12 night mediterranean wth 12 YO and 2 YO

[WineDown17]

Would love to hear from any parents who have done a cruise this long with either a pre teen, toddler or both!! What worked, what didnt? If anyone went on Celebrity, were there any other kids??

 

I am really looking for ideas and personal experienced from others to make this the family vacation of a lifetime- My expectations are realistic.. have no fear! but, I WOULDNT DREAM OF GOING WITHOUT THE KIDS. (I made the mistake of posting this question on the Celebrity board and someone made it sound like I should have my children taken away for even thinking of exposing them to this dreadful experience at such ages!!!HORROR!)

 

My son, who is now 1, is very easy going, and loves new experiences.. who knows what 2 will bring, but I have found that children are pretty resilient, especially when fed and allowed to nap!!

 

Cant wait to hear the good, the bad and the ugly!!

[bhcruise]

I don't have any experience with a teenager, but we just did a 14 night Med. cruise in November with an 11 month old and a 4 year old. We were on Celebrity and had a fantastic time. My biggest advice is to get the family room with the large balcony if you can. We were originally in a room with a balcony that I was promised would fit all 4 of us. When all the beds were set up we could not even get to the bathroom much less the door. After three days of complaining we were finally upgraded and it made a huge difference. Anyway, other things I would do different. Take a back pack for the 2 year old if there is anyway he will stay put. A stroller just did not work in a few of the places. I brought throw away table toppers for meals and they came in really handy. I also used them during diaper changes to put down before I put a mat down. Since there were only about 12 children on our cruise, they were able to watch my son in the fun factory at night so he could play with all the toys. Both of my children went to the fun factory almost every night for dinner and we had a nice quiet dinner. You can check out toys from the fun factory so you don't have to bring any, they had alot of the same toys we have at home which the kids really liked. The best advice I got was to put all of my childrens clothes in gallon zip lock bags. I packed one complete outfit in each bag, it was a lifesaver. I also packed snacks with me which I was very happy about since I did not find anywhere to buy similar snacks. I packed way to many diapers but would have liked more wipes. I brought 2 full packs, I think 3 would have been better just because we used them for everything. We did not do any organized excursions which worked out great for us. I had either hired a guide or we just did it on our own. We stopped for lots of gelato to keep things interesting.:p Well, I hope this helps a little sorry it is so long. Let me know if you have any questions.

[WineDown17]

Thaks for the advice!! We are planning ot get the Celebrity Suite as we have been in it before, and should have ample room.. But interestng about the wipes and snacks.

 

How did you fare with transportation? Did you bring a car seat? Could you take tour busses? What about meals?

 

How was Eurpoe towards the young travelers??

 

Really appreciate your taking the time to share your experiences!

[bhcruise]

We did bring a car seat however, we only used it once. I was prepared to lug the car seat all around Europe but we were able to avoid that. We hired a taxi in Ephesus to take us around and we did bring the car seat on that day. The one day I hired a guide in Florence I had mentioned that I had an 11 month old so he showed up with a car seat. The rest of the time we took trains and taxis. While in a taxi we just held my son and my daughter sat with a seat belt since they were usually short rides. On the train we either held him or he sat in a stroller. Meals in Venice were a little tricky because there was not alot the kids would eat. Most of the time in Italy our fallback was pizza or pasta which worked fine. On the ship we had breakfast delivered to our room every morning which really cut down on the morning frenzy. There were a couple places where we really had to look for something that the kids would eat, but overall it wasn't too difficult. We stopped several times during the day and had something small at different restaurants. Again the snacks helped here to tide them over until we were able to find something they would eat. Everyone we encountered was very friendly towards the children. There were a few things that I did not expect though. There were quite a few places that we ate at which did not have highchairs. In these cases we were able to use the stroller but it was a little awkward. There were also very few changing tables. Again hope this helps.

[rebeccalouise]

There are lots of options for you on Celebrity. First there is the youth program at night to entertain the 12 year old. There is also incabin babysitting for the two year old but chances are that you will rely on the 12 year old for some babysitting by day and in the evening. I say this because I have two kids 13 years apart (7 and 20 now).

 

I addressed some points on the other boards.

 

I want to reiterate that you can't be all things to all people. The two year old has very different needs than the 12 year old. Try to balance out the day with family friendly things, 12 year old things, 2 year old things and adult time. At the end of the day- you must take a couple hours to unwind (incabin babysitting or leaving your child in the room with the baby for a couple hours after dinner). My son at 12 loved in-cabin movies.

