Royal Caribbean Adventure Ocean and Potty trained toddler

[sas80]

How strict is Royal Caribbean about the 3 year olds being fully potty trained to go into Adventure Ocean? We are going on a cruise in a month and my 3 year old just doesn't want to be potty trained yet. I'm going to be really upset if she can't go into Adventure Ocean - mostly because I know she will be really upset if she finds out it exists and she can't go. We don't ever plan on leaving her on the ship while we're at port. We only want to use it for an hour or so a day so she can get a break from the adults and be a kid. Any chance they'll let her in if I come back every 30 minutes and check her diaper?

 

I think you would have an easier time getting her in if she was almost 3 but fully potty trained.

 

I'm right there with you. I try to look on the bright side and remember that this wont be our last cruise and, eventually, they will be able to go without issue, and they will have a fun fun time.

[tankersbabe]

Thanks for the 'flushable' wipes info! I will definitely refrain from using them like I was going to. I don't want to be 'that guy' on this ship.

 

As for the non potty trained three year old...good luck! Potty training is rough in itself without rude people who know everything telling you how to do it properly. Right now we are dangling a trip to Toys R Us if my son will just poop in the potty.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[mjkacmom]

Nakey butt her - fastest was to potty train, and very effective. For some reason, kids who have no issues with wetting their pants REFUSE to pee directly on the floor. It might take one accident, but that should be it. I've found it's easier to train before 3, but stick with it. Not one of my kids ever expressed any interest in potty training, and all trained in under a week with the nakey butt method (dd9 trained instantly - had to go out and buy her underwear, because she refused to put a diaper back on, except for sleeping).

[mjkacmom]

Thanks for the 'flushable' wipes info! I will definitely refrain from using them like I was going to. I don't want to be 'that guy' on this ship.

 

As for the non potty trained three year old...good luck! Potty training is rough in itself without rude people who know everything telling you how to do it properly. Right now we are dangling a trip to Toys R Us if my son will just poop in the potty.

 

Enjoy your trip!

 

We had that dangle - some of my kids took up to a year after pee training. Make sure he sits when he pees - sometimes the poop just happens, and when it happens once, and he sees he's fine, he'll do it every time.

[gerif]

Nakey butt her - fastest was to potty train, and very effective. For some reason, kids who have no issues with wetting their pants REFUSE to pee directly on the floor. It might take one accident, but that should be it. I've found it's easier to train before 3, but stick with it. Not one of my kids ever expressed any interest in potty training, and all trained in under a week with the nakey butt method (dd9 trained instantly - had to go out and buy her underwear, because she refused to put a diaper back on, except for sleeping).

 

Ha - you never met our DGD who had no problem at all peeing on the carpet when this method was attempted. Also could not bring her to any restaurant other than McD at that age as she would scream bloody murder and have to be removed. Couldn't take her anywhere really, and we were summarily disinvited from family dinners since she was so disruptive, pretty much from infancy. She's nearly 14 now, thankfully, and turned out just fine, but those early years were a killer. Which is why I suggest to people contemplating a first cruise with a yet to be born baby - find out what kind of baby you have first. DGS, otoh, was a joy as a baby and could be taken anywhere.

[mjkacmom]

Ha - you never met our DGD who had no problem at all peeing on the carpet when this method was attempted. Also could not bring her to any restaurant other than McD at that age as she would scream bloody murder and have to be removed. Couldn't take her anywhere really, and we were summarily disinvited from family dinners since she was so disruptive, pretty much from infancy. She's nearly 14 now, thankfully, and turned out just fine, but those early years were a killer. Which is why I suggest to people contemplating a first cruise with a yet to be born baby - find out what kind of baby you have first. DGS, otoh, was a joy as a baby and could be taken anywhere.

 

I did a nakey butt test at 2 /12. When my twins were 2 1/2, dd passed, ds failed. Ds went back in diapers for 3 months, dd was trained. I did the nakey butt test again at 2 3/4, and ds passed with flying colors! He was trained in a few days. It's a great tool to indicate if they're ready.

[sharktums]

It's also important to note that the kids club toilets are Full Size, and have 'handicap style' arm rests but no step stool. My daughter turned three right before the cruise and is a bit short for her age. She could not get up on that potty herself. We showed her how to grab the step stool from the sink area and bring it over to the potty. The staff didn't seem to like that and she basically just never used the bathroom when in the kids club!!

 

So even if a child is 100% make sure they are 100% using a full size toilet with no help!

[Violet9]

Hi,

We're having a heck of a time getting our 3 year old son to even consider sitting on the potty. Our pediatrician told us that we should let him lead and that made sense to me considering how stubborn the little guy is. The doc said this, "Don't try to make it a battle, your son will definitely win. But he won't still be in diapers at the prom!" Very reassuring.

You are not alone in your potty-training woes, believe me!

