Veteran Cruisers, but first time with toddler - advice?

[GatorGirlinSeattle]

Hi! We are so excited for our first cruise with our daughter this winter to Mexico sailing on Carnival. I have heard some rough stories about cruising with a toddler; please share your success stories, tips, and advice. What do we absolutely have to pack for our little girl (she'll be close to 3 years old when we sail)? My husband and I have always loved cruising; help us enjoy it with our toddler. TIA!

[Mom2B&Z]

We did our first cruise when DS2 had just turned 3. It's not all that bad :)

The good part is having time to enjoy as a family. We love playing all together in the kids pool, exploring the ports together and generally enjoying each others' company.

The bad is that this won't be like any other vacation you've taken. You will be tied to the cabin at night when she goes to bed, and if she's still napping that's more time in the cabin. For this reason we get at least a balcony cabin, and plan on bringing books and other things we can do sitting on the balcony. DH and I had some great time together on the balcony, it was really nice to have time to talk to each other with no distractions. I wouldn't count on her spending large amounts of time at the kids club, if she does it's a bonus.

My advice would be to plan around your daughter's current schedule. I know some people say throw the schedule out the window on vacation, but at least with my boys that results in two very grumpy little people!

[c-cruise]

I find the hardest part of cruising with small kids is making it through a 1.5 hour dinner in the main dining room. If your 3yr old is anything like ours was then it's hard to imagine them sitting in the same place and behaving for that length of time :eek: Bring whatever you need to keep her entertained between courses. For us it's an iPod touch loaded up with cartoons and games. Also, if the main dining room isn't working out then don't torture yourself and eat there every night. It's nice to take a break and do room service or eat at the buffet.

 

I would go for as large of a cabin as you can afford - you will be spending a lot of time there. A balcony is a must for us and we generally go for some type of min-suite or suite to get more space.

[Woodmnky]

Another CC poster was planning on getting their child a small gift each day for the cruise. I thought that this was a great idea as it gave something new and exciting to play with each day.

As far as what to pack - keep tabs on everything that DD cannot live without and see what you normally use for her in the course of a week. Of course, you will have to leave some stuff behind, but make sure that you bring the essentials such as favorite blanket, stuffed animal, toy. Also, if DD usually has a nightlight at home you may want to consider ways to make the cabin brighter at night, especially if you have an inside cabin or if DD is scared of the dark.

[Julienatul]

Relax, enjoy, have fun together as a family. Take turns so each of you gets some down time. Bring plenty of small toys, activities for her in case she wont go to camp carnival. Camp carnival is more of an activity service than babyistting they cant be crying and have to want to activly participate to stay. Its always iffy with the 2-3 yr old range with separation anxiety. They will give you a pager/cell phone and call you to come get her if she cries. Make sure not to miss the family welcome aboard party on the first night.Its a blast with dancing, balloons, games and prizes. It also gives your DD a chance to interact with the camp counselors with you there before you have to drop her off at camp. We keep our iphones loaded with games and movies for the long dinners and also bring some crayola no mess coloring things and stickers for dinners. Try to give your DD a few showers at home to prepare her for the cabin shower onboard (no bathtub) or bring a blow-up bathtub. Also make sure to bring sippy cups if your DD still uses them. Just go with the flow, dont plan your schedule so rigorous, make sure you keeo to your child's schedule.naptimes, mealtimes etc. It can be a great family vacation. Everything you need is within walking distance 24/7. Enjoy!

[mjkacmom]

Make sure she's potty trained, so she can go in the pools.

[Mack2]

It's been a while since my little ones were toddlers.

 

I remember and highly recommend a good umbrella stroller. Sure, there came a point where the kids no longer NEEDED the stroller, but it was great to have when it was dinnertime, and they were passed out in the thing after a long day in the sun having non-stop fun.

 

We would be able to park the stroller next to the table and eat dinner in the MDR while the youngest napped in the stroller. We would also be able to watch the show while they slept in the stroller...

