Cruising with children...

[bluekrush]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

[hftmrock]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

 

you might get a reduced rate for a 3rd passenger but there is no kids pricing for the cruise price. they pay the same as a 30 year or 3rd passenger

[N2Mischief]

Yes they have highchairs in the MDR and yes you can bring your stroller, but just remember you have to store it in your cabin so bring a small one.

[092306]

High chairs are available in both MDR and lido. For a stroller we brought the Maclaren Quest. It is narrow, very maneuverable and provided great shade. Lots of good info and tips on the CC family board.

[bluekrush]

you might get a reduced rate for a 3rd passenger but there is no kids pricing for the cruise price. they pay the same as a 30 year or 3rd passenger

 

Wow really? Even a baby? It's just surprising because you are not getting extra cabin space. I can see for food and other services but it should be a little reduced based on the fact that your cabin doesn't change.

 

Is that pretty much the same for all cruise lines?

Edited September 7, 2015 by bluekrush

[klepton]

Wow really? Even a baby? It's just surprising because you are not getting extra cabin space. I can see for food and other services but it should be a little reduced based on the fact that your cabin doesn't change.

 

Is that pretty much the same for all cruise lines?

 

Disney (DCL) is the only line we've ever paid a reduced price for younger kids. Our 1-year-old cruised much cheaper than our 9-year-old. And they charged different rates at other ages too, I think around 10 it went up again, and then somewhere around 16-18 it moved up to adult pricing. Don't quote me on the exact ages.

 

Cruise lines generally charge by the passenger, regardless of age. Stateroom rates are usually based on double occupancy, and then 3rd and up cruisers in the same stateroom will usually pay a reduced rate, again regardless of age. On some cruise lines you can sometimes find "Kid's sail free" (KSF) which usually applies to all passengers after the first two in any stateroom (doesn't have to be kids). Sometimes though, they do have to be kids, depends on the rate.

 

The cruise line can provide you with a crib, or rather a pack-n-play, and high chairs at the dining rooms and lido buffet. We've taken our stroller onboard numerous times, but only really made use of it on the first cruise our son went on (he was 4 months old at the time). Since then, we havent' used it on board much, just in port.

 

Our son, who just turned three, has been on 6 cruises. We love cruising and love taking him with us. That said, know that some other lines (RCCL and DCL) have a little more to offer for babies than most Carnival ships.

[champagne123]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

 

Just another option....take a look at NCL's Breakaway out of NY. Great ship for kids and adults. They also have "kids sail FREE" OPTION, quite often.

[stargate fan]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

 

The crew members LOVE little kids since many of them left their own children back in their home countries.

 

Only kids who are potty-trained are allowed in pools.

 

I've seen happy, squealing little ones playing and running around on the disco floor. The glass tiles are smooth and do something to make kids happy. (I wish I could bottle that sound of happiness for a day I might need some.)

Edited September 7, 2015 by stargate fan

[Homosassa]

For the "Kids sail free" or lines with reduced fares for children offerings, you will find that the first two passenger fares are often higher than the sailings without the special pricing.

 

The higher prices will be for all passengers whether they have kids in the cabin or not; all the adults on board will be subsidizing the children on board.

 

In Disney's case, adult rates are much higher than a cruise on another line that is of equal or better quality.

[TxChick]

All 3rd and 4th passengers sail at a reduced rate. The reason you are being charged has nothing to do with age but it's just another body that can eat, drink, take up a space on a life boat, etc.

 

A 1 year old also isn't allowed into Camp Carnival or the pools. Personally, I'd get a sitter and wait until your child is older. My daughter was 4 when we finally brought her.

[pebblesjns]

We have taken our boys (now 6 and 2) on 2 cruises. We now also have a barely 1 year old girl. We leave on Friday on the Sunshine! Most of the time, the third guest amd above pay a very discounted rate. This cruise it worked out to around $179 for cruise fare and $80 for taxes and port fees for an 8 night to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk. Under 2s aren't required to pay gratuities. The staff has always been amazing with our kids, especially as babies (our middle son was only 6 months on his first cruise). They will help you with carrying things at the Lido and bring the high chair right to your table. Camp Carnival is open in the early mornings on sea days for the under 2s to come and play, and they also have babysitting from 10pm-1am. We have utilized both and the kids loved them all. It is a different experience with kids, but it will be great!

