Parent questions. And first cruise tips with kids. Help needed!

[draggsxr1000]

Hey everyone. We are going on our third cruise. But first with kids. We haven't nailed down the details just yet. But basically spending a day or two at Disney. Then a 4 day cruise. Our questions! Would you feel safe taking a 3 year old and 5 year old. Into Nassau or other foreign country? Can they stay on the ship? Or should we book a trip that includes a private island stop? We would have to go out of Miami or jax to get the island. Thanks.

[hpugirl27]

Hi. We took our son on his first cruise a couple days shy of his 6th birthday. His cruise was to Cozumel and Grand Cayman. Both were very safe. We've been to Nassau without our son, but wouldn't hesitate to bring him with us. Shop owners can be a little pushy asking you to look at their shop, but just keep walking and a no thank you does fine.

 

Kids can stay on the ship in the kids club, but then they miss it out on visiting the countries. It is an option though if you lean that way. I'mean not sure if your 3 year old is too young for that option though? Maybe someone else can chime in with the younger age limit groups.

 

We've always experienced Nassau to be very safe, we were never nervous there.

[crunchy05]

Hi there, yes I felt very safe taking my kids ashore in Nassau. Cozumel, Cayman Islands, Roatan. I have taken my.kids to Jamaica and we drive all around to Kingston, Ocho Rio and Montego Bay

 

Yes, you can leave them in the kids club while you go ashore. Private Islands are nice, but they are man made and not authentic.

 

Enjoy.your cruise!

[deborahjo]

Are you talking about leaving them on ship while you go ashore? If so what if you miss the ship.

 

They are your responsibility not Carnivals. You need to take care of your children yourself in port and on ship.

 

 

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[draggsxr1000]

Yeah if they did stay on the ship. I wouldn't leave sight of it. Lol. I actually don't like the thought of it. But I really wanna give my wife some alone time. She chases them 24/7. So when you leave your children in camp carnival you get a phone correct?

[Drose716]

Yes, you can leave them on the ship while you go ashore. I've never done it because I prefer to spend time ashore with them. They attended camp in the evenings after dinner & even night owls a couple times so I could have some grown-up time.

 

I took my 2 for the first time recently (10 & 6 at the time) & visited Nassau & Freeport. I never felt unsafe. If you use common sense & don't wander off the beaten path alone you will most likely be just fine! You can book a Carnival excursion which will meet on the ship or inside the port area if you're really concerned. In both islands I mentioned, the taxis are just steps outside the port area. Go someplace popular & public. If you do the private island, you'll really only come across other sailing guests & employees. Enjoy!

[Fourkids4us]

Yes until they turn 5yrs old you get a phone. After that it's on a if they have one left basis. The first cruise I took all four of my kids on they were 1,3,5, and 7. We took them off the ship with us but I would have no issue leaving them if I wanted to do something with my husband. They are now 7,9,10, and 13 and turning platinum on the next cruise. I say that to say we cruise a lot with them. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

 

Sure you could be the 1 in 46743 who misses the boat with their kids on it but the odds are in your favor. In Nassau there is not enough to do to venture far and not be back. Take your wife within walking distance if it makes you feel better.

 

People take their kids to daycare all the time. You might get in an accident and never return. You still take them to school/daycare right? Have fun on your trip.

Edited July 23, 2016 by Fourkids4us

[Jrr2016]

Yeah if they did stay on the ship. I wouldn't leave sight of it. Lol. I actually don't like the thought of it. But I really wanna give my wife some alone time. She chases them 24/7. So when you leave your children in camp carnival you get a phone correct?

 

 

You don't always get a phone and not sure if they work if you get off the ship and leave them on. My kids are 8 and 10 and I would NEVER leave them on the ship and go to a port. I know it's just my opinion, but I think that is wrong and unsafe! What if you miss the ship?? Something happens to your kids and they can't contact you?? It's a family vacation so my kids would go with me to every port!

 

 

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[draggsxr1000]

Well I feel much better about taking them on shore now. I think I might just hit the first beach at Nassau. What about the other stop. Free port I think it is

[ladygal4.4]

Well I feel much better about taking them on shore now. I think I might just hit the first beach at Nassau. What about the other stop. Free port I think it is

 

 

It's best to schedule some shore excursion in Freeport, there isn't much to do at the dock except shopping. But is it safe? Yes I felt completely safe in Freeport and Nassau.

 

 

 

 

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[cruizergal70]

Well I feel much better about taking them on shore now. I think I might just hit the first beach at Nassau. What about the other stop. Free port I think it is

 

Do you not travel much? I don't understand where your fear was coming from. People go on these cruises everyday.

[ohiokate]

My daughter started cruising at 3. That first trip was Key West and Cozumel and she stayed on board in Cozumel while we shopped near the ship. I would have been a nervous wreck with a three year old in a Cozumel taxi!

 

I will say that we have had nothing but good experiences with Camp Carnival and DD has always enjoyed going. You should have plenty of time away from the kids!

[les37b]

Do you not travel much? I don't understand where your fear was coming from. People go on these cruises everyday.

 

Not just me with those thoughts then!

 

Personally, I'd suggest they will be far safer in Nassau than in Orlando..

[MtnDweller]

If we cruised when our kids were that little I would have no problems at all bringing them with us on port stops. I wouldn't leave them on the ship only because this is a vacation and I want to spend it with the whole family. You can't do that if the kids are left on the ship.

