nwmr: Cruise with a toddler

snicksnack · March 2014

DH and I have been talking about going on a cruise but I have been baulking because I think it is a lot to ask our parents to watch the kids for a week plus DD is at an age where she gets home sick. Royal Caribbean is running a special where kids are free and they just expanded it to the Baltimore ship. So now he wants to go and take the kids. I think DD will be fine but DS will just be two and I doubt potty trained which would limit him from going in the pool. The ship in question is one of their smaller ships. Has anyone taken a toddler on a cruise and how did the toddler do? My fear is there will not be much to keep him occupied given he won’t be able to get into the pool. I also have one other question if we were to have him day trained, which I highly doubt but you never know, will they stop him from getting in the pool because of his size causing them to assume he is not trained TIA

jf198400 · March 2014

I have never been on a cruise, but to me it does not sound like a great vacation for kids. What if they don't like it? What if they get sick? Then you're stuck there and have to suffer through it. I've heard so many awful news stories lately about norovirus outbreaks on ships not to mention them breaking down. Why can't toddlers go in the pool? My 2yr old DS would be miserable if he wasn't allowed in a pool. If I was intent on taking a cruise, I would wait until he's older and potty trained.

jc&cat · March 2014

I have never done a cruise but I agree with PP. Would you consider something more of a resort instead of a cruise? More freedom IMO.

bcnoelle · March 2014

We took a disney cruise when my son turned 2 and it was great. That being said we live in Orlando so it was about a 40 minute drive to get there. It's also quite pricey, but if you are flexible with dates, you can find better times of year to go. They had a great nursery where we dropped our son off to about 3 hours a day and took advantage of the adult only pool area. For your son, they will also have an activity kids play area that has a lot more stuff than the nursery. The pools were absolutely no pull-ups and I don't think your son should have an issue. There are kids everywhere. For the kids in diapers, there's a fun splash area. Everything was family friendly and they even had bath tubs in all bathrooms. We went on the 3 night one from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. It wasn't really worth getting off in the Bahamas, but one day the excursion was the Disney beach island which was great. I would definitely recommend the disney cruise if you want to splurge. If you choose this cruise, sign up for the early dinner schedule. That one starts around 5:30 maybe instead of 7:30 (less prone to breakdowns!). That being said, if you need to fly a long time just to get to the port than you may want to just consider a resort. I honestly wouldn't bring a toddler on a "regular" cruise. All of the issues you brought up are valid and I question the cleanliness of a lot of cruise lines.

FemShep · March 2014

bcnoelle said:

We took a disney cruise when my son turned 2 and it was great. That being said we live in Orlando so it was about a 40 minute drive to get there. It's also quite pricey, but if you are flexible with dates, you can find better times of year to go. They had a great nursery where we dropped our son off to about 3 hours a day and took advantage of the adult only pool area. For your son, they will also have an activity kids play area that has a lot more stuff than the nursery. The pools were absolutely no pull-ups and I don't think your son should have an issue. There are kids everywhere. For the kids in diapers, there's a fun splash area. Everything was family friendly and they even had bath tubs in all bathrooms. We went on the 3 night one from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas. It wasn't really worth getting off in the Bahamas, but one day the excursion was the Disney beach island which was great. I would definitely recommend the disney cruise if you want to splurge. If you choose this cruise, sign up for the early dinner schedule. That one starts around 5:30 maybe instead of 7:30 (less prone to breakdowns!). That being said, if you need to fly a long time just to get to the port than you may want to just consider a resort. I honestly wouldn't bring a toddler on a "regular" cruise. All of the issues you brought up are valid and I question the cleanliness of a lot of cruise lines.

I took a 3yo on a Disney Cruise and had pretty much exactly the same experience. We loved it, but there are certain things you need to be aware of. Make sure you get the early seating for dinner. Make sure the ship has a splash area for little ones and a kids club if at all possible. Make sure shore excursions are family-friendly.

I'd take our family (9yo DD, 2 yo DD) on a Disney Cruise again in a minute, in part because they put *so much* emphasis on being little-kid friendly, but I'd be hesitant to go on a different cruise line.

