Bringing a toddler on an MSC cruise...

[holderk]

Regarding bringing a 22 month old on an MSC cruise...

She won't be eligible for the Kid's Club and I guess she won't be aloud to swim in the pools if she's not potty trained??

 

I'd love to hear from people who've brought a child this age and what their experience was like. Did you use the babysitting service? Are they hard on the potty training rule? And any other information would be helpful...first time cruising ever!

 

Thanks!

[AmoMondo]

Haven't travelled with a toddler it there are always plenty onboard.

 

If she's not potty trained, then she cannot use the pools - it would be really unfair on other passengers.

[riclop]

Regarding bringing a 22 month old on an MSC cruise...

She won't be eligible for the Kid's Club and I guess she won't be aloud to swim in the pools if she's not potty trained??

 

I'd love to hear from people who've brought a child this age and what their experience was like. Did you use the babysitting service? Are they hard on the potty training rule? And any other information would be helpful...first time cruising ever!

 

Thanks!

Its the same on any cruise line if she is not potty trained she is NOT allowed in a pool and how would you even consider putting a non potty trained baby in a pool??? Unreal.

[MotownVoice]

Be sure and let us know what cruise that is.

 

So I can be sure and not be on it.

[Alex71]

We took our son on his first cruise when he was one year old and did not enjoy it. It was very stressful to plan around his nap times and the ship's schedule. Dinner in the MDR was stressful as well.

 

With our slightly older kids, who can join us on excursions and who enjoy being at the kids club, it's a whole different story.

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[GOLDENBONNY]

Regarding bringing a 22 month old on an MSC cruise...

She won't be eligible for the Kid's Club and I guess she won't be aloud to swim in the pools if she's not potty trained??

 

I'd love to hear from people who've brought a child this age and what their experience was like. Did you use the babysitting service? Are they hard on the potty training rule? And any other information would be helpful...first time cruising ever!

 

Thanks!

 

Our DD was 13 month on her first cruise . Here is my advise

1.Be ready not to see any shows ,its loud and not all kids love it. If you try to attend please seat close to exit so you can come out ASAP is you kid does not like it.

2.Be ready not to eat in DR. My DD used to go to many restaurants with us at home but did not wont to seat in DR) On second cruise she was 2 years old and she ate fine in DR but we used DVD player . Make sure you seat alone not with other people LOL.

3.You must be potty trained to use pools on any cruise line.

4.I would not use babysitting services with my child but its up to you. Book balcony cabin so you can enjoy it while your kid is asleep.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Be sure and let us know what cruise that is.

 

So I can be sure and not be on it.

 

 

You will have to stay at home forever ))) Trust me on any cruise line on any ship there is always some parents who does not care about diaper-pool rule((:mad:

[Pluto_fan]

Our daughter was 22 months old on her first cruise, and now four years later has been on three more. We have found it to be a great vacation for our family--an enjoyable way to see a lot of different places without the effort of travelling to them individually.

 

You know your child best as far as how they will react to sightseeing, restaurant meals, shows, etc., so you will plan accordingly, just as you would for a land-based vacation. We have not used the babysitting service, so I can't help you there. Many parents are surprised to learn that even little ones in swim diapers are not allowed in the pools, so it's good to know that up front (this is true of all cruise lines except Disney, I believe, so it's not just an MSC rule). You didn't mention which ship you're on...I remember the Musica had a playground-type climbing structure up on deck that our daughter enjoyed. We have found MSC to be quite family-friendly--waitstaff in the restaurants in particular have gone out of their way to make sure our daughter was enjoying herself (folding napkins in to animal shapes, bringing her plain pasta with nothing on it every day :rolleyes:, and so on). Be prepared, be flexible, and have a wonderful cruise!

[holderk]

Thank you to those of you who responded with useful information.

 

And wow, to those of you who were mean and hateful...thanks for making my first ever question posted on Cruise Critic such a memorable experience.

 

I never said I would break any rules regarding their policy on toddlers in the pool. I was only questioning because normally non potty-trained children can wear a swim diaper.

[MotownVoice]

No. Normally. They can't.

 

Do the words "Ecoli" or "Norovirus" mean anything to you?

 

Or does your universe just revolve around some imaginary world where baby gets to do whatever mother wants baby to do?

[Alex71]

We were not aware of the rule that swim diapers are not allowed in the pool and it was never pointed out to us. Not sure if such a rule even exists.

