Ventura - incabin babysitting

[descruisers]

I understand Ventura has incabin listening and a night nursery but does anyone know if you can hire a babysitter to actually sit for your children in your cabin. thank you for your help

[Borf2]

Hi, no, we were on Ventura last year and that option wasn't available. The night nursery is excellent and the staff really do try to get the kids back off to sleep again before buzzing you. You can push your child in the nursery in their buggy if they've fallen asleep in it or there are no beds left.

 

You also meet other parents in the area just outside the night nursery and as you all have something in common the conversation just flows. We met a couple there who have become good friends and who we see every few months.

 

We never used the incabin listening services.

[loopyloo33]

How many cots does the night nursery have?

[Borf2]

From memory it was about 5/6 cots and 5 small beds

[Gerrym]

From memory it was about 5/6 cots and 5 small beds

 

 

What?

 

For the whole of Ventura?

 

 

I am gobsmacked!!

 

 

:confused:

[K8T]

Hi

 

Although it isn't something you can do formally, it may be possible to arrange with one of the nursery staff privately. We didn't use this as an option, but someone we met had asked one of the girls if they would be free to baby sit in cabin one night and she agreed.

 

I am not sure where P&O would stand legally on this but it was a private arrangement with them.

 

On Celebrity, we found that certain staff were cleared to babysit and again you could pay them direct. One lady who was lovely babysat for us and sat in the area by the door, reading by the toilet light so she didn't wake our daughter up, luckily our daughter was a sound sleeper as a baby and was unlikely to wake up before we were back, prefering instead to get up early!!!

 

The in cabin listening is not great, it is done over the phone and you have to ring in, and then listen. However, when we tried it out (but didn't use it), the phone does make a noise when it connects and of course between times you phone in, who knows what is going on. Also remember that others could have access to your cabin, when we had a problem with ours, we found that people had been in and notes left for us, when we weren't there, so it isn't really a safe option.

 

What we did find on the Ventura is that we would take our daughter with us in the evening, taking the pushchair and she would fall asleep and then we would pull the hood down over her and be able to have a few drinks, before going off to bed. We probably wouldn't do this on any of the other ships, but we thought 'hey Ventura is for families and if people don't like it then that is their problem!'. There were plenty of pushchairs in evidence most evenings.

 

Our cruises are very different nowadays after child and we find ourselves in bed by 10pm, but it is great for getting up and out the next day!!

 

Kate

[Borf2]

We were worried about the number of cots/beds before we went but in reality we never had a problem getting our little one in, it was easier for us to leave her asleep in her buggy but she could have used a cot. She also didn't go in there every night so it evens itself out.

 

P&O also have quota's for the number of under twos they can take on a cruise and that would be factored in to the bed numbers. We went on Ventura for the very reason that our first choice of Oceana (only because of the itinerary) had it's under two's quota filled.

 

We went in May outside school holidays so this also would have been a factor in availabilty.

[loopyloo33]

Can you leave them asleep in the buggy in the night nursery or take your own travel cot and leave it set up in the corner!!:D

[Borf2]

We left our little one asleep in her buggy

[snikrup]

Well as one of the reef rangers who worked on Ventura in the Night Nursery I can safely say there were more cots and beds then stated previously. I should know, I made the beds and the cots every night! That was fun! If my memory serves, night nursery accomodates 20 - this is due to ratios. It is manned by two very hungry youth staff. There are around eight beds and the rest are cots though it varies from cruise to cruise according to who uses NN. If you prefer, you can leave babies in their buggies. The staff will give you a pager and will try to get your child back to sleep before buzzing you. Please pick your child up by 2am. The staf get grumpy if you are late. They have just done a 8-10 hr shift and are ready for bed!