3.5 year old sleeping?

We are strongly considering booking a cruise for October 2018 - a 14 nighter. This would be our daughters second cruise, she was just turned one on her first. The last one was a disaster, she wouldn't sleep in the pack and play or in our bed and often only slept for 4-5 hours a night after taking 3-4 hours to put her down.

Anyway I'm just wondering how others have got on with older toddlers? We won't have a suite or anything and it's Independence of the Seas - I don't think the insides have a curtain separating the bed from the sofa bed... are we mad?!

No, there is no curtain. How is she sleeping at home? I was one of those kids who never slept...afraid of "missing something" I imagine! Hopefully, you've booked a balcony, so you can have someplace "to be" while she's going to sleep in a dark room...you could sit out there and chill!

It will be ok...she's old enough for the kid's club, and they keep them BUSY! She'll love it. Hopefully, she'll be tuckered out!

Our children slept well on a cruise at 2 and 3 but they are generally good sleepers. The last 2 year old flat out refused to sleep in the pack n play crib. We had booked 2 interior cabins, so he slept in the twin bed next to mine. We had bottles of milk ready using take n toss cups to give him whenever he woke up at night. We also used food to make sure they didn't sleep in the car back from excursions because if they slept in the car, they'd miss their naps.

In Europe, we put the kids on the kids club schedule, having them nap while the kids club was closed instead of pulling them out to nap.

But honestly it depends on your kids - some just can't handle a change in routine and sleeping can be tough. Try to bring their bedsheets, lovey and blankets from home.

Thanks for the recommendations - maybe a balcony would be worth it if we can stretch to it, hadn't really thought about that option. She's a great sleeper at home in her owncot but doesn't handle change well!!

Will she be 3.5 at the time of your sailing in October next year or is she currently 3.5, which would make her almost 5 next October? That could also make a huge difference. We had a similar issue with our daughter when she was a little over 1.5 years old on the Allure. She did not sleep at all in the pack and play so we moved her to ours bed the first two nights then my mom's bed after that as we had 2 connecting cabins booked and that worked well.

We are going again on a NCL ship in November and she will be a little over 3.5 years old. I can report back to you after that with any tips we found. I am hoping that with the additional activities that she is going to be able to do this time that sleeping will be much easier. Since you have time you could always test out how she sleeps at other places by visiting and sleeping over with friends and relatives for a night, or even a hotel if that is within your budget.

Is your plan for her to sleep on the sofa bed? I'd say it's fairly likely that one of you will end up sleeping in the bed with her and the other on the sofa bed, at least for part of the night. At 3.5 years old, she won't nap as much anymore, which means they sleep better at night. Plus I assume you plan to do a lot during the days, and there's the kids club, so she will definitely be tired. I'd say don't worry about it too much. Maybe take the other poster's advice of having her sleep in some different situations occasionally (hotel, grandmas house etc) to get her used to having a different routine every now and then.

Took my DS last year on Oasis of the seas (he was 3) and he slept on the sofa bed. When he was 2, we went on a 10 day cruise with NCL and he refused to sleep in the pack and play so he slept on a trundle bed that pulled out from under the bed and popped up beside our bed

At 3.5 years old, she won't nap as much anymore,

We are strongly considering booking a cruise for October 2018 - a 14 nighter. This would be our daughters second cruise, she was just turned one on her first. The last one was a disaster, she wouldn't sleep in the pack and play or in our bed and often only slept for 4-5 hours a night after taking 3-4 hours to put her down.

 

Anyway I'm just wondering how others have got on with older toddlers? We won't have a suite or anything and it's Independence of the Seas - I don't think the insides have a curtain separating the bed from the sofa bed... are we mad?!

If your cabin has a sofa or love seat turn it around facing the wall it makes a nice little bed for a toddler. Also take a cheap shower curtain & magnets to stick to the ceiling and it serves as a curtain.

We sailed on Allure with DD when she was 2. She was too big for a pack n play. We tried the sofa, but she didn't love it. Our cabin steward made a small bed out of the sofa bed bedding on the floor in front of the sofa. DD loved that and slept well that way.

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