Cruising with a 2 year old

[JMB22]

Who has been on a cruise with a 2 year old? How did it go?

 

How did you handle naps when you were on the islands? Did you have family with you so you could take turns watching the toddler so you could see the evening shows? Did your child get seasick?

 

My husband and I have been on many cruises, but this would be our first time with a child and I'm a bit worried it will be more work than fun.

 

Thank you! :)

[NJfoodie]

DS was 15 months on his first cruise last year and we're sailing again with him next month (2 yrs 3 months). We were traveling with friends but not expecting babysitting help. This year we're completely on our own but we're sailing a line for which kids' club starts at age 2 and doesn't require potty training. We are hoping to be able to take advantage of the kids club every now and then for a special meal, a show, or just some quiet time at the pool.

 

For naps, we planned around them on sea days to allow him to sleep in the room and while in port, he slept in the stroller. We had a balcony room in order to be able to sit outside while he slept. We pretty much didn't see much in shows since DS's bedtime was around 8pm. We took turns staying in the room w/ the sleeping toddler between naps around lunchtime (room service or grabbing a plate from the buffet, a book and the balcony was perfectly fine w/ me) and evenings so that DH could hit the casino for a little while or I'd go up on deck w/ our friends. We were initially a little disappointed that the evenings would be a lot more lowkey than when traveling pre-baby but we also realized that being up w/ DS at the buttcrack of dawn meant we were pretty beat at the end of the day anyway and were often asleep early as well. On port days, we planned trips that were stroller-friendly so that he could walk around when he wanted to but could also camp out in the stroller when he tired out and we could continue exploring.

 

DS didn't get seasick. If anything, he handled the motion better than I did. And he loved exploring the ship and looking out from our balcony. The staff were absolutely fantastic with helping us take care of him and keeping him smiling. One caveat, if your child is not potty trained, pools are out.

 

Traveling w/ DS is a very different experience than vacationing as just a couple. I can't do everything I usually want to, whether that's seeing every sight at a whirlwind pace, sleeping in, or going out all evening. It's still a wonderful family vacation and it was still a lot of fun. Our intent was to have a family vacation that all of us would enjoy and I feel that cruising makes it easier because everything is in one place. Sure it's still work having to be up and watchful of everything, it's not a vacation from being a parent. It's still a vacation from the office, housework, cooking and cleaning so I get to enjoy spending time w/ my family instead having to do it all.

[briscogun]

We took our kids on their first cruise last summer, and my youngest was 3 at the time. Since he was 3, we were able to use the Adventure Ocean program some, but not as much as we thought we would. We had him with us almost the whole time. Since we were paying for a family vacation, it just didn't seem right to not spend it with the family! My daughter (7 at the time) loved the AO area, and wanted to go every day, but the little guy wasn't always thrilled about the idea, so we didn't push it.

 

I'll tell you this: he STILL talks about our vacation on the "big boat"! We're going on Freedom this summer, and he's very excited about it!

 

And every time I go on a cruise, I always seem to see folks with little kids, sometimes 1 year olds or less! And they always seem to be enjoying themselves!

 

You may not be able to go scuba diving as a family, or parasailing, or other adreneline laced activities, but you"ll still have a blast! One thing to keep in mind is to be flexible. Kids will do what kids will do, and your little one will probably decide to mess up your plans if you try to have a strict schedule, so I'd be real easy on the plans. Keep it open ended and loose. Go to a beach, maybe a small tour, short things, not 9 hour marathon shore excursions. Also, give each other breaks. I'd play with the little guy at the pool in the afternoon so my wife could lounge and read, then she would watch him for a bit in the evening once or twice so I could go play in the casino for an hour.

 

You can make it work, you just have to adjust your expectations versus an adults only trip. Bottom line: HAVE FUN! Your kids will remember it forever!

