Help! I need advise for cruising with a toddler

[walkswife]

We took my 11mo grandson last year and will again in April..he will be 22mo. He was no problem at 11mo, we will see about the next time. One thing I would advise is to take a child carry backpack if the child is still small enough for one.....was a life saver. Except for dad who had to carry him LOL.

 

Another thing is, if you are traveling with family and they have a room near you ,take a baby monitor so you can put the little one down for a nap and hang out in the other room. We were next to each other on the last cruise. acrossed the hall is ideal. Usually one person will be too tired for what ever the night entertainment is, so will opt to babysit. I loved to babysit and just hangout in the room at night all alone....(well, with the monitor of course).....but we took turns and it was not a problem. We have a balcony room this time so I think Grandpa will be wanting to babysit alot.

 

As for the (child negetive) remarks I am hearing.......I believe it is the difference between daycare (working) parents and stay at home parents. I have a daughter of each and can tell you there is a difference in patients with the child. I can only hope that everyone on board with us, are or were stay at home parents at one time in their life.

 

Oh, and next year we are all going on a cruise 4/07. That will include two 3 year old boys and a 1 1/2 year old girl. I will write and let everyone know the exact date and ship so you (child haters) can stear clear.

 

Life is too short to leave out your children because someone else might get upset............Look at all the rude drunks and inconsiderate smokers.

 

Okay I am stepping off my soapbox......Trisha

 

I am a working mom, always have been. I have two well adjusted teenagers who I took with me everywhere from the time they were little. I have patience, but not towards bad behavior. If my kids acted up I removed them from the situation to deal with it. Maybe stay at home parents are so use to it they don't notice all the "bad behavior". Not saying your grandkids are bad but comparing your daughters because of career choices isn't fair, or for any of the rest of us. It's a personality thing, some people are just more patient.

 

I personally have taken 18 second graders to girl scout camp for a weekend, would you like to talk patience.

[BEEZALAR]

That is each persons right to choose. You are lucky to have someone you trust to keep your toodler. 9/04 I watched one of my grandsons so all my daughters could cruise together. He was 4 months old. Then this past Dec I babysat my other grandson(23mo) and new granddaughter (3mo)so my daughter and hubby could go. When my daughter returned she said all she did was wish the kids were there the whole time. 3 months is abit toooo young but the older boys would love it. We are all going in 2007 and I can't wait to see the kids having a great time.. Trisha

[Stevie17]

 

NOT, no patience, Just less patience. As I said I have a daughter of both and if you spend less time with the child and on vacation are with them 24/7 it does ware on your nerves. Was not ment as a put down just an observation. My daughter is not insulted by that.......she agrees!!! Trisha

 

 

What a broad reaching conclusion you have come to from your "vast" sample size of two.

[CruisingFamily4]

I have two children 3 & 2. We are leaving on Saturday for the 4th cruise with the kids. We cruised when they each were 8 months old. The key for a successful cruise is PLANNING. We did pack and prepared for anything - knowing the kids were going to be with us 24/7.

 

We brought a pack and play w/ canopy and got to the deck early, kids slept for naps two hours each day (on their schedule) and at the end of the day we packed up got ready for dinner in the dining room everynight. Our servers have always been great - we order immediately for the kids and realize that we aren't going to have a 2 hour dining experience, but have a great time. Our kids aren't perfect, but certainly well behaved.

 

Some quick tips:

-For excursions we went to the beach and brought a portable cooler - which worked like a charm. Kids were happy and we were relaxed.

-I wouldn't bring an umbrella stroller as it isn't comfortable for the kids and if they happen to fall asleep more peace for you.

-We did bring plenty of toys for the cabin (you can borrow some stuff from camp carnival - we didn't).

-Order room service very early for milk and fruit - took the edge off for the kids.

-Be flexible and relax - it won't be perfect, but go for quality time.

 

There were so many comments on how well behaved the kids were - it was kinda weird. As I said not perfect - but we were very conscious of ALL passengers (It wasn't that long ago that I was single on the trips). Just realize they are kids and keep them entertained.

[Loves_Dogs]

 

 

What a broad reaching conclusion you have come to from your "vast" sample size of two.

 

Just for clarification, the quote about the 2 daughters and the working 'daycare' Mom having no patience..That is not my quote....if you re-read it, you will see this is from a post by BEEZALAR. I tried to copy from BEEZALAR's oh so wise post but because I only cut and pasted a piece of it, at first glance it looks like I said it....Certainly wouldn't want anyone to think that nonsense came from my keyboard...

[Stevie17]

Jelega -- Sorry...yup. I should have pulled the quote from the original e-mail.

[BEEZALAR]

 

 

What a broad reaching conclusion you have come to from your "vast" sample size of two.

 

I have 6 children and 5 grandchildren............... and 48 years. Lived in 8 states and two countrys..........Sorry I didn't give you a big enough sample...and I did say it was MY observation.

