ajaasved

Yes - he will get the spare room. This is our 6th 2-bdrm suite, and it worked like a dream for the first four cruises. On our Baltic in June - it did not work so well as he was making the transition from the crib at home to a full bed. We travel with two of these awesome things:

 

http://www.theshrunks.com/shop/indoor-products/travel-beds-and-security/Inflatable-Bed-Rail/

 

So will just set them up and give it a try. They're big enough that the child can't really roll or climb over in their sleep - but when they are awake of course that's a different story. We'll bring a monitor (as we always do) and a motion sensor for outside his room in case he gets any ideas about opening the door and going for a roam in the middle of the night. On our last cruise though he just crawled out of bed and made a bee-line for our room and our bed. (Which is not allowed at home). I have not inquired about bed rails on board but these things are very compact and handy and work very well for hotel rooms.

 

Only three weeks away! What cabin are you in? Two bedroom?

We are in a 2 bedroom suite. This is our first cruise and I am just trying to make sure that I am prepared for the sleeping situation. It looks like these blow up things will work really well, thank you for sharing. We also bought a door alarm for the front door. Didn't think about the monitor, since we don't use one at home anymore. Will have to pull that out of storage!

Can help you out with a few answers. We will be on the Getaway in October as well (11-18th sailing). This will be the 6th NCL cruise for us, and for our son who just turned three. His first was the Pearl out of miami @ 15 months old, and the most recent was the Star out of Copenhagen (Baltic) in June. So basically six NCL cruises in 22 months.

 

1. I have had no issues giving him tap water on the ship. If you're the cautious, overprotective type - then by all means get bottled water. BUT - guaranteed the ship's water is tested more frequently and is more regulated than any bottled water.

 

2. We avoid the buffet now like the plague. But - we have always traveled in suites so have had better breakfast options and to some extent, lunch options. When he was younger we had quite a few dinners at the buffet. This was a function of us parents not wanting to deal with the main dining room when he was so young. There are always many kid-friendly options available. You might have to ask for something specific but you will be able to mash up broccoli, get yoghurt, etc. There is plenty of fruit. We are now in full carbivore mode with him so kids' menus easily accommodate his needs

 

3. The first three cruises we took him to all the shows. We just grabbed a row of seats with a terminal end so we could box him in if he got antsy. But, honestly that was quite rare. The last show we took him to was Band on The Run on the Dawn in January. About 10 minutes into it he leaned into me and said "Daddy, this is making my ears sad." It was kind of making my ears sad as well, so we left. He was talking about the volume, I wasn't. That is the only issue with loudness that we experienced. For our Baltic cruise we were simply too tired each day to do it - extremely intensive port days.

 

4. Good question! We haven't got that far yet We've done excursions, both private and NCL, just walked around, etc. etc. on each cruise. The only place where I demanded a car seat was in Russia, but apart from that we haven't traveled with one.

 

5. Don't know. As I mentioned, we've always had the two bedroom suite and his room has been the 2nd bedroom. Door shut, no windows, sloshing back and forth..nice and cool - he's slept better on board that elsewhere. Except on the Baltic cruise, where jet lag/time difference/sun going down very late conspired to have bedtimes thrown way, way off.

 

6. I honestly don't know about the Getaway. On Pearl/Dawn class ships there is always a 'kiddy pool' where diapers are officially not allowed. But - virtually every parent who plops their kid in there has them wearing diapers. I have read that the splash area is quite slippery and older kids use it for surfing. Will figure that out when we get on board.

 

7. Can't help.

 

8. We have always brought our own (just make sure it's the standard travel size. All they do is fold up a sheet several times and put it over the "matress" so their may be a slight safety issue. Much more comfortable having a fitted sheet lock down the folded sheet (bring two in case one gets dirty). Can't speak to the size- not sure what cabin you're in. But apparently they do fit in every cabin...

 

As for your other questions I'm really not sure. For reservations we would just use the concierge when we traveled with a large group on the Dawn. You may have to split tables....

OzCanuck,

Will you be staying in a 2 bedroom suite with your child? Looks like we are on the same cruise as you and we have a son that is 3 as well. If you are in a 2 bedroom suite, will you be having your son sleep in the extra room? Do they have railings so the kids don't roll off the bed?

Ginger is great for nausea. You can bring some ginger root or buy crystallized ginger. Ginger root is typically near the herbs in the grocery store and crystallized ginger will be in the spice racks.