[luvhubandbabys]

I have not cruised with kids yet but plan to very soon. Vacation with little ones is exhausting I can't imagine cruising would be diff. We took our 1 and 2 yr old girls to florida man if I could stay up to 10pm I was lucky. Lol it was lots of fun thoc watching my kids see the ocean, running around, playing, etc.

 

I would get a balcony that way if ur child goes to bed early you can sit outside with ur husband and enjoy the night-roomservice!! That's my plan anyways for when I go.

 

I have debated this should I wait till we get past this god awful whiney 2 yr old stage or just go for it. The more I think about it I think y not might not be able to eat in mdr every night but that's ok ya know. Just go in having realistic expectations of ur cruise I'm sure it will be fun.

[geegee1]

First cruise our daughter was 2. It went great. We had our umbrella stroller with us wherever we went, when she got tired she took a nap in there. We did have the wife's parents with us, but that was more for meal times in the NCL specialty restaurants than anything else. The only shows we were interested in seeing were the in the piano bar area of the GEM, we just wheeled her over in her stroller. I sometime snore, so they are used to sleeping through loud noises.

 

On 3 cruises with kids, none of mine have gotten seasick. (Knock on wood

 

As a lot of people say, and we find to be true, cruising with kids is the same as any other vacation with kids. It's no longer around our schedule, it's around theirs.

 

Sure you'll have a great time if you don't stress too much about it.

[cantwaitforoasis]

we have our first family cruise booked for when our little girl will be 21 months. I plan to bring a blow up baby pool like others suggested for the deck so she can play in the water. i plan on getting an umbrella stroller. we will do beach day activities at the ports. we like eating at the buffet better than the mdr anyways. on our oasis cruise the same foods, basically, were on the buffet anyway plus tons more and it was exceptional! i would rather go on a cruise than stay home! atleast you dont have to do chores on the ship and you get to spend time together as a family. i cant wait :)

[milton333]

I want to second the recommendation to get a balcony cabin. We have not been on our cruise yet with DS, but have vacationed with him at a couple of resorts. Yes, once upon a time we would have gone dancing, hit the bars, etc. at night. But it's actually wonderful to sit out on a balcony after LO has gone to sleep and just really talk with your spouse. I realize how little time we get to do that anymore. It's a "quieter" vacation in that sense, but we really do reconnect so much more than when we're a whirlwind of activity, kwim?

 

What cruise line are you sailing? Some have kids' clubs available at 2, and some of the RCCL ships have the for-fee Royal Tots Nursery that can watch the little one for a few hours here and there to allow you to grab a meal, hit the pool, go to the spa, etc., without LO.

 

If you're a night owl, you've probably already noticed that being a parent isn't really compatible with that lifestyle. You learn to appreciate seeing the sunrise and being up and about early. There's still plenty to enjoy, it's just different. But, in time, your LO will grow up and will want to spend more time in the kids' club so you can "go out," and before you know it will be grown and independent. It's a short period of time in their lives that you have to accommodate, but IMO vacation time is for us to be together as a family, in whatever form that takes, and just roll with whatever develops.

[mdance19]

Would you like the truth or the real truth??? :-)

 

We just got back a couple weeks ago from Oasis with our 2 year old. First big vacation with him. Don't get me wrong, we had a fabulous time and I know he enjoyed it even though he'll probably not remember it, however I would like to go back without a toddler and experience a lot that I missed because of him. We went with a lot of family members and they did offer to watch him at times but we didn't want to bog them down on their vacation with babysitting.

Let me point out that our DS is in the 'terrible twos" phase right now so he throws tantrums pretty often and never likes to sit still so we were running a lot catching him and taking him out of places when he would start acting up.

We used the Royal babies and Tots 3 times while we went to dinners and shows and they were great!

Naps weren't too bad, we did a lot of ship excursions and he enjoyed them and would usually fall asleep on the walk or ride back. Otherwise he would pass out around 2-3 ish in our cabin for about an hour or so and we took turns staying with him. He usually went to be around 9 and again we would each have a night where one would stay with him and the other would go out at night.

