Cruising with a 2 year old (Will be almost 3)

[CPCruiser4Life]

Dear Parents:

 

What should we expect cruising with a 2/3 year old? We're going on the Carnival Sunshine. We have no clue what to expect, how she will react to living on a boat, Carnival Camp, etc.

 

Are there OTC meds we should bring for her?

 

Do parents tend to keep them late at Camp Carnival or do they try to put their young one in a stroller and them around if they are sleeping? Obviously there are going to be early nights, we both understand this. We've cruised several times, but this will be our first with our daughter.

 

She has done ok at daycare and at daycare at the gym. She doesn't love it or hate it, and prefers to be close to mommy.

 

Anyone with experience who can share their experiences, what to expect, what happened on their cruise that we should plan for, recommendations, advice, etc would be greatly appreciated.

[sunset785]

We have cruised at this age with our boys and found they were better behaved on the cruise than they typically are at home because we were so busy on the ship. Both of my kids are in childcare and enjoyed Camp Ocean and came back with goodies each night. Most nights we picked them up at 10 pm which is way past their bedtime but they would take a late nap.

 

 

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[Drazil65]

Only you know your child. If she is cranky when hungry then make sure you plan around her eating schedule. Keep some snacks with you at all times and drinks.

 

Same with naps, when our son was a toddler he took a 3 hr nap every afternoon and was a bear if he didn't get it. If a stroller will help you stick to her schedule then make sure you have at least an umbrella stroller with you.

 

Don't force camp carnival but be flexible and plan for things with and without her just in case. One reason we discovered how much we loved having a balcony cabin was because we/or one of us could put him in for a nap and when he was asleep in cabin we could go out on balcony and enjoy reading or even a glass of wine while he slept. Many times I would put him to sleep and DH would go and get some fruit and cheese/sandwich/pizza and we would enjoy a quiet lunch out on balcony while DS slept. Made it nice for us and kept his schedule.

 

Our son loved camp carnival so he would generally go in the mornings then we would feed him then nap. We would keep him with us the rest of the day and eat dinner together in MDR or where ever we choose to eat. Most of our nights were early nights at least for one of us. We used night owls a few times to "go out" or see a late comedy show.

 

Dont overplan and as your child will already be overstimulated with everything going on around her, just be flexible and adjust accordingly. If she is like my son (who is 14 now) she will become quite the little cruiser and love it.

[G&TQ]

Unfortunately you will have to play it by ear. What works for her might not work for another family or a second child. I would recommend taking any OTC you can think of and any special treats. If they are available they will be expensive on the ship.

 

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[stephiemueller]

We cruised with our daughter when she was that same age. We were just like you, had no idea what to expect, but it turned out great. We thought we would only use Camp Carnival a little bit, but it turned out she loved it, we picked her up after an hour so the first time and she begged us to bring her back and she ended up going frequently throughout the week. But my daughter is very outgoing, and never minds when I drop her off at places, so I am sure this could vary greatly depending on the child. We were also on a cruise out of San Juan, so there were not a ton of kids and she got a lot of personal attention. We found the staff all around the ship to be fantastic with her. We would always come back to the room for an afternoon nap (which turned out to be nice for mommy and daddy too, lol). We ever picked her up after 10pm and would go to bed then. Also they will give you a cell phone to use on board, so knowing they can call you if an issue arises offered great peace of mind. We are about to go on our second cruise with her, and she is now 4 and so excited! 😃

[cb at sea]

You should bring any and all pediatric meds you think you MIGHT need...the ship doesn't sell them. Eardrops, nose drops, baby tylenol, tummy meds...what ever! The kid's club is great...

A balcony cabin is great...it will give you someplace "to be" when child is napping or down early for the night....you won't need to sit in a dark room...the balcony is your escape place!

[CruisingBeans]

We have cruised when our oldest was 2 years old, then she was 4 years old and sister was 14 mos old and the upcoming cruise my girls will be 6 and 3 years old. I love cruising with them and they love it (my husband is really gonna love it this time when both can go to camp). I would agree - love having a balcony for nap time or just take turns in the cabin at nap time. When my oldest was 2 she wouldn't stay at camp, but she was a young 2. She goes to daycare and really outgoing so we were surprised but didn't spoil vacation at all. We always eat in dining room and bring different small toys, coloring, etc. Our kids usually went to bed at 9 -9:30 ( they usually go at 8). We didn't use babysitting in the cabin. We were content with a nightcap on the balcony. At ports we went off early, usually to a beach or walk around town and back on board for lunch and nap. We may go off again just to get some souvenirs by the port but we didn't do any tours or have set plans. Really enjoyable to play it by ear. Carnival crew seems to love little ones and are really helpful (getting a high chair, entertaining during dinner etc). As a parent, I find cruising to be a very stress free vacation.

I hope you all have a wonderful time!

[Domergirl]

My youngest child is now 6, and began cruising when she was 17 mos old. Her first 2 cruises, she was too young for Camp. You just have to play it by ear...but give Camp a try. The counselors at Camp will give you a cell phone (that only works on the ship), so if she is very unhappy, they will call you.

 

Bring a stroller...but be mindful of the limited space, so make it an umbrella stroller rather than a giant one! We would wheel our daughter around QUITE a bit, and she would often sleep in the stroller. Many a time, she'd even be asleep in the MDR.

