williamsk

Hi, first time cruising since covid. Is the covid test free for travelers? Will rapid NAAT work for Carnival? Also confused a bit on timing of tests, we have a 4 yo traveling with us as well. Can anyone clarify it in plain English? Maybe we haven't received relevant documents yet?

On 2/20/2019 at 11:18 AM, momto2js said:

 The major issue is that the staff are not allowed to help AT ALL.  So if there is an accident, their options are pretty  limited, especially for a male employee (not that it should make a difference, but it often does) parking him in the bathroom may have been the only option.  I am not saying it was not unkind, or the only option.  But because of strict hands off policies, the staff often finds few options.

Sorry the way he talked to my son was also lacking in compassion. He should have been terminated. There is NO reason to use the tone of voice that he did with a 3 yo.  Anyone who has ever traveled knows your stomache can be upset. Anyone who works in a preschool room knows that accidents are part of life. We didn't even know his stomache was upset when we checked him in. The guy was a straight out a$$. At minimum you know child is sobbing by himself, you stand outside, reassure. You don't make him feel bad and repeatedly tell him he is out of the program (1st incident.. even if he is you say that to the parents out of earshot). You should clear other kids from area to get a parent back there asap. My daughter was in a different age group standing outside restroom as he sobbed. It was a good ten minutes before they moved her. He was too busy going off and lecturing my husband while my son cried. In the other area you can see the shared hallway with restroom. I was waiting for 15 plus minutes watching area on the other side until my husband was finally allowed back (I was waiting for older sister). Bottom line the man shouldn't be in customer service let alone with 3 year olds who don't have the capacity to defend themselves. It should have been handled differently.

On 7/29/2009 at 6:39 PM, cb at sea said:

You wouldn't really want to be in the water with feces contained in a water-permeable sack, would you? That's what a swim-diaper is..... just because it holds solids in, doesn't mean the water doesn't circulate through it.....ick.

I think cleanliness of adult pools is largely illusion. Because as we know adults don't do disgusting things in the water or have incontinence issues.... I hate ships with swim up bars. But to answer op, on a ship a baby zone has to have a seperate filtration system that not all ships have. 

RCL worked in that age group was very strict, told my husband my son was out after one accident. The guy was a total xxxxx to my son when it happened, set him back a bit as he was left sobbing alone in the bathroom. Apparently that's not cruiseline policy? Maybe just the Indy program was the issue.

Babies and older kids were ok (with a little exception), Tots was a nightmare. Had a recently trained 3yo who had an accident. They left him in the bathroom crying and wouldn't let my husband back to help (upset stomache from traveling). The guy kept reinterating my son was now kicked out, meanwhile my little guy was trying to clean himself and the bathroom up with toilet paper while he sobbed. Eventually they let my husband back in. Little kids have accidents. Do I expect them to change? No. But how you handle it, with compassion or self righteous disgust makes a huge difference and can set a child back. The man shouldn't be working with kids at all. Made a complaint at front desk, no follow up letter by cruiseline. Indy was an otherwise fabulous ship, but the worst experience we have had in 20 years cruising in any kids program. My twins were in the baby room, they let a little boy that was a bit behind stay with them (he was 3yo). Not an ideal age mixture, but ? I think this is the only complaint I ever filed?

We last cruised with 1 yo twins, a 3 yo, and an 8 yo. My recommendations... If on formula you can contact the special needs department and receive bottled water. You may be able to put coffee tables in the closet to make room for an extra pack n play. If you are dining in the MDR ask your table mates if it is ok if you request no waiting for your party between courses or if you are at your own table you can request this from the servers. Meals can drag on a bit longer than little ones can tolerate, especially if you have already waited a half an hour for table mates to arrive. Ask for dessert to be sent to your room to cut down on time if the kids become restless. The previously mentioned blow up tub can often be used pool side to let your twins have a bit of splash time, there are few ships with baby splash pads. I have also paid for my Mom to go on the cruise before, an extra set of hands makes a huge difference. Since she is not a night owl, she didn't mind occasionally watching the kids. We didn't chain her to them, but one or two adult meals alone was nice. I personally found camp carnival unsatisfactory for younger kids, it is so late at night it is not worth it.