The ship was amazing and had a lot for the kids to do. He loved the baby pool and the activities they had on board.

I would not recommend a balcony cabin, especially if you have a climber or thrower like mine. We had a central park view with a big window and he loved climbing up looking out. Even though the room was tight ( we brought a portable crib) it still worked out well and was perfect for our needs!

Hope this helped! If you have any other questions feel free to ask!

mdance19@hotmail.com

[rolloman]

Who has been on a cruise with a 2 year old? How did it go?

 

How did you handle naps when you were on the islands? Did you have family with you so you could take turns watching the toddler so you could see the evening shows? Did your child get seasick?

 

My husband and I have been on many cruises, but this would be our first time with a child and I'm a bit worried it will be more work than fun.

 

Thank you! :)

My little one just turned 3, we sail at least once every two months and she is always with us. DO NOT bring a crib, the cruiseline supplies one. DO NOT bring a full size stroller, an umbrella type works best. As far as naps go, we always have a balcony so when she naps one of us is relaxing on the balcony with a book and or a favorite beverage. Napping on an island is no big deal, spread out a blanket on the sand or rent a cabana if available. Children do not get sea sick. That is an adult disorder, you can google it. Try to book a ship like NCL EPIC or the RCCL Freedom, Oasis, Allure for two year old childcare. IT really helps to have a couple hours to yourselves. We have tried the family help several times but trust me, they are usually out having there own fun and usually turn out to be not so helpful lol.... It will not be a romantic cruise but it really is a great family bonding experience and if the child does not remember it..so what...you always will forever. Have fun and ask away if you have any other questions.

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Who has been on a cruise with a 2 year old? How did it go?

 

How did you handle naps when you were on the islands? Did you have family with you so you could take turns watching the toddler so you could see the evening shows? Did your child get seasick?

 

My husband and I have been on many cruises, but this would be our first time with a child and I'm a bit worried it will be more work than fun.

 

Thank you! :)

 

Well, I sailed with my son who was 9 months old at the time, and will be sailing with him again in 2 weeks where he will be 21 months old. Cruising with him is amazing -- my fiance works third shift six days a week so we look forward to a cruise every year to spend quality time together as a family. I'm also a stay at home mom & nursing student so having a week off from cooking, cleaning, studying, & homework is an absolute blessing. And I just love introducing my son to new environments and hanging out at a tropical beach!

 

On our last cruise, our son had no problem napping in his stroller when we were in port. This year I will be packing a tent that we use for the beaches in case he wants to nap & be more comfortable. The stroller did work out fine though, on and off the ship.

 

Also on our last cruise, my mom and my aunt joined us and did help us out occasionally. We didn't want to put a damper on them since they are on vacation as well - but both my mom and aunt love being with our son and spending time with him so they did not mind at all. Comedy and theater shows typically have two showings so my fiance & I would go see one, and my mom & aunt would see the following showing. We also took turns being in the pool, trying the slides and playing in the casino. Otherwise, our son went everywhere else! Sometimes my son would fall asleep after dinner & we were able to go see a show in the theater and he was sleeping perfectly fine through it.

 

And lastly, my son did not experience any motion sickness on our last cruise. We will see what happens in 2 weeks with him being older. But I'm confident that he will be fine.

 

Hope you decide to cruise with your child. You just need to know that it's obviously a different type of vacation when cruising with a toddler. If your looking for a romantic getaway, well that's not exactly going to happen. But if your looking for a family vacation with a bit of alone time here & there, then cruising is the way to go! :)

[pandabebe]

DS was 18 months when we sailed on Freedom back in January. DS took all his naps in his stroller; he napped on the pool deck while on board, and when we were on the islands he either napped in his stroller or on a lounger by the beach. We did have family with us but didn't ask for their help in the evenings; DH and I would usually stroll around for a few hours after dinner and then call it an early night ourselves.

