Freedom of the Seas and Royal Tots Nursery

[kj55]

Hi just wondering if anyone with a 2-3 year old has used the new Royal Babies Nursery on FOS and wondering what they thought of it. Have only used a nursery on disney and it was a terrible experience so just wanted some feedback if anyone had a good or bad experience on Freedom. How big is the physical space, what do they do if the kids cry, do they plop them in front of a tv or do activities? Thanks in advance!!

[rolloman]

Hi just wondering if anyone with a 2-3 year old has used the new Royal Babies Nursery on FOS and wondering what they thought of it. Have only used a nursery on disney and it was a terrible experience so just wanted some feedback if anyone had a good or bad experience on Freedom. How big is the physical space, what do they do if the kids cry, do they plop them in front of a tv or do activities? Thanks in advance!!

If you thought it was a terrible experience on Disney then RCCL will not be any better. It is basically the same set up. Room with Tv and toys and a room with baby beds. 2-3 is an awkward age for cruising anyline other than NCL. NCL is the best for 2 year olds as they are in the kids club. The nursery on Disney and RCCL is best suited for babies and the 2-3 year olds are kind of fish out of water in my opinion.

[beachchick]

If you thought it was a terrible experience on Disney then RCCL will not be any better. It is basically the same set up. Room with Tv and toys and a room with baby beds. 2-3 is an awkward age for cruising anyline other than NCL. NCL is the best for 2 year olds as they are in the kids club. The nursery on Disney and RCCL is best suited for babies and the 2-3 year olds are kind of fish out of water in my opinion.

 

NCL is great for families with toddlers, IMO. However, I wanted to mention that Carnival's kids programs also have an age mimumum of 2 and, unlike NCL, the counselors will change diapers as needed. On NCL, parents must carry a pager and come do that. I'm not saying one or the other is better, just mentioning the options.

 

beachchick

[boulders]

I agree with beachchick. Carnival has the best kids club for children aged 2-3. However, on Royal Caribbean, you may be able to get an in cabin babysitter.

[rolloman]

I agree with beachchick. Carnival has the best kids club for children aged 2-3. However, on Royal Caribbean, you may be able to get an in cabin babysitter.

And I totally disagree..Carnival is the worst for children ages 2-3, so much so I will not cruise them again. RCCL in cabin babysitting is a mess. Since an incident occured, they now have to provide 2 sitters and with staffing being volunteer, not much availability. As with NCL, yes they call you to change your childs diaper (specifically if a #2) in the changing room at the camp. I personally don't want someone changing my childs diaper. I also don't feel someone should leave an under 3 year old at the camp for more than 2 hours at a time.

[staceyeileen]

And I totally disagree..Carnival is the worst for children ages 2-3, so much so I will not cruise them again.

 

Can you elaborate on why you feel this way?

[rolloman]

Can you elaborate on why you feel this way?

I could and I have in previous posts. Posting my laundry list of facts just seems to inflame the Carnival loyalist and turns posts with good intentions ugly. A little background, my little one has more cruises under her 3 year old belt than 95% of the people who post here. She goes to an educational daycare, has been in kids clubs on all the major lines. To say she is an experienced cruiser is an understatement.

After one day on a particular Carnival ship some kind of incident occured from extremely unfriendly staff that prevented the child from ever wanting to go back, a few weeks later she was in the NCL Epic kids club and had the time of her life. I like the white glove treatment my child gets on Disney and NCL. While RCCL and Celebrity are my cruiseline of choice, they can not and do not compete with NCL with their 2-3 year old program.

[crusinmama06]

rolloman -- I am starting to see REALLY good things coming out of NCL. So much so that I have started changing my own cruising plans. So many people are telling me that the Epic was so great for their kids that I think next year might just be our "Year of the Epic" ;)

[PattyW]

I'm really sorry to be reading this. We will have a 2.5 year old on Freedom next year and thought the nursery was more of a "pay by the hour" kids club. I thought it would be like a Fisher Price playgroup, but without parents. My now 6 year old liked those when he was 2.

 

They don't do ANY directed activities with the 2 year olds? Crafts, etc.

[rolloman]

I'm really sorry to be reading this. We will have a 2.5 year old on Freedom next year and thought the nursery was more of a "pay by the hour" kids club. I thought it would be like a Fisher Price playgroup, but without parents. My now 6 year old liked those when he was 2.

