First time cruiser, going on Sunshine Dec 27

[Ccarols]

Hi everybody,

My family of 4 will be cruising for the first time ever and we are doing the 7 nights over New Years to DR, PR, Virgin Islands and Turks.

Our 5 year old and 14 month old will be with us.

 

Questions

Is the Cheers Program worth it? My husband and I can put away some drinks on our days off. We very easily can have 4 shots and 5 beers each on a Saturday.

Our son does drink soda some and I know unlimited sodas are included in the cheers package. If we were at sea the whole time, I would not question this but wondering with port days if it is.

 

Our baby drinks cow milk. Can we get that on the ship included on our price or do we need to bring our own? Can we bring our baby's snacks/food?

 

What things should we do visiting these places?

Any cost saving tips?

 

My husband was laid off so we need to be able to save where we can but still want to enjoy our selves on our first cruise.

[flips7]

Cheers being worth it is subjective. If you are going to have at least 6 to 9 drinks a day than yes it is, but remember it will cost over $700 for the 2 of you.

You can bring snacks on for your little one and they do have milk onboard.

Have a great time it looks like a good cruise.

[loxley]

Frankly, I can not believe two parents with a five year old and a 14 month old would even be considering cheers.

 

The included soda with cheers is not for your child, you would need to purchase a soda package for the child separately.

 

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[Ccarols]

Loxley, our children are well cared for and loved, and want for nothing. We will not be driving and we know when to cut ourselves off. Not everyone gets tipsy off 2 drinks. And we will be utilizing the childcare services.

[volmoma]

Loxley, our children are well cared for and loved, and want for nothing. We will not be driving and we know when to cut ourselves off. Not everyone gets tipsy off 2 drinks. And we will be utilizing the childcare services.

 

 

Not with a 14 month old...they have to be 2 years old to participate... So have fun..just saying.

[volmoma]

Frankly, I can not believe two parents with a five year old and a 14 month old would even be considering cheers.

 

The included soda with cheers is not for your child, you would need to purchase a soda package for the child separately.

 

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Totally agree. The babies not old enough to participate in the Camp Carnival, they have to be 2 years old. It being their first cruise they may have overlooked this detail. The camps aren't 24/7 day cares, the child has to be able to communicate their wants, and I do believe they have to be potty trained, not 100% sure on the training part. Hope it works out well for the children.

[missdebi]

We were recently on the Sunshine with friends that have small children.. They did the Cheers program but they had other family members to help with the children. The 14 month old is not old enough for Camp Carnival so you will have to have help or tag team. My daughter always takes our niece so she can be with her twins in the room at bed time. Yes the have cows milk as well as many options for snacking.. fruits and fresh veggies on the salad bar, dry cereal at breakfast that you can save for later.

In most ports we research the area and map out a walking tour if possible saves on excursions.

[loxley]

Loxley, our children are well cared for and loved, and want for nothing. We will not be driving and we know when to cut ourselves off. Not everyone gets tipsy off 2 drinks. And we will be utilizing the childcare services.

People that drink 2 drinks do not consider the cheers package. Judy saying.

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

You can get milk on the ship. No extra charge. Plain or chocolate even. lol. Day or night. That won't be a problem for your child. You can bring snacks though there will be plenty onboard for them to nibble on. Just make sure they are factory sealed.

 

Kids have to be 2 years old to participate in camp but they don't have to be fully potty trained. Just know that they can't use the pools or the waterslides, waterworks, etc. even in swim diapers.

 

Cheers being worth it is totally subjective. You know your own drinking habits and that of your spouse. 6 or 7 drinks a day and it's paid for itself.

 

You can order water from the fun shops online on Carnival's website. $2.99 for 12. Saves money and effort schleping it all onboard yourself. You can also order soda but it's $10 for 6. That you might want to schlep, lol.

 

Search the port-of-call boards for info on the ports. GT has a great pool, beach is right there. All free. No need to spend alot on this port. You might want to scour the family board for other tips regarding travel with little ones.

