Cruising w/ 2 & 5 yr olds? Have you done this?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Did it with my grandkids who were 2 and 5 at the time, they keep asking Glamma when they are going again. We did western and had a great time, they loved Camp Carnival, we did the Liberty. Staff was over and above with them:D

 

 

No grandkids for me yet, but I look forward to the day I get to take them on cruises with me! How fun for all of you! :D

[Sandpiper10]

We cruised in 2010 when our DDS were 3 and 6. They had a blast. We chose our intinerary of the cruise around their likes of the beach so we did GT, HMC and Nassau. GT and HMC were beach days and in Nassau we grabbed a taxi and headed to the Adstoria gardens zoo which they loved. I think the main thing was keeping them on schedule with daily routines, not up late as we were back in our cabin by 9pm every night, and a little down time mid day in the cabin to let them unwind and relax or take a nap. The main dining room was to long and drawn out for our 3 year old, so only went there on formal night.

Honestly, take their lead and when they need a rest, give it to them. Don't set high expectations and you will have a successful trip. They did so well that we cruised with them again at ages 5 and 8 and are booked again.

[Sandpiper10]

Also wanted to add that don't be afraid to take them to the early shows in the evenings. The music, dancers and all the colors held their interest the entire show and ours girls loved their virgin drinks with umbrellas. ;)

[Pom Lover]

My DH and I have guardianship of our 4 yr old granddaughter. We started cruising with her when she was 3 and our goal is to make her platinum before the end of 2013. She absolutely loves cruising.

 

You have received alot of great advice on this thread. There is so much to do with young children. Just hanging out by the pool, walking around the ship looking at all of the artwork, going to the various shows, and just being together as a family.

 

We do utilize Camp Carnival some of the time but we always had dinner together in the Main Dining Room and she loved it. We always took a small bag of things for her to do while she waited for her food to arrive.

 

I know some people will tell you to leave the kids at home but I encourage you to try it at least once....you will be hooked!

[adschmad]

Yes, bring the children. We went on the Carnival Triumph this past January with my husband and our 3 children, ages 7, 5, & 2. My big suggestion is to use Camp Carnival. Our children LOVED it! Our 2 year old cried the first couple times we dropped him off, but after those times he was requesting to go to "Cap Carmel" as he called it.

Suggestions to bring:

1. Ziplock bags, bring several gallon & quart sizes. Great for wet/stinky/soiled clothing, snacks, sand souvenir, etc.

2. Bandaids, neosporin

3. Children's tylenol & ibuprofen (we like the chewables)

4. Candied ginger (in the spice aisle)--helps with motion sickness, yes kids can get it.

5. Goggles (ship pools are salt water & sting the eyes)

6. Some select favorite, but smaller toys & activity books--good for dinners & downtime in the cabin

7. Bring beach/water shoes, especially if you are taking them off the boat at ports. Ours just wore their beach shoes off the ship and were fine.

8. Pop up laundry bag--the round ones found at Walmart fit well in one of the closets

9. Soft sided cooler, no bigger than 12x12x12....great to keep juice & drinks cold and to bring to the beach at ports of call.

10. Bottled water, juice, soda (the bag you pack this in will work great to pack your souvenirs in when you are disembarking).

11. Night light, alarm clock, small flashlight, extra batteries

12. Over the door shoe organizer--put toys, glasses, sunglasses, etc in and keep out of hands way.

13. "Tide to go" stain remover pen

14. Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets--in case you need to wash some clothes & don't want to wait for the wash & fold special.

 

 

Before leaving....

1. I pre-packaged my children's clothing by days in a ziplock bag & labeled each day. Don't forget a couple warmer outfits, some evenings and areas of the ship can be cool.

2. REMEMBER TO BRING THE CHILD'S ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE or their passport.

3. Pack a carryon to bring with you on the ship that has 1 day's clothing for each of you, activity book/toys, your swimsuits, child's goggles, & sunscreen. If you cannot get in your room, you will want this because if your children are anything like ours, the first thing they wanted to do was swim.

 

While on board...

