Cruising with a 2 yrd old-bad idea?

[funcruisinglady]

Ever wonder why they invented [size=4][color=red]Disney Cruises?[size=2][color=black] [/color][/size][/color][/size]

They cater to children. Maybe you should try it. Just my opinion.

[GoinCruisin]

Ah, but Carnival ALSO markets to the younger (family or not) crowd... how else would they have gotten the reputation as the party ships/fun ships, etc... Carnival definitely does not only market to families... which is why many of the cruisers are singles/young married couples... etc. They also have a huge repeat business... and many people fell in love with Carnival prior to having children, so they continue to sail on Carnival with their children.... Having Camp Carnival does not mean they are marketing only to people with children :rolleyes:

[cruiser05]

[quote name='tef43']

Kids do not belong there. [/QUOTE]


No its people like you who dont belong there. They think that children are just ..Oh MY Gosh Children on board. Well just remember, you were a kid too and they are just there to have a vaction just like everyone else

[triplelutz]

Okay, so is this the game - I ask a question and get smart remarks? I seriously don't get the child - hate. I detest drunk people, and several of you that don't want kids on board have 'fessed up to being inebriated on occasion, yet I don't slam you. I find a grown person three sheets to the wind far more distastful than a fussy child in the dining room.

I do realize that we will never see the other's point of view, but I'm wanting an honest answer why do you continue to cruise with Carnival when you seem to be so disturbed by children. They aren't going to stop going just because you spew venom, so why not remove yourself and go on a cruiseline that caters to your wants and desires.

[dbcruzin]

[quote name='funcruisinglady']Ever wonder why they invented [size=4][color=red]Disney Cruises?[size=2][color=black] [/color][/size][/color][/size]

They cater to children. Maybe you should try it. Just my opinion.[/QUOTE]


Ever wonder why they invented HAL...they cater to stuffy adults....maybe YOU should try it.....just MY opinion....:cool:

[glrounds]

[color=Navy][size=3][font=Comic Sans MS][i]I had [b]FOUR [/b]sons. :D (all grown up and gone now)

So I'm certifiably [b]BULLETPROOF :D

[/b]I can understand those that don't want the patter of little feet around them on a cruise, but unfortunately (for them, I guess) Carnival makes a big deal about catering to families with kids. In fact Carnival's demographic is smack dab in the middle of young families that want/need to cruise together and can't afford expensive cruiselines.

Obnoxious, ill-mannered, little vamps are objectionable to even parents of kids. I think we would all agree this is really the result of[b] bad parents[/b] not bad kids. Better supervision of the kids and confrontation of the parents of the vamps by the Carnival staff would be something we all would appreciate at times. :) Sadly, I've never observed this happening. But discourteous and destructive kids on board my 10 Carnival cruises have been very rare, indeed.

Having said this, I would have to agree with the poster that stated there are plenty of obnoxious, ill-mannered, adults on cruises also. Thank god, not nearly as many as in Carnival's past. As much as I don't like posters citing [b]ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE[/b], I will say, the last time I saw anyone acting in an obnoxious way was a young married couple, drunk and argueing over, of all things, the brand of menthol cigarettes she just bought. One thing led to another, plenty of hyphenated words screamed back and forth and two bottles of beer dumped on each other's heads as well as other paxs in nearby tables by the pool. Pathetic ! ! I felt sorry for them. Sure hope they don't taint the gene pool and have children ! ! :(
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[GoinCruisin]

Lutz, really I don't honestly think ANY of these people HATE children, most of them have their own children but have their own opinions about toddlers being on a cruise... that is a HUGE difference. Carnival markets to singles and families (so they have camp carnival, but they also have nightclubs open until 4am... the ice cream and pizza bars were not created solely for children, or doubtful they would be 24 hour...they have R rated comedy acts and adult oriented shows, gambling, just a few examples) and they have enough to suit the needs of BOTH of those categories... All of the sudden people are throwing around the HATE word and not a single person has even come close to implying that. There are some children on the ship that are completely OUT OF CONTROL and just those few can make it miserable, just as I am sure a few out of control drunks can do the same for your vacation. There are valid reasons on both sides.... this all has to do with toddlers and babies being on a ship, and those grown children that have absolutely no respect and a totally unsupervised by their parents... I believe it is the parents that most of us can't tolerate, because they allow their children to behave this way. I applaud parents that really do supervise their children and don't think just because they are in camp, or the arcade, etc... that they are being supervised.... they sign themselves out and go nuts on the ship (not all children..keep in mind, we have been talking about the unruly ones that cause many people to feel this way about children in general... is it fair? of course not, but everyone has experienced something where they let a few bad eggs change their thinking on the group as a whole... ie, recently smokers)