 

DS did not get seasick, but if you're worried perhaps you can speak to your pediatrician to see if they have any recommendations.

 

We had a fabulous time cruising with DS and will be doing it again in a month and a half. While cruising with a child is definitely different, it can still be enjoyable.

[cruisinbanddirectors]

We took our DS, who was 2 at the time, last year on the Carnival Legend. Much as others have suggested, you just have to go in with realistic expectations. Your schedule will have to adapt somewhat to deal with naptime/bedtime. You will have to choose excursions that would be suitable. But the rewards of having your child be there and gain those experiences far outweigh the tradeoffs IMHO. Our little guy is going back this year and is so excited about getting on the "big boat" and playing in Camp "Carvinal" :p

 

Happy cruising!

[mel3073]

In December, I took my 2 year old son on a 9-day cruise. Just me and him. He refused to go to Camp Carnival so we were joined at the him the entire 9-days. It was actually a blast for both of us!

 

I am a big napper myself so every afternoon we took a nap in the cabin together. Dinner in the dining room was a challenge so we only ate there 3 out of 9 nights. I saw other kids doing fine in the dining room, but my son is not the type to sit still for more than 15 minutes at a time.

 

On sea days we would hang out at the children's pool. On port days we hit the beaches.

 

The photographs I bought (especially from "formal" night) are priceless. I made an awesome photo book of our vacation with the 400+ photographs I took.

 

Take your child. You won't regret it. Six months later, my son still talks about our vacation on the "big cruise ship."

[mymollysue]

We have taken our daughter on 2 cruises, the first when she was 13 months on NCL Jewel and the 2nd on the Disney Dream when she was 22 months. I highly recommend a ship with a nursery because it gave DH and I a chance to spend some time alone. NCL does not have one for the under 2's so DH and I as well as my parents took turns staying with her at night. Disney had a nursery and it was great! My DD LOVED the nursery....even Snow White came to visit! My daughter does not nap in her stroller so we came back in the afternoon to nap her. It worked out fine...it gave us a chance to relax too.

[smee98]

We took our son on his first cruise when he was two and he had a blast. I won't get another balcony room because my son kept trying to climb on the rail, but we ended up just keeping the door locked. We didn't see many shows but took turns at night if me or my wife wanted to do something. Also he did better than my wife on the motion of the boat.

[DiploTraveler]

Sorry if this is an annoying newbie question, but which cruiselines have kids activities that start at 2-years-old? My wife and I are taking our now 11-month on our first cruise this Nov (he'll be 16-months) to the Caribbean, but we're already thinking of booking our second trip (Alaska or Europe) for 2012. I'd like him to have activities to participate in with other kids.

[cruisinbanddirectors]

Sorry if this is an annoying newbie question, but which cruiselines have kids activities that start at 2-years-old? My wife and I are taking our now 11-month on our first cruise this Nov (he'll be 16-months) to the Caribbean, but we're already thinking of booking our second trip (Alaska or Europe) for 2012. I'd like him to have activities to participate in with other kids.

 

Can't speak to others, but I know Carnival starts at 2. Royal Caribbean starts at 3 (but I think has some scheduled playtimes for under 3 when with parents).

[rolloman]

RCCL does have a play time each morning for children under 3 with parental supervision. Other lines like princess allow you to go into the kids club at certain times and let your child play again with a parent supervising.

[captpatty]

:confused:My DS will be 23 months when we sail the NCL Gem? Does anyone know if the kids club would accomodate?

What other activities do they have can you book the nikelodeon thing in advance?

[6rugrats]

:confused:My DS will be 23 months when we sail the NCL Gem? Does anyone know if the kids club would accomodate?

What other activities do they have can you book the nikelodeon thing in advance?

No, he must be two years old.

 

Children must be at least two years old to participate in Kid's Crew based on date of birth at the time of sailing according to the ships manifest. No exceptions can be made.