tracy12502

59 minutes ago, akeasley said:

 

And you don't worry he'll fall out?

Nope. He never fell out of bed at home but we also brought a bed rail, it broke down small enough to go in our suit case. We asked the room steward to just leave the bed out so we didn't have to keep replacing the rail. Also, if he did fall out he would have landed on us as our bed was directly under him. At the head and foot of the bed we just placed a pillow and if he bumped into that he stopped moving.

On 1/15/2019 at 4:21 PM, cello56 said:

"For safety reasons, we do not allow children under 6 years of age to occupy upper berths. Due to the height of the upper berths, they are not suitable for the elderly or those with limited mobility, as a short ladder needs to be climbed to reach the Pullman bed."

 

Sorry, I am only familiar with Royal Caribbean. Their policy is stated above.

Interesting. My son has only been on RC and he was 2.5 when we went. He slept up in the pullman. That's again where he will sleep on our next Carnival cruise. 

Villa is $540

We just booked a Villa for our spring break cruise for next year, it was $499. We had a cabana booked for $289 but for the $210 more we could invite the rest of my family that will be with us and split the cost so it ended up being cheaper. Way back when my father had a cabana for $209 so prices definitely have risen, and at one time I know it was season dependent on the price.

Your best bet is to try the wedding board. But I got married on the glory in 2012 and we loved it. We had 42 family and friends come along and then we stayed for a second week as our actual honeymoon. Carnival used to have prices right on their site so I don't know if you've searched to that yet but it was definitely very affordable compared to a land-based wedding. Keep in mind though shipboard weddings are done on embarkation day and the longest reception is only an hour and a half. But that's what we wanted. The ceremony took about 15 minutes and then we had the dance club for the ceremony with open bar and plenty of food.

My guy was 2.5 on his first cruise and we had a blast. He hung in the kids club most nights for a couple hours so we could do adult things. He loved the beaches and other excursions we did. That was our first aft balcony so when he napped I would read out there or if my husband stayed back I'd go to the pool. We really enjoyed. We just booked a trip for 2019 and my newest guy will have just turned 2. We're very much looking forward to it. We always travel... kids havent changed that.

how old will your LO be? That could make a huge difference in the amount of times you need to pump. I went to Hawaii when my little was 7 months old. I pumped roughly every 3 hours and once in the middle of the night. We did a bike ride down a volcano so I had to stop midway and pump. The view was amazing haha. Pumping on the flight from the east coast was lots of fun too haha. I agree though, it'll probably be a pump and dump situation only because you have nowhere to freeze it and those mini fridges in the stateroom are a joke. We went on a cruise when my first was 2.5 Brought some milk back to the room from breakfast for bedtime...it was spoiled by that point.

Basically, stick to some kind of a schedule to keep your production up. If you have an excursion planned pump right before and right after. again, if you need to stretch a pump it's not going to kill you. You could also power pump if your worried about production slowing.

We are not cruising until April 20, 2019 but have been in the same room on s previous cruise

We just put 7351 and 7349 on hold for that same cruise! Howdy neighbor!

we wanted to do the navigator 9 night for spring break '18 but it's "sold out" so we booked the 8 night on the Freedom. We did Navigator for this past spring break so a new ship will be nice.

We just got back from our Spring Break trip on Navigator, and though I really wanted to book an Oasis class for next Spring Break, the Sunday-Sunday schedules and higher prices deterred me. Then I found a great price on Freedom's 6-night Western itinerary AND room 7708 was available, so I jumped! Looking forward to it already!

So funny. We were on navigator this past spring break in 7688... So basically the same as 7708 for freedom. We also just booked freedom but for the following spring break (2018)

Weird though because it was letting me put 4 in 7708 even though deck plans say 3. I called and the woman I spoke to said it only lets her do 3 in 2017 but in 2018 it lets her do 4 so it may be fitted with a single sleeper sofa. We only booked 3 as my mom will be booked in her own room with our 4th as to avoid the single supplement but would be great if it does change.