 

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[fdwt994]

Hello,

 

We last cruised with our 2 year old back in 2011. More about that in a moment.

 

To answer your questions:

 

 

• We brought a stroller onboard the ship with no problem (no charge by the airline either to check it at the gate)
  
• There were high chairs in the dining room
  
• Our son paid a reduced rate but only because he was the third person in the same cabin, not because of his age.
  

Now, I know ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT so I don't want you to think you'll have the same issues we did, but our cruise was not much fun. :( Our son didn't want to stay in Camp Carnival because he was frightened so all he did was cry until they made us pick him up (not that we would want to leave him in there as scared as he was.) No matter how we tried, he never warmed up to it. Also, he didn't like the "formality" of the main dining room (bored, etc) so we wound up eating most meals in the buffet. Generally speaking, I think he felt a little overwhelmed by the spectacle of it all. My Wife and I had expectations of leaving him at Camp Carnival once a day for a couple of hours so we could relax at the pool or have dinner at the steakhouse, etc. but it never happened so a lot of the things we wanted to do simply didn't happen. As he was still in diapers we couldn't even use the pool and with him not wanting to go to Camp Carnival, all we had to entertain him was toys we brought.

 

 

 

My point is, be sure you give careful consideration to how your daughter might cruise. Is she timid in a daycare setting, or does she jump right in? How does she do with big crowds? What will you do to entertain HER (obviously a lot of adult type activities on the ship won't make her happy) if the Camp Carnival thing doesn't work? After you've made such considerations, think about how it will affect your cruise. As we learned, cruising with a 2-year old is NOTHING like cruising when it was just my Wife and I.

 

 

 

Others here will say, "Go for it" and, "Don't pay attention to what (I'm) saying" but I'm telling you, all kids are different so make sure you give a lot of thought about YOUR kid before you book. For what it's worth, our son was pretty well adjusted at 2 years old so we had no reason to think he'd be so unhappy.

 

 

 

BTW, we are finally booked on another cruise- but this time we waited until our youngest will be almost 4 (and much more well adjusted to daycare than our son was); we also have much different expectations of how things will go and plan on taking things at a much more "go with the flow" type pace.

 

 

 

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

Edited September 7, 2015 by fdwt994

[Ahmne]

The best value vacation for kids at this age is an all inclusive. You can definitely find hotels where your child is completely free and have baby clubs with toys etc.

 

You can certainly have a good time with kids this age if you're comfortable with them being with you most of the time and realizing they probably won't make it through dinner at the Mdr. The third and fourth passenger rate was $179 plus taxes etc. for our kids

Edited September 7, 2015 by Ahmne

[fdwt994]

All 3rd and 4th passengers sail at a reduced rate. The reason you are being charged has nothing to do with age but it's just another body that can eat, drink, take up a space on a life boat, etc.

 

A 1 year old also isn't allowed into Camp Carnival or the pools. Personally, I'd get a sitter and wait until your child is older. My daughter was 4 when we finally brought her.

 

 

After our experience with a 2-year old on a cruise, we decided to just take vacations to beach resorts, etc, instead of a cruise until all the kids were older.

 

We're finally taking a cruise again next year with our (nearly) 4-year olds. How did it go with your 4-year old?

[ProfCruise]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

 

Hi bluekrush. We've been cruising with our 2 year old quite a bit and have always had a blast. I've written 3 reviews from his perspective with lots of tips (links available in my signature). My advice would be to be flexible and go with the flow. Cruising with a child is VERY different, but amazing in that you get to experience everything through him/her and it's all new and exciting for them. I say go for it! :D

[JMHAM1]

Hello,

 

We last cruised with our 2 year old back in 2011. More about that in a moment.

 

To answer your questions:

 

 

• We brought a stroller onboard the ship with no problem (no charge by the airline either to check it at the gate)
  
• There were high chairs in the dining room
  
• Our son paid a reduced rate but only because he was the third person in the same cabin, not because of his age.
  