1. Carnival will say your room will not be ready until 1:30. I suggest going to your room as soon as you board and seeing if it is ready. Many of the rooms are ready long before 1:30 and you will be able to drop off any carry-on items your brought.

2. We figured out it was much easier for my husband & I to eat while our children were in Camp Carnival, then go get our kiddos to eat after we were finished. But then, we have 3 and navigating a buffet with 3 kiddos can be a nightmare.

3. Do take them to see the shows! I was surprised, by my kids (even my 2 year old son) sat through the shows on the ship.

4. If your children have favorite foods they like to eat regularly, let your waiter in the MDR know. They are usually great about having those items ready when you show up to eat dinner. Or you can let them eat dinner with their friends in Camp Carnival (which is REALLY nice!).

5. Watch for the wash & fold special which is usually offered on the 3rd or 4th day. It's $15 for 1 laundry bag of clothes. I rolled up the clothes individually and was able to fit 3 bags worth in that 1 bag. If you plan on this, you shouldn't need more than 1 carry-on sized bag per person. Here is a link that has a video of a great way to pack a carry-on and get TONS of stuff in it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDn9l...layer_embedded

6. Take naps!

7. Grab milks from the buffet each morning and store in your room on the soft-sided cooler you bring. If you are out of milk and your children need some, there is a thermos of milk every night by the coffee machines.

8. Prepare for your children to have withdrawals and want pizza and ice cream for breakfast when you are back home. Yep, we let our kiddos indulge in pizza & ice cream several mornings.

 

We had a wonderful time and our children are requesting to go on another cruise soon. We gave them a choice of a cruise or Disney World next year, and they've chosen cruising. It's addictive & fun even for the little ones!

[Julienatul]

We sail with our kids now aged 6 and 3 since they were infants. It is alot more to lug then sailing alone but its a great experience. My kids LOVE cruises. They have a blast from camp carnival to the waterworks to swimming to eating new foods in the dining room to dancing and fun in ports of call. My kids would rather cruise than go to Disney believe it or not. We dont usually bring the car seats but then we usually just walk around in port or take a short taxi ride to the beach. We are sailing the Dream alone in a few weeks without the kids for our 10th Anniversary and again with the kids for Thanksgiving week and mother-in-laws 80th birthday. It is different and you will still have the responsibility of the kids, temper tamtrums, fights etc. but it is a great family vacation and you will have those memories forever.

[LHP]

We have always traveled with our two boys.

 

They are also about 3 1/2 years apart.

 

The only difference was that we did land vacations until they were about 5 and 8 "ish".

 

I just felt more comfortable having immediate medical care available when they were toddlers....which you are not going to have "at sea". The medical clinic on this ship is more like a minor med or doctor's office...than a hospital.

 

And with things like Noro that can be present on a ship, you have to be mindful that things that make Adults really sick can be very serious for younger bodies....

[CruisingSoon88]

Our sons were 2 and 5 last year on their first cruise. We were very curious to see how much different it would be cruising with kids versus our kidless cruises in the past. It was fantastic for us. They both loved camp. I tell everyone that a cruise is a perfect vacation for us because we get to do family things and then DH and I also get alone time. We have always travelled with our kids so they are very flexible with their schedules. We just went on our our second cruise with them last month. This time we had anytime dining and it worked much better for us than early seating. With early seating we didn't have time for them to take naps before dinner and they often slept through the meal. I also felt like we moved through the courses faster at anytime because we weren't waiting on others around us.

 

As far as excursions and nightlife, we do many of the same things that we did before the kids came along. On this last trip we did have a beach day and we also rented a jeep and went to the french outdoor market and went to watch the planes land on Maho. Our usual dinner time was around 8 so our 3 year old would nap before we went to eat. After dinner we took them to camp where they often had late night parties for the kids. DH and I headed to the casino. The parties usually lasted until 1 and we would pick them up around 1 or 1:30. They had a blast! There are fees for the parties and for after hours camp which start at 10 pm, but we felt that it was well worth the cost. I know that this schedule would not work for all children, but it is perfect for ours.

