Never Been on Cruise Before Questions about Toddler

[Violet9]

My apologies if I am asking silly questions, but I have never gone on a cruise and I have a bunch of toddler-related questions.

 

First, we are sailing on Royal Caribbean to Alaska in May. Our little man is 3, super-social and pretty well behaved as 3 year-olds go. But reading some of these boards, I'm starting to worry that we shouldn't go! I've read quite a few negative posts about children. I had heard that cruising with children is great, but then I read those posts! Should we just order room service and avoid the main dining room?

 

Also, my son is a milk-aholic, how hard will it be to get milk to keep in our room for nighttime?

 

And finally, he's not yet potty trained and so can't participate in the 3-5 year old group activities, which sound like so much fun. Does anyone have experience with the Royal Tots? Is it engaging for the 3 year olds?

 

Now that I'm typing these questions, I feel silly, but sometimes these little things can make a huge different, you know?

 

thanks for your thoughts

[RCLnewbie]

My apologies if I am asking silly questions, but I have never gone on a cruise and I have a bunch of toddler-related questions.

 

First, we are sailing on Royal Caribbean to Alaska in May. Our little man is 3, super-social and pretty well behaved as 3 year-olds go. But reading some of these boards, I'm starting to worry that we shouldn't go! I've read quite a few negative posts about children. I had heard that cruising with children is great, but then I read those posts! Should we just order room service and avoid the main dining room?

 

Also, my son is a milk-aholic, how hard will it be to get milk to keep in our room for nighttime?

 

And finally, he's not yet potty trained and so can't participate in the 3-5 year old group activities, which sound like so much fun. Does anyone have experience with the Royal Tots? Is it engaging for the 3 year olds?

 

Now that I'm typing these questions, I feel silly, but sometimes these little things can make a huge different, you know?

 

thanks for your thoughts

 

Getting milk shouldn't be a problem, there's always the cafe and if you don't want to walk you can order room service. ;) I can't help you on the Royal Tots question. Sorry.

[crusinmama06]

These aren't silly questions at all. They are a HUGE deal. And actually, I had the same questions before I left -- many, many moons ago. ;)

 

Royal Tots - I don't know how active it will be on your Alaskan cruise. That's a good question. Does there seem to be any families on your roll call with kids? If you don't know what a roll call is, its a section here at cruise critic with other people who are going on the same cruise. Check it out. See if there are others going on your same cruise.

 

If the Royal Tots isn't active -- try going to Adventure Ocean and asking to borrow a bag of Fisher Price toys. They do have that option. You can take a bag of toys back to your cabin. It may be hit/miss how good the toys are though.

 

MILK - yes -- my kids LOVE their milk. Let me tell you the best places to get milk. Windjammer - grab cartons of milk in the morning. In the dining room, you can ask for milk there during lunch AND dinner for him. Also, you can call room service for milk (yep, we've done that too)

 

Main Dining Room - YES TAKE HIM!!!!! -- Do NOT listen to what those on the Royal Caribbean board say about kids in the dining room. Kids are welcomed in the main dining rooms! You will not believe the kind of service your little man will receive in the dining room - TAKE HIM! Obviously you will use a little common sense -- if he is unhappy, they you will remove him -- common sense. ;)

 

The waiters usually fall all over my girls. Moreso than over me. Which is fine by me because if my kids are happy, then I am happy. :D

 

They always bring the kids drinks right away -- some bread and even some fruit -- just to get them started.

 

Try to get a small table - you don't want a table for 12. ;)

 

Feel free to ask us anything -- nothing is ever "silly"

[VillaHappy]

Bring your kids and do not worry! The crew on RCI just loves kids. We were on the Freedom this month, and my daughter had so much fun with our server, that she was recruited to help our server deliver dessert to another table! Another couple at a nearby table took to both kids as well, they just loved talking to us. You will have a blast, and your son will, too! :D

[6rugrats]

But reading some of these boards, I'm starting to worry that we shouldn't go! I've read quite a few negative posts about children. I had heard that cruising with children is great, but then I read those posts! Should we just order room service and avoid the main dining room?

