Toddler eating on a cruise

[SunnydayKim]

We are taking our son 2.5 on his first cruise in just over a week! :D

 

I have a few questions to moms who have done this before about eating with a toddler. We plan to eat in the MDR at 6 as we like the idea of having the same waitstaff and hopefully they will get to "know" our son and have his food out fast, drink ready, etc.

 

What did you do about silverware? Did you bring your own or use the large forks/spoons for your little one? (although he has used regular sized utensils when we are out to eat, it isn't ideal)

 

Drinks for the little one at dinnertime. As I have only ordered iced tea or water at dinners on past cruises, do they have milk or juice available for kids to drink at dinner or is that just through the drink/bar server?

 

Highchair- do we need to pre-request a high chair or just ask on the first night? Although at restaurants we usually now get a booth (to trap him inside haha!) sometimes we still opt for the high chair for what we know will be "longer" meals.

 

Table arrangements- in our past cruises (without kids) we have either traveled with a group or been placed with "like" couples (example, on our anniversary- everyone else at the table was celebrating too). I am assuming that this will be the case and they will sit us with others with young children? I just do not want the little guy to annoy anyone at the table. He is really good (of course, the moment I say that something opposite will happen!) but he is 2 years old and I assume is going to be a chatter box with our table mates by night two.

 

Also thank you to everyone who is so helpful on these boards! I have gotten such great ideas from reading other questions & responses. (and in advance to your helpful responses here!)

 

Kim

[Prinycesa07]

I can answer a couple of these.

 

Yes they have milk & chocolate milk. They had it ready for them

Every night after requesting it the first night. Same with High chair. I asked on the first night & then it was there each night.

 

The table mate question is one I've been wanting to ask as well. I was worried that we would be sat with couples without kids.

[Kerry's Girls]

On the first night I always asked them to take away everything from the place setting except the fork and spoon, which I would then put out of reach to avoid clanging until eating time, then it would always be set up that way for us the rest of the week. Since we also ate breakfast & lunch in the MDR, I would just move it all aside until someone took it away. I always brought plastic cups for my kids since it's usually the large glass goblets at the table. You could do the same with plastic flatware if you want. Easy enough to wipe and rinse in the stateroom.

 

Enjoy the MDR!

 

All the best,

Mia

[flhokie]

We are cruising with 2 year old DD (2 year, 4 months) next month for the first time. We are also doing early seating dining as well as we hope the staff will get to know us & DD and her needs. We plan to use the nursery one night when we dine at Chops and know we might end up at the buffet or another venue some evenings if necessary.

 

I plan to purchase a few sets of the kids silverware that Target has in their dollar bins to take along. They are regular (metal with a plastic handle) silverware so they are sturdier than the disposable plastic children's silverware I've seen. We plan to bring them home and use here after the cruise, but because of the low cost involved we won't be upset if some of it doesn't make it home.

 

I'm not sure what we'll do about drinks as I'd prefer she use her sippy cup for fear of spills/mess, but she can drink from a cup so we will see on that one (bringing several sippy cups with us).

 

We will probably request a booster seat on night 1 and see if she needs it the rest of the nights. DD is very tall for her age and we have found that highchairs in restaurants really don't work for her anymore (nearly stuck a few times).

 

We will be traveling with a group so we will be seated with family and friends so I can't help on that one.

[Scrapnana]

We took my two year old grandson on the Disney Fantasy last December. After the first night the servers knew exactly what we wanted (no silverware) and had the high chair waiting. We brought our own disposable spoons and forks and sippy cups. There would be a glass of milk on the table for my daughter to pour into his sippy cup. The asst. server would cut the children's meals. There were 5 of us and we were seated at a table with a family that had a daughter about the same age as my granddaughter (they became close friends). Unless a glitch occurs, I doubt you would be seated with people without kids (and then you could always have it changed).

 

Have a great cruise.

