Steakhouse and an almost 2yo

[higgib]

And I'm sure it is quiet not taking the kids with you, but then your not seeing the smile they have on their face every morning or like when we go to Atlantis... I could never do that without them

 

Agree, since our kids were very small, we've always taken them everywhere. BUT... we've chosen places and activities that were age appropriate and enjoyable for everyone. We've worked up from farm/water parks, and zoos and beaches in the UK, to European A/I hotels with huge food choices and kids clubs, to Disney (Florida) and round the world (London - USA - NZ - Aus _ Hong Kong). On Saturday we will be boarding the Breeze for our 1st cruise. Our kids are now 14 and 16.

 

I would not enjoy doing something without the kids that I know they would enjoy. However, I would suffer absolutely no guilt in going somewhere or doing something without them if I knew that they wouldn't want to be there. (eg. the 7 year old in a restaurant repeatedly asking if they were finished/could they go home).

 

No-one is suggesting either extreme, of taking the kids everywhere, all the time, or leaving the kids out and never spending time with them. Just something in between.

 

If you're cruising with kids too young for camp/babysitting, then accept that you won't be able to do everything you want to this year. So have something to look forward to on a future cruise, such as the serenity deck or steakhouse when your child is old enough to be left with someone else - Your child will be happier, and you (and your fellow diners) will have a nicer experience not having to worry about your child.:)

[mandakate42]

Sounds like a personal problem. You were with someone, right? Must have made him or her feel real welcome to be with you.

 

My Husband was with me and felt the same way I did. He was ready to get home and see her too! even my son who was the only child ,until she came along, said he missed her. I might get to do more if she wasn't with us but I wouldn't have a good time if she wasn't.

[K.T.B.]

Sounds like a personal problem. You were with someone, right? Must have made him or her feel real welcome to be with you.

 

A tad more harsh than what I was thinking...

 

 

 

Mandakate, I'm going to assume your mother raised you just fine, I'm sure she can handle your daughter for a few days.

[susie8862]

Sounds like a personal problem. You were with someone, right? Must have made him or her feel real welcome to be with you.

That was really rude. Who are you to tell someone that they have a personal problem and ruined the other persons cruise?

[H82seaUgo]

Sounds like a personal problem. You were with someone, right? Must have made him or her feel real welcome to be with you.

 

missing someone equates to a personal problem?

 

a new posting low. sorry i had to even read that. how sad.

[mandakate42]

A tad more harsh than what I was thinking...

 

 

 

Mandakate, I'm going to assume your mother raised you just fine, I'm sure she can handle your daughter for a few days.

 

Yeah I didn't say what all I was thinking I wanted to reply with either. I'll keep that to myself.

[dave_k63]

That was really rude. Who are you to tell someone that they have a personal problem and ruined the other persons cruise?

lol

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Well OP, aren't you glad you asked! After all that parenting advice and how people think you should behave to not ruing THEIR vacation - the answer is YES you can take you child to the steak house and enjoy your cruise!

[Quilting_Cruiser]

You don't have to be joined at the hip 24/7 to be a good parent. What in the world are some of you going to do when your child goes to college/moves away? Case in point, the girl who lives next door to my daughter at school has to go home every weekend because her mother has such separation anxiety she can't function and makes her daughter feel so guilty. That's not healthy for anybody.

 

I didn't see anyone talking about being "joined at the hip" to parent. The OP simply asked if she could take her toddler to steakhouse--she doesn't have the option of Camp Carnival or a babysitter. My daughter is off to college next year--she's the tail end of four kids and I'm a very involved mother. What will I do? I've already booked my first solo cruise--I'll be in the Western Med while she's in her second month of classes at college. She won't have to come home every weekend (well, unless she chooses to).

 

Even if we had someone to leave her at home with, I wouldn't. In march of last year we went on a quick 4 day with DS and my mom kept her for me. Well by the last day I was missing her so much that I just wasnt enjoying myself. Not to mention the outrageous phone bill I had calling to check on her. I couldn't imagine leaving her for a whole 7.

 

I've never vacationed without DD other than a few times I added a few days to a business trip when I was traveling to China or Europe. I travel too much for business without my family--I want to vacation with them! Even when I didn't travel for business, we still vacationed with the kids. Some people can and want to vacation without their children; I don't happen to be one of them. Like you, I wouldn't enjoy myself.

 

Sounds like a personal problem. You were with someone, right? Must have made him or her feel real welcome to be with you.

 

Unbelieveable. Judge much?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

The real sigh is that planning isn't everything and not all prior planning works. Consider yourself lucky your kid was a good travler and all your plans worked perfectly.

