Which is better for first cruise with toddler

[RSLeesburg]

My wife and I are debating taking our son on a cruise this fall. We live in metro DC area, so thought to sail out of Baltimore on RCI (Grandeur of the Seas); however, we are wondering whether or not we should be looking to go out on one of the bigger ships instead. We took him to WDW last year, and it was too much for him - too crowded, too noisy, etc., so we thought one of the larger ships would be just the same - too much. Any advice?

[Scrapnana]

Sailing out of Baltimore sounds like a good plan - no flights, no baggage issues. If WDW overwhelmed your son a big ship does not sound like a good option. I hope to do a cruise out of Norfolk or Baltimore in the next couple of years - the convenience would be wonderful.

[RSLeesburg]

Yes. Surprisingly, he traveled down to Orlando quite well...went through airport security and boarded plane like a seasoned business traveler, and fell immediately to sleep. :).

 

I just hope the AO is as good on the smaller ship, as it would on one of the larger ones.

[cb at sea]

You really need to be at least 6 to truly enjoy WDW....younger than that, and they just don't appreciate the "magic"!

 

Ships are different...they are designed to NOT feel crowded. And, there are so many places where you won't be taking a toddler on a ship....

The pool, on sea days will be crowded, as will the theaters.....those are about the only places you will notice a rush of people.

[RSLeesburg]

Yes. But because neither my wife or I have ever been on a cruise, we opted for what we knew - and to be sure, we did have a nice vacation. The Poly is an amazing resort, and our son loved the pool, beach, and Neverland Club.

[flhokie]

You really need to be at least 6 to truly enjoy WDW....younger than that, and they just don't appreciate the "magic"!

 

Ships are different...they are designed to NOT feel crowded. And, there are so many places where you won't be taking a toddler on a ship....

The pool, on sea days will be crowded, as will the theaters.....those are about the only places you will notice a rush of people.

 

This really depends on the child. We live in Central Florida & have taken DD to Disney several times. She's 2 and definitely enjoys the parks--loves it when we are there and talks about it all the time. The parks can be overwhelming for children (& adults) of any age---it just depends on the person.

 

As for choice of ship for the OP, one thing you might want to consider is the availability of the nursery if DS is under 3. This is only available on some ships right now--mainly the larger ones and the only option other than in room babysitting if you want any adult time if DS is not eligible for Adventure Ocean. There would be plenty of opportunities to avoid crowds (except for muster drill, shows, pools at certain times, shows, etc). Keep in mind, children need to be potty trained to use the pools on ships. Some of the larger ships have toddler splash areas for those that aren't potty trained.

[RSLeesburg]

Not sure what OP is, but our son will be almost 4 by time we cruise, and is fully potty trained. We are definitely planning to use AO, but maybe not all day, everyday. We would like to spend some time with him - taking him to pool if its not too crowded (are there ever times when it is less crowded)?

 

What is muster?

[flhokie]

OP refers to original poster.

 

The muster drill is the safety drill before departure. Attendance is mandatory for all passengers & it can get crowded depending on your muster station.

[RSLeesburg]

Ah... Well, that should be interesting. I think he will be fine with that (hoping) - he did great waiting to go through security at MCO, and that took forever!

[flhokie]

Ah... Well, that should be interesting. I think he will be fine with that (hoping) - he did great waiting to go through security at MCO, and that took forever!

 

Security at MCO can be a real pain. The only issue/difference is that the security line moves. At the muster drill everyone has to stay in place, quietly listening to instructions. I'm not looking forward to keeping DD quiet & fairly still when she's so excited. At least it's only usually about 15-20 minutes.

 

Where in the DC area are you from? I grew up in Fairfax/Annandale (live near Orlando now).

[RSLeesburg]

He should be fine for 15-20 minutes (says the over confident and naive dad).

 

We are in Leesburg although neither my wife or I are natives of Nova.