Now, I know ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT so I don't want you to think you'll have the same issues we did, but our cruise was not much fun. :( Our son didn't want to stay in Camp Carnival because he was frightened so all he did was cry until they made us pick him up (not that we would want to leave him in there as scared as he was.) No matter how we tried, he never warmed up to it. Also, he didn't like the "formality" of the main dining room (bored, etc) so we wound up eating most meals in the buffet. Generally speaking, I think he felt a little overwhelmed by the spectacle of it all. My Wife and I had expectations of leaving him at Camp Carnival once a day for a couple of hours so we could relax at the pool or have dinner at the steakhouse, etc. but it never happened so a lot of the things we wanted to do simply didn't happen. As he was still in diapers we couldn't even use the pool and with him not wanting to go to Camp Carnival, all we had to entertain him was toys we brought.

 

 

 

My point is, be sure you give careful consideration to how your daughter might cruise. Is she timid in a daycare setting, or does she jump right in? How does she do with big crowds? What will you do to entertain HER (obviously a lot of adult type activities on the ship won't make her happy) if the Camp Carnival thing doesn't work? After you've made such considerations, think about how it will affect your cruise. As we learned, cruising with a 2-year old is NOTHING like cruising when it was just my Wife and I.

 

 

 

Others here will say, "Go for it" and, "Don't pay attention to what (I'm) saying" but I'm telling you, all kids are different so make sure you give a lot of thought about YOUR kid before you book. For what it's worth, our son was pretty well adjusted at 2 years old so we had no reason to think he'd be so unhappy.

 

 

 

BTW, we are finally booked on another cruise- but this time we waited until our youngest will be almost 4 (and much more well adjusted to daycare than our son was); we also have much different expectations of how things will go and plan on taking things at a much more "go with the flow" type pace.

 

 

 

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

 

We had much the same experience with our youngest on his first cruise. He had just turned 3 and is in organized daycare. I had no idea he would refuse to do the kids club things. He didn't even want to go in. Part of it was that you had to sign them in and then the kid had to walk down a long hall alone. He would have been fine, I think, if we could have sat with him for a few minutes until he felt comfortable enough to join in. So no MDR dinners for us or shows! Thank GOD we brought a tablet loaded with Scooby Doo and kid movies. We had older kids with us who played some but hubby said "Never again!".

 

I talked him into trying it one more time, Cole is now 5. I am hoping he will be a bit more independent this time.

[ladygal4.4]

Hello,

 

We last cruised with our 2 year old back in 2011. More about that in a moment.

 

To answer your questions:

 

 

• We brought a stroller onboard the ship with no problem (no charge by the airline either to check it at the gate)
  
• There were high chairs in the dining room
  
• Our son paid a reduced rate but only because he was the third person in the same cabin, not because of his age.
  

Now, I know ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT so I don't want you to think you'll have the same issues we did, but our cruise was not much fun. :( Our son didn't want to stay in Camp Carnival because he was frightened so all he did was cry until they made us pick him up (not that we would want to leave him in there as scared as he was.) No matter how we tried, he never warmed up to it. Also, he didn't like the "formality" of the main dining room (bored, etc) so we wound up eating most meals in the buffet. Generally speaking, I think he felt a little overwhelmed by the spectacle of it all. My Wife and I had expectations of leaving him at Camp Carnival once a day for a couple of hours so we could relax at the pool or have dinner at the steakhouse, etc. but it never happened so a lot of the things we wanted to do simply didn't happen. As he was still in diapers we couldn't even use the pool and with him not wanting to go to Camp Carnival, all we had to entertain him was toys we brought.

 

 

 

My point is, be sure you give careful consideration to how your daughter might cruise. Is she timid in a daycare setting, or does she jump right in? How does she do with big crowds? What will you do to entertain HER (obviously a lot of adult type activities on the ship won't make her happy) if the Camp Carnival thing doesn't work? After you've made such considerations, think about how it will affect your cruise. As we learned, cruising with a 2-year old is NOTHING like cruising when it was just my Wife and I.

 

 

 

Others here will say, "Go for it" and, "Don't pay attention to what (I'm) saying" but I'm telling you, all kids are different so make sure you give a lot of thought about YOUR kid before you book. For what it's worth, our son was pretty well adjusted at 2 years old so we had no reason to think he'd be so unhappy.