 

 

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[cruisingcanadian]

We were not aware of the rule that swim diapers are not allowed in the pool and it was never pointed out to us. Not sure if such a rule even exists.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Does it mean that you were taking non-potty trained child in the pool on a ship?:eek:

The list of rules is posted by every swimming pool on every ship....

[GOLDENBONNY]

No. Normally. They can't.

 

Do the words "Ecoli" or "Norovirus" mean anything to you?

 

Or does your universe just revolve around some imaginary world where baby gets to do whatever mother wants baby to do?

 

 

who you answering to? if to me, I dont need lecture about what people can or can't do. Relax, and read first what people say ,before you jump with your answers.

[cruisingcanadian]

Thank you to those of you who responded with useful information.

 

And wow, to those of you who were mean and hateful...thanks for making my first ever question posted on Cruise Critic such a memorable experience.

 

I never said I would break any rules regarding their policy on toddlers in the pool. I was only questioning because normally non potty-trained children can wear a swim diaper.

 

No. Normally. They can't.

 

Do the words "Ecoli" or "Norovirus" mean anything to you?

 

Or does your universe just revolve around some imaginary world where baby gets to do whatever mother wants baby to do?

This is my understanding.

[mikesteg]

Regarding bringing a 22 month old on an MSC cruise...

She won't be eligible for the Kid's Club and I guess she won't be aloud to swim in the pools if she's not potty trained??

 

I'd love to hear from people who've brought a child this age and what their experience was like. Did you use the babysitting service? Are they hard on the potty training rule? And any other information would be helpful...first time cruising ever!

 

Thanks!

 

There is a 'family' board on CC which you might find helpful. It is somewhat more of a social board at times, but pretty much every topic has been covered if you search.

 

We've only been on one MSC cruise, but our experience is that it is not substantially different from other cruise lines. The age for kids club is 3 years, where some are 2 years, but that's not relevant for a 22MO child.

 

If you kids will eat adult food, I would suggest to go with that. The kids menu on all the ships we're been on is pretty poor (chicken nuggets, microwave pizza, etc.) It's possible that the kids menu is different if you're cruising out of Europe however. The buffet works well with our kids: a nice variety of fruit and veggies, and some decent protein.

 

 

 

Our DD was 13 month on her first cruise . Here is my advise

1.Be ready not to see any shows ,its loud and not all kids love it. If you try to attend please seat close to exit so you can come out ASAP is you kid does not like it.

2.Be ready not to eat in DR. My DD used to go to many restaurants with us at home but did not wont to seat in DR) On second cruise she was 2 years old and she ate fine in DR but we used DVD player . Make sure you seat alone not with other people LOL.

3.You must be potty trained to use pools on any cruise line.

4.I would not use babysitting services with my child but its up to you. Book balcony cabin so you can enjoy it while your kid is asleep.

 

I agree with all these points, though we tried leappads (at 3 years old) and it didn't occupy them for a great length of time. People watching works pretty well with them however.

 

The real trick is to make sure that they aren't starving when they walk in, since they don't understand why it's necessary to wait 10 or 15 minutes to get a drink and some bread, then another 10 minutes to get the first course entree. Frankly, their daddy doesn't understand either. ;) We've had some excellent service on Carnival where they had milk and bread waiting and would quickly take our order and get the kids' food out in less than 10 minutes. It is hit/miss though: some ships (wait staff) just don't get it and that is the experience that we had on our one MSC cruise.

 

 

All that said: cruising with a child is a fantastic experience. Most of the staff go out of their way to help out and they enjoy interacting with the kids. It is far different from cruising with adults only, but the trade off are well worth it (just as in real life). Plus, no cooking or cleaning. No dirty dishes.

 

It's also an invaluable opportunity to have the kids try new foods. My kids have had alligator fritters (though I'm think alligator got away, because I couldn't find him...), frog legs, escargot, fois gras, etc. I generally offer them some of mine to avoid waste, and they are much more likely to eat something new off of my plate. They now love sushi, basic rolls anyway, and that's where we go anytime we have a daddy day out.

 

 

The only other advice is to have a plan so both adults get some 'me' time. With a 22MO on a ship, you will be constantly chasing them. A ship is not unsafe, but it's not too child friendly, and there are limited opportunities to corral them since most ships have a very open design.