 

I don't know why people feel the need to jump right to judging because you asked about buying Cheers on a family vacation. Whatever on that.

 

Sunshine is a great ship. Enjoy yourself!

Edited December 8, 2015 by cruizinisthebest

[Ccarols]

Not with a 14 month old...they have to be 2 years old to participate... So have fun..just saying.

 

I read on my he Carnival site that they have childcare for 6months to 2 years old for $6.75 an hour at various port of calls and at night. Is that not true? If not, that does change things.

 

We actually wanted to just buy one cheers package but between last week and this week reading the rules about it, it changed to everyone over 21 in the cabin must have it.

 

I am so glad I don't live a life of passing judgement of people I don't know.

[Ccarols]

You can get milk on the ship. No extra charge. Plain or chocolate even. lol. Day or night. That won't be a problem for your child. You can bring snacks though there will be plenty onboard for them to nibble on. Just make sure they are factory sealed.

 

Kids have to be 2 years old to participate in camp but they don't have to be fully potty trained. Just know that they can't use the pools or the waterslides, waterworks, etc. even in swim diapers.

 

Cheers being worth it is totally subjective. You know your own drinking habits and that of your spouse. 6 or 7 drinks a day and it's paid for itself.

 

You can order water from the fun shops online on Carnival's website. $2.99 for 12. Saves money and effort schleping it all onboard yourself. You can also order soda but it's $10 for 6. That you might want to schlep, lol.

 

Search the port-of-call boards for info on the ports. GT has a great pool, beach is right there. All free. No need to spend alot on this port. You might want to scour the family board for other tips regarding travel with little ones.

 

I don't know why people feel the need to jump right to judging because you asked about buying Cheers on a family vacation. Whatever on that.

 

Sunshine is a great ship. Enjoy yourself!

 

 

Thank you. You have been most helpful. We don't plan on staying on the ship during port days so I think cheers may be a waste because of that.

We are accustomed to all inclusive packages like Sandals where drinks are included and we have heard stories of peopl getting their bill at the end of the cruise and are shocked my the bar tab. That is what we are trying to avoid.

[volmoma]

I read on my he Carnival site that they have childcare for 6months to 2 years old for $6.75 an hour at various port of calls and at night. Is that not true? If not, that does change things.

 

 

 

We actually wanted to just buy one cheers package but between last week and this week reading the rules about it, it changed to everyone over 21 in the cabin must have it.

 

 

 

I am so glad I don't live a life of passing judgement of people I don't know.

 

 

My husband and I buy the Cheers card every time. Passing judgement and being concerned are 2 totally different things. As you stated previous, serval beers and shots, depending on the time frame of consumption, you could very well be drunk, spread out over several hours not so much. I do know that carnival polices drinks served, even with the Cheers card they can and will stop serving you if they deem you too drunk. If you reach your 15 drink limit in the 24 hr time frame you can't even buy a drink. The charge for the baby to be watched, I haven't a clue. When we cruised as a family about 6 years ago, nothing was available as I remember for children under 2. But my daughter could pay at that time a fee for her daughter after hours for a short time, but still the age was over 2. The rules may have changed since then.

[Ccarols]

Volmoma,

Exactly. Over a coarse of a day I can see use having two mimosas at breakfast, a drink or two at lunch, beer or frozen drinks at pool and drinks at dinner. But days exploring ports and not stuck on a boat, I don't see that happening.

 

We live in Savannah GA, the city of the open container law in downtown. Here it's uncommon to see people without adult beverages.

[loveto2step]

I am so glad I don't live a life of passing judgement of people I don't know.

 

 

It's getting to where I have no desire to get on this site anymore because of judgemental people. Haven't they heard "if you don't have anything good to say, say nothing."

 

I hope you have a wonderful time! So sorry that your husband was laid off, I hope things turn around for y'all quickly.

[Ccarols]

It's getting to where I have no desire to get on this site anymore because of judgemental people. Haven't they heard "if you don't have anything good to say, say nothing."

 

I hope you have a wonderful time! So sorry that your husband was laid off, I hope things turn around for y'all quickly.

