Cruising with a 2 yrd old-bad idea?

[mtd716]

[quote name='livtojump']A fully potty trained kid at two?? You've got to be kidding.
[/QUOTE]I know this is off topic of the original post, but wanted to address this. It's possible. Depends if you have a child that just turned 2 or one that is 2 but about to turn 3. Huge difference! My daughter was very definitely fully potty trained, in regular underwear with no accidents, before she turned 3. It was one of the requirements before they could be promoted to the 3-year old class in her daycare. I have a feeling my son will be a different story, though! :p

As far as cruising with toddlers, I'm curious to hear others' experiences too. We cruised without our kids a couple of weeks ago, but we plan to cruise with them (along with other family) in summer 2006 when our youngest is 3. Most likely on either Disney or Carnival since they seem to have the best kid's programs. We plan to make at least some use of the children's activities and I'd like to know how other kids that age have liked the kids area/activities.

[kaapt]

Vesw,

In your defense on taking your children on a vacation, I also am taking my two children on our first cruise with us in November. Their ages are 2 and 5 and am very excited about doing so. We had seriously considered leaving them at home with grandparents who were more than willing to keep them while we vacationed. However, the thought of that almost broke my heart and we quickly reconsidered. I adore my two children and could not bear to be without them for 7 night cruise plus pre- and post- night hotel stays. I too had questions about camp carnival not to have them babysit my children all week so I could have a vacation without them, but to have organized activites planned for them where they had the comradery of fellow young cruisers. For all of you who are antichildren cruisers- are you aware that Carnival is the only cruise line that offers organized childrens activities for a child under 3 that is not potty trained. Therefore, this cruiseline is the ONLY one that many families with small children may consider. This was a major plus for our family. My 2 year old, who will be 3 soon and IS potty trained and will definately be enjoying the pools on board, loves to be with other children. My children can't stop asking "when are we going on the big, big boat?"
My advice to you Vesw, do not second guess your decision on taking your children. You know their social capabilites better than anyone else. If you think they can handle it than more power to you and enjoy yourself!!!;)

[Stircrzy]

The lady has a 2 year old, the child *IS* going on the cruise. Regardless of your personal opinion about whether children should be on a cruise, the following is what the lady wanted to know:

[quote name='vesw01']Has anyone travled with such a young one? Any advice?[/QUOTE]
...she just stated her query incorrectly.

So...*DOES* anyone have any constructive advice for the lady?

[Stircrzy]

...nevermind.:o

[Vicar]

Actually Emily Litella used to say "nevermind"



Roseanne Rosannadanna used to say "Its always something"

[Cruising89143]

There is a similar thread on the RCI board right now and it has become hot and heavy.

Cruising with kids is not my favorite thing to do [b][u]BUT[/u][/b] as long as I cruise on a line that caters it's business to families with kids then I cannot complain. I now try to cruise when kids will be in school and there will be less young ones on board. Also, if you look families are what is driving the growth of this industry not DINKS.

As to the person making the remark about Disney catering to kids, have you been on Carnival, RCI, NCL or Princess? In case you haven't noticed they also cater to the young ones.

I only ask that parents be parents while on vacation and tend to the needs of their children which also includes making them behave and keeping them within your sight.

[jen8131]

Isn't that funny, only if they are fully potty trained? Especially when you know darn well that there is some fully grown adult who peed in the pool at some point on the cruise.....lol!

Anyway....we cruised when our son was just 1, and our daughter 4. We had a great time. The four year old occassionally went to Camp Carnival, but we spent a majority of the time together. We had an early dinner seating, so the kids were fine and they both enjoyed the singing and dancing at the shows. Oh, and the magic show was a favorite for them. Two nights, we took them to the pajama party babysitting while we went out alone. During the day, I would return to our cabin after lunch for a couple of hours for my son's nap, while my husband and daughter went off to do something together.

