cruisegirl06

Yes! I was tracking Royal prices for the better part of this year for our family of 4. The "kids sail free" promo resulted in sky high first and second passenger rates (which we had booked until airfare convinced us to change plans...). Frequently booking one room was similar in price to just getting two rooms (usually off by a couple hundred dollars total).

We found a thanksgiving cruise after final payment and wound up with connecting rooms - for I think about $600 less than cramming all of us into one room... Works for me, but slightly ridiculous. You would think the cruise lines would rather have kiddos with their parents instead of taking up a whole room that adults could be using...I guarantee my toddlers' seapass accounts will be pretty small at the end of the week, but hey I'll take the extra space.

It just makes it really hard to shop around for a good "deal" for a family, which is likely their intent. New cruisers may be impressed that the kids are "free" and not realize that they are paying higher 1st/2nd prices. Regardless, I know about what I'm willing to pay for a cruise per person, so I just make sure I keep that in mind when evaluating the "deals".

Also, I don't like having to "find" the available connecting rooms and figure out which categories have them, etc. more family-friendly booking systems would be awesome

We live in Texas as well and I have been to many, many Mexican Restaurants from the family owned to the upscale and none have been as good as what we experienced at Sabor and we went there twice. We have been to Chops many, many times and on Navigator as well. We have also been to Giovanni's many times and on Navigator as well. My vote would be for Sabor, hands down.

Thanks for the insights...for some reason I'm just mentally struggling with a $25 per person up charge for Mexican food... I feel like we can feed all 4 of us (two are toddlers....) at many of our amazing Austin taco restaurants (granted they aren't fancy places, but the food is phenomenal) for around $25... Still, the buzz and recommendations are starting to persuade me.

Maybe we'll do both...

How about Izumi? I was somewhat tempted, as we do love sushi, but pricing seems a bit high for what you are getting. I'm thinking I'd rather just save that money and put it towards a sushi place we know we like at home (would probably cost about the same and then I don't have to cook :)).

Thanks all for the tips and opinions!

What is the best of the specialty restaurants on navigator for celebrating our anniversary? I keep reading rave reviews of Sabor, but we live in Texas and have access to great Mexican food, so I'm a bit hesitant... Giovanni's seems to have a nice menu, but is it more family oriented? And I'm confused by the new Chops menu and references to tater tots! Please help :)

We've done specialty dining in HAL, NCL (Brazilian steakhouse and sushi) and Disney (Palo and Remy) and were impressed by all of them. For those that have tried these restaurants, how does RCL compare? We don't mind paying an up charge as long as the experience is worth it.

Thanks in advance!

We use powder formula but either use the indictable pouches or I measure out the right number of scoops in a small container and put the appropriate amount of water in the bottle - just mix when baby is ready to eat - easy peasy!

We're also planning to stock up on the baby food pouches. Our DD is 10 months and mostly eats table food, but the pouches are good for stopping a meltdown :) as others have mentioned, picking up Cheerios or other dry snacks at the buffet can also make for a quick snack.

At this age, they are might be too young, but when ODD was a little older (16 months) I brought a bunch of cheap toys (McDonald's/dollar store type things) and would bring a few in my bag to dinner each night. If she got antsy I could usually pull out a new toy and it would keep her happy for a little bit.

Lastly, not sure what ship you're sailing, but if possible sailing on a ship with a nursery or with grandparents/someone to help is awesome. With ODD we did one ship without a nursery and one with and it was soooo nice to be able to drop her off for a few hours for adult time on the ship with the nursery. We also met many people traveling with the grandparents who could leave the baby with the grandparents and go out, which also seemed like a good option. Sailing just our family was still great - less dishes, no work, no cooking, etc. it was just a totally different experience than sailing alone or sailing a ship with infant facilities.

Thanks all for the tips! It's good to know turtle farm transit options (DH is obsessed with public transit, so I have a feeling we'll wind up on the minibus, but I'll keep the cab as a back-up plan)

Also, thanks for the margaritaville information, I'll investigate other options on Falmouth.

