What is your experience cruising with a toddler?

[docboy]

Hello Everyone,

 

I just discovered this great forum here....

 

I'm thinking of taking a 4 day Carnival Cruise on Paradise out of LA this coming March. Any experiences (good & bad) with Carnival? I sailed with Royal Caribbean before, and they were great. But never Carnival...

 

Specifically, what have your experiences been like cruising with a toddler? She's potty trained, and I was talking with a Carnival agent who said as long as she's potty trained and does not need to wear swim diapers, she's allowed in the main pool area. Any toddler pool experiences?

 

Is there enough things on the ship to keep the kids busy?

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

The agent was right--if she's not wearing a diaper, she can go in the pool.

Traveling anywhere with a child will be different from just adults traveling! For you, this will be a "family vacation"---not a romantic one (for the most part!!!)

For a toddler, keeping them busy will be much like home--whatever you do there, do on the ship. Little children don't need the "bells and whistles" like older kids (and some adults) do! Try to keep a schedule---all of you will be happier!

And just relax and go with the flow---kids will have "meltdowns" from time to time. Expect them, and deal with them--then forget them! Everyone will be happier!

[crusinmama06]

I was just reading a thread about this ship (Paradise) from a longtime Royal Caribbean cruiser.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=929145

 

I think Carnival has a great program for young kids. The camp capers are at the link in my signature.

[rebeccalouise]

How old is your toddler? I suspect over 2. This age is pretty easy. I wouldn't worry about it. Its 4 days give it a go.

 

One thing, Carnival has saltwater pools and she may not like this. Make sure to bring goggles.

 

I tried Carnival when my son was 3 almost 4 and it worked out great. He liked the youth program (if I left him there for 1-1.5 hours at a time). We did a four night and it was alot of fun.

[docboy]

Thanks for all the tips! My daughter will be turning 2 yrs old soon, and she's very energetic. We just want to make sure she'll enjoy the cruise, but it appears from these posts Carnival is very kid and family friendly.

[boulders]

My daughter will be turning 2 yrs old soon, and she's very energetic.

 

Unless she's over 2 at the time of sailing, she won't be allowed in the kids club.

[audraz2]

The only "problem" we experienced was that my daughter, who was 2 1/2, did not want to leave the camp carnival. Nothing better than your child screaming no I dont want to leave at the sight of you. I felt loved. the pool should be no problem. My daughter did not like the pool, it was cold. we are from Florida. You will have a great time.

[serene56]

Thanks for all the tips! My daughter will be turning 2 yrs old soon, and she's very energetic. We just want to make sure she'll enjoy the cruise, but it appears from these posts Carnival is very kid and family friendly.

 

Your child will have to be 2 by the day of sailing in order to use the camp.

 

Camps close at noon and open back up at 2pm. But families are allowed to take the younger kids there for free family fun time- which we utilized for our 18 month old grand daughter. We had to stay with her and she had a blast for that time.

We got her the chilled soup at dinner and let her eat it with a straw and she loved them.

 

At night after dinner we roamed the outside decks-- not to fear because there was no way she was slipping out those deck gates. She would not fit. She got to run around some without disturbing the other passengers.

 

Just an added note- camps in Royal start when the kids are three years old. Zero tolerance for accidents

[alohagirl808]

We went on our first cruise in October and our son (who's 4 yrs old) loved Camp Carnival. He'd go for a couple of hours during the day and by dinner he would be begging to go back. We'd take him at 7pm every night and most of the time when we went back to pick him up, he'd be begging to stay longer. The activities are great: face painting, build-a-bear, movies, pirate night, pajama parties, scavenger hunts, and more. It really kept him busy and interested. Til this day, when you ask him to chose between Disneyland and the Cruise, he says he chooses both.:)

[karenem]

My advice: (1) make sure you plan in nap time, and (2) always have a plan B. Sometimes everything goes as planned and sometimes they're just DONE and you have to shrug and go with what they need. We also had good results telling them in advance what was going to happen: first we're going in the elevator to eat lunch. Then we'll come back here and change clothes. Then we're going to the kids' club for a while.... Makes it a little less stressful when they have some idea what's coming and time to get used to the idea.

[Julienatul]

Your daughter will love it! We have been sailing with my DD since she was 7 months, she's 3 now. At age 2, my DD loved the pool, the lido deck music to "dance to". She loved the dinners because the waiters sing and dance and clap. She loved the evening broadway type shows because of the bright costumes and singing and dancing.She didnt like camp carnival , she wouldnt leave us and cried for us to come get her. We still had a great time. It was great to see it through her eyes. You may want to look at a slightly longer Carnival cruise, sometimes the 4 nighters attract a more of a partier type of passenger that Carnival is known for. The 5 night and longer ships attract a more laid back, family type of passenger.

