To Cruise Or Not?

[trendtherapy]

Im 15 wks pregnant with baby#2 and wanted to take a vacation with my hubby and son before the pregnancy restriction is in effect(24 wks) . My son is 16 mnths old and he'll be 18 mnths and the time we cruise. We were going to take the RCI-explorer of the seas but just found out he cannot go in the pool with us. Thats a bummer but I totally understand why. Unfortunately there is no diaper zone splash area on the boat:mad: We are crusing beginning of April and I heard Bermuda waters arent to hot yet which would mean would we really even be swimming with in the the ocean? And because we are paying full price for him I want to make sure there is enough for us to do with him. Any suggestions of other cruise lines or what do you think? Thanks!

[sparky-elpaso]

I would just go with what you and hubby want to do. Your little guy will be happy just wandering around looking at the pretty colors, etc. of the ship. Bring a few little toys and books along.

[boulders]

Even the ships with water areas that an 18 month old could go in are not worth it just for that experience. Those water areas are basically small wading pools. There are ships that have nurseries for that age group, but the closest to New Jersey is the Enchantment of the Seas. Other ships that have nurseries are the Disney ships and some other Royal Caribbean ships (Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Splendour of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas Grandeur of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas). Explorer of the Seas and other RCCL ships will have in cabin babysitting at about $19/hour. I believe Celebrity has that too. Availability of in cabin babysitting is not guaranteed. All RCCL ships have a royal tots playgroup that meets once or twice a day.

 

I agree with sparky - choose the ship that you and your husband want to go on and enjoy.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I think a cruise is a bad idea. I think it will seem claustrophobic. I've cruised with that age and it wasn't fun. I did Bermuda as a matter of fact and all I did was follow my toddler around the ship. I never had any "fun". Florida is great in April too. Nice and warm down there- the Tampa Zoo is fantastic- there is lots of water play there for kids. Sea World, Marineland, Alligator Farm.

 

We are headed to Florida in a 10 days and as you can see I love to cruise but I also love Florida vacations because there is something for everyone. At most Florida resorts- your child can use the pool or at least a baby pool. Call the hotel in advance to make sure there are swimming opportunities for a toddler in diapers. Worst comes to worst- you have the beach.

 

If you do Orlando- we like the Parc Soleil by Hilton. They have awesome one bedroom suites for $179 per night. There is a little grocery store on the premises, a great indoor- outdoor restaurant with reasonable prices, a movie theater screen at the pool at night, etc. etc.

[luvsviola]

It would kinda depend if your kiddo is a "busy" 18 month old, or a calm 18 month old. My oldest daughter and son would have a nightmare at 18 months on a cruise. Dinner would have been a no-go...we would have had screaming tantrums 20 minutes into dinner service with the older two at that age. My youngest would have had a blast, but she is very laid back and calm. She would have been fine. However, we are still waiting to take her til she is 2.5 so she is old enough to understand, and old enough to go to Camp Carnival.

 

At 18 months, I'd consider a Disney parks vacation instead.

[#1TravelMom]

We were on the Explorer at the beginning of June. It was ok - but definately not one of our best cruises. I would not recommend Bermuda in April. Even in the beginning of June the air temp was 90 degrees, but the water was freezing. To see the whole island, you will spend quite a bit of time in a cab or on a bus - not ideal for traveling with a little one.

[Mack2]

My younger son celebrated his 2nd birthday on the Explorer of the Seas 9 years ago, when the ship was a little newer. We've sailed with all three kids, when my daughter was 18months old, but aboard the Disney Magic.

 

Can't really compare apples to apples.

 

As much as I love cruising, if you're concerned about swimming, NY to Bermuda in April isn't necessarily to most toddler friendly. I'm sure there's stuff on the ship that will keep your 18month old occupied... but he definitely won't be able to use/experience everything.

 

Bermuda, too, is problematic... Public transportation is wonderful on the island, busses are clean, prompt, and the people on the island are so warm and friendly. Taxis? Eh... do you want to lug the car seat around with you?

 

Additionally, Bermuda is still only 500 miles directly east of North Carolina... You're not that far south. It's got those pretty pink sand beaches, but yes... water will be cold.

So you have to consider what you'll be getting yourself into at that time of year. Nice touring, maybe see some caves, sun, sun, and sun (and cold water)

 

Summarizing what you may expect for a cruise is a wonderful week of not having to cook, clean, and wash... but still have good "FAMILY time". You might not be able to find too much "COUPLE time"... but you will still be able to capture wonderful memories of your family together.

[MikeysMom619]

We just got back from our cruise to the Bahamas on Explorer of the seas. We cruised with our 11 month old (and our friends with a child the same age).

This was our first cruise with children so we didn't know what to expect.

