travelhound

I did hear that NCL has no pool or splash area for diapered children. He is in daycare and hopefully between my wife and I at home and their help at daycare we can get him potty trained by then but of not it won't be the biggest deal for him to go a week on the ship without the pool, we don't have one at home so he probably won't even realize he's missing it, plus we will do a few beach days in Bermuda so he can get some splash time there. We are moving off the bottles now so don't think we will need them but if I remember the fridge is small, not sure if milk cartons will fit. Read some suggestions that ice buckets work. Has anyone tried this out?

If you get potty trained by then there is a fun kid's pool. Small milk cartons fit in the fridge but both juice and milk need to be gotten at breakfast. We brought those take and toss cups with the covers. They're easily stacked and washed and don't spill. Horseshoe Bay was one of our favorite days at the beach with our dd. Bring sand toys because the sand on that beach doesn't even need water to mold. Awesome.

For strolling go out by the waterfront restaurants. It's amazing how empty those outside seats are and it's a good place to let him run.

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Can anyone who has been on breakaway comment on the possibility of turning the couch? Not sure how it is built and if this is possible? Ds turns 2 the end of February and we are sailing on breakaway with him the end of May. We took him on Epic at 10 months, but this will be an entirely different experience :)

 

 

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The couch does not turn or pull out. It's a platform type. You sleep like a twin bed. Our then 3 yr old slept on the couch and she loved it. I was nervous about her falling off so I piled up rolled up towels on the edge.

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They have that foldable flat thing that they pretend is a mattress. My recommendation for a sheet is because they just use flat sheets from the beds and fold them around. One wiggle and that undone. Uncomfortable for older kids and dangerous for infants. I did fold some and place inside the sheet just to give it a little cushion.

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I agree with everything written. High second lock makes balcony impossible to open. However the main cabin door is a different story. We've been on 5 NCL ships with dd. Next month will be her first RCCL. Maybe the doors are different on RC but you cannot bar the door from the inside so no security chain and when you put on the deadbolt it automatically releases when the door is opened from the inside.

We learned the hard way on the cruise just after she turned 3. The first night we visited the kids club which was down the hall quite a bit and up one floor. We were unpacking and she was playing. She is petite so it never occurred to us she could open the door. Before we knew what was happening she bolted out the door, ran down the hall, up the stairs, and ended at the kid's club. She had just enough of a head start that I didn't catch up until the kid's club door. She was giggling all the way. So each night we put suitcases in front of the door.

My solution for the next cruise and every hotel since then is a device called addalock. You'll probably have to get it online but it's great and won't accidentally set off an alarm like the sensors and so far she hasn't figured out how to get it off.

Also know that if they lock the bathroom door you can usually unlock with a coin from the outside. You can probably guess how I know that.:)

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We've been on the Breakaway with a balcony and it was the first time we ditched the pnp because it was really in the way. The only place to put it was in front of the couch which completely blocked the balcony door and the desk chair. She was three by then anyway and we had her sleep on the couch.

However, check to see what kind of room you have. Hopefully this will make sense. There are two different configurations. One has the bed when you first walk in followed by the couch and balcony. The other has the couch first. We had the bed first, which made the pnp in front of the balcony door. If the couch would have been when we walked in I think it would have been fine. When you look at the deck layout you'll see little bump outs into each diagram. The part that bumps into the room is where the couch is. See if you can tell what configuration you have.

OP: Sorry to hijack this thread. You didn't say which ship you were on, so maybe this is helpful for you, maybe not.

