Itchy&Scratchy

Same with Caribbean Princess. We were blown away by Regal's buffet in April 2016, booked Caribbean for November 2016 and were very disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near as extensive as Regal. However, Caribbean Princess' itinerary fully made up for the disappointment in buffet choices (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao).

I am not familiar with this disorder, but since you mentioned grilled cheese - it will be available at other venues as well. I've seen grilled cheese sandwiches at the buffet. And I am sure it was on the kid's menu in MDR, but my kid doesn't like grilled cheese sandwiches. Last time the MDR staff accommodated our request for a bowl of plain steamed green beans for the kiddo. That's all he ate at dinner.

What are his other safe foods? We could, perhaps, tell you if we've had/had seen it on the cruise.

Also check out Travel with Disabilities board - there are a few discussions about allergies and the accommodations the cruise lines make for the allergic people/people with food sensitivities and disorders. Perhaps, you will find some useful information there as well.

I haven't seen it on Regal's Patter.

they are pretty much identical, so for our next trip we are choosing Royal because of the itinerary (they sail at the same time out of the same port).

Are you actually questioning if a stroller inconveniences other people? I am a mom of 2 and recognize that any time I had a stroller in a crowded area, it was going to inconvenience others around me - people don't see them, often trip on them, or stop walking or slow in front of you and then you have to play Mario Andretti to keep from running into them. This is magnified by a thousand on a busy promenade or lido deck - which are hard enough at times to navigate as a couple.

 

I used a stroller until my boys were old enough to walk well. Then it went into the yard sale. They learned from an early age that holding a hand was not an option when told to do so. Just like if circumstances dictated they needed to be carried, they were carried with no alternative. They also learned to walk where ever we went...after all, kids are loaded with energy...and the ones that are refusing to walk are either truly tired because mom and dad have kept them out to long or are simply being defiant because they don't want to walk. Assuming a child doesn't have a medical or psychological need for such containment, it isn't needed.

 

I will never understand using a stroller once the child is walking. There are a lot of parenting challenges in life, but ditching the stroller really isn't one of them. Mine are 14 and 20 now, so I should know. 2 is easy...wait til she is driving, dating, applying to college....

mmmkay then. People in wheelchairs need to stop cruising and traveling because of all the inconveniences they are causing to able bodied people around them. Right? Right?

So, my kid didn't want to use a stroller since he was 14 months. Other people's kids love using theirs. To each his own. I have a back trauma and my 2 yo was 34#. There is no way I could carry him... Even babywearing him in an ergo baby at that weight would very quickly become debilitating for me.

OP knows her 2 yo better than we do. If she thinks they need a stroller, then they need a stroller. Better to have a kiddo in a stroller than witness or experience a huge meltdown when the kid is tired, but you can't carry them.

I got to say that Princess is so much better at the muster drill. We sailed Royal Caribbean last year and the fact that they made us stand OUTSIDE in the HOT sun with everyone else on the ship was horrible.

I agree 100%.

It was pure torture on RCCL. It was hot - we were directly in the sun, standing on a deck, for a long time before the muster drill even began. I cannot stand for longer than 10 minutes due to a back trauma, so I had to sit down on the floor. Our 3 yo was hot and uncomfortable and didn't really care to stand still for that long either.

We love Princess' muster drills a whole lot more!!!!

And funny you mention that about Literider. It's the one she hated the least in the store lol... but I didn't like that there were only 2 seating positions... upright and reclined!

mine was defective and not all that compact.

Thankfully, I got a Baby Jogger City Elite (not compact either) which I loved. But then - we didn't really go anywhere with the kiddo and a stroller that required the stroller to be light and compact. Parks and walks around the neighborhood mostly, and at 14 months DS refused to use a stroller.

Our friends gave us a $14 umbrella stroller which my kid used to stroll his stuffed animals around in.

don't get Literider. I had it. It isn't all the compact or nice.

Check out Travel with Children board on www.babycenter.com.

Many people do like Summer infant strollers.

Also stop by albeebaby.com to check out their selection of strollers, sorted by size/function.

https://www.albeebaby.com/lightweight-strollers.html

Baby Jogger Vue Lite seems very nice. Reversible, reclines, folds, $79 on sale.

https://www.albeebaby.com/baby-jogger-vue-lite-stroller-citrus.html

Maxi Cosi Kaia

https://www.albeebaby.com/maxi-cosi-kaia-stroller-in-intense-red.html

Definitely read the reviews. :)

Since it's over Thanksgiving, the sailing is probably capacity controlled.

We always go on either Regal or Royal on Thanksgiving, and I usually buy around July-September time frame. Never had a problem until now.

You do not even need a "good TA." Simply shop around among many reputable high volume cruise agencies and you will save 7-10% and more

Hank

I tried that last year. First, there was no telling if the TA is reputable, and CC members are not allowed to discuss it. Second, all the prices offered by TAs on a large consolidation website (actually provided by some CC member) were actually higher or the same as Princess direct. Plus, Princess already has all of our information, and it's a PITA to reenter that stuff all the time.

