ajm1189

@horsegal yes I do have a carrier for her and immensely helps me day to day here wrangling them all.

@ griffy116 I appreciate your perspective as a grandparent, what you've said makes a lot of sense

@nevada Jen yeah it isn't an ideal vacation for me, but I'm trying to be mindful of others feelings and things

The cruise was planned, but not booked until after my wife's passing. Shortly after, one of her sisters really promoted the whole philosophy of we all only live once and her parents had always wanted to do this trip so they booked it all. Honestly, when I was approached about the whole thing originally, I wasn't thinking. I wasn't probably in the best frame of mind to think things through and surviving just the next hour was more important than the trip almost a year away. Also I feel I was guilted by all parties a bit as well.

Then recently I get some emails about excursions and plans by one of her sisters and instantly I was overwhelmed. Found myself here at work looking up cruise stuff for what to expect and if I'm legitimately insane for making this trip.

When I initially wrote the post I may have been in a bad moment of panic, but reading various responses and some other things I'm feeling a little better and think a lot of my problems probably can be solved with some communication.

Based on all of your wonderful comments and suggestions I'm going to talk to my in laws about the reality of all this and logistics of me taking all my girls alone on this huge vacation, on top of it being the first time I've attempted anything big alone that will have its own emotional part to it. See how much they intended to help and/or are willing to.

I also think that if after that conversation they really want us to all be there then I think I can probably convince my mom to come with me. I'll see if maybe we can arrange a close room and then at least I could have someone I, and the kids, are super comfortable with to help out.

Sorry if this whole post was a little odd or maybe inappropriate for the forum, I'm just a new cruiser who went into panic today with all the unknown about what cruising entails with 4 little ones coming along.

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Are you on Disney?

 

What particular concerns do you have? Something is bugging you enough to consider cancelling the cruise.

 

Your kids are close in age so that makes things easier. You're also going with family (although I'm a bit confused about the single dad part going with in laws; are you divorced/widowed?) so they can help with the kids. They're family and family generally helps each other. You won't need them as much as you think. There will be LOTS to distract your kids.

 

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First, appreciate all the suggestions from everyone.

Sorry for the confusion I guess was typing stream of consciousness. I'm widowed and that's why still taking trip with inlaws as a single dad.

What concerns me is I've never been on a ship before and I guess I was starting to think how can I handle all 4 of them on my own. Is there a lot of resources for kids and such... which the answer seems to be yes from people responding.

As for the flight over to Barcelona I have the kids alone to get to NY and then my mil and fil are on the same flight from NY to Barcelona so I will have other adult help for the long haul.

I hope the family will help, they say they will but I know it is their vacation so I guess I'm worried they will be off doing things that my little ones can't yet do. I guess maybe I need to bite the bullet and talk to them about how realistically I will need a commitment of help throughout the trip for me to manage it because I just haven't tried a vacation with all the girls on my own and I don't imagine it would be an easy task with them all jet lagged.

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actually, after thinking about it a bit more, though i don't want to sound negative...

 

 

 

personally, if i were you, i wouldn't take this trip...

 

 

 

unless the inlaws fly with you and agree to take complete responsibility for at least two of the kids, i can't see this turning out pleasant for you in any way...

 

 

 

but maybe i'm being too negative?

 

 

 

i hope some others on this board will join in here..

 

 

 

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Thanks for honest advice. I don't think you are being too negative. Honestly I feel like this will be a vacation for anyone but me now that I'm going to be the only adult for my immediate family.

The plan was for me to fly from the US to Barcelona, but now my inlaws have changed their flight so I have to get the kids and me from the D.C. Area to NY to meet their flight. So for the big international flight I would have 2 extra adults.

I expressed that I was stressed by the whole trip and considering canceling and my inlaws, more my mother in law, have guilted me a little that they want the whole family there, want to be in the kids lives especially now that their daughter, my wife, is no longer with us. I get how they feel and They say they will help and do this and that but then some of the excursions they've discussed I'm like yeah because my 4 little girls can handle that. I don't want to ruin things for them, but I don't feel like maybe they understand how hard it is having 4 little kids so normal even at home and I think I hope it isn't a disaster. I guess I need to more clearly talk to them about how much I may need them to really help and follow through with that promise.

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I posted on the Disney board before I noticed this board and maybe this is the more appropriate place for cruising advice.

Here is my post:

Hi everybody I've recently joined the community and I'm trying to find as much helpful information as possible. I have sort of been freaking out a little bit about a cruise in a few months to the point of wanting to call the whole thing off, but I know that it will really upset my family and so I'm trying to be a good sport. If anyone has some good advice maybe on what I can expect or tips for traveling with small kids I'd appreciate it immensely.

So my inlaws planned a trip that they've wanted to do for like a lifetime. They are celebrating my father-in-laws retirement and taking the family (paying for a lot, but not all) on a Mediterranean cruise out of Barcelona in July.

So I'm 29 and a single dad now. At the time of sailing in July my 4 children will be 6, 4, 3, and 13 months. I've never taken a trip alone with all 4, none of us have been on a cruise and this is my first attempt at even flying with them. On the cruise itself it is my inlaws, their 2 other daughters and their respective spouses and they each have 2 kids between ages 15-10. I know they all have been planning excursions and are all excited for this big trip and I'm worried that me with all for little ones is just going to be really hard and I don't want to be detracting from the others vacation with help with my ones.

So has anyone sailed as a single parent and have any tips on how I can best survive a cruise ship with them all? Any tips on activities or really any travel advice in general. I'm sorry that this maybe is all over the place. I just don't know if it's realistic for me to attempt this. I'm just trying to go along with it to help my inlaws out because they wanted the family together.

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Hi everybody I've recently joined the community and I'm trying to find as much helpful information as possible. I have sort of been freaking out a little bit about a cruise in a few months to the point of wanting to call the whole thing off, but I know that it will really upset my family and so I'm trying to be a good sport. If anyone has some good advice maybe on what I can expect or tips for traveling with small kids I'd appreciate it immensely.

So my inlaws planned a trip that they've wanted to do for like a lifetime. They are celebrating my father-in-laws retirement and taking the family (paying for a lot, but not all) on a Mediterranean cruise out of Barcelona in July.

So I'm 29 and a single dad now. At the time of sailing in July my 4 children will be 6, 4, 3, and 13 months. I've never taken a trip alone with all 4, none of us have been on a cruise and this is my first attempt at even flying with them. On the cruise itself it is my inlaws, their 2 other daughters and their respective spouses and they each have 2 kids between ages 15-10. I know they all have been planning excursions and are all excited for this big trip and I'm worried that me with all for little ones is just going to be really hard and I don't want to be detracting from the others vacation with help with my ones.

So has anyone sailed as a single parent and have any tips on how I can best survive a cruise ship with them all? Any tips on activities or really any travel advice in general. I'm sorry that this maybe is all over the place. I just don't know if it's realistic for me to attempt this. I'm just trying to go along with it to help my inlaws out because they wanted the family together.