Back from Celebrity Equinox with a 14 month old

[SusieV]

I wrote a very detailed review on the Celebrity boards- the link is in my signature if you're interested.

 

I just wanted to share my thoughts on cruising with a toddler. Honestly- I'd never do it again. We cruised with my mother and her husband and they took him during the day sometimes so we could do our own thing, and in the evenings once they were in for the night we used the baby monitor (we had adjoining cabins) so they could hear him and we went out, but overall, it was not a relaxing trip. Most of our time was spent entertaining him in an unfamiliar situation and he was off his schedule, plus he didn't like sleeping in the pack and play and he hated the MDR.

 

He had a wonderful time and he was able to play in the toddler room at the Fun Factory as long as an adult stayed with him, and he enjoyed the food and the staff doted on him. He was not allowed in the pool but he was allowed to play in the fountains on the pool deck and he liked that.

 

For the kind of money we spent though, we didn't get the kind of experience that we want on a vacation. It was nice to get away, but we would have enjoyed ourselves more if we'd left him with family and just gone by ourselves, and he wouldn't have known the difference.

 

We booked 2 more cruises onboard but we won't be taking him again until he's at least 3 and old enough to go to the Fun Factory by himself, and perhaps not then. We'll take him on trips that are designed for him, and make sure that we get some time as a couple on a trip for ourselves likely.

 

By the way, I think some of the packing lists I've seen here are nuts and way overpacked. Just bring whatever you normally need plus stuff like sunscreen and medicines and bags to put dirty diapers in. I didn't need half the stuff that I've seen written about here.

[House-of-P]

Wait... he "was not allowed in the pool". Is that standard for kiddos? My DS is 17 motnths and we depart Sunday. He;s a fabukous traveller, but 20 days withonly 5 ports is NOT going to cut it.

 

Help!

[sailinglisa]

No, your little one (unless they are potty trained), will not be allowed in the pools. The pools are not chlorinated like they are on land. And Celebrity is not one of the lines that have a small area that non potty trained children can swim in. Those ships are the Oasis, Allure, Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas, and all the Disney cruise ships.

 

An option is to bring a small blow up pool with you, fill it with a bucket from the shower and dump it down a floor drain. Place the pool between your loungers and not in the path of traffic between rows of loungers, etc. It will also help you bathe your little one if they are not used to showers........most cabins unless you have a junior suite or higher do NOT have tubs in them.

[cantw8togo]

It's too bad that your trip wasn't what you had hoped it would be. It can be challenging travelling with kids and sometimes it comes down to temperment, theirs and yours. It's great that you have planned accordingly now that you have a better idea of how well he travels. Live and learn.

[House-of-P]

An option is to bring a small blow up pool with you, fill it with a bucket from the shower and dump it down a floor drain. Place the pool between your loungers and not in the path of traffic between rows of loungers, etc. It will also help you bathe your little one if they are not used to showers........most cabins unless you have a junior suite or higher do NOT have tubs in them.

 

Lisa, you're the best! Thanks so much. We are scouring the internet for a blow up pool. I cannot believe how impossible they are to find in San Diego--it's 72! Praise God for online shopping!!!

[bill turcotte]

ncl and the Queen Mary work better with kids under 3 because they have a kids club thats open for baies with out the parents being thier ..

[SusieV]

ncl and the Queen Mary work better with kids under 3 because they have a kids club thats open for baies with out the parents being thier ..

 

Yeah but I wouldn't sail NCL if it was free, and Cunard is a little outside our price range. Plus, honestly I am not sure I'd leave him at this age anyway. When he'd older I suppose we'll take him on RCCL since they'll have more activities for him, but we prefer X.

 

We did bring him a blow up pool but we just used it as a bathtub. He didn't know what he was missing and he loved the fountains.

[junglejane]

Yeah but I wouldn't sail NCL if it was free, and Cunard is a little outside our price range. Plus, honestly I am not sure I'd leave him at this age anyway. When he'd older I suppose we'll take him on RCCL since they'll have more activities for him, but we prefer X.

 

We did bring him a blow up pool but we just used it as a bathtub. He didn't know what he was missing and he loved the fountains.

 

Susie I've read your posts with great interest, both here and on the Celebrity board, because we'll be on the Equinox this summer. It will be our first chance to try the S-class ships. I just wanted to encourage you to try Celebrity with your son when he's old enough to stay at the Fun Factory. We've only been on X with our kids twice, but both times our kids really enjoyed it. My younger DD especially loved it and had to be dragged out for meals and family activities.

 

We also tried out the Mariner of the Seas. It's true that our kids loved the ice skating and rock climbing wall, but it will be quite a few years before your son is old enough to use those. IMHO, the kids program for the younger kids (age 3 to maybe 8 or 9) on Celebrity was every bit as good as RCCL.

[SusieV]

Susie I've read your posts with great interest, both here and on the Celebrity board, because we'll be on the Equinox this summer. It will be our first chance to try the S-class ships. I just wanted to encourage you to try Celebrity with your son when he's old enough to stay at the Fun Factory. We've only been on X with our kids twice, but both times our kids really enjoyed it. My younger DD especially loved it and had to be dragged out for meals and family activities.

 

We also tried out the Mariner of the Seas. It's true that our kids loved the ice skating and rock climbing wall, but it will be quite a few years before your son is old enough to use those. IMHO, the kids program for the younger kids (age 3 to maybe 8 or 9) on Celebrity was every bit as good as RCCL.

 

Jane, thanks for the comments. We might take him again once he's old enough, but definitely not before. If not, he'll just have a nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa while we enjoy ourselves :)

 

Enjoy Equinox- she's a lovely ship!

[Lady_Gamecock]

We took our (then) 3 yr old daughter on Equinox on the Ancient Empires Cruise back in October 2009. The Kids Club was amazing and it was the first time we had ever used X's Kids Facilities.

 

There were not many kids on board, so the staff really paid a lot of attention to her (almost to the point it was like she had her own group of Nannys - hahahahahah).

 

We were in Egypt for Halloween, so the day before the kids all dressed up in the outfits they made in the Kids Club and went around the ship and LOADED UP on candy (I have NEVER seen so much candy!).

 

For some reason, she didn't enjoy the pools much. It did rain EVERY SINGLE DAY WE WERE ON BOARD, yes, EVERYDAY - even in Isreal and Egypt, so she pretty much hung out in the Jacuzzi and was considered a "regular" there. :)

 

The waitstaff were awesome with her and dessert......I won't even get into that! Each night they would try to outdo the night before and the last night we were on the boat there was so much ice cream, candy, fruit, etc., we were all embarassed - but she took it all in stride! :cool:

 

We always pick the late seating because we like to pack in as much as possible on port days. By the time the main course rolled around, she was ready to "hit the rack". The resturant staff made her a bed out of chairs and pillows and she would eat her entree during the soup/salad course and she'd kick back. I offered many, many times to take her back to the room and they ALL insisted to leave her and her little bed would be brought in the middle of her entree making plans for her nap.

 

You will love the staff on X. We're on Princess on Friday and I'm a bit nervous, but I'm sure it'll be awesome, too.

 

Let me know if you have ANY questions about RCL or X's Kids Clubs for younger kids. I just had Baby #2 in June, so DS will be cruising with us on his first this week, too! :p