 

 

 

BTW, we are finally booked on another cruise- but this time we waited until our youngest will be almost 4 (and much more well adjusted to daycare than our son was); we also have much different expectations of how things will go and plan on taking things at a much more "go with the flow" type pace.

 

 

 

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

 

 

I totally agree with this cruiser. At home you have a nursery, A crib, toys, and familiarity.

 

On the cruise ship everything changes, there are strangers everywhere, food is different, schedules change, and then when the she needs some time alone or naptime, you're stuck in the same room with them the whole time.

 

Also in port, it will most likely be very hot and uncomfortable. Some 1 year-olds don't like the ocean due to the sand in the mouth and in the diaper, and the waves scare them. Then if you do a small tour, would you want the child in a car seat? Or If you take a larger tour in a bus, would the she be happy and not crying during the event?

 

Finally, is your child used to being around other people in crammed settings? If your child is at home all the time they may catch colds and viruses pretty easily. Would you be getting trip insurance in case the child gets sick? Would she have a passport in case you needed to fly home

 

It's A lot to think about, and plan for. If you do go have different expectations of what the vacation will be and won't be.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gardeneroflove]

I've been on a few cruises with my husband but before we had our daughter. She is 1 year old and we were talking about the possibility of taking a cruise next year but have no idea how it works with a child. Do they charge extra to have a child in your cabin? If so, is it a reduced rate? Do they have high chairs in the diningroom and can I bring my stroller on the boat? I'm assuming I can but I want to make sure. Anything else I should know that will be different with a child?

 

HI, dd's first cruise was at 14 months, she completed her 4th cruise yesterday!

 

Highchairs are in lido and MDR, no issues. If you want them in MDR it'll be waiting for you nightly. I saw them in lido, no issues, but you can ask if it's busy or you don't see one.

 

I recommend a cheap $15 umbrella stroller, we bought one at toysrus for the first cruise, it's held up perfect, has a sun visor and a little bag on the bag for stuff.

[VickiD59]

When reminiscing about the old days of family vacations, my husband and I will always agree that when our kids were little (they're 26 and 30 now), they traveled really well (and it's the truth)..but.. we only ever did land based vacations (primarily Disney).

With that being said I cannot imagine being stuck on a ship with a toddler where the scenery really doesn't change much, and other than a splash pool (assuming they're diaper trained) there is nothing to do. It will be all about who's turn it is to watch the little darling while the other parent runs (quickly) off and drinks heavily ;)

I'm sure there's that perfect kid that sleeps no matter where they are... they doesn't fuss in MDR, and loves everyone that looks at them. More times than not, that isn't the case, and it's too much to expect from a little one. Not to mention the expense of a cruise where the grown-ups are not really getting to do what they want to do because of the restraints junior is putting on the trip. Maybe I'm selfish, but I don't want to go to back to my cabin at 7:30 at night, and I also don't want to wheel my crooked necked toddler around hoping he stays asleep during dinner.

Me personally, I would opt for less expensive land based trip... just my opinion :)

Edited September 7, 2015 by VickiD59

[Gardeneroflove]

Op, a few comments: EVERYTHING will be different with a child, because a child changes everything.

 

Op, a person is a person no matter how small. a baby still takes up a person on the ship, on the life boat. So, no reduced fee for age.

 

yes, it's all about your expectations and what you want out of a vacation/cruise. For US cruises are the easiest/best vacations. If you want time with just your spouse, or without your kid, well, I have no experiance with that! We cruised before dd, but since this was a family vacation, we KNEW before it wouldn't be the same.

 

We've NEVER had the expectation of leaving dd in nursery or camp, that's not why we cruise. We do use nursery/camp during family/open house hours, but not yet for drop off. I'm a sahm, leaving dd with strangers at a young age isn't an option. Next year, she'll be in preschool, so well, idk. I may just want to spend time with her! Dh works, he wants to spend time with her. My child needs down time, so I expected to spend time just chillin in the room, and that was PERFECT for ME. I don't cruise for shows or to meet people. Before dd, I'd be off somewhere quiet or on the balcony with a book and mp3 player. Not much changed. :D

 

Last week, we were in the cabin by 8pm, sleeping before 9pm, there was NO just me/dh time, there hasn't been in four years, but that's the type of parents we are. I never feel 'stuck' in the room, I enjoy being in the cabin, we always get a balcony though. Normally, after she's sleeping we'll watch tv/hang out on the balcony together, last week I crashed, and most nights he crashed as well.

