Considering Royal Caribbean with toddlers

[CAMONYPA]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread but didn't get many replies, so I thought I would try here. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

My husband and I are considering taking our young children (12 month old and 2.5 year old) on a cruise in March. Prior to the kids, we took multiple Princess cruises, but it seems like the Cruise Critic consensus is that Princess isn't the best line for very young kids. We are looking at itineraries for Navigator of the Seas because Galveston is within driving distance and I was hoping some Cruise Critic members could help us make a decision by answering the following questions:

1) Would you recommend a family ocean view cabin or two connecting cabins? We are leaning toward a family oceanview since we don't need the second bathroom and it seems like the family ocean view has some nice curtained off spaces for the kids to nap/ sleep. Neither kid is a very light sleeper but they do need relative quiet to stay asleep at night.

2) How much does the staff at the nursery work to accommodate kids with separation anxiety? We think the 12 month old will be fine but are worried that our 2.5 year old will get upset the first time she goes. We would like to use the nursery for a couple quieter dinners and perhaps a shore excursion or two.

3) Which itinerary (Belize and Honduras vs Jamaica) do you prefer? In the past, we have often done our own thing in port, but we would probably lean more toward ship excursions if we left the kids in the nursery or taxi/ bus rides to beaches for this trip. Does either itinerary offer ports where we could walk to a nearby beach with the kids?

4) For people who have cruised both Princess and Royal Caribbean, what do you think is the biggest thing one line does better than the other?

[cruise2snorkel]

Have cruised RCCL with our kids. First daughter was 2.5 when she first went and now our 2nd daughter was 14 months at time of her first cruise cruise.

 

1) If you don't want to do two connecting cabins I would recommend at least a balcony room or a junior suite if you can afford it. Make sure you pick a room that the couch converts to a bed and then you will still have room for a pack and play. That way you can spend time on the balcony while the kids nap or are asleep. We also store our stroller on the balcony. The benefit of a junior suite is it is bigger than a balcony, and there is a tub in the bathroom.

 

2) Personally don't have any experience with the nursery, as we haven't used. I personally wouldn't want to leave my kids on the ship and get off and do an excursion but have read of people doing.

 

3) As far as the itinerary you choose, have not done Belize or Honduras yet, going March 2015. The Jamaica sailing does that go to Labadee also?

 

4) Have never sailed Princess, we are Loyal to Royal and have had wonderful experiences with our kids. Had also sailed RCCL prior to kids.

[cb at sea]

2.5 is an "iffy" age, as far as separation goes. Some are fine, some are not! The staff is great....once your child gets to know them a bit, she should be fine. If she gets upset, they will contact you. It takes some kids longer to "get used" to strangers....but they do adjust! And, RCI does a great job with the little ones!

 

I, too, would do a ship's excursion if I was leaving my kids behind...

 

Personally, I think either cruise line would work, especially with kids as young as yours. They aren't old enough to take part in the "kids club" activities...

 

The thing you need to check is if Princess offers nursery care for kids under 3....some cruise lines don't! If they do, then take the cruise YOU prefer....the kids really won't care or remember!!

[rolloman]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread but didn't get many replies, so I thought I would try here. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

My husband and I are considering taking our young children (12 month old and 2.5 year old) on a cruise in March. Prior to the kids, we took multiple Princess cruises, but it seems like the Cruise Critic consensus is that Princess isn't the best line for very young kids. We are looking at itineraries for Navigator of the Seas because Galveston is within driving distance and I was hoping some Cruise Critic members could help us make a decision by answering the following questions:

1) Would you recommend a family ocean view cabin or two connecting cabins? We are leaning toward a family oceanview since we don't need the second bathroom and it seems like the family ocean view has some nice curtained off spaces for the kids to nap/ sleep. Neither kid is a very light sleeper but they do need relative quiet to stay asleep at night.

2) How much does the staff at the nursery work to accommodate kids with separation anxiety? We think the 12 month old will be fine but are worried that our 2.5 year old will get upset the first time she goes. We would like to use the nursery for a couple quieter dinners and perhaps a shore excursion or two.

3) Which itinerary (Belize and Honduras vs Jamaica) do you prefer? In the past, we have often done our own thing in port, but we would probably lean more toward ship excursions if we left the kids in the nursery or taxi/ bus rides to beaches for this trip. Does either itinerary offer ports where we could walk to a nearby beach with the kids?

4) For people who have cruised both Princess and Royal Caribbean, what do you think is the biggest thing one line does better than the other?

