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Stricks08

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  1. Back in November, we had a Magic Carpet Suite combined with an Inside Room for our twins and we loved the setup. We've booked the same thing again on the Apex in June. It was really great having an extra bathroom and closet space as well as each of them having their own beds all while everyone still getting access to the Retreat. You have a private hallway connecting both rooms - our only "issue" was there was no way to keep both room doors open so we used the little ottoman/storage things to prop the doors open so the kids could come back and forth without having to use the room key. We had previously been on the Beyond with all 4 of us in a Sky Suite - it was manageable since our kids were 3 years old at the time and didnt take up a lot of space but we like the two room set up better for sure
  2. It always depends on the kids and what they like. I'll say that our kids love Celebrity and the kids club - they're almost 5 and have been sailing since they were 9 months old. They're constantly asking when we are going back onto a ship. They've been on one Royal and hated it so we've been sticking to Celebrity until they get older and see if they have a desire for all the slides et al
  3. Dont even worry about it, you will all have a great time. We took our twins when they were 3.5 on a Beyond Transatlantic and they still talk about how much they love that ship. We just took them on the Edge reposition from Dubai to Singapore (they were 4.5) - they went to the kids club twice a day (they demanded we bring them because they had so much fun each time). We are taking them on the Ascent in March and Apex in June. Our kids love the Edge class of ship, especially the Beyond. They love the pools, the live music, and pool deck parties. It also depends on your itinerary too - depending on how many ports you have, you may not be on the ship too much. there is a pretty cool teen/older kid hang out club off of the destination gateway. Le Petit Chef is a fun dinner thing to do with kids too, as is Rooftop Grill.
  4. When we traveled on the Equinox at the end of 2019, they brought us standard sized pack'n'plays. We have twins (they were 9 months at the time) and were able to get two of them in our Aft Corner Sky Suite. We had no issues with them at all - my only suggestion would be to bring your own crib sheets as the regular sheets they used would come undone all the time. Otherwise, it was super easy. Enjoy the trip with the little one! Pro Tip - bring a small inflatable pool for them to play in since they can't go in the regular pools. We used it on the balcony and on the Lawn Club. It was a big hit
  5. Do not hesitate or think twice about doing it - you will all have a great time and the retreat staff will be beyond helpful. We took our twins on their first cruise in 2019 when they were 9 months old (our daughter started crawling for the first time on the ship) - we were in Sky Suite on the Equinox. Since then, we've also gone on the Beyond TA when they were 3.5 and stayed in a Sky Suite/Retreat. And we are going on the Edge in Nov and Beyond again next June, all in Sky Suites. Going with a Sky Suite is helpful purely from a space perspective in your cabin as the pack n play wont overtake the entire room. The ship will provide a pack n play as well as sheets but you should also bring your own. Our kids were on formula and we had a ton of bottles/formula to deal with - the butler was so helpful in making sure we had water and everything we needed in the cabin to help with that. Having a bathtub was also way easier than a shower when it came to bathing them The Luminae staff is incredible - they would make the twins their own meals of smashed up peas and other food that they were able to eat at the time. We would also bring the kids in the strollers and then fold it up when we got to the seat. The Luminae staff always had the high chairs waiting for us when we arrived and always got the kids food out first so they didnt get fussy. In Luminae we always had the same table and waiter so the kids really bonded with them and they could predict anything they would want. On the Equinox, we brought a small blow up pool that we put out on the Lawn Club and the staff would bring a hose over to fill it up for us. Babies in diapers aren't allowed in the main pools so this was a great alternative. The sky suite balcony was also big enough for us to put it out there which we did on occasion and the kids loved it. The staff at the Retreat are amazing - on our first day on the Beyond, our daughter left her Elmo doll and the staff not only saved it but tracked us down to return. We could not have been more grateful and it really made her day when they gave it to her. Stroller wise, I would suggest going with a small fold up one to save space (we have the GB Pockit and love it). We put them in there all the time and roam around the ship. Edge class is very stroller friendly with all the ramps on the resort deck. The twins loved just sitting back and taking in all the sights around the ship. If you are interested, you can see some of our stories with traveling with them on the IG - @twodadsjourney
  6. you’re welcome! You’ll have a great time