 

They don't do ANY directed activities with the 2 year olds? Crafts, etc.

I think at times they do have a few things but mainly what you have is a group of crying babies......for the older children around the age 2, they are toddlers and not babies so it really makes for a miserable time for them from my observations and feedback. On Oasis of the Seas my little one was so done with the noise that when I went to pick her up after early seating dinner, she was laying in a baby crib in the crib room just to get away from it. This is one of the reasons I stated to only use it for an hour or two when you want some down time, so many people dump their kid off and leave all day long. I have heard some really sad stories from the staff when I have chatted with them.

[rolloman]

rolloman -- I am starting to see REALLY good things coming out of NCL. So much so that I have started changing my own cruising plans. So many people are telling me that the Epic was so great for their kids that I think next year might just be our "Year of the Epic" ;)

I will be really excited to hear your feedback from the NCL Gem. I sailed the Pearl its sister ship and we really enjoyed it. NCL with their new ships seems to have incorporated all the things that work on other lines and then throw in a couple new things like the bowling alleys and ice bar etc. to maek a great product for everyone. I find them a little quirky at times but with the new ships (Gem Pearl Epic) I just don't think you can go wrong. Hopefully one of these days we will be on the same sailing, let me know when you book the Epic, we would go on that ship again in a heartbeat! :-)

[LisaT91403]

RCCL in cabin babysitting is a mess. Since an incident occured, they now have to provide 2 sitters and with staffing being volunteer, not much availability.

 

I have to say that we didn't have any problem at all getting in-cabin babysitting on our Oasis cruise last month. And, contrary to what I had read here on the boards, we were even able to get it on the very first night of the cruise. The sitters were absolutely wonderful -- prompt, energetic, engaging, responsible. They were also very flexible. There were several times that I changed my reserved hours just a little while before start time. The answer was always "no problem!"

 

It really made it a vacation for me, as I knew my son was peacefully sleeping in his bed while I had some adult time to myself.

[QTMichele]

My son will be 3 on our next cruise, so this thread doesn't apply directly to me, but my cousin's son will be 2 and it will apply to her and her toddler. What's "wrong" with the Royal Babies/Tots? Do they separate the the two groups like they imply, or are they in the same room? Are there any activities for the 2 year olds? Toys/games/crafts/etc.? Details, please... we don't want any suprises or disappointments. Thanks!

[beachchick]

And I totally disagree..Carnival is the worst for children ages 2-3, so much so I will not cruise them again. RCCL in cabin babysitting is a mess. Since an incident occured, they now have to provide 2 sitters and with staffing being volunteer, not much availability. As with NCL, yes they call you to change your childs diaper (specifically if a #2) in the changing room at the camp. I personally don't want someone changing my childs diaper. I also don't feel someone should leave an under 3 year old at the camp for more than 2 hours at a time.

 

I just want to say that I have no opinion one way or the other and no stake in the argument. My intent was solely to give information about age minimums and diaper policies.

 

I'm sorry to hear about problems with Carnival's program, but it's helpful because we're going to be cruising with your 2-1/2 y/o (beautiful, delightful, intelligent--not that I'm biased) granddaughter and will plan her first cruise sometime in fall 2012. She is in pre-school (not day care) which is likely similar to what your daughter attends because it's educational and specifically tailored to lead directly into elementrary school. There is no way she would enjoy a children's program that was essentially "babysitting" or a nursery with crying babies and unpleasant staff. For sure neither we nor her mother would let her stay in that kind of situation.

 

We've heard good things about NCL and RCI's programs, so we're looking there. The children onboard our RCI cruises in particular seem to be having soooo much fun. We're adding Princess and Celebrity to our list because we have no intention of booking a cruise solely based on "kid appeal." I'm positive our granddaughter will be thrilled and excited no matter what we adults choose, so we'll book something we want that will also be fun for her.

 

I agree with you about how much time toddlers should be in the children's program. Partly because they will have so much fun spending time with their parents (and grandparents, one hopes) doing age-appropriate activities throughout the ship. And partly because that kind of environment can be overwhelming to any toddler. Our granddaughter has been traveling since she was 4 months old (first trip to come visit us) and loves it. Even so, there are times she gets overstimulated or just plain cranky...as toddlers will. We also know it will be good for her to have new experiences and it will be good for her mom to have grown up time that isn't mostly about going to work.