We had taken an umbrella stroller, which proved to be excellent. It was small and fit well in passageways on the ship and my son enjoyed his rides. During embarkation, they sent us through a back hallway into an elevator because of the stroller....no lines! That was nice. I understand that you can rent strollers on the ships now, so it's really not necessary to bring one, but it was nice to have.

I consider cruises appropriate as a family vacation, and I don't stop being a parent when we board. My expectations regarding the manners of my children don't change, and of course I would remove them from any situation in which they were upset, crying, etc. so as not to disturb others.

[yarlenna]

OK you are bringing the child with you.
First Thought: Before you go, visit the pediatrician and discuss things like how to treat an upset tummy, diarrhea, motion sickness, adverse reaction to strange diet and excessive exposure to tobacco smoke. (That is all I can think of at the time.) Yes there are doctors on the ships, but you have no guarantee as to the quality. Sometimes, you will hit a winner, other times - - oh well. I think it is best to come with advice from somebody you already trust.
Second Thought: Do you need a vacation? Traveling with a child makes the vacation theirs not yours. If anything, you have to be more into your parenting responsibilities. There will be unusual places, experiences and foods. The ship’s staff are not into babysitting. They are into doing their jobs (bartending, playing music, cleaning toilets, selling souvenirs etc.) You remember how quickly a 2 year old can get away from you. At least at home you know where to look for them.
Third Thought: What will the child do all day? IF the kid is toilet trained, Camp Carnival is an option for part of the day. Do remember that 2 year olds can have accidents – and that kids far from home may revert to behavior from younger ages. If the child picks this week to have trouble in the toilet, Camp Carnival will not be an option. Even if the child is in Camp Carnival for part of the time, what do you plan on doing with the little one the rest of the time?
Fourth and Final Thought (at least for this posting.) Do check in Camp Carnival and see if any of the staff will do babysitting for you so that you can at least get to some of the shows some of the time.
Children have been going on ships for more than a century. There is nothing new about that. If you are viewing this as great extended family time, you will have a blast. Bon Voyage

[basketsiam]

As per Carnival's website for children ages 2-5: "Toddlers do not have to be potty trained in order to be part of Camp Carnival; parents simply need to provide the youth staff with diapers and toiletries for their child."

I have even known the Camp Carnival staff to take children under 2 years old if the child does OK being away from Mom and Dad.....Taking children this young, however, is entirely up to the staff.

[dantc]

I don't object to children on cruise ships, or almost anywhere else for that matter. I expect a child to act its age, because that's what kids do.

What I do object to, and someone else stated this very early on, before this thread devolved into a virtual poo-flinging festival, are the parents that decide the cruise is the time for them to go on vacation from everything, including being a parent. They turn the supervision duties (or try to) over to the staff. The only time you ever see them is if another passenger tells little Runamok to settle down or raise hell for the staff trying to do the same.

To the original poster, I have this to say: You are taking your child into a new and fascinating environment for him/her. S/he's going to act her age, so the question really becomes this: Are YOU prepared to deal with that day in and day out within the limited confines of the ship? If so, then you're good to go.

[VentureMan_2000]

I asked a friend of mine if she had taken her kids on a cruise when she was young. She said that she cruised with her 2 and 7 year olds. It was a cruise she would never do again.

She said she was 'stuck' with all the care of the children, meaning, she never got to finish a nice dinner, see shows, enjoy the dress-up nights, or go into port for long.

Her husband on the other hand had the time of his life. He did all those things with other family that did not have children to worry about.

I still contend that it is women that "can't bear to be without my children" while on vacation. I have yet to hear a man proclaim this. I have heard women proclaim this for their husband, but never the husband. I believe their husbands aren't telling ( they don't dare... how dare they say such a thing to the mother who can't bear to be without her children! ) the truth if they do say this.

Unless they're a Girlie-Man!

[basketsiam]

[quote name='VentureMan_2000']I asked a friend of mine if she had taken her kids on a cruise when she was young. She said that she cruised with her 2 and 7 year olds. It was a cruise she would never do again.

She said she was 'stuck' with all the care of the children, meaning, she never got to finish a nice dinner, see shows, enjoy the dress-up nights, or go into port for long.