Thank you. We've booked freedom in 7708 :)

Hoping someone can help. There is no easy place, that I can find anyway, with a list of all the ships that have the pay nursery for babies. I know Navigator has it because we used it but other than that i'm having trouble finding that info. Trying to plan Spring break '18 and the 9 night navigator is saying "sold out" sooooo need other choices. THANKS!

this is old, so not sure if it's still relevant to you but they will give your child whatever you tell them. If he needs a bottle at a certain time or likes a food pouch before bed then just tell them. They will write it down.

As far as signing up we did pick our hours the first day as it was a spring break cruise so we were nervous there would be too many kids but really there was usually only one or two other kids in there at any given time. You can always adjust the hours too. We signed up for 8-11 every night, but one night dinner ran late, so we called and they said it was fine. Another night there wasn't much we wanted to do so we picked him up at 10. We only got charged the hours we were there.

Hi there,

 

We had cabin #7688 the cruise right before you! We got off the Navigator on March 27. We also thought Henry was awesome - very hard working but always with a smile on his face. We really loved the balcony and would book that cabin every time if we could.

 

Thanks for a great review!:):)

What an awesome cabin! I would love that cabin again but next time we cruise we'll hopefully have another baby so unless we talk grandma into coming again and getting the room next door that won't happen.

The best part was my son slept in the pull down bed. I was nervous he wouldn't sleep up there and I'd be stuck up there.

A quick review of Navigator of the Seas March 27th sailing.

Embarkation: Probably the quickest we've ever gotten on a ship. We arrived around 11 a.m. and were on board around 11:15. We headed up to windjammer, ate, and waited for our rooms to be ready.

Room: We were in room 7688, corner aft cabin with an amazing balcony. Yes, the room is a little smaller (2 person couch instead of 3) but the balcony was well worth it. Two chairs, a table, and two lounge chairs. Even with all that there was still room to walk around. The balcony was covered which was nice but enough sun came through the back and the side port hole that you could maneuver the chairs to be in the sun if you wanted to be.

Steward: Our steward Henry was awesome. We were traveling with our 2.5 year old who threw his toys everywhere. Henry was so patient and kind.

Dining: We ate in windjammer for breakfast everyday, we tried the dining room one morning but the line was long and not moving. Breakfast was average, eggs had a different consistency, like maybe they were egg beaters instead of actual eggs. The french toast had no flavor. No one went hungry though. We only had lunch on the ship 3 days in Windjammer and I felt there wasn't a lot of variety. On carnival there was a burrito bar, a fish and chips place, indian food....just seemed like more options. Again, no one went hungry. For dinner we ate in the main dining room at 6:15. There were 9 of us, we were at a table that should have only held 6. It was tight, we didn't say anything so our fault for dealing with it. The food was good, the desserts were mostly uninteresting (helped out with the waistline). The service in the dining room was upsetting. I've never had an issue on a cruise as far as dining room service but our waiters this time just weren't on the same page. Some nights it started out ok then we would have a huge delay between appetizers and entrée. Sometimes we didn't get the appetizers we ordered, and every night they put the wrong order in front of the wrong person which isn't a big deal but I've never had this issue in previous cruises. Luckily we had a great head waiter. Not sure why he was the head waiter he didn't take our orders or deliver our food but he always came by to entertain our son and make sure his food came out in a timely matter (ours sure didn't) We stopped at the promenade café a few times, the pizza was pretty tasty and the lemon tart was delicious!

Shows: We only saw one production show, I believe it was the second night, and I wasn't all that impressed with it. We caught a Bon Jovi cover band that was pretty good and the comedian on the last night who started strong but towards the end fizzled out. And of course the love and marriage show which never disappoints. We went to the battle of the sexes in the star lounge, that was pretty funny. Tried to watch karaoke one night, unfortunately the talent pool this cruise wasn't great. We didn't make the quest, just too tired that night but I've done it on other ships and its usually a hoot. The ice show was really fantastic. There were some slower parts but for the most part it was high energy and lots of fun. Amazing what they can do on that little rink.

