Cruising w/a 2.9 yr old- tips welcome

[BuffyIndy113]

hello all, im new here

im not new to cruising though, i have cruised as a child through to my teens but sept 2013 will be our (mine and fiancees) first cruise with a toddler (2 yr 9 MTH)

i know that the ship we are sailing in - RCCL LIBERTY OF THE SEAS, has the h2o splach zone for my toddler, whom i am not not sure if he will be potty trained by that time so thats why we are choosing liberty

 

we will be sailing med - barcelona, rome, provence etc and wanted any useful info on how to go about any shore excursions with little one

we have a big stroller , a very bulky one, would it be best to take a very lightweight one just for the shore excursions, its a beach stroller which is getting old but does the trick....or stick to the more comfy bulky one.

 

is there anything to avoid with the little one, or anything i should be aware of that would make our trip easier and smoother with a toddler?

 

dinner times ? my time (any time?) dining...or early or late seating? which is most child friendly, he is well behaved but when he gets overtired the tantrums start and id get too embarrassed to be there and would end up leaving dining table !!!

 

im also wondering where he would sleep, im not sure we feel comfortable him sleeping in a top bunk , but myself and fiancee are too heavy for the bunks so does LO sleep with us or do they get a crib and are they at an extra cost ?

 

any tips for travelling with a toddler would be very greatful thanks !!!

 

Buffy

[Gatrcruzer]

What cabin category do you have and how is it set up? We stayed in cabins that had pull out sofas, which would be a good place to put a child of that age. If you don't have that, I'm afraid that one of you can sleep in an upper bunk, one in a lower bed, and put the child in the other bed. You might want to bring blow-up bed bumpers or put something up against the side of the bed so that he does not fall out. While they do have portable cribs free of charge (Pack n Play), they are probably not appropriate for a child of that age.

 

I would go with lighter, smaller stroller. Helpful both on and off the ship. Big and bulky will be tough to travel with both on the ship and in ports.

 

As far as eating, it really depends on your child. When my daughter was 2 we did not take her to the dining room. We just didn't feel she could appropriately handle a long dinner, so it was easier on all of us to just go to the Windjammer (buffet) for dinner. When she turned 3 she was ready and we did the program where the counselors pick up 45 minutes into the dinner for the kids club. However, there are plenty of people who take young children to the dining room at all ages, so it really depends on how your child handles that situation. And early/late/my time really depends on what time you normally eat, as well as considering what your schedule will be like in the ports. You don't want to have to rush back to the ship and eat dinner, but if you normally eat at 6pm then maybe early seating is better. I will say that with a little one it might be helpful to have the same serving team nightly, and know that your table is ready and waiting for you.

 

You might want to book time at the nursery for your son, just so you have a little time for yourself.

 

On LOS it is a good idea to book the shows ahead of time online. My daughter loved the ice show when she was 3. Oh - definitely book the character breakfast, and if they offer 2, book both :) You can do this online before you go. It is really fun to do the character breakfasts.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[sailinglisa]

Definitely bring the smaller of the two strollers.....size wise it will be easier for you to move around the ship and using the elevators. And depending on the width of the stroller, you may not be able to bring it through the cabin door without collapsing it.

 

 

Dinner wise, try out the dining room. But be prepared to leave if your little one acts up or just can't tolerate 1/12 to 2 hours of dining. Of course, you can always ask your waitstaff to speed up your service, but keep in mind they do have other tables to serve also, but they will do their best to accomodate you.

 

The Liberty does offer in cabin sitting for babies/toddlers over 1 year of age, so that might be an option for you...the ship also have the nursery available for your use (you have to reserve your times and there may be a limit on the number of hours you can book depending on how many hours are booked at the beginning of the cruise by all the other passengers....more hours may open up later in the cruise.

 

Just remember if your little one is not potty trained, they do not have access to the whole H2O zone, just the small area that is set aside for those who are not potty trained.

 

As for sleeping, if your cabin has a sofa or love seat, that does not open up into a bed, have the cabin steward turn it so it faces the wall and your little one can sleep there, otherwise maybe a sleeping bag on the floor or one of those little toddler/little kid sleep systems they have for sale.

 

I hope this helps!