Her husband on the other hand had the time of his life. He did all those things with other family that did not have children to worry about.

I still contend that it is women that "can't bear to be without my children" while on vacation. I have yet to hear a man proclaim this. I have heard women proclaim this for their husband, but never the husband. I believe their husbands aren't telling ( they don't dare... how dare they say such a thing to the mother who can't bear to be without her children! ) the truth if they do say this.

Unless they're a Girlie-Man![/QUOTE


VentureMan,
I'm pretty sure that since you are a man speaking about what women think that you can expect to get flammed for this one!!!!! :rolleyes:

[mtd716]

[quote name='VentureMan_2000']
I still contend that it is women that "can't bear to be without my children" while on vacation. I have yet to hear a man proclaim this. I have heard women proclaim this for their husband, but never the husband. I believe their husbands aren't telling ( they don't dare... how dare they say such a thing to the mother who can't bear to be without her children! ) the truth if they do say this.

Unless they're a Girlie-Man![/QUOTE]
Absolutely not true. In our family I'm way more willing to leave my kids on occasion. Dh is the one who wants to take them EVERYWHERE! He missed them terribly on our recent cruise. On the plus side, my kids couldn't ask for a more interested, involved dad.

[jncissel]

i keep seeing posts that say "a two yr. old won't remember it anyway" well... does this mean that you should not do any thing a child enjoys at the time if they won't remember it later?? so do nothing for a child until they are at least 3? this is silly...

[yarlenna]

[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]

Disney is getting out of the 7 day Florida market - They are sending one of their ships to California and both ships will do short cruises to be marketed with short stays at their resorts. I don't know if you have ever done the Magic Kingdom. Yes, I LOOKS really kid friendly. BUT it is hot, humid, noisy and crowded. IHMO This is not the ideal atmosphere for a child much under 8. Drinks are expen$ive as are meals. Many of the lines spend a lot of time baking in the central Florida sunshine. Even the enclosed wait areas are not adequate as you often have to wait to get into the enclosed wait space. In addition, Disney cruises are among the most expensive in the business. You can get a whole week with a balcony for what it would cost to do 4 days in an inside cabin. Very small children are often frightened by the characters. I believe that Disney is best for the 8 - 10 year old child. You can safely go 2 years in either direction and still get a great vacation. But all the expense etc would be wasted on a 2 year old.

[ruttie]

I am not sure if the original poster is still around just saw this though and thought I would help maybe ....
2 year ago i struggled with my decison to take my 21/2 year old terror of a son with me.. It was really not my choice to take hime but.. it was a family cruise with ALL of the cousins etc and so we loaded up and went.. TRUST me I was very nervous as I said cause Hubby and I like cruising AWAY from our kids.. that is our break we do land stuff with them allthe time.. cruising was our thing having said that..
We survved and so will you.. dineer was no problem we had early 5:45 and were right on time and served promtly noise was not a proble for 2 reasons #1 the dining room is noisy.. #2 my 2 boys were relatively well behaved.. here is a great tip i learned for a friend feed them a popscicle while you are waiting.. I brought a stash of flavor ice the kind that is liek koolaid and then you freeze them handed them to the assistant waoiet with a 20.00 and told him to see if he could ice these and bring 1 for the boys every day NO problem and they sucked there popscicle teh whole time we waited..(on the dis cruise we ordered a mickey ice cream first ) I figured WHO cares it is a vacation right???
any way I was terrified that mine would escape falloverboard etc but he did fine loved the play place only neg was i felt like i spent half my cruise waiting in line to sign him in/ot walking to the club back from the club etcc so be prepared for lots of pick up they open and close like 4 times in 1 day....
hang in there and enjoy the time

while I learned that cruising is sacred for hubby and i and i did not get much of a vacation when i took them i will also never forget the comments he maid when he saw the doplhins and the look he had when he first saw the ship....

[halos]

[quote name='Karried']This topic infuriates me! I'm so pi**ed off reading some of these responses here and on other posts. Talk about prejudice! Who gave these adults the right to think that they are so much more special and welcome than children?