They are not Sold Out . Only Sold Out for the current Sale rates . You can book them at the higher rate . A TA could have answered that.

When I click on the 3 person button, ALL of the Inside cabins are showing as sold out. There are NONE available. Not at a lower rate, not at a higher rate.

It's been like this for months - through several Sales deals - and I check every day. Sometimes I check a couple of times a day.

The inside cabins for 3 people have been "sold out" on Royal Princess (Thanksgiving cruise 2018) for months now. What gives?

P.S. This is on Princess website. I buy directly from Princess.

You must have had a more spacious cabin that we have had! Persona.lu not something I’d have wanted to schlep around if not using it, but each their own, my kids are past that now.

it was a regular inside cabin on RCCL and Princess ships.

I'd rather schlep a car seat around if it keeps my kid safe. The laws of physics don't get cancelled just because we are on vacation.

we got a guarantee cabin a couple of times on RCCL, and one of those times was awful. The cabin was right next to some venue which started its operations at 4 am every day. Loud banging noises, rolling carts, dragged furniture could be heard even though the ear plugs. It was far from enjoyable.

But if going on a cruise it would be awkward to have a car seat.

why is that? We brought our car seat for the kiddo on a cruise many times. Stores like a dream in the closet.

last year we got upgraded from an inside cabin all the way in the back of the ship to a mid-forward deluxe obstructed balcony on Emerald deck. I now want that cabin!

My parents were traveling at the same time, and I booked an inside cabin in the back as well. They were offered an upsell for $99pp to a balcony. Balconies at that point in time were priced lower than what we paid for their interior room, so when I called Princess, my parents got a free upgrade to the last available regular obstructed balcony on Emerald.

I think Princess was giving away a lot of free stuff at that time (and OBC) because of the Medallion launch fiasco on Regal last November. But I am not complaining! They got me hooked on a balcony! I bet that was their ploy to begin with. :)

ReedPrincess,

 

Thanks. One quick question, though. I have heard that the bath/ shower in the Deluxe Balcony is better than the Balcony cabins. True?

no, the shower was the same. My parents were in a regular balcony room, and we were in a deluxe.

I liked the single sofa bed much better then regular beds on Regal. it's a little softer.

I am waiting for the $99 per 3/4th person sale. I got it last July for my November cruise.

Haven't had an e-mail about it here in Australia.

Probably, because Australia is not in the EU. Neither is the US. :)

the towel situation was a pleasant surprise for us when we went from Royal Caribbean to Princess. Towels are available at any time, as many as you want, you get to take them to the beach, to your room, anywhere you want to. No need to scan the card for it, exchange the towel under the watchful eye of the RCCL staff, or worry that you forgot it at the pool.

There are huge bins for used towels at the gangway when you come back from the excursion/beach trip.

Love it!

In Roatan, we've used Bodden adventures twice, and they've done a great job of providing private transportation wherever on the island you want to go. Your 10 year old would probably love meeting monkeys and other animals at Bodden's house. .

I meant the teen siblings who she said were also coming along this trip, which is what most of my recommendations were written for.

isn't Roatan in Honduras?

Thanks! So it looks like Mahogany Bay will be pretty simple to handle. We probably won't get off the boat in all four ports, so I'm trying to figure out which will be least fun/most difficult with a baby so we can plan to make that a boat day!

Here is what I would do:

Costa Maya - beach for the whole family

Cozumel - stay on the boat. It's just not worth it (we were there last November). Florida beaches are a lot better. Maybe, venture out to port for funzies.

Belize - one parent stays on the boat with the infant, another parent takes the teens on the cave tubing excursion. We went with this operator in 2009 and loved it: http://www.coralbreezetours.com/Tour.Cave_Tubing_Adventure_Tour/tours_add.html?t_product=17

Mahogany bay - beach for the family

Its been about 9 years since we had to worry about this, but I never saw a situation where they ran out of phones/pagers for parents. Also, you did not get them when you boarded - you had to go to the meet and greet registration party the first night.

they don't run out of pagers because they limit the number of children of certain age on the ship. In 2016 we could not join our friends on a cruise because Princess didn't sell any cabins to families with children 4-8 years of age. They told us they reached the limit of the children in that age group and couldn't accept any more.

hippo

prenatal massages

don't do that. Unless the person doing the massage is specializing in prenatal massages, a regular massage may induce pre-term birth or miscarriage.

Doesnt make it right if you have high personal standards of dress code wherever you are or going to dine.

it's YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCE. I do not make you wear jeans, and you cannot make me wear formal dresses to casual nights.

It's the UP side to Princess that theey aren't so stuffy and snobby.

 

Jeans dark or light are worn to the MDR except on formal nights, you will fit right in.

I hate dresses and skirts.