last minute cruise booked, have some questions (travelling with 20 month old)

[gabbie83]

hi everyone, im new to the board! I cruised once before... a long long long time ago! SO i will consider myself a first time cruiser! We are set to cruise out on the Norwegian Gem in about 2 weeks out of NY.

What time do you suggest we get to the port if the cruise is set to leave at 4pm?

We are traveling with our 20 month old daughter... One stop is in Cape Caneveral - our itinerary states that we will be there from 12noon -10pm. Does anyone know if that means we're off the boat from that time,,, or by the time we get off it will be 2 and we have to be back to board by lets say 8? The reason I ask is, we're debating if we will make it to Disney or if not - should we just stick it out on Cocoa Beach?

If anyone has any advice I'd really appreciate it.

Also as far as alcohol is concerned... Does anyone sneak it in their suitcase and get away with it?

[mjkacmom]

We usually get to NYC at around 10:45, and are on the ship before 12:30 - no lines to check in. There is NO WAY I'd do WDW during Easter break (one of the busiest weeks of the year), especially when I wouldn't even be getting to the park until 2 or so - it will be mobbed. There is a free shuttle to cocoa beach. If you sneak alcohol in your luggage, try rum runners to avoid it being detected at the scans.

[gabbie83]

thanks

[melcunniff@yahoo.com]

We just got off the Gem this past Saturday and cruised with our 11 month old. We got to the cruise terminal at about noon and were able to get on the ship quickly. I agree with mjkakmom that Disney would be a zoo. We went for the day last week and it was great but the park was not very crowded. I've heard that Easter week is really busy. We've been on many cruises (this was our first NCL) and always bring a little bit of alcohol on and have never had a problem...typically we bring rum in a Listerine bottle. A tip-bring a small portable DVD player for your 20 month old...we used ours at dinner (no volume) and it was a nice distraction for our baby. Have a great cruise!

[Sauer-kraut]

You might want to bring a mini-blow up pool for your little one. That way it can enjoy the water without having to worry about using the regular pool. If you have a balcony cabin you can put it out there if not you can bring it to the pool deck and stick it in a corner and let it splash and have a great time.

[NJfoodie]

We did this itinerary last year w/ DS who was 14 months at the time. We got to the NYC port around 10:30 and got on the ship fairly quickly - minimal wait through security and check in line, and then our number was called almost as soon as we sat down in the waiting area. Being a latitudes member sped it up a bit but our friends who weren't latitudes and checked in around the same time we were got onboard maybe 20 minutes after us.

 

In florida, you can get off the ship pretty much as soon as they dock since it's a port where you will walk off. We pulled in about 12, and were off the ship by 12:30. If you do the excursion for disney, you won't have to worry about what time to be back on board. If you choose to rent a car and drive yourself, I'd say plan to be back on board no later than 9pm and allow for traffic. There's a free shuttle for most of the rental car agencies as soon as you get off the ship and out of the terminal into the parking lot but it could still be an hour by the time you get to the agency office and into your car. We did the Kennedy space center w/ a rental car and it was worthwhile for us since we didn't have far to drive but had the guaranteed car seat for DS and flexibility to explore. Keep in mind that kids under 2 in FL will need to be in a car seat in any sedan vehicle, including taxis. Buses/shuttles are the only exemption.

 

Tips for sailing w/ a toddler - the crew will generally be very happy to help out w/ requests for your little one, they are truly wonderful w/ children, but we did best dining as soon as the restaurants open at 5:30 w/ ours to avoid having to wait for a table w/ a hungry toddler. During the day when the indoor bars are mostly not open, the unoccupied lounges were a good place to let him run around where he wouldn't disturb anyone. He liked walking from chair to chair and around the tables. We used a blow up pool on our balcony as a bathtub for him. There's usually an under 2 zoo room. It's nothing fabulous - just a conference room usually w/ a box of toys and seating for parents but it kept DS happy for a toy break during the day and was a good place to meet other families w/ toddlers onboard.

 

For drinks, plastic containers of the travel size aisle variety (I have 8oz ones). If you're looking for larger quantity, I'd recommend ordering a bottle through the ship if they still do the bar set ups and not worry about it. You could also try rum runners but I've never tried them. I've figured it's not worth the hassle of having to spend the first few hours of my vacation in the naughty room if caught.