[docboy]

Your daughter will love it! We have been sailing with my DD since she was 7 months, she's 3 now. At age 2, my DD loved the pool, the lido deck music to "dance to". She loved the dinners because the waiters sing and dance and clap. She loved the evening broadway type shows because of the bright costumes and singing and dancing.She didnt like camp carnival , she wouldnt leave us and cried for us to come get her. We still had a great time. It was great to see it through her eyes. You may want to look at a slightly longer Carnival cruise, sometimes the 4 nighters attract a more of a partier type of passenger that Carnival is known for. The 5 night and longer ships attract a more laid back, family type of passenger.

 

We are excited about this cruise. It'll be our first with our 2yr old; keep our fingers crossed everything goes well.

 

One question, my littler girl loves milk. Aside from it being served at breakfast, is milk served at lunch and dinner? If not, would I be able to get it at a cafe or 24hr restaurant?

 

Does anyone know if milk is included in the package price (ie. like tea and lemonade)?

[serene56]

One question, my little girl loves milk. Aside from it being served at breakfast, is milk served at lunch and dinner? If not, would I be able to get it at a cafe or 24hr restaurant?

 

Does anyone know if milk is included in the package price (ie. like tea and lemonade)?

 

 

Milk is free-- even from room service. The ships use cartons of milk. even choc milk is available

[mommamd]

We've cruised with our infants, toddlers, and elementary aged children. I love to take them around the decks in their strollers especially when they fall asleep. It is so great to have the waitstaff wait on them instead of having to do it myself!! The stewards have kept our cabin fridge stocked with juice and milk (Celebrity) and we have had incabin sitters (Celebrity), We also did great on Disney, of course, with their Flounder's Reef nursery. My children loved the shows and the elevators and the selection of cookies. We only occasionally went out after the show, some ships don't have inroom sitters. We did PAradise when it was nonsmoking, which was great. We stayed on board during port and had the pool decks to ourselves, and had the babies nap in the cabin whilst we lounged on the balcony. HEAVEN!!! Enjoy, soon they have their own opinions and make you shoot hoops with them (LOL) and spend all your money at the arcade!~

[docboy]

Milk is free-- even from room service. The ships use cartons of milk. even choc milk is available

 

Just want to make sure, so we can order milk at lunch and dinner then?

 

Is there a 24 hour or all day cafe we can order milk (and snacks) from as well? Would it happen to be on the Lido deck?

[A&Jfamily]

Just an added note- camps in Royal start when the kids are three years old. Zero tolerance for accidents

 

CCL is far more tolerant of accidents; my son was almost 3 when he first cruised in 2007 and LOVED camp. One day, he made it to the potty, but "missed." They gave him a CCL t-shirt and spare pair of shorts for him to wear while they paged us and had us bring him dry clothes. No big deal at all.

 

My best advice when traveling with a young one - get a balcony. It is WELL worth the money to have the extra space (the rooms have the sofa as well as the bed for mom and dad). The baclony is perfectly safe as the door is very heavy and locks 5' off the ground; on the balcony itself, there is solid plexiglass that comes up to the middle of my chest. The reason for the balcony - you are not stuck in the room for afternoon naps/bedtime. Mom and Dad have a quiet, romantic place to relax while the little one sleeps.

 

You can get milk in cartons on the lido deck as welll as the dining room at all your meals, and it, like the tea and lemonade is free. You can get it 24/7 through room service for free too.

 

PS - I think the food is better on CCL than RCI. The staff is very friendly and love the kids. We took ours to the dining room every night and they were treated like princes. CCL doesn't have the "bells and whistles" (ie rock wall, ice skating) but you get a lot for your money.

[docboy]

Thanks for all the feedback. 35 days until sail, and we're all excited to go. Our 2yr old looks forward to this cruise, and now that she can have all the milk she wants, I'm at ease.

 

What activities did your son do at camp? Do they offer dancing, music, art, etc? Is it like Gymboree PLay & Music? Sounds like CCL really gears their stuff for the entire family, including kids. :)

[As You Wish]

Check out post #3 from Michelle--cruisinmama06. In her signature there are links to all the kids pages, including ones from Camp Carnival for the 2-4 year olds. You'll see exactly what they do at camp. My DD's first cruise was two weeks after she turned 2, and she loved the camp. She is also very energetic and friendly, and most of the activities were geared towards a play type activity that she enjoyed. I also found that taking her to the dance clubs or theaters when they were not in use was a good way to let her run around and burn off some energy. Have a great trip.

[cantwait06]

This is exactly the kind of thread I was lokking for! We are sailing on the carnival imagination in April with our 2 1/2 year old, and I have been looking for some feedback regarding this age on the ship. It sounds like all this stuff is perfect for her, now I'm even more convinced that she'll have a great time! I do have one question though-its our first cruise so I don't have anything to compare to, but I was wondering about the size of the staterooms. Are they tiny? We do have an interior stateroom, but we were hoping to bring a stroller along. Even when its folded, it does take some space-will there be a place to keep it? Would we be better of with an umbrella stroller? I wanted to avoid that if possible because I'd like one that reclines so she can nap if shes tired...