[zqvol]

After reading all of the comments about what you have to bring, etc. All I can add is don't even think about flying to the port if you have to bring all of that stuff.

[4funkyjunk]

Hey All!!

I'm cruising for the first time 2/12/06..Carnival Miracle.

During formal night I'll be the one with the bikini top, crisp blue jeans and a 10 month old on my hip.

Hope you all still like me:D .

P.S. I'll be sitting right next to you!!!!;)

 

 

 

 

 

Just kidding:p

[4funkyjunk]

Hey All!!

I'm cruising for the first time 2/12/06..Carnival Miracle.

 

This is actually my second cruise..and as you may see from my booboos I'm just learning how to post too.

[CruiseHobbit]

One suggestion I have seen reading through the boards is to bring a small inflatable pool. Place this in the shower for bathing, and let the child play in the water, since they do not allow infants in the pools. Another suggestion is to bring a nightlight, especially if you have an interior room. I would also suggest a balcony room, allowing the infant to sleep peacefully while you can enjoy the scenery.

[jimc_usa]

Nope--canrival does not have sitters onboard..guess you will have to take your baby to dinner with you. (Didnt your agent explain that when you booked?) Did you book early dining?

 

You can use camp after 10pm for a fee of 6 bucks an hour.

 

Please pack everything you will need for your toddler coz you might not find it onboard. Make sure your agent requested a crib /pack and paly for your cabin

 

I didn't read the entire thread - my question is - we booked through Carnival and they know we have a 15 month old. Can I assume we will get a crib in our room? Also what is a paly? Or is that a typo?

[serene56]

the agent should know you want a pack and PLAY for your cabin. Yes- it was a typing error.

 

is it your first cruise?

[IrishQT]

I didn't read the entire thread - my question is - we booked through Carnival and they know we have a 15 month old. Can I assume we will get a crib in our room? Also what is a paly? Or is that a typo?

 

No you can't assume that. I have booked on the Pride and we are taking my DD who will be 27 months old. YOU need to tell your TA or whomever booked your cruise that you need a crib. They will then have it reserved and set up in your room. Good Luck and Have FUN!!:p

[IrishQT]

One suggestion I have seen reading through the boards is to bring a small inflatable pool. Place this in the shower for bathing, and let the child play in the water, since they do not allow infants in the pools. Another suggestion is to bring a nightlight, especially if you have an interior room. I would also suggest a balcony room, allowing the infant to sleep peacefully while you can enjoy the scenery.

 

Thanks so much for the pool tip!! That's one I haven't heard yet and I can see how that would be helpful! I think the balcony is a neccessity if you are cruising with a toddler... Oh and bringing a grandparent should help us too!!

Thanks again for the great tip!:)

[Bellarose]

Hi there,

 

I have a two and four year old. Both have been on three cruises so far, with another one planned in June. It really was a great way to take a family vacation. It has always worked out very well for us. Both my husband, myself and my kids have always had a great time.

 

We brought a little blow up pool, it is about 24 inches around, really small and put some water in it for the little one. Also, we had one of those umbrella strollers that fold all the way down and on a few occassions, the baby slept through dinner. We went to 6 out of the last 7 dinners with no problem. One dinner, we got it to-go. One of us ordered the food and had them pack it up and we took it up to the room. They were helpful. Since little ones don't have a lot of patience, we also would order and then come back in 10 minutes or so when our food would start to come. There were plenty of small kids at dinners.

 

We also brought juice boxes for the day trips off the boat. Another thing we brought were disposable juice cups, that we could throw away after a couple of uses. Bring plenty of diapers, they are so expensive on the ship. Also, bring some of that hand sanitizer.

 

Also, Carnival kids has times during the day where it is only the under 2 crowd. You have to stay with your kids, but there is plenty to play with. they will even let you take the toys to borrow. This was great on the sea days. We also went to the basketball courts when people were not using them to let the kids run around. We actually met some people in the play room and our toddlers played.

 

I had posted a question on here before we went on our first cruise and was disappointed when most of the replies were to leave them at home. Don't be discouraged. We truly had a good time. Carnival seems to cater to families, even the Ritz Carlton has a play ground on the premises.

[azlefty]

... from the Paradise (see our report) with our 1 year old daughter and we all had a great time.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=305577

 

Suggestions:

Eat dinner at one of the early seatings, when there will be lots of other children, and ask the maitre d' for a table with other families with kids. They may group you with other kids anyway. Just be willing to leave and go to the buffet if he/she gets difficult. Our daughter seemed to enjoy the stimulation of the dining room and for the most part sat contently for the entire dinner.

 

Bring bottled water if you need it for formula (still at 19 mos? I don't know.) The tap water in the room may not be the best for drinking and they charge a lot of money for the bottle in the room.