 

Thank you, Loveto2step.

It's easy for people to hide behind their keyboards and express their judgements because to them, the person they are juding is a computer screen.

 

We are really looking forward to it. We at just so nervous with the cashless approach to things the boat does and afraid we are going to get hit with a crazy high bill at the end.

 

For the bottomless soda thing, what is considered soda? Some soda fountains have ice tea and Powerade.

[sweetsixteencruisers]

You can check your spending each night on your tv or at the kiosk. Dont forget that you will be charged $12 a day per person for gratuities.

 

There is free lemonade and ice tea.

[cruizinisthebest]

Thank you, Loveto2step.

It's easy for people to hide behind their keyboards and express their judgements because to them, the person they are juding is a computer screen.

 

We are really looking forward to it. We at just so nervous with the cashless approach to things the boat does and afraid we are going to get hit with a crazy high bill at the end.

 

For the bottomless soda thing, what is considered soda? Some soda fountains have ice tea and Powerade.

Iced tea is free on the ship. Go to the Lido deck. It's always there. Unsweetened. You'll come up with your own way to make it tasty. Lemonade is also free as is all the hot stuff: coffee, tea, hot cocoa which my kids drink daily even though we cruise in the middle of summer. Go figure.

 

Anything carbonated and juice is covered with the soda package. I don't buy it for my kids, because they are completely content with the free stuff. We bring one case of soda onboard. My daughter may ask for Apple juice at dinner. My son almost always opts for water.

 

You can add money to your bill a little at a time. You don't need to secure your onboard spending with a cc. You certainly can but there are other ways. Cash, Carnival gift cards, or cruise cash which is a credit you can buy through the fun shops online that will already be on your account as soon as you board. Gift cards have to be loaded onto your account as does cash, but it's no big deal to do so. That's the route we go nowadays.

 

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[lp3556]

Frankly, I can not believe two parents with a five year old and a 14 month old would even be considering cheers.

 

The included soda with cheers is not for your child, you would need to purchase a soda package for the child separately.

 

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Loxley, no one asked for your rude judgment about how people parent. Please limit your responses to answers to questions asked. Otherwise, please be quiet.

[love2traveljen]

Welcome! I'm also going on the same cruise. I took my 1.5 yr old last year on the fantasy, and guess what? We both had the cheers package! Shocking eh? What a idiot reply that someone can't consider the cheers package if they have children!

 

There is a fb group for this cruise if your interested. Reply to my message and ill give you the details. Happy sailing!

Edited December 9, 2015 by love2traveljen

[KatieCharlotte]

OP asked if Cheers would be worth it in her situation and it's not unreasonable to suggest that they won't drink enough to make it worth the $$$ while parenting two small children, one of whom is not old enough for Camp Carnival. There are fee babysitting options available, but the hours are limited. Although you won't be driving, you still have to navigate through the moving ship, get the baby and child into bed after your fun night, etc. Not to mention all the time spent in port. You will probably find that you don't drink as much as you expect. I think you'll come out ahead financially if you don't buy it. Just keep checking your S&S account if you're nervous. But, I'm the type who does get drunk on two glasses of wine, so only you can judge for sure. :)

 

For the kids, milk is available all the time. Cartons at breakfast, jugs of 2% on the coffee stand, and you can order it free in the dining room. You can bring packaged snacks and baby food, just not fresh fruit or veggies. You can also bring a limited number of soda cans on board in your carry on bags.

[kona_wahine]

You can get milk at the breakfast buffet and put it in the fridge. Cheers isn't something we have done. DH would make out ok but I probably couldn't stand to be around him. lol I can't drink that much, just makes me tired.

[Thebosn1]

Absolutely incredible that instead of just answering your question everyone jumps on you about your kids. So here are my thoughts on cheers, and I'll just leave it up to you to watch your kids, how would that be?

