Cruising with twin 18 month olds

[PACruiseBear]

We are considering a cruise this summer and we have twin girls that will be 18-19 months old when we go. I am looking for any thoughts or advice. A few questions are-

Is there enough room for 2 pack and plays in the balcony rooms or would we have to get a suite?

How does the pricing work for children under 2?

Are there high chairs available in all the dining areas?

I saw that there is childcare available at $8 per hr per child. Is this the only option for daycare?

What documentation is needed? Passports, Birth Certificates, etc?

Any other ideas or thoughts on something that I may be missing is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone. Jeff

[cruisecrazymama]

Hi Jeff

I can't answer your question on day care as our twins were 8 before we took them on a cruise. They are 18 now. I will answer what I can though.

 

I think it would be awfully tight with two pack and plays in a balcony cabin. Junior suite might work. You will pay the 3rd and 4th person rate for the little ones. Which is less than 1st and 2nd. Passports, or certified birth certificates with a state issued ID will be required for all. What we did with our twins was go to the DMV and have ID cards made for them. I have personally never seen high chairs in the dining room, but that doesn't mean they don't have them. Someone will come along who can answer for certain.

Happy planning:D

 

Edited to add: There is a board on CC on family cruising which I understand has excellent advice on cruising with children. I found the link for you. Hope you can find some help there

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=49

[Rala]

They definitely DO have high chairs in the MDR.

[MOSusan]

Maybe Grandma and Grandpa would like to spend a week with their beloved granddaughters and you and your wife could have a wonderful, relaxing cruise together?

 

We didn't cruise with our kids until they were 7 & 9. I just imagine that two toddlers would be more work than vacation on a cruise ship. In the end it is up to you, but I would recommend that you wait until they can enjoy the Kids' Club - they just can't understand the joy of laying on a deck chair and doing nothing yet.

 

Good Luck with whatever you choose.

[boo214]

Hi Jeff

I can't answer your question on day care as our twins were 8 before we took them on a cruise. They are 18 now. I will answer what I can though.

 

I think it would be awfully tight with two pack and plays in a balcony cabin. Junior suite might work. You will pay the 3rd and 4th person rate for the little ones. Which is less than 1st and 2nd. Passports, or certified birth certificates with a state issued ID will be required for all. What we did with our twins was go to the DMV and have ID cards made for them. I have personally never seen high chairs in the dining room, but that doesn't mean they don't have them. Someone will come along who can answer for certain.

Happy planning:D

 

Edited to add: There is a board on CC on family cruising which I understand has excellent advice on cruising with children. I found the link for you. Hope you can find some help there

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=49

definitely too tight for 2 pack n plays. we took our then 14 month old ds with us on eos to bermuda and we had a balcony room. the pack n play took up the middle of the room with enough room to get by. no way to fit 2. they do have high chairs in the mdr as we used one every night. also we got ds a passport since we have them and figured better safe than sorry. also the in room babysitting was $10/hr if i remember correctly. they provide 2 sitters but you only pay one. have a great trip.

[liberiben]

I would second the find someone else to care for the kids, but I know that is not always possible. You will need Birth Certificates, they do have high chairs, they do have a nursery for free on some ships but it is not 24 hrs. so you may have to pay the $8 if you want late night sitting. I would also second the suite, there is no way you could fit 2 pack n plays and be able to move in any other type of room IMO.

[jill5172]

Hey, another twin parent! We are planning to take our twins on a Mediterranean cruise this summer. They will be 23 months at the time of the cruise.

 

Don't listen to the folks telling you to leave them at home. You should do what makes you happy and what makes you comfortable - I know in our case we are happiest with our kids in tow even though we may be a whirlwind of activity.

 

We are booked into a grand suite - more room definitely helps us. I don't anticipate that we'll use pack-n-plays as our guys prefer to sleep with us in unfamiliar places.

 

Also to answer your other question they definitely have high chairs. Little ones are treated extremely well by the crew. Go and have a wonderful time!

[Saracruise]

Copied directly from the RCI site:

 

Babysitting is offered both in a group setting, and individually in your stateroom. In stateroom babysitting must be reserved through the Guest Relations Desk (Purser's Desk) at least 24 hours in advance.

