Cruising with toddlers

Hi cruisers! My 3 year old son, my husband and I will be cruising onboard the Celebrity Reflection embarking on April 27th, 2018 with my brother and sister in law and their 2 year old. We need all the advice and tips we can get for cruising with toddlers. We’ve cruised quite a bit in the past but never with small children. Do you take strollers? Car seats? Have you used in stateroom babysitting services? Kids clubs? We are brand new to this and appreciate all the advice we can get! Thanks in advance!

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We took my 15 month old on carnival so I can't answer any specifics about celebrity (haven't even been on that line). However in general I think a stroller is a must! Lots of walking for the kids to keep up or you get stuck carrying them everywhere. Bring sippy cups or toddler utensils if that is what they are used to using. I found trying to stick to his normal schedule made for a much less cranky boy, but that is how he is at home and land vacations to, some do well with random schedules. We did not bring a car seat, he was a lap child on the plane then we took bus transportation to the port so again no car seat needed. At ports we stuck with walking or bus/van transport, many cabs won't even have seat belts or the right seat belt to install a car seat. I think carnival is the only cruise line that allows kids under 3 in the kids club but I could be wrong! Carnival does not have in cabin babysitting so we just took turns during nap time and bed time who would go out and who would stay in the room. Snacks, lots and lots of snacks for the ports and even the dining room, kept the kids busy while waiting for food the food. Most of all don't listen to the jerks that will come along on here and tell you kids don't belong on a cruise and to leave them at home! We had a great FAMILY vacation and look forward to doing it again at some point after #2 is born!! Oh I'm pretty sure it will be the same on celebrity as carnival, swim diapers are not allowed in the pool or slide/kid areas so if they are not potty trained keep that in mind.

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Carnival and Cunard both allow children in the kids clubs at the age of 2, so only the 3 year old is currently eligible for the kids club.

We brought strollers for our 2 and 3.5 year old. Our 3.5 year old did not normally use a stroller at home, but we brought it on tours where we had private excursions with transportation, since we could leave it in the trunk on places we visited where it would not be useful.

We always brought car seats for the plane for our kids who were out of boosters, and then found private excursions and requested cars with seat belts so we could instal the car seats. When we were traveling to cities (like St. Petersburg) we needed private excursions to control the itinerary so we could stay as long as our preschoolers were happy. If you are visiting islands, you can consider a ship excursion that will provide transportation to a beach. Just bear in mind that if your child needs to return back home early it will be hard to arrange that and you will be traveling in a cab without a car seat. If you are doing actual sightseeing, I would strongly recommend not taking a ship excursion since you will be able to see and enjoy much more if you can customize your itinerary for your child.

On the first day, bring your diaper bag to the breakfast buffet and take the small portable cereal containers and yogurt and fruit back to the room so you always have snacks on hand. You cannot take the fruit off the ship, but the sealed cereal containers can go with you on excursions so you always have snacks for your child.

https://www.target.com/p/munchkin-white-hot-174-inflatable-duck-safety-baby-bath-tub/-/A-10209874

Buy this inflatable duck tub to place in the shower. Also you can put it alongside the pool while everyone else is in the pool.

Celebrity will have toddler playtime in their kids' club. You have to stay with them to play but it is a nice area for them to run around. Also you can check out from the kids' club toddler and infant toys to your room.

One of the great things about Celebrity is they DO have in room babysitting. You have to sign up at Guest Services I think but it is soooooooo worth it to get out and enjoy the night activites!

My toddler's first cruise was last fall when she was 2.5, her second cruise is in May! Best family vacation I've ever been on, it was amazing and so much fun!

Stroller - YES. The exciting activities and new surroundings and sometimes lots of walking means that having a safe place to relax is really helpful. My daughter is a big go-getter, very high energy, but even she had points where she climbed into her stroller, pulled the sunshade all the way down and just needed to be with her cup and her puppy for a few minutes. The only time she has ever in her life slept in a stroller was on the cruise.

Car seats - Personal choice. Think through your logistics and your preferences. Research the ports and the travel to any excursions you want to do. Car seats are annoyingly big and heavy and need to be installed, but they are far and away the safest option. For planes, we use a CARES strap system and check her seat. Our cruise was out of a nearby port and we didn't do any excursions so we didn't bring a seat for her.

Kid's Clubs - We were on Carnival and LOVED the kid's club. We didn't intend to use it very much, and ended up using it more than we thought we would because she loved it and we got adult time. So we'd drop her off for a couple of hours, an activity or two, and then pick her up for meals or to go swimming. She twice tried to ditch us for dinner when she saw the club setting up for kid's dinner, just took off and took a seat.

