flhokie

You will want to check with the shuttle company. Depending on the type of vehicle used car seats may or may not be allowed.

I'm flying solo with DD in May (she's 3) and was going to use the CARES harness on the plane until I found out she's too tall for it. We are still debating getting a travel safe vest or gate checking her old car seat (won't be using it anymore after our trip) for when we get there.

Did you purchase a seat on the plane for the little one? If not and there are no extra seats on the plane (very common as planes are flying very full) you will be forced to gate check it (they cannot be placed in overhead bins).

Most lines allow babies to cruise at 6 months (a few allow younger). For certain itineraries (exotic, long times at sea) some lines require them to be 1 year old. If Quantum sailing in December is Caribbean baby would be old enough to sail.

We sailed with DD at 2, but would have done it much younger if we had the chance to go.

I loved RCCL for the under 3! We sailed on Allure. They had a big playroom with mats and toys, the nursery and some programs you could take them to for babies & tots. Also, they are one of the few that have any type of pool/water area for diapered ones (larger ships). The nursery was wonderful and priced very reasonably.

DD loved the water shows, character breakfast, carousel, etc. She slept very soundly and sea sickness wasn't any issue at all.

A lot of the decision comes down to what type of vacation you're looking for. Cruising with a little one is definitely very different than it was before (scheduling days around naps, eating, planning for a lot more before & during the cruise, etc) but to us was still fun and relaxing.

No airline allows booster seats, and the CARES harness is the only FAA approved harness. Your daughter must be tall!

 

The Rider Vest could be a good alternative for the car.

She's 41 inches (as of her 3 year checkup 6 weeks ago) and the height limit for CARES is 40 inches.

Her head is very close to the top of the My Ride 65 in my husband's car. We moved to an Evenflo combo seat/harnessed booster in my car which will keep her harnessed until 50 inches and then convert to a true high back (then backless) booster. The manual says it can be used on a plane when it's 5 point harness, but if they truly consider it a booster it wouldn't be allowed. Since it's a new seat I don't want to chance anything and would go with the Graco if I were to take a seat, but I'm leaning more towards the vest.

I just asked for ideas on a air travel website as I'll be flying cross country with DD (3 years old) and am afraid she will be uncomfortable in a car seat for the entire flight (she is almost too tall for a regular seat & we are transitioning to harnessed boosters). I was only considering putting her in it for the flights to avoid checking or renting. She is too tall for CARES so that isn't an option and her harnessed booster isn't FAA certified.

Someone suggested the Ride Safer Travel vest for our destination. It looks very interesting. It's a bit pricey, but could easily be used in cars at home too (no need to move booster seat from car or car when going with grandparents, etc).

Just thought I'd share as I hadn't seen it before & thought it could be helpful for those who have children who are big enough & don't want to lug car seats.

We did not take a car seat on our cruise. We stayed on the ship in Nassau & in the port area in St Thomas & St Maarten. We had planned to go to town or a beach in St Maarten using the water taxi, but the weather didn't cooperate. If there was somewhere we had wanted to go in the other ports we would have used public transit, an organized shore excursion or a private excursion.

I know it's not the same as a cruise, but I never took a car seat when flying with DD. I arranged for one at our destination. The little bit of extra time it took to plan for that was worth not having to lug a seat through an airport

There is no charge for regular kids club hours for the 12 & 6 year olds. There are late night programs that have a small fee. Children are able to attend as many or as few hours they want when the club is open (often closed for a short time afternoon & early evening--hours vary based on sea or port days).

The 2 year old is not old enough for Adventure Ocean (minimum age is 3). Depending on the ship you are sailing on, there may be a nursery that the 2 year old can go to. There is a fee for this ($8/hour when we sailed last year). You make advance reservations for this service. If the ship has a lot of infants & toddlers you may be limited on the number of hours you can book on day 1 (can book more later if available). If your ship does not have a nursery in room babysitting would be the only option for the 2 year old (booked onboard & based on crew availability).

As a reminder, the 2 year old must be potty trained to use the pools (except infant splash zones available on certain ships).

As others have said, use a travel agent. Ask them to create a group on the sailing you all choose. Depending on the cruise line, sailing and group size you can possibly get some extra benefits too. This also takes a lot of the pressure off of you so you can enjoy your vacation too.

Possibly have the agent arrange for the group to be seated together in the dining room if you want. You can arrange informal get togethers and if you want a special event/reception your travel agent can assist you in planning this with the cruise line.

We sailed with 50+ family & friends for our wedding and it was fantastic! We had a couple of get togethers (besides the wedding) and sat together in the dining room. Other than that everyone was free to do as little or as much as they wanted, either alone or with others from the group. By the end of the week everyone was requesting we do it again.

If you have a lot of family from the northeast, I'd recommend Royal Caribbean out of NJ (or Baltimore in the summer), especially if there are a lot of younger kids. Celebrity would be good as well. Norwegian sails from NY too. A travel agent can give you some suggestions based on your group.

We are taking our 9 year old daughter on the Allure for her first cruise. My wife and I have both cruised but this is first time with our children.