I just posted this picture on another post, so now I have an inside cabin with a pnp, if it helps. This is the NCL Pearl and usually Carnival inside rooms are a little larger (not much, but you may be able to get a different configuration). I've heard most Carnival ships use those small metal cribs, but they would be similar in size to a pnp.

sherryf,

I'm hoping my dd will grow up to be like your kids, which is why I encourage her to try everything. Mostly it's because I'm the exact opposite. I won't try anything. My mom only made what we liked and it was pretty limited, mostly because of feeding a family of six on a limited budget. Nevertheless, I'm not as adventurous as I would like and as an adult I think it's harder to change. The hardest part is when my dd will say, "You try it first." :)

I've attached a picture of a pack n play in our inside cabin on NCL Pearl. There's nothing special about them so I'm sure they're just the standard size pnp. I think he would be fine. As pp mentioned, he may or may not like sleeping in them, but I'd give it a try. We never owned one so our dd was not used to sleeping in them. Her only experience was at my SIL's when she was a year old and I'm sure she doesn't remember that. She's always been hard to get to sleep but once she is asleep, she sleeps hard. If you were willing to lug one through the airport, my guess is he's slept in one before. I certainly would not carry one on the plane, but make sure you request one on your reservation and bring your own sheet, light blanket and anything he usually sleeps with.

If it's an inside cabin as show here, I'd also recommend not giving him anything that could be a projectile. I made the mistake of giving her a sippy cup and when she was finished she just threw it out of the pnp, landing right on my head. :)

My dd says she wants chicken tenders but then wants the crust cut off. She's only been on NCL but next month we'll be on RCCL so it will be different. One thing I noticed they have is cold strawberry soup. Get that for sure. I bet they'll like that. Our dd has liked some of the soups. She's right between your kids in age. Turning 5 in a couple of months. She just decided that she sometimes likes salad too so I think we'll try ordering that. This is after years of spitting it out. Even if they order tenders you can usually get something other than fries like fruit. And that's fruit you didn't have to wash and cut.:)

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We were on an NCL canal cruise last year and the cruise before us was a TA from Copenhagen so there were more non US citizens than Americans. In my dd's age group she was the only one who spoke English. The kids didn't really seem to mind. I saw my dd talking to one of the kids and using a lot of hand gestures. They figured out each other. Laughter is universal. He also spoke a very rare language and I don't think the counselors spoke it but go to the club the first night and ask. Take a tour and see what it's like. After the first drop off come back in a half hour or so and see how it's going. You may be surprised.

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I got one at a second hand store intending to take it on a cruise but it took too much space in luggage and I didn't want to carry it separately. If I was driving to the port I'd take it. DD loves it and uses it in her room sometimes and we'll use it for sleep overs at her aunt's house.

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I usually try to find something that our 4 year old dd likes off the main menu. She likes roasted chicken and fish so we've tried both of those. She had some of dh's calamari and liked it so she ordered it for herself. It was much more appealing because Daddy had it. Many dishes have mashed potatoes, although our dd is probably the only kid who doesn't like them. I told her if she tried something new she could get anything she wanted for dessert. Probably would have been the case anyway but she didn't know that. See if you can come up with an incentive. If they try it and don't like it they can always get something from the kid's menu.

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Wow, that's a lot of planning in a short time. My first advice is don't forget to go with the flow and just have fun. It will be something you'll remember forever. It's not going to be relaxing, but neither is staying at home in WI. We live in MN and know how great it is to get away in the winter.

We brought our dd on her first cruise when she was 22 months. She'll be five in a couple of months and we're just about to go on her sixth cruise, so obviously we think it's great. Our next is on RCCL but her first five were all NCL.

Everyone has given great advice. I'll just add some additional thoughts.

-Don't bring a pnp, but be sure to ask for one. They don't always put it in your cabin if you don't request it. Bring a crib sheet. They use flat sheets and wrap them around the base. Big mess. Also bring anything else she always sleeps with. We have one toy that has been on every trip so far.

-Bring a variety of medicines that are age appropriate. We usually bring liquid motrin/advil, benedryl, chewable kids pepto, neosporin and bandages, pedialyte crystal packs, and a thermometer. Also aloe or other lotion for too much sun. We've only used the pepto once but it will be hard to get any of this if you need it.

