Safety concerns for toddlers?

[Michelle1503]

Hi everyone! Our family (3 staterooms worth) :) are traveling on the Carnival Liberty in May and we have a two year old. I went from being so excited about our second cruise and talking about it every day, to shut down with worry. Do any of you avoid cruising with kids this age? Our first cruise was a year ago and our son was not as mobile as he is now. So do you take extra safety measure? Safety harness...five point stroller...etc. Or consider it just another field of life where careful rules apply? lol I guess what I'm asking is should I be as excessively worried as I am? Oh yeah.. we booked a balcony room.... is it safe to assume he can't jump off?

 

(If anyone has pictures of a balcony room on the Carnival Liberty... would love to see them!) Thanks in advance.

[flhokie]

We are taking DD (2) on her 1st cruise in May. Of course she will never be left alone on the balcony and we will keep the furniture far from the railing (we have a large balcony). On Allure the balconies have plexiglass (not open/slatted).

 

We will be taking an umbrella stroller--haven't used the 5 point harness in a stroller in a year. We will also take her Elmo backpack/harness. We will make sure to keep her right with us and use the stroller & backpack/harness as needed.

 

While the climbing up on the balcony fear is in the back of my mind, I'd have other worries with a land based resort. I was worried about her bolting the first time i let her out of her stroller at Disney, but we got through it and all was fine. My 2 concerns at this point are where she will sleep and that she won't be potty trained & able to use pools (we are potty training now & she goes a few times a day). She's already nearly 38 inches tall so she would be cramped in a pack n play. We will probably have to have her sleep on the sofa bed which she has never done (always slept in a crib or pack n play when traveling).

 

Take reasonable precautions--moving furniture, locking doors, using strollers & harnesses and I'm sure everything will be ok. Remember people cruise with toddlers often & I've only heard of one bigger accident---child ended up being fine.

[travelhound]

Over New Years we took our then 22 month old on NCL Pearl. We had a great time. Yes you have to watch them, but not really more than you do at home. She loves running and then long hallways and lounges were a great place to do that. We stayed in FL for four days prior to the cruise and we used the stroller there but once we got on the ship we put it in the closet and didn't take it out until we arrived back in Miami. That surprised me because I was really focused on what stroller to bring.

 

I did use the harness/backpack in the airport, at the car rental facility, and while waiting in line to get on the ship. That was very valuable. If she is in the stroller and stopped (like in a line) she thinks it's time to get out and run around. With the harness she moved a little but didn't try to run off.

 

I carried her when we got off the ship and were walking on a pier or in crowds. We just did beach shore excursions so she was ok to play in the sand by our chairs and never ran off. In the evenings we got dressed for dinner and she'd walk hanging on to our hands or close by us unless we got into a lot of people and then I picked her up. Our room was an inside so we didn't have the balcony to deal with. It's not a relaxing venture by any means, but it's not at home either. If you can go with the flow, all of you will have a great time.

[2CuteKiddies]

We had a balcony on the Conquest (same ship class as the Liberty) when our daughter was 2. She loved it out there and we didn't have any problems. I don't have a good picture of the balcony, but the rail is about 4 - 4 1/2 feet high and the balcony wall is plexiglass. Basically, in order to go off the balcony, they would have to push a chair to the edge, climb up on it, pull themselves up further, and go over the side. Basically, it's not happening if you're paying any attention to your child, and I can tell you'll be paying attention!

 

As for other aspects of the cruise, we treated it just like going out anywhere else. Just keep track of your child and things will be fine. Relax, be flexible with your plans, and it'll be a fun time!

[Mimajo]

We are taking DD (2) on her 1st cruise in May. Of course she will never be left alone on the balcony and we will keep the furniture far from the railing (we have a large balcony). On Allure the balconies have plexiglass (not open/slatted).

 

We will be taking an umbrella stroller--haven't used the 5 point harness in a stroller in a year. We will also take her Elmo backpack/harness. We will make sure to keep her right with us and use the stroller & backpack/harness as needed.

 

While the climbing up on the balcony fear is in the back of my mind, I'd have other worries with a land based resort. I was worried about her bolting the first time i let her out of her stroller at Disney, but we got through it and all was fine. My 2 concerns at this point are where she will sleep and that she won't be potty trained & able to use pools (we are potty training now & she goes a few times a day). She's already nearly 38 inches tall so she would be cramped in a pack n play. We will probably have to have her sleep on the sofa bed which she has never done (always slept in a crib or pack n play when traveling).

 

Take reasonable precautions--moving furniture, locking doors, using strollers & harnesses and I'm sure everything will be ok. Remember people cruise with toddlers often & I've only heard of one bigger accident---child ended up being fine.