 

beachchick

[rolloman]

My son will be 3 on our next cruise, so this thread doesn't apply directly to me, but my cousin's son will be 2 and it will apply to her and her toddler. What's "wrong" with the Royal Babies/Tots? Do they separate the the two groups like they imply, or are they in the same room? Are there any activities for the 2 year olds? Toys/games/crafts/etc.? Details, please... we don't want any suprises or disappointments. Thanks!

If it is Freedom, Oasis or Allure they have a nursery for under 3. Yes, they do have some activities, games toys etc. It is not structured like the room for 3-5 though.Typically there are 2 people in the room, one is usually assisting with a small baby and the other helping check in and out. There is no seperation in the room, you have 6 months to 2 years 364 days old stuffed in one living room sized area. There is a seperate baby bed room for sleepers.

 

What I have seen over and over and over again is when a parent comes to the door to pick up their kid all the other kids flock to the door and start yelping for their own mommy or daddy. Just and FYI... Disney (except Dream) has a check in desk in a seperate room and a two way mirror for parents to view their child to circumvent that issue. Why they screwed up and did away with it on Dream is beyond me. I made a big deal about it to the Mayer Werft rep onboard when the ship first came out. Maybe they fixed it on Fantasy..maybe not..we shall see.

 

Keep in mind each cruise is different. Yes, I am more than sure some have gone on any particular cruise line and it was just peachy and vice versa. All I can say is I have been through this drill countless times and I am averaging out my findings.

 

The bottom line in my opinion ....children 2-3 are in an awkward cruise age. RCCl is trying to address this but IMO is falling short. NCL at no additional costs to you has it figured out.

 

The best policy is to pay careful attention to whatever method you use. Check in on your child, ask questions. There is no such thing as set it and forget it when it comes to your child.

[rolloman]

I have to say that we didn't have any problem at all getting in-cabin babysitting on our Oasis cruise last month. And, contrary to what I had read here on the boards, we were even able to get it on the very first night of the cruise. The sitters were absolutely wonderful -- prompt, energetic, engaging, responsible. They were also very flexible. There were several times that I changed my reserved hours just a little while before start time. The answer was always "no problem!"

 

 

Glad it worked out for you...it is a wonderful thing when it does. What is not so wonderful is when it does not. Such as my case on the Liberty where we were strolling down the promenade and looked over in one of the shops to see our child sitting in her stroller unattended and upon closer view saw our in cabin sitter trying on sunglasses several feet away with her back turned to my child. Or the time on Enchantement when the in cabin sitter decided not to show up right at dinner time. The concierge checked into it and said she was too tired, no message, no phone call... nada. Plus I just can't get out of my head the reason they now have two sitters per room......So again, glad it worked for you, out of 3 times trying, I gave it up as an option. It is all about the odds to me.. if I witness a losing streak, I am no longer gambling.

[QTMichele]

Thanks, Rolloman. I agree that 2 year olds are in a league of their own. ;) I think we will be fine, especially since Royal does provide some entertainment (activities/toys/etc) for them. I know my cousin is fine leaving her son there for short breaks, but my aunt (the 2 year olds grandmother) is not comfortable leaving her grandson with strangers.

 

By the way, how does NCL have it right? More details, please. :)

[LisaT91403]

Glad it worked out for you...it is a wonderful thing when it does. What is not so wonderful is when it does not. Such as my case on the Liberty where we were strolling down the promenade and looked over in one of the shops to see our child sitting in her stroller unattended and upon closer view saw our in cabin sitter trying on sunglasses several feet away with her back turned to my child. Or the time on Enchantement when the in cabin sitter decided not to show up right at dinner time. The concierge checked into it and said she was too tired, no message, no phone call... nada. Plus I just can't get out of my head the reason they now have two sitters per room......So again, glad it worked for you, out of 3 times trying, I gave it up as an option. It is all about the odds to me.. if I witness a losing streak, I am no longer gambling.

 

Wow, I would be really upset if that had happened to us! We used the sitting twice -- once when DS was a year old on Mariner, and then again on Oasis when he was 3 years old. Both times, we had great sitters. However, I will say that the sitters were NOT allowed to take our son out of the cabin for any reason. We only had the sitter for when our son was sleeping in his bed, so there wasn't much for the sitter to do other than sit, and call us if there was a problem. We were two for two, so I guess we were lucky.