 

It cannot be reserved prior to the cruise vacation and there is no guarantee that sitters will be available. The service is offered between 8:00 am and 2:00 am when personnel is available. Sitters will be assigned on a first come first served basis

 

Children MUST be at least 1 year old.

Approximate Rate: $19 per hour for up to three children within the same family.

 

Times and prices are subject to change without notice. Payment must be made in cash.

[Loves_Dogs]

You should post this (or something similiar) on the Family Boards located here on CC:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

There is a woman who frequents those boards, she posts under the name Kerry's Girls. She has cruised many times as a single parent with her twin girls since they were very small (under a year). She would be a wealth of info for you regarding traveling with young twins.

Good luck and have GREAT cruise!!!

[PACruiseBear]

Thanks everyone. We are planning on taking grandma and grandpa with us as well as my brother and his family. If it were just us I would wait a bit longer to take the girls on a cruise but we are not going to miss the opportunity to go with the whole family. Interestingly, I just did the math and it looks like it would be less expensive to get a balcony and an interior cabin than one suite. As I am sure Jill knows with twin toddlers if you wait until it is easy to do something you would never leave the house. Be well everyone.

Jeff

[cb at sea]

The children only need their BC's....under 16 doesn't need a picture ID.

[wrich427]

We just returned from an 8 night cruise on Liberty of the Seas. I would recommend Oasis, Allure, Freedom or Liberty for your travels with toddlers that age. The price of babysitting has gone up to $18/hour and they will not guarentee that they will be able to find babysitters as this is second jobs for the crew. The 4 ships listed above all have Royal Tots nurseries. We found the people in the nursery to be fantastic and they really care about your children. They knew our son's name after the first time and were always happy to see him. I would not count on the babysitting service as we requested 2 nights and were called and told that there was no one available. We were one of the first people on Liberty and went immediately to the guest relations office and filled out the requests but did not get either of the 2 nights.

 

We had a great time and we had a 2 and 3 year old boys with us. We got 2 joining indoor cabins overlooking the shopping area and opened the door and this would probably give you the space you need. The price was less than a balcony or a JS.

[Kim4]

We are considering a cruise this summer and we have twin girls that will be 18-19 months old when we go. I am looking for any thoughts or advice.

 

Hi! I don't have twins, but I have cruised with young children (mine were 8, 6, 2, and 1 when we went).

 

In addition to the other advice about high chairs and going over to the family boards, I would recommend that you look into a ship that has the baby splash area if your little ones aren't potty trained. This is a small shallow area for babies in swim diapers only. Check out the Freedom class ships and the Oasis class ships. I was on the Freedom, and I know for sure that the Freedom has a baby splash area, and I'm pretty sure about the other ships.

 

It was lots of fun for my little ones to sit and splash...in fact, it was pretty relaxing for me, too...I just sat on the edge of the area and watched them play.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[RoyalDiamond]

Really? Children that young on a cruise? I guess I've been pretty lucky. Out of 21 cruises, I have not had the "pleasure" of such young children nearby. For many, the cruise experience could be less enjoyable if there were crying children on the balcony next door, or a child crying/throwing food in the dining room, etc. It sounds like you are one of the more considerate parents, however, by seeking info and advice ahead of time. If they get unruly, please consider removing them from the dining room, or other area, until they calm down.

[crusinmama06]

You have been given some great advice and I do suggest coming over to join us on the Family Board and look for "Kerry's Girls" -- she has this whole cruising with twins thing down -- she does it alone, without the gparents so you will be fine! ;)

 

Pick a Freedom or Oasis class ship to take advantage of the nursery AND the Baby Splash water zones. They are the best for families with children under 3 that are non-potty trained.

 

And the children will pay full price (or full 3rd/4th rate) so travel on dates that are not Summer/Holiday times if you can. :)

[jill5172]

Really? Children that young on a cruise? I guess I've been pretty lucky. Out of 21 cruises, I have not had the "pleasure" of such young children nearby. For many, the cruise experience could be less enjoyable if there were crying children on the balcony next door, or a child crying/throwing food in the dining room, etc. It sounds like you are one of the more considerate parents, however, by seeking info and advice ahead of time. If they get unruly, please consider removing them from the dining room, or other area, until they calm down.

 

You should hit Liberty's June 25 sailing then! It would give me great "pleasure" to know my babies were annoying an intolerant person like you.

