Carnival Legend vs. Dream with an infant?

[ADawn]

Hi, new to the boards so my apology if there is a similar post like this around I could have referred to.

 

I am planning a cruise for May '11 to the Western Caribbean for my family of 3, including our daughter who will be around 11 months at the time of the cruise. It has been narrowed down between Carnival's Dream and Legend. The Legend sails out of Tampa, which is an hour closer (a total of a 7.5 hr drive for us vs. 8.5 to the Dream).. not that big of a deal, but a consideration none the less. The Legend is also considerably cheaper- about $550 less to be exact. There is also one difference in the itinerary- The Dream stops at Costa Maya instead of the Grand Caymans (both ships also visit Cozumel, Belize, and Isla Roatan.

 

The biggest factor for me is which ship will my dd enjoy more and we also be able to enjoy. Obviously there will not be a lot of late night partying, but we do plan on using the babysitting services a couple of nights and going to a bar or two (casino doesn't matter). We will be taking her to dinner each night (whether it's formal dining or casual) so the attentiveness of the staff is important because we would like to be out as quickly as possible. Noise is a factor for many reasons- mostly dd's sleep. Also, which ship would have the best atmosphere for one of us to go out solo? I'm sure a couple nights we will alternate and one of us will go hang out in a bar or something while the other chills with dd. Other than this, we will have a balcony and plan to utilize it as our relaxation headquarters after dd is in bed.

 

At this point I'm leaning towards the Legend mostly because it's cheaper. The only thing really holding the Dream up in the running for me is the seaside theater because I think dd would really enjoy it.

 

Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, and we have been on 2 Carnival cruises before without dd- Spirit to Alaska in 09 and Imagination to the Bahamas in 07.

[ADawn]

After reading some additional post on this board I feel it is important for me to say this:

 

My infant will not be in the pools, hottubs, bars or any late night shows period.

I will not be bringing a stroller.

As I said before, she will go to dinner with us and we will attempt an after-dinner show or 2, but the very MOMENT she becomes fussy I will remove her and fix the problem before even considering going back into the dining room or theater.

[cb at sea]

I think you'll find the staff quite attentive on either ship...most LOVE kids! And, you really don't need to defend bringing your toddler...it's fine! It's a FAMILY vacation!

 

On either ship, your little one willl generally be enthralled with the shows...the lights, music, etc...are all fun for children.

 

Pick the ship that is easiest for you...you'll have a great time, no matter what! Your daughter will be happy wherever she is...as long as YOU'RE happy!

[kitty9]

To be quite frank, your daughter won't care one little bit what ship you choose to go on. In the end, it will all be alike to her, so make your decision based on what YOU want to see and do. She'll be happy no matter what.

[Seraphine]

After reading some additional post on this board I feel it is important for me to say this:

 

My infant will not be in the pools, hottubs, bars or any late night shows period.

I will not be bringing a stroller.

As I said before, she will go to dinner with us and we will attempt an after-dinner show or 2, but the very MOMENT she becomes fussy I will remove her and fix the problem before even considering going back into the dining room or theater.

 

Hi Dawn

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip, no matter which one you choose! :)

 

I was curious about the above quote about not bringing a stroller? Is it because you've heard negative comments about strollers? We sailed with our 11 month old in May of this year, and the stroller was invaluable. I'm not advocating a huge stroller that fills up the whole elevator or takes up the entire aisle, but a small, travel sized umbrella stroller. Ours had a back that went down, and it meant that I wasn't confined to our cabin during our daughter's nap time. I've taken one on 4 cruises and have never had negativity based on stroller use (but we try to be considerate with it)

 

I also have an Ergo carrier, but my back and hips can't support her for long periods so I tend to use the stroller more.

 

I'm certainly not telling you what to do, simply just what worked well for our family. You seem very considerate of your fellow cruisers by wanting to ensure your little one doesn't disturb anyone, but she is a member of your family and this is a family vacation.

 

We used the babysitting services so we could get a few hours of grown up time on our cruise, and it was great. We adjusted nap and bed times, and so we'd have our dinner at the late seating, then go up at 10pm for the babysitting. They would set up a pack n' play for Eilidh, and she'd settle in with her bottle and her blanket. Most nights, she was asleep by 10:30. The staff were fantastic and very attentive, and it meant a lot to us to get a little time off.

 

The dining room staff will be exceptional - they couldn't do enough for our two kids and we were so grateful. They were always coming up with little games or folded paper animals or napkins... anything to keep them busy.

 

Having your own balcony will be nice - if you are trying to settle your wee one to sleep, you can slip out there to talk and have some drinks and nibbles (thank God for room service) without having to creep around in the dark. We had a balcony on the Legend and it was lovely!