The word hate or a word close to that has not come out by anyone opposing toddlers on a ship.... the "ankle biters" comment was also directed at those unruly children, NOT ALL OF THEM. If everyone reads all of the posts, they will understand that these are opinions and nobody hates children!!!!

[hstrybuf]

GC, exactly right. I have two grown children, no grandchildren yet, and three great-nieces/nephew that I absolutely adore. :) No one enjoys either obnoxious drunk adults or unruly children. Hate is not a word I use here. Maybe detest. I detest the actions of unruly children and the parents who allow them to act like heathens. Considering the amount of money some of us put out for a long awaited cruise (and IMHO Carnival markets to anyone who can afford to jump aboard) having our vacation disrupted by people like the ones I described above is not in the plan. I have a great deal of tolerance for children being children. I do not have that same tolerance for children being heathens or for their parents (or for the out of control drunks). I can honestly say that I have seen a few heathens on our cruises. I have also spent some very pleasant time talking to children who were polite, bright and enjoyable to be around.

[basketsiam]

This thread has gotten so off-based!!!! To the original poster, by all means take your child along and enjoy your vacation with her. She will absolutely love it, and you will delight in watching her as she absorbs more than any adult could ever imagine. To the stuffy adults who have posted on this thread, remember that children ultimately make our world go around......They deserve opportunity and love. If children on board bother you, maybe you should consider a cruiseline that caters to adults instead of families.

[Guest Time2gocruzn]

[b]Like I said B4, it is the [i]anti[/i] kid people who seem to show up over and over in threads asking for advice about traveling w/ children. Look, obviouslly the OP is a good parent who is concerned about being considerate to other people. The OP ended with these questions: [i]"Has anyone travled with such a young one? Any advice?"[/i] I am still not sure why the people who don't agree with small kids on a cruise are posting what their dislikes are in this thread. (I understand this is a public forum to express your opinion, but if you don't have/cruise with toddlers why/what exactly are you contributing?!) Nobody likes unruly kids who run wild ANYWHERE, I think we have established that, and quite frankly, I am tired of hearing about "those kids". They are not what the OP asked about, and talking about them over and over is not offering anything constructive. WHY oh WHY does this ALWAYS turn into a debate? We get it, you don't like cruising w/ kids. Next time sombody asks for advice about cruising w/ them, please try to offer something a little more useful, than "I don't like kids on a ship". [/b] [b]My kids would NEVER be allowed to act like that, and I am sure the OP feels the same. If I felt "those kids" were effecting the quality of my vacation, you bet your arse I would be complaining until somebody did something about it!! But for goodness sake, don't take out your bad experience on [u]every[/u] poster who askes about cruising with kids!! :mad: Not all parents who bring children along allow that sort of behavior and it is ignorant to assume that [u]all[/u] kids are going to act that way. For every 5 kids you saw acting out, I bet there were 100 more you [i]never[/i] noticed because they were well behaved.[/b]

[triplelutz]

djklove, you've hit the nail on the head - like my mama's always said, "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." The OP was asking about cruising with a toddler, not how much to other's detest unruly children.

So, my experience with my toddler back in June was great. We took DH's parents along, so during dinner there were plenty of adults to take turns walking her around if need be or to take her out of the dining room if that was needed. I have to say, she did great! Our waiter had fruit salad waiting for her every night so she had something to munch on while we looked at the menu. She ate just about everything - she loves steak! The worst thing that happened the whole week was when my 9 year old spilled her after-dinner hot chocolate - she was mortified and started to cry because she was so embarrased to make a mess.

After dinner, DH took the oldest one up to camp for the evening activities. One night she came back to the room escorted by security - the rest of the kids in her age group checked themselves out and were playing in the elevators. She knew it was wrong, so she told the security guy and he brought her to the room to thank us for raising such a great kid! He must have told someone else, because she got a room service delivery of chocolate cake and milk!