 

Really, if you want to ensure that there are no children on board, book an adults- only vacation. Till then there really isn't a need for that sort of attitude towards parents who prefer to actually spend time with their families.

[CI66774]

It never ceases to amaze me that some people think it's appropriate to "suggest" to the OP to leave their children at home They didn't ask you for your opinion as to whether they should bring their children or leave them at home...Geesh - keep your unasked for opinions to yourselves!

 

OP - check out the ships that have nurseries. I'm going on the Freedom in late April and I've heard really good things about the nursery from cruisers on other ships (Freedom is getting a nursey while in drydock in a week or so). Have a wonderful time and don't listen to anyone who "suggests" you leave your children at home.

[demodawn]

We sailed with our twin granddaughters about the same age. What fun we had! We were on the majesty which is small but the one room just had the packin plays. It worked well. Other grandma wanted to watch the kids at night so she was free until they were in bed and DD and SIL came out and she went in to sit with them. She was usally tired by then anyhow. The wait staff loved the girls and spoiled them rotten! We have pics of the wait staff feeding the kids! Oh course we have well behaved grandkids!!! We had no problem with them at all. We did try to make sure they got their naps! Go for it and have fun! Yes, you wont be our late and drinking alot but who to say that is cruising?

[RoyalDiamond]

Hey Jill5172, obviously you're not one of those considerate parents. You obviously misunderstood the tone of my post. I didn't suggest anyone leave their kids at home. I merely suggested that if the children are misbehaving, they should be removed from the immediate area until they are acting appropriately. Why should hundreds of other passengers have to tolerate screaming tantrums just because the parent thinks their childrens' behavior will improve eventually? Just like at a movie theatre, leave the room until they calm down....that's all.

[waterbug123]

 

And the children will pay full price (or full 3rd/4th rate) so travel on dates that are not Summer/Holiday times if you can. :)

 

Also, it is generally expected/implied/suggested that you pay the full standard suggested tip amount for EACH person, including children/babies.

[waterbug123]

Interestingly, I just did the math and it looks like it would be less expensive to get a balcony and an interior cabin than one suite.

 

Yes, that is often the case. How would that work for you though? Put one parent in each room with one child?

[Kim4]

One other thing I forgot to mention -- We had an interior cabin, and every day, either myself or my husband would spend a couple of hours in our cabins while the kids napped. It was pretty dark in there, and I napped a bit, too -- but I wish we had sprung from a balcony. I would have loved to sit out and enjoy the balcony while the kidlets napped.

 

A good nap in the middle of the day really worked well for us. It made the rest of the day go very smoothly.

[Robinhill]

We are considering a cruise this summer and we have twin girls that will be 18-19 months old when we go. I am looking for any thoughts or advice. A few questions are-

Is there enough room for 2 pack and plays in the balcony rooms or would we have to get a suite?

How does the pricing work for children under 2?

Are there high chairs available in all the dining areas?

I saw that there is childcare available at $8 per hr per child. Is this the only option for daycare?

What documentation is needed? Passports, Birth Certificates, etc?

Any other ideas or thoughts on something that I may be missing is greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone. Jeff

 

Jeff they do have high chairs and you can write to contact us at rccl dot com and ask them how to reserve them for the twins. Also the pack and plays would definitely be tight in a balcony cabin- you definitely want to get the junior suite and the third and fourth person in cabin rates which are much lower would apply for the twins. The gratuity is the same for them as for you and your wife. You could not leave the twins in the play area with the staff (which is free during much of the day as they have to be potty trained and not in diapers to be left in their care. They do have special "Fisher Price" playtimes in which the parent can take them up and do this playtime with them and the playtime staff the little ones love it. There is "in cabin" babysitting and I believe that it is $8 per hour and the babysitting staff are great. The dining room staff will bend over backward to bring whatever it is the little ones eat regularly so make sure you tell them the twins dining preferences on the first night. I hope this info helps some.

[bplazo]

What are people thinking that say leave the child at the grandparents? I would never take a vacation and not include my daughter. Although, we did not start taking vacations till she was seven. As a future grandparent, I would say no if asked to babysit for a week.

 

To the op, enjoy your vacation with your children.

[CI66774]

Royal Diamond - nobady asked you for your opinion on how to handle their children - so keep your "etiquette" suggestions to yourself unless an OP asks for it - geesh.