[BuffyIndy113]

thanks for response, we will be in cabin 8451 grade L, Interior Stateroom Two twin beds (can convert into queen-size) and private bathroom. (152 sq. ft.) i pasted that from the site.

 

 

quite excited yet nervous...as this would be our 2nd holiday with our LO but 1st cruise with him ...we take him out to eat and he has general good behaviour so the dining hall will have to be trial and error, got no problem going to the windjammer though but i do love the grandeur of being in the dining hall.

[Gatrcruzer]

Looking at the deckplan, you will have 1 pullman bunk available, but no sofabed. You may or may not have a sofa in the room (my guess is that you will not have room for that). If you do, I agree with the above poster who mentioned turning the sofa around. If (as is more likely) there is no sofa, you could take the mattress off the upper bunk and put it on the floor, or have one of the adults sleep in the upper bunk. You can probably have the bottom beds either separated or together, depending on what is more comfortable for you.

[BuffyIndy113]

thanks ! we shall play it by ear ! looking forward to it :)

[tikcho]

As far as the stroller, I'd definitely go with an umbrella type stroller. we used a Maclaren volo and it was perfect. Streets in Europe can be cobbled and rugged and many places are not equipped with ramps so you may end up lugging the stroller up and down a lot so definitely do not get a big bulky one. Plus on the ship spaces can be tight, you want something that folds easily and compactly.

As far as dinner, I'd recommend early dining. With a three year-old any dining past 8 o'clock can be a recipe for a tantrum. When you have an assigned table and waiters, they get to know you and your preferences and things go very smooth vs having a different waiter every night which is how the Select works. We usually tell the waiters to have a soup and salad for my buy ready as soon as we arrive and this way he does not have to wait and thing so very smooth. some nights you may end up in the buffet if he is too tired but you still want the experience of the dining room from time to time.

[cb at sea]

The ship will provide a P&P if you wish. Or, a cabin with a sofa bed might be suitable.

 

Plan to eat around your child's normal eating times.

 

Get a balcony...that will give you someplace "to be" when your child is napping or down for the night. There's nothing worse than sitting in a darkened room while your child is trying to go to sleep. On the balcony, you can talk, or read, or oceangaze...all with the drink of your choice....it won't feel like you're missing anything!

[jlrn366419]

Lots of good advice so far. A folding stool is nice for handwashing (playing at the sink) and getting on and off the toilet for toddlers.

[bliss_fully_happy]

"not sure if he will be potty trained by that time so thats why we are choosing liberty." The h2o zone is for potty trained only. There is a baby splash zone. They had someone checking on freedom ot seas. Try keeping anyone in the baby splash zone with that awesome h2o zone in sight.

 

Might I suggest carnival instead of rccl. They will take the munckins at age 2. Or Disney.

This is my opinion based on my cruise experience.

[DG2007]

We cruised last week with our 2 year old (2 years 9 months!). We took the mattress off the top bunk and put it on the floor for her and she slept great (well the steward did it for us).

[2CuteKiddies]

One important thing to remember when cruising with young kids is to be flexible. For example, if you're determined to eat in the dining room every night, you'll probably be disappointed because there will be nights when he's just not up to it.

 

We cruised with our daughter around this age and did the dining room about half the time. Also, we left a beach day excursion early because she was exhausted. As long as you keep in mind that these things happen and are flexible, you'll have a great time.

 

As someone else mentioned, it's worth looking into Carnival because they'll take 2-year olds in Camp Carnival. Our daughter loved it!

[Julienatul]

Just keep to the same nap times, meal times, bedtimes if you can. Plan to have snacks available or stroller to nap in if it isn't feasible to go back to the cabin. Be flexible, change plans if needed. There have been a few times I have gone back to the cabin to order room service and let my youngest nap/rest while the rest of the family has gone to formal dinners or activities around the ship. Go in with an open mind that you will attempt everything but be willing to change or adapt plans as needed. You will still have all the responsibilities as home so it wont be the relaxing, sitting in a lunge chair in the sun all day type of cruise but definitely enjoyable. Make a plan to trade of child care duties so everyone gets some down time. Relax and have a good time. My kids love cruising even over vacations like Disney.