 

The op also said she hoped the ipad and coloring books would work and wondered if she could be tucked away in the steakhouse so not to disturb other diners.

 

Does not sound like great confidence that any measure of prior planning will absolutely work.

 

 

Trust me, I consider myself very fortunate that she's been a super easy kid. My first three (I raised my stepchildren) were much more challenging and I would never have taken the three of them on a cruise when they were young. This fourth one has been a breeze--she's now 17 and a very level-headed, mature young woman.

 

If you were to read my previous posts, you would learn that even with that calm child who would have handled the steakhouse at 2 better than most, I didn't take her there until she was 8.

 

I understand you interpret that her saying she hoped those things would keep her child entertained if they went to the steakhouse as low confidence ( and you may be right), but it sounds to me like she's trying to plan ahead.

 

Again, I wouldn't take a child that young to the steakhouse, but I'm not going to dictate to the OP that she can't! That said, if I went to the steakhouse and was led to a table next to a family with a toddler, I would quietly and politely ask to be seated elsewhere, but I wouldn't be upset that a child was there--I just wouldn't want to sit next to them.

[LaJollaCruiser]

The fact that there is =no= childrens' menu in the steakhouse should be signal enough of how much of a welcome there is for children there. I should think that adults should have a place to go to have a quiet, romantic, special evening, without the unwanted intrusion of other peoples' children.

[H82seaUgo]

The fact that there is =no= childrens' menu in the steakhouse should be signal enough of how much of a welcome there is for children there. I should think that adults should have a place to go to have a quiet, romantic, special evening, without the unwanted intrusion of other peoples' children.

 

yes. their dining room in their house.

[LaJollaCruiser]

yes. their dining room in their house.

 

Hardly possible aboard ship, what?

[H82seaUgo]

Hardly possible aboard ship, what?

 

no? how else can one expect to control their surroundings?

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

The fact that there is =no= childrens' menu in the steakhouse should be signal enough of how much of a welcome there is for children there. I should think that adults should have a place to go to have a quiet, romantic, special evening, without the unwanted intrusion of other peoples' children.

 

LOL this is your reasoning?? :rolleyes: Even without children, the Carnival steakhouse is NEVER quiet or romantic!

[3ricT]

If I were to do this, I would go early as possible and, I found, waitstaff can move things along for you, shortening the "window of terror"....

 

That being said, I didn't take the kids on a plane until they were 8 and up. We were very happy driving to the Cape every summer and staying a week. Finally taking them on a cruise this year, but , sadly, no steakhouse on our ship.......

[BeachChik]

The fact that there is =no= childrens' menu in the steakhouse should be signal enough of how much of a welcome there is for children there. I should think that adults should have a place to go to have a quiet, romantic, special evening, without the unwanted intrusion of other peoples' children.

 

What you think is irrelevant in this case. The steakhouse allows kids so people are free to bring them if they want to.

[dave_k63]

Again, I wouldn't take a child that young to the steakhouse, but I'm not going to dictate to the OP that she can't! That said, if I went to the steakhouse and was led to a table next to a family with a toddler, I would quietly and politely ask to be seated elsewhere, but I wouldn't be upset that a child was there--I just wouldn't want to sit next to them.

 

You think the parents wouldn't notice that in a heartbeat? No matter how "polite" about getting up and moving away from their table?

[dave_k63]

In Lake Woebegon, all children are above average.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Again, I wouldn't take a child that young to the steakhouse, but I'm not going to dictate to the OP that she can't! That said, if I went to the steakhouse and was led to a table next to a family with a toddler, I would quietly and politely ask to be seated elsewhere, but I wouldn't be upset that a child was there--I just wouldn't want to sit next to them.

 

You think the parents wouldn't notice that in a heartbeat? No matter how "polite" about getting up and moving away from their table?

 

 

Yes, I'm sure they would. Your point? :confused:

[cruzinlisa]

I am one of those parents who gets stressed about what others think when my kids do not behave in public. A child of under about 3 or 4 will behave unpredictably, (and loudly!), whenever they want to and aged under 2, it is impossible to reason with them, or expect them to co-operate with our wishes. This is the reason why we did not inflict our kids on other airline passengers until they were 4 and 6, as the idea of having to keep them quiet and in their seats or our laps for hours, whilst other people tutted or shook their heads just did not appeal as a way of spending a relaxing holiday. It also seemed to me to be a waste of our money having a holiday which I would find stressful. Maybe this says more about me than my kids, who are lovely, but who were typical unpredictable toddlers. We did take them on holiday, but went in the car so that we could stop if they needed a break, and if there were any meltdowns, they only affected us. We went to farm parks, zoos, water parks, the coast and so on, and I have very precious memories of some lovely holidays when our kids were very small. It would not have been fair on anyone - the kids, us, or other people to have expected them to co-operate with our wishes for an extended dining experience at such a young age. We did try once on a weekend break for my birthday when the eldest was 18 months, and spent the evening taking turns walking up and down a corridor outside the restaurant, and eating cold (expensive) food, as she kept trying to clamber out of the highchair, and screamed whenever we stopped her! Never Again :eek:

 

Well put.

