Is my son too young? Should we wait?

We are eyeing the 3 night to Bahamas on the Disney Dream in December. My son will be almost 2 at the time, but he is fairly delayed so he acts about 6 months or so behind for his age.

He is very social and happy but can get upset at loud noises. He loves people though and is quite the little flirt / ham.

I think he would really enjoy the cruise, but my husband thinks we should wait a few more years.

What do you guys think? A big reason to go now for me is the free airfare for him, and we will hopefully have another baby next year and this will very likely be the first and only trip with just the "3 of us."

My husband is concerned about what we'd do at night. We'd get a balcony room but my son goes to sleep around 8 and we'd be in the room for the rest of the night with him.

Any thoughts / insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

You are really asking for our personal opinion. OK, I'll get flames for this, but at this point, I wouldn't do it.

Doing the cruise with a child this age is for you and for the photo ops. The child won't remember it for long. How much traveling have you done with this child? It isn't easy, even on the cruise. And the airfare is the same whether you do a 3 night cruise or a 7 night cruise. A 3 nighter is hectic. They PACK the cruise with activities because they are trying to cram all the best into the 2 1/2 days.

I would save my money and wait till you can do a longer cruise, whether that is with 1 or 2 kids. Even a 4 day is a lot nicer than a 3. And honestly, I think this child is too young if you view this as a "once or twice in a lifetime" trip. Now, if you are planning to cruise each year....get them started early and often!

He won't even remember this. If you go as a family...well, that's what families do! They vacation together! It's more for you than him.

Until your child can appreciate this sort of thing...do what YOU want to do...don't be doing it "for him"....he'll enjoy whatever you do...be it a cruise or a land vacation or a "stay-cation" at home.....kid's really don't care! As long as you are happy, he'll be happy. Kid's are weird that way!

Some ships offer in cabin babysitting...so look into that. Some ships have nursery services, so you can go out in the evening.....but, booking a balcony with a child is the best option, if you're going to be staying with the child...it gives you someplace "to be"!

He won't even remember this. If you go as a family...well, that's what families do! They vacation together! It's more for you than him.

 

Until your child can appreciate this sort of thing...do what YOU want to do...don't be doing it "for him"....he'll enjoy whatever you do...be it a cruise or a land vacation or a "stay-cation" at home.....kid's really don't care! As long as you are happy, he'll be happy. Kid's are weird that way!

 

Some ships offer in cabin babysitting...so look into that. Some ships have nursery services, so you can go out in the evening.....but, booking a balcony with a child is the best option, if you're going to be staying with the child...it gives you someplace "to be"!

Just a head's up - DCL doesn't do in-room baby sitting. There is a nursery onboard for the 3 and under group ($9.00 an hour currently).

I'll probably get flamed for this but in my humble opinion...I wouldn't do it either. I've certainly seen lots of families having fun on cruises but it was usually with kids older than two. I've also seen lots of miserable kids and miserable parents. There are plenty of other vacation options that might work better. Save cruises for a few more years.

Thank you, everyone! I really appreciate it.

This is all very personal and only you can decide if it will be a good fit for you. As others have mentioned, a 3nt cruise is very short, and I can assume to be very hectic. We took our 21 month old son on a 7nt DCL cruise in 2013. We absolutely loved it, and we all had a great time. My son does remember some parts of the trips, and it's great when he does remember things, some of what he remembers is from photos and some is things that he actually recalls (we have no pics of some of the things he talks about). The point is it was a great family trip for my wife, son and I, and it will be something that my wife and I can look back at.

My son at that age was very easy. He loved the shows, and he loved meeting the characters. And my wife and I loved watching him enjoy these things. It didn't bother us knowing that he may not remember a thing, the enjoyment came from watching his utter delight experiencing these things. We spent most of the cruise together as a family, we only checked him in to the nursery 3 times, 1 for a couples massage, 1 for brunch at Palos and 1 for dinner at Palos, maybe a total of 9 hours.