[092306]

Our son used the small dessert forks and spoons. You can bring the plastic ones, but ours didn't want those when he saw ours. I took all the plates/glasses/knives in reach away. High chairs are easy to get and will be there after the 1st night you request it. We were able to get milk or juice at dinner. We just gave his sippy cup to one of the waiters and they filled it up. We didn't have table mates. We did YTD, requested the same waitstaff each night so the service was the same and sat at a table for 4 as a family.

[SunnydayKim]

Thank you!!

[maritaysa]

We are taking our son 2.5 on his first cruise in just over a week! :D

 

I have a few questions to moms who have done this before about eating with a toddler. We plan to eat in the MDR at 6 as we like the idea of having the same waitstaff and hopefully they will get to "know" our son and have his food out fast, drink ready, etc.

 

What did you do about silverware? Did you bring your own or use the large forks/spoons for your little one? (although he has used regular sized utensils when we are out to eat, it isn't ideal)

 

Drinks for the little one at dinnertime. As I have only ordered iced tea or water at dinners on past cruises, do they have milk or juice available for kids to drink at dinner or is that just through the drink/bar server?

 

Highchair- do we need to pre-request a high chair or just ask on the first night? Although at restaurants we usually now get a booth (to trap him inside haha!) sometimes we still opt for the high chair for what we know will be "longer" meals.

 

Table arrangements- in our past cruises (without kids) we have either traveled with a group or been placed with "like" couples (example, on our anniversary- everyone else at the table was celebrating too). I am assuming that this will be the case and they will sit us with others with young children? I just do not want the little guy to annoy anyone at the table. He is really good (of course, the moment I say that something opposite will happen!) but he is 2 years old and I assume is going to be a chatter box with our table mates by night two.

 

Also thank you to everyone who is so helpful on these boards! I have gotten such great ideas from reading other questions & responses. (and in advance to your helpful responses here!)

 

Kim

 

we've cruised with our DD three times already. first time at 13 months--easy peasy since she wasn't mobile yet. second time at 18 months--she was mobile, used a leash at times, ate fine at dinner--we had anytime dining and it was a 3 day cruise. this cruise was my mom, DD, and myself. my mom watched her while i work, and she listened to both of us real well. just got back from our last cruise and DD just turned 2--had anytime dining again and only ate there twice. both times were trying for us. DD didn't like sitting still. i figured that it would be tough since she's getting more independent each day. the other days we either ordered room service or brought food back to the cabin since we were staying just one floor below the lido deck. we were on a 7 day cruise.

[Salat13]

We did a transatlantic, when our DD was about 1.5 years old. We had also the 6 p.m. Dinner at the MDR. We were seated allone at a table, I think they don't really had a option to put us with an other family toghether as there were only 16 kids on the ship. First I was a bit upset that we have been placed by our own. But in the end I was very happy, as dinner with DD was so easy. The waiter was perfect, every evening everything was allready there, what we orderd the first evening. We didn't really like the Kids meal (Pizza, burgers etc.) so we orderd for exemple rice with veggies and than she could have some meat from us. We preferd MDR over the buffet. We took our iPad, so when DD was finished with her food, she could whatch some kids staff, and we could finish our meal.

[kimmy_bos]

Hi salat

 

We are going on a cruise next month with our dd who will be 8 months - we are considering a transatlantic next year when she will be 20 months - how did you find it? Was there enough for your lo? Any tips / tricks

[Salat13]

Hi kimmy_bos

I loved it, just booked our Transatlantic for next year :)

Will write to you later, as we are going to the playground now. Which transatlantic are you planing?

[kimmy_bos]

Hi Salat

 

We were thinking maybe the Liberty of the Seas (RC) from Florida to Barcelona next May. As we are based in the UK - we thought it would be best to get the main bulk of the travel done before we get on the ship

 

x

[Salat13]

We are doing the independence to southhampton :)

[Salat13]

@kimmy_bos

we loved the transantlantic with our daughter last year, she was than 18 month.

we booked a junior suite, the reason was, that we so had a tub and the room was a bit bigger than the normal balcony cabin. we never would have taken a cabin without balcony, as with the little one having nap time you spent quite a lot of time in your cabin. we were lucky that we could upgrade to a grand suite, so this was really perfect. the good thing on the GS is that you have a curtain around the bed, so if DD had her nap time or in the evening she was sleeping we could have sit in the room or the balcony without disdurbing her.