-Bring more diapers and wipes than you think you need and make sure you wash her hands all of the time. God forbid she would get norovirus, you want to be prepared. Diapers are another thing that aren't always easy to get.

-Toys, videos, games, etc for both the plane and dinner. I've always thought the dining room was easier than the buffet. As long as she has something to do at dinner and you think she can handle it, it's much easier to be served rather than get multiple meals from the buffet. NCL is really good at serving quickly too. We didn't always stay for dessert.

-She won't be able to go in the pools if she's not potty trained. That's not to say you won't see kids in diapers in the kids' pool, but it's not supposed to happen.

-Make sure she can handle the shower. It's hand held so it's easier than a shower head, but that took a couple times of crying to make it fun.

-How are you getting to the ship and back to the airport? Are you leaving out of FL? FL law requires a car seat, even in taxis. If you are taking a ship's shuttle that is a bus and they are not required.

-Don't forget high SPF sunscreen and a good sunhat.

-I would rule out going to the beach in those ports, at least once. When dd was 22 months we brought her to the beach in every port and she loved it. You can either bring beach toys or buy them on the ship. Actually at that age she loved playing in the sand with an empty plastic drink cup. We just found two chairs under shady trees and she played between us. It also gives her a chance to go in the water since she won't be able to on the ship. If you do that, I'd recommend a reusable, fabric swim diaper. You can usually get them at Target or WalMart. They're much better than swimmers and you just rinse them out.

That's more than I planned on writing, but I wish you good luck and have fun. If you have any other questions, just ask. I'm sure you are busy planning and packing!

ETA: Just realized you didn't mention if your grandchild is a boy or girl. I wrote my answers with "she", so insert "he" if needed. :)

NCL is pack n play. I agree about bringing your own sheets regardless of crib or pnp. They didn't have crib sheets and used flat sheets tucked around the base. That's not good for a six month old.

We've cruised twice in a balcony (out of six cruises with dd) but it was only because the price dropped so much by sailing that we were able to upgrade for free. Obviously I would prefer a balcony but for $1400, I know we wouldn't do it. I'd book the inside and keep checking prices.

As for opening the doors, both of the balcony rooms we stayed in had a lock at the handle but also a lock high up that I don' think any kid could get to. Then they'd have to open the heavy door. We've had much more difficulty keeping her from opening the cabin door to the hallway, which she could do beginning at age 3. Finally we bought a gadget that goes on the lock so she can't open it. We use it at hotels too.

We've done several NCL cruises with pnps in inside cabins. It's basically wall to wall beds but it works. You push the beds over to one side and the pnp take the remaining room on the other side. Tip: Keep one of the night stands up against the wall before putting the crib in so you have somewhere to put a clock, glasses, books, etc.

The largest room we had with a pnp was a balcony on the Breakaway. Because of the way the room was configured, the pnp could only go in the walkway to the balcony, in front of the couch! Needless to say, that wouldn't work. She was 3 by then and we ended up putting her on the couch that made into a bed. So, even though it was tight, the inside cabins worked best.

A year may make a big difference. Our dd's first time in the kids' club was just after she turned three. She went once for a few hours but wasn't that excited to go again. Then we went four months later on a 14 day cruise and I couldn't get her out of the club. She wanted to go all of the time. It may have been age and it may have been that she connected more with the kids and the counselors on that longer trip. So, I think each experience is a little different.

My only advice would be, bring him on the first night when you sign up and can walk around with him. Then whenever you go again, tell him you'll come back in a little bit and see if he wants to go or play some more. Good counselors will help that transition to get from the front desk to playing. Then go back in whatever time you decide (I checked on her after an hour the first time). I just asked the desk to see if she would like to come out or play more. They didn't bring her up front or she probably would have left, so that was smart of them. They just went back and asked her. She said she wanted to play more. I did the same thing in another hour. She still wanted to play. Then it was time to pick her up for lunch. It was an easy way for her to feel like she had an out if she needed it.

