Norweigan Sky with 20 mo. old twins

[YellowDog]

Ok, we are trying our first cruise with the kids...a nice easy 3 dayer to the Bahamas...what could go wrong? Seriously, what do I need to know? About cruising with toddlers, or the ship or both? Any and all help appreciated.

[cb at sea]

Bring any and all "baby stuff"...the ships don't carry diapers or stuff like that. Also, any and all medications your kids might need! Bring a stroller...lots of walking on a ship!

 

Other than child-specific items, this is simply a vacation! The cabin won't be as large as most hotel rooms, but they are generally well-laid out.

 

Get a guidebook on the Bahamas, so you'll have an idea of what you want to do while there!

[mjkacmom]

Bad news - no pool, no kids club

Good news - freestyle dining, so if you don't want to eat at the buffet, you can eat when it suits you.

[Sparkygirl]

When are you sailing? We will be on the Sky leaving on Labor Day with our daughter who will be 20 months just before we sail. If you are sailing later than that I will update with what we find onboard.

[williamsk]

We went on this ship when my DD was a toddler. Honestly, it's not a bad ship. We found plenty to do and eat that made her happy.

 

If your kids are potty trained there is a small kids pool about right for toddlers. It's a little hidden away (I think in the back of the ship)? Just a small shallow round pool, but the little ones liked it. I think there were hot tubs by it so parents could watch and relax.

 

I have found that 4 days was a sweet spot at this age- you avoid most of the frantic three day partiers, but still within reason before the change of routine became a problem for the child. We did request dessert to our room- the MDR was a bit long for her at this age.

[twinmommy08]

We took our twins at 17 months. Worst mistake of my life.

 

You are not on vacation. The twins don't care where you are, they want their schedule. I found it to be a challenge and regret taking them. Plus all the stuff you have to bring- diapers, wipes, sippy cups, strollers, etc.

 

Being a twin mom you know how it is. No rest! Expecially at that age when they are going opposite directions and into EVERYTHING. Singleton parents fair much better with a toddler.

 

They are 4 now and have been happy cruises since last year. We waited until they were potty trained and 3 before we took them on another cruise. Our last cruie (a 7 night) was far better than our first with them. They enjoyed themselves and we enjoyed our family time.

[Kerry's Girls]

I cruise alone with my twins. We went at 13 months and 22 months and clearly the only rest we got was during naps, but at least I wasn't cooking or cleaning, so it was a great vacation for me - which is why we kept on doing cruises over other vacations. You do need to be able to go with the flow and bring everything you need. On NCL you won't have to worry about getting to the dining room at any set time. I strongly recommend a nap before dinner. Perfect time to wind down from the busy day (for all of us) and go to the dining room well rested. I brought new little amusements for the dining room as well.

 

Best,

Mia