Mexico - Snorkeling with 2 Kids - 2 1/2 and 6 Yro - Help? House or Cruise?

Well if you want to see your brother, a home or villa is the way to go.
Look on VRBO.com
Yes, parts of Mexico are dangerous, but saying "don't go to Cancun because crime is high in Mexico" is like saying "don't go to the USA because there is crime in Detroit"!
I don't think you'll get a private home with a pool for 300 USD per night though--probably more like $3000 for the week, but maybe a villa with a communal pool? You're going to need 4 bedrooms.

If you opt for house in Mexico, please research the area thoroughly. Not the safest place to go these days.

I did the Mexican Riviera cruise and it was FANTASTIC!!! Not sure about the kid thing though (free or not) and there weren't really many kids on the ship. If you have your au pair, it will be great.

I definitely would not do the "fend for ourselves" thing in Mexico. You just never know. I also would be very worried having my children in Mexico. IMHO they are safer on the ship.

My neighbors went to Cancun in the off season last summer, and took 3 kids (youngest had just turned 5). They booked through Priceline and went to an all inclusive resort which was incredibly bargain-priced - I think it was $3200 for 5 people for a full week. In May and perhaps in April, it will be "off season" for you too so prices will drop. They had a pool and access to the ocean, lots of activities. They also rented a car and went off on their own to see things and go to other beaches, and they also did a trip to the ruins (which are beyond your children's interest at this point). Several of them scuba dive, but the 5 year old wasn't yet even snorkel-proficient. And they have a pool at home so kids are pretty water-savvy. So they just split up and did things separately. You could do this if you take your brother, but since your children don't know him well, you and your husband will be splitting up and taking turns with your brother.

I don't know if you can get your 6 year old snorkel-ready at home but I'd recommend it, as others have suggested. The 2 year old needs shallow water or a kiddie pool. If you rent a house, be extremely diligent about making sure the pool is completely fenced - I don't know what the laws are in other countries about child-proofing a house. You can fend for yourselves but you'll need to be very savvy about groceries and purchases, including water. Of course, the advantage is also that you can have kids napping or in bed at night and still be able to use the pool or sit outside. The Mayan Riviera area is generally considered safe.

Cruises are usually all-inclusive but as someone else said, your little one may be way too young for most of this. Kids need to separate easily from parents, and if you need to put a toddler down for a nap, that means one of you is in the room unless you hire an off-duty staff person as a sitter, and that would be extra. I think your brother may not have any idea how extensive these cruise line activities are for 30-somethings. But if he's decided, then he's decided.

Are you a member of AAA? They have a great travel agency, free to members, and they have a lot of promotions as well as a good rating system for hotels in all price ranges. But a lot of people book things themselves using Kayak, Priceline, Hotwire, etc. I don't think they book houses though.

My friends who travel a lot go to Galveston and rent the same condo each time. It's fully furnished down to silverware. They know the area like home now.

They also do the U S Virgin Islands. They still rent the same condo each time there too.

Their kids have grown up in these places and they still love to go a couple of times every year. I think that these both sound like places you'd have similar experiences, beach, heat, water activities, privacy since each condo has it's own pool if you don't want to go to the beach, and community that accepts the renters like family.

In my experience, the kid activities on cruises are for kids age 4 and up (or at least potty trained). So, I'm not sure that your 2.5 year old will be able to take advantage of the kid activities aboard.

So, I'd go for the house.

Also, you mention something about snorkeling in your title. In my experience, it works best if you teach your older child to snorkel in a pool before you go. And then you can snorkel with him if you find a bay without waves. The 2 year old is too young to learn. Someone will have to sit on the beach with the little one while the others are out snorkeling. This isn't bad - my DH and I did it last year. One of us went out with the older one while the other sat on the beach with the little one, and every 15 min or so, we traded places.

I don't know Mexico well enough to suggest specific locations.

Being on a cruise won't necessarily benefit you since you have a 2.5 year old. Most lines start at 3 to drop them off at the kids club.

Should you chose to cruise next year when you child is 3, I recommend Royal Caribbean. The kids club is awesome! Go Oasis Class or at minimum go Freedom class - you won't be bored for a moment and neither will your kids.

2.5 is too young to snorkel, by the way. Your 6 YO might enjoy it.

You'll be fine on the islands in Mexico. They rely on tourism. Just research where you plan to stay. You can go to an Island in the Caribbean, too. So many wonderful ones to choose from. Or how about Costa Rica? It's AMAZING there and not so far for you to travel to.