 

My 9 yo uses a wheelchair for long distance but can walk with a walker shorter distances. She is cognitively around 3-4 years old but is VERY active, loves to play and interact with other children. We are in the midst of potty training but not quite there yet.

 

Would like her to experience and participate in as many activities as possible including the Adventure Ocean program.

 

Will the AO program accommodate my daughter's disabilities?

 

Any information or advice is much appreciated! I want to make this trip as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

 

Mike

I would check with Royal Caribbean (possibly special services) to see what accommodations they will be able to make. I don't know if they would allow her to participate with a younger group or how it would all work.

The one thing I would not expect them to accommodate is if she is not fully potty trained on board. They are very clear that they won't even help in the bathroom (pants up/down, etc).

Allure is a wonderful ship and I'm sure you will all have a wonderful time!

I have a few nursery questions, I'm going to add them here instead of starting a new thread since they are related.

 

1. How is availability, specifically evenings and port days? If I go sign up right when we board should we get the times we want. We're cruising thanksgiving week, so I'm thinking there may be more babies (certainly more school-aged kids)

 

We booked on day 2 for a middle of the cruise night without any issue. There were an average number of babies on board & we were told on day 1 that we did not have a limit of time we could book that day. They said that (10 hours I believe) applied on more full sailings, but even then there was usually more time available after the initial bookings on day 1. They said the booking was mainly to make sure they had the necessary staff (more kids = more staff). It was 1 staff member per 4 kids and a minimum of 2 staff members at all times.

 

2. Is there a cap to how much you can book on the first day? (I.e. You can book 10 hours embarkation day and then add more if it's available the next day).

 

3. Do they make a decent effort to calm the kids (similar to daycare?) our baby will be right around a year old, which is when I remember separation anxiety kicking in with our older child. She would usually be fine within a few minutes, so I am hoping this won't be an issue.

 

DD was 2 & the only issue was getting her to leave. The staff immediately got her involved as soon as we arrived. While I finished up with staff (what they had available for dinner, what we had in her bag, etc) she was already playing with toys. When we went to pick her up I saw a staff member rocking a child in a rocking chair. Another one was with the children in cribs in the back. They give you a phone that works onboard (no charge unless it isn't returned/broken) so they can get in touch with you if necessary. If you have others sailing with you, you can give names of up to 4 additional people who can pick her up from the nursery.

 

Also, I'd love any updates on toy lending.

See my responses in the quote. The Nursery was great on our sailing! Have fun!

Where have you seen these bad reviews?

DD is just now old enough for Adventure Ocean, but she used the nursery last year on Allure. We had a wonderful experience! Everyone we talked to that had kids in Adventure Ocean were happy with it.

I've never heard of the 100 kid limit in Adventure Ocean on a Royal Caribbean ship. Maybe someone was referring to limits I've heard of where they only allow so many kids in each age group onboard so that all kids can participate in the programs. I've heard of it on Princess, but am not sure about RCCL.

Thank you everyone for your responses!! They've been very helpful!! I will be keeping an eye out for some decent rates (I know that's rare with Disney, but I'm just not willing to pay more than double what I would for RCCL). We are FL residents & can often go with little notice so hopefully that will help.

You can usually get the scented trash bags at the dollar store. Also, pack some things (diapers, outfits, etc) in zip lock bags. You could then use those & the scented trash bags together for an extra level of odor/mess control.

Off the top of my head, Allure & Oasis for sure. I know I've seen a few others (but not many at all) mentioned on here.

It's been 15 years since I sailed Disney. I swore then that I'd never sail them again, but now I have a little girl who loves Disney so I'm thinking about giving it another try.

The biggest issue before was the food. Being a lifelong cruiser, I was used to being able to try different foods (ex. Order 2 soups that looked good or an appetizer, soup, salad, entree & dessert). On Disney it was very strictly enforced that you had a choice of an appetizer, a soup or a salad---under no condition could you get 1 of each (& no ordering another option if you didn't like what you ordered). Portions were tiny. Room service ran out of most foods (45 min wait to try to order) and there was a 45 minute wait for food on Castaway Cay. Food was very limited outside of dining times. It was the only cruise I've disembarked from starving.

Please let me know if their dining has gotten better. If you can order what you want, there's more food available outside of dining times, etc I might give it a try with DD. If not, we will stick with going to the parks & with Royal Caribbean for cruising (DD loved Allure).

Also, look at what you are getting for the kids. What is the line's kids program like? What are their pool areas like? Do they have entertainment they will enjoy?

Almost every line offers reduced fares for 3rd/4th passengers. Some offer promotions from time to time for kids to sail free.

MSC is the only one where kids are always free, but they don't seem as geared towards kids as other lines (based on what I found looking in to them recently).

As someone else said too, check on ports of embarkation & departure because the cruise might be cheaper, but cost of getting there might be more.

Check out the coverplay for the pack n play. It's like a slip cover for pack n plays. Some hotels offer them now.