  7. We’ve been told that there are about 20 kids on board but only one other in their age range. Yesterday they combined the kids into a single group so some slightly older kids were in there with them
  8. Hi! Just following up here - we are on day 3 on the Beyond TA so wanted to send you an update on how our 3 year olds are doing. They’ve been really enjoying it and the crew have been incredible - we had accidentally left our daughter’s Elmo doll at the retreat on the first day which caused a very tense night but the retreat staff had found it and delivered it back to her the following morning with such a sweet hand written note attached. She (and us) were so excited. The fact that they knew it was hers and made a point to get it back to us is amazing. I was not expecting to find it again nor expecting the staff to go above and beyond in that way. As I type this, the kids are in the kids club for their second time on the trip. They absolutely love it and want to keep going back. This is a dramatic shift compared to our experience with the kids club on the Navigator of the seas which they did not want to back go to after one visit. I’m definitely seeing them preferring celebrity over royal for the time being. The kids club has three main sessions a day (I’m attaching the schedule below) with each one being a different theme. We took them to the Dino themed session yesterday and they came back with little t-Rex drawings to show us. The staff did a great job wearing them out - both kids were asleep by 930 for the first time this trip (a difficult thing with the big time change). We are only trying to drop them off in the mornings so then we can go swimming and (god willing) get a nap in the afternoon. Our son is very excited for the camping night tomorrow so we may end up with a kids free dinner then. In terms of dinner - we’ve only eaten in Luminae so far but have reservations across all the speciality restaurants scheduled over the next 10 days. Our trick to get through dinner is let the kids play with their tablets. They’re able to sit there for 2 hours perfectly quiet. The staff also offered to take their orders first so they could get the food out quickly and distract them. If you ask, they’ll be happy to condense the time between your courses as well to help get out fast. There has only been one traditional so far which was Arte last night (it was fine). We went to the 9pm showing - our daughter fell asleep in the stroller before it started and our son lasted through about half of it before asking to leave. Another pro tip: bring noise reducing headphones. The music can be too loud and the headphones help a lot. They still hear everything, just not as loud. let me know if you have any questions, happy to answer them.
  9. IMG_0592.MOV We were on the Eclipse for Christmas/NYE in 2016 - it was one of our favorite trips. They had parties all over the ship and had a big countdown on the Lido deck at midnight. They filled all the hot tubs with ice and bottles of champagne. There were a lot more families and big groups which made the ship more fun, always people up the Sky lounge dancing late at night
  10. If you prebook the restaurant or get a dinning package in the trip planner site, it'll show you the price for the kids. We've booked a dinning package on the Beyond for Oct and when we paid for it, we only paid for the adults. Our 3 year olds were free but it still showed them as having the package. Your 7 year old should love Le Petit Chef. I'd also recommend the RoofTop Grill as well - the menu is great for kids and the cookie desert is incredible.
  11. Of course, will absolutely let you know. We just went on the Navigator of the Seas of a few weeks ago with the kids and we’re worried about the same but it went better than expected. We would bring their tablets to dinner and use that to distract them when they got antsy. That worked really well. We took them to one of the ice skating shows - they were both enthralled by the lights and music. Our daughter got bored after awhile so one of us left with her while the other stayed with our son who sat through the whole thing. The key is just to be flexible and follow their queues. If yours is anything like ours, they’ll love going up and down the big ramp on the resort deck on the beyond. And be sure to do Le petit chef, that is a perfect dinner and a show activity for toddlers.
  12. On the Edge class, they have two areas in the kids club - one is for babies/young toddlers that aren't potty trained that you can come and play in with your child. They have books/slides/toys/etc there, it is a pretty nice play space. The other area is for the 3 and up where you are able to leave the kids. We scoped out the area on our childless trips on the Edge and Apex. We have 3.5 year old twins that we are bringing on the Beyond Transatlantic in Oct - happy to let you know how it goes. This will be our 3rd cruise with the kids, their second on Celebrity. When they were one and we were on the Equinox, we brought a small blow up pool with us that we would put on the lawn and the crew would help us fill it up so the kids could play. This was a good alternative to the pool since they weren't potty trained at the time. If you are able to potty train by Dec, they will love the pool area 100% and will have a blast in the kids program.
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