 

We will be travelling with our 21 month old granddaughter on the Allure. We are taking a stroller and her little backpack/harness. It may look to some people like a leash, but these little guys are fast and the last thing we need is for her to run right off a pier.

 

I don't know about Carnival, but Allure has bed rails as she will be sharing a bed with her big sister.

 

Have a great trip.

[cruisingfor5]

Our last cruise there was my daughter (3 yrs) and my niece and nephew (2yrs) and there were no issues. As long as the furniture on the balcony stays away from the railing there is no way of falling over. Both balconies we have had were over 4 feet high and glass so no way of climbing it. The glass goes down to about 2 inches from the ground and at the top the railing running across the top curves inwards. None us bothered with harnesses but if you have a child that likes to run off than yes. We all used umbrella strollers for around the ship and in port. Easier to lift and fold plus from our first cruise we found out a regular stroller will not fit through the cabin door unless you fold it up. This was not good especially when our daughter had fallen asleep and we just wanted her to nap we couldn't just roll her in the room. We also just had her sleep between us since the beds are really big and the play pen takes up all the floor space. Some people don't like having their kids sleep with them but it was just easier for us. Naps we either let her sleep in the stroller or we would put pillows under the sheets around her so she couldn't roll off easily.

 

Oh and I had an umbrella stroller that reclined and had a canopy for shade and bag on the back to put stuff.

 

Our cruise also had a toddler pool that was maybe a foot deep and they had to have swim diapers on to go in. It was checked regularly and water tested plus they emptied it every night and put fresh water in.

[cb at sea]

Common sense goes a long way. You don't need harnesses and leashes! There is no way your attended child could "fall" off the ship. If you want him overboard, you'll have to throw him off.

[Mack2]

My younger son turned two on his first cruise... I think we stood him on that little table on the balcony for this picture.

 

The following year, we took all three kids on a Disney cruise with balcony.

 

Good times... We brought a MacLaren stroller... was it our old, old Metro? Whatever it was, it reclined and it's wheels squeaked loudly over time because of all the abuse we put it through... it was one of the MacLaren's that were eventually recalled because the folding mechanism had made some people sever parts of their fingers... but by that time, the stroller had made it's rounds... so I didn't feel bad tossing it into the trash.

[Mimajo]

Common sense goes a long way. You don't need harnesses and leashes! There is no way your attended child could "fall" off the ship. If you want him overboard, you'll have to throw him off.

 

It's not meant to keep the little one from falling "off the ship". It's meant more for not losing her in the crowds.

 

Even people with common sense take precautions.

[kelleigh229]

Common sense goes a long way. You don't need harnesses and leashes! There is no way your attended child could "fall" off the ship. If you want him overboard, you'll have to throw him off.

 

When my friend's little girl was 2, she took off and ran whenever she was not in a stroller. So they got one of those backpack harnesses for her when they were in crowds. It was the best thing they could have done to make sure she didn't run off and get lost in a crowd. The one time they detached her from it thinking she would stay, she literally took off and they had to chase after her.

 

Even people with common sense have to take extra precautions in crowded situations when their child runs off a lot. I never had this problem - my little guy always stayed by my side, but if he ran off like she did, I would have done the same thing in a heartbeat. Who cares if it looks like a leash? At least her kiddo was safe.

[travelhound]

Ditto to the last two replies. We weren't worried about our dd falling off of the ship - that would be hard to do unless you tried really hard. But, when we were in the airport, trying to dig through IDs for the rental car, going through security, etc it was awesome. For our dd to reach our hands to hold, her hand has to be completely up and we have to bend over a bit. That's not comfortable walking for anyone. With the backpack on she felt free to move quickly, swing her arms, and feel like a "big girl." Screw what anybody thinks - it works for both of us.

[092306]

We took our son when he was 27 months and he spent most of the time around the ship in his Maclaren Quest stroller which I like because it's compact, reclines and provides great shade. He called it his "ride" or really "wide" in his words and liked being pushed around which made it easier to keep tabs on him, but definitely kept us walking around the ship for the majority of the cruise. When he was out of the stroller he was pretty good. Only times he took off was down the cabin hallways and almost got into an elevator without us so that was one panic moment. I think too, it depends on your child and where in the 2s she falls. Now at 31 months he's definitely more likely to take off and run and really doesn't like being stuck in the stroller for long. So, if we went now, we would probably be running around instead of just walking. I think the biggest concern I would have is ports. I would keep him in the stroller the majority of the time.