 

 

 

Tips: yes go to mdr. bring color wonder markers, stickers, whatever. Check the menu before hand on the tv, one of you go down to order first, the other joins with lo in 10-15 minutes, eat app, go for a walk till main meal. DH takes dd after meal, I stay and enjoy dessert and coffee.

 

MDR is way easier, imo, than lido. Carnival doesn't have MDR open for lunch, this was a major issue for me last week. It may be a deal breaker for carnival again with kids/for me. I do not want to stand in line, serve myself, find a table, get my drinks on vacation, I want someone WAITING ON ME. If no MDR, then room service, but dd didn't like room service food.

 

For kid's first two cruises, she was on 2 naps/quiet time, so we were in the room more, she did great. She is not a sleep anywhere baby/kid. When she napped, she had to be nursed to sleep, dh is against me nursing in public, thus, we were back on ship/in room for naps.

 

Our cruise in jan? holy hell, that was terrible. It took me the first 3 days last week to figure out dd needs MORE downtime just playing/hanging in the cabin. COOL. perfect. She colored, played ipad, played with her dolls, did a few little crafts I bought, read her book. perfect. We never had a problem entertaining dd on a ship, at any age. at 14 months? magnet puzzle pieces and princesses on the door, my flip flops, carrying around the towel animal, the shower. OMG, who knew how long my kid would play with the water thing in the shower.

 

We didn't make it a single show or movie last week, BUT I didn't WANT to. I did exactly what I wanted to do, lots of nothing. I hate crowds and people, I don't want to be around people. Room service lunch and cartoons are my idea of a perfect afternoon. We DID make it to MDR for breakfast/brunch and dinner every night, and on our first 3 cruises we did MDR every breakfast/lunch/dinner minus maybe one or two lunches.

 

 

What works for us is dh takes dd after dinner, in the am, to the pools and last week off the ship (I stayed on 2/3 ports). He normally heads out to do whatever it is he does while I put kid to bed and read/play ipad/sleep. I want my dessert, dd isn't getting dessert, sorry, no sugar for her that late, we did once...:eek: trust me, no. After main meal, dh take dd, they walk around, do whatever it is they do, head back to the room maybe, whatever. I enjoy my dessert and coffee/hot chocolate last week (the coffee was horrid). Then make my way back to the cabin.

 

 

 

"My advice would be to be flexible and go with the flow. Cruising with a child is VERY different, but amazing in that you get to experience everything through him/her and it's all new and exciting for them. I say go for it!"

[Gardeneroflove]

When reminiscing about the old days of family vacations, my husband and I will always agree that when our kids were little (they're 26 and 30 now), they traveled really well (and it's the truth)..but.. we only ever did land based vacations (primarily Disney).

With that being said I cannot imagine being stuck on a ship with a toddler where the scenery really doesn't change much, and other than a splash pool (assuming they're diaper trained) there is nothing to do. It will be all about who's turn it is to watch the little darling while the other parent runs (quickly) off and drinks heavily ;)

I'm sure there's that perfect kid that sleeps no matter where they are... they doesn't fuss in MDR, and loves everyone that looks at them. More times than not, that isn't the case, and it's too much to expect from a little one. Not to mention the expense of a cruise where the grown-ups are not really getting to do what they want to do because of the restraints junior is putting on the trip. Maybe I'm selfish, but I don't want to go to back to my cabin at 7:30 at night, and I also don't want to wheel my crooked necked toddler around hoping he stays asleep during dinner.