 

Lots of questions...let me see if I can help out...my little one has been cruising since 5 months and now is up to 32 cruises at 6 years old, I tell you this because we have done them all. I like princess for little ones because they give gerber products at dining for wee ones. Under 3 you must accompany them in the kids club. As for the three sites you mentioned, actually none of them are kid friendly or have a walking distance beach and none of them are what I consider safe. Honduras has been voted the murder capital of the world and recently an NCL cruise employee was shot to death outside the gate because some punk asked him to hand over his cell phone.

 

The only cruiseline I had an issue with pertaining to my child (anxiety) to this point was Carnival. I also had an issue with RCCL with in cabin babysitting, I strongly suggest you stay away from that service.

 

Definitely go with the family ocean cabin...they are awesome. The Navigator is nice and they offer under 3 nursery so they may have the edge. Frankly, outside of that, it is a toss up as far as kids go.

[flhokie]

We sailed Allure of the Seas when DD was 2 1/2. The nursery & toddler friendly features were a big part of choosing RCCL over other lines. It was awesome!

 

I would go with the largest balcony cabin you can afford. We had a regular balcony cabin & were fine (DD didn't like sofa bed so she slept on a bed the cabin steward made up on the floor). Other family members had a mini suite & it had a lot more space.

 

DD had never been in day care or with a sitter other than family so we were a little worried about the nursery, but it was wonderful! They took her right in and got her playing with toys right away. When we dropped her off there weren't many other kids so one go the crew just started playing with her. When we went back a few hours later she didn't want to leave & kept asking to go back. They are very focused on the kids & experienced with calming them down.

 

I can't speak to those ports as I don't really like any of them. I've been to all 3 and I might consider getting off the ship in Belize (would stay on in the other 2). If you do leave the kids in the nursery, I would definitely use ship excursions.

 

As for Princess vs RCCL, even though we sailed Princess pre DD, I feel RCCL does the family/kids stuff much better. Princess does the more refined/elegant better. Many years ago (before Carnival bought Princess), I would have said the food and service were better on Princess, but that has changed & I now consider them about equal. We've had outstanding staff on both lines (the assistant maître d who handled our wedding reception on a Princess is the best crew member we ever had and our cabin steward on RCCL--with DD--was so awesome). That said, RCCL is now our line of choice (Princess was for a long time--we even got married at sea on them).

[A2Mich]

Can't help you out with the kids clubs with any experience. Kids will need to be a minimum of 3 to go to the kids clubs and not on diapers or pull ups. As far as the cabin, we are booking a Family Promenade, but we have a family of 5, and will appreciate the tub and somewhat larger bathroom. One thing to keep in mind with the Family cabins is that you normally need a minimum of 5 to book them, but sometimes Royal will open them up to smaller groups if available closer to sailing date, but no guarantee that this will happen. The FI, FP, and FO cabins have to be booked either on the phone with RCI or through a TA--you cannot book them online at RCI's website. So keep in mind that booking a Family cabin MIGHT NOT be possible with a family of 4. Another thing to keep in mind with the Family cabins is that they have a double twin/King bed, two bunkbeds, and a sleeper sofa.

 

 

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[kipwingerjr]

We just did a 6 night with connecting staterooms (interior). Our daughter is 20 months. LOVED having total privacy and silence when she needed to sleep a little early or take a nap. We could speak freely, watch a movie, grab food, etc etc. Obviously a balcony would have been nice, but we didn't want to spend the cash for 2 balconies. Our daughter needs it to be pretty quiet for night sleeping (to get her full 12 hours).

 

We also put her in the nursery. We did 2 hour chunks of time, 3 times. We also went to group play with her. The first time she didn't cry when we left, but did when we picked her up (emotions). The second she did cry at drop off, but they were great, distracted her, and she was fine. The third she was tired, and would whine/cry off and on. All three times we never got a call on the cell phone they gave us. They told us when we picked her up they just played with her, etc. They change them and everything. Well worth the $6 an hour to enjoy yourself. The room has a tv, many toys, and a little padded climbing thing.

 

Hope this helps.

[Trend]

RCL trains there staff well. My kids took their 2 yr old last summer and used the nursery several times and signed out their bag of toys ( what a help to not pack). We are taking a family cruise on RCL this summer and booked adjoining balcony rooms, they will open the balcony screen so it is extra long.

[moesyk4]

We did not do that particular ship, but we did travel with a young child last year. I too would highly recommend a balcony cabin if you can swing it. It was sooo nice to sit out there while he was sleeping. He isn't even that bad of a sleeper and was a little older (just turned 4) then but I can't imagine trying to sit in a regular oceanview or even an inside in the pitch black while they were trying to nap. We are not picky when we cruise (we've even slept in upper/lowers!) but with kids, I would be hard pressed to cruise with less.

