Taking an 18 month old on a cruise

[dudaze11]

When my kids went on their first cruise (Carnival Dream) - my son was 2 1/2 and my daughter was almost 4.

 

We took our nanny with us. She stayed in one cabin, and we had the adjacent (but not adjoining cabin).

 

It was a good experience (for us) but it would not have been had our nanny not been there.

 

My son HATED camp carnival. He did not like it at all and did not want to go. my daughter endured it, but she didn't love it. At that time, my daughter was in preschool, so she was used to being around other kids. She never "asked" to go to Camp Carnival, but she never refused to go either.

 

My son however was not used to being other other kids. He stayed at home with his nanny and was used to one-on-one playdates. Being around so many kids where he was not getting personalized attention did not appeal to him. Within minutes of being dropped off - we were being called to pick him up.

 

 

 

Is your 18 month old, currently in a daycare environment? If so, they may be more accustomed to a kid's club environment (assuming camp carnival takes them at that age). Every child is so different.

 

Our next cruise one year later on HAL - was COMPLETELY different. My son was 3 1/2 and had been preschool for 6 months. He LOVED Club Hal.

 

one year made all the difference. If we had not brought our nanny along on that first cruise, it certainly would not have been a vacation for us, and I would have been disappointed to have spent all that money and not enjoyed our week. When we sailed HAL one year later, it was without or nanny, but at that time, both kids were at a developmental stage to enjoy their "own" cruise holiday.

 

We've always had all our meals together and enjoyed "family" time on our cruises; but we need some alone time while the kids are at the kid's club to enjoy time together as a couple.

 

This poster brings up a great point. At the time of our cruise, we had always had an in house nanny and a lot of my kid's problems with the Royal Tots program stemmed from the lack of interaction in that type of environment. Having gone through a year of Montessori school now, I expect her to behave a little differently. I think that point remains that any cruise or vacation is what you make of it and will be largely swayed by your expectations. We expected her to be a Klingon and were not surprised when she was and it definitely did not ruin our vacation. We enjoyed experiencing it with her.

[cruisegirl06]

We cruised with ODD at 16 months and 25 months and more recently with both our girls (at 10 months and 3 years). Every trip was a nice vacation, but the normal parenting/grandparenting challenges are still there, if you go into it knowing that you will be fine.

 

The first cruise was on NCL. They do not have drop-off facilities for under 3's or pools for kids in diapers (we knew this going in and were fine with it). It was just our family, some didn't have any "babysitters"; hence, we made sure to get a balcony so DH and I could relax out there and we brought a blow up pool for DD to splash around in. Port days were primarily enjoyed at the beach and we didn't make it to any shows. We did make it through 5-course dinners every night (the perks of having kiddos who love their food) and had a really enjoyable week!

 

When ODD was two we did DCL. It was SO nice to have the nursery and activities catering to the younger set! We went to a dance party with the characters and DD loved the restaurants and the shows that she could stay awak for. Port days were beach days (Nassau and CC) and DH and I were excited to have date time while DD was in the nursery. Great cruise!

 

Most recently we did Royal when the girls were three and almost-one. The 3-year old loved the kids club, and we were very impressed with the nursery facilities and amenities for under 3's (playroom full of toys on sea days, toy borrowing program, playgroup activities). We got to spend family time, adult time, and some one-on-one time with each kid, which was great. I would do this again and recommend it to friends with kids of similar ages.

 

In short, I'd you pick a ship that has infant/toddler facilities it is a great way to travel and to us seems easier/more relaxing than a land-based vacation. If you go on a "3-and-up" ship, it's still a great way to go it will just be a different type of vacation than one sans kids or where you can use the kids club (more time in the room, limited recreational activities, etc.)

[CruiseBuni]

We took our daughter on a Princess Cruise to the Western Caribbean when she was 17 months old. She did great and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again (in fact I just booked a cruise to Alaska with her!). We travelled with her two aunts, her grandmother and her 11 year old cousin. We did traditional dining and ordered off the regular menu for her. I let her use an iPad at the table while we waited or would take her outside to run around. We didn't think she had the interest or attention span to sit through any shows, so she skipped those. She loved running around and exploring all the lounges like Skywalkers during the day and if one of us accompanied her, she could use the children's facilities -- there was plenty to keep her occupied. We took it easy on shore excursions, but did get out and about at each stop for a decent amount of time. We hired a private van to take us around Cozumel, did a beach day in Roatan which was walking distance from the boat and wandered around on our own in Belize. Overall I think it was a great experience for our daughter and an enjoyable vacation for my husband and I. My daughter still occasionally watches the videos I took of her on that trip and when I asked her the other day if she wanted to go on the big boat again she went and got her coat and wanted me to take her immediately...lol!

 

 

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[elksmom]

We took our daughter on a Princess Cruise to the Western Caribbean when she was 17 months old. She did great and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again (in fact I just booked a cruise to Alaska with her!). We travelled with her two aunts, her grandmother and her 11 year old cousin. We did traditional dining and ordered off the regular menu for her. I let her use an iPad at the table while we waited or would take her outside to run around. We didn't think she had the interest or attention span to sit through any shows, so she skipped those. She loved running around and exploring all the lounges like Skywalkers during the day and if one of us accompanied her, she could use the children's facilities -- there was plenty to keep her occupied. We took it easy on shore excursions, but did get out and about at each stop for a decent amount of time. We hired a private van to take us around Cozumel, did a beach day in Roatan which was walking distance from the boat and wandered around on our own in Belize. Overall I think it was a great experience for our daughter and an enjoyable vacation for my husband and I. My daughter still occasionally watches the videos I took of her on that trip and when I asked her the other day if she wanted to go on the big boat again she went and got her coat and wanted me to take her immediately...lol!

 

 

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Just curious what beach you took her to in Roatan, since it was walking distance? Thanks!

[CruiseBuni]

The beach in Roatan was called Mahogany Bay. There was a small play area with slides and climbing structures next to the showers. You could pay to ride a tram to and from the ship, but walking is very doable. I walked back with my daughter asleep in her carrier with no problem. It was a fun, relaxing day.

 

 

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