 

I can't imagine going without our kids on a cruise now. They love it so much. My 6 year old said the other day that he wished that he had a million dollars. I asked him what would he do with it and he said that he would take us all on another cruise. Only you know your children and how they would handle things and what your expectations should be.

[Chigirlcruzin]

We're looking at doing a family cruise next year. My nephews will be 2 & 5. How was it with the little one not going into the pools? The older nephew was trained at 25 months, but the little guy is a bit more stubborn. This is the bug strike against a cruise.

[ebandive]

Yes, bring the children. We went on the Carnival Triumph this past January with my husband and our 3 children, ages 7, 5, & 2. My big suggestion is to use Camp Carnival. Our children LOVED it! Our 2 year old cried the first couple times we dropped him off, but after those times he was requesting to go to "Cap Carmel" as he called it.

Suggestions to bring:

1. Ziplock bags, bring several gallon & quart sizes. Great for wet/stinky/soiled clothing, snacks, sand souvenir, etc.

2. Bandaids, neosporin

3. Children's tylenol & ibuprofen (we like the chewables)

4. Candied ginger (in the spice aisle)--helps with motion sickness, yes kids can get it.

5. Goggles (ship pools are salt water & sting the eyes)

6. Some select favorite, but smaller toys & activity books--good for dinners & downtime in the cabin

7. Bring beach/water shoes, especially if you are taking them off the boat at ports. Ours just wore their beach shoes off the ship and were fine.

8. Pop up laundry bag--the round ones found at Walmart fit well in one of the closets

9. Soft sided cooler, no bigger than 12x12x12....great to keep juice & drinks cold and to bring to the beach at ports of call.

10. Bottled water, juice, soda (the bag you pack this in will work great to pack your souvenirs in when you are disembarking).

11. Night light, alarm clock, small flashlight, extra batteries

12. Over the door shoe organizer--put toys, glasses, sunglasses, etc in and keep out of hands way.

13. "Tide to go" stain remover pen

14. Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets--in case you need to wash some clothes & don't want to wait for the wash & fold special.

 

 

Before leaving....

1. I pre-packaged my children's clothing by days in a ziplock bag & labeled each day. Don't forget a couple warmer outfits, some evenings and areas of the ship can be cool.

2. REMEMBER TO BRING THE CHILD'S ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE or their passport.

3. Pack a carryon to bring with you on the ship that has 1 day's clothing for each of you, activity book/toys, your swimsuits, child's goggles, & sunscreen. If you cannot get in your room, you will want this because if your children are anything like ours, the first thing they wanted to do was swim.

 

While on board...

1. Carnival will say your room will not be ready until 1:30. I suggest going to your room as soon as you board and seeing if it is ready. Many of the rooms are ready long before 1:30 and you will be able to drop off any carry-on items your brought.

2. We figured out it was much easier for my husband & I to eat while our children were in Camp Carnival, then go get our kiddos to eat after we were finished. But then, we have 3 and navigating a buffet with 3 kiddos can be a nightmare.

3. Do take them to see the shows! I was surprised, by my kids (even my 2 year old son) sat through the shows on the ship.

4. If your children have favorite foods they like to eat regularly, let your waiter in the MDR know. They are usually great about having those items ready when you show up to eat dinner. Or you can let them eat dinner with their friends in Camp Carnival (which is REALLY nice!).

5. Watch for the wash & fold special which is usually offered on the 3rd or 4th day. It's $15 for 1 laundry bag of clothes. I rolled up the clothes individually and was able to fit 3 bags worth in that 1 bag. If you plan on this, you shouldn't need more than 1 carry-on sized bag per person. Here is a link that has a video of a great way to pack a carry-on and get TONS of stuff in it.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDn9l...layer_embedded

6. Take naps!

7. Grab milks from the buffet each morning and store in your room on the soft-sided cooler you bring. If you are out of milk and your children need some, there is a thermos of milk every night by the coffee machines.

8. Prepare for your children to have withdrawals and want pizza and ice cream for breakfast when you are back home. Yep, we let our kiddos indulge in pizza & ice cream several mornings.

