Will my 2yo be able to do anything onboard FreedomOTS?

[Laurie12820]

DH and I are looking into cruises for next Summer when DD will be 2. We would like to cruise with Royal Caribbean and as much as we would love to do the Oasis class, I just don't think we can afford it. So, our next option would be Freedom. I highly doubt she will be potty-trained by then, so will she be allowed in the H2O zone? Is there a baby pool? What else is there for 2yo's to do on Freedom?

[YOWmom]

I believe RCI is supposed to be adding nurseries to Freedom class ships sometime in the next year for kids under 3 (for an extra cost), like on Oasis and Allure, but not sure of the exact timing... I'm sure someone on here does though...

[jerin]

In addition to the nursery, which will probably be in in March, when Freedom drydocks, Freedom has a Baby Splash Zone for diapered children. There will also be organized parent-tot playtimes and toddler toy check-outs. Some toddlers REALLY get into the production and ice shows -- if you're not sure how she'll do, pick a seat that you can make a quick exit from if need be. The Promenade can be a lot of fun to wander -- if you can find a time when the sport court isn't being used, it can be a great place to run. You'll find plenty to do.

[Laurie12820]

Ty for the help! :)

[chalupa]

I was on Freedom in Dec 09 (when DD was 9 months) and going back in August (she'll be 17 months). There is a baby pool that she can play in that's meant for diapered kids. When we were there, I noticed a 'pool attendant' keeping tabs on which kids were entering the pool. If there was an older kid coming in, the attendant would ask them to leave as it was meant for younger ones and vice versa. (Which was nice to see, until it came to a mother who had 2 kids, one of which was too old (4 or 5?) for the baby pool. The mother said she had to supervise both kids and can't leave one unattended. The attendant let both kids play in the baby pool. Didn't matter to me, but of course another parent raised a stink about it... )

 

One suggestion for the baby pool would be to bring a couple of small pool toys. A mother brought a little pail and shovel for her son to play with and he was kind enough to share them with my DD. I'm bringing a small plastic pail & watering can to keep her busy this time.

 

Besides the pool, there are Fisher Price sessions every day and Crayola sessions on sea days. I posted some info about it: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1107762 My post also briefly mentions the 'sign-out a bag of toys' program on board. At least there was something to go through when our LO needed to do something different.

 

As jerin mentioned, my DD loved the ice show (the lights and music caught her attention) and a couple of the evening shows. She also loved being wheeled around the ship in her stroller, people watching at dinner and staring at fellow passengers during the elevator rides, so she was entertained for most of the trip.

[QTMichele]

This is a great ship for the under 3 crowd - and will be even BETTER after the Freedom goes into dry dock in March 2011. As others have mentioned, there is a baby splash pool for swim diapered children. This isn't a huge area, but it was quite sufficient for our "needs." :) I would also encourage you to use the toy lending program - it's free. Just request a bag of toys to any of the AO staff, and they will allow you to sign out age appropriate toys for your little one. Again, as mentioned above, there are parent and baby/toddler play groups (the parent must stay) that last for an hour, as well as daily stroller walks on deck.

 

After the dry dock, the Freedom will have a nursery for children 6 months and up. :D I can't wait to hear about their program (will it differ from Oasis Class? will have to wait and see...). Also, the characters are coming on board! Again, not a lot of info here, but you know to expect them.

 

We were on the Freedom in January - had a BLAST! My 14 month old, at the time, really enjoyed himself too. I wouldn't hesitate to go with a younger child again. :) I wrote a review with pictures - a link is in my signature, if you're interested - and discussed the children's activities.