 

There are some awfully obnoxious adults on cruises. Some of them post to cruise critic. The worst behavior I've seen on a cruise has been by older adults, not children.

 

Take your child to the dining room! It's true; the crew will do anything to make him happy! He will love the attention.

 

You just can't worry about other people and what they may think.

[amistad]

I agree with cruisinmama, don't worry about what a few people say on another board, they probably complain about service, smokers, food ect... Some people aren't happy unless they have something to complain about. We travel with our Grandchildren often and the crew in general absolutely love kids and miss their own that are at home. Keep in mind that on RCCL they do serve almost the same food in the Windjammer buffet at night as they offer in the MDR, so if you have a busy port day and the little one is tired you won't have the same service, but will still have good food if you don't want to have to get ready dinner. We have taken our older Grandson's on RCCL and one loved he kids club and the other one wouldn't even try it. Sorry we have only taken the toddler aged Grandson's on Carnival, Princess and NCL so I'm no help there.

[boulders]

I took ds4 on an Alaskan cruise on Radiance last summer. He had a LOT of fun. The excursions in Alaska are so active - kids love them. Mine had more fun in Alaska than any Caribbean cruise.

 

I would definitely make an effort to potty train. The 18-36 month age group would not be a lot of fun for a 3 year old. There's just some toys in a lounge to play with for 45 minutes. I don't know whether he would be allowed in either. For time alone with hubby, you can hire a babysitter by going to guest relations - first come first served, $12 or so an hour. They have been changing this around some, so I would recommend going to guest services when you board to check on this.

 

On the Alaskan itinerary, they open the solarium pool, but again, he'd need to be potty trained.

 

Definitely go to the MDR. There are plenty of kids on Alaskan cruises. Have you been hanging around the Alaska board? ;) There's so much going on, bread to eat etc etc that the little one won't be bored.

[Kerry's Girls]

I was so nervous before my first cruise with my twins because of the anti-kid posts - and we were going on Princess which is even less known for being kid friendly. Believe me when I tell you that after 8 cruises with twin toddlers, I haven't run across any of the anti-kid crabs that post on these boards. Crew and passengers alike have been more than welcoming. We, of course, are very careful not to intrude on anyone else's vacation with bad behavior, but since my girls were 13 months old, they have been eating every meal in the dining room, going to the shows, etc.

 

Have a wonderful time!

 

Best,

Mia

[sharktums]

I would also recommend that you start working on the potty training NOW. The Royal Tots will really just not appeal to him much at all. My daughter was two months shy of three and she was pretty bored by it and just bossed all the other kids around since she could talk and most of them couldn't! =)

 

Even if you just get him 'most of the way' there, it would probably be fine to drop him off for an hour or two.

[geegee1]

My apologies if I am asking silly questions, but I have never gone on a cruise and I have a bunch of toddler-related questions.

 

First, we are sailing on Royal Caribbean to Alaska in May. Our little man is 3, super-social and pretty well behaved as 3 year-olds go. But reading some of these boards, I'm starting to worry that we shouldn't go! I've read quite a few negative posts about children. I had heard that cruising with children is great, but then I read those posts! Should we just order room service and avoid the main dining room?

 

Also, my son is a milk-aholic, how hard will it be to get milk to keep in our room for nighttime?

 

And finally, he's not yet potty trained and so can't participate in the 3-5 year old group activities, which sound like so much fun. Does anyone have experience with the Royal Tots? Is it engaging for the 3 year olds?

 

Now that I'm typing these questions, I feel silly, but sometimes these little things can make a huge different, you know?

 

thanks for your thoughts

 

Last year we were on Royal EOS with our 3 year old who wasn't fully potty trained. My wife brought her to the Royal Tots program, she enjoyed it. It is basically a Mommy and Me class. The people running it were very nice and actually did a couple of things that were more age approriate for my daughter. Of course the one time she went to the Kids Club, she got so excited that she ended up soiling herself.

