Jump to content

Tips for traveling with 3 year old


costo1cm
 Share

Recommended Posts

My wife and I are considering going on a cruise with our son right around the time he turns 3. We'd likely be going with my wife's parents, so there's plenty of people that can watch our son. Other than our son we've all cruised plenty of times, but never with children. How have people's experiences been with cruising with such a young child? Any cruise lines/specific cruises that seem to be better for our situation? I don't think we would utilize any sort of daycare on the cruise ship since there's so many of us that could watch him, but any cruises that have fun activities or destinations for young ones would be a plus. Any advice or tips would be very helpful!

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No cruise line allows a diapered child (or adult) in the pools. Be prepared for that! Some ships do have "splash areas" for diapered kids, but not all...

If you only have a shower in your cabin, a blow up tub might be useful, if your child isn't used to showers!

Your child really doesn't care about excursions and such....get a guidebook, and read up on your ports. You can find plenty that will entertain everyone. A 3 year old will NOT remember this trip. Basically, you will do on the ship with your child, whatever you do at home for entertainment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Disney is extremely expensive, but does have a lot for children. The downside to Disney is that their kids clubs have very wide ranges (3 to 12) so younger kids may be overwhelmed in this club. In your case, that might not matter.

 

Princess may still allow parents to go to the kids club so you can spend time with your kids while they have arts and crafts and lot of activities with other children (Princess used to allow this for children under the age of 3, but have redesigned their kids clubs and I don't know if they have continued to allow this to occur).

 

As far as destinations go, a lot of families take their children to private islands on the cruises or to beaches. We have taken our kids on a lot of historical/cultural destinations. If you are interested in that kind of vacation, please just reply and I'll be happy to answer any questions. There are reviews for these trips in my signature line - the Panama canal roundtrip on Princess is really easy to access from the east coast, and is really interesting (Cartagena is absolutely stunning, plus Aruba, Jamaica, Costa Rica are all great for kids, and the canal itself is interesting). The other trip we loved was the Baltic cruise, and St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Stockholm were all incredible. But if you'd prefer more a beach vacation just let us know and there are a lot of other posters who will be able to help you with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sailed with DD when she was 2,3,4 & 6. She was potty trained for all cruises so we were able to enjoy the pools.

 

We've sailed Royal Caribbean, MSC and Disney with DD.

 

RCCL large ships (we sailed Allure twice) would be my choice. DD loved Allure at 2 & at 6. We used the nursery 1 or 2 times when she was 2 and she loved going to Adventure Ocean on our most recent cruise. These ships have so much for kids...kid's pool & splash area (including a diapered area of needed), 3 additional pools, Boardwalk with carousel, ice skating show & ice skating (DD skated for the 1st time on Allure when she was 2), Dreamworks parades & character greetings, etc.

 

Disney would be my 2nd choice. The ship was beautiful & the service was outstanding. There were 2 smaller pools & 2 splash areas--not nearly enough for the number of passengers. The waterslides were good though. The character greetings were nice. DD did not like children's program (3yr to 12 yr all together in free for all).

 

MSC cruise was ok. Their children's program was good, but they didn't want kids under 6 in the pools.

 

Any destination will be fun. Caribbean islands have beaches which kids love. We took DD to Europe when she was 5 (not on a cruise) and she loved playing in parks with local children & visiting kid oriented museums--in addition to seeing the sights.

 

He may very well remember the trip. DD remembers all cruises she's been on and has her own opinion on all of them.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife and I are considering going on a cruise with our son right around the time he turns 3. We'd likely be going with my wife's parents, so there's plenty of people that can watch our son. Other than our son we've all cruised plenty of times, but never with children. How have people's experiences been with cruising with such a young child? Any cruise lines/specific cruises that seem to be better for our situation? I don't think we would utilize any sort of daycare on the cruise ship since there's so many of us that could watch him, but any cruises that have fun activities or destinations for young ones would be a plus. Any advice or tips would be very helpful!

 

Thanks!

 

We waited til our son was old enough for the kids program; our first cruise he was about a month shy of 3. He was in preschool and LOVED going to the kids program. I know you said you weren't interested in that, but we found that using it made for tons of fun for him and a much more relaxing vacation for us. His then 8 year old brother also really enjoyed the programs and is sad to have grown out of it; they are now 13 and 19 and have more than a dozen cruises under their belts.

 

A typical sea day involved having breakfast as a family in the MDR; we NEVER eat on the Lido (except lunches sometimes) because it is so much nicer to be seated and served. No getting up for refills or I forgot napkins etc. Also, the kids can order from the adult menu (I am not a fan of pizza and chicken nuggets 24/7 as a diet) and so he did! Then, he went to camp from 9-12. We had the morning to relax on our balcony or stroll the ship. A balcony BTW IMHO is a must when cruising with small kids in the same room; it allows you to put them down for a nap or for bed and still have some place to go.