This is all so helpful, thank you!!

 

So, for the RCCL family staterooms you can't have just 4 people?

You generally have to call to book them. They usually reserve them for larger families since a smaller cabin is not an option for them unless they book two rooms. Closer to sailing they tend to open the rooms that are left to smaller families. My personal favorite is to get two connecting rooms...more privacy for Mom and Dad and two bathrooms. I actually like the arrangement better than most mini suites.

Recommend calling the cruise line directly about the family rooms... had travel agents before that were not knowledgeable and said nothing was available when I had just found rooms directly through the cruise line. Also compare with connecting rooms... on RC we have had two rooms cheaper than a family room. We personally like connecting rooms better because we can put the kids in the other room and have more privacy for ourselves plus a second bathroom.

Ok, so I know it has been many years since you posted this but I am doing some research for my soon to be 3 year old before we sail in March. She is potty trained, I trust her to wipe #1..but I am also worried about her having random accidents in a place she isn't familiar with (I know they only get 3 strikes and they are out)...so I am just curious how your experience went when you son was little? I wonder if she gets kicked out of AO if I can pay for Royal Totst. I am probably overthinking all of this! HA!

Recently went on IOS and they did allow one older child in the nursery but it is honestly set up more for babies. Very few toys he would be interested in. Our son was potty trained but I think the strange food and water upset his stomach and he did not get to the bathroom in time. The staff spent ten minutes laying out the law to my husband and kicking him out. The little guy in the meantime was crying in the restroom by himself. The ships are not set up well for this age group and the staff seemed very callous. The whole experience has turned us off of cruising and we have previously taken 12 or so cruises. We will probably go back to Holland once our youngest is ready for the kids club there. The twins were 16 months or so and did ok in the nursery. The older kids club was fine, but in my opinion RC is not good with the in between stage.... potty training or potty trained but without an iron bladder. Just be warned.... they would not let parents help on Indy.

What ports are you going to? With a baby I will usually bring a jogging stroller that collapses and a carrier. I use the carrier onboard but in "walkable" ports will bring the jogging stroller (handles bad roads and sand) plus serves as a way to carry around stuff. It is a pain to get off and on the ship but worth it if your family is active. We have walked Key West, a few Alaska ports, and Puerto Rico. Many of my babies would nap in the stroller. With tours I try to book small private tours or stick to larger tours with short bus rides.

Have you looked into a private tour company? They may be a great option for you and run on your time if you do a tour for your family only. I love beach days but honestly it can get a bit old with my 17 month old twins, it might be nice to see some of the island as well. We found with our large family that the price was actually a bit cheaper to go with a private tour than the ship excursions. The bonus was that we could stop wherever we wanted and the twins napped as we traveled. Just a thought... I have not been to those ports or at least to some in many years. Hoping the port forums can give you more specific advice.

If the pool is covered it is very nice but we found the outdoor heated pool on holland to be too chilly. I looked up the Ruby and it does not seem to have a covered pool, so my guess is that depending on the weather it may or may not be a bit chilly.

Also make sure permission to make medical decisions is included in your legal paperwork.

I agree... Never had an issue shuffling people. I do try to book the child with at least one parent, for life boat issues and to avoid requiring any legal forms giving the adult permission to travel with the child. Might never be an issue, but this has always been our strategy. Grandma often travels with us and we often book someone in her room if there is no break for single travelers. Sometimes she does share, other times it is just on paper. Make sure the person is linked to your expense account so your father will not wind up paying extra tips.

I remember changing my son on EOS on the floor. Independence actually had two on board by the dining room and pool with wet wipes and gloves. I can't recall having ever seen one on another ship. I think someone mentioned there may have been one on EOS by the kids club on another thread but not sure we ever used the facilities there.