My in-laws would go to the early show while I got the little one bathed and in bed. Then my MIL would stay with the girls while DH and I went to the late show or just hung out. We usually hit the late night buffet right when it opened, then go back to the room and in-laws went up for their turn.

We didn't do any tours because I'm freaked out about my kid in a taxi without a carseat! So we usually walked around the dock. I knew it wasn't going to be a "doing stuff" kind of cruise, it was just so nice to spend the time together as a family.

It's entirely possible to have a good time with the little ones along - you just have to be a bit more flexable and go with the flow.

I hope you have a fabulous time!

[Karried]

[size=3][color=red]No, I never wondered why Disney was invented[/color][/size] - I know exactly why it was invented - [size=4][color=seagreen]Profit[/color][/size]

Obviously they saw how many families enjoyed spending time together and having fun - so they joined in to reap the rewards. Tells you something about how many parents want to spend time with their children, otherwise Disney wouldn't be such a popular cruise line.

That doesn't mean we have to head to Florida and cruise on that ship, nor should we feel compelled by you to do so.

Quote 'CHILDREN SHOULD BE SEEN AND NOT HEARD.'

livtojump - last time I was at Hedonism (when I was very young and childless) there was not a waterslide but after reading some of your posts, I've reached the conclusion that this about sums up the type of vacation you might really enjoy. [size=1]There you will assured you won't see any children or hear them - have a wonderful trip.[/size]
Hedonism = self love, [size=1]living a life of pleasure, self indulgent[/size]
[size=1][/size]
This is such a ridiculous thread - I don't know why I even bothered to post except I felt so horrible for the OP.
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[the_monkey]

[quote name='funcruisinglady']Ever wonder why they invented [size=4][color=red]Disney Cruises?[size=2][color=black] [/color][/size][/color][/size]

They cater to children. Maybe you should try it. Just my opinion.[/QUOTE]
One word for the entire Disney franchise (every last little bit of it) - EWWWW.

Why would I pay more for the "honor" of sailing with a giant rat? I'd be in a diabetic coma within 24 hours. Where's that puking icon?

[imsulin]

Here's my take: The OP asked about taking a two-year old on a cruise. I had FIVE kids (1973 - 1983). We took them to family reunions, local resorts, visits to our "friends-from -college" who also had kids, Disney land/world, several National Parks, and camping/skiing...plus a whole lot more. We had a Suburban to accomodate all of plus Muttsy (pound rescue dog). Those trips were a lot of fun for us, but there were times that we chose to vacation WITHOUT our kids, and cruising was one of those choices. Thinking back, there is NO WAY I would have taken a two-year old on a cruise!!! I know very well what it's like to live with a two-year old, and our choice to cruise or do other kinds of travel by ourselves was based on my personal experiences with FIVE two-year olds!!

[Bunkie103]

I'm still wondering WHY the OP even started this post when she asked the question "cruising with a 2yo--bad idea?" and then stated "well she's going anyway".
What's the point? Lots of upset angry people? If that was the goal...it worked! Karried...you were so upset over the posts. It should never have come to this. We all have different opinions and ideas. Maybe this post needs to be put out of it's misery. :confused:

[dewhit6959]

Oh Boy !!!!!!!!!

I always get a kick out of the posts concerning children on cruises. My two sons were good kids but could tear an anvil apart. We knew this and kept the riot under our roof or within an arms reach. We weren't able to take long vacations when they were young because they were young. We had to go places that had other families so when the hysterics began, it was all in stride. When we had the first child, we knew our lives would change and we would have to give up certain activities for a certain time.
I seem to get the feeling that the idea of "family" vacation is whatever dad and mom really want to do and the children will be conformed to the plan.
Vacations actually wore me out as I tried to give their mother a break, but getting them back to the home barn was always a relief. Granny and Pa let it be known early that they loved the kids dearly, but were not babysitters for weeklong trips. We gave up the sedan for a station wagon, didn't eat out as much, danced in the kitchen late at night and twisted a few ears on church pews, but we wouldn't have changed a thing.
Maybe everybody elses children are better behaved than mine were under ten, but I doubt it. So I guess I am saying that you should really consider who the vacation is for before spending the money.