Ports: Grand Cayman: the tender was quick and easy. We took the public bus to the turtle farm and enjoyed our day. We did the full park tour and purchased our tickets online before hand to save 20%. My son loved touching the turtles and swimming in the pool and going down the waterslide. We caught the public bus back to the port about an hour before final call. The line was super long for the tender back but moved quickly.

Falmouth: We had scheduled an all inclusive beach day a the Royalton White Sands. We had a great time, had some drinks, ate some food, played in the ocean, swam in the pool and enjoyed the kiddie pool play area with my son. We also had a great chat with a local named Smokey Joe. He was selling coffee bean bracelets...as well as pre rolled herbs for those who were interested. I let smokey joe know I'm a school teacher and my husband works at the police department so we weren't his clientele but not 10 minutes later he found his people and took a long walk on the beach with them. He was so sweet, I really enjoyed chatting with him. There were also kids fishing by the rocks in the water right next to the Royaltons beach. They were fishing with string wrapped around a soda bottle and catching fish! It was awesome. I would definitely go back and spend the day if we were in Falmouth again. I also bought a giraffe chair carved out of wood when we got back to the port.

Labadee: typical beach day. We took the shuttle to the end to Columbus cove beach. A nice guy grabbed us some chairs and put them under a tree and we gave him a tip. My niece, nephew, brother in law, and husband did the aquapark. They had fun, my husband said it was worth it and an hour is more than enough time. The Columbus cove beach was nice, no rocks, a little sea grass further out but not terrible, and right near the lunch station. We enjoyed it.

Kids Areas: My 12 year old nephew didn't spend much time in his club because he made friends so quickly and they just hung out wherever. My 7 year old niece refused to go to her club but when I tried to get her in there were tons of kids in there having fun playing a game with the counselor. My 2.5 year old son went to Royal Tots and Babies nursery almost every night from 8-11. We chose this ship not only because of price but also the fact that they had a place for my son to go so we could still be adults. The nursery is for kids 6-36 months and costs $6 an hour during the day and $8 an hour at night. We only used it at night but it was well worth it. The staff was so sweet and so compassionate about their jobs and the kids feelings. My son was ok the first two nights, but after that (he was exhausted with the three port days in a row) he would cry when we dropped him off. They let him hug on me for a minute then I would hand him over and they would snuggle him in the rocking chair for a bit until he was calm and ready to play. They read his book to him before bed and were just all around amazing. Quick tip: children under three do not get the bracelet with their muster station. Instead when they are in the nursery they put a sticker on their back with their name and muster station.

The arcade is expensive and some of the games you're supposed to win a prize every time nothing came out. My son still had fun.

Gym: Went to the gym most days early in the morning. Plenty of machines available. They had morning stretch every morning at 7 a.m. followed by an abs class at 7:30 that were both complimentary. There is a hot tub right in the middle of the gym which I never saw anyone in.

Pools: We enjoyed the pools, never made it to the adult pool. I loved that they had shallow fenced off areas for little kids to splash around in. They also had life jackets available for free to use in the pools.

Recreation: The only thing we did was mini golf. It was small but my son enjoyed. It seemed every time we went to golf though there were only tiny putters left. The flowrider was always packed with a huge line. If you plan to sign up to do it I suggest doing the waiver as soon as you get on the boat as even that line was huge.

Debarkation: Just as easy as getting on. We waited longer than our scheduled time as we had a very late flight and by the time we got off our bags were all alone in their spots. Got through customs quickly and were on our way to get our rental car.

Survey: One thing that really bothered me was starting on day 4 everyone was begging for 10's on the post cruise online survey. The dining room staff, the windjammer staff, even the washy washy lady. "You'll get a survey. 9 is the worst 10 is the best." Just left a bad taste in my mouth. Just do your job and you wont have to beg. Most places did get very high marks from me, but no matter how much our dining staff begged there was no way I could give them a 10.