[Max and Ruby]

eternityplusone,

I feel for your situation since I am in the same boat as you with potty training. My almost 3 year old (3 on 5/3) just won't hear of it. I have tried everything including showing her pictures of the ships' pools and water play area. Reminding her that she won't be able to follow her sister into the Adeventure Ocean, having her try on underwear, M & M's and the list goes on. About 2 months ago she actually peed on the floor of the bathroom while she was waiting to be taken to her room and her reaction was "yeah? so what?" No embarassment, no anxiousness, nothing. I battled her with her older sister over potty training so I don't want to make that same mistake. I still have 3 months until my cruise, so there might be hope...

 

So my advice to you is as soon as you get on the ship go to the reservations desk and get in cabin babysitting. That's my plan! :p

[SunniLicious]

She still does have the option of using in cabin sitting (starts at 12 months). And can still participate in the Royal Toddler program with her child (runs 6 months - 36 months) - but she can join in if her daughter isn't potty trained in time.

 

Yes, that's true, but is it relevant? :confused:

 

If the question were "what can I do with a non-potty-trained 3 yr old on RCL", that'd have been my reply.

 

If the parent specifically wants their kiddo to go to kids' club - and I can see why one would - it's not an option on RCL if not truly potty-independent.

[crusinmama06]

Yes, that's true, but is it relevant? :confused:

 

If the question were "what can I do with a non-potty-trained 3 yr old on RCL", that'd have been my reply.

 

If the parent specifically wants their kiddo to go to kids' club - and I can see why one would - it's not an option on RCL if not truly potty-independent.

 

I'd say its relevant because the question was what can I do if my child isn't potty trained in time and the answer is -- you can use in cabin sitting if she really gets in a pickle. I think that's a more revelant answer than saying "go Carnival or NCL for future children"

 

And the reason is because that's not necessarily true. Had the OP gone on RCI Oasis or Allure, then she could have used the nursery and wouldn't be worrying about potty training.

 

And if she goes on Carnival or NCL, then she will have to worry about potty training because of the pools -- so no pools, no water works if the child isn't potty trained. The child can go to the kids club on CCL and NCL but that same child won't be able to step foot in the pool.

 

Either way, the OP is going on RCI Splendor (I checked her posting history) which also has no Baby Splash Zone -- so she will have to worry about the no diaper in the pool rules on that ship as well. :( I hope she realizes that or she is going to be really upset when she gets onboard.

[SunniLicious]

I'd say its relevant because the question was what can I do if my child isn't potty trained in time and the answer is -- you can use in cabin sitting if she really gets in a pickle.

 

That you thought that was the question explains it. :)

 

The actual question was

 

How strict is Royal Caribbean about the 3 year olds being fully potty trained to go into Adventure Ocean?

 

And the answer is very. I like RCL. Truth be told, other than policies such as these, I personally didn't see much difference between CCL, RCL, and NCL, which just makes sense since they're all mass lines. But the fact remains that if you want to use the kids' club and have a kid in diapers, RCL is the least accommodating. That's no biggie - one look at the sigs around here shows there's always a next time.

[X]

We initially had a tough time potty training our toddler. BUt then we bought a Elmo potty training DVD. Oddly enough after watching the DVD a few times, he was potty trained within the week.

[jrcuel]

We did toileting the easy way. Took a 10 day cruise on Princess. Daughter just turned 2 and stayed with grandma. Upon returning home she was 80% toilet trained. Grandma had experience with 10+ and daughter was no problem.

[Julienatul]

They all train at their own time. You cant "make" someone potty trained just like you cant "make" them eat or drink. You can offer and do your best to guide but until they are develpmentally ready they will not train. You cannot force them.

 

Try your best to potty train her by the time you go but go with the idea that if she is allowed in great, if not thats ok too.

 

With my DD, she was addicted to pull-ups too. Finally one weekend I stayed in and had naked weekend. Threw away the pull-ups and bought big girl underwear. Just run her to the potty every time she starts to go. After that weekend, she finally got it and we never went back to pull-ups.

 

Good luck, I hope it works for you.

[MnAsMom]

How strict is Royal Caribbean about the 3 year olds being fully potty trained to go into Adventure Ocean? We are going on a cruise in a month and my 3 year old just doesn't want to be potty trained yet. I'm going to be really upset if she can't go into Adventure Ocean - mostly because I know she will be really upset if she finds out it exists and she can't go. We don't ever plan on leaving her on the ship while we're at port. We only want to use it for an hour or so a day so she can get a break from the adults and be a kid. Any chance they'll let her in if I come back every 30 minutes and check her diaper?

 

When my little guy was ready to potty train it happened really quickly. He wanted to wear boxer shorts like his big brother. Well I ended up just getting him some jersey shorts and putting no underwear on him. I think having the underpants on made him feel like there was something more like a diaper/pull up and lead to accidents. When naked he thought it was really funny to pee on the floor. The simple sorts alone made him realize there was no diaper and he made fast dashes to the bathroom.... most of the time he made it but we did have some accidents on the floor. We waited on cruising with RCCL till he was truly potty trained... over 4 yrs old, we didn't pressure either of our boys and they both trained right around their 3rd birthday. He still asks for assistance in wiping but I know he can handle it if he needs to. Usually he will go after he has breakfast or lunch so we didn't run into any problems on our last cruise. I always took him to the bathroom to pee before signing him into AO. If we have another child in the future and want to cruise before they are potty trained I will cruise with Carnival or Norwegian since they take younger kids still in diapers!

