MMW37

OP here, thanks for all the great responses! We'll probably bring one Puddle Jumper along, and have the life jackets for a backup if my older boy wants one sometimes too. Should work for us!

We'll be cruising on the Triumph on Sat, and it will be our first with kids. We're driving to port so can bring whatever with. My older one can swim but isn't confident, and younger can't yet. They're used to the Puddle Jumper floaties. Is anything available on the ship for kids to use, or should be bring our own? Are they allowed if we do? Thanks!!

Any way you'd considering waiting to go when the children are older?

They are going to be hot, tired, and bored silly. :o

Nope, we travel several times a year as a family and believe exposing our kids to all sorts of places and activities is a good thing. To each their own though!

I will look at shoreexcursioneer, thank you! Thoughts on Dzib vs. Mayapan? The pyramids sound nicer, but that tour is more expensive.

It isn't a huge difference, we just aren't picky and I don't really know what to look for in a room. I suppose I can just go through room by room and find one that sleeps 4, and just go with it.

We will be visiting Cozumel in early May on the Triumph, and our sons will be 5 and just 2 at time of travel. Husband and I have been here once on a prior cruise (pre-kids) and had a wonderful day at Nachi Cocom. I would like to perhaps try something different this time, but I'm not sure what. Our other stop is Progreso and I think we're going to do ruins, cenote swim, and lunch on a private tour. We could do a beach day, but strongly dislike huge crowds and mass-produced AI food. We do not book ship-sponsored excursions. I am a diver but my husband is not, and he isn't a strong swimmer so isn't into snorkel-heavy days either. We love good quality food that showcases fresh local ingredients. We definitely like a good drink, but can't be pier runners with kids in tow. Shopping doesn't interest us at all, and I'm not a fan of swim with captive animal attractions.

Any suggestions for family-friendly off the beaten path activities in Cozumel? Any beach clubs with good food, low crowds, and shallow snorkeling, or even a one tank shore dive I could do alone? Any smaller boat excursions where we might all have fun? I grew up racing sailboats, so any chance to get out on the water makes me happy. Anything else I should consider besides beach and boat?

Thank you!!

Double post

Right, I was just hoping for something less cumbersome than clicking on each individual category and room. I didn't see the information about not being able to slide the twins together with 4 in a room on their site, unless I was in the wrong place. Our little guy probably can't sleep in an upper anyways, so maybe it won't be a problem. All we care about is having a normal adult bed and having a place to sit at night while the kids are asleep, so we aren't actually particular about cabin location at all. That's why we've always done guarantees in the past. Are the phone agents trustworthy, or just trying to upsell? Hoping for advice from others who have been on the boat!

After checking TripAdvisor, I am also getting quotes from the private group tour companies. They sound even better than AP!

We will be in Progreso for the first time with Carnival in early May. Our two boys will be 2 and 5. If we would like to tour ruins, it looks like Dzib will be our best bet? Some stairs are fine, as we babywear and don't use strollers, but I'm thinking a long bus ride and heavy climbing would probably be a bad idea.

We will book through a private company - our preference. Is there anyone else to look into besides AP? I see that the Dzib tour and the combo with Merida are both listed as 4 hours - is this accurate? If so we will likely just see the ruins so we can spend more time there and swim. Any suggestions for what to do with the rest of the day? We aren't really into shopping or being hassled by vendors. Any other tours we should look into instead of this one? We'll probably do a beach day in Cozumel, so I'd rather not do the AI here.

Thank you!

Cabin selection advice? This will be my husband and my 4th CCL cruise, but our first since having our boys (5 and 2 at sailing). I was planning on a balcony guarantee, but just saw on another site that not all of the balcony rooms allow the twins to convert to a king. We're booking a little late - cruise leaves 4/29 - so I imagine the "best" cabins have been taken. Any categories I should either look for or avoid with a family of 4? Any chance that other travel site was wrong and I will be ok with a guarantee? Thank you all!

Go and enjoy! We just got back from 10 days on Grand Cayman with our 14 month old and 4 year old, and we had an amazing time. Before we left, the first question anyone asked me was who we were leaving the kids with. Neither set of grandparents has ever offered to watch the kids for an extended period so it isn't really an option for us, but I think it's awesome for kids to be exposed to different places and get out of their comfort zone from a young age. We're going on our first family cruise in April when the boys will be (barely) 2 and 5.

We're set on our dates, so it will definitely be on the Triumph. DH and I lived in NOLA for many years, and are sandwiching the cruise in between Jazzfest weekends. Seuss at Sea is of the reasons we're going with Carnival! That and the fact that they'll take kids into the club at 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing anytime dining instead of assigned?

Hello!

My husband and I cruised 3x with Carnival early on in our marriage, and then got busy with graduate school and having kids. Our last cruise was probably 2010. I'm planning on us going on our first cruise as a family of 4 in April of 2017, out of New Orleans on the Triumph. It's a 5 night to Progreso and Cozumel. Our boys will be 2 and 5 when we sail, and we travel pretty frequently so they're pretty adventurous and used to being out of their routine. We're definitely planning on a balcony room at minimum - DH and I have never cruised without one, and I'm guessing that with young kids it's almost mandatory if we want to relax in the evening. So first question - how cramped will 4 of us be in a standard balcony room? Should we consider paying extra for a jr suite or extended balcony room? I know the suite perks are pretty minimal, and if we upgrade the money will come out of our fun budget somewhere else.