As for the stroller, keep in mind that at Disney there will be times you will have to fold the stroller & carry DS (parking lot trams and on buses). You may want to use just the stroller without the car seat on days you use these types of transportation.

I was just wondering if they have more a bracelet they wear or something but thanks that would work

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

Only kids old enough for Adventure Ocean (3 & up) get bracelets. They are given those prior to embarkation.

Is there any complimentary baby care/babysitting? Just want to give my sister a heads up on what to budget for.

There is no free babysitting. There is in cabin for $19/hour (not always guaranteed to be available as crew members volunteer to do it).

The nursery is around $8 per hour. The nursery has a minimum of 2 crew members at all times (more depending on number of kids). They have cribs, rocking chairs, changing station, toys, videos, etc. They will feed, change & put little ones to sleep (in crib or stroller depending on parent requests). They also provide parents with a phone that works on the ship in case they need to reach you (we registered day 2 & had the phone all week). DD loved the nursery!!

There are some programs for toddlers/babies that are free, but parents must attend with them.

RCCL just ended their partnership with Fisher Price so the future of toy lending is up in the air (RCCL says no more, but some who have sailed recently report that they've been told it is available while they still have toys).

There are 2 options for alone time--the nursery (around $8/hour) or in room babysitting (around $19/hour and only offered if their are staff members available to do this). We used the nursery one night & it was great!

The baby will probably enjoy the carousel, the fountains in the promenade (under Rising Tide), the splash area for diapered children and all the sights/sounds. He might like the aqua show and the character breakfast.

The baby will pay a full third person fare and full gratuities.

Make sure they take plenty of diapers, wipes, baby toiletries & baby medications (even if they've never needed them before). I'd suggest a stroller &/or carrier for navigating the ship.

I have not personally used one (DD was a lap child for about 9 flights when she was under 1 & we haven't flown with her since), but my best friend has used it for her son for a couple of years. She is a big fan and has recommended to me. She said it is easy to travel with & DS stayed in his seat with it. Since DD's next flight won't be until she is 3, I may not get one (but would have if I had flown with her between 1 and 3 years).

Another item I've seen suggested on here is powdered pedialite. It comes in a box with several small packages that you just add water to. It would be good to have in case of any gastro issues.

We go in February on the Freedom and would love to drop off our little guy for a few hours here and there. He's 18 months and busy busy, he does not like sitting still for a long dinner. Plus we would love to see the theater shows with our older daughter (age 4). How was availability for anyone who has traveled in the 'offseason'? Do I need to race up there once I get on the ship to book time slots?

We were on Allure during Memorial Day Week. I signed up for time by stopping by the afternoon of Day 2 and had no problem. To get the exact times you want I'd go either embarkation day or the next, but I don't see a need to race right there.

Baby on Board - ROYAL Princess

Hello All - Couple of questions; will be on the end Feb royal with our 11 month old son....

 

1.) is there a baby / kids pool on the ship?

 

2.) Any rules with diapers in the pools? swim diapers? No diapers?

 

3.) Any other tips/tricks - do's/dont's? We are platinum princess cruisers

 

Thanks

Adam

I'm not sure about number 1. As far as 2 goes, non-potty trained children are not permitted in pools on cruise ships (even with swim diapers). The only exception is if the do in fact have a separate baby pool/splash area. They are very strict about this for safety reasons. Very few ships have these types of pools so many people suggest taking a small inflatable tub for little ones to splash in.

As for tips, you will find a lot of those throughout this board. A few common ones are....

Make sure to take more diapers & wipes than you think you will need as it is not likely they will be sold onboard.

Take all children's medications you could possibly need (even if you've never needed them before) because they will not have those onboard either.

Make sure to have lots of sunblock for baby (I know many pediatricians recommend specific sunblock when very young and selections onboard are limited) and hats.

Take sheets for the pack n play since they put regular bed sheets on them.

Take a few familiar toys, blankies, etc.

Take extra bottles, a small dish soap & bottle brush to clean any bottles in the sink.

Take some familiar foods/snacks for baby in case he doesn't like the foods or gets hungry at times you are not near a food location (as a reminder, in most ports, by law, only pre packaged foods are allowed to be taken off the ship).

Be flexible (prepared to leave the dining room if necessary, eat at Horizon Court if necessary, change plans at a moments notice)!

Cruising with little ones is very different than just adults, but it is still a great vacation!

Hope you all have a great cruise!

We did that itinerary on Allure in May with DD (2 1/2). We stayed on the ship in Nassau. Walked around the shops in port area in St Thomas & St Maarten. We had planned to do the water taxi to town in St Maarten, but the storms started rolling in early so we went back to the ship. It was great experiencing the ship without any crowds! One of those days I took advantage of one of the port day spa specials while DH & DD napped in the cabin.

I'm not sure about a car service, but you might want to look into cruise line transfers. They use motorcoaches so no car seats. Because it's a pretty good distance to Port Canaveral from the Orlando Airport it might not be much more to do the transfers (depending on how many in your party).

Some people have mentioned renting cars and returning them near the port (rental car company had shuttle to/from port).