 

Family activities in Europe might include climbing around forts and castles. 12 year olds might be interested in museums, churches and shopping. 2 year olds love train travel. So take trains- as opposed to buses. Except in Rome, you could do the hop on hop off bus- this would be fun for both kids. The Colluseum, the Forum and the Borghese Park and great for kids. The Vatican would only be good for the 12 year old IMO.

[SelectSys]

I have done 3 12+ day cruises with our kids in Europe with our kids on cruises (2 med and 1 baltic). First one was when our kids were 9 and 11. Med is our favorite destination.

 

I would recommend cruises that spend some time in the Greek Islands as this was gave the kids a chance to go to the beach. Low key places like Villefranche are also nice. Sea days in the summer on the med are also great.

 

Of the most popular main ports that we have gone into, Liverno and Civitavecchia are probably the toughest due to their distance between the port and Florence and Rome.

 

As was suggested the hop on hop off buses work well in some ports like Barcelona. Just make sure you start heading back to sites near by the ship early enough in the day so you don't get caught up in a big queue to get on the bus and end up needing to take a taxi to make it back to the ship. I also found the Hop On Hop Off buses better on the baltic cruise than on the med. Perhaps this is because the ports tended to be more compact.

 

Finally do some kid friendly shore excursions in addition to historical sites. We have gone on several mountain bike rides, a speed boat tour, and theme parks to go on rides. This makes sure everyone gets a chance to do something they like.

 

BTW - All of our cruises have been on Celebrity's sister line RCCL. In each case many kids were on board and everyone had a great time.

[kestrel]

We took a 12-night Med cruise back in summer 2005 with 3 kids (ages 9, 12 and 14 at the time of cruise). No Kids Left Behind! ;) It was my best cruise experience so far!

 

The 12-year-old just learned ancient civilization the previous school year, and was excited to see Rome and Greece.

 

I am sure that your 12-year-old will have a wonderful time. If you can post your cruise ports, I will be able to recommend some kid-friendly excursions.

[rebeccalouise]

to the previous poster... you didn't have a 2 year old along. That makes a huge difference. Your children are close in age and are at the best traveling ages for Europe. After 14 (forget about it!). 15 and up and all they want to do is hang out with kids their own age. 9-14 is the best window of time for sightseeing.

 

I have two great kids (almost 13 years apart). My older son has been a wonderful big brother but....

 

A 12 year old isn't all that interested in the types of things that thrill a 2 year old. That isn't to say that a visit to a fort or castle won't interest both kids. In fact, the 2 year old will love walking along walls, climbing on ruins, etc. The older child might be more interested in the architecture and the history of said castle. So I would definitely do these sorts of activities and they abound in Europe.

 

However, preteens also like to shop- which babies aren't good at. Pre-teens will like history, museums and art. My son certainly did as young as 9. They are studying these things in school. Unfortuneately churches and museums aren't baby friendly. So these things should be done just with the 12 year old- or no one is going to really enjoy it.

 

Preteens also like meeting other kids and if you are fortuneate enough to meet some on the ship- you can arrange to do some excursions with your newfound friends.

 

Preteens like to sleep late and just relax too. So down time is necessary. So the teen might appreciate being left to sleep in the morning while the parents and baby explore Villefranche and Dubrovnik for a little while. Then return to the ship and take the 12 year old on an excursion alone.

 

I think it is important NOT to use the preteen as a built in babysitter. A couple hours in the evening is enough. But the teen will want to be with older kids at night- if there are any onboard. If there aren't then they will probably be happy to watch movies in the room.

 

I really tried to be sensitive to my older son when we traveled because he had to always cowtail to the needs of his little brother at home. I think this is typical of most families. The older child has to be the "mature" one, when the younger one is shredding his homework or shattering his lego creations.

 

So, if a parent sets aside certain hours each day to do something just with the 12 year old, I think that makes the 12 year old more tolerant during the remaining hours.

 

Take note of this peice of parenting advice. My friends younger daughter (11 years younger than her older sister)- grew up to be a spoiled brat because no one ever said no to her. Everything was about the "baby" and the big sister had to take a backseat. I saw this and made sure that my little one knew that the older one was just as special. And as hard as I tried there are times when my older son thinks I love his younger brother more.

 

Its hard having kids far apart in age and trying to keep them both happy!

[kestrel]

to the previous poster... you didn't have a 2 year old along. That makes a huge difference. Your children are close in age and are at the best traveling ages for Europe. After 14 (forget about it!). 15 and up and all they want to do is hang out with kids their own age. 9-14 is the best window of time for sightseeing.

 

 

Hmmm... The OP asked whether people have pre-teen, toddler OR both. Most other posters either have pre-teens, or younger kids, but not both. Don't understand why you single me out :confused:

[rebeccalouise]

I wasn't trying to insult you or anything.

