Lots of questions from a new cruiser taking 16 month old

[shortm]

My husband and I had just booked a cruise when I discovered I was pregnant and would be around 35 weeks when we were due to go so we had to cancel. We are now thinking of it again and taking along out daughter who will be around 16 months then.

 

I have so many questions and wondered whether you guys would be able to help :-

 

• is it doable to have a travel cot in a normal cabin - I'm not sure we can stretch to a suite
  
• is it true that babies can't go in the swimming pool ? DD has been swimming since she was 11 weeks old and love jumping in off the side, think we'd struggle to keep her out !
  
• what do you do in the evenings once DD is in bed if you are all in one room ?
  

Also, if anyone has any recommdations for specific companies / ships (or ones to avoid) it would be much appreciated. We originally planned to do a New York - Bermuda with Royal Caribbean and think we would probably like to stick with that but we're open to suggestions. Would have to depart from a port close to an airport with direct flights from UK operated by Virgin Atlantic (so basically New York, Orlando, San Fran, LA)

[Carolin]

Your DD must be potty trained to use the pool. They don't let them in with swim diapers.

 

If you can afford to get a balcony, you and your spouse can have a relaxing evening on the balcony while your little one sleeps. :D

 

Have a fantastic cruise.

[crusinmama06]

If you choose Royal Caribbean to Bermuda, then that would be on Explorer of the Seas or Enchantment of the Seas and they do not have a "Baby Splash Zone" like some of the other Royal Caribbean ships. Your baby would be able to go into the water in the Baby Zone on Freedom/Liberty/Independence/Oasis of the Seas but not Explorer or Enchantment.

 

So if this is important to you, then choose a Royal Caribbean with a Baby Zone (Or a Disney ship). No other cruise lines have baby pools that allow non potty trained infants/toddlers in them. There are MANY cruise lines with childrens pools. But the rules on them state that they are for potty trained children.

 

You don't need a "cot". When you book a Royal Caribbean cabin, look for one that has a "triangle" on the deck plans. That means it has a sofa bed. Then you would have two lowers that would convert into a queen sized bed and one sofa that would convert into a lower bed.

 

We try to always cruise in a balcony so that when the kids go to bed, we can go "outside" and enjoy the rest of the evening together.

[shortm]

Helpful replies, thank you.

 

Think we may have to look for a Disney ship then - eek, I'm not sure about that, it's going to be full of children isn't it ?? - or maybe look for those other RC ships, that might be the best way forward.

 

Has anyone else tried having a travel cot in a normal cabin ? There's no way she would sleep in a normal bed, she'd just climb out and cause havoc !

[sunquest76]

I have posted this before, but I'll do it again :).

We are travelling with our 13 month old daughter in 2 weeks. We were able to get a balcony to help with the sleeping situation, but have found on previous trips that usually by the time DD goes to sleep (especially with the time change for us), we are pretty pooped and go shortly after :eek:.

We also have purchased a "PeaPod" sleep system. Bought it for $60 USD at Toys R US. It is a pup tent type system with an inflatable mattress. It is about 3 feet by 2 feet when assembled, and folds down to a 14 inch diameter circle for travelling. It weighs about 5 pounds. Our daughter loved it. The other option we considered for sleeping was to turn the couch to face the wall and make a bed out of that. Although I'm not sure inside cabins have couches.

Whatever you decide, just go with reasonable expectations. I have a good friend who swore she'd never cruise with her DD again. She went expecting a relaxing vacation. What she didn't think of was that she would still be entertaining, feeding, changing and basically being a Mom. As far as I'm concerned, if someone else makes my bed and cooks my supper - I'm on vacation!

[shortm]

You last sentence made me laugh - when H and I were talking through what we wanted out of a holiday that is exactly what i said. All our friends seem to be opting for self catering / villas but then I still have to make the bed and cook - just in somewhere sunnier !

 

The idea of turning the coach to face the wall is a good idea and would save space. Our travel cot packs up really small for taking on flights so we could take it just incase.