 

Heck, I think we brought it along just so we could wander around the ship while they slept... It was also good on shore... to lug around all the stuff we brought to the beach/shopping/excursion.

 

Enjoy your family! For me, the best part of cruising with the kids is seeing them have a good time. I love introducing them to new things - food, activities, and places. A cruise one of the best places to do that.

 

How many kids get to hold a baby ostrich?

She doesn't remember holding the ostrich (loves the picture)... but my memories of those times are priceless.

[RoadTripFanatic]

1st. I love the picture of the little girl holding the baby osterich! That is awesome!!

 

I highly recommen as a previous poster to take a sturdy umbrella stroller. You don't want a cheap one but one that will tolerate some abuse. When DD was three we couldn't leave the ship without one. She lived in it. She loved the chance to be in the shade!

If she is still in diapers take everything you think you will need for the trip. It's a royal pain taking the time to find more diapers on a trip. If she is potty trained make sure you take some just in case. I posted on another thread about how DD was 2 1/2 and refused to use the toilets on the ship. (She was flushed by an automatic flushing toilet on the ship and it completely wigged her our.) We had a fair amount of pull-ups with us but had to buy diapers (because they were far cheaper) in one of our ports of call.

Take some of her favorite snacks for excursions and always carry bottled water with you into the port.

Take children's tylenol and any other medicines you might need on the trip. I never leave home w/o hydrocortisone, neosporin or children's benadryl.

 

Remember relax and have lots of fun. Use the kids center to get a break for a little while. We have been known when DD was that age to send her to Camp Carnival so we could enjoy a quiet dinner together. We would usually do that 2 or 3 nights on the cruise. Carnival will feed your child. :) DD at that age LOVED going to the children's center. Your daughter's schedule will be out of whack and that's ok. You are on vacation. When we went on excursions DD would just pass out in the stroller when she was done. If she didn't when we came back in we usually all crashed and took a nap before dinner. It all works out.

[rolloman]

If possible get a room with a balcony so you can relax during nap time. A room with a tub is a huge bonus as well. Take an Ipod with a plug in speaker with the childs favorite movies downloaded into it. Take a small folding stroller, DO NOT lug a big one onboard. Check in to the ships muster drill then immediately ask to be dismissed (70% chance they will let you leave). Once boarded sign up for any babysitting needs ( such as in cabin, nursery, etc) and or sign up for kids club if you are on Disney NCL or Carnival, other lines you must be 3. Those are a few right off the top of my head.

[ehough]

We cruised last year with a 2.5 year old and an 11 month old...this next cruise they will be almost 4 and 2!

 

Honestly, in many ways I prefer a cruise to a land vacation with kids. There is always something to do on a cruise. You can always go grab a snack, or just wander the ship. Toddlers are excellent at entertaining themselves on a ship. Every night after dinner we would go to the (empty) night club and let them dance- the music and lights were on, but nobody was there. They thought it was great and it wore them out for bed. So that's just an example of what your toddler can find to do onboard. Of course, you are restricted to your room once they're asleep just as you would be on land, but all the other down times are easier to handle on a ship, in my opinion.

 

I'm also a fan of the present a day thing- we call it the "magic bag" and I fill it with small things, one for each day. Just cheap things from the Dollar Store. If the kids behave that day, they get to choose one thing from the bag. It works well for 2 reasons- 1, they are motivated to behave, and 2, it staggers the toys out so they aren't bored with everything we brought by day 2. And novelty goes a long way with toddlers.

 

I really think it's a fun time. Exhausting, yes, but fun. And ditto the person above who said it can be hard to sit through dinner- we only went to the dining room once on our last cruise. We were happy in the Lido and it was a lot less stressful. We are going to try to hit the dining room more on our upcoming cruise, but it can be tough, for sure. Our 11 month old learned to walk onboard so he did not want to sit still. And sure, we could have muddled through, but it was stressful. Do what works for you.