 

Your child will have a fantastic time no matter which ship you go for - at 11 months, they love everything.

 

Have fun!

[Seraphine]

After reading some additional post on this board I feel it is important for me to say this:

 

My infant will not be in the pools, hottubs, bars or any late night shows period.

I will not be bringing a stroller.

As I said before, she will go to dinner with us and we will attempt an after-dinner show or 2, but the very MOMENT she becomes fussy I will remove her and fix the problem before even considering going back into the dining room or theater.

 

Hi Dawn

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip, no matter which one you choose! :)

 

I was curious about the above quote about not bringing a stroller? Is it because you've heard negative comments about strollers? We sailed with our 11 month old in May of this year, and the stroller was invaluable. I'm not advocating a huge stroller that fills up the whole elevator or takes up the entire aisle, but a small, travel sized umbrella stroller. Ours had a back that went down, and it meant that I wasn't confined to our cabin during our daughter's nap time. I've taken one on 4 cruises and have never had negativity based on stroller use (but we try to be considerate with it)

 

I also have an Ergo carrier, but my back and hips can't support her for long periods so I tend to use the stroller more.

 

I'm certainly not telling you what to do, simply just what worked well for our family. You seem very considerate of your fellow cruisers by wanting to ensure your little one doesn't disturb anyone, but she is a member of your family and this is a family vacation.

 

We used the babysitting services so we could get a few hours of grown up time on our cruise, and it was great. We adjusted nap and bed times, and so we'd have our dinner at the late seating, then go up at 10pm for the babysitting. They would set up a pack n' play for Eilidh, and she'd settle in with her bottle and her blanket. Most nights, she was asleep by 10:30. The staff were fantastic and very attentive, and it meant a lot to us to get a little time off.

 

The dining room staff will be exceptional - they couldn't do enough for our two kids and we were so grateful. They were always coming up with little games or folded paper animals or napkins... anything to keep them busy.

 

Having your own balcony will be nice - if you are trying to settle your wee one to sleep, you can slip out there to talk and have some drinks and nibbles (thank God for room service) without having to creep around in the dark. We had a balcony on the Legend and it was lovely!

 

Your child will have a fantastic time no matter which ship you go for - at 11 months, they love everything.

 

Have fun!

[ADawn]

Mostly not bringing a stroller because of negative comments and a personal experience I had with a lady with her huge Chicco double stroller on a previous cruise.

 

But, also my baby tends to prefer the Babyhawk carrier we have over a stroller and always naps in it. As opposed the stroller which she hasn't slept at all in since about 8 weeks old.

 

Thanks for the input.

[Seraphine]

The Babyhawk looks great! Both my kids like the Ergo, but neither would ever sleep in one.

 

A Chicco double stroller? Yeah, I can see where that might evoke a negative comment or two. But a regular umbrella stroller? Unless the person driving it is being reckless, I don't see it being a problem. I'd certainly protest if someone gave me dirty looks about using one.

 

I really hope you have a fantastic trip - let us know which one you decide on!

[Kerry's Girls]

I understand you've made your decision, but for anyone else trying to decide about a stroller - it's a great thing to have to be able to feed the baby anywhere (in the cabin, at the buffet, on deck, etc). It's also nice to be able to put the baby down to play with toys in the stroller at dinner (pulled up to the table). Personally, now that my girls don't use the stroller that much anymore, I miss having a place to carrry all the stuff that goes along with them rather than having to carry everything in a backpack.

 

Best,

Mia

[ADawn]

Yeah, I do see where a stroller would come in handy and of course if I did take one it would be as light and compact as possible.

[Lady_Jag]

Hi!

My last cruise was on the Dream and we all loved it! (My DD is 4. Review is in my siggy.) The waterworks, the seaside theater, the deck parties, the alternative food options are all wonderful!

 

However, in your case, I would recommend the Legend. Why? Because it is a bit smaller, easier to navigate (don't have to go up and down stairs to get from one side of the ship to the other), and accommodates fewer passengers. Also, it is less expensive, which is one of the main reasons why we're sailing the Legend instead of the Dream in April.

 

Finally, if you're wondering about GC vs. Costa Maya, I've been to both, and the pros and cons to me are:

- Grand Cayman requires a tender (10-15 minutes) to shore. Costa Maya is a dock port. Therefore, there is a higher probability of missing GC if the seas are too rough for the smaller tender boats.

- There are a lot more infant-friendly excursions in Grand Cayman than Costa Maya.

- Grand Cayman is more expensive than Costa Maya (or any of the ports on that route IMO).

- You will be in Costa Maya a VERY short time, so your activities there will be limited.

 

Hope this helps. Enjoy your cruise!