 

If your daughter is not 100% potty trained, keep in mind that she will not be allowed to swim in the pools/hot tubs on the ship, even with a swim diaper. Pack her swimsuit and floaties, and swim at the beaches in port. Also - if she uses diapers, we would always bring a bunch of plastic grocery bags, out of kindness to our steward, who would take the trash out of our room twice a day. There are no liners in the trash cans in the room.

 

Meds - yes, as others have said, err on the side of bringing anything you might need.

 

Be SURE you check FunTimes and catch all of the Dr. Suess activities. These are family activities that you can attend with her...there is a parade, that leads up to a reading of The Cat in the Hat (with all the kids on stage - you can go up and sit with her, since she is very young). Also - go to the Green Eggs and Ham breakfast, which is $5 per person. It's only offered once or twice per sailing, but there are photo ops with several characters, along with fun food.

 

Bring highlighters to highlight the camp schedule, to track the camp activities you think she'd enjoy. The schedule will break down activities by the half hour/hour.

 

As long as you manage YOUR expectations, you will have a great cruise. Cruising with kids can be work, and you will have to miss out on some things...just like parenting in general!!! But my kids have 10 under their belt so far, with two more booked....so obviously we enjoy it!!!! :)

[CPCruiser4Life]

Thank you everyone!!!

 

We have reasonable expectations. Unfortunately, for monetary reasons, we have an inside stateroom. We were only so luck to get a beautiful aft balcony for our honeymoon. What a great perk. However, we will make this work.

 

Dr. Seuss, Generic Build-a-Bear looks to be a lot of fun. Can't wait!!!!

 

We're stoked and have realistic expectations. I just hopes she doesn't have any ill effects from the ship itself. She's been on a big boat on Lake George, but nothing close to the size of a cruise ship!

 

We're hoping to be a great time. Her cousin will almost be two on the cruise too.....we're hoping she's potty trained too!

 

Thanks so much!!!

[serene56]

We took grand daughter first cruise at 18 months. She did very well at dinner each night. After dinner we took her to the outside deck on deck 5 and just let her run. She can't anywhere and very few people out there. Next cruise we used camps at 30 min increments. She liked it some days and others wanted nothing to do with. At night we took the stroller but let her walk most times. She is now 11 and did 6 cruises

 

 

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[Domergirl]

I just hopes she doesn't have any ill effects from the ship itself. She's been on a big boat on Lake George, but nothing close to the size of a cruise ship!

 

Mine never had any trouble at that age. If you think about it...toddlers tend to walk around like little drunks...so the rocking didn't seem to be any big deal!! My middle daughter had some problems at about ages 8-10, but seems fine now (at 12). We gave her half of a Bonine then...but I imagine yours would be way too young. If I were you, I'd mention it to her pediatrician, and get their thoughts on it. I doubt there are any meds for that age child, but they might have some thoughts on ways to minimize effects.

 

Have a great time!

[arpie05]

We met a couple once sailing w a toddler and they had brought a portable toddler cot with them. They fold up like an umbrella stroller. It was perfect for them as low to the ground and neither parent had to sleep in an upper bunk. My only suggestion as my sister had one - be sure and use for naps before u go so kid is used to it before you leave. Also. Take a little battery night light since interiors are very very dark.

 

 

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[jamdoll417]

My daughters first cruise was at age 4, so a little different but here are my thoughts.

 

Definitely give camp ocean a chance. Little one may love it. Personally, we had to DRAG our daughter out of there each night. We never paid for additional hours late at night because my in-laws were with us and they stayed with her. However, our next cruise it will just be our family of 3 (she is now 5 years old), and i figure we will do it one or two nights so we can enjoy later activities like the comedy club.

 

Children have to be potty trained to be in the pool so just be aware of that.

Dinner was a little difficult for us, but the waiters helped out by bringing her food earlier if at all possible. A few nights she ate with camp ocean and I will definitely do that again. She loved it and it was a nice change of pace for us.

 

As far as medication, I would bring anything you can think of that you might need. Things are so expensive on board medicine wise, Id rather be safe than sorry.

 

I would keep snacks with you during the day, sweaters/blankets, it gets so cold indoors.

 

I will say I believe the crew goes above and beyond for the littles and that made it so special. Definitely make sure you do the Seuss stuff (book parade and breakfast) That was REALLY fun for my kid.. and I loved it too.

 

On previous cruises I have seen strollers around, so if you think little one will be comfier in that I say go for it. One area of concern for me is ports with kids. I'm really strict about carseats so we stay in port when she is with us. I can't imagine dragging a carseat with me, so for now we find fun things to do close by.

 

I rambled a bit! Let me know if you have any questions! Have fun!

[rhoades.c]

We bring an umbrella stroller (fits through stateroom doors) with us for naps on the go and let him sleep in the dining room if we have a late dinner. Our son is 2 (26 months) and has done 3 cruises so we have a routine now if he acts up at dinner (my wife and I take turns either walking him around the ship during dinner or going back to room early). You will play it by ear and try to work your schedule out each day, some days we laid in bed all day letting him play with toys on the bed and got room service instead of going to dinner.

 

 

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