 

We had a wonderful time and our children are requesting to go on another cruise soon. We gave them a choice of a cruise or Disney World next year, and they've chosen cruising. It's addictive & fun even for the little ones!

 

This was incredibly helpful. Thank you!! :D

[ComeSailWithME]

I have really enjoyed reading all of the experience and tips shared on this thread. We will be sailing with our 13 month old in September and I could not be more excited about it. I believe knowledge is power and with the help and advice of the cruise critic boards, I have com up with a great packing list and found baby friendly excursions that we will all enjoy.

 

The biggest tips I have walked away with so far:

 

- get a balcony! This way you don't need to be confined to the room during nap time and early bedtimes. We booked our first aft balcony for this upcoming cruise!

 

- for not yet potty trained babes, bring a small inflatable pool for them to use on the lido. You can fill this up with a pitcher from the bar and dump it down the shower drain. (also doubles as a tub for the shower-phobe babe).

 

- soft sided cooler to keep extra milk and juice cold for morning & night. Also taking small boxes of cereal in port for snacks.

 

- blue painters tape to tape shut the cabinets and open power outlets so they don't get into anything.

[ComeSailWithME]

Here is our packing list for him, so far:

• baby sunscreen

• baby shampoo/body wash

• first aid - infant Tylenol, infant Benadryl, saline spray, Band-Aids, Neosporin, baby nail clippers, nail file, ear drops, cortisone cream, insect repellent wipes, thermometer, tummyache remedies, vitamins, swim ear drops, pedialyte powder

• laundry soap sheets & sink stopper

• sippy cups, infant silverware, dishwashing soap in small container and bottle brush (to wash in your room)

• Tiny Diner Tray to make meals a little easier to cleanup

• Disposable Bibs

• Blue painters tape (to tape drawers and fridge closed!)

• Playyard sheet

• Umbrella Stroller

• Binder Clips (to clip blankets to stroller, to keep balcony blinds closed)

• Rain stroller cover

• Baby carrier

• Bubbles

• Blow up pool and sand bucket & toys (to fill up pool from main pool water and for playing in pool and on land beaches)

• sealed snacks to take ashore

• beach blanket

• beach sun shelter

• disposable changing pads

• travel lysol spray

• travel size pack of disinfectant wipes to wipe down room and toys that he drops

• nightlight/flameless candle for bathroom

• soft sided cooler to keep water and milk cold

• electronic device to play movies for airport, waiting around, nighttime, etc

• car seat

[PrettyBrownGirl86]

I definitely appreciate this thread, I am bringing my 13 m.o. niece on my cruise on the Legend in August. The idea of bringing the stroller and stage 2 carseat just seems overwhelming. I know the airline will check them for free but, I think we may leave the carseat at home especially if we may be in a car without belts.

[Fourkids4us]

These are definately great suggestions. We have taken our kids every year since 2004. I started out with two kids 3yrs and 11months and now I have four kids aged 9, 6, 4, and 3.

 

 

If you like having a good time with your kids you will be fine. We dont snorkel etc so we take them off the sdhip with us. We tour, go to the beach etc.

 

I found Grand Cayman to be a good port for kids. The turtles, dolphins, and beach was a full day activity and they loved it!!

[Kerry's Girls]

 

I just felt more comfortable having immediate medical care available when they were toddlers....which you are not going to have "at sea". The medical clinic on this ship is more like a minor med or doctor's office...than a hospital.

 

And with things like Noro that can be present on a ship, you have to be mindful that things that make Adults really sick can be very serious for younger bodies....

 

Just wanted to mention that one of my girls has medical issues and has visited a few cruise ship doctors and we've always been very happy and comfortable with the facilities and care we've received, including having antibiotics, etc for little ones. It's more like an urgent care office (with xray, etc), ready to help passengers (and crew) of all ages. After looking into it, I felt secure enough to take her on a cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii. I do agree that, especially with kids, we were very careful about keeping hands washed and using the wipes that kill viruses.

 

Best,

Mia

[Barnes11]

Thanks for all the excellent info! You've all convinced me! The four of us are booked on the Dream in December.