Good luck! The kids' club can be so fun for them. Our dd is an only child so it's especially fun for us to know that she is having a good time with other kids. She talks about the kids' club a lot when we talk about cruising.

Our dd's first cruise was when she was 22 months. She'll be five in March and in February she'll be going on her sixth cruise...so we think it's fun having her with us.

It's not the same as an adults only cruise, but fun nevertheless. I found that when we went with no expectations of sticking to a schedule, no disappointment of what we will not be able to do with her, and a go with the flow attitude...it was all good.

The younger one will require more "stuff." Our dd was only not trained for the first cruise and there was soooo much more to bring because of that. Because it's only four days though, it won't be that bad. A year ago when she was the same age your oldest will be, we went on a 14 day Panama Canal cruise and she cried when we had to get off the ship. At that age she loved going to the kids' club and met a lot of other kids that way. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves at that point. Relax...what's that?

I agree with bringing a stroller, especially for the airport. We've rarely, if ever, used it on the ship or excursion but it depends what you do. We never took it to the beach but we did take it when we walked all over Key West. We always did ship excursions that use buses, so no car seats.

If you decide to go the shower route and not bring a blow up tub, try it first at home. One the first trip we stayed at a Marriott for a week prior and they only had showers. I held her to take the shower and she cried for the first few days. Then she got over it and was ok. Now she loves the hand held showers on the ships, but it would be weird if you'd never tried it.

For the plane...bring snacks, a bag of goodies they haven't seen before like those dollar bin coloring books with the colors, cards, etc. We also bring a tablet with her favorite shows. Now that's mostly what she wants to do on the plane but she also likes playing with little figurines on the tray table. To that end, bring some of those Clorox wipes in the travel pack (travel bins at Target) and wipe down all of the plane surfaces before they start playing. We've run into some disgusting tray tables that I wouldn't want her to play on. They are also good for wiping down things in the cabin, like remotes and door handles.

They never seem to have small enough utensils so you may want to pack some of those disposable spoons/forks. Even now they will bring her ice cream with one of those huge spoons that don't fit in her mouth. At breakfast I have to search for the coffee teaspoons because the spoons for cereal are also huge. Cups with covers are also a good bet, especially for the little one.

I also bring an over the door shoe organizer and use it for all of her little things - shoes, hair bows, sox, swimsuits, hair brushes, etc. It keeps that cabin so much neater and easier to find everything. For me, that makes it less stressful.

I could go on and on, but I won't. However if you have any other questions, just ask. I find that the more I plan up front and bring simple things to make life on board easier, the less stressful it is once we get there.

One of my favorite excursions ever. Super laid back and we spend almost four hours at the beach. That's a lot when you take a cat somewhere. We were just in St. Thomas for a week this summer and thought about trying to get back there. It's not easy. Some vendors had an all inclusive package but they stopped at our places too and didn't spend enough time at JVD. Also, if you take the ferry on your own you have to pay a customs fee and get transportation to White Bay (I'm assuming that's where you're talking about going...Soggy Dollar, One Love, etc). I'd do it again as a ship's excursion in a heartbeat. A slice of heaven.

I just posted most of this on another thread but we've been to all of those places when our dd was both 2 and 3.

I second Playa Mia. We've been there twice and dd loved it. It was hard to get her to leave.

We also went to Seven Mile Beach and it was a great. Can either be done on your own or as part of a beach break.

Also agree on not doing Ocho Rios on your own. However, we did a beach break there and they brought us to a very nice beach with good services and entertainment.

We like to do the packages from the ship since they include transportation which is usually a larger bus or a smaller bus with seat belts. In taxis you never know what you're going to get.

We've been to all of those ports either when our dd was almost 2 or when she was 3. We mostly do beach excursions with her, so if that's what you're into, I can recommend taking the beach tours with NCL. You can leave them at the kids club while you go in port if you want to. Our dd loves the beach and so do we, so we always brought her with us.

