Charging for 1 and 3 year olds

[John1928]

Please don't flame me because I would really like to know the reasons behind someone cruising with an infant or toddler. I didn't vacation with my pre-schoolers (other than the occasional weekend that was fully dedicated to the little ones) because my personal experience was that I couldn't remember anything that happened in my life prior to age 5.

 

I can remember a few events when I was as young as 2 and the vast majority of significant events by the time I started kindergarten at 4. Regardless, it's not whether the kids will remember the experience... I work long hours and travel for work several months out of the year, when I take a family vacation, I want to actually bring the family. I will certainly remember the experience even if my children may not.

 

If you're not looking for a family vacation and would prefer a romantic getaway, girls-weekend, or hard-partying booze cruise those are different (but still valid) objectives and obviously you're less likely to bring kids (of any age) on such a trip.

 

 

What do you do with infants on a cruise? How do you control the behavior of a toddler who wants to be anywhere but the unfamiliar confines of a floating hotel? How do you snorkel or zip line or kayak or dive or go tubing or climb or horse back ride with small children? My imagination doesn't even compute that?

 

Infant's (some, not all, if you have a demon child this could also impact your plans) love looking around and seeing new things,all the people and activity. They like to play in the sand, splash in the ocean, and ride in a backpack while you hike, sight-see, or visit a museum. Can they scuba dive or zip-line? Nope (though neither does my wife!) but you can handle it the same way you would at home or on a land vacation (taking turns, travel with a group and alternate which spouse does excursions at each port, selecting "cultural" rather than "adventure" excursions, or paying for child care (bring along your niece!)).

 

Honestly a cruise is an easy vacation with little kids. You're never more than a couple hours from "home base", you have significant flexibility on when they'll eat and sleep, and there will almost certainly be other kids around to play with (at least on Carnival).

[KatieCharlotte]

Please don't flame me because I would really like to know the reasons behind someone cruising with an infant or toddler. I didn't vacation with my pre-schoolers (other than the occasional weekend that was fully dedicated to the little ones) because my personal experience was that I couldn't remember anything that happened in my life prior to age 5.

 

What do you do with infants on a cruise? How do you control the behavior of a toddler who wants to be anywhere but the unfamiliar confines of a floating hotel? How do you snorkel or zip line or kayak or dive or go tubing or climb or horse back ride with small children? My imagination doesn't even compute that?

 

It's not so much what they remember but what you remember. And being limited in the amount of time (if any) that the grandparents will watch the kids while the parents are traveling. My youngest also remembers vacations we took when she was three or four because her siblings talk about them.

 

We started cruising when the youngest was four because that's when we could afford bigger vacations and because I had this irrational fear of her climbing the railings as a toddler. But if we had a surprise child :eek:, we would continue cruising with him/her.

 

Cruising is the only vacation I've found that's really a vacation for me too. It's easy to find foods the kids like, I can see multiple places without repacking, and there are simple activities that kids of all ages enjoy, like mini-golf. Camp Carnival is nice, but DH and I can also take turns watching the kids without being too far apart.

 

As for port activities, we have found plenty that work for all of us, including a teen who doesn't like trying new things. Most would work with infants/toddlers -- for example, DH and older DD snorkeling and the rest of us playing in the sand on the beach, the Grand Cayman turtle farm, and a monkey zoo. Little DD was five when she rode a horse into the ocean, and she liked riding in a boat and climbing on Mayan ruins when she was four.

[martinhughes1]

We priced a cruise CCL online and the fare was 50% of the adults in the cabin.

[Tapi]

I would really like to know the reasons behind someone cruising with an infant or toddler.

 

 

 

What do you do with infants on a cruise??

 

 

Both my wife and I unfortunately spend a lot of time away from our kids because we both travel for work. The last thing that we want to do is to vacation away from our kids as well.

 

I understand why a lot of people may choose to leave small kids behind on vacation, because they may feel like they already spend too much time with the kids, or because the kids are going to hinder their enjoyment, or because the may feel like the kids aren't old enough "to remember", but the adults DO remember, and I would not trade those amazing memories for ANYTHING in this world.

