Special Needs Toddler

[kbset]

My husband and I are looking at booking a cruise with Carnival (not sure where to or which ship yet) but by the time we are looking to go, our daughter will be 1 1/2 years old. She has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones) and since she will still be in a crib at that time I was wondering if Carnival has any cribs or pack and plays or anything of that nature that she could sleep in. Also wondering about bathing her. Some people have mentioned getting her a blow up bath tub which is a great idea...just wondering if there would be a space issue in the bathroom. If there is anything else you think we should be considering/asking about when cruising with her please let me know!

[xxoocruiser]

Due to space and storage limitations , cruise ships generally will not use cribs. Instead Pak n' Plays are more commonly used even on Carnival ships. The cabin steward will set it up while you're at dinner each night and dismantle it each morning while you've gone to breakfast. Let the cabin steward know if you want it's for naps during the day.

 

You can contact Carnival's Special Needs Dept. if booked directly otherwise you will need to have your TA to arrange for the Pak n' Play to be delivered to the cabin. It must be requested on your booking.

• specialneeds@carnival.com
  
• fax: 1.800.532.9225
  
• no phone number is published on website.
  

[KSH11]

Many of the cabins will not have a bathtub, only a shower. I have to book suites on Carnival, RCCL, & NCL to get a tub, which I need for pain management. Holland & Disney have tubs in most rooms.

[Truebounty]

hello kbset

 

i just come across your msg. i have osteogenesis imperfecta as well (fully dependent on a wheelchair) and i just wanted to ask you how your cruise went with your little daughter :)

 

interesting question with the craddle and the "bathing-problem". never thought about that this can be one of the many problems travelling with a little child! (as i have no children by myself :D)

 

and especially i wanted to congratulate you for your courage to travel with your daughter at that little age! often parents with "brittle bone children" do not dare to travel or try something "not exactly planable", especially the first years :)

 

all the best wishes for all of your family!

[kbset]

hello kbset

 

i just come across your msg. i have osteogenesis imperfecta as well (fully dependent on a wheelchair) and i just wanted to ask you how your cruise went with your little daughter :)

 

interesting question with the craddle and the "bathing-problem". never thought about that this can be one of the many problems travelling with a little child! (as i have no children by myself :D)

 

and especially i wanted to congratulate you for your courage to travel with your daughter at that little age! often parents with "brittle bone children" do not dare to travel or try something "not exactly planable", especially the first years :)

 

all the best wishes for all of your family!

 

 

Hi There!!

 

Sorry, I just now saw your message. Unfortunately, we ended up canceling the cruise we were going to go on in January but not because of Elizabeth ( our daughter). We ended up having to cancel because my husband had an unfortuate accident at work and he currently has a fractured heel (he does not have OI). He won't be cleared for work or travel until around Feb-March and that is only if he doesn't need surgery. BUT, we are looking into booking a different cruise (5 nights) at the moment with Royal towards the end of April beginning of May.

 

I figured if she is going to break, she's going to break...nothing we can do about it but be prepared and pack her "break kit" and fix her up if it happens :) The last time we went on vacation (last March) to AZ to visit family, she ended fracturing her femur less than 24 hours from when we arrived.

 

Elizabeth is still not mobile, even at 18 months, due to having to be in a spica for a lot of the time this year (she also has hip dysplasia).

[Esilef]

She sounds like an amazing little fighter!!!!

[kbset]

She sounds like an amazing little fighter!!!!

 

She certainly is!! :)

[Sparkygirl]

kbset, if you are comfortable with it consider bringing along bead necklaces or make a face sticker sheets for your daughter to give out to the staff onboard the cruise ship. We have sailed with my special needs daughter (life-threatening latex allergy to airborne, contact and indirect contact exposure and latex fruit syndrome). We firmly believe she can't live her life in a bubble even though that would be safest course of action for her. NCL has been amazing in accommodating my daughter's needs and we find that the staff onboard are often missing their own children, nieces and nephews that she often makes friends by engaging them by giving away a drawing she made or a sticker face or bead necklace.

[kbset]

kbset, if you are comfortable with it consider bringing along bead necklaces or make a face sticker sheets for your daughter to give out to the staff onboard the cruise ship. We have sailed with my special needs daughter (life-threatening latex allergy to airborne, contact and indirect contact exposure and latex fruit syndrome). We firmly believe she can't live her life in a bubble even though that would be safest course of action for her. NCL has been amazing in accommodating my daughter's needs and we find that the staff onboard are often missing their own children, nieces and nephews that she often makes friends by engaging them by giving away a drawing she made or a sticker face or bead necklace.

 

That is an AMAZING idea!!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!! :)

[chengkp75]

As for the blow up tub, this is a tub, not a pool. These are generally no bigger than the seated child's bottom and outstretched legs. It will fit in the shower. It can also be used on a balcony if you book one, or on the pool deck to let her splash in the sun.

[Dayenu]

You can also post questions in the family section, if you haven't done so. They will give you answers that are child-specific, like if the tub will fit in the shower, what else to bring that you may not think of, what your ship provides for the child to sleep in, etc...