You can make them a tea with ginger (about 4 small pieces,) honey, lemon and hot water. Let it cool off an have them drink. Another thing you can try, if you children are adventurous...soak/dip some ginger root in honey and let them try sucking on it. I do all of this for myself when I get nausea and it really settles my stomach.

Living near San Francisco and having a 3 year old, I will share what we do.

Cal Academy Museum in Golden Gate park. It's amazing and even adults LOVE it. Across the way from it is the Japanese tea gardens which are so fun.

Pier 39 is fun because there is so much going on but it is a touristy area. You can catch a cable car there that will take you to Union Square which is a shopping area. Macy's, Nordstroms, Bloomingdales and all the typical shops you would find anywhere else.

Giants game. They have a children's play area and maybe there is a game the day you are there.

Alcatraz. There is a great ferry ride out there and the views of the city and the bridge are amazing.

The Bay Area Discovery Museum is currently under renovation right now so before you take a pricey cab ride over to Sausalito, I would check their website to see if they are open.

Make sure you dress in layers, people think that it's warm all over California, it's not.

Also, IF you happen to be in town October 9-13, it's fleet week and the blue angels are in town. AMAZING. Kids love this event. You can go down to the Marina Green and there are a TON of military trucks the kids can climb all over.

Have fun!

Have you considered finishing your review? I was really enjoying it.

Thanks!

 

As a result, in June 2013 I booked a 2 bedroom suite (16114) in the Haven on the Getaway for the May 24, 2014 sailing.

 

We have this exact room booked in October. Do you remember if the door opened in towards the room or out to the hall? We have a 3 year old and we know some can open these doors. Trying to buy a contraption to stop him from being able to do this.

Thank you.

AJ

During the day I use a foundation with SPF, pressed powder, sometimes a blush or bronzer, eye brow pencil, Chapstick and really don't bother with eye make up. For night time, I'll add shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss. It can fit in a medium sized make up bag, mainly because the brushes are long.

 

I have curly hair that is prone to frizz that I straighten, so my own blow dryer, straightener and anti frizz cream are musts. Clips are a help too.

Sounds like you and I are very similar. What do you wear at night? We are going to be on NCL and I plan on wearing cocktail dresses to dinner...too much?

I would feel totally comfortable in it fyi.

Thank you so much for the hair tips! You are reminding me that the humidity makes my hair crazy but it is great for my skin! Any other suggestions are welcome.

Hello there,

We were given the gift of our first cruise, October 11th to the Caribbean.

When I typically travel to warm climates I pack very little make-up, mascara and maybe a simple eye shadow palate. Mostly because there is never a real opportunity to have a fancy dinner that requires more than flip flops, a sundress and mascara. I usually just keep my hair in a high bun because the frizz get's out of control and I have a hard time getting my hair to just get dry with the humidity.

With this cruise, I know that I would prefer to dress up a bit in the evening, do my hair and make-up. I am understanding that most people over-pack but I wanted to bring make-up without packing my full make-up trunk.

What do you bring as far as make-up goes?

What about doing your hair? I have super long and thick hair, I have read to bring my own hairdryer. What do you bring? I am assume it's humid on the ship? Should I bother curling it? Do you find frizz to be an issue?

Thank you!

Amanda

Some people don't want to carry a bag and some do. Individual choice. I don't think it's a newbie mistake, I've been on more than 20 cruises and I will carry a purse at times, sometimes I use my pockets. It depends on what you want to have with you.

 

I've read some posts over the years you can always tell a newbie by new sneakers. Just not true. My husband likes to get new sneakers shortly before we leave, he's been on more cruises than me. People just shouldn't make general assumptions about others.

Thank you! I just can't imagine heading to a pool carrying a book and/or magazine, sun-block, water, lip balm and all the other stuff my son and husband cram in there. I don't want to embarrass my in-laws but I also want to have what I need when I need it with me.

I am confused??? I haven't been on a cruise before. Our first one is a gift. You said carrying around a bag for the pool on the ship is a newbie mistake? How so? When I go to ANY pool in the world, I ALWAYS bring a bag with my stuff in it. Please explain? Maybe I misunderstand the situation?

Thank you!

Googled the addalock and it looks very similar to the travel lock we brought on ebay. We are cruising in 2 weeks will report back.

 

 

 

 

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