 

What do you do with an infant on a cruise? Well, a lot. As mentioned above, we took our kids to Alaska when my daughter was just 15 months old and my son was 3 years old. We couldn't do some of the more physically challenging activities, but we found plenty to do. We went hiking in the Sitka National Forest and visited the Alaska Raptor Center, we went to Mendenhall Glacier and took the Mt. Roberts Tramway in Juneau, we took a land and sea tour in Ketchikan, and we explored Victoria by foot. Yes, we were limited because of our kids ages (believe me, I wanted to go Kayaking or dog sledding) but we still found plenty for the whole family to do and enjoy our time together.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Tapi

[cruiseondude]

We are THAT people. [emoji6]

 

Our son started cruising at 12 month old and our daughter at 15 months old. They are now 5 and 3 years old and they are gearing up for cruise #6. We even sailed to Alaska before my daughter turned 2!

 

Our first cruise with a kid in tow (Fascination out of Jacksonville to Key West and Nassau), when our son had just turned 12 months old, was an absolute eye opener, and I would lie if I said that there weren't moments during that cruise when we said "what have we gotten ourselves into!?" (We actually contemplated getting off the ship once we arrived in Nassau and just flying home [emoji16]). But thankfully we learned from our initial mistakes and every other cruise ever since has been awesome.

 

Tapi; I am taking my first cruise with 3 yo twin girls in December -- What were your initial mistakes?:eek:

[ladygal4.4]

The only "discount" is putting the max amount of people in 1 room

 

 

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[DopeyRN1]

Wow.

 

Thanks for the answers! Cruise critic folks never let me down!

 

Didn't mean to open a can of worms! :eek:

[cruizinisthebest]

Wow.

 

Thanks for the answers! Cruise critic folks never let me down!

 

Didn't mean to open a can of worms! :eek:

Don't worry about it. Cans of worms open so easily around here. Lol

 

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[brepri_h]

Camp Carnival isn't even something to consider. They are taking up space, on a limited capacity vessel, a life boar seat, eating, drinking and NOT likely to generate revenue like most adults do. They are probably already losing money, when the charge for them.

 

A child under 2yrs is not taking up much space and probably eats next to nothing when compared to the amount of food not eaten and thrown away on a single cruise. I’m just saying that to let the few people who want to cruise with a child under 2 cruise for free, not a huge loss profit wise. Not that many people want to cruise with a child under 2. If I have kids I’ll put cruising on hold until 2yrs and they can go into camp carnival. If they were free I’d continue cruising yearly as usual.

 

Oh and a parent is going to have a child under 2 sit on their lap in a life boat god forbid they ever had to get into one. So that doesn't really take up another seat.

Edited October 8, 2015 by brepri_h

[skittl1321]

Everyone already answered your question. I just wanted to chime in to say that I don't like that they charge for children under 2 who can't even participate in camp carnival yet.

 

That doesn't make sense. Anyone over 18 can't participate in Camp Carnival, and they get charged. So clearly Camp Carnival isn't the activity that determines whether or not you pay for the cruise.

 

An under 2 takes up a berth on the boat. That's what incurs a fee. They are discounted if they are the 3rd or 4th in a room.

 

Based on the fact that cruiselines do not get additional revenue stream from children, I think people should count themselves lucky they don't charge MORE for them. Children do create work for the staff. And Carnival doesn't make it up by their drinking, shopping, and gambling. (Now, they don't get that on all adults either- but their business model does count on it. If every adult stopped those activities, cruise prices would skyrocket.) Lines that offer kids sail free do so to increase adult headcount on otherwise uncrowded ships.

Edited October 8, 2015 by skittl1321

[brepri_h]

That doesn't make sense. Anyone over 18 can't participate in Camp Carnival, and they get charged. So clearly Camp Carnival isn't the activity that determines whether or not you pay for the cruise.

 

An under 2 takes up a berth on the boat. That's what incurs a fee. They are discounted if they are the 3rd or 4th in a room.

 

Based on the fact that cruiselines do not get additional revenue stream from children, I think people should count themselves lucky they don't charge MORE for them. Children do create work for the staff. And Carnival doesn't make it up by their drinking, shopping, and gambling. (Now, they don't get that on all adults either- but their business model does count on it. If every adult stopped those activities, cruise prices would skyrocket.) Lines that offer kids sail free do so to increase adult headcount on otherwise uncrowded ships.

 

I'm of the opinion that a child under 2 years old uses such little resources that it would be worth it for Carnival to let them cruise free. This would be a great incentive to parents with young children to still cruise. Yes they take up space and eat a little bit of food but come on it's a small child and they don't eat much. Some might not eat at all because you can bring a six month old on a cruise. The staff really aren't doing too much if anything at all for a child 6 months of age - 2 years old. I have family members with small children who won't cruise because they think the price is too high. If they were free they would be cruising right now and carnival would be making money. So in the end I think if they let very small children cruise free it would make them more money then not. I'm not interested in changing anyone's mind on this topic I'm just sharing my opinion.