With that said it was totally worth every penny we spent for us as a family. Traveling with kids can be hard, but it can also be a lot of fun and very memorable. We are going on a 14nt panama canal cruise in October with our son (3yo) and our daughter (1yo) in October, wevery traveled a couple times with them already and they are OK flying and handling the time difference (we are from Hawaii, and any trip to the mainland is an excursion).

Only you can really judge if this will be right for you, good pick and if you do go, have fun.

I think at his age that the cruise would be more for you and less for him.

We have so many fond memories of cruising with our children and they do too. I would wait till he is around 5 and while he won't remember it all if you take a lot of photos he will remember more of it by looking back at the photos.

You know your child the best so you will know in the end what makes the most sense.

Keith

Ours used to sleep in the pushchair in the evenings on holiday. Its only a couple of days, when they are out of their routine anyway. If you have other babies, you could be putting off your holidays for a while!

I'd go!

Wait , save your $$ for a longer DCL cruise in a couple years.

I don't think it would be worth it for a 3 night cruise (we did DCL on the 3 night, and never again, prefer longer). Packing for a toddler is a PITA, and for only 3 days of vacation?

A few points to think about:

He may not remember it, but little little kids don't remember birthday parties either. That doesn't stop us parents from throwing them. Some of my best memories of dd are when she was 18 mos at WDW. She LOVED the characters with a joy that was wonderful to watch. We have so many good pictures of her over the moon at every single character. She also LOVED any show we took her to. Way more than her 5 yo sisters.

Even if it's 3 days, you won't be cooking or cleaning. For some, that is a huge bonus.

If you go into the cruise assuming you will not be able to do everything, and are looking for a way to relax, have fun with dh and ds, and won't be regretting all the "could have dones" you could still have a very good time.

There are lots and lots of movies on the tv, if you need something to do in the room at night. And room service. If your ds sleeps soundly, it might be some nice forced one on one time with your dh. I know with my dh it is sometimes hard to slow down both our schedules long enough to just sit with each other. Bring some board games or cards. Is that your typical cruise activity? No, but no one says you have to be typical. It's your family.

I would not do it. Save your money until your child is older. I would say 5 at minimum.

If YOU want to go on a cruise, go. Take the kid. You will be making memories for yourself and enriching his life experiences, whether he remembers in years to come or not (he'll "remember" from photos).

Unless it's a "trip of a lifetime" sort of vacation, why wait? You can go again when he's older, as well.

My first visit to Walt Disney World was way back when they were building Epcot, with my 2 daughters, ages 4 and 1. People told me they were too young, waste of money, yada, yada, yada. I wanted to go, so I went. Had a great time, and the memory (and photo) of my eldest meeting Micky Mouse for the first time is priceless. We've all been back many times. (My "kids" are now 39, 36, 34 and 31. The "baby" went his first time at age 4 months).

the side of go and have fun. Although I didn't take my daughter on a Disney Cruise until she was 13 we went with her son when he wasn't 3 yet. He has also cruised on Carnival. To him all ships are Mickey's Boat! He will be gold on our next cruise in November and he will be five next week. Have a ball. Enjoy it as much as your child will.

We are eyeing the 3 night to Bahamas on the Disney Dream in December. My son will be almost 2 at the time, but he is fairly delayed so he acts about 6 months or so behind for his age.

 

He is very social and happy but can get upset at loud noises. He loves people though and is quite the little flirt / ham.

 

I think he would really enjoy the cruise, but my husband thinks we should wait a few more years.

 

What do you guys think? A big reason to go now for me is the free airfare for him, and we will hopefully have another baby next year and this will very likely be the first and only trip with just the "3 of us."

 

My husband is concerned about what we'd do at night. We'd get a balcony room but my son goes to sleep around 8 and we'd be in the room for the rest of the night with him.

 

Any thoughts / insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

Hi, we've cruised with dd at 14 months, 26 months, 3 years, and will again in a few weeks. With that said, I'd never do a 3 day, cause way too much trouble for us, esp if you have to fly! We like our 7 days!