We've done 2 cruises, WDW and DL with our daughter all before the age of 3.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of them, but as a PP stated we take a very laid back approach at Disney and get deals. We go during off-season when there are low crowds, get there at rope drop to hit up the rides that will have lines and generally have very low expectations of what we will "accomplish". If you go to Disney with that attitude, it's great with kids. We're hoping to go next fall when our girls are 4 and almost 2 to leverage one last trip before we are working around a school schedule and holiday break crowds! I would only do disney with toddlers non-peak season, with a good deal, and knowing you'll be back (not trying to cram everything in). DD loved it though and talks about it constantly (the last trip was over a year ago!)

The cruises were NCL and DCL. On NCL she was too young for the kids club, but we still had fun. We did their play group type activities, walked around the ship, hung out on the balcony, etc. DH and I both work full-time, so life at home is very busy and just having downtime to reconnect as a family is huge for us. Not having to commute, cook, do laundry, clean, etc. makes for a great week! DCL was amazing - DD could go to the nursery, loved the activities, and we had fun port days.

With the right attitude, it's a great way to go. Since having kids we just set simple travel "goals" and anything else is a bonus (and we usually wind up with plenty of bonuses each day with this approach)

Thanks for the tips!

Mikesteg - So to do just the turtle farm do you recommend taking the bus or a cab? About how long was the ride? I'm thinking we'll start there and then do the beach on the way back to the boat (if we feel up for it).

Tagong - thanks for the beach recommendations. I'll check out those options

We'd been watching the Navigator thanksgiving sailing for almost a year. Prices were high and we didn't book until they just had a huge sale last week - wound up with 2 rooms for significantly less than 1 room would have cost with normal "sale" pricing we'd been seeing (don't get me started on their 3rd/4th person rates, but I will gladly take the extra space!) if prices had been more moderate all along, we may have booked a while back, paid a bit more and been happy. But I'm not willing to pay the recent "kids sale free" or similar sale prices for many of these cruises.

If they can fill the ships without last minute rates, more power to them. But, as long as I've been cruising, I can remember last minute sales.

We are sailing a western caribbean cruise next week with our 2 girls (3 and almost-1). I'm looking for tips and recommendations for what to do in port. We're going to Falmouth, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. DH and I have been to all these islands before, so we're looking more for relaxing activities/fun things to do with the kids instead of intense sightseeing.

Here's what I'm thinking so far - I'm very open to other ideas or tips!

Falmouth - Margaritaville or maybe Doctor's Cave (how far is it? Worth the drive with kiddos in tow?), possibly the Red Stripe Beach excursion since it sounds like that is the closest beach (I would prefer to avoid ship excursions though, in general)

Grand cayman - mini bus to seven mile (sea grape?) and/or island tour (mostly for the turtle farm).

Cozumel - this is where I'm stuck. We've done Chankanab (pre-kids) and Paradise Beach (when ODD was one), I didn't think PB was that great for little kids (in a few years, it will be perfect!). I've seen recommendations for playa Mia, but again it looks more geared at older kids. For reference, we did Tropicante in Costa Maya last trip and loved it with a toddler, if there is anything remotely like that in Cozumel that would be perfect!

Sorry for rambling, any tips are much appreciated!

We bring a Maclaren on the ship (fits easily under the bed when folded) and think about our day's activities and if we want to take it off. On days when it is mostly a tour/beach time we might not bring it, but if there's a lot of walking we will bring it. As others have said, they are easy enough to fold up and put next to you on the beach (or park at the edge of the sand) or to load stuff in. That said, our stroller is in well-loved condition, so I'm not super nervous about someone stealing it.

We've got two littles now, and I do wind up wearing the baby a lot. Can someone point me to these cooling towels, so i can get one before our trip? We live in Texas, so I'm used to wearing a baby in the heat, but I'm very open to a way to make it more comfortable :)

Quick question - where Do we get the toys? Is it at guest services? And do I need to go right away - we're on a thanksgiving sailing, so I anticipate there will be lots of kids.