[cruisinqt]

I agree with triplelutz. Djklove hit the nail on the head. Whenever a concerned parent asks a question about the young child they are bringing on board, they get the "I don't think cruises are for chidren" stuff. She didn't ask whether or not anyone approved of her bringing her child on a cruise. She asked if anyone had cruised with a child as young as hers and did they have advice. Since her child is obviously already booked on a cruise, all of the "cruises aren't for children" stuff is no help for her. This forum is for helping people, so let's give her some helpful advice.

My daughter was only 2 when she first started cruising and she had a blast. :) Don't discount the kids program. My daughter got to play with play dough and finger paint in the kids camp when she was 2. It was the highlight of the whole cruise for her. I still have one of the finger paintings she did for me on that cruise. The kids camp also has an outdoor wading pool and playground that she loved. There was also usually one lounge that was for families with children. My daughter loved to go there and dance to the live music with her daddy. We still have the pictures of her standing on his shoes as they danced! :D Those are just a few of the things she got to do when she cruised at the age of two. Just be sure to bring something along in the dining room to keep her busy. The meal can take up to 2 hours sometimes because there are 5 courses of food to go through. If she has a little something to play with to distract her it helps a lot. If you don't think she can sit still for that long, then don't take her. There are lots of eating options on Carnival ships, so you don't always have to go to the main dining room to eat.

As for the 11 yr. old, make a set of rules for his behavior. Make it clear what will happen if he breaks the rules. ( Like being banned from the arcade or pool.) I write down the rules for my kids and they have their own copies. They know I mean business and I don't usually have any problems with them on our cruises. They are so good when they are away from home. It doesn't matter if they are on vacation, or at school, I always get positive feedback on their behavior. It's when they get home that they turn into little monsters. Sometimes, I think they're going to kill each other. But when we leave the house, they become very well behaved. It's like I live with two Dr. Jekyl and Mr.Hydes!! My DH says they get tired of being on their best behavior while out and about. Anyway, our kids have cruised since they were very young and they always enjoy it. I'm sure yours will too. Carnival is geared towards families with young children as well as the older ones like their grandmother. There is something for people of all ages to do on Carnival ships, young and old alike. I think your 2 year old will love it, and so will grandma. Your little one can finger paint and play with play dough while grandma hits the slots! Enjoy your cruise!:D

[Karried]

I know Bunkie, it was stupid of me to get sucked into this 'drama' - I just feel horribly about how people put down others - the name calling, the cruel jabs toward OP - sheesh, I came here for ideas about my first Carnival cruise ( I've always traveled Royal Caribbean and loved every single second of it ) now I'm worried about what kind of reception we'll get on our trip - I'm not looking forward to it nearly as much anymore.

I'm done with this mess, have a wonderful cruise experience however you decide to spend it.

[GoinCruisin]

Karried, you will have a great time!!! Really, Carnival is great and caters to everyone, old and young... Also remember that only about 10% of cruisers even come to this site... don't let this post get to you, these people really are great people... opinionated one way or the other, yes... but great!!! Enjoy your cruise!!!!

[b][i]"Has anyone travled with such a young one? Any advice?"[/i] [/b]Actually, the post was titled, Traveling with a 2 year old - Bad idea??? I think the main problem with a thread titled like this is it leaves you wide open for other peoples opinions... bad idea? is a wide open question... The OP is new and had no idea that sometimes posts like this lead to this very thing... In the end, it is your cruise, do what you want!!!!

[iluvdoxies]

Bunkie, I couldnt agree more.
Now this person also has angry threads about tipping- the 2 yr ols shouldnt have to-
and not dressing for formal night- 11 yr old wont dress up, 2 yr ols doesnt wear dresses and gma wears only t shirts---
Why stir things up so much?
Maybe this person is not even cruising, just likes to start threas which she knows will get heated.
I expect soon to read one from her about smoking issues, and swim diapers!