 

We booked on the Independence in November in a family oceanview for a group of 6 and did a crazy amount of research and a couple of things to keep in mind. First, there is a vast amount of differences among family cabins on the ships, even within the same category and price. For instance, most of the family oceanviews on the Freedom class are just one big room with a couple of bunks behind a curtain. 8200 and 8500, however, are much bigger. We are booked in 8200 I believe and it is actually 3 separate rooms not including the bathroom and has 3 massive windows. You can search threads on here for ideas on where to look.

 

Secondly, with that age I would strongly consider Freedom class or above. We looked at the Navigator and loved the price, but no ships below Freedom class have an area to swim for little ones. Even on those ships, it is just a small area on the splash pad, but at least it's something! On the other ships, you will either have to keep your little ones out of the pool or bring a little inflatable, which sounded like a nuisance to both us and the other passengers.

[MoyCoy]

Lots of questions...let me see if I can help out...my little one has been cruising since 5 months and now is up to 32 cruises at 6 years old, I tell you this because we have done them all. I like princess for little ones because they give gerber products at dining for wee ones. Under 3 you must accompany them in the kids club. As for the three sites you mentioned, actually none of them are kid friendly or have a walking distance beach and none of them are what I consider safe. Honduras has been voted the murder capital of the world and recently an NCL cruise employee was shot to death outside the gate because some punk asked him to hand over his cell phone.

 

The only cruiseline I had an issue with pertaining to my child (anxiety) to this point was Carnival. I also had an issue with RCCL with in cabin babysitting, I strongly suggest you stay away from that service.

 

Definitely go with the family ocean cabin...they are awesome. The Navigator is nice and they offer under 3 nursery so they may have the edge. Frankly, outside of that, it is a toss up as far as kids go.

 

We were looking into sailing RCL with out twin 4 year olds. We were looking forward to in room babysitting. Now I'm concerned. Are you able to divulge the issues?

[Mary521]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean thread but didn't get many replies, so I thought I would try here. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

My husband and I are considering taking our young children (12 month old and 2.5 year old) on a cruise in March. Prior to the kids, we took multiple Princess cruises, but it seems like the Cruise Critic consensus is that Princess isn't the best line for very young kids. We are looking at itineraries for Navigator of the Seas because Galveston is within driving distance and I was hoping some Cruise Critic members could help us make a decision by answering the following questions:

1) Would you recommend a family ocean view cabin or two connecting cabins? We are leaning toward a family oceanview since we don't need the second bathroom and it seems like the family ocean view has some nice curtained off spaces for the kids to nap/ sleep. Neither kid is a very light sleeper but they do need relative quiet to stay asleep at night.

2) How much does the staff at the nursery work to accommodate kids with separation anxiety? We think the 12 month old will be fine but are worried that our 2.5 year old will get upset the first time she goes. We would like to use the nursery for a couple quieter dinners and perhaps a shore excursion or two.

3) Which itinerary (Belize and Honduras vs Jamaica) do you prefer? In the past, we have often done our own thing in port, but we would probably lean more toward ship excursions if we left the kids in the nursery or taxi/ bus rides to beaches for this trip. Does either itinerary offer ports where we could walk to a nearby beach with the kids?

4) For people who have cruised both Princess and Royal Caribbean, what do you think is the biggest thing one line does better than the other?

 

 

So our experience is cruising this past June and Dec. my son being 6months, and 13 months for each trip. First was on Allure, and 2nd on Freedom, so both ships with nurseries.

 

1 - I thought any cabin labeled "family" you need min of 5 guests. So that might not be available for you. Being 3, we have had 1 room, both times a standard balcony. Huge plus was that while he napped, or when he went to bed my husband or I could sit on the balcony, read, or talk. When we have a 2nd one I think I would highly consider 2 connecting interior rooms. Yes we would lose the balcony, but it would be so nice to not have to tip toe around at night, and you could put the tv on. OR you could get a balcony room, and an interior room for the kids directly across the hall. This past cruise we were joined by my parents who stayed next door, and my sister across the hall in an interior room. We brought our motorola video monitor, and it worked great both next door and across the hall!

 

2 - We used the nurseries on both trips for 2-3 hours at a time. First trip at 6 months my son didnt even notice us gone.... 2nd trip at 13 months totally different. He cried! They ended up taking him in a stroller and walking him in the promenade, which he loved. So they definitely do what they can to make them happy! I personally would never leave the ship while they were in the nursery, however they do allow it. If anything were to happen to you, or you miss the ship.... to many possible "what if" scenerios for me. Plus if there is an issue with your child, they cannot reach you. Yes, we did get a call on the ship provided phone one day while by the pool, as if they are crying too long they do call you.

 

3 - i think either is fine... I'm not a fan of Jamaica, honduras, or belize! But, I do like port days on the ship when its nice and quiet. If either one stops at a private island thats the way to go with the kids.

