OK ladies, you talked me into it!

[jam82]

I've read on the boards that many of you travel with just your children. I never thought that would something I'd do, but I decided to give it a try. We (DH, DS and myself) originally booked a 7 day. We wanted to do the 14 day, but DH's schedule wouldn't work with that. I then realized that my DS and I could go for the other week too. So the first week will just be DS and myself and then DH will join us for the second week. The ship alternates itineraries with only one port repeated.

 

So now I need your advice about cruising 'alone' with kids. Tell me the good, bad and ugly and about any special preparations I will need to make. My DS is 3. This will be his 12th cruise, but first one with just mommy.

[cb at sea]

What cruiseline and ship? That will determine some of the "suggestions"!

[notentirelynormal]

I've read on the boards that many of you travel with just your children. I never thought that would something I'd do, but I decided to give it a try. We (DH, DS and myself) originally booked a 7 day. We wanted to do the 14 day, but DH's schedule wouldn't work with that. I then realized that my DS and I could go for the other week too. So the first week will just be DS and myself and then DH will join us for the second week. The ship alternates itineraries with only one port repeated.

 

So now I need your advice about cruising 'alone' with kids. Tell me the good, bad and ugly and about any special preparations I will need to make. My DS is 3. This will be his 12th cruise, but first one with just mommy.

 

If you've been on 12 cruises with a 3 YO (so in the past 2-1/2 years) then I can't see what advise we can give you that you wouldn't already know. What type of advise are you looking for? The only thing you'll need is if your DH isn't going to be with you - would be the 'consent to travel' documentation which is just a notarized letter and maybe his birth certificate to show that you are both the parents.

[jam82]

Thanks, that's the kind of thing I need to know. He has a passport, but I will bring the consent to travel and his BC.

 

The ship is the Caribbean Princess with calls in Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Thomas and Tortola.

 

Any info on great excursions for small kids would also be helpful. Five ports in seven days is a lot. I'm thinking of doing at least four excursions. We might stay on the ship one day.

 

What about dining? We requested anytime, but I don't know how many nights in a row that we could do the dining room. It might get old for him after a few nights. Do most of you alternate MDR and Lido for dinner or do you use the MDR every night?

[RoadTripFanatic]

In all honesty with a three year old I would skip the excursion to Virgin Gorda (The Baths) from Tortola. Normally I would recommend it but it is not an easy walk through the Baths for a 3 year old. You are not going to be able to carry him and manage this at the same time. If he were 6 I would say go for it!! :) (Sorry)

 

We usually use the main dinning room unless we are dead tired. One option could be to take your son to the lido deck feed him and then let him go play in the kids center while you have a quiet dinner. :)

[notentirelynormal]

Thanks, that's the kind of thing I need to know. He has a passport, but I will bring the consent to travel and his BC.

 

The ship is the Caribbean Princess with calls in Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Thomas and Tortola.

 

Any info on great excursions for small kids would also be helpful. Five ports in seven days is a lot. I'm thinking of doing at least four excursions. We might stay on the ship one day.

 

What about dining? We requested anytime, but I don't know how many nights in a row that we could do the dining room. It might get old for him after a few nights. Do most of you alternate MDR and Lido for dinner or do you use the MDR every night?

 

Are you saying your DS has been on 12 cruises or you have? You said HE has which is my confusion. If he has, what did you do for meals before? If you meant you, we've found 2-1/2 to be a tough age for the dinner. Bring things for him to play with, a DVD player if you can get him to wear headphones (maybe practice at home). Order him a bowl of fruit to eat to be waiting at the table when you arrive. Sippy cups too.

[jam82]

In all honesty with a three year old I would skip the excursion to Virgin Gorda (The Baths) from Tortola. Normally I would recommend it but it is not an easy walk through the Baths for a 3 year old. You are not going to be able to carry him and manage this at the same time. If he were 6 I would say go for it!! :) (Sorry)

 

We usually use the main dinning room unless we are dead tired. One option could be to take your son to the lido deck feed him and then let him go play in the kids center while you have a quiet dinner. :)

 

Yes, I'm been to the baths and I totally agree - that will not be on our short list. He'll be just a month away from 4, but I think at 6 it would be much more enjoyable for all.

 

When he was little little we'd take him to the MDR without a fuss. He was really good with it up until about 20 months. From then until recently the MDR was hit or miss. He's good at dinner now most of the time, I just don't know about 7 consecutive nights. On our recent cruises DH and I would often feed him first, send DS to the kids club and then have a nice late adult dinner. But since DH won't be with us, I don't know if I'd really want to eat in the MDR by myself. Just wondering what others have done. I might feel too funny about eating with other couples if I was by myself. I don't know the ins and out of anytime dining on Princess. I need to check into that.

 

Good suggestion on the fruit. We won't let him have a DVD while dining. I know it's common practice and I don't fault anyone with doing so, it's just something we won't do. He watches too much TV as it is. :-) I was thinking of requesting a table for two so others don't get stuck eating with a three year old. Even if he is on perfect behavior, it's just not the same as dining with adults. I wouldn't mind eating with other families with small children, but don't really know if that would be a possibility. Is there anyway to request that with anytime dining on Princess?

 

Yes, this will be his 12th cruise. It may sound stupid, but it's true. Many of them were shorter cruises so it's not really as crazy as it seems. In my next life, I want to come back to earth as him.

 

Thanks all for your help.

[crusinmama06]

LOL! I want to come back in my next life as him too! :D

 

I always tell my hubby that cruising alone with my kids is easier than cruising with him. It's just a more laid back relaxed cruise for us. I don't know why. I try to figure it out. Maybe its because we don't really have to be anywhere if we don't want to be -- does that make sense?