[cruizinisthebest]

Oh boy. I totally disagree that the staff is not doing much for babies.

 

Dirty diapers in the trash. Cleaning up behind the areas they eat. They still need a place to sleep and safe shelter. I don't get why the value of their cruise far is being limited to the food they eat.

 

There's an immeasurable value in the ship being kept clean and safe for kids as well as adults. Plus that space on the lifeboat is vital and has to be taken into account. No responsible line will figure in lap space when counting space for people onboard. That's ridiculous.

 

Young children aren't second class passengers. And I don't know why some are sorta suggesting they should be just to save money.

 

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[skittl1321]

I'm of the opinion that a child under 2 years old uses such little resources that it would be worth it for Carnival to let them cruise free. This would be a great incentive to parents with young children to still cruise. Yes they take up space and eat a little bit of food but come on it's a small child and they don't eat much. Some might not eat at all because you can bring a six month old on a cruise. The staff really aren't doing too much if anything at all for a child 6 months of age - 2 years old. I have family members with small children who won't cruise because they think the price is too high. If they were free they would be cruising right now and carnival would be making money. So in the end I think if they let very small children cruise free it would make them more money then not. I'm not interested in changing anyone's mind on this topic I'm just sharing my opinion.

 

I totally disagree that little kids don't use resources; they have to be cleaned up after in the dining room (and typically small children make a bigger mess of a table than adults- since newborns can't cruise, most kids cruising will be eating SOME solids, or at least playing with them!) and they have to be cleaned up after in the stateroom (For one diapers to take out...)

 

But the most important resource they take up from Carnival's perspective: a lifeboat berth of a revenue generating passenger.

[angiegal]

IMO they should not charge a fee for babies under 18 months. Unless I am not thinking of something what could they possibly cost Carnival other than Milk which most are still on mommy milk or formula which the parents bring. The parents bring baby food anyway. Maybe a small gratuity for laundry and a crib fee.

 

My son will be 18 months old on his first cruise in November. He eats three meals a day (small, but still, he eats) plus snacks. He also makes a mess (room stewards, waitress, etc. will clean up after him), he will use towels and linens that will need to be washed, he will also use water (hand washing, showers, etc) and will take part in some activities (playtime with a parent in the morning, Suess at Sea, etc). I have no problem paying for him to cruise. :)

[kingston13]

What if it is just me an my 2 year old sailing? Where's my "kids discount" in that scenario?

 

As usual, not very helpful.

 

 

I have to pay double to cruise solo:)

[brepri_h]

I respect that you all disagree and will leave it at that.

[RuthlessBoss]

I have to pay double to cruise solo:)

 

And those imaginary people make so much more mess and eat so much:D

[Drazil65]

Free? No thank you, can you imagine how many "babies and toddlers" would be on the ships? Typically those are the ages that the parents want to drop them off at camp carnival for the free babysitting for most of the day and of course while they go to dinner. Yeah, sounds like just the ticket for parents of young kids...I am sure :eek:....

Edited October 8, 2015 by Drazil65

[skittl1321]

Free? No thank you, can you imagine how many "babies and toddlers" would be on the ships? Typically those are the ages that the parents want to drop them off at camp carnival for the free babysitting for most of the day and of course while they go to dinner. Yeah, sounds like just the ticket for parents of young kids...I am sure :eek:....

 

You don't get "free babysitting" until after 2 years, so that rules out all babies and most toddlers.

 

I don't think Carnival wants their "fun ships" teaming with babies though. It changes the dynamic greatly. Is Mom going to whoop it up gambling if she has a 16-month to take care of? Will Dad splurge on a massage if he has to watch the baby?

[Havingfun2010]

What if it is just me an my 2 year old sailing? Where's my "kids discount" in that scenario?

 

As usual, not very helpful.

 

Staterooms are based on double occupancy so leave the kid home or not the price is the same so in this case the kid is free! However kids are discounted if third or fourth. The topic is a discount and all I pointed out was they are discounted

[navybankerteacher]

Kids do get a discount. The third and fourth person in a room is a discount.

 

It depends on the line.

[capriccio]

I thought babies under 12 months weren't allowed?

Must just be some cruise lines?