I enjoy the downtime in my cabin at night. I put dd to bed, I'd either sleep or go out and dh would stay with her. Last cruise, I read or slept, enjoyed the balcony with room service and drink, dh went where ever he went with his labtop and worked (fun work, he's a bit crazy). Or we ordered room service (warm chocolate chip cookies, mickey bars, and milk!) then watched a movie after she went to sleep or hung out on the balcony just enjoying.

1 tip, is do 2 naps, morning after swimming, afternoon before dinner. We were able to push her 8pm bedtime back to a bit later, with no issues, she was getting enough sleep. Mine doesn't sleep in a stroller. But last criuse, poor kid, did fall asleep while daddy was carrying her.

If YOU want to go, then go. We're taking dd on her 4th cruise. We like to cruise and it's the best value and most fun for our family. We enjoy the time together, and alone. It's a good break. and lots of fun! No she doesn't remember her cruises at 14 months but we have great pictures!

We took our DD when she was two and she loved it! To this day she talks about the Mickey ship and loves watching the videos and pics .... but yes she did have melt downs when we had to wait in line to see the characters.. at that age they don't have the concept of waiting everything is now now now ... if you can stick to her normal routine and give him plenty of rest it will be a fun experience.

He won't remember it, but am sure he'll enjoy in the moment. One thing to keep in mind is he won't be allowed in any pools if he's still in diapers or the kids club outside of open house hours. And yeah, you'll have nap and bedtime restrictions and will probably miss the shows. Having said that any family vacation is worthwhile.

Even a 4 day is a lot nicer than a 3

100% agree on all accounts, but specially this part. We have gotten extremely ridiculous deals as FL residents for some 3-nighters in the late fall. We just don't bother anymore. We made the "mistake" (don't get me wrong, fun as hell nonetheless) of going on one of these and it's just not worth it -- and again, we live within couple of hours of PC and very good prices. 4 nights, IMO, is the bare minimum of nights anyone not driving to port should take. Hate to phrase it this way, but traveling long distances for a 3-night cruise is a bit of a waste.

100% agree on all accounts, but specially this part. We have gotten extremely ridiculous deals as FL residents for some 3-nighters in the late fall. We just don't bother anymore. We made the "mistake" (don't get me wrong, fun as hell nonetheless) of going on one of these and it's just not worth it -- and again, we live within couple of hours of PC and very good prices. 4 nights, IMO, is the bare minimum of nights anyone not driving to port should take. Hate to phrase it this way, but traveling long distances for a 3-night cruise is a bit of a waste.

Agree totally!

I've done 2 3 nighters. One was a "bounceback special" from DCL ($99 for 3 nights in a balcony cabin), which we combined with a WDW trip. The other was part of a 4/3 B2B. And even then, I don't think I'd do it again. Yes, I enjoyed both, but especially the one combined with WDW was a lot of effort for a little time on the ship. And they seemed so rushed compared to longer cruises! For me and my family, I'd save my money till I could take the time for a longer cruise.

Everyone is right and only YOU can decide. Let me tell you that having a child with delays can be difficult (I have 2 - a 7 yr old and a almost 5 yr old). We've been putting off a cruise since 2013. Originally we were waiting till the magic 3 but DS4 is still not potty trained and is non verbal but has some words - like a 2 yr old. If you decide to do it, go in it with an open mind and do things as a family. You may be able to do a night out if he likes the nursery. We have a cruise booked on Harmony of the Seas for 2017. We are giving DS 2 more years to potty train and have a better understanding of his surroundings. Our DS acts normal except his language and wearing a pull up. Now our DD has a cognitive delay but being older she has adapted.

A big reason to go now for me is the free airfare for him, and we will hopefully have another baby next year and this will very likely be the first and only trip with just the "3 of us."

 

My husband is concerned about what we'd do at night. We'd get a balcony room but my son goes to sleep around 8 and we'd be in the room for the rest of the night with him.

