RC Freedom of the Seas, cruised with infant - disappointed

[VioletF]

Wouldn't recommend cruising with an infant on RC's Freedom of the Seas. Here's why:

 

- no babysitting for babies less than 1 year old - it was our understanding that babysitting was provided but that's only on Oasis of the Seas (which is double the price)

- kids still wearing diapers aren't allowed in almost all of the pools with the exception of one tiny area where the water is literally 2 inches deep

- we selected My Time dining, didn't read the fine print and found out at the end of the trip that we were paying $9.75/day/person (the baby also paid $9.75 a day and she couldn't even eat the food and she was too small for the high chairs). I don't mind tipping but I like it to be at my option.

 

Couple good things:

 

- they had a playgroup 3 times a day

- have a toy lending service

- have books for kids at the library

[Essiesmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Too bad you did not know about CC before your cruise, these things would not have been a surprise. Actually, you were very lucky to be on one of the few ships that allow diapered children in any water area. And as far as tips go, it has nothing to do with Dining. You are paying for the service, not the food. For the attention of the wait staff who might make sure you child has something to nibble on, who make faces at them or napkin animals, who clean up their crumbs after you leave the dining room. For the cabin staff who provide the same clean towels for you child that they do for you, take out the same trash (dirty diapers...).

There is a Family Cruising section under Special Interest Cruising here at CC...Go on over there and discuss your concerns. There are experts there on traveling with children. EM

[VioletF]

If the tips have nothing to do with dining then why is it part of the My Time dining contract? Otherwise the tipping would have been optional. I also mentioned my baby doesn't actually eat adult food yet so the staff weren't cleaning up after her.

 

And I did check out CC before I left. I was in the First Time Cruisers forum... Cruising is definitely not for me and I thought I'd let other first time cruisers that are travelling with infants what it's actually like.

[househunter]

If the tips have nothing to do with dining then why is it part of the My Time dining contract? Otherwise the tipping would have been optional. I also mentioned my baby doesn't actually eat adult food yet so the staff weren't cleaning up after her.

 

And I did check out CC before I left. I was in the First Time Cruisers forum... Cruising is definitely not for me and I thought I'd let other first time cruisers that are travelling with infants what it's actually like.

 

The tips have to be paid for in advance because with MTD, you do not have the same waitstaff everynight. And there are hardly any ships that have an infant pool at all and no cruiseline allowed diapered children in the regular resorts just like many resorts- yuk!

[kitty9]

Unfortunately, most cruisers with infants have researched and know the negatives about cruising with them and I would say that 95% have positive experiences. Research is the key to knowing what's going to happen and that's probably why you didn't enjoy your cruise. What you experienced is not any different from any other line, with the exception of Disney and Cunard, lines that will take infants under age 1 for babysitting. It's written in all of Royal Caribbean's information that they do not babysit infants under the age of one, except on Oasis and the new Allure.

 

As for the tipping issue, those tips don't only cover the restaurant, they also cover your cabin steward and others who do serve you in many ways. Even though your baby didn't eat the food, she did require "services" in many ways. And, everyone knows that kids are supposed to tip, regardless of age, because they DO require work on the part of the crew.

 

The issue of babies in pools, that's a CDC rule, and you will find that not only on cruise ships but in many public pools also. Swim diapers do not contain the stuff within the diapers, and people have died because of pool contamination----ecoli is a dangerous bacteria and is contained in human feces. Believe me, I don't want to swim in a pool where infants are allowed. Urine is a very different matter, because chlorine kills that bacteria, but it does not handle fecal bacteria.

 

If there is a next time, I suggest that you look on the family cruises forum as they have wonderful information about traveling with infants and toddlers. Don't give up on cruising because you didn't have all the information you needed to make your cruise a good one.

[Marie51]

I'm sorry you didn't care for your cruise but you went thinking that your baby could go in the pools and you would have babysitting services. Of course this proved incorrect so perhaps you should have looked into these aspects of the trip before you booked the cruise.

That being said, cruising is not for everyone and cruising with an infant can be difficult. Sorry you had such a unfavorable experience.

[cb at sea]

Traveling with babies isn't quite the same as doing it all as adults!

If you do it again, you'll know, but by then, your child will be older!

[Jeff A]

All of the issues you had could have easily been found out in the Family Cruise section of this website BEFORE you booked your cruise.