 

My wife and I also like to have a good number of drinks some days while cruising. The thing is, we don't drink the same amount each day, and the AVERAGE of what we spend on drinks always comes out to less than cheers would cost us. If you get cheers you are paying if you drink or not. It's expensive. If you have a long port day, you may have some drinks ashore instead of on the ship, but you still pay for drinks on the ship. So, we always pass on cheers and I think we have saved money in the long run. The soda plan you would have to pay for seperate, and they have milk available on the ship for free.

 

Sorry for the overly judgemental people who are too worried about your ability to take care of your kids to just answer your question.

 

Hi everybody,

My family of 4 will be cruising for the first time ever and we are doing the 7 nights over New Years to DR, PR, Virgin Islands and Turks.

Our 5 year old and 14 month old will be with us.

 

Questions

Is the Cheers Program worth it? My husband and I can put away some drinks on our days off. We very easily can have 4 shots and 5 beers each on a Saturday.

Our son does drink soda some and I know unlimited sodas are included in the cheers package. If we were at sea the whole time, I would not question this but wondering with port days if it is.

 

Our baby drinks cow milk. Can we get that on the ship included on our price or do we need to bring our own? Can we bring our baby's snacks/food?

 

What things should we do visiting these places?

Any cost saving tips?

 

My husband was laid off so we need to be able to save where we can but still want to enjoy our selves on our first cruise.

[KatieCharlotte]

Absolutely incredible that instead of just answering your question everyone jumps on you about your kids. So here are my thoughts on cheers, and I'll just leave it up to you to watch your kids, how would that be?

 

My wife and I also like to have a good number of drinks some days while cruising. The thing is, we don't drink the same amount each day, and the AVERAGE of what we spend on drinks always comes out to less than cheers would cost us. If you get cheers you are paying if you drink or not. It's expensive. If you have a long port day, you may have some drinks ashore instead of on the ship, but you still pay for drinks on the ship. So, we always pass on cheers and I think we have saved money in the long run. The soda plan you would have to pay for seperate, and they have milk available on the ship for free.

 

Sorry for the overly judgemental people who are too worried about your ability to take care of your kids to just answer your question.

 

Not worried about their ability to care for their kids so much as worried that after one day they'll be really regretting spending their limited money on Cheers when they realize that they can't or don't want to keep drinking enough to make it worth it because they don't have the time or energy while taking care of the kids and touring ports. Toddlers are pretty exhausting as it is and fee babysitting will only be available for limited hours. Vacationing with kids is fun and cruising is a nice way for parents to relax too, but they'll still be spending more time tag-team chasing the toddler around than drinking by the pool. :D

[cruizinisthebest]

The OP long ago said that they did rethink getting cheers. All of their questions had been addressed also without them having to weed through a bunch of judgment.

 

Not everyone thinking of buying cheers is doing so just to ensure they can drink themselves drunk or to make sure they can maximize it. Sometimes they want to know the value up against drinking habits they are used to. The OP didn't mention doing anything out of what they normally do. Some people buy cheers and then go bonkers trying to maximize or exceed it. That to me is ridiculous whether you're bringing kids or not.

 

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[Schoifmom]

I hope you have a great cruise! Your questions about Cheers have been well covered, but it appears that you had some additional questions about babysitting. Below is what I found on the Carnival site ...

 

Under 2 Infant Care

 

On Port Days, care for infants begins from 15 minutes before the first tour until 12:00 noon (or from 1:00pm until 5:00pm for ships arriving in port after noon time). Port Days are for drop off only. Fees Apply: $6.75 USD per hour plus a 15% gratuity, per child.

 

On Sea Days, Under 2 time is scheduled from 8:00am-10:00am. During this time, parents have the option of leaving their child in the care of the Youth Staff. Fees Apply: $6.75 USD per hour plus a 15% gratuity, per child for this service or they can stay and use the Camp facilities at no charge. Please note that this time is designated for the use of Under 2’s and their parents only.

 

Each evening, Night Owls is available from 10:00pm-1:00am. Fees Apply: $6.75 USD per hour plus a 15% gratuity, per child. During this time, there will be children from other age groups (2-11 years) participating in Night Owls.