Tips from Pearl Trip Last Week with Toddler

[scm5g]

Anyone traveling soon with a toddler? Here are a couple of tips from my experience last week. Great cruise, by the way, submitted a review that will hopefully be posted soon.

• You may have to be persistent about getting a crib. We called ahead to NCL to add it to reservation. When we got there it wasn't there and we called twice to guest services and visited once. Got the crib the next day. May have just been our experience, but thought it worth noting.
  
• In the main dining rooms, you can order an entree from the kids menu with a side dish (like peas and carrots or broccoli) from a dish off the regular menu instead of fries.
  
• At the buffet, when you find a table, don't leave it to find a high chair (which we found few and far between), ask a waiter to find one for you.
  
• Also at the buffet, the teaspoons at the coffee station and the dessert forks make good utensils for little hands. We brought our own toddler silverware, but in cases where we left them in our cabin, these were helpful.
  
• This is not a new tip, but worth repeating--grab a milk or two at breakfast to put in your fridge and a box or two of cherrios and a banana etc. for later so you can have on-demand food.
  
• If you can bear the cost, use the BAGS program so that you don't have to handle a toddler and your bags on debarkation day. We walked right off the ship.
  

Anyone have more to add?

[NY cruiser 75]

I'm sailing on the Jewel with my 18 month old next week. I'm going to call NCL and double check about the crib now. Also great tip about asking the waiter to get a highchair. Thanks

[cruisebeth]

I'm sailing on the Pearl with my 2 and 3 year olds in September. Great tips, thanks!

 

I'll have to think about any more questions I might want to ask you :D