Believe it or not, our favorite kids club is on Holland America. Every day is fully structured for 12 and under. You receive an itinerary for the next day in your mail slot. Fantastic activities including arts and crafts, sports, games, movies, parties, etc Club Hal is one of the line's best kept secrets.

 

Our daughter hated Disney after 1 day and she was a huge princess fan. Our son was bug eyed due to way too much computer play.

Absolutely agree with HAL. I was not impressed with carnival or RCI. My daughter wanted to go back to HAL's kids club, the rest were more free for all with less things she liked to do.

Depends on your kids and the ship. My daughter at 7 could open the door but is so rules oriented I have no issues with her on a balcony. ...my son is a different story. The ship can also make a difference. The NCL sky had a rod railing that I would not trust any child on.

Not much in walking distance besides pretty tacky shopping. Maybe rent a car with a car seat? The Chankanab dolphin park would be a consensus pick with a 4-year old. There are some (expensive) catamaran excursions that include snorkelling and beach time. 4 is young to snorkel, but parents can trade off and everyone will have fun at the beach.

 

 

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We booked a catamaran snorkeling trip with our daughter when she was almost two. We brought her safety vest from home and had to put the ill fitting snorkeling vest over it to meet the rules. We took a seaview raft that had a window for her to view the fish and handles that my husband and I held on to on both sides. It worked great.

Not quite right...most if not all shore excursions have minimum age requirements...most are 5 yrs old....Big bus tours are sometimes the best option...they don't require or can even use car seats.

 

One excursion we did with our little was the Lumberjack show in Ketchikan...no age limits at that one.

As noted try private excursions where you will often find lower age limits or on your own. While there is nothing wrong with the lumberjack show, if this is a once in a lifetime trip, it is well worth it to consider other options. Your options will be very limited if you only consider excursions through the cruise ship.

Cruise tours including long bus rides have not always worked well for our family, but depending on your child your mileage may vary.

Any way you choose, Alaska is a fabulous destination. I lived there for three years and it remains one of my favorite locations on earth (in the summer).

Noticed the free trolley idea- just hop on one that goes to El Morro and it will speed you on your way. The yellow, green, or blue will all take you there. Once at El Morro, old San Juan is right there. After we flew our kite, we walked into town and looked at the Cathedral. We finished up with a bite to eat- tons of restaurants in the area. San Juan is a great 'cheap' port to do on your own.

Some of the options for childcare have been noted above, but do not count the child out for some shore trips. We did Alaska on Holland with a 2yo and brought a jogging stroller and child backpack. We walked Sitka on our own (very easy), caught a city bus/ walked to the glacier in Juneau. At one stop we booked a private 4 seater airplane into the fjords (but it helped that my husband is a private pilot and she was used to flying). Not everything can be accomplished with a toddler, but more than you think. Private tour companies will often have lower age limits versus ship led excursions.

We have used a bubblebum. If you use the straps properly that attached to the shoulder belt and lap belt it is supposed to be as safe as any other booster (even if flat). It was well worth it for our family and worked well for traveling. For longer trips, recommend this for maybe 5 or 6 yo old plus as the younger kids will not often sit up straight for longer trips.

Sailing on the independence and noticed that a few family oceanviews have become available. We are currently booked in two interconnecting oceanviews. We are a family of 6 (2 adults, 8yo 3yo, and twin 18 month olds). Given a choice which would you prefer? Like the larger living space of the family oceanview, but it might be nice to have two bathrooms and solid walls (versus a curtain separating the bunk beds from the primary living area).

Pick the cruise based on itinerary. Most have decent kids clubs. My daughter has been on Holland, Celebrity, NCL, RCI, and Carnival. Her least favorite club was carnival...

Hi,

Trying to decide if there are any toddler friendly excursions for Labadee or Falmouth that anyone would recommend? My husband and I have an 8 yo, 3yo, and 18 month old twins.

Our default is a beach day, but I am just wondering if there are any alternatives?