[cruisinqt]

I agee that the title (Is cruising with a 2 year old a bad idea?) was not worded too well. :rolleyes: But anyone that read the original post could see that the 2 year old was already booked for the cruise. She even said "it doesn't matter whether or not it is a good idea, she is going." So if you know the 2 year old is already going on the cruise, why say "cruises aren't for kids" and other things about disliking kids on cruises? :confused: The 2 year old is already booked on the cruise, so why put down kids on cruises when you know the decision has already been made? It is of no help to the mother who is asking "has anyone travelled with such a young one? Any advice?"


I have seen several people get a negative view of Cruise Critic and Carnival because of threads like this one. People like Karried that were very excited about their first cruise on Carnival are now getting fed up and saying "I'm done with this mess." I agree with Bunkie, maybe this post needs to be put out of it's misery.:mad:

[ljc576]

Two years ago we traveled with our daughter who was 18 months old! We were traveling as a family to celebrate my parents 50th anniversary. I guess the only thing we did special was we paid for a teenager to come along and help out as a babysitter. During the cruise, we really didn't have too many hassles..in fact, our daughter made the cruise highlight tape! We were up on the Lido deck at 11pm (she wouldn't go to sleep!) and the music was going and she was just a dancing!!! We also found that the crew went out of their way to help or even take her for a few minutes to get a dish of ice cream. (Within our sight)You have to remember that some of the crew have children of thier own back home who they don't get to see. Now what did we do when she was pitching a fit in the dining room??? We took her out for a few minutes until she settled back down. Having a balcony cabin is a great idea... this way, when the little ones need to nap, you can take a book and read or nap on the balcony.

Make sure you bring an umbrella stoller with you, the collapsable type. Makes it easy to get around the ship without having to carry little one.

Go and enjoy your cruise! In fact, we'll be taking our little one who will now be 4 on her second cruise in December!!

[basketsiam]

[quote name='iluvdoxies']Now this person also has angry threads about tipping- the 2 yr ols shouldnt have to-
and not dressing for formal night- 11 yr old wont dress up, 2 yr ols doesnt wear dresses and gma wears only t shirts---
Why stir things up so much?
Maybe this person is not even cruising, just likes to start threads which she knows will get heated.[/QUOTE]

I, too, have noticed this......Ves has started about 14 threads in the last few days since she registered.....Most of these threads are controversial subjects including firing her TA, cabin assignment location, and spoiled milk to name some others. I just wonder if she is trying to start arguments, which she certainly has!!!!!

[L2J]

[QUOTE]livtojump - last time I was at Hedonism (when I was very young and childless) there was not a waterslide but after reading some of your posts,

I've reached the conclusion that this about sums up the type of vacation you might really enjoy. [size=1]There you will assured you won't see any children or hear them - have a wonderful trip.[/size]

Hedonism = self love, [size=1]living a life of pleasure, self indulgent[/size]

[/QUOTE]
Well after talking to a TA/co-worker who goes there a couple times per year there is.

You are quite correct in your assumption.

I too, have a websters on my desk.

Like another poster said, no one here knows anyone from "Adam" nor do they know if we have kids. So read all my posts and make all the assumptions you like it doesn't matter at all.

[Vicar]

My daughter, now 17 was an angel in public and at other peoples homes when she was little. A reigning terror at home sometimes , but an angel in public *LOL*

Still I would not have taken her on a cruise at that age. I have also always felt that taking infants and very young children on trips like that are a waste because you pay so much and they never will remember it, and if anything the adults are just limiting their good time (Strictly MY OPINION)

When my daughter was small we did plenty of the child friendly trips, theme parks, water parks, childrens museums eyc, Disney World. However we did the adult trips by ourselves, (cruises, Vegas etc)

Again strictly MY OPINION, better to leave the child home with a relative that they know and are happy with. Than to leave them in Camp Carnival all day.
if it is possible.

My daughter is funny, she is dying to go to Las Vegas , I go once a year and she hears all my stories and after seing all the hype on TV she is of course intrigued. I have offered to take her but she doesn't want to go until she is 21. As she puts it why does she want to go when she is just gonna be treated like a kid , no casino, she can't have a drink, she is not up for (as she puts it) "LAME" kids clubs and everyone watching her like a baby. Better to wait and when she does go she can really enjoy. Right now her thing on a vacation is laying on the beach, meeting boys and shopping (sounds like a 17 yr old to me *LOL*)

Again I reiterate Just MHO