NCL info please

[Calker]

We suddenly became legal guardians of our two yr old grandchild. We are sailing on NCL's new ship in less than two weeks - we were able to add grandchild to our cabin but we know nothing about cruising with a two yr old.

 

Take stroller along?

Take along a pack & play? (Grandchild is currently in a trundle bed - less than six inches from the floor).

Is there a kids club for two yr olds that are not potty trained?

I've heard that some cruise lines have toys that can be checked out of the clubs for playtime in the cabin, does NCL have this option?

Where do I dispose the dirty/wet diapers? Is there a diaper pail available?

Does the Escape have a swim/play area for under two's who are not trained?

What are the "must bring with me" items you recommend for a 2 yr old?

 

Anything else I should be checking out?

[cruisehappycouple]

First of all I admire you for taking on the responsibility. I planned for months in advantage before cryuise with my one year old so I understand this could be a frazzling situation for you. I unfortunately can't help much about what ncl offers but I know unless you are going on one of their newest ships they will NOT allow swim dipers with no exceptions. That's across the board on every line.

 

My biggest recommendations would be disposable bibs, disposable place mats, and a disposable under high chair mat. I am sure 2 year olds make quite a mess when eating also! Be sure to keep nap time at the same time as home and bring anything she may need to help her sleep comfortably ( lovey, etc.) I would recommend taking an umbrella stroller because her little legs will get tired walking all over port. Depending on her personality you may not want to do any excursions. I would recommend sticking to your own itenirary. Also don't worry about packing a lot of toys. Maybe one or two small favorites but there is so many new things going on around them they are rarely bored.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions. Even though My daughter is younger I hope I can help a bit.

[gymbomb]

Are you on Escape? If so, they do have a (for a small fee) drop off nursery for kids under 3. We took a roll of small trash bags to dispose of diapers. Used them as trash bags for the can in our bathroom for wet ones, and tied dirty ones up in their own bags. Definitely take a small stroller, disposable bibs, extra diapers and wipes, and any special cups or eating utensils your grandchild uses (plus a travel size detergent to wash them). In addition to the nursery on Escape, all NCL ships have a free play area stocked with toys where you can play with kids under 3. They will provide a pack n play if you call and request one. We took our own sheets since they don't have fitted sheets for them.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Calker]

I really appreciate all the info and suggestions.

[kitkat343]

My son really liked yogurt, so we stored a lot in the cabin. They can bring you yogurt in the dining room or buffet during non-breakfast times if you ask the employees.

 

Also, take a bunch of the small portable cereal boxes they have from the buffet at breakfast in the cabin and also with you on excursions so he always has something to eat. Whenever my son got fussy on an excursion, we let him pick a new cereal and he was happy again.

 

We always brought strollers, but we were going on fairly intensive sightseeing excursions. We also used the stroller on the ship.

 

Could you let us know what ports you are visiting? Honestly (and I'm sorry I know this is really hard to arrange 2 weeks out) but one of the best things I did was arrange private tours in each of the destinations I visited. On a private tour, you have somewhere to store the stroller, and the ability to easily modify the tour to meet your child's needs - if your kid needs food immediately, you can stop. If your kid gets really fussy, you have an emergency backup plan of returning to the ship or moving to another destination. We also could move through destinations quickly - choosing to see only the absolute highlights of each attraction, since our son had a limited attention span. If you are planning on just walking around the port or going to an all-inclusive resort or beach I'm sure you will be fine on a ship tour, but if you are doing intensive sightseeing I would recommend a private tour. You can post here, on the destination board for the ports you are visiting, and search trip advisor to find private tours. The signature line below has my reviews of the cruises I have taken (I was pregnant in Alaska, but the last 3 reviews describe traveling with my son, who was 2 and 3 at the time of those sailings). The private tours for just our family still cost less than the ship tours.

 

Also, my son napped, so I came back at 2 with him and stayed on the ship, while my husband and the grandmothers did extra sightseeing. You might want to factor in where/how your child will nap - some kids might in their stroller. If you are returning to the ship for a nap, I found that feeding my kid in the car was helpful - otherwise he would sleep for 10 minutes in the car and fight nap, and then be a mess in the afternoon. Also, if your kid naps make sure they set up the pack and play as soon as you board - it is hard to find stewards on the embarkation day, since things are crazy for them. Also, bring your own sheets since your child will be more comfortable with them, and the sheets aren't always available until nighttime.