 

Go to the Camp Carnival orientation to learn about what they do have for under 2. Take advantage of the babysitting when it exists and have fun yourself, as there is a lot of entertainment on board for you. we thought the babysitters did a great job and it costs about what we pay at home ($6/hour). (We tipped one of them on top of that $20 for the cruise because we thought she went the extra mile.) They also set aside a play period when you can bring your kid into CC and let them play with toys while you are there. We met some other parents there.

 

We also brought a plastic basin to bathe her, as others suggested. We taped a luggage tag to it and checked it with our luggage. We thought of bringing this up to the pool area so she could play in her own little pool but we never did this, mainly because the temp was somewhat cool (high 60s).

 

If you all dress up for formal night it is a good opportunity to get a family portrait taken. Lots of free chances to get a good shot and you buy the ones you like. Obviously more expensive than the Walmart photo studio but convenient.

 

Also: kids did seem to be allowed at bars (although not to drink liquor obviously). That was a little surprising.

[mom2hac]

I can't believe that a cruiseline as family-friendly as Carnival doesn't have babysitting for parents of toddlers who would like to have dinner without their child a couple of nights during the cruise.

 

AMEN TO THAT!!!

 

They'd have gotten MUCH more of our vacation dollars over the last 10 years (having our 3 children) if they had!!!

 

Jen

[txmomto1]

I'm cruising with my 3 year old in May. It's my experience, the children that are ill behaved are the ones who's parents never take them anywhere, and are never given the opportunity to learn proper behavior.

We take our son out to eat all the time, and he knows how to behave. If he, on a very rare occassion acts up, we take him out.

Also, if I want a "adult" vacation, I don't take a cruise on "the fun ships" where they advertise kids sliding down the slides in their commercials.

I'm sorry people felt the need to lecture you about how to raise your kids when you where asking for babysitting questions.

[BettyBurrito]

I think a cruise is the BEST vacation to bring a toddler! I love to cruise and last year my DS was about 18 mos old when we thought a land based vacation might be more appropriate. We had taken DS on his first cruise at 8 mos old.

 

Anyway, we went to Vail, CO in June to enjoy the great outdoors. Basically, we were bored. When DS was napping, there was no balcony to relax on and enjoy the ocean view and the same goes for when he went to sleep at night. With a rental house in the mountains, my DH or I could not easily take turns to sneak out while DS was asleep to have fun at the casino or see a show.

 

And the worst part was there was no one to make up our room twice a day. During the day, the only thing to do was to walk around and look at the shops :( .

 

My point is that with a toddler, any vacation is going to have limitations but at least on a cruise, there is so much more for parents to do. And parents really have to look at their child honestly to guage if that child will do well on a ship.

 

Here are some tips I found helpful:

1. Bring inflatable tub for shower. Can also be used on your balcony as toddler pool.

2. Do not rely on ship for your supplies, bring what you need (find out if there is a grocery store ot the ports to restock).

3. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen.

4. Keep child as close to regular sleep schedule as possible, this really helps.

5. Be flexible on port days. You probably won't get to do what you really want.

6. Relax and enjoy this family time...they grow up so fast :)

[GoinCruisin]

I know this was dug up from the beyond... but just in case people didn't actually read the first post... the poster cruised on January 21st :p

[ljc576]

Our daughters first cruise with us was at 18 months old. She ate with us in the dining room (early sitting) each night. THe staff was so supportive and generous. One night she fell asleep at the table and our waiter brought over napkins as a pillow for her head. Most of the crew have children back home that they don't get to see and interact with. They loved spending a few moments with our daughter. Today, she is 5 years old and will be going on her third cruise with the family. I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

One thing that did help was having a cabin with a balcony. This way, when it was nap time for her, I could sit outside and read with her safely tucked in bed.

 

Have a wonderful time and cherish all the moments!

Linda

Cruising on the Sensation in June!

[tigereye]

We are sailing on the Liberty Jan 21st. This will be our first cruise with our 19 month old. I know he is too young for camp carnival but will we be able to get a sitter while we go to dinner? Any other advice will be appreciated!!!:eek:

 

 

Leave him with a sitter...at home!

[txmomto1]

I know this was dug up from the beyond... but just in case people didn't actually read the first post... the poster cruised on January 21st :p

 

I absolutely knew she was cruising back in January. I could not sit by and bite my tongue after reading all the terrible comments from people responding to her post.

 

I'm amazed at peoples willingness on these boards to judge peoples lifestyle's and decisions.

[GoinCruisin]

I absolutely knew she was cruising back in January. I could not sit by and bite my tongue after reading all the terrible comments from people responding to her post.

 

I'm amazed at peoples willingness on these boards to judge peoples lifestyle's and decisions.

 

It doesn't just happen here, it happens on all internet message boards. You have to take the good with the bad. Hopefully most people have thick enough skin not to let complete strangers in cyber space get to them, or listen to advice from an internet message board... we can only hope :D