Schedule - I've read two strategies for schedule while on ship. 1) stick as close as possible to your normal routine and hope that's good enough. 2) Screw it, we're all on vacation. Sleep when we're tired, wake up when we're done. Keep snacks on hand and roll with what the day brings.

We aimed for #1. We got more days closer to #2. She'd get over stimulated and fall over midmorning, when she hasn't taken a morning nap in months. We'd come bac to the room after dinner, do bath and pjs and a story and try to put her in bed and she'd pop up and ask to go out dancing. Or the only thing that would calm her down was walking the decks with the stroller. We ended up just taking her dancing and making sure she ate something other than 24/7 soft serve ice cream.

We had the most fun just being on vacation with her - we'd go swimming or play in the arcade at the drop of a hat. We watched movies all together in the big bed. We went dancing. Our ship had automatic handwashers that she loved, so we washed our hands at Every One. We spent mornings at deserted bars where bartenders gave her cherries and little paper umbrellas and she climbed on the bar stools. No grand plans or excursions, but lost of little adventures on the ship and a lot of fun. Roll with it - its not a relax by the pool sort of vacation, but its a good time!

Thanks to all of you that have shared. I came on here looking for answers to similar questions. I have cruised many times in the past, but this will be a first for my husband and our 2 kids (4 & 1).

Now we just have to figure out what do to in port. ;)

Get a guidebook from your library and read up on your ports! Gives you MUCH more info than simply looking at ship's excursions! And, with a small child, you can be on YOUR timetable if you find things that interest you that don't require a "tour"!

 

We had the most fun just being on vacation with her - we'd go swimming or play in the arcade at the drop of a hat. We watched movies all together in the big bed. We went dancing. Our ship had automatic handwashers that she loved, so we washed our hands at Every One. We spent mornings at deserted bars where bartenders gave her cherries and little paper umbrellas and she climbed on the bar stools. No grand plans or excursions, but lost of little adventures on the ship and a lot of fun. Roll with it - its not a relax by the pool sort of vacation, but its a good time!

LadyK..this sounds very much like my niece's first cruise. She enjoyed walking around the ship and interacting with staff who doted on her almost as much as the kids areas and Disney characters.

She's now 6 and has been on 5 cruises. I find cruising with a toddler/young child much more fun than a land vacation.

When she was a toddler (ages 2 - 4) it worked best to keep her nap and bedtime as normal as possible. If something was going on at night I'start her nap time a little later in the afternoon. I always brought some of her favourite snack foods from home along with toys, colouring books, ipad (for dinner only), and blankie. Don't forget to take kid medicine as it can be expensive on the ship.

A stroller was a must for long day trips and the airport. We never used it on the ship. I didn't take a car seat as I booked tours through the cruise line.

Great feedback above, getting me excited for our cruise!

Our lo will be 2.5. He's high energy also. I'm expecting we'll take him to run on the promenade daily, and to the kids club to play off some steam. Not sure yet if he'll be potty trained and get to use the kid's pool...

I definitely plan to bring a carseat. I've heard horror stories of families getting kicked off of planes because of toddlers who would not remain seated. If your child is over 2, they are not allowed on your lap for takeoff!

We'll be bringing markers, new toys, and an iPad and hope that will entertain him for a few meals or while we enjoy a cocktail. We also plan to rotate who stays in with the baby at bedtime.

We've been on Celebrity 3 times (4th this summer) with little one - he was 18 months on the first one.......

1) Kids Club has some "toddler time" where you can take them and they can play with the toys - You have to stay with them

1a) I believe Kids club will take at age 3 assuming potty trained

2) we had the pack-n-play from Celebrity the first year - after that little one was on the couch - we did have a cloth shower curtain and some magnetic hooks to hang it from the ceiling to help give some space / privacy at night

3) We started with a simple / small umbrella stroller from toys r us - we have since upgraded to one of the j is for jeep from target - still an umbrella stroller but a little bit more heavy duty

4) There is at least one changing table in the restroom by the kids club

5) We got a "backpack with a strap" from amazon so we could let little one walk a bit while still not letting him run all over the place

6) If still in diapers (or even if not) I suggest the armnhammer disposable bags as they have odor control

7) If still in diapers they can't use the pool

We are taking dd on her 4th cruise this summer.