 

I would sign up for some baby sitting and plan on attending the times when you can play in the room with your child so she can get some interaction with other kids!

 

I would suggest to your kiddo that the big kids in camp need to go in the potty, no diapers are allowed. You never know... she may just decide that she wants to do it too and will potty train lickety split! It can happen... fingers crossed for you that it may just work out. If not then go and enjoy your cruise....there is plenty to do with your children outside of the kids program. Arcade, mini golf, basketball courts, ice skating, ping pong.... explore the ship... hang out on the promenade, bingo. Plan for visits to resorts while in port so your little one can enjoy some beach and POOL time since swim diapers are a no no in the pools on board.

 

Have a wonderful trip!!!!

[crboggs]

And frankly, I would use Adventure Ocean to an advantage. If she wants to go to Adventure Ocean badly enough then maybe she would potty train. Many parents here use that as the "dangling carrot"

 

We sail on Liberty of the Seas at the end of May and our youngest daughter turns 3 on May 8th.

 

Back in January we started telling our girls about the trip on the "big boat" and how they had to be "big girls" to go on the "big boat". They both got psyched up and excited about it.

 

In February we dropped the pull ups cold turkey and went to panties during the day.

 

She was potty trained within a week.

 

Now we're working on the pants up-down and wiping and etc so she's more self sufficient.

 

Using the cruise as incentive was a big help.

[adoptmom]

I think that was a pretty mean thing to say! Having had five kids, it's been my experience that kids basically potty train themselves when THEY are ready, even with encouragement and positive "training" and reinforcement. I think YOU are the one who's confused.

 

Boy, isn't that the truth. I have 4 kids and they trained anywhere between 29 months and age 5. (Age 5 was a preemie who did most things late.) I think that dangling something as obscure to a 3yo as Ocean Adventure will not work. They just don't have the thinking capacity to understand something that's not concrete and in front of them.

 

What does work for some kids is a reward system (ok bribery, if you want.) Figure out what works. My oldest daughter got 3 candy dots for each success. My younger daughter wanted pennies. For my youngest son, we had poop issues for a very long time. That took hot wheels and littlest pet shop pets. I bought a bunch and he got to pick one out of the bin each time he went. The first day he cried because he couldn't just play with them. Then the next 3-4 days he pooped about 5 times a day but by the end, he was going once or twice a day like a normal kid. They cost me a buck a piece but it was totally worth it to me to not have to wash poopy unders.

[kitty9]

Our family pediatrician is hugely against disposable diapers. She feels as a mother of 5 kids herself, that disposables make it more difficult to train kids because they keep them feeling dry, so there's no real reason to take off the diapers. She says that using cloth diapers make the kids little behinds uncomfortable and they can't wait to get out of them. She is also against pull ups for the same reason. She says they tend to delay potty training.

[sailinglisa]

How strict is Royal Caribbean about the 3 year olds being fully potty trained to go into Adventure Ocean? We are going on a cruise in a month and my 3 year old just doesn't want to be potty trained yet. I'm going to be really upset if she can't go into Adventure Ocean - mostly because I know she will be really upset if she finds out it exists and she can't go. We don't ever plan on leaving her on the ship while we're at port. We only want to use it for an hour or so a day so she can get a break from the adults and be a kid. Any chance they'll let her in if I come back every 30 minutes and check her diaper?

 

RCCL policy is totally toilet trained and completely independent with toileting at age 3. So the answer to your question is NO! Period. No exceptions. How will your little one know Adventure Ocean exists if you don't tell her?

[bigpuma]

Our family pediatrician is hugely against disposable diapers. She feels as a mother of 5 kids herself, that disposables make it more difficult to train kids because they keep them feeling dry, so there's no real reason to take off the diapers. She says that using cloth diapers make the kids little behinds uncomfortable and they can't wait to get out of them. She is also against pull ups for the same reason. She says they tend to delay potty training.

 

I would prefer my child use diapers until they are 5 than use cloth diapers. :D

[imsulin]

I would prefer my child use diapers until they are 5 than use cloth diapers. :D

 

Huh? What problem do you have with cloth diapers? What kind of diapers would you prefer your child to use until age 5? What am I not understanding here?

[tankersbabe]

The Royal Tots program on the Monarch was a joke.

We were put out in the hallway outside Adventure Ocean...the supervisor was not involved at all...basically she got the toys out and let them freeplay. We parents ended up chasing kids to keep them away from the stairs and hallways and breaking up fights since we were in such an enclosed space.

They could at least put us in a room in Adventure Ocean, turn on some music, throw out some balls, and let the parents supervise in a closed environment and let the kiddos run wild for a little while. PLEASE. It's not going to cost you extra or any extra staff considering the ONE disinterested staffer we had.