Cruising with an almost 2 year old

[Mintycake]

Hello! My husband and I loved cruising pre baby and we noticed Holland America having a sale for the Carribean. My daughter will be almost 2 by the time of our (potential) cruise. So although we are vetran cruisers, this is new territory with a toddler in tow!

 

So I have some questions -

 

1) Holland America - kid friendly? I know they have bathtubs and couches in cabin which is a plus. They probably won't let kids into the kids club if not toilet trained but I remember Princess would if you stayed with your child.

 

2) Iteneiary - more or less sea days better? We're trying to decide between

7 Day Eastern Carribean - Ft. Lauderdale, Grand Turk, San Juan, St. Thomas, Half Moon Cay on the ms Eurodam

7 day Eastern Carribean - same as above but St. Maarten instead of St. Thomas on the ms Nieuww Amsterdam

7 day Southern Carribean - Ft. Lauderdale, Half moon cay, Curacao, Aruba on the ms Westerdam

 

3) Do they allow kids in the pool with swim diapers?

 

any other tips/advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

[kitty9]

HAL is not nearly as young child friendly as other lines. They do not have a program for those under 3, even if the parents stay. They don't have sitting services as the child must be 3 and out of diapers. No cruise line allows diapered children in pools or hot tubs. Only if there is a baby splash zone, and HAL doesn't have those, will a diapered child be allowed. To be honest, there are better lines than HAL for an under 2 child. Royal Caribbean has their Royal Tots program, they have in cabin sitting and some of their ships have baby splash zones.

[6rugrats]

1. The wait staff will love her, but there are no facilities for a child this young in Club Hal, not even if you stay with her. Must be three and potty trained.

 

2. If you are traveling with a child this young, I'd want less sea days, but I don't know what would work for your family.

 

3. NO line allows kids in pools in swim diapers

 

As kitty9 stated, there isn't any babysitting offered for a child under three.

[milton333]

I disagree that no line allows kids in swim diapers in pools. Disney has small baby pools. Royal Caribbean Allure, Oasis, Freedom and Liberty (Independence?) have a small baby pool for non-potty trained kids. The only caveat there is that it's next to the very bright and colorful splash zone with the water-spraying sculptures, which is technically off-limits for the swim diaper set (though compliance/enforcement may not be total). Others report no issues with having a swim diapered tot in the splash zone on NCL Epic though, again, it's technically not allowed.

 

I'm not familiar with the child care options on Disney. I do know that RCL Allure, Oasis, Freedom, Liberty, Radiance, and Splendour have the Royal Tots nursery (sitting available for an hourly fee). Most/all RCI ships also have in-cabin babysitting that is limited in availability and not guaranteed, performed by volunteer crew members in teams of two.

 

ETA: For what it's worth, we'll be traveling with a 20 month old, not expected to be potty trained, and picked RCI as the most kid-friendly with activities for adults, in our opinion.

[luvhubandbabys]

I disagree that no line allows kids in swim diapers in pools. Disney has small baby pools. Royal Caribbean Allure, Oasis, Freedom and Liberty (Independence?) have a small baby pool for non-potty trained kids. The only caveat there is that it's next to the very bright and colorful splash zone with the water-spraying sculptures, which is technically off-limits for the swim diaper set (though compliance/enforcement may not be total). Others report no issues with having a swim diapered tot in the splash zone on NCL Epic though, again, it's technically not allowed.

 

I'm not familiar with the child care options on Disney. I do know that RCL Allure, Oasis, Freedom, Liberty, Radiance, and Splendour have the Royal Tots nursery (sitting available for an hourly fee). Most/all RCI ships also have in-cabin babysitting that is limited in availability and not guaranteed, performed by volunteer crew members in teams of two.

 

ETA: For what it's worth, we'll be traveling with a 20 month old, not expected to be potty trained, and picked RCI as the most kid-friendly with activities for adults, in our opinion.

 

I would agree with this being an issue. Anytime we take my 2 yr old to the local water park. We play in the baby splash zone with her little sister who is 1 and right next to it is the fun bigger kid pool with slides. My 2 yr old is always oooooohhh let's go mamma big slide....so I know I could not keep her out of the "cool" pool if I was on a cruise. Just saying I would def think about that. Of course u can tell ur child no not until ur potty trained. But I have opted to wait until both kids r potty trained so I could avoid that particular meltdown....lol

 

But that doesn't apply unless u go disney and the few other lines that have

Baby poools for diapered babies..

 

Either way I'm sure u will have fun.

[6rugrats]

I disagree that no line allows kids in swim diapers in pools.

'

OP was asking about Holland America. There are no pools for kids in diapers on HAL.

[milton333]

 

3. NO line allows kids in pools in swim diapers

 

.

 

I was responding to this. You may have meant "no ship," but you wrote "no line."

[grossnmoe]

Hello, I have 2 year old who has been on two cruises. The frist cruise he was 10 months on RCCL Liberty of the seas. The second cruise he was 2 1/2 on the Carnival dream. The first cruise I took him on was a breeze. This past cruise was a lot of WORK!!! And that boat had stuff for him to do. If I knew going into it there was little or nothing todo fo a young one such as mentioned above I don't think I would go with my youngest son. It wouldn't be worth the money.

 

I would say look into a kid friendly boat. ( rccl or Disney). I myself didn't care for carnival kids club.

[6rugrats]

I was responding to this. You may have meant "no ship," but you wrote "no line."

O.k., how about no ship or line allows children/people in diapers in the regular pools.

[Mintycake]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I think that we are going to hold off on cruising for now - it would break my daughter's heart if she couldn't go in the pool and I think once she's toilet trained travel will be much easier. At this point I'm not sure if spending the money on a cruise would really be worth it. Hubby and I just miss it :)