[sherryf]

I tried a couple of different harnesses for my son at that age, but none of them worked. He'd run so hard and fast that he'd get to the end and either jerk the "leash" out of my hands, or if I managed to keep hold, he'd come to such a sudden stop that he'd fall and face-plant. No, he didn't learn to not do it after a few times. He was going to run regardless. I couldn't keep him in a stroller or shopping cart either. Used to call him Houdini. Somehow we survived. He's almost 17 now.

 

This too shall pass...

[alj1208]

Hi.... Just thought I would add my two cents, since I am convinced my son was the world's most active toddler. At that age, he was in everything-- and on everything. However, I never let that stop us from doing things. I just planned accordingly and was super-vigilant. We didn't cruise until he was older, but I certainly would have cruised when he was a toddler if we had the opportunity.

 

I say, bring whatever equipment you need so that YOU feel okay and comfortable about keeping your child safe. If a harness would lessen your anxiety, by all means, bring it! No one should judge you. Your child's safety is more important than anything, and you shouldn't worry what others think. Maybe the harness would let you just catch your breath rather than chasing your son around constantly.

 

So, bring the gear you need, and who knows? Maybe you won't need it, but you'll feel better if you bring it.

 

In addition to making sure your son is never alone on the balcony, you should be sure to secure the door to your cabin. There is no dead bolt for safety reasons. Your son could actually open the door and get out while you're sleeping. Not trying to scare you. Some cruisers have brought portable door alarms. You could also just put a chair in front of it. Whatever works.

 

You will have a great time! So, plan for your son's safety, but don't let the anxiety ruin the vacation. Trust yourself as mother and know that you will be able to keep her child safe!

[Mimajo]

To alj1208:

 

Best advice yet!

[celle]

I'm another supporter of bringing a harness, if your child is a "runner" - or even if he/she has never strayed. I learned the hard way, and my children had never previously left my side when out in public.

 

I had 3 children in just over 3 years and I lost the oldest one, one day in town. We were walking, with the baby in a pushchair and one boy each side, holding on to the pushchair.

 

They had been good and I said we could go into a shop and buy ice creams. We turned left, into the shop, but the oldest boy (aged 3) apparently did not hear me; he let go of the pushchair and kept on walking straight ahead.

 

As soon as we got in the shop, I realised he was missing, but he had disappeared into the crowd in the street and was nowhere to be seen.

 

After some frantic phone calls, I discovered (half an hour later) that he was safe at the police station. He had not realised we were going into a shop (he was in his own little world and not listening to Mum). Missing us, he had run straight ahead, through 2 intersections, and was found, crying, by a kind stranger.

 

He had covered a surprising distance before he was rescued, and he could have been run over or abducted. We were lucky nothing bad happened.

 

I bought 2 harnesses the same day and I used them for several years. Better a harnessed child than a lost one!

[Michelle1503]

Hi.... Just thought I would add my two cents, since I am convinced my son was the world's most active toddler. At that age, he was in everything-- and on everything. However, I never let that stop us from doing things. I just planned accordingly and was super-vigilant. We didn't cruise until he was older, but I certainly would have cruised when he was a toddler if we had the opportunity.

 

I say, bring whatever equipment you need so that YOU feel okay and comfortable about keeping your child safe. If a harness would lessen your anxiety, by all means, bring it! No one should judge you. Your child's safety is more important than anything, and you shouldn't worry what others think. Maybe the harness would let you just catch your breath rather than chasing your son around constantly.

 

So, bring the gear you need, and who knows? Maybe you won't need it, but you'll feel better if you bring it.

 

In addition to making sure your son is never alone on the balcony, you should be sure to secure the door to your cabin. There is no dead bolt for safety reasons. Your son could actually open the door and get out while you're sleeping. Not trying to scare you. Some cruisers have brought portable door alarms. You could also just put a chair in front of it. Whatever works.

 

You will have a great time! So, plan for your son's safety, but don't let the anxiety ruin the vacation. Trust yourself as mother and know that you will be able to keep her child safe!

 

Great advice, thank you!!! Definitely bringing a harness and a lightweight stroller.

[cb at sea]

And, start getting your child ready to sleep on a sofa, and take a shower! No tubs in standard cabins!

 

Your child will be fine....don't worry so much! This is a vacation...not a trip to outer space!

[Cruisin' Chick]

I was a bit confused looking at your countdown clock as it says "Liberty of the Seas," but it's the Royal Caribbean ships that use ----- of the Seas. If you're going on a Carnival ship, it would be the Carnival Liberty (or Liberty). You may want to keep that in mind just in case the Liberty of the Seas (I looked it up and there is a ship by that name) in the same port on the same day. Else you may end up wasting time going to the wrong berth.