In Cozumel we've done the ship excursion twice that goes to Playa Mia. There's a huge beach out front and behind the beach there's a great splash park as well as a regular pool. The package includes chairs and umbrellas, entrance to the park, and bus transportation. You can get the buffet and drink package too, which is what we did, so it was all inclusive. Our dd loved it there, especially when she was 3.

In Cayman we did a beach break tour to Seven Mile Beach. This went to beach bar that includes chairs. Great sand, tons of shade. That was a nice relaxing day. You don't have to take the bus/tour as we did. There are a lot of private vans taxis that will take you there. It was just easier to have a bus without the car seats and someone to tell us what time to come back.

We also did a beach break in Ocho Rios. There isn't a lot of other tours I'd take little kids on in this port. However, our beach was great, the entertainment was fun and we had a really great day, so I wouldn't just stay on the ship.

GSC is a beach break by its nature. The water is usually calm although a bit colder than the other ports. DD was taken aback by this but got used to it. Not always easy to find shade there.

As for meds, I wouldn't take anything you've never taken at home. One thing no one mentioned was Pedialyte. We just bring the mix in tubes. Never needed them but if she ever got sick that would come in handy. We also bring thermometer, Pepto chewables, fever reducer, bandaids, and Neosporin.

Have fun!

Booked for serenade in Dec. Heard we may not go to Tortola because Disney & NCL have an exclusive deal with Tortola. I guess we will find out when we board the ship.

Disney and NCL have a guarantee deal with BVI to bring at least 425,000 people a year there. In return they get preferred berthing on a requested date. That doesn't mean no one else can go there. It just means you may have to tender.

We are on the Serenade in February and all of our ports say "docked" so there must be a berth available that day.

As for STT, I'm sure they're just mixing it up. People get tired of the same ports, but I always like going to St. Thomas. We just stayed there for a week in June at the Marriott. Now, if you are just going shopping or not going in the water there, it would get boring really fast.

I'm sorry it sounds like you had an unpleasant experience. Carnival is not one of my favorite lines either. We've cruised a lot with NCL and like them as well as many other lines. I especially like Princess. Frankly, the comparatively high cost of RC has kept us from them for many years now. It will be nice to sail with them again. We just happened to hit a good time for booking. Carnival will always be one of the cheapest options and although they're not horrible, they're not my favorite.

It's not just traditional spring break times. We're leaving at the beginning of February on Serenade and the price has almost doubled since we booked (that's including the BOGO). Crazy.

Guppies is meant for under three but I think if a three year old is not potty trained and cannot go to Turtles they could go with the Guppies.

We've been on the Pearl three times with our daughter, when she was 22 months, just turned three and just turned four. When she was 22 months we did a few of the activities like painting and playing with toys but she still took a long nap so we missed a lot of activity times.

When she just had turned three was our first time at the club. She was ok with being left but didn't think it was that great because she thought her daycare friends were going to be there so she was disappointed. At 3 1/2 we were on the Star for two weeks in the Panama Canal and that's when she started loving the kids' club. Maybe because it was longer and maybe because there weren't many kids and she got to know everyone, but that's all she wanted to do. Last March we were on the Pearl again and she was really excited to go to the kids' club.

Go the first night and sign her up. If you never go, it doesn't matter. You're not committing to anything. The first time you go, just come back in an hour and she if she still wants to stay. I did that twice the first time and she still wanted to stay. They will give you a pager or phone if you want to and they can contact you if there's a problem. (If they can't go to the bathroom alone, you are required to take one.)

On that first cruise she only went twice but after that it was as many times as she could. If she connects with a counselor or another kid, I think she'll want to go back more easily. However, if you go to the club, no parents are allowed.

Give it a try. If it doesn't work out I think you could always play with them in the toy room. No one really monitors that. Have fun!