I think that free airfare is paid for by having a lap baby. Our experience with that with a 17 month old was awful, and my experience with a lap baby near us yesterday was exhausting for us. Mom thought that 1.5 year old should stand during takeoff (someone sweet moved so baby could have a seat, but baby was having NONE of that), mom thought it was adorable that baby kept getting out of the seat or lap to go taking off up and down the cabin, etc etc. Baby then kept trying to bother the OTHER 1+ year old two rows behind her, even when baby was finally nursing to sleep (he was in a carseat and was much more relaxing to be around LOL).

We were so thankful that DS aged out of being a lap child by the time we had our second trip, so it wasn't a lure. Because it was *miserable* for me, the one who got to hold/control/deal with him the whole flight.

I think that if you're plannign on more kids, if you don't take baby NOW, then you won't take next baby at the same age, and if you have more you won't take them at this age either, and then WHEN are you going to get on a cruise?

Also, not to be maudlin, but if you put things off b/c of future babies then never have them, you've had a sad sad time. Trust me on this. DO THINGS. Don't put them off b/c of your plans. Sometimes plans never happen. (DS was our "first try" for a baby. There have been ZERO babies since then. Absolutely no reason and no expectation that this would be our lot in life. Though if we only get the one kid, he's an amazing and awesome kid to be our one!)

What do you guys do at home *now*? Because being at home after bedtime is actually MORE boring than being in a hotel/stateroom after bedtime. Sure, you can go to the living room, but there's still not that much to do that you can't do in the stateroom.

Traveling during early childhood is just parenting-while-on-the-road. It's ALL a pain. But it's what you do during these years. Would you rather parent while around the house day in and day out, or parent with all these other things around you to do during the day during a vacation?

Even if it's 3 days, you won't be cooking or cleaning. For some, that is a huge bonus.

 

Bring some board games or cards. Is that your typical cruise activity? No, but no one says you have to be typical. It's your family.

For my cousin, the "no cooking and cleaning" aspects are pretty much THE reason she loves cruising so much.

And the board/cards games are a terrific idea.

I find it interesting that parents who would never think of taking a child in a car without a car seat think nothing of holding them on a lap in a plane. Yes, I know the plane crash statistics, but a child can be injured without the plane crashing! Is the point to follow the law (car seat in auto) or to keep the child safe...which would dictate that an FAA approved child safety seat be used on the plane?

Sorry, but my kiddo was always in an approved seat on the plane. And it just happened that her car seat was FAA approved, so the seat on the plane was the same one she was used to in the car. (most are, read the fine print.) Kid is comfortable, used to being compliant in the seat, and far safer than on a lap or running around.

I'm with the people that say go if you want to go. We did our first Disney Cruise with DS when he was 18 months. It was a 3-day on the Dream. (Yes, I agree with others that 3 days is too short. But if you truly have never been on a cruise, then 3 days on the Dream is pretty awesome. It's a wonderful ship but if you hate the cruising experience you're only on it for 3 days).

Moving on.... Yes, at this age he trip is for you and not your kid. But are you not going to go anywhere, ever, because your kid won't remember it? It's only going to get more expensive, especially if there are more kids in the future.

One bit of advice is that your son will pretty much direct things to a certain extent. We had to change our expectations pretty quickly. While at home he was made to eat a variety of foods, all he wanted to eat on the ship was bread, pouches (which we brought from home), and Fruit Loops. (There are no Cheerios on the ship!) After a day of struggling with him about his diet, we just let him eat what he wanted. (He's on vacation too. I'm not eating how I normally do, why should he?). We tried to watch production shows, but once he was done we were out of there. (We made sure we sat on an aisle in the back). We only lasted 15 minutes for one show!

We put him in the nursery for nap time. He didn't always sleep, but we got our alone time and he got to chill out with less stimulation.

Yes, you have to "go with the flow" with a kid. They do have an O shaped cereal, but it is a Kellogg's brand, not Cheerios. And it is a bit different. If your child is really into Cheerios, bring a single serving box or two!

Some parents feel that nap time is the ideal time to use the nursery, while others would rather use nursery time for the shows, spa, or whatever. It's your call--what works best for you. Infants/toddlers are one time I see a balcony as almost a necessity because you can enjoy the balcony while the child naps.