Would I said RCCL again? Sure! Why not? I don't think anything can be that terrible to totally write a cruise line off on the first shot. We had fun, we enjoyed the sun and sand, and enjoyed each other. Most of the other passengers were considerate and having fun as well. I do wish the damn kids would stop pressing every freaking button on the elevator. lol

I'm sure I'm missing some things so please ask any questions you may have.

We are doing a 10:05 flight on 3/28/19 Easter Sunday. We plan on walking off and getting a cab to airport. I am A plus preferred on Southwest and TSA Precheck so we hope to not have much line issues as long as customs is open for Navigator.

I hope your flight isn't for 3/28, and definitely not 2019. Easter is the 27th. :rolleyes: anywhoooo I do hope you get through customs quickly as we get on the same ship that day :-) enjoy your trip!

Since he won't be three years old, he won't be old enough for the regular kids club. So I guess you are talking about the pay as you go Royal Tots Nursery? I would imagine they will do what ever you ask them them to do. Perhaps write out your instructions regarding pottying him?

Yup, that's why I titled it royal tots lol. BTW... Do you really have 5 cruises scheduled for this year?! That is amazing!

It will probably be up to the staff. If I remember correctly there is a bathroom right there that they could take him in. Our daughter was not potty trained at all so she was in diapers. I would plan on having him go right before you drop him off and then talk to the staff when you go there and give them specific instructions to bring him back to the potty at X time. Also give them extra clothes in case there is an accident.

Thanks. I was just concerned if they had like a, "you're kid has to be able to do it all himself" rule. If that's the case we better work on him pulling down and up his own pants. We might even use it only at night for a couple hours and if that's the case we'll just diaper incase he fall asleep. Thank you again!

Sooo we're taking our son on his first cruise in march. He is almost 2.5. I'm wondering if the staff will take him to the bathroom without him asking? At home he doesn't have accidents but he usually doesn't ask to go, sometimes he will but not typically. We just usually tell him to go to the bathroom every 1.5-2 hours. Will they take him or should we be prepared to have him go potty right before he gets there and then get back in time for him to go again? The crazy things you don't think of when you don't have a kid.

We're doing the 6 day navigator in March with our 2 year old. While yes he's older, not much of a difference in excursions they can do. In Falmouth we're going to an all inclusive at the royalton white sands. In grand Cayman we'll hop the bus to the turtle farm, if you purchase the full park ticket online it's 20% off. And then labadee is beach beach and more beach.

15 minute rule is dictated by the Freestyle machine. Dinner soda will come from waiters. Don't know about shots

Hmmm so being on navigator we don't have to worry about freestyle machines. So then there is no time limit?

Wait, there's 15 minutes between soda servings? My bil will hate that come dinner. He basically chugs the first one he gets and needs another right away. And what if we're doing shots? Do we really need to sit and wait 15 minutes between each one?

We booked the trip ourselves.

Either I linked ours on royals site or I called and had them link ours, my sister in law, and my mom. I can go on to royals site and see it say under our reservation that there are two linked reservations. We can also add them to our dining reservations for my time dining.

I just booked the royalton white sands through jamaica cruise excursions . com and it was $88 per adult, 44 per kid, 2 and under free. Doesn't include transport but can be added. They take a deposit of $16 adult and $8 per kid, pay the rest when you get there.

yes, all inclusives are expensive. We have a timeshare that we are always trading, our options in Cancun are quickly dwindling because I won't pay all inclusive prices. I do not drink nor eat enough to ever make it worth it.

I'm curious how they got it past security since those are strictly forbidden for use onboard carnival ships.

i'm sure when it's collapsed and put away it would look like any other stroller.

I love my sons jogging stroller but for the ship we'll probably end up using his carrier, and an umbrella stroller for in port.