 

When you have two adults together, you are always trying to race to one excurson or another. Then to formal dining. Then to a show. Then to after show drinks or meeting with friends onboard.

 

With kids -- you can say "Hey, we're running late, lets just grab some pizza and eat some ice cream!" and kids are fine with that. ;)

[boulders]

I try to get a table with others in the MDR for a set dining time, instead of by myself + kids or anytime dining. I have had a table by ourselves on one cruise, and it's not nearly as much fun as if there are other adults to talk to.

[Jo and Rob]

MDR has lots of bonuses over buffets. I found that buffets with young children (pre-cruise) were always hard work as I was forever getting up and down for the children or myself as they were too young to carry the plates etc themselves.

 

MDR on a cruise ship with children is bliss. If you go fixed dining the waitstaff will get to know your son and will make a real fuss of him. If not anytime is good as you can request a table for 2 if you want and not have to wait for others to finish mutliple courses. You won't need to worry about cutting up his food, the waitstaff will do that, if you order something he doesn't like, no problem they will be straight on it and will get him something else (while you can enjoy you meal without the buffet hassle!)

 

My first cruise with the children by myself was the children's first cruise ever (5 and 8) and although they were a lot older they didn't know the ropes.

 

Is your son old enough to go to kids club? Mine did sometimes which gave me an opportunity to indulge a bit in me time (I'm not talking spa, just relaxing) It did feel funny without them though, but they were having a great time so I just they them decide when they wanted to go to club.

 

The one problem I can see is that you will have to carry everything! DH always carries everything from suitcases to video cameras but it wasn't half as bad as I anticipated, I just got a rucksack as a day bag to pack everything we needed.

 

We did a mini-video as Rob wasn't there (here is a link to it)

http://howarthfamily.smugmug.com/Other/Independence-of-the-Seas/12450438_BftuL#891621542_KKF4s-L-LB

and if you can, do the same as there will be times when you don't want DH to miss out and if your DS is anything like my two he will love watching himself on the telly.

 

Have fun

Jo

[sas80]

I would get a balcony room and bring a blow up bathtub and consider relaxing on the balcony with a good book, a drink, the blow up pool with some water in it and some toys. Throw some toys on the floor in the room and leave the balcony door open and let the little one come and go in and out of the room as they please. Dont forget some snacks!

 

Enjoy the silence.

[dalitos]

What about dining? We requested anytime, but I don't know how many nights in a row that we could do the dining room. It might get old for him after a few nights. Do most of you alternate MDR and Lido for dinner or do you use the MDR every night?

 

I would do traditional dinning and ask to be seated at a table with other children (hopefully of similar age) so they can maybe play around a bit and keep each other entretained.

On our cruise with DS (2 at the time) we were seated at a table with another couple who had a 3 year old girl, and the kids just played around by the window next to our table. They sat on the floor with 2-3 little toys we brought, or looked out the window.

[onthelake]

So many folks talk about the blow-up pools. I have to ask - how do you fill and drain the pool?

 

As for meals, we do a fair number of long cruises and b2b. I find the dining room becomes too much of a good thing. By week 2 with a 3 yr. old, I would be happy with the buffet or room service most, if not all week long - especially after a port day. The dining room menu will be repeated your second week so it may not be too tempting. I would play it by ear. You can make your decision during week one and let the maitre'd know about week 2. Enjoy.

[sas80]

So many folks talk about the blow-up pools. I have to ask - how do you fill and drain the pool?

 

As for meals, we do a fair number of long cruises and b2b. I find the dining room becomes too much of a good thing. By week 2 with a 3 yr. old, I would be happy with the buffet or room service most, if not all week long - especially after a port day. The dining room menu will be repeated your second week so it may not be too tempting. I would play it by ear. You can make your decision during week one and let the maitre'd know about week 2. Enjoy.

 

Kids really need only an inch or two of water to be happy. We ask for the big RCCL beer buckets and use the shower. It takes about 8 buckets. There is a drain on the balcony that runs down the side of the ship. Pour slowly and the water will follow the drain. We've never had a poop situation but, if we did, I would use the bucket to scoop the water out and dump into the shower drain. When the pool was empty enough I would carry it to the shower, dump the rest and clean with shampoo.

 

As for dining, we have 2 under 4 and have never brought them to the dining room. We have even opted to skip the MDR on the last 2 cruises we have been on. The only thing we feel like we are missing is the lobster (which is typically hit or miss anyways) We take the kids to the buffet around 6 so they can eat and then the babysitter comes around 7 and DH and I go back to the WJ, relax and enjoy, and then have the choice to enjoy the ship a bit or go back to the room.

 

We have a 3 week'er coming up in the fall of 2011. Our plan is to skip the MDR entirely on the first leg (7 night med) and then evaluate if we want to do the MDR for the TA back to Florida. Maybe we will even bring the kids who will be 5 and 3 at that time. Not sure now.

[Julienatul]

I havent sailed alone with my kids but in many ways it seems that way because DH gets so engrossed in talking to our tablemates/friends, that I end up the one always responsible for the kids. With my 4 yr olds, she is fine entertaining herself but my 18mo old, we use the dvd player, stickers, crayons, small toys, small picture books, anything that is quiet but keeps him entertained. If he is fussy, I have stayed in the cabin and ordered room service. DD loved that on the last cruise. We put ds down to sleep and had a picnic out on the balcony by the water. It was actually very fun since it was a change. You could always relax out there and enjoy your dinner with your son and not worry about disturbing anyone. Thats what is so great about cruising, so many choices!!!