Packing for a cruising toddler

[Cosmo013]

Hi everyone,

 

We will be cruising with our 2-and-a-half year old on the Independence of the Seas. I'm hoping someone can tell me if the Independence provides these items:

 

1. Toddler cutlery, cups, and bibs in the main dining room and buffet

2. Reduced laundry rates for toddler clothes (the website price list only list men's and women's prices)

3. Toddler lifejackets you can take off the ship for beach excursions

 

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks.

[Loves_Dogs]

You might have better luck posting this on the Family Cruises portion of Cruise Critic. Here is a link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[Sheffie]

I know you cannot take the ship's life jackets off the ship.

[gerif]

1. No

2. No

3. No

[JBert]

Hi everyone,

 

We will be cruising with our 2-and-a-half year old on the Independence of the Seas. I'm hoping someone can tell me if the Independence provides these items:

 

1. Toddler cutlery, cups, and bibs in the main dining room and buffet

2. Reduced laundry rates for toddler clothes (the website price list only list men's and women's prices)

3. Toddler lifejackets you can take off the ship for beach excursions

 

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks.

After cruising with our then 6 month old, we've been through the drill before.

 

1. Youll have to bring any speciality utensils and bibs with you. At 2 1/2, most kids dishes she would have could be eaten by hand - just bring bibs and wipes.

 

2. Same rate, or bring tide/dreft and wash easy stuff in your room.

 

3. They only supply a child lifejacket in your cabin for emergency use. I picked up a cute lifejacket for $25 at Target that served its purpose last year.

 

Feel free to email me j bertellotti at nospamyahoodotcom if you want to chat more.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

[liberiben]

Agree, No, No and No. Take swim floaties, pack enough for the week plus at least 2 changes of clothing just in case. No toddler utensils, but they would be easy to pack, and wash in your room, or you could just use "adult" utensils.

[christygobar]

No is correct :) We just got back from our AoS with our 2 year old about 3 weeks ago and had a great time. I took our own toddler forks, but the dessert forks on the table proved a good size for her at the MDR. We did use her own cups though and I just brought dish soap and a bottle brush to clean them in our room. I wouldn't have cared, as she drinks from an open cup and we used straws in the Windjammer, but the MDR served her milk in the glass goblets (all the way to the top!) and that made me a bit nervous ;)

 

I sent away laundry twice in the $25 laundry bag (it was offered on both Tues and Thurs on our cruise) and just mixed hers in with ours.

 

We packed a life jacket, but ended up not needing it. Pack one if you feel like you do, but we just held her when we went into the ocean and on a sailboat. But we at least had it if we needed it quickly! Floaties would probably be easier to pack.

 

Good luck! Use the toy exchange if you have it available to you - it was a great way to keep her occupied! We found ours in the Explorers room of Adventure Ocean.

[sandy toes]

Have traveled with child as young as 10 mo (multi kids now) and oldest is now 10yr. Bring whatever will make the child happy at meal time. Always wipes and a large big that will cover up the nice clothes. We bring several of the toss away spoon&fork sets and a few sippy cups. One is never enough, they just have a way of disappearing. The ship has lots of snack items (fruits and cookies, even ice cream). The laundry is the same for everyone. I don't even bother to wash anything. I do rinse out things that are really spoiled, let dry and pack in the dirty bag for home. We now have 3 different kinds of life jackets, all US coast Guard approved stamped. I don't use swimmies, not safe enough. The ocean offers a lot of fun for the kids and the jackets give them a real sense of independance. You can find good one(low cost) on many web sites, just google. Royal"s Adventure Ocean (kids camp) is really good with the kids. You get a pagger and they will contact you to call them from a house phone or to return to camp. Have fun. They grow up so fast. Enjoy each minute!

[Familygoboston]

Check these reviews from ObsessedSC and Bionicman97 Both have cruised with tots and have excellent advice about what to bring etc.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1620504 (Allure)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1715156 (Freedom)

 

Good Luck!!

[kellygirl719]

I cruised this past June with my family which included my sister and my 2 year old niece.. My sister did a lot of research on here before we left. She brought disposible cups (with lids/straws) and disposible bibs that worked out really good. Also, people couldn't get over how well behaved my niece was at dinner in the MDR. My sister packed her activities to keep her occupied (an IPad, coloring books, crayons etc.) they even had a plan on who would take her out of the MDR if she got "antsy".. luckily every night she stayed content and occupied.

 

Now she keeps asking us "When can we go on the big ship again?!?" :D

[2CuteKiddies]

Based on our experience, plan on them having nothing for your toddler in the dining room. Our daughter was 3 1/2 when we went on Monarch of the Seas. They brought her milk in the glass goblets and didn't have straws. They didn't have a kid's menu with crayons. This caught us off-guard because our previous Carnival cruise was very kid friendly, so we expected it to be the same and weren't prepared. If you're prepared, you'll be fine.