I'm considering just bringing two maclarens (with sunshades). At home we usually just use one and the second kid either walks or is carried, but our kiddos are almost-1 and 3, so it may be different with older kids. I'm curious to see what is suggested, as we've only cruised with ODD before.

I'm also curious. We'll have a 3YO and a 1YO. As of now, I'm considering Red Stripe Beach, margaritaville in the port area (pool time), or maybe doctor's cave beach? We've done Jamaica a few times pre-kids, and there is so much to do, but I don't love the idea of a really long shuttle ride with them.

I'm considering this for an upcoming cruise. Is the area around it decent/safe? The prices there seem almost too good to be true compared to other hotels (I know it's not a fancy Resort, but it looks like it will meet our needs).

Also, has anyone leveraged their free cruise parking? I assume we would need to take a cab to the port - any idea on an approximate cab fare?

Have you priced getting two staterooms? The cruise we just booked it was cheaper to get our kiddos their own room than to squeeze all 4 of us in one room. I'd also been "price stalking" a few other cruises and the difference between one and two cabins was not that much in several cases.

If you do stick with one cabin, depending on the kids' ages a balcony may be completely worth it. We've sailed twice with ODD (at 16 months and at 2 years) and the balcony was well-used both times. It was nice to be able to put her to bed then go out on the balcony and watch the water, read, drink wine, etc. it was also really nice to have breakfast out there, go get some fresh air, etc.

For our upcoming cruise we wound up with connecting oceanviews. DH was really campaigning for the balconies, but the connected balconies sold out while we were debating, so outsides it was. I'm glad we'll get some natural light at least, but wouldn't usually pay too much more for an OV vs an Inside.

I'm in the group of "I'm just happy to be on vacation!", and never even considered a balcony pre-kids. With kids it's a little more about having a comfortable room, since we know we'll be spending a good bit of time there.

I'm also curious, we're on Navigator over thanksgiving with a 3YO and a 1 YO and I'm wondering if the kids club could be at capacity (obviously I will have to sign up for nursery time for the 1YO, but the 3YO will be in AO).

Royal has a list of passengers, so hopefully they add kids club staff accordingly on holiday/busy weeks. I know we sailed HAL a few times when I was a teenager and they had limited programs in general, but added staff and had more "full scale" kids/teen programs on sailings with more kids (we did a Panama Canal cruise over spring break that had lots of programming, but they said the week before there had been less than 10 kids onboard, so I'm sure that was a different story).

Anyone who's done holiday/summer cruises with insight?

Just got off Navigator and the toy lending program was in place. Great selection of toys. Many of the toys we got were actually not Fischer Price so they seem to be commmitted to continuing toy lending since they have invested in a new selection of toys.

thanks!

As someone else mentioned, if going with the "baby is free" mentality, just be sure you know what you're booking. We've been eyeing the RCL website for months and frequently the 3rd and 4th person rates aren't really that great, plus sometimes the 1/2 rates go up once you add a 3rd. We just booked today and it was cheaper for us to get our girls (ages 3 and 1) a connecting room

Than to put us all in one room! I'm

Not saying this is always the case, but sometimes adding the kiddos is not "cheap".

That said, we've cruised twice with ODD- when she was 16 mos we did Ncl, their baby program was no drop off (with parent only) but she had a lot of fun. We took a mini pool for the balcony since she couldn't swim in the big pools. At just over 2 we did Disney and it was amazing with kids - she loved the activities, spent some time in the nursery and enjoyed the shows. We actually find their adults-only areas to be top-notch and have never felt like the ship was overrun with kids. Our DD is very adaptable and a good traveller, it sounds like yours is similar. I would just look for an itinerary that interests you

Is this still going on on Navigator? We're sailing next month with two toddlers and having "new" toys would be a big hit, especially if I don't have to pack them :)

We sailed when DD was 16 and 25 months. Both times we just took our workhorse umbrella stroller (maclaren quest - has shade, lightweight, reclines, and has a nice basket underneath) and it was all we needed. DD never really liked being worn though.

