Norwegian Dawn for 2 year old?

[JMaryland]

My husband and I considering taking our daughter (who will be almost 2) on a cruise on the Norwegian Gem in late March. Is there a lot of stuff to do for a child this age? I know non potty trained kids can not swim in the pools so I'm worried we'll have limited activities for her to do? Also is it hard sleeping in a room with small children? We are considering getting a mini suite for more room. Any advice would be welcome! Thanks :)

[cb at sea]

The bigger the cabin, the better, IMO! Ship cabins are nothing like hotel rooms...much smaller! Having something with a balcony will give the adults someplace "to be" while baby is sleeping/napping, so you aren't cooped up in a darkened room!!!

 

At not yet 2, you'll pretty much have to "entertain" as you would at home. Don't forget, on port days, you can take baby to the beach...most kids love playing in the surf, digging in the sand, toddling about...some will bring a blow-up tub (the "duck tub" is a favorite!) for use as a tub (some cabins only have showers!) and on deck for the diapered one to splash in....just empty the water into a floor drain or shower drain...not into the pool!

 

There won't be any organized activities for a child that young. Some ships do have "toy exchanges", where you can "borrow" toys for your child to play with. And, there are lots of open spaces for baby to wander about (under your watchful eye, of course!) where they won't be underfoot.

[croozymooner]

We just sailed the dawn with our one year old and were definitely happy to have upgraded to a mini suite for the extra room and full size bathtub.

 

That said, unless you bring grandparents, I cannot really recommend cruising with a toddler that is not old enough for the pools or kids clubs. We enjoyed our trip, but I'd hardly call it a vacation. It was quite exhausting at times.