Some of their behavior on cruises is so much more offensive & rude than a child could ever be! I've witnessed it first hand! Some of you cherish your fine dining experience, I've seen these same people be rude and downright ugly towards our servers who have to take it, talk about shameful behavior! Now that's behaving badly! Making noise at dinner hardly equals this kind of injustice toward a fellow human being. At least a child may not know better, but adults should!

And, yes, fyi, I constantly monitor my children so as not to offend these poor sensitive adults! But I do that our of respect for others everywhere I go.


What ever made people think they have the right to tell someone they
shouldn't cruise on 'their' ship or not to bring a child ?? I have a question for these adults. What's stopping you from telling all of us that you don't want thin people, nor obese people, elderly people, smokers, gamblers, drinkers, nor anyone else acting or thinking differently from you sharing your vacation?? These are the people who need an isolated cabin in the mountains - not the two year old! A little compassion & understanding would be so wonderful.

Carnival Cruise Lines = Fun Ships - not stuffy, grumpy, intolerant prejudice 'adult' only ships.

For these children intolerant adults I recommend an all inclusive adults only resort with people who only think, talk, act & look like you do, then you'll enjoy your perfect vacation -

Spawn of Satan ankle biters?? :mad: how nice.
This pic is from Carnival -[/QUOTE]




The OP asked a question and people respond with their opinions. You may disagree with some of them, but everyone has a right to their own.
This is mine.
Not [I]respecting[/I] other people's opinions, especially when they were asked for, isn't adult like behavior either. When someone gets so defensive, I have to wonder why...why do you care that Tef or Liv or anone else on this board think that cruise ships were not meant for 2 year old children?? The cruise lines took this thing called a cruise ship that was once meant for adults, added a babysitting service because families with 2 working parents are pulling in enough $$$ to take nicer vacations every year, and then call it a 'family vacation' to bring in more of that almighty dollar, because calling it a family vacation these days will draw in a LOT of added revenue. The pool slide is not really meant for young kids...there is a height restriction on it; the ships are full of smoke, people drinking (alot) a casino, adult shows etc...so, no, nothing you can say will convince me that it is a place for a child, especially one that young. When my kids were that young, I spent a lot of time with them indoors because having a fair skinned baby outside is dangerous...that was 15 years ago and it is even more dangerous now. Excursions in the Caribbean, outside for hours in that sun with a fair skinned baby???? My opinion is that is irresponsible. No amount of sun screen will keep those harmful rays from your child in that zone. I, myself globbed a 45 block, every hour on my 16 year old this past month in the Bahamas and she got burned anyway.
I know kids are so much brighter now than they were 15 years ago, but when my kids were 2, and they got presents...usually the wrapping paper made them just as happy as the gift. I don't think a cruise is something that will impress a child that age any more than a day at a local zoo, or a walk around your own neighborhood. If you want to take your 2 year old on vacation, that's great...but you are doing it for YOU...because you will miss them if you are separated from them....you are not doing it to make them better travelers or make them more well rounded, or better behaved or to give them a great experience...not at the age of 2...that just doesn't make sense..
The people who post very bluntly on this board about not taking kids may irritate you, but at least they are honest. I would feel a lot more respect for those folks who bring their kids everywhere with them if they'd be honest enough to just say , "hey, I have separation anxiety when I'm not with my kids, so I have to vacation with them and take them with me everywhere, all the time." Instead of making constant excuses, and acting as if people who do vacation on occasion without their kids, or ones who don't think cruising is a good place for kids are less than perfect parents or are rude. We aren't rude, we are just being honest. I aplogize if my honesty makes you feel irritated in any way, but if someone asks for an opinion on this board, we will give our opinion. You don't have to like it, but we have the right to post it.