Our younger daughter likes baby wearing (or at least is used to it, since I'm frequently wearing her so I can chase around big sis...) so I'll probably bring a way to wear her when we cruise this fall (she'll be almost a year). For most of our "adventures" (airport, bus to downtown, day road trips, anything with a lot of walking...) we have been taking my wrap and the Maclaren, it reclines enough that we can put the baby in it if needed :)

If your ship has a nursery utilize it for some adult time - one of the highlights of our last cruise was an afternoon on the private island while our daughter played in the nursery.

Do check out the family board for lots of tips. Pack plenty of diapers, packaged snacks that you know your kids will eat, and extra clothes for everyone. We also bring along a bunch of cheap toys (think: mcdonalds toys, dollar store) for distribution at dinner when the toddler gets antsy. Diapered children are not allowed in the pool, so we generally avoided the pool deck with DD and hung out on the other decks. We also got a tiny blow up pool that we put out on the balcony one day and put a little water in so she could splash around.

Our older daughter has been on two cruises, one at 16 months and one at 2-years. We treated the MDR much like dining out at home, we bring appropriate activities for her to do quietly at the table (I.e. Coloring, quiet toys, etc.) and remind her when behavior is not appropriate. If inappropriate behavior continues we tell her we will be taking her outside and if she doesn't knock it off we take her outside until she can cool off and behave. She likes to eat though, so as long as we ordered her an appetizer right away (or brought along some snacks) we were generally in good shape.

Lately she has been into a few toddler apps on my phone, so for a really long meal I might let her use one of these at the end. I'm not a fan of screen time at dinner, but if it's a 1.5-2 hour meal and she is only using it at the very end (and not disturbing anyone) I'm okay with it. The family we shared a table with on our last cruise let their daughter use the iPad while waiting for meals/after dinner, she would always chit chat a little, then either play with our daughter, color, or watch something on the iPad. The girls were quiet and the adults got to chat.

If your child is used to eating in sit-down restaurants it is probably a lot easier to get them to behave in the MDR. I would just be prepared to walk out in the hall with the child if needed (on our 7-night when DD was 16 months I think there were 2 nights that she wound up needing to go for a walk during dinner).

We sailed the Star with a one-year-old. They did provide pack and plays (we had to call) and we were able to fit one next to the couch in our room. We had a balcony room (which we never did pre-kids, but has been a blessing now that we have kids with naps/earlier bedtimes), and I'm not sure if the room size varies between ships, but the pack and play fit fairly well (not much space left to walk around, but still functional).

When we sailed (nov '12) they had the baby playgroup that you could go to with your under-3s. I think it was usually painting, coloring, music, etc. some little activity, but a nice diversion. They also left toys out during parts of the day in the "under 2 zoo" so I would take DD up there to play on sea days.

We brought a tiny blow up pool for her to use on the balcony since she couldn't go in the big pools. I think we only used it once, and we could have easily gotten away with not having it, but if your little one loves to swim its something to consider.

We also brought a bunch of cheap toys (dollar store, happy meal, etc.) that I would dole out during dinner if she got antsy. We did multi-course dinners in the MDR every night (I think) and only had to take her out for a walk on one or two occasions (the toys and pre-meal snacks helped!)

I'm also curious. We are interested in all-inclusive a with good kids programming AND good food. We got married at Couples in Jamaica and it was awesome, food was much better than any of the cruises we have done and we loved it (although maybe drinks being included helps???). We do not want buffets for dinner (breakfast and lunch are okay) and prefer multiple restaurants included, etc. they also included a bunch of excursions (which is a nice perk, but not a requirement). At any rate, we'd love a family friendly all-inclusive of similar caliber, if such a thing exists - bonus points if they have kids club or available childcare/sitting services for kids under 3

I cruised around 19 weeks with my last pregnancy, so beyond the morning sickness phase, BUT if you have any foods that help with nausea you might bring them along (munching on Parmesan goldfish and slowly sipping water helped keep nausea at bay with both my pregnancies, so I always had them at my desk at work during the first trimester). If you have a packaged go-to snack you might bring it along, the ginger ale idea is good too, and for sure bring a water bottle to stay hydrated