norwegian w/a 2 yr old

[mj cruiser]

We were just on RCCL on Freedom and are thinking of going on NCL the Epic next year. Our lil guy will be over 2 yrs old anyone done this program before?? Do they have one for this age. I have never researched the NCL program for 2 yo's thanks!

[SunniLicious]

We took DD on Norwegian Spirit when she was 2 years old. We're planning a cruise next winter with another two-year-old, her little brother, and this time we chose Carnival. I do want to give the disclaimer, though, that I have enjoyed NCL, Carnival, and RC equally and think all have a lot to offer - from an adult standpoint, I can barely tell the difference between the lines, frankly.

 

There are some salient differences for parents, however. In my opinion it's down to NCL vs Carnival if you've got a two-year-old, because those are the only lines that allow kids into the regularly scheduled childrens' programming. (yes, there are a few babysitting/nursery options here and there, I'm talking the actual 'camp' program here.)

 

Once you've narrowed it down to those two, it's important to know that NCL will NOT change diapers under any circumstances. You will be given a beeper, and beeped back to camp when the diaper needs changing. Not so bad, except that it does mean you can't leave the ship while your little one's in camp. Now, some parents don't want to anyway, but it's just important to know that going into it so you don't have your heart set on a zipline excursion for you and your spouse while your little one happily plays.

 

Carnival, on the other hand, does change diapers, so you'll sit through dinner AND the show without diaper duty, and parents can leave the ship with the kiddos in camp.

 

On port days, when we sailed the Spirit, care was considered "babysitting" anyway as the official 'camp' ran only when not in port. On Carnival, camp carnival runs on port days too, and so it's free.

 

I know this all sounds like a commercial for Carnival, and while I really do believe rcl/ncl/ccl are quite equivalent, in my personal opinion these differences do make Carnival the best choice with a two-year-old (hence our selection of it this time 'round.) Of course, your mileage may vary based on your plans and your preferences. And I will say, if DS were older, we'd totally be sailing on the Epic, because she's so unique and has so much to offer. :)

 

We did have a fabulous time on the Norwegian Spirit and simply did family excursions, bringing DD with us, and had a lot of fun. The youth counselors on NCL were great, DD really bonded well with one and cried at the end of the week when she had to say goodbye. I took a photo of them together, and DD still looks at it and talks about her sometimes, and it's been more than two years since that cruise. You will have a great cruise if you go on Epic, I'm sure.