 

There is a HUGE difference between traveling with kids that are self sufficient, don't require naps and diaper changes etc.

 

There is also a big difference between traveling with kids close in age.

 

I am not trying to convince the OP not to go to Europe- quite the contrary. I just think that it isn't going to be a bundle of family fun if the 12 year old is forced to do 2 year old things. If the trip is entirely geared around the needs of a 2 year old.

 

What I am saying is that the 12 year old should get special attention- since the 12 year old is the one that will remember the trip. This isn't to say that the two siblings won't enjoy most of their time together. But if the trip has to constantly revolve around the little one- meaning no free time for the 12 year old to explore... I think it won't be a very rewarding experience.

 

2 year olds are attention grabbers- even when they are being cute. This is fine sometimes but not when you are trying to look at the scenery or study a fascinating sculpture etc.

 

There is a completely different dynamic when you are traveling with a preteen and a toddler.

 

My older son is a great kid- but he didn't want to be stuck in the room all the time with his brother and he loved going rowing with his aunt and hiking with his grandpa. He couldn't have done either of these things with his little brother.

 

There were activities that we all did on our trip but I didn't base the trip around the 2 year old. I let my son go off and have adventures rather than hold us all back. Just like my husband had done the previous year when he stayed home with my youngest.

 

Now my youngest is 7 and went to Europe this summer and he stayed on the ship for the most part while the adults went shopping and sightseeing. At dinner time he ate with the kids from the Fun factory and the adults had a nice leisurely dinner. It worked out great.

[eandj]

Would love to hear from any parents who have done a cruise this long with either a pre teen, toddler or both!! What worked, what didnt? If anyone went on Celebrity, were there any other kids??

 

I am really looking for ideas and personal experienced from others to make this the family vacation of a lifetime- My expectations are realistic.. have no fear! but, I WOULDNT DREAM OF GOING WITHOUT THE KIDS. (I made the mistake of posting this question on the Celebrity board and someone made it sound like I should have my children taken away for even thinking of exposing them to this dreadful experience at such ages!!!HORROR!)

 

My son, who is now 1, is very easy going, and loves new experiences.. who knows what 2 will bring, but I have found that children are pretty resilient, especially when fed and allowed to nap!!

 

Cant wait to hear the good, the bad and the ugly!!

 

Winedown, I responded to your original post re my comments being "judgemental" on the Celebrity site. You misread my post and would appreciate it if you read my comments and experiences on the Celebrity site where you originally asked for advice and ideas. There are more replies for you there,too.

Your post here did not make it clear to readers that you ARE traveling with both a 2 and 12 year old. You mentioned "either-or".. It makes a BIG difference in getting replies that will actually help you when traveling with two children of such different age groups.

Please take the time to reread my post and replies to you. Rest assured, you will see that your reaction to my "personal opinion" was no slam on traveling with children of ANY age. "Me thinks" you have more "fears" than the ones you mentioned in your post on Celebrity. Don't worry, you will find many ideas that will help BOTH your children have a good time.

Good luck and have a great time.

[eandj]

Hmmm... The OP asked whether people have pre-teen, toddler OR both. Most other posters either have pre-teens, or younger kids, but not both. Don't understand why you single me out :confused:

 

Yes, the OP is traveling with BOTH a 2 and 12 yr. old. She didn't make that clear in her question here. But she posted that info in the X board.

[crewmom24]

It says in the title that she is traveling with a 2 yo and 12 yo.

[WineDown17]

Thank you everyone for your hints..

 

As the title indicates, I am traveling with BOTH- however clearly anyone who has done it with a child of either age would have something valuable to offer.

 

We will eb doing the 12 night from Barcelona to Venice- I cant recall all the stops, but we stop in South of France, all over italy, Greece, Croatia and end in Venice.

 

I am open to playing it by ear and if needed, sit out a few ports if tehre will not be appropriate stops for a 2 year old (ie Rome). Clearly, I have my exepcations adjusted for this- jsut as my life at home has changed, so must my vacation expectations! I also lived in France for a semester- so I have an idea of how Europe differs from The USA...

 

If anyone wants to add any excursions that worked, or worse, didnt work.. as well as what they wished they's brought and what they wish they had left home (ie the car seat example) .. those are all really helpful!

 

And I completely get the who age difference/balance the older being special with having him help out.. Luckily my in laws are coming, and will be helpful, and I am not much of a night owl, so evenings in the room sound heavenly.. and similar to other cruises. They sure beat late nights at work!!

 

Thanks again everyone!