[Indianaseadog]

LOL this is your reasoning?? :rolleyes: Even without children, the Carnival steakhouse is NEVER quiet or romantic!

 

 

Agree! It is not like it is a dimly lit or candle lit dinner with romantic music in the background.

[cruzinlisa]

And I'm sure it is quiet not taking the kids with you, but then your not seeing the smile they have on their face every morning or like when we go to Atlantis... I could never do that without them

 

 

This is the best part. We took DD, 15 months, with us in late April. We got off the boat in one of the ports and she looked at the water and everything around her, got all excited and said "O O O- mommy look." We had fun in the ports too, but her expression was priceless.

 

Taking kids (especially a toddler) can be more work than going alone, but it is very special, especially experiencing things from their perspective. We have talked about doing an adults only trip, but I am not sure about that just yet.

[Cabana Girl]

What you think is irrelevant in this case. The steakhouse allows kids so people are free to bring them if they want to.

 

Cruise critic is a place to exchange information and opinions. I don't know why the Carnival boards have to be so harsh and combative. :confused:

 

The wide range of opinions expressed in response to the OPs post has provided a wealth of information! If someone from Carnival actually follows this post, they may be replacing those nice, super sharp steak knives with plastic ones! :p We are a fiesty bunch.

[schittenden]

My wife and I plan on going to the Steakhouse on the Pride on our cruise this September. We will have our little one with us. He'll be 10 months old at the time of the cruise. Our plan is to book a 9:30 reservation, put him to bed at his normal bed time of 8:30 and then wheel him down to Camp Carnival at 10PM when late-night babysitting opens up. If he wakes up we'll keep him quiet until 10PM or take him outside the restaurant until he falls asleep again.

 

We've been taking him out with us since he was 4 days old (we stopped for burritos on the way home from his first pediatrician appointment). We've gone to all manner of restaurants... buffets, fast food, fast casual, upscale casual, and upscale. We've taken him outside whenever he's gotten fussy or loud--which, fortunately, is not very frequent. We don't wait, we just take him out when he starts and wait for him to calm down. It usually doesn't take long at all. In one case, he was asleep before I even got to the door. I held him while he slept through the rest of our meal with 2 other friends in a very loud restaurant.

 

We've also had numerous dinner parties at our house with multiple guests where he has sat quietly in his high chair, fed himself his bottle, or played quietly with a silent toy. Those dinners often last 2+ hours.

 

He's already been on several trips (visiting Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, DC, Virginia, Florida, Nevada, and Arizona) in his short life including two nearly cross-country flights (Baltimore-Vegas and Phoenix-Baltimore) and a long road trip (Vegas-Phoenix). We planned our flights so that he would sleep during most of them (which he did) and had bottles and toys ready for when he was awake. We managed to do the long flights (and the flights to and from Fort Lauderdale and Providence) with minimal fussing. We find the key seems to be planning ahead and expecting the unexpected. Unfortunately, we did have about 10 minutes of fussing at bedtime on our flight to Vegas when I couldn't get him to sleep. He spent most of his awake time smiling at other passengers who were making faces at him.

 

We're willing to risk 30 minutes of having to deal with him outside the restaurant to have the experience of David's. I doubt very seriously that he'll both anyone else in the restaurant--and we'll do our best to make sure that other's don't even realize he's there.

 

I realize our baby is not every baby and we've been told after a few of our flights and during our flights how wonderful and sweet he seems. But for so many of you who seem to think there meal is completely ruined by even the smallest peep, I'd recommend lightening up a bit. There are so many more important things in life to worry about. I agree that parents (irresponsible parents, I'd say) that allow their child to fuss and whine and disrupt others are problematic and do exist. But to paint all children and parents with such a broad brush is unfair. The vitriol and nastiness directed at parents, like us, who would even dream of enjoying a nice dinner in public with our little one because he might possibly squeak during your dinner is shocking.