19 month old, tips? RCCL, Liberty May 30

[Daisyeln]

My Hubby and I have been on 9 cruises but this is a first with our 19 month old. We're going on RCCL, Liberty on May 30th. The Ports are St. Marteen, San Juan and Labadee. We got a balcony cabin, we're bringing a blow up tub and pool for play and bath time. Any other tips and advice for traveling or what to do at those ports with a toddler?

[cb at sea]

Well, it won't be the same as an "adults only" cruise, but you've had almost 2 years to get used to your child....do as you would at home to entertain the little one!

[sas80]

My Hubby and I have been on 9 cruises but this is a first with our 19 month old. We're going on RCCL, Liberty on May 30th. The Ports are St. Marteen, San Juan and Labadee. We got a balcony cabin, we're bringing a blow up tub and pool for play and bath time. Any other tips and advice for traveling or what to do at those ports with a toddler?

 

Bring the sunblock and we find that a spray mister bottle is invaluable to keep everyone cool. How about a box of cheese it's some zip locks to carry snacks in and some juice boxes?

[kidsfun]

I'm just glad this isn't a thread about whether to tip or not for children!!

 

Sounds like you'll have a great time with your child. Enjoy your cruise!!

[RoadTripFanatic]

-Pack some of his favorite snacks. As you know there are lots of food options but sometimes it's just nice for them to have their favorite snacks. :)

-Pack enough diapers and wipes for the trip. (They never have the size or brand you need on the ship. :))

-Pack any cold/pain meds you might need for your child on the trip. I never leave home w/o kid's tylenol or motrin! An earache in the middle of a trip w/o pain meds is a nightmare!

-Toss in some disposable sippy cups for your time in port! Just make sure you carry them around in a ziplock bag because they do leak!

[jayslea]

We just got off Freedom of the Seas on Sunday with a 10 month old and 2 year old. For labadee, unless you're in a suite the beach is quite rocky so you may want to bring water shoes. Also, load up on the sunscreen 'cause it's HOT and the UV index is wicked there. I also recommend bring a few small bills for a tip for one of the local workers to get a tent for you; it offers a nice refuge from the sun. Oh, and one more thing the pier and walk to the beach is long.

[Daisyeln]

thanks for the tips on labadee, great idea about the tent

[lolakat]

We took our daughter at 18 mo last year. She had a great time and loved walking around the ship and taking everything in. I agree with a lot of what the previous posters said but I will add a few things.

 

-Take advantage of open lounges during the day to let her/him run around in a confined area if he/she needs to burn off some steam.

-Consider bringing a portable DVD player with a few favorite DVD's for down time in the room or to keep her/him occupied when you have to wait.

-If your child has trouble falling or staying asleep in the room with you consider bringing a sheet and some clips to hang as a divider.

-Beach day excursions are great for kids that age. A bucket and shovel will keep them busy for a long time.

-For us, distraction during dinner was key. We brought a few small new toys and gave them to her around dinner time. She would usually keep busy with them until her food got there. When desperation strikes we would use the DVD player.

- We found sticking to our DD's schedule (at least roughly) worked best for us but I've heard other people say their toddlers adjust well to staying out late on a vacation. Try to figure out what works best for our child early on in the vacation.

-Consider bringing a stroller that your child can nap in comfortably.

-Think about your car seat situation and how you will get from the port to the airport etc. Car seats are required in FL from the airport to the port but not so strictly used on the islands.

 

Most importantly, Have a great time and enjoy what each day brings. It is a wonderful way to spend quality time with your little one.

[jtm22372]

we took our dd 18 months old on her first cruise this past jan by th 3rd day she was asking to go to the lido lol. remember plenty of diapers and keep applying sunblock. we basically gave her free roam let her make the rules . to a point.

[OnlyMe]

-If your child has trouble falling or staying asleep in the room with you consider bringing a sheet and some clips to hang as a divider.

 

quote]

 

Can I ask what kind of clips you use and how you clip the sheet up? ... Weve had a cabin with a dividing curtain before but have been avoiding booking anything with no curtain so I'd be very interested to know how you did this please?

Thanks!

[Julienatul]

We just got back from a cruise with our 19mo old! He had a great time. Remember a favorite blanky, toys etc. Also a DVD player is great for long dinners.

[RJ7591]

We just got back from a cruise with our 19mo old! He had a great time. Remember a favorite blanky, toys etc. Also a DVD player is great for long dinners.

 

Thanks to those who offered the DVD player tip!!! We just returned from a 7 day cruise with our 19 month old grandson and this was a lifesaver! He still didn't make it thru dessert in the dining room but it sure got us thru most of dinner! Either his mom or dad would take him for ice cream while the rest of us finished. It was so good to have the entire family together for nice dinners and if it wasn't for Elmo and Blues Clues it would have never happened! :p

 

Our other two lifesavers were the umbrella stroller and the glass elevators. We debated on whether to bother with the stroller since he seldom stays in one for more than a few minutes without having a total meltdown. We were so glad we decided to take it! For some unknown reason he LOVED it! When he wasn't in it he kept asking for it! He'd just sit back and take in all the sights! And he'd get so excited when we'd get close to the atrium! He knew that was where the glass elevators were! He'd sit in his stroller looking out on the atrium and was thrilled to just ride up and down!

 

It was definitely more trouble to travel with a toddler but it was worth every minute of it!