[MotownVoice]

who you answering to? if to me, I dont need lecture about what people can or can't do. Relax, and read first what people say ,before you jump with your answers.

 

No. Not you. I was talking to the OP. I could quote your "relax and read" admonishment back to you but that would only escalate unnecessarily.

Edited October 10, 2013 by MotownVoice

[JAGheel]

You will have to stay at home forever ))) Trust me on any cruise line on any ship there is always some parents who does not care about diaper-pool rule((:mad:

 

Which is why I am sure MSC is making a killing with it's new pay 18+ area/pool on ships like the Divina. I know my wife and I will be partaking so we can avoid the rugrats and get in some relaxation.

[irenemc]

I thought that non-potty trained kids could NOT use the pools, but them I received a mail from MSC - Spain with all the information regarding cruising with babies (we are traveling with 15 years old baby). In the mail I was advised that the baby should wear a diaper swim in order to use the pool :confused:. We are traveling in MSC fantasia and I thought that there weren't any pool for kids with diaper.

 

I think that they should stop sending this confusing information, since I have read all over this forum that non-potty trained kids can't use them.

 

I am not going to put the baby in the pool or jacuzzi but I would like to know if he can splash in the kids pool. I just want to know the rules... why is it so hard?:mad::mad::mad:

 

I thought of sending an email to MSC asking about this, but don't know if I will get the right information or once we boarded we will be tell otherwise.

[MommaBear55]

Regarding bringing a 22 month old on an MSC cruise...

She won't be eligible for the Kid's Club and I guess she won't be aloud to swim in the pools if she's not potty trained??

 

I'd love to hear from people who've brought a child this age and what their experience was like. Did you use the babysitting service? Are they hard on the potty training rule? And any other information would be helpful...first time cruising ever!

 

Thanks!

 

Sorry you have gotten some incredibly rude responses. Those people are called trolls and they are to be ignored and/ or reported.

 

There are some cruise lines that have diaper friendly pools on select ships. The only way you will know about your specific cruise is to contact the cruise line

 

 

Flexibility is always the key with kids. Our eldest loved long dinners and being the center of our attention at 22 months, but we were always ready for one of us to scoop her up and head out if she was not. Our biggest issue with all our kids is that they woke up at 6 no matter what time they went to bed, so keeping them quiet and entertained before breakfast was available was a challenge. Keeping fruit and boxes of cereal handy helped. We practiced our indoor voices and being quiet going through hallways. We traded off who went to a show each evening. Port days were beach days. It is still fun traveling with kids, but it is a totally different vacation

Edited February 23, 2016 by MommaBear55

[IsanTom]

This is supposed to be a vacation. Why would you bring an infant on a cruise? That's what grandparents are supposed to do! Babysit! Leave the baby at home and enjoy your cruise!

Otherwise, stay at home with the baby until it's 6 and then you'll have a great cruise!

[Clarksfan1]

No. Normally. They can't.

 

Do the words "Ecoli" or "Norovirus" mean anything to you?

 

Or does your universe just revolve around some imaginary world where baby gets to do whatever mother wants baby to do?

 

Don't believe the original poster said where it was alright to let their infant swim with a swim diaper....so they may be correct. I know in our local YMCA and swimming pools, swim diapers are common practice. That does have to do with the chemical that are added to the water.

 

So do the words....."read the entire post before you react" mean anything to you? Or do you live in a world where you interrupt your spouse all day and are always correct?

 

How does it feel to be so rude and vocal.....but yet WRONG?

Edited February 23, 2016 by Clarksfan1

[Clarksfan1]

And now to actually give some information you may find slightly useful for your cruise. We cruised with an 20 month old and it was a great time. We did a few things that helped our trip be smooth and enjoyable.

 

1. We did have a balcony....and we would take turns monitoring naps and sleep time so the other could enjoy themselves. My wife spent many nights out on the balcony while my son and daughter slept and she just enjoyed a glass of wine and her book....she was in heaven.

 

2. We made an effort not to have to be constantly around each other when the kids were awake. We would almost work in shifts of one of us watching our kids and the other one relaxing by the pool....watching a show.....taking a nap. I know some may feel a family vacation is spending every waking moment together, but do you really need to both be in the room while the child is napping?

 

3. We don't let our kids watch TV too much....so we took our DVD player and they were thrilled to watch it when we wanted to sit together around the pool or something else.