 

4 - We havent cruise princess, but you have no nursery there. Only option I believe with them is private babysitting. For me, I wouldnt feel comfortable. The nursery is open with windows to look in, parents are coming and going, there are multiple employees working. Much less chance that anyone could do something. I'm sure the in room babysitting is fine most of the time, but if I can avoid situations like that I do!

 

good luck, and have fun!

[LuCruise]

First time cruising with kids on RCL ourselves so I don't have answers for most of your questions. But one thing to note is some kids have DreamWorks characters that your little ones may enjoy (if not scared of them as some toddlers are). I'd check out which ships include that of you think they would enjoy.

[RSLeesburg]

We were looking into sailing RCL with out twin 4 year olds. We were looking forward to in room babysitting. Now I'm concerned. Are you able to divulge the issues?

 

 

We used the in-room sitters on RCL, and the issue (which may or may not be the same as the PP experienced) was the way it is handled. We went to Guest Services to request baby sitters for the following evening, and then we called them twice the following day. They finally called us at 6pm to tell us that we had sitters who would be there by 6:45pm (we had 7pm reservations at Izumi to celebrate our anniversary). It gets to 6:45 and no sitters. They finally arrived at almost 7pm - two young ladies. They sat with our son, who watched videos the entire time. They didn't play with him, talk to him, or anything. We were happy that we got to dinner that night but never again.

 

Personally, at 4, I would use the club - it's free till 10pm, and the councilors are fantastic. On our second cruise, our son wanted to go there after dinner every night - he had a blast.

 

 

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[chengkp75]

We used the in-room sitters on RCL, and the issue (which may or may not be the same as the PP experienced) was the way it is handled. We went to Guest Services to request baby sitters for the following evening, and then we called them twice the following day. They finally called us at 6pm to tell us that we had sitters who would be there by 6:45pm (we had 7pm reservations at Izumi to celebrate our anniversary). It gets to 6:45 and no sitters. They finally arrived at almost 7pm - two young ladies. They sat with our son, who watched videos the entire time. They didn't play with him, talk to him, or anything. We were happy that we got to dinner that night but never again.

 

Personally, at 4, I would use the club - it's free till 10pm, and the councilors are fantastic. On our second cruise, our son wanted to go there after dinner every night - he had a blast.

 

 

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Yes, its my belief that the in-room babysitters are not from the kids club or kids counselor groups. They are cabin stewards or other hotel staff that are willing to work overtime. They have been screened and trained, but are not real US style babysitters.

[RSLeesburg]

Yes, its my belief that the in-room babysitters are not from the kids club or kids counselor groups. They are cabin stewards or other hotel staff that are willing to work overtime. They have been screened and trained, but are not real US style babysitters.

 

 

Yes. You are correct. Someone posted last year or the year before that, on RCI at least, they tried to recruit folks from Guest Services but I think that they do take people from hotel services too. It is done on volunteer basis, and the people are prescreened and trained, so not just any crew member could volunteer - so no worries there. Luckily our son was happy to just watch his movies, but if people are looking for US style baby sitters, than you may or may not get one. It may be dependent upon who you get as baby sitters - maybe some are more engaging than others.

[chengkp75]

Yes. You are correct. Someone posted last year or the year before that, on RCI at least, they tried to recruit folks from Guest Services but I think that they do take people from hotel services too. It is done on volunteer basis, and the people are prescreened and trained, so not just any crew member could volunteer - so no worries there. Luckily our son was happy to just watch his movies, but if people are looking for US style baby sitters, than you may or may not get one. It may be dependent upon who you get as baby sitters - maybe some are more engaging than others.

 

Yeah, playing with the kids, getting them into jammies, putting them to bed, etc. are just not included. What you get is two sets of eyes to ensure the little one doesn't get into trouble.

[NorthGaCruzers]

RCCL does a great job and the crew on Navigator were awesome when we sailed in September. Our son was 3 at the time and he wanted to be in adventure ocean all the time! To be in adventure ocean the kids must be 3 and potty trained. Under 3 they have the Royal Tots and Babies Nursery that you must pay per hour. They have toys available for check out for free that you can take back to your cabin. You can also exchange them as often as you would like.

 

As for cabins, we aren't ready to use a balcony cabin with our kids. (Those jokers will climb on anything) navigator has panoramic ocean views that are awesome. We had a larger panoramic oceanview and we had great space and the kids loved the 6 panes of floor to ceiling glass to see everything outside.

 

Port wise : Cozumel was the best for the kids as we went to Playa Mia. They have a splash park that is awesome.

 

We are looking at another cruise in May. We have only cruised on Royal, but we are looking at Carnival Freedom out of Galveston. Brand new Camp Ocean starting at age 2 and up included. So we will try it out and see how it goes. Looking forward to getting back out to sea!