Avion22 · March 2014

My husband used to be a manager in the kids program on several Royal Caribbean ships. It's definitely a great vacation option for families, and they have TONS of activities for kids. Do research on the specific amenities available on the ship -- a splash area would be awesome. Honestly, I'm not sure if you've been on a cruise before, but unless you're on one of the HUGE ships the pool is really not that fun anyway. There is so much other stuff to do that I wouldn't plan on spending all day at the ship-board pool.

snicksnack · March 2014

Thanks everyone for your perspectives. The reason for the no potty trained kids in the pool has to do with sanitation issues. The pools are saltwater and are drained and refilled daily and therefore if a child had a solid waste accident it would be an issue. Some boats have splash areas this one does not. I have to agree a cruise with a toddler not my idea of a good time for all the reasons everyone mentioned. We plan to do a Disney cruise once they are older this subject came up now because to boat is docked 30 minutes from where we live and the special they are running with kids. From what I have seen on Royal C’s web site there is a lot for kids to do. I have cruised with them before but never with kids. My husband thought a cruise would be easy because it is all contained vs. flying etc.. I fear sea sickness, annoyed kids etc.. I am not as open minded ha ha. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

snicksnack · March 2014

For those who have used on-board nursery services are they certified the same way a daycare in the states is? I did not see it addressed on the web site.

bcnoelle · March 2014

snicksnack said:

For those who have used on-board nursery services are they certified the same way a daycare in the states is? I did not see it addressed on the web site.

I honestly don't know what the exact certifications were, but it seemed like there was a very good ratio going on and they were CPR certified on the disney cruise. They took photos of my child playing and gave us a paper frame with him in it. He seemed to enjoy the experience. They also gave us a phone/pager that they could contact us with anytime on the ship.

GoodStuff05 · March 2014

We took RC when DD was 2. Downside was kids program didn't start til age 3 and generally I felt outside of the kids programs RC was not very kid friendly, in that any if the general programs throughout day were not family activities but grown up ones (I.e no crafts or dance parties where you could take your child to do something together). They did have some toddler time toys for one hour each m

GoodStuff05 · March 2014

Oops hit reply too soon. Toddler time happened once a day but I largely was keeping her entertained on my own with coloring books stickers etc. we took Norwegian cruise this year and they had more family activities so I'm wondering if you can explore other lines like carnival which seem a little less grown up specific as RC.

blondie10m · March 2014

We took an 18 month on a celebrity cruise and I would say it was not very kid friendly. Meals in the dining room were pretty stressful because there were multiple courses and took a long time. I was constantly worried about keeping DS quiet and entertained. Kid activities didn't really start until age 3. He couldn't go in the pool. The only thing that helped was my inlaws were on the cruise and helped to entertain and babysit so we could catch a few shows and let our guard down a little. A Disney cruise would be very different because it's geared toward kids.

mittensonkittens · March 2014

I wouldn't want to take a toddler on a cruise unless (a) it was Disney, or (b) my parents came too. I looked into it, and it seemed like so much work that it wouldn't be a vacation. Two year olds are allowed in the kids programs on some cruise lines, but it's age 3 for most. Long fancy dinners would be stressful, so we'd probably miss out on the best food. At nap time and after bedtime one of us would be stuck in the room with the kids. I would remedy that by getting a room with a balcony so DH and I could sit outside while in nap jail, but then it's not so cheap anymore. DH and I have taken a cruise and done a resort vacation without the kids, and they were awesome vacations. But my parents are thrilled to fly across the country to babysit (and spoil the kids without my interference), and I know not all grandparents are willing or able to do that. My plan is to wait until my youngest is 3, and then do a Disney cruise with the kids. By age 3 she will hopefully be able to survive without a nap (at least occasionally), so we'd be able to get out and do more during the day.

snicksnack · March 2014

Thanks for the insight everyone. Ms. Mittens "nap jail" cracked me up. I can see it now I would be in nap jail while dd and dh were swimming at the pool ha ha.

snicksnack · March 2014

Btw I am sold on Disney for when they are older

fitmom82 · March 2014

We're going on a Carnival cruise next month. DD will be 4 and DS will be just shy of 2. Kids club starts at 2, I'm going to see if they'll take him but I'm not counting on it, plus I doubt he'd stay. I'm really looking forward to spending time with the kids. The kids club looks great so I'm sure DD will have a wonderful time. There is a kid pool so they'll both be able to splash around there and I may take DD into the big pool. DH enjoys relaxing, so I'm sure he won't mind staying in the room with DS naps, but DS usually naps easily in a stroller or car,at home I have to let him scream in his crib before he'll go down, so I plan on sitting by the pool or wandering the ships while he naps. They're both pretty good with dinners so I"m not too worried about it. We're also spending a day at Disney and a day at the beach, so those days should be fine. DS loves to dance and run, so I plan on just following him around the ship alot, letting him jump around the lounges. I don't fly and I need a vacation, plus we loved cruising before kids, so this is what works for us. We also got a suite so we have a little extra space. I'd love to do a Disney cruise, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to justify the price.

Want a personalized experience?

nwmr: Cruise with a toddler

Re: nwmr: Cruise with a toddler

Choose Another Board

Search Boards