Anonymous wrote:Agree with PP. No real beaches in the Keys. Try Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm Beach.

Or Naples or Sanibel Island on the West Coast.

We did a Caribbean cruise this year and didn't need passports. Make sure to read the fine print. If you leave and return via Florida then they may not require a passport. We took them just in case, but never needed them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you need a passport to take a Caribbean cruise? I think you can do this with just a birth certificate still. Maybe consider Puerto Rico as well.

Yes.

Whoops, I meant yes, you would need a passport for most Caribbean cruises. I think you can still do Puerto Rico or the USVI without one, though.

Anonymous wrote:Do you need a passport to take a Caribbean cruise? I think you can do this with just a birth certificate still. Maybe consider Puerto Rico as well.

Yes.

Hawks Cay is great in the Keys - there is sand, water and lots of pools but no true beach.

Puerto Rico or esp Vieques would be my suggestion

Do you need a passport to take a Caribbean cruise? I think you can do this with just a birth certificate still. Maybe consider Puerto Rico as well.

What about one of the big resorts - like Cheeca - that seem great for kids?

Not really a beach vacation or ideal for kids looking to play in the sand. Key West is my dad's favorite vacation because he likes sitting in the sand drinking a beer. I'm to this day trying to figure out what his idea of beach is.

There is Bahia Honda beach in the Keys, and there are a few small beaches in Key West, but that's about it.

Agree with PP. No real beaches in the Keys. Try Miami, Ft. Lauderdale or West Palm Beach.

The Keys are great for any age, but there are no beaches to walk. It is hard coral.

I'd like to get away somewhere warm(er) in the new year and can't travel abroad due to passport issues... but just basically want to walk on the beach, swim (if warm enough), and relax. Are the Keys a good option with young kids?