 

I'll have too look into that now. My daughter wanted to do a cruise in January but her son doesn't turn 1 until the 16th.

 

My granddaughter will turn 1 on January 29th. The family is coming to visit us for a couple of days in early January and then taking a 4 night cruise on Royal Caribbean to Cancun and then coming back for another couple of days visit. I offered to babysit but they insist that it is a family vacation :D. I think the age cut off (6 months or 1 year) depends on the itinerary (at least I know that is how Princess does it).

[capriccio]

Please don't flame me because I would really like to know the reasons behind someone cruising with an infant or toddler. I didn't vacation with my pre-schoolers (other than the occasional weekend that was fully dedicated to the little ones) because my personal experience was that I couldn't remember anything that happened in my life prior to age 5.

 

What do you do with infants on a cruise? How do you control the behavior of a toddler who wants to be anywhere but the unfamiliar confines of a floating hotel? How do you snorkel or zip line or kayak or dive or go tubing or climb or horse back ride with small children? My imagination doesn't even compute that?

 

My granddaughter is being taken on her first cruise this January at the ripe old age of 11 1/2 months. I offered to babysit but mom and dad, who both work very hard, insist on having a family vacation. As my daughter says they won't need to worry about working, cooking or cleaning for 4 days and will be able to enjoy the extended time with their daughter. What's not to like? I couldn't really complain - she is our firstborn and we took her all around Italy for 3 years without a second thought. She still remembers chasing pigeons in St. Peter's Square and as an early childhood specialist will tell you that there really isn't any downside for pre-schoolers to new having experiences and spending family time with parents and siblings.

[Tapi]

Tapi; I am taking my first cruise with 3 yo twin girls in December -- What were your initial mistakes?:eek:

 

 

Don't worry. At 3 years old, you will dodge some of the bullets that we had to deal with, but here they are:

 

- I underestimated how much we would've appreciated just a few hours where we could've sent our son to Camp Carnival, just so that we could've recharged our batteries. At 12 months old, we had our son with us pretty much 24 hours a day. For our next cruise, we switched to a cruise line that had a kids program that did accept his age group, and the difference was amazing. It was like night and day.

 

- Diapers and other baby needs. We packed what we thought would be enough diapers, bottles, disposable sippy cups, extra clothes, etc. WRONG. By day 2, we realized we didn't have enough, and this was only a 5 day cruise! So instead of enjoying our day ashore at the first port of call taking in the sights, we had to find a local equivalent of Walgreen's to stock up on baby stuff.

 

- We planned on getting all dressed up, going to dinner at the MDR and having family photos taken on Elegant Night. That is, until our son threw a tantrum when we tried to dress him up. Bye, bye Elegant night plans. We ended having dinner at the speed of light at the buffet, dressed up in our Elegant attire with our 12 month old in a diaper and t shirt. No family photos.

 

- You don't realize how strongly you feel about smoking until you take your first born child on a cruise. I swear that I had never even given any thought to smokers until we went on this first cruise. All of a sudden, It seemed like smokers were everywhere, and we spent the entire week dodging smoking areas, and we would curse under our breath any time someone lit up a cigarette anywhere near our son (thankfully, first time parent syndrome has long worn off since, so we don't freak out like that anymore).

 

- That big ol' stroller and car seat that we didn't need and all they did was occupy space in our cabin. Yes, leave that big clunky stroller at home, and don't bother with the car seat. Enough said.

 

So, after that first cruise, we've learned to pack smartly, pack more of what we truly need and less of what we don't, not have unrealistic expectations, understand that if we want to do something that doesn't need that baby wants to do it to, cheap umbrella strollers from Wal Mart are your best friend on a cruise, ships with age appropriate kids programs are your friends, you don't need to be together 24 hours a day, and that smokers are not out to get you and poison your baby.

 

I'm sure you'll make your own list and adjust things accordingly. But whatever you do, don't give up on cruising with your little ones. Even with all of our hiccups, I wouldn't change it for the world. We sit down and watch photos and video from that first cruise and the memories are priceless. [emoji4]

Edited October 9, 2015 by Tapi

[CPT Trips]

IMO they should not charge a fee for babies under 18 months. Unless I am not thinking of something what could they possibly cost Carnival other than Milk which most are still on mommy milk or formula which the parents bring. The parents bring baby food anyway. Maybe a small gratuity for laundry and a crib fee.

 

Our 15 month old granddaughter ate from the buffet or off the menu for dinner. No baby food.