 

And if you are planning on doing any water excursions, please make sure you bring a life jacket that fits your kid. We went on a speedboat in Guatemala and the first life vest was too tight. Thankfully, they had two and the second fit my son, but otherwise he would have been miserable and the excursion would have been a disaster. Also, some of the ships no longer require you to wear your life vests to the lifeboat drill. If this is the case on NCL Escape, please check the number of life vests in your cabin. A few times there hasn't been a life jacket for my son in our cabin (there were only 2 adult life vests). They may have been planning on dropping off the child's life vest the day we sailed, but I didn't want to take a chance of not having one so I would request it from the steward, and it always came really quickly.

 

I don't know anything about Escape's nursery, but if you think you will use it, I'd ask them when they let you sign up - Disney lets you sign up before you sail, and RC lets you sign up for a limited number of hours on the first night, and opens up more time the next day. So you might want to give some thought as to what times you want to sign up for prior to embarking. Also, ask them what their cancellation policy is - with kids plans always need to be a bit up in the air and it helps to know how much notice you need to give them to avoid being charged.

 

Good luck and thank you so much for taking guardianship of a two year old - it was so kind of you to rearrange your life like this. I'm sure a lot of the formites will want to help you, so please tell us your ports and we can help you plan the trip.

Edited January 2, 2016 by kitkat343

[Calker]

Ports are St Thomas, Tortola, and Nassau. We were just planning to walk around as we have visited these ports many times (we organized everyone else's tours/excursions because we organized the trip and have sailed many times).

 

This was planned as a large adult family and friends group traveling together. Due to the suddenness of the guardianship, everyone traveling agreed to allow us to bring a little traveling companion (if there had been any objection, we would have cancelled the cruise - we have insurance).

 

Thanks so much for the help - even though we've done many cruises - the youngest traveler was already a teen on a previous cruise. A lot different planning for a toddler.

[kitkat343]

I'm sorry I can't help with any of those ports, but I do know at that age, my son really loved places that let you interact with animals, so if you post on the Caribbean board, people may be able to direct you to experiences your grandson might love. Good luck and I hope you have a wonderful cruise and as easy a transition as possible!

[travelhound]

Wow, that's a lot of planning in a short time. My first advice is don't forget to go with the flow and just have fun. It will be something you'll remember forever. It's not going to be relaxing, but neither is staying at home in WI. We live in MN and know how great it is to get away in the winter.

 

We brought our dd on her first cruise when she was 22 months. She'll be five in a couple of months and we're just about to go on her sixth cruise, so obviously we think it's great. Our next is on RCCL but her first five were all NCL.

 

Everyone has given great advice. I'll just add some additional thoughts.

-Don't bring a pnp, but be sure to ask for one. They don't always put it in your cabin if you don't request it. Bring a crib sheet. They use flat sheets and wrap them around the base. Big mess. Also bring anything else she always sleeps with. We have one toy that has been on every trip so far.

-Bring a variety of medicines that are age appropriate. We usually bring liquid motrin/advil, benedryl, chewable kids pepto, neosporin and bandages, pedialyte crystal packs, and a thermometer. Also aloe or other lotion for too much sun. We've only used the pepto once but it will be hard to get any of this if you need it.

-Bring more diapers and wipes than you think you need and make sure you wash her hands all of the time. God forbid she would get norovirus, you want to be prepared. Diapers are another thing that aren't always easy to get.

-Toys, videos, games, etc for both the plane and dinner. I've always thought the dining room was easier than the buffet. As long as she has something to do at dinner and you think she can handle it, it's much easier to be served rather than get multiple meals from the buffet. NCL is really good at serving quickly too. We didn't always stay for dessert.

-She won't be able to go in the pools if she's not potty trained. That's not to say you won't see kids in diapers in the kids' pool, but it's not supposed to happen.

-Make sure she can handle the shower. It's hand held so it's easier than a shower head, but that took a couple times of crying to make it fun.

-How are you getting to the ship and back to the airport? Are you leaving out of FL? FL law requires a car seat, even in taxis. If you are taking a ship's shuttle that is a bus and they are not required.

-Don't forget high SPF sunscreen and a good sunhat.

-I would rule out going to the beach in those ports, at least once. When dd was 22 months we brought her to the beach in every port and she loved it. You can either bring beach toys or buy them on the ship. Actually at that age she loved playing in the sand with an empty plastic drink cup. We just found two chairs under shady trees and she played between us. It also gives her a chance to go in the water since she won't be able to on the ship. If you do that, I'd recommend a reusable, fabric swim diaper. You can usually get them at Target or WalMart. They're much better than swimmers and you just rinse them out.

 

That's more than I planned on writing, but I wish you good luck and have fun. If you have any other questions, just ask. I'm sure you are busy planning and packing!

 

ETA: Just realized you didn't mention if your grandchild is a boy or girl. I wrote my answers with "she", so insert "he" if needed. :)

Edited January 5, 2016 by travelhound