Me personally, I would opt for less expensive land based trip... just my opinion :)

 

different folks, different strokes. :D BTW, my kid doesn't sleep anywhere. She's up with the sun, and needs to wind down before bed. The 'bed' on RCL sucked and well, sleep didn't happen. Last week, she DID sttn, minus waking to go potty, BUT since the room is bright with the sun she was up with the sun. We/I do spend MORE TIME in the cabin than out of the cabin, this works for ME, but I understand some cruise to dance, drink, go to shows, see entertainment, stay out late, or do whatever it is real adults do who aren't in bed by 9pm.

 

We adjusted to dd's needs, and we continue to adjust as she grows. Last week, she stayed in MDR the whole time, till dessert, no dh getting there early to order or leaving to walk around while we waited for food. But she's almost 4 now, not 14 or 26 months. We bring stickers/markers/cards. They played crazy 8's last week while we waited for our meals.

 

There's LOTS to do, if you change your thinking. Splash pad, putt putt golf, walking around the ship, stairs, glass elevators, walking to get milk box and cheerios and an apple (maybe that's just my kid, lol), listening/dancing to music, open hours/family time in camp/club, Cat in the hat breakfast, Dr. Suess parade and storytime. I find the earlier ages so much easier to entertain, just bring a blanket/towel and a few toys/books. Done.

 

I will say, Disney offers so much more to do WITH your kid than RCL or Carnival.

 

I'll also say, I haven't found a less expensive land based 7 days everything included vacation, where I don't have to do anything. And no way do I find the parks fun.

 

We did get off the ship at ports the first 3 with dd, but this time, I wasn't. I'm over the shopping, I'm over the ports, no thank you. Dh took dd off 2/3, they had fun. I took a nap, then ordered chocolate cake from room service, ate it on the balcony then took a bubble bath.

[phred119s]

We have taken our boys (now 6 and 2) on 2 cruises. We now also have a barely 1 year old girl. We leave on Friday on the Sunshine! Most of the time, the third guest amd above pay a very discounted rate. This cruise it worked out to around $179 for cruise fare and $80 for taxes and port fees for an 8 night to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk. Under 2s aren't required to pay gratuities. The staff has always been amazing with our kids, especially as babies (our middle son was only 6 months on his first cruise). They will help you with carrying things at the Lido and bring the high chair right to your table. Camp Carnival is open in the early mornings on sea days for the under 2s to come and play, and they also have babysitting from 10pm-1am. We have utilized both and the kids loved them all. It is a different experience with kids, but it will be great!

 

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We are on this sailing, too! Us and our 3 yr old. Her 3rd cruise in almost exactly 2 years.

[SadieN]

Wow really? Even a baby? It's just surprising because you are not getting extra cabin space. I can see for food and other services but it should be a little reduced based on the fact that your cabin doesn't change.

 

Is that pretty much the same for all cruise lines?

 

 

You're not paying for a berth you're paying for a lifeboat seat.

 

The Family Board has lots of information.

[Gardeneroflove]

The crew members LOVE little kids since many of them left their own children back in their home countries.

 

Only kids who are potty-trained are allowed in pools.

 

I've seen happy, squealing little ones playing and running around on the disco floor. The glass tiles are smooth and do something to make kids happy. (I wish I could bottle that sound of happiness for a day I might need some.)

 

This rule, like most, is in no way enforced. There were diapered babies in the slide area. Parents would hold the baby down the slide, or put baby/toddler in lap and slide down, one was walking/running around going up/down on her own.

 

We did Disney the one year my dd was still in diapers (14 months), they allowed diapers in the splash pad.

 

and more than once, though not last week, that was my kid, happy as could be dancing around. No music required. And course climbing the mountain of pillows/couch cushion in the cabin is endless fun.

 

Op, sometimes Disney has a kids sail free promotion, I'm not sure about other cruise lines. I didn't know about the tips, or that the camp was open on sea days for under 2's, but dd is three. They open hours were limited, but the nice lady let dd in during the open family singing to play with the princesses castle and princesses. On the last morning, 7:30-8:30, the room was open to families with kids, no drop off, to relax/play while waiting to get off the ship. We were the only ones there.

[LMaxwell]

Yes they have highchairs in the MDR and yes you can bring your stroller, but just remember you have to store it in your cabin so bring a small one.

On another thread someone suggested storing a folded stroller in the shower. Sounds like a great idea