.
Just a short drive from town on the north shore is popular Magens Bay", home to a horseshoe-shaped beach that has appeared in many "best beaches" lists over the years. To the east are even more appealing stretches of sand, including Coki Beach and Sapphire Beach.
A tiny gem, lush St. John lies just a few miles east of St. Thomas across Pillsbury Sound. More than half of the island comprises Virgin Islands National Park, part of the U.S. National Park Service. To get there, hop on a ferry to Cruz Bay in St. John, and then it's just a 15-minute ride to the gorgeous white-sand beach at Trunk Bay, consistently rated one of the Caribbean's very best. You'll want to try out the marked snorkeling trail, where you can read about the sea life and coral from underwater signs.
For those who dig history, head just off Charlotte Amalie's bustling main street to find pockets of the past. These include the charming, 19th-century brick-and-stone St. Thomas Synagogue and the 18th-century Frederick Lutheran Church, each among the oldest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The nearby Fort Christian, which dates back to the 1670s, was named after Danish King Christian V and rises from the harbour to dominate the town centre.
Stop by Blackbeard's Castle, built in 1679 on Government Hill, to see the world's largest collection of life-sized pirate statues. Or climb the legendary 99 Steps built by 18th-century Danes using bricks that once served as a ship ballast.
St. Thomas' central mountain range offers endless opportunities to snag the ultimate panoramic selfie. On scenic Skyline Drive is Drake's Seat lookout, a must-stop spot named after the famous explorer. From here, the views of Magens Bay and the St. Thomas coastline are breathtaking.
Just down the road is the lookout at Mountain Top, which rises over 450 metres above sea level — the highest point on St. Thomas — with sweeping views of more than a dozen islands, including St. John and the British Virgin Islands.
Closer to town, take the gondola to Paradise Point, which sits 200 metres up with a hilltop restaurant and bar overlooking the island.
Local culinary favourites in the U.S. Virgin Islands include conch fritters, johnnycakes (cornmeal flatbreads) and chocolate-dipped coconut patties that are impossible to resist.
The Way To Perfect Day At Cococay®
When it comes to the best all-inclusive family holidays in the Caribbean, a day spent on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's aptly named private island paradise in The Bahamas, should be at the top of your cruising bucket list.
Just as meals, most entertainment and activities are included onboard Icon of the Seas, when you're in port at CocoCay, there are many complimentary activities. When you need to fuel up, there are also five complimentary dining venues for sandwiches, salads and even churros.
The whole family can swim in the sprawling Oasis Lagoon pool, complete with a convenient swim-up bar serving refreshing drinks. The kiddos will squeal with joy at the nearby Splashaway Bay℠ aqua park with its waterslides, fountains, pools and giggle-inducing drench buckets. Beach chairs and umbrellas are complimentary at Chill Island℠ beach and South Beach — two of the best spots on the island to plant your group for the day.
For those who crave a bit more, it'll be worth the extra charge to access the private island's Thrill Waterpark® and have a go at the 13 waterslides, including the towering Daredevil's Peak slide. If you find heights to your liking, whiz across the 480-metre-long zip line and go for a helium balloon ride for breathtaking views of The Bahamas in all directions.
For families wanting to truly live it up in luxury, book a spot at Coco Beach Club® with its coveted floating cabanas. The entry fee includes access to an infinity pool, an exclusive restaurant, beach bar and more.