 

4. If they have a play time in the kids club for infants.....take advantage of it. It may only be for an hour but it will be great time for them. And carnival had an outside kids area that was open to any age at any time and we utilized that a bunch.

 

5. My son did make it through dinner in the DR twice, but it was stressful worrying about his happiness (being strapped in for a period of time) and not disrupting others. We did find eating at the buffet much more enjoyable with him. There was hardly anyone there and he could even walk around the tables while you eat.....and being in the booster/highchair for 2 hours is a long time.

 

6. We were worried about the effects of the Caribbean sun on his poor little body (even with sunscreen) so our first cruise was a Canadian one. It was great and looking back, don't know if he could have handled being at the beach for hours. But walking around the town he did great and really enjoyed it.

 

Finally....if you are a person who sticks to a schedule.....be prepared for this not to be really an option. You will have to be super flexible and relaxed. If your at the beach and your little one wants to sleep you cant convince them otherwise. And their body rhythms will be completely different on the ship.

 

So go with no expectations and prepare for them to be exceeded.

[mds0424]

Clarksfan1 made some very good points!

We have not yet sailed MSC so I can't speak directly about them, but we have taken our son on 4 cruises so far - (2) Princess b2b at 11mo old, Carnival at 14mo old & again at 22mo old. He will be 29mo old for his 5th cruise in May on MSC Divina.

 

1. Our upcoming MSC cruise will be our first balcony (we are so excited!). So while I've always heard the advice about booking a balcony when travelling with little ones, we've always opted to save the extra expense so that we can afford to travel more often. My point to this is, while it may make nap-times & early bed-times more enjoyable for the parents, a balcony is not a must-have. You may just get more naps yourself and as a parent of a toddler and those are hard to come by, so enjoy the down-time.

 

2. We choose to cruise at the same time as my parents. Having a 4 adult to 1 toddler ratio really helps for being able to split up our time as to who takes the boy for awhile.

 

3. What we found to be helpful for dinners in the MDR in order to shorten the time that the little one has to sit: one of us would go by the dining room sometime early in the day and snap a photo of the dinner menu so that we could decide ahead what we wanted to order. Then at dinner time one will stay out in the atrium walking around with the little one while the others go in and order. When the food arrives, we buzz the other on the walkie talkie and they bring him in and eat, then one of us will skip dessert and take him out to listen to some live music somewhere (usually the atrium).

 

4. As far as the swimming issue, most ships do not allow swim diapers in the pools. Some people do ignore those rules and I've never seen anyone reprimanded... What we do is put a swim diaper on him and let him splash in the splash areas (some ships have splash areas with sprinklers where the water is only about 1/2" deep). To him it's just as much fun walking around & splashing in the splash area as if he was in a pool. He's not sitting down in the water so really it shouldn't be any more unsanitary as any other kid.

 

I think cruises are a great way to vacation. You just need to be prepared that it is different when you have a toddler in tow. But so is the rest of your life, right? And there will always be some rude kid-haters that for some reason seem to think you should take your family vacation without your family. Ignore them!

[aberdare_chick]

Wow I literally can't get over some of the horrid responses you've had! Crazy unhappy people!! Anyway we just came off a cruise with our 2 year old and she loved it! She practically lived in the jacuzzi (she's potty trained) she enjoyed the holiday so much with all the dancing and attention from staff. Honestly I think cruising with kids is fantastic. They really do have so much fun!! I'm sure some adults probably moaned about her but hey who cares. She enjoyed and we enjoyed :-)

[Byron_1978]

No. Normally. They can't.

 

Do the words "Ecoli" or "Norovirus" mean anything to you?

 

Or does your universe just revolve around some imaginary world where baby gets to do whatever mother wants baby to do?

Does the world revolve around you so much that it makes you blind to accept the fact that laws are not the same in every country??

 

Where I live (Western Europe, in the heart of the EU), it is perfectly legal for a non-potty-trained baby or toddler to enter a public swimming pool when using a swim diaper.

We have done it as well since our son loves to be in the water.

 

As to it being a health hazard: I wouldn't recommend going in the jacuzzi's or swimming pools on any cruise ship...Just imagine all the people that spend hours non-stop in it...drinking coctails/beers...no toilet break or whatever...

 

That being said, if the cruise line says a child has to be potty-trained, we will gladly abide and follow those rules.