[MNmomof4]

We were 5 in a room recently with a portable crib. It didnt seem cramped at all. When our daughter was 18months, we would go back to our room around 9 or 9:30 and we were all so tired that she went right to sleep in the crib even though we had a small light on. We would all go to sleep shortly after.

[crusinmama06]

If you already have a travel cot, then by all means, take it. :D

 

And no, your only option is not Disney. And YES, Disney is packed full with kids. ;)

 

sunquest - you are EXACTLY right. Any day that someone cooks my meals, washes my towels and makes my bed is a good day :D

[dreaminofsun]

You will also probably want to bring along a light weight umbrella stroller that reclines. If your daughter is easy going and can sleep when she is out and about (my kids were) you can just pop her into the stroller in the evening and during nap time so that you and your husband can still be out and about the ship.

I don't know if I would spend the money on Disney for that age but if you do you really don't have to worry about the ship being over run with kids. Yes there are a lot of kids on board but they are usually busy being very well entertained!

[beachchick]

We were 5 in a room recently with a portable crib. It didnt seem cramped at all. When our daughter was 18months, we would go back to our room around 9 or 9:30 and we were all so tired that she went right to sleep in the crib even though we had a small light on. We would all go to sleep shortly after.

 

Since cabins sizes vary widely between cruise lines and specific ships, not all standard cabins would feel that way. The inside cabins on some of the older ships can be as small as 110 sq ft. There is not a chance in heck that we'd try to squeeze five into one of those--not even in the ones where it is allowed. OTOH, Disney has quite large standard cabins, so it would easily work. Many of the newer ships have much larger standard cabins (even in the inside categories) with specific designations for family accomodations. I think that Carnival's newer ships also are known for having larger cabins.

 

But my basic point is simply that there are numerous ships on which any family of five--no matter how close--would feel quite cramped no matter how it was set up.

 

I'm so glad it worked out well for you. Would you mind letting us know what ship and category? That would be great information for parents trying to narrow down which might work best.

 

beachchick

[MNmomof4]

 

I'm so glad it worked out well for you. Would you mind letting us know what ship and category? That would be great information for parents trying to narrow down which might work best.

 

beachchick

 

To us the important factor is cost, since we try and cruise twice a year and we either cruise with 4 or 6 depending on the kids schedule. We cruised with 5 in an inside on the Carnival Sensation. I think our room was a little bigger than the quad we had on another Fantasy class ship. We are barely in our room and would rather spend money on excursions.

[bigpuma]

Has anyone else tried having a travel cot in a normal cabin ? There's no way she would sleep in a normal bed, she'd just climb out and cause havoc !

 

You can request a crib when you book and they will have a pack-n-play or similar in your room.

 

The other consideration with the 16 month old would be to cruise on a ship that will take toddlers in their kids programs. I know the Oasis of the Seas on RCI has Royal Tots, and Disney has their toddler program as well. I am not sure about the other cruise lines but it would definitely be nice to have an evening or two by yourselves without the little one.

[cruisinsb]

Helpful replies, thank you.

 

Think we may have to look for a Disney ship then - eek, I'm not sure about that, it's going to be full of children isn't it ?? - or maybe look for those other RC ships, that might be the best way forward.

 

Has anyone else tried having a travel cot in a normal cabin ? There's no way she would sleep in a normal bed, she'd just climb out and cause havoc !

We just got back from a trip on the Crown Princess and my son who is 11 months old selt in a crib. We had an inside cabin and it was completely fine. When we went to dinner he slept in the stroller, which I didn't think woudl work out, but it did for all of the nights except the last one. When he woke up, we just put him in the high chair and he was fine. While I did not take him into the pools on the ship, (other than splashing his feet on the side) it did not seem like the "no diaper" rule was enforced. There were many kids in diapers in the pools and hot tubs (which were not really hot). There was one kiddie pool in the back of the ship where nobody was, so he could have gone in there if we wanted, but we were fine just bringing him in the ocean on days tht we were in port. I hope this helps!