 

After lunch, he had the choice to stay with us for pool, putt-putt etc, or we would go do build-a-bear. Many times, he asked to go back to camp! By 4/430 he was back in the cabin for required quiet time; he was allowed the TV and often took a nap. By 5:30 he was in the shower and getting dressed for dinner at 6. We chose fixed seating when he was younger. It was very fun for the kids to get to know the wait staff, and they were also able to cater to our needs. Every night, the boys milk would be ready to pour, and there would be a fruit plate on the table to keep them from filling up on bread. They ate their dinners while we had appetizers, and their desserts while we had our main course. Then one of us walked them to camp while the other ordered coffee and dessert. This gave us the evening for the shows, stars, casino etc. We picked them up by 10 and put them straight to bed.

 

On a port day, we did something as a family and went out exploring on excursions. Only once or twice did we leave the younger one on board to take the older on an educational adventure to Mayan ruins or some such thing...he loved camp so much he didn't even notice we were gone! By the time we were back on board we had time for a snack and the nap and then it was onto the dinner routine.

 

For my boys, keeping this routine has been one of the things that works best when traveling. Even now that they are older, we still stick to it. Of course, we don't make them nap :') but they seem to naturally return to their room in the afternoon for a rest before dinner.

 

 

As for cruise lines, we started with Carnival because they took kids at 2 and didn't have issues with diapers and potty training. He even had an accident one time and it was handled perfectly. But that was a decade ago and I think Carnival has really begun to cater or at least tolerate the lowest common denominator with people who don't want to follow the dress code and more and more people drinking too much with the addition of Cheers. Princess is our favorite line; it is classic without being stuffy and fits all ages. My youngest prefers their kids program to Carnival as it seems to be more athletic. Also, we don't need a ship with a lot of bells and whistles like skating rings, rock walls and flow riders. We are traveling simply to relax and to visit different ports of call. But that is our cruising style - which is something for you to figure out. Are you more interested in the mega ships with all these optional bells and whistles, but that have fewer ports of call to chose from? Or are you more interested in traveling to different places? If I was starting out now, I might very well go with Princess if possible.

 

As for destinations, we live on the east coast so Caribbean has been the logical choice for the vast majority of our cruises, with Western or Southern being our favorite. The kids have done a 5 day to Canada and a 7 day in Alaska. Seeing various ports of call has been a priority and one of the things that has for the most part kept us with Carnival because they offer a wider array of 7 day itineraries that fit the kids' schedules. We have held off exploring Europe until they both were old enough to remember it.

 

So my advice is decide whether you are traveling for the ship (then I might go mega ship on RCI) or ports (then chose the ship that goes where most interests you) and let that be your guide.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were on NCL when DS was 3. He had a great time. Absolutely loved the kids club, which is where all the activities were. (We had plenty of people to watch him but he would have been super bored.) It probably helped that he was in preschool, so it was a familiar idea. We'd usually get him something kid-friendly at the buffet for breakfast and lunch and then have our own leisurely meal after dropping him off. Dinners got tricky because he fell asleep much more quickly than usual. We had a time zone issue as well though.

 

Upon request, they gave us a stepstool for the bathroom, which was very handy. He couldn't reach the sink otherwise and the toilet would have been tricky as well.

 

We ended up sticking to beach days for most port excursions. Things we could walk to rather than worrying about car seats, etc. Also then we were able to return to the ship whenever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took a 3-year-old on a Disney cruise a few years ago. As other posters said, he did not like the kids' club. He was willing to go in there to play during their open "family time" (meaning I was there with him). We also went to the toddler play time, where parents stayed with their little ones. His absolute favorite activity was dancing. We'd find the live music during the day and right after dinner and we'd all dance together.

 

I liked Disney because the tv played the shows live. I could sit in the cabin while little one was sleeping (and my mom took my older daughter to the show), and I could still watch the shows.

 

One of the port days my mom stayed on the ship with the kids while I did an excursion. The other days we took taxis to the beach. (I had packed a sand pail and a few toys.) Nothing fancy at all.

 

We did Royal Caribbean when the kids were a little older. I think it might have been a little better for the 3-year-old (kids' clubs were segregated). The ship amenities were similar enough and the service was great for both.

 

I highly recommend an afternoon nap, even if your child has outgrown them. We turned cartoons on with really low volume, dimmed the lights, and the little one generally fell asleep for an hour. He NEEDED it - he was worn out with all the excitement.

 

We also booked a balcony so that the adults had a place to sit and chat while the kids were sleeping.

 

The hardest part was the toilets. My son was newly potty-trained, and he was TERRIFIED of the toilets on the ship. It took a great deal of persuasion to get him to sit on one. I wish I had brought little rewards/bribes, or that we had talked about the scary potty more before we got on board.

 

I had packed tons of prepackaged snacks from home, just in case. We didn't need them. My picky eaters found plenty to eat, and the wait staff was tremendous. They noticed that my son ate all his peas on day 1 and none of the veggies on day 2. Starting day 3, he was served a bowl of peas with his dinner every night, even when peas weren't on the menu, because, as they head waiter told him, "Mickey Mouse wants you to eat your veggies and get big and strong!"