[hpugirl27]

I already responded earlier to the safety question, but as for adult alone time (or alone time for your wife as you said)...Camp Carnival is great. My son is shy and it usually takes him a while to warm up to people, but he LOVED camp carnival. We took him in the evenings after dinner and always came back before Night Owls to see if he wanted to stay and play with the kids or come hang out with us and he always chose stay and play longer in Night Owls.

 

They do a really great job. Also, if you guys each wanted alone time separately, one of you could always hang out with the kids at the waterslides/mini golf/etc places while the other has some time to relax, go to a show, or play in the casino. One of the nights on our trip, I didn't let my son go to Night Owls so they he could get to bed at a normal time and I stayed in the room and let my husband have a night to play in the casino. All that just to say there are plenty of ways to find "date night" or alone times! Enjoy your trip!

Edited July 23, 2016 by hpugirl27

[vacin8r]

I thought I read you couldnt leave them with the kids club while on shore unless you had a carnival excursion booked. I know we left our 3yo daughter on the ship while we did a snorkeling excursion in belize but that excursion was a boat that picked us up at the ship and dropped us back off at the ship so it was impossible to miss the boat. We are debating leaving our now two kids on the ship for one excursion so we can snorkel out of the five stops on our next cruise. I have taken them on many excursions though and never felt unsafe. Overwhelmed maybe, but not unsafe.

[ladygal4.4]

I thought I read you couldnt leave them with the kids club while on shore unless you had a carnival excursion booked. I know we left our 3yo daughter on the ship while we did a snorkeling excursion in belize but that excursion was a boat that picked us up at the ship and dropped us back off at the ship so it was impossible to miss the boat. We are debating leaving our now two kids on the ship for one excursion so we can snorkel out of the five stops on our next cruise. I have taken them on many excursions though and never felt unsafe. Overwhelmed maybe, but not unsafe.

 

 

 

No. You can leave them regardless of which excursion you do. We do it all the time. My kids hate shopping and sightseeing, and would much rather stay on the boat with their new friends.

 

 

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[GradUT]

We did a cruise a few years ago that stopped in Nassau and Freeport (sans kids). Since there is not much to do in Freeport, we stayed on the ship and had a great time with everyone else on shore. We snagged great spots on the Serenity deck and spent a lot of the day there. We also went up to the deck with the water slides and rode those since there were no lines.

 

If you want to pamper your wife, you could get her set up on the Serenity deck and then take the kids for a few hours to do water slides, mini golf, ping pong, etc. There won't be lines for anything, so it should be a blast! Then, if the kids want to go to Camp Carnival, you can go join your wife on Serenity. I think that would be more fun than anything in Freeport.

[cb at sea]

Any of the Caribbean/Bahama ports are as safe as anywhere....The Bahamas are NOT in the Caribbean..they are Atlantic Islands, by the way!

[isaiahsnana]

My daughter and I have taken her three boys on cruises since the little one was 15 months old going to Alaska - we just did a short trip to Cozumel. The boys are now 3, 5, 11 and we all went to the dolphin encounter and they all participated and loved it. They went to Camp Carnival after dinner in the evenings and enjoyed the activities. During the day they swam and went on the water slides and played ping pong and corn hole as well as mini golf - and ate their weight in pizza and ice cream - truly a vacation treat for them.

[draggsxr1000]

Do you not travel much? I don't understand where your fear was coming from. People go on these cruises everyday.

 

Well yes we do. However when traveling abroad we choose to take extra precautions. Not sure how it's relevant but I've traveled thru every state multiple times and 14 days at sea. I recall people being very pushy at these ports. Thank you too all the parents who answered my questions. I think we have made a plan.

[fuddrules]

Not sure how it's relevant but I've traveled thru every state multiple times and 14 days at sea. I recall people being very pushy at these ports. Thank you too all the parents who answered my questions. I think we have made a plan.

 

It's not relevant, it's just posters being jerks.

 

It's not like Nassau is full of choir boys.

 

http://photos.state.gov/libraries/bahamas/8325/pdf/securitymessagejuly1216.pdf

[BeachChik]

Are you talking about leaving them on ship while you go ashore? If so what if you miss the ship.

 

They are your responsibility not Carnivals. You need to take care of your children yourself in port and on ship.

 

 

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Please ignore the above post. Some people think they know everything and can't resist being rude.

 

Yes you can leave them on the ship. This is a service the cruise line offers. If it was a major issue with parents being left behind they wouldn't offer this service. There is nothing wrong with doing this and some kids prefer camp over going into port.

[crusinpsychRN]

I told my kids to call me by my first name. If they called out "mom" 30+ people would respond.

 

I had them pick their outfits with underwear, shirt, shorts and they'd roll them up to pack. They wouldn't have to match anything when getting ready, just pick up a roll.

Edited July 24, 2016 by crusinpsychRN

[BeachChik]

You don't always get a phone and not sure if they work if you get off the ship and leave them on. My kids are 8 and 10 and I would NEVER leave them on the ship and go to a port. I know it's just my opinion, but I think that is wrong and unsafe! What if you miss the ship?? Something happens to your kids and they can't contact you?? It's a family vacation so my kids would go with me to every port!

 

 

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I will never understand how a parent thinks their way of doing things is the only way of doing things. Some parents are so judgemental of other parents. It's sad.

 

There is nothing wrong or unsafe with leaving them onboard. It's no different then leaving your kids with a babysitter or daycare. And just because it's a family vacation doesn't mean mom and dad can't have a few hours alone.

 

Maybe next time try to answer the question without being so judgmental.