[halos]

[quote name='triplelutz']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!
[/QUOTE]


Triple....
you must be very proud of your daughter, I would be...but you actually pinpointed why some people dislike kids on cruises. Above you stated that "the rest of the kids had checked themselves out and were playing with the elevator."
So, your [B]one[/B] child, out of [U]every other child in that group [/U] was the only good one. Those are bad odds, Triple. This is why there are some people on this board who dislike to see kids on cruises. When you are sailing WITH your own kids, the spawn's of satan (if I may borrow that phrase) in other families can irritate you...but when you sail without kids, because you want adult time, you have even less patience for these satanic clones.

When all of you with young children are finally alone as couples when your kids are grown, and you vacation alone (and I hope you all do), see how much pateince you have with other people's rug-rats.
And before you say, "Oh...I'll never feel that way!" all I can say is, never say never.

[triplelutz]

Halos, I don't have problems with people stating their opinions. What I do have a problem with is when the OP asks a question relating to children and like white on rice, the same few posters start with the anti-kid stuff. If I don't have an answer to a question, I usually don't toss my thoughts in the ring just for the heck of it - I think it was Livtojump that said earlier he didn't care what people thought of him, but he obviously thinks that 1.)people want to hear what he has to say and 2.) that his opinion matters, because you'll find him posting on nearly every thread involving children.

I don't know - my mama always says "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all."

I find it interesting that you are so sure I have separation anxiety if I don't take my kids with me. I enjoy spending the time with them. I did the road trips with my parents when I was a kid and hated every minute of it. I'm glad that my kids enjoy their vacations with us. Now, last night DH and I went to the ballgame and sitting behind us was mom and dad with a toddler - the poor kid was miserable. I'd never take my toddler some place where she had to sit still for 3 hours. Kind of like Disney - stuck in a stroller for days...

I do all that I can to minimize the impact my children have on your vacation. How about I post what ship and when we sail so you can avoid us...;)

[Shangrilq]

Hi
Me and my husband are close to retirement age and we difiinitely choose to cruise when kids are in school. Unforuntanately that is NO longer possible and more and more parents are taking their kids out of school to go on vacations even though they have MANY school out opportunities such as Christmas, summer, spring break holidays etc. I am sorry but most parents think their kids are angels and they may be around you but you might be very surprised at what goes on when you are not looking. I commend the parents that really supervise their kids and know where they are every minute
and I just say you should know where your kid is every hour of the day and get them in bed at an early hour. I do not think that a cruise is the place for a 2 year old or any child under 6 years old as they will NOT remember it and you have to pay full price anyway which is enough for me to say I would never take a child under 6 on a cruise. Don't the parents think they deserve a break from diapers,many hours in cabin for nap time and taking unruly kids from the dining room? Why would you just not like to get away and leave them with the grand parents? It just puzzles me?

[halos]

[quote name='triplelutz']

I find it interesting that you are so sure I have separation anxiety if I don't take my kids with me. I enjoy spending the time with them. I did the road trips with my parents when I was a kid and hated every minute of it. I'm glad that my kids enjoy their vacations with us. [B]Now, last night DH and I went to the ballgame and sitting behind us was mom and dad with a toddler - the poor kid was miserable. I'd never take my toddler some place where she had to sit still for 3 hours.[/B] Kind of like Disney - stuck in a stroller for days...
[/QUOTE]