 

Even though he doesn't really remember the details of the cruise now (he's 8), he remembers that he had a great time. The children nagged me for a few years until we took them on another cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

We recently sailed the Med on Brilliance. Husband and I are avid cruisers but this was our first time with our 3 year old son. We also sailed with extended family. Our son was fully toilet trained at 3 so no issues with pool or kids club rules. We didn't expect to need to use anyone to look after him either, but he enjoyed the adventure ocean program so much he was begging us to leave him there! We ended up doing the shore excursions whilst leaving him onboard as it was all he wanted to do! Great cruise and hassle free. We have booked again for 2018 and he is already talking about what he will do next time on the 'big ship'

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

We're booked on a NCL cruise to the Caribbean in February, and our daughter will have just turned 3. I think she's going to be too young to go on any real excursions, so we're probably just going to go to the beach and look for parks with playgrounds where she can play for a while. Instead of packing beach toys, I'm going to buy some at the first port, and then find some local kid to donate them to at the last one. I guess it's possible she'll love the kids program so much that she'll want to stay on the ship while we leave and do something else, but I'm not counting on it. She's also not potty trained yet, but I've 6 months to get her there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We're booked on a NCL cruise to the Caribbean in February, and our daughter will have just turned 3. I think she's going to be too young to go on any real excursions, so we're probably just going to go to the beach and look for parks with playgrounds where she can play for a while. Instead of packing beach toys, I'm going to buy some at the first port, and then find some local kid to donate them to at the last one. I guess it's possible she'll love the kids program so much that she'll want to stay on the ship while we leave and do something else, but I'm not counting on it. She's also not potty trained yet, but I've 6 months to get her there.

 

 

 

Don't discount what the kids will enjoy. My sons were 2 and 8 when they started cruising. What are your ports of call? There are plenty of things that can work for the whole family!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't discount what the kids will enjoy. My sons were 2 and 8 when they started cruising. What are your ports of call? There are plenty of things that can work for the whole family!

 

It's a 2 week cruise so there are a lot. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Tortola, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts. I've done a little research, and found a children's museum in St. Thomas that I think she would like, and both the butterfly farm and zoo in St. Maarten look promising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a 2 week cruise so there are a lot. Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Tortola, St. Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts. I've done a little research, and found a children's museum in St. Thomas that I think she would like, and both the butterfly farm and zoo in St. Maarten look promising.

 

 

 

We have done Puerto Rico and if she will have a stroller you could simply walk about old town.

 

The butterfly farm would be good in St Thomas but I can tell you that my kids still talk about Mr. Henry at EEE tours - my youngest was 4 I think. He may not still be running but if you can get an open air tour around the island and some beach time, that would great as well.

 

Have not done the zoo in St Martin and have not been Tortolla since I was a child but if memory serves that is a great beach port. Sadly your other ports are all new for us - will do then in March. If you can find those island tours in the open air or that have boat rides, I know my kids loved that stuff....there is no need to limit to just beach days!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took a 10 Day cruise with DS when he was 2 on NCL Pearl. He was not potty trained, refused to go to the kids club and there was only a dinky kids pool that he could use. But the staff was amazing, ports of call, great and food was awesome!

Took him last year on Royal Caribbean this time on Oasis of the Seas.. he was 3, didn't go to Kids Club (Adventure Ocean) but in Adventure Ocean they have tons of toys that your child can play with, with you supervising. He loved the Dream Works Characters and the kids H20 Zone where the kiddies pool and water park was great. He rode the carousel at least 10 times a day. Overall the ship was amazing with tons of things to do for little ones. At most ports of call since our son was too young to do any excursions, we would do a taxi tour around, some port shopping and hit the beach.

We normally go to All Inclusives but since my son was young and eating table food and on milk, we preferred cruising as the water is safe and the milk is not powdered which you normally encounter in the Caribbean. Go, you will have a blast even if your child doesnt attend Kids Club!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not much to add, but do want to ditto those who've made reference to keeping a routine and the fun that a child can have in the kids club.

 

My daughter was 3 on her first cruise, a 10 day Southern Caribbean (Princess). I intended for us to have family time in the ports and to keep her to a routine. Well, once she saw the kids club she didn't want to have anything to do with us! She had a blast. Also, though we were good with keeping her bed times consistent, she still started having meltdowns about halfway through the cruise. It was her first big trip, so I think all the excitement just caught up to her. We may have avoided this if we budgeted more down time during the day, and at the beginning of the cruise. Live and learn...

 

All in all, everyone had a good time and she's been begging me ever since to take her on another cruise. She's getting her wish next year. 😊

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The "potty" thing worked out much better than expected. We brought his Spiderman potty ring (that fit perfectly on the RCI toilets) and a fold flat stepping stool...couldn't have been easier for our 3 year old grandson. We also took his potty ring with us in a backpack when off ship and needing to use public restrooms.

 

Our experience as a long time cruising family (20+ with RCI) and now with toddlers gave us more things to consider but worked out great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...