I can see that quite a few things have changed - the drink program is new (and I think we'll participate). Dining seems to have changed - are there no longer assigned seating times? It looks like there are more things to do on the ship than before too.

What other changes should I make myself aware of? Any tips for cruising with small kids for the first time? Are the Camp Carnival/Ocean counselors pretty good with even the little ones? I'm hoping we all have a great time!

I'm the OP, and am leaning towards a 5 night on the Carnival Triumph out of New Orleans. We can drive to port and spend a few nights with friends pre and post, which is really appealing. My youngest will not quite be two on the dates I'm looking at, but I think we'll be fine, and going at that time works really well otherwise. We'd get a balcony cabin for sure, and then DH and I can relax outside for a few after dinner. I would like to invite grandparents to help babysit, but they all have pretty busy lives and may or may not want to go.

I think we'll have a great time, thanks!

I'm okay with no car seat, but wouldn't want to make plans only to learn we need one - is there a good resource on laws?

What do you do on a sea day with a toddler? He's a super easygoing baby and would be a piece of cake to entertain tomorrow, but a walking talking toddler might be tougher. Thanks for the info on nurseries - so there is no babysitting at all on any of the other lines? I think that narrows it down for sure. I don't want or need a sitter 7 nights a week on a family vacation, but would want to have a night at least for DH and I to have some grown up entertainment.

Who has done it, and how did it go? What ship and itinerary, and would you do it again? Any tips? We're thinking of taking our kids on their first cruise in 2017, when the youngest would be 1.5-2.5 and probably not yet potty trained. Older boy will be 5. Thanks!

I'm in the medical field myself so not too worried about that. I'm totally comfortable with a GP or ER doc, their training does include pediatrics. I guess I forgot there was a family forum, I'll look there too, thanks! Leaving our kids with family isn't an option. They don't live nearby and have never offered to babysit even overnight. Off to go check out the family board

If I plan a family vacation I want to spend time with my family, so we wouldn't use a sitter outside of maybe one night for a no kids allowed restaurant. We'd definitely spring for a balcony so we'd have a place to relax at night after they're asleep, and we're okay missing out on shows if need be. I'm also considering Disney since their programming is more kid-friendly at night.

Our older boy is pretty adaptable - we've dragged him a lot of places already - and the baby has been so far but no guarantees as he gets older. I'd love to have him toilet trained before 2, but I think 3 is more likely given his brother's history. I think RC and Disney are the only lines with a splash area for swim diapers - is that right? I'm a little nervous about ports too, and whether or not to deal with a carseat. We'd probably have to stick to ports that don't require much travel.

My other vacation idea for 2017 is to do an all-inclusive somewhere like Mexico or the DR. We've never been to one of those, but it eliminates the potty issue. Maybe we'll just price out a few different ideas - this is at least a year away, so I don't need to decide now, but opinions are very welcom!

It's just so different planning things for a family! When we were younger we chose Carnival for both budget and the nightlife, and paid zero attention to children unless they were interrupting our activities. I guess I'm curious about people's experiences cruising with 1 and 2 year olds - how the kids handled it, and how much toddler wrangling impacts parents' cruise enjoyment. I'm guessing there are no relaxing afternoons by the pool with a book and an umbrella drink, for example. If you've done it, would you do it again, or hold off and pick a land vacation instead?

DH and I have been on 3 cruises pre-kids, and none since our first was born. Our boys are now 4 and 8 months. We have the budget to cruise every year or two, so we're wondering when to start cruising again. My vacation time is all spoken for in 2016, but we were considering looking for one in early 2017 when the boys will be 5 and almost 2. Should we go for it, or wait until the baby is potty trained? I know many people do cruise with littles, just wondering how it will go if he can't use the pool. Thanks!

On the Carnival boards, you may want to check out some reviews by ProfCruise who's reviews are "written" by her son (who is two going on three). Very detailed and give a good indication on travelling with a little one.

 

 

 

Carnival has also partnered with Dr. Seuss for the "Seuss at Sea" program which could be very age appropriate for your kids.

I will check those out, thanks! I was leaning against Carnival, but mostly because when we cruised them before we wanted a cheap cruise with a lot of nightlife - not really the same thing we need now. I'm sure the offerings have changed since then though, especially on the bigger/newer ships!

I'm starting to wonder if we should go next year or just wait until the baby is potty trained to do our first as a family. We have a pool at home, and I could foresee problems with the no swim diaper thing. We're going to Grand Cayman for a week in June to visit friends, so we'll see how that goes too - maybe a land-based beach vacation would be more appropriate until they are old enough to swim and both use the clubs.

Thanks! I was actually expecting you guys to talk me into Disney. We'd be cruising in the offseason, which makes the prices a little less outrageous, but they're still really high. I highly doubt this will be a once in a lifetime trip - vacations are a pretty important part of our budget. I'm hoping it goes well and we can cruise at least every couple of years! Moki's mommy, I did read your great post comparing the two lines - food for thought, for sure! I guess I'll keep researching, and go with what makes the most sense based on itinerary and budget. Thanks!

I missed embarkation for my first cruise. 5 friends and I saved our pennies all year to go on a spring break trip our senior year in HS. One's parents made her book airfare through the cruise line, while the rest of us flew a discount airline. Guess which one made the ship? The rest of us got to Miami at 7 pm, and had to take a hotel stay and last minute flight to Nassau out of our spending money. It was an adventure! Joining the ship in the first port was no problem.