 

Do not worry about bringing him to the MDR, if you are worried about him bring a portable DVD player or crayons. I'm sure there will be people louder than he is in the table next to you. If for some reason he acts up, you can ask your waiter to put your food to go, or just leave and go to the buffet. We had to do that twice on our 9 day cruise and it was no big deal.

[beachchick]

I would also recommend that you start working on the potty training NOW. The Royal Tots will really just not appeal to him much at all. My daughter was two months shy of three and she was pretty bored by it and just bossed all the other kids around since she could talk and most of them couldn't! =)

Even if you just get him 'most of the way' there, it would probably be fine to drop him off for an hour or two.

 

I'm afraid that on RCI, it really won't. To participate in AO, the child must be fully potty trained and need no help in the bathroom at all. Children cannot wear pullups or anything like that. There is a strictly enforced rule about the number of accidents a child may have before being banned (and the whole thing would likely be embarrassing for the child, I would think). You might think it's okay for an hour or two, but children's potty needs don't always go according to plan. Plus, IMO it's not too early for children to learn that there are rules that will be followed, regardless.

 

beachchick

[Violet9]

Wow! Thanks for the reassurance and helpful advice!

Regarding the potty-training, we're meeting a bit of resistance there, he won't even SIT on the potty yet. But it is 2 months away, so who knows?

Again, thanks for all of the advice, it's very helpful.:)

[Mack2]

I've taken my kids with us on cruises as early as 18months old.

It's their favorite vacation (although, this summer we're doing Disney World/Universal... and while it'll be a vacation for them, it's probably going to be hell for me)

 

I've only ever come across one nasty person in our travels on cruises... but it was on a Princess ship, and aside from the one nasty experience, most everyone else was pleasant.

 

Although, we've never done Alaska. Been all over the Caribbean... never Alaska.

 

Everyone's advice so far is sound and helpful.

The Windjammer is THE place to find your milk.

Take your little-man to the MDR... if he has a meltdown, see if you can take him outside the MDR and calm him down, if not... pack it up.

 

We had been lucky, I can't remember a time where I had to leave the MDR because of a cranky child. A few times, I had to remove one of the kids from the MDR to calm them down... but never canceled a meal.

Most of the time, the smallest one was exhausted, and passed out in the stroller. We parked the stroller with the passed out kid next to the table and had a good dinner.

[siebelqueen]

Try teaching him to go while standing. We were trying to teach our 3 yo DS to sit on the potty and met with a lot of resistance. But he does great when standing.

 

Try not to be discouraged by negative posts on the boards. Cruises are ideal for families. You'll have a wonderful time!

[jacyvillarreal]

http://www.amazon.com/Visionaire-1100-Peter-Toddler-Urinal/dp/B000C22J2S

 

 

Check out the peter potty toddler urinal my nephew had one...it worked like a charm for him when they had potty training resistance.... i'll be investing in one when my lil man gets big enough to potty train :D

[Violet9]

A urinal for toddlers? Neat. I wonder if he would take to that. What did your nephew do for #2?

[mjkacmom]

Regarding the PTing, I've trained 5. I used the traditional method with my 2 oldest (underwear, making them sit), and nakey butt with the 3 youngest, and although it took forever to train the 2 oldest, my 3 youngest were trained in under a week. I can't count the number of people who have thanked me for this information. I discovered it by accident when dd8 was 2 1/2, and had a bad diaper rash. That was her last day in diapers (still used them a bit at night, though).

[Violet9]

Good advice, thanks to all! Who knew I would get potty-training advice on a cruise message board? :)

[jacyvillarreal]

A urinal for toddlers? Neat. I wonder if he would take to that. What did your nephew do for #2?

 

 

After he figured out that he could go, on his own, to peepee he was much more willing to sit for #2. He did try to sit in the urinal once or twice lol but never had that kinda accident lol ;)

[Violet9]

Ha! Sitting on the urinal would be SO awful!!!