We did the first Family cruise when she was 9 month old, carried a Baby car seat, stroller, carrier, tons of diapers and everything I thought we might need. She suprised us by being super easy. We took her to the dinig romm (on HAL) and just twice did she get fussy, so she and I left early. It has become a habit that on vacation we turn in early, so by nine pm it´s light out for her and me, we are mostly in the stateroom well before that time. Daddy might go to a Show or the gym.

On her second cruise she was 2,5 years old, still in diapers, but no pack´n´play for her anymore, we were prepared to put her on an air matress on the floor, however on day 1 we returned to the stateroom after dinner and the Steward had pulled down the pullman bed. No Chance on her not sleeping up there, all went well. We enjoyed the ship even without using the pools, just used the beach on port days and dd loved the softice machines.

Cruise 3 and dd just had turned 3 and with the promise of pooltime was potty trained without accidents by then. She loved the pool and buffet. Luggage carried more toys, less other stuff. She tried the Kids Club for the first time. She´s in daycare at home, but did not like the Kids Club as there were some pretty wild Kids there that dominated the Scene. So she was mostly with us, we did a trick or treat Event together, went to the MDR (yeah, we are using a kindle fire to keep her entertained), and spent lots of time as a Family.

Cruise 4 is coming up this Summer. We´ll try the Kids Club again and just plan on going with the flow. If she does not like the Club at least one of us will Keep her entertained while the second parent can go to a presentation, the gym or whatever. Port time consists of vistis to playgrounds and more Family time.

We love cruising, it´s a relaxed vacation for all 3 of us and dd always asks when we are going on a ship again...

My advice for all parents, pack what you need at home for your kids, bring medication and just relax, it´s a vacation.

Our 3 year old loved his first cruise last year. He does not take naps at home, but does at daycare. We did not even try to nap on the cruise, but we did stick with the evening bedtime routine.

He is very active and with our port plans we did not take a stroller. One day was a beach day where we had seats and loungers- he never used them either. One day was a customizable jeep tour, which included beach time. The last day was a dolphin encounter and stingray encounter. There were enough breaks and sitting times in these that the stroller was not needed and would have just been one thing taking up more room. We did not bring a car seat and did not have any issues.

We were with Royal, and like the others I think you have to pay for child care with the 2 year old. Our 3 year old went to the kids club two times. He enjoyed it, but not as much as our 7 year old. He preferred to be with mom & dad. So, we stayed with him most of the time.

Our little one will only drink milk. We brought sippy cups and grabbed milk from the buffet when we could. We would usually grab an extra one and put it in the stateroom fridge.

For both kids I packed coloring supplies and some new toys for them to use in the stateroom during a break from all the ship bustle. On Royal I believe you can also check out toys from the kids' club. I'm not sure about this on other lines. I also downloaded some movies to their tablets in case they wanted these at night. The kids channel on the tv ended up being enough for them.

We drove to port, so we were a little freer with packing. Because of this we also packed his puddle jumper to use at the pool/beach. Both kids also had their own small, kid suitcases and they loved this.

Oh, I saw someone mention the blow up duck for the shower. That is up to you. In our room the shower head was on a hose so that I could kneel next to the shower stall with him in it and use the shower head to give him a shower at his level.

One issue we had- the toilet and counter were too high for him. I had to hold him up just to let him pee. I asked about a stool, but for safety they would not provide one. I understand that on a boat that can rock and move. I think next time though (he is a slow grower), I will pack a collapsible step stool in our luggage. I will just make sure we are standing with him to use it to potty and brush his teeth.

Magnetic hooks and the shoe organizer were great. The crayons and toys went into the lower pockets of the shoe organizer for the kids to grab. Charging cords and some toiletries went into the higher pockets for hubby and I. Lanyards, hats, etc went onto the magnetic hooks.

We didn't need it, but I did pack their acetaminophen, band-aids, etc. This stuff is pricey on the ship.

stroller - a cheap fold up one is easy to store. Unlikely to be able to use organised kids clubs under 2 but they may have a play room for that age you can take them in. Our boy is 3 on our next cruise this month - so will be using kids clubs. Used night nursery last time - drop off almost asleep at 8ish then go to second sitting pick up before 2am -( was usually around 12) That was fantastic - they gave you a pager if they needed you - happened 3 times just to get him to drop back off.

Some toys and last time nappy bags and we took pre-made formula, the ship supplied baby food... Use the MDR or other waiter service dining venues as much as possible - saves lots of hassle and staff love the kids.. Baby seat we didnt take on-boad as we didnt plan on doing excursions and just walked around.

Have a great time..