 

I will also say that we never cruised when our son was 2. That might have been an awkward in-between stage. When he was on Mariner (no nursery there) at a year old, he wasn't walking yet. It was easy to stroll him around, and he didn't really have any demands as far as being entertained. We took him to the Fischer Price play time once/day, brought a blow-up pool for him to play in on the pool deck, and took him to an ice show. He seemed happy and entertained.

 

At 3 on Oasis, there was a ton for him to do. And even though he could have been in Adventure Ocean as much as we wanted, we chose to send him just 3 times during the whole cruise. The 3 sessions were evenings that particularly appealed to him, and he had a great time. But during the day, it was family vacation time for us to have fun together. And on the 4 nights he wasn't in AO, he was sleeping while we were at late dinner. If he had been 2, I don't think we would have used the nursery...he still would have been with us having fun during the day, and then in his bed sleeping at night (with the babysitter).

 

Anyway, everyone is different, and there is no right or wrong answer here. I'm sure you will find the right cruise/cruise line to meet your needs.

[kj55]

Thanks for all the helpful information. I think it might be a bad age for my younger son to cruise because of all the above (he will be 2 1/2). We were really hoping for one night out without kids for the week so maybe we will see about the nursery just for that. Also never thought about NCL before so I will definitely check it out. Thanks!

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for all the helpful information. I think it might be a bad age for my younger son to cruise because of all the above (he will be 2 1/2). We were really hoping for one night out without kids for the week so maybe we will see about the nursery just for that. Also never thought about NCL before so I will definitely check it out. Thanks!

 

I would never say that there is a "bad age to cruise" :D

 

I personally believe that all families should be able to cruise, regardless of age. You just have to find the right cruise line for the circumstances of that family at the time. But luckily, there is one for everyone. :)

 

We cruised on NCL when my oldest my 2. And Carnival when my youngest was 2. Waited till they were 3 for RCI.

 

It just depends on what the cruise line is offering at the time. But I would never say that 2 is a "bad age to cruise" ;):D

 

Have a wonderful time!

[QTMichele]

Couldn't agree with you more, Michele. We took our son when he was 14 months old on Freedom - BEFORE the nursery addition. It was a wonderful vacation! We used in-room babysitting several times which was nice for me to see a show, but otherwise my DS was with me. Would do it again in a heartbeat. :)

[beachchick]

beachchick slaps self upside the head and says, "Must proofread posts."

 

Of course I meant to write that we'd be cruising with our beautiful granddaughter. Duh.

 

beachchick

[crusinmama06]

beachchick slaps self upside the head and says, "Must proofread posts."

 

Of course I meant to write that we'd be cruising with our beautiful granddaughter. Duh.

 

beachchick

 

HAHAHA the first time I read it I said to myself "beachchick is sailing with rolloman's daughter"? :confused: LMBO!!!!

 

But then I got it! :D

[Cshgrand]

Thanks for all the helpful information. I think it might be a bad age for my younger son to cruise because of all the above (he will be 2 1/2). We were really hoping for one night out without kids for the week so maybe we will see about the nursery just for that. Also never thought about NCL before so I will definitely check it out. Thanks!

 

We had a fab time on royal's enchantment over last new year, lots of sea days and my son was kept well entertained. We are doing bigger ships this yr so yet to make comparison but although the activities for him were parent supervised (playgroup and crayola time for example) the were well led and age appropriate. We were really pleased to receive a big bag of clean and full working order good quality toys to take to our stateroom too.

 

2 is a brilliant age to cruise! My son had an amazing time and can't wait until our next trip and for us the memories are priceless. My biggest worry this time is talking him into adventure ocean, I have no reservations at all about leaving him there based on previous experience but I think he might have a few!!

[LDPINFO]

......RCCL in cabin babysitting is a mess. Since an incident occured, they now have to provide 2 sitters and with staffing being volunteer, not much availability......

 

We are going on the Freedom in April 2012 for a Family Cruise... my MIL changed dinner from 5:30 to 8:30, so obviously my 2 year old won't be attending. We thought about an in-room sitter, but I am interested in knowing what "incident" occurred that they now have to send two sitters. Can anyone elaborate?

 

I'll eat crackers in my room before I'll put my daughter in an undesirable situation.