Royal Caribbean 23-month-old "baby"?

[jenvance]

My daughter will be 23 months old at the time of our August cruise to Alaska on the Serenade this summer. She's not allowed to be in the 2+ program, but has anyone had any experience cruising with a "nearly" 2-year-old on a Royal Caribbean ship? How are the facilities on Radiance-class ships for toddlers who aren't quite 2? I'm working on potty training her, and I'm hoping she'll be "ready" to jump in the pool...If nothing else, at least my 12 other adult family members will be around to help entertain her!

 

Any suggestions to maximize our family vacation would be highly regarded!

 

thanks!:p

[boulders]

Kids programs start at age 3 on RCCL. There's one outdoor pool and one indoor adult-only pool in the solarium. They will likely hold family hours in the solarium pool as it will probably be too chilly to jump in the outdoor pool.

 

There should be in-cabin babysitting available. Book upon boarding at the purser's desk if you would like to avail yourself of that.

 

Going up and down in the glass elevators should be lots of fun for a 23 month old. :p

[crusinmama06]

Boulders is right, it is 3 and not 2 for Adventure Ocean.

 

The Royal Infants/Tots program should be on that ship. It is suppose to be fleetwide (see my paper below from a recent Independence sailing). It is for you to attend with the baby.

 

Also, there is a toy lending program and a child book lending program. So look around for those.

 

[jenvance]

this is great! thanks for the info!

 

If my daughter is potty-trained, is she still not allowed to go in the kid's pool until she's three?

 

thanks

[crusinmama06]

this is great! thanks for the info!

 

If my daughter is potty-trained, is she still not allowed to go in the kid's pool until she's three?

 

thanks

 

No, she can go in the pool when she is potty trained, no matter the age. "Adventure Ocean" is the kids club...not the pool. :)

 

Also, I don't think that class of ship has a "kids' pool" specifically. They have the main pool. And the indoor adult only solarium. That adult only solarium will have a some special "family hours" that kids can swim in that pool. But it's not a kids pool.

[NanciRDH]

No, she can go in the pool when she is potty trained, no matter the age. "Adventure Ocean" is the kids club...not the pool. :)

 

Also, I don't think that class of ship has a "kids' pool" specifically. They have the main pool. And the indoor adult only solarium. That adult only solarium will have a some special "family hours" that kids can swim in that pool. But it's not a kids pool.

 

 

Actually it does! It's on Deck 12, and its called Adventure Beach. There's a slide for older kids (but not grownups!) and a smaller sized one for preschoolers. I don't remember how deep it is, but there was a wading zone with several deeper spots, one of which the big slide splashes into. The downside to this is its outdoor location, it was chilly during our Alaska cruise, though the water was heated. This didn't stop our dd (7 at the time) from multiple slide runs til her lips were blue. :) There's a max age for this area, but I don't remember what it is...if its less than 12 my middle dd will be sad, she's the one that enjoyed this so much on our last Alaska cruise, and she'll be 12 this time.

[eellsinoc]

I would have never imagined a ship having planned activities for the toddlers...LOVE IT!

 

Does Carnival have anything similar...specifically the Carnival Freedom?

[crusinmama06]

Actually it does! It's on Deck 12, and its called Adventure Beach. There's a slide for older kids (but not grownups!) and a smaller sized one for preschoolers. I don't remember how deep it is, but there was a wading zone with several deeper spots, one of which the big slide splashes into. The downside to this is its outdoor location, it was chilly during our Alaska cruise, though the water was heated. This didn't stop our dd (7 at the time) from multiple slide runs til her lips were blue. :) There's a max age for this area, but I don't remember what it is...if its less than 12 my middle dd will be sad, she's the one that enjoyed this so much on our last Alaska cruise, and she'll be 12 this time.

 

Ooohhh I didn't know that there was a wading pool with those slides! I figured the baby was too small for the slide, but a wading pool on Serenade? Had no idea. Thanks!!!! :D

 

I would have never imagined a ship having planned activities for the toddlers...LOVE IT!

 

Does Carnival have anything similar...specifically the Carnival Freedom?

 

Well since Camp Carnival actually allows the Under 2's for babysitting at certain times during the day (and after 10pm at night), I don't think they have anything more for those kids. :) The Under 2's group babysitting is a pay per use service.

[jenvance]

I'm so glad that Royal Caribbean offers in-cabin babysitting! We may partake one evening, so mommy and daddy can have a well-deserved night out!

 

Thanks for all of the info! It's good to see that there are options for my girl! When all else fails, we still have lots of time for one-on-one playing and reading!

 

Any advice for the main dining room? Will we find ourselves eating most dinners at the buffet? How do most kids do during formal dinners? (I know every kid is different!)

[lardai]

I'm guessing the Adventure Beach area is the same as on Adventure of the Seas. My dd3 and 4 (two summers) wasn't tall enough to go down the slide. They let me go down with her. The other kids would deliberatel wait at the bottom because I splashed so much. My older nieces/nephews took turns taking her down as well which is what the staff said to do. I don't remember the height requirement but she was under 40 inches in July. She was allowed to go down the smaller slide and none of the water in that whole area was over her head.

[zetachi]

I'm so glad that Royal Caribbean offers in-cabin babysitting! We may partake one evening, so mommy and daddy can have a well-deserved night out!

 

Thanks for all of the info! It's good to see that there are options for my girl! When all else fails, we still have lots of time for one-on-one playing and reading!

 

Any advice for the main dining room? Will we find ourselves eating most dinners at the buffet? How do most kids do during formal dinners? (I know every kid is different!)

 

My DD just turned 3 and loved the Fisher Price Royal Tots program. We went 3 times for something to do in the evening. The group leaders were great plus all the FP toys and there was even a reading time.

 

For the dining room we never went without DD portable DVD player. Saved us from having to take her out when she was finished eating.

[twofastdogs]

We took a 7 day on Liberty of the Seas last summer with our then-22 month old son and 3 yo daughter.

 

The Fisher Price Program was in the morning, for about 45 minutes. They were the only kids there one day and the next there was one other child. The staff were ok with them, but it was nothing organized like the Compass made you expect (ie "pirate day"- no pirates around). They would just bring out some toys and the kids would play with them. It was a nice change of pace and they got to play with some different toys.

 

The dining room was an experience. Luckily we were with 12 members of my family, so plenty to keep them diverted. Wewere in a nice place on the DR, kind of separated from most of the other tables. (Except right by the balcony rail, about night 3 my son thought it would be a good idea to drop his shoe...fortunately I caught him in the act) I tried to bring new little toys, crayons, my video ipod, etc. They made it through the whole thing all nights but 1.

[crusinmama06]

We took a 7 day on Liberty of the Seas last summer with our then-22 month old son and 3 yo daughter.

 

The Fisher Price Program was in the morning, for about 45 minutes.

 

The program has changed since you were on it last Summer, luckily. :D I think they figured out that they needed a better program. So they organized one with many more activities and times. See the schedule from Indy 3 weeks ago (above), they had it 4 times/day.

 

jenvance - yes my kids joined us for all of our dining room meals when they were that age. Then they got older and asked to go to the "kids club meals" for a night....but generally yes, my kids can sit through those formals.

[jenvance]

Thanks so much for the advice! I am extremely excited about taking my girl on her first cruise! MY husband and I worked for Carnival for 3 years, so we've been on about 100 cruises or so - just not with a toddler!