So, what is a [B]2 year old [/B] doing while her Mom and Dad (or whoever) is lying out at the pool for hours..in an umbrella stroller maybe? During a 2 hour meal...stuck in a chair??? During shows....still sitting. UNLESS they are placed in Camp Carnival all day, which means you're not really vacationing WITH your kids...just in close proximity to them.
There was a couple on the ship who ate in the same small dining room off the main dining room on the Miracle as us. They had a 2 or 3 year old child. He was gorgeous. On formal nights they put him in a tux. I never heard a peep from him the whole night. I only saw him in the dining room, never anywhere else on the ship to be honest. So, I know there are some folks out there who really do vacation with their babies, enjoy the time with them and have a ball, unfortunately the majority of the parents, especially when the kids get a bit older...8-12 (which is the worst age anyway), let their kids run loose to do all sorts of irritating things such as playing with elevators Or, for instance what happened on my cruise was the kids stood on their balconies with rolls of toilet paper and let it fly until the ship was virtually gift wrapped in it. Obviously your little girl would never be one of those and you should be proud because you are obviously doing some great parenting after reading the incident you described, but be honest...most parents are [U]NOT[/U] like you. This is why people like me, who have little patience (and I will fully admit that) can't stand a ship full of kids. Now, don't worry about warning me of which cruise you are taking next. I learned my lesson on the last cruise. I will from now on be cruising longer cruises that are less kid friendly in order to avoid this, and if I take a shorter cruise, I'll be sure to go off season.
Cruise ships are not the only places where irresponsible parenting goes on...it's everywhere...in my own neighborhood and in the schools it's horribly appparent. It's just that on a cruise ship you are [U]confined[/U] with it.
I don't know how often you've sailed...I"ve only been 3x so far...but even just a handful of bad kids turn you off so bad, and ruin a vacation that you spend a nice chunk of money on. There will always be kids on cruise ships and there seem to be more and more irresponsible parents...that leaves people who have little tolerance for disrespectful children grinding their teeth while vacationing with them. Nothing anyone can do about that though, is there??
As far as separation anxiety, Yeah...I think every parents has it to some degree, and I do believe Moms suffer more. I did. I STILL do. It doesn't really go away untill they are grown and totally out on their own, I guess. I just believed that separation was something that would be good for them. Not everyone feels that way, but I did and still do. Most of my separation from my girls was about their leaving me anyway. My MIL used to take them on occasion for 3,4 days, sometiems as long as a week to her beach house. My brother and sister and in-laws would also take my kids on occasion for quality time with them...was I anxious??? D*mn straight I was, but I let them go anyway. Not every one is capable of letting go, and that's fine, you need to do what's good for you...do you claim to have no separation issues at all????? You must be a tough cookie. Again, I see a lack of honesty on some of these posts. I just spent this last weekend away...I was gone 36 hours. It was the first time I'd left my kids [SIZE=3]alone[/SIZE] (they are 19 and 16)...talk about anxious!!!! But, sometimes you have to do the tough things things in order to allow your kids to grow. When I came home, they were fine. I think the dog missed me the most...and yes, I have anxiety over leaving him too...he is my favorite kid after all.
(And no....there were no wild parties at my home in my absence. My kids know better and besides they both work weekends and long hours during the summer, so they are to tired to be wild.)

[redneck_dan]

We will be bringing a two year old on the boat with us in January. She will spend some time in Camp Carnie, but we will also spend some family time together. We plan on not using the main dinning area and just hit the buffet.

Will we let her run wild around the ship? No.

Will we let her get into the pool and put a little poop in it? Only if tef43 is in the pool. :p

[gsb]

ntnt

[MrPete]

Now THAT'S funny!!!

[mnhenderson]

[quote name='livtojump']A fully potty trained kid at two?? You've got to be kidding.

Yes, you did.....:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]


I beg to differ...My son was night and day dry at 18 months.2 overnight accidents since then and he is almost 9 now.Both of thise accidents were my fault.I could not get him to wake up after a late night out.



Now on to the actual answer to the OP. Our son has been cruising with us
since he was 3 1/2. He still remembers his first cruise on the big red boat and refers to is frequently.You do not need to be tied to your cabin.(As long as your child has the temperment for camp carnival.) There are many activities in and out of camp for you to keep her busy.Our son begged to go to the camp activities.If you want to go see the late shows,you can utilize the evening babysitting.They have sleeping mats and a quiet movie for the little ones. We also enjoyed learning about the animals we would see at the different ports.Reading on the deck while watching the ocean was a favorite of ours.
As far as the dining room thing goes.Do what you feel comfortable with. Our son has been going to nice restaurants with us for his whole life and knows what is expected of him,so we do fine in the dining room.He has tried just about everthing on the menu now.(no kids menu for him ) . I hope you enjoy your cruise. Mariann