These are are my thoughts based on our experience:

 

1 - Explorer doesn't have a nursery yet & since our kids are under a year, we weren't able to use the in-room babysitting. We thought we would be disappointed but it turns out, it was totally fine. Since your baby is over a year, you could take advantage of the in-room for an evening out if you wanted.

 

2 - We brought a blow up bathtub. This was a MUST HAVE! It fit perfectly in the shower stall for bathing, plus we used it on the deck & filled it with water for our little ones to splash around in since they couldn't go in the pool. It was perfect! We didn't miss not being able to use the pools together at all. In fact, I think it was easier because they were contained & had some toys to play with while splashing around. Also - we dipped our toes in & the pool water was freezing & would have been way too cold to submerge them in anyway.

 

3 - The Fisher Price Toy lending program was great! We didn't need to bring any toys with us. We just went up to the kids club, checked out a bag. Everything was great. In addition, they set up a matted play area w toys in the bar on the 14th deck every morning & afternoon. Morning was staffed & afternoon was unstaffed. The babies got to play safely & we had a nice adult atmosphere to enjoy a cocktail & watch them. We did this almost every day.

 

4 - We had a room with a balcony. I don't know if you have that or if its an option for you, but it was really key for us. We got to spend time out there in the evenings when the babies went to sleep & not feel like we needed to tip-toe around them. Also, we spent a fair amount of time during the day there just letting the kids play & enjoying the view & quiet. Very relaxing.

 

In summary, I would say. Do what makes you feel comfortable but for a ship that doesnt (yet) have all the baby amenities, we had a great family vacation!

[snoopy5386]

Add me to the list of people voting land vacation. Take a nice beach vacation somewhere instead. On land if what you are doing isn't working, you can change things up and do something else. Not really an option at sea.

[cantwait2cruise]

Our last cruise was with 17 mo old and pregnant again and it was ok. But we vowed we weren't cruising again until both our kids were old enough for the kids club where we could have a break. We kept that and are just now cruising again with a 3 & 5 year old.

 

There is a thread I did almost 4 years ago with detailed info on this board that has 17 mo in the title.

[rstout]

Add me to the list of people that would switch to a land based vacation. We cruised with our kids as soon as our youngest turned three so that they could enjoy everything the ship had to offer and we weren't worried about chasing toddlers around the pool area without them being able to go in. And our kids would have hated not being able to go in the pool or on the beach. We did a lot of Florida and beach vacations when our kids were babies and toddlers...it was much easier to stay in a hotel or condo, where we had room for them to nap when needed, we could relax by the pool or on the beach, drive to a park, eat in our room or in a restaurant, etc. It just seemed more relaxing for everyone at the time.

 

If you are intent on cruising, I would switch to a cruise with a nursery that sails out of FL...Disney or one of the larger Royal Caribbean ships.

[Onessa]

It really does depend upon your kid and your expectations. We travelled extensively with our DD since she was a couple of weeks old, and she was always a trooper -- she loved looking at all the new "stuff" and as she grew she was used to travel. My co-worker has a toddler who is a handful just to get to and from grandma's house less than a mile away. So your toddler's disposition is key.

 

Also important is what you and DH "want" out of this trip. If you view it as a great opportunity to spend time together as a family, it is great. If you are looking for romance or nightlife, you'll be disappointed.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I think with a toddler- you spend so much time in the room that it makes sense to have a really nice room. That's why I think a large condo with a kitchen is better with this age group. If they get fussy- you aren't worried about disturbing the people in the adjoining cabins. Condos have bathtubs, which kids prefer.

 

The only reason why cruises are good for kids is that they have daily activities, movies and swimming- none of which are available to toddlers. At night you are stuck in a cabin which is 8x12. Not much fun IMO. It isn't worth the expense of paying for a third passenger.

 

I am not affilitated with the Parc Soleil in Orlando but we loved it there because it was tranquil but there were tons for kids to do. The restaurant offered wonderful- inexpensive food ($8-$20 lunch and dinner items). A grocery store, etc. You never had to leave unless you wanted to.

[Kidsoftheseas]

we have cruised with kids that age and younger.

my advice is certainly GO for a wonderful cruise before the second one comes along and things get more hectic and certainly before your 24th week mark.

 

little ones that age are happy anywhere and more than anything to spend quality time with their parents. Definitely choose a ship with a nursery too - so you can have some "me" time as well - since your little one will not qualify for kids programs yet.

 

I highly recommend the Disney ships. They are simply built for families with kids of all ages. And I know RCCL has some wonderful options as well.

 

The way I see it, if you want a vacation and especially with one so young, a well selected cruise is a wonderful choice. You don't have to worry about food or entertainment or anything. But as mentioned, a vacation at a nice resort on land is great too.