As DD wasn't potty trained, she wasn't allowed into the pool. So we both a little inflatable pool at wallmart, which we put on the balcony. We were on the Jewel of the Seas, I don't know if the bigger ships have a pool, which is allowed with no potty trained childern.

The route of our transatlantic was: Ponta Delgada (Azores), Cherbourg (France), Brest (France), Harwich (UK)

The first days it was very nice and warm, but as closer you came to Europe it was getting cooler.

That's also the reason why we choose the Independence of the Seas next year, as she has all ports in the Carribean and than heading to Europe.

As your DD will be allready 20 month, I would personally think about to buy her a seat at the airplane, as it is very enojing to have her for such a long flight on your lap. For us was last time was the question (she was 18 month) to get three economy seats or two business. We decided to go for the business, as the price differenc to three economy seats wasn't that big. In the end we were really lucky that there was a seat free, so she had her own seat.

We didn't booked one way, as it is very expensive with Swiss, don't know if with other airlines also. We booked Zurich-Miami (business) and than back New-York - Zurich (economy), as this is the cheapest flight from northamerica to zurich.

On the Jewel there wasn't a nursery. But they had the Babies and Tots program, which was basicly a room with fisher price toy's where you could go and play. That was very nice and we went there at least once a day. You could also borrow fisher price toy's to take to your cabin. As on the transatlantic wasn't a lot of kids, we never had problems to get a bag we wanted.

A good advise we got from the boards here, was to take all things as diapers, wetwipes etc. into a cardboard box, so you don't need a suite case for that, and once you packed out, the steward can dispose it for you.

I think there is so much to see for the little once, that they never get board.

As we life in Switzerland we tought it was very nice to go back to Europe with the ship, no jetlag, no long flight...just perfect.

 

If you have any specific questions, just feel free to ask.

[notentirelynormal]

We always had our waiters prepare a bowl of strawberries to be on the table when we arrived. The kids could snack on some food while they waited for their dinner. Honestly I can't remember if the kids used boosters or not but they somehow reached the table. I would bring a sippy cup though, especially if the kid likes a glass with bedtime.l

 

You didn't say which cruise line you were sailing with. On Princess you can get juice and milk free for your kids. After breakfast there is a fee for juice. However, if you tell them it is for a kid they will usually give it to you free. If not, you can always order extra and put it in the fridge for later.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our girl was 23 months old on her first cruise. We brought a couple of sippy cups and toddler tableware, as well as a small bottle of liquid dish detergent so I can wash the items in our cabin.

 

We were on Carnival and a high chair was brought over to our table each time. The waiter took our sippy cup and filled it with milk.

 

I don't remember who was with us at the table, but I think the head waiter, when making table assignments, tries to keep families together so that an elderly couple doesn't find themselves at a table with a two-year-old.

[kimmy_bos]

Thanks Salat

 

We are actually on our first cruise with DD in 2 weeks (she will be 8 months old) so will be amazing. We have a grand suite for the first time (is wierd as was only slightly more expesive than a balcony as had a good 3rd person rate). We are going on Liberty for 5 nights out of Barcelona. Like you we would never really travel in a cabin below a balcony.

 

We have also been looking at the Indy transtlantic next year, will probably be a better option for us as we will not need to fly when we reach the UK - exciting times. My main concern is that Emilie will not have any other children to interact with but it seems like there are going to be a handful of LO's onboard so this should not be a problem.

 

OP so sorry for jumping on your post - I will start my own now

xx

[ginger123snaps]

Carry straws with you...I know they can get you one in the MDR...but when you are at the buffet you don't want to go searching for a straw.

 

I also brought those take and toss cups with a lid and straw...VERY HELPFUL!