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Traveling with a 15 month old on the allure.


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Hello. This is my first time cruising with my daughter who will be 15 months when we sail. Any tips on how to make the most of our trip and things that would be nice to have that we wouldn’t think of to bring ? We plan to use the drop off sea tots nursery. Were you happy with the program ? Did you book all the time slots for the nursery at the start of the cruise, and were you able to get the times you wanted ? Do they have cruise activities geared towards toddlers like a mommy and me play session? Is there a splash pad/ pool that babies in swim diapers Dan use? Also, any tips for ports. We are going to Roatan, Honduras , Cozumel and puerto costa maya. Also, just curious if kids get there own sea pass card/room key ?

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We did Oasis when my son was 19 months old and a baby in a diaper can not use the whole splash pad area just a very little area that has nothing fun. My son kept getting whistled when he tried to go it not the splash pad. There is an area near the nursery that has toys you can play in. I would suggest going right to the nursery when you get on..that is always our first stop so you can reserve you hours..they go VERY fast. We are on a cruise this december and I am trying my hardest to get him potty trained so we don't have the issue with the pool/splash pad!

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We did Oasis when my son was 19 months old and a baby in a diaper can not use the whole splash pad area just a very little area that has nothing fun. My son kept getting whistled when he tried to go it not the splash pad. There is an area near the nursery that has toys you can play in. I would suggest going right to the nursery when you get on..that is always our first stop so you can reserve you hours..they go VERY fast. We are on a cruise this december and I am trying my hardest to get him potty trained so we don't have the issue with the pool/splash pad!

 

Thanks for the info. Her cloth swim diapers look like a bathing suite bottom so how do they determine if they are potty trained or not!? Those diapers hold anything of concern in!

 

Did you ever use the nursery at night? Are there cribs they little ones can sleep in if it’s late? What type of hours did you reserve on the nursery and in how many hours increments is it offered ? Was the nursery open right boarded ? If you book more time then you needed could you cancel ?

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Thanks for the info. Her cloth swim diapers look like a bathing suite bottom so how do they determine if they are potty trained or not!? Those diapers hold anything of concern in!

 

 

Please do not try to take her in an area where she might pee or poop. 15-month-olds are not potty trained. Staff know that and also are familiar with different types of “swim diapers.” You may think the diaper works but it doesn’t. Any “accidents “ will result in the whole area being closed down for sanitizing. Spoils it for everyone!

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Yes...every soul aboard gets their own seapass. YOU will hold your daughter's! The only time you will need it for here is getting off and on the ship.

 

The "no diapered" kids in pools is for everyone's protection. Even if a swim diaper holds in the solids, the pool water flows thru it and releases fecal bacteria into the water. Young kids (and even some adults) get that water on their face...and into their mouths....it's totally unhealthy.

 

You may want to bring a blow up tub (useful for bathing in a shower!), and for splashing on the pool deck, if there is no dedicated "splash pad". Do not put a child that young in the pools.

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Please do not try to take her in an area where she might pee or poop. 15-month-olds are not potty trained. Staff know that and also are familiar with different types of “swim diapers.” You may think the diaper works but it doesn’t. Any “accidents “ will result in the whole area being closed down for sanitizing. Spoils it for everyone!

 

For one I doubt she would be the first kid that has peed in a pool. I would rather her pee in a swim diaper then do what all the other kids do, which is pee with nothing on. My daughter can fully swim since 8 months old and a proper high quality swim diaper that is ISR approved absolutely holds in poop. That is what the purpose of them are. I would never be a parent that would spoil it for the other kids. It just seems that if they are charging an infant a full adult fare to go on the cruise , then she should have a place to have fun and swim too.

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For one I doubt she would be the first kid that has peed in a pool. I would rather her pee in a swim diaper then do what all the other kids do, which is pee with nothing on. My daughter can fully swim since 8 months old and a proper high quality swim diaper that is ISR approved absolutely holds in poop. That is what the purpose of them are. I would never be a parent that would spoil it for the other kids. It just seems that if they are charging an infant a full adult fare to go on the cruise , then she should have a place to have fun and swim too.

You are absolutely entitled to break the rules. :rolleyes: Enjoy your cruise.

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For one I doubt she would be the first kid that has peed in a pool. I would rather her pee in a swim diaper then do what all the other kids do, which is pee with nothing on. My daughter can fully swim since 8 months old and a proper high quality swim diaper that is ISR approved absolutely holds in poop. That is what the purpose of them are. I would never be a parent that would spoil it for the other kids. It just seems that if they are charging an infant a full adult fare to go on the cruise , then she should have a place to have fun and swim too.

 

Very sad and so entitled! Sorry rules don’t apply to you and your swimming 15-month-old.

 

Perhaps you shouldn’t take a cruise until she can fully participate in everything offered.

 

Swim diapers are not allowed in pools on cruise ships. Take it up with the CDC and US Public Health. Their rules; cruise lines are obeying the law.

Edited by Grandma Dazzles
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Ok then. Enough about swim diapers. Anyone else that has experience using the nursery drop off program that can answer my questions?.....

Any tips on how to make the most of our trip and things that would be nice to have that we wouldn’t think of to bring ? We plan to use the drop off sea tots nursery. Were you happy with the program ? Did you book all the time slots for the nursery at the start of the cruise, and were you able to get the times you wanted ? Do they have cruise activities geared towards toddlers like a mommy and me play session? Also, any tips for ports. We are going to Roatan, Honduras , Cozumel and puerto costa maya.

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Make sure you bring anything you might need with you for the toddler. Diapers, bottles, baby meds, wipes, cup, spoons, etc. Might be available for purchase on board but can be expensive and not many choices. Bring lots of sunblock. Copy of shot record in case you had to use doctor on board.

 

Make sure you request a Pack and Play. Some people like to bring their own fitted sheet otherwise cabin steward will make up using a standard sheet.

 

Stroller - you will find a smaller stroller easier to store and handle. Car seat for use in ports.

 

Unless you have a junior suite or higher you will not have a bathtub. Small blow up bathtub for the floor of the shower is helpful.

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-Bring a folding stroller. Your shoulder and arms will be super tired holding the toddler. The diaper bag and other essentials can also be carried with the stroller.

-Car seat. Most of the vehicles in port won't have car seats... maybe not even working seat belts.

-RC might have age restrictions on the port excursions. You choice of excursion might be very limited going through royal. Consider booking a private tour if you can, so you can control nap, potty, snack break times. If she has a melt down mid excursion, at least you're not stuck there.

-Be Realistic. You're not going to see everything, and be able to do everything cruising with a toddler. Can she seat through a 2 hour dinner service. Plan out where are you going to get warm milk and things like ahead of time? Ipad with games and movies preloaded? If you're traveling with extended family/friends, ask them for help, otherwise you will not get any alone time.

 

Good luck.

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Hello. This is my first time cruising with my daughter who will be 15 months when we sail. Any tips on how to make the most of our trip and things that would be nice to have that we wouldn’t think of to bring ? We plan to use the drop off sea tots nursery. Were you happy with the program ? Did you book all the time slots for the nursery at the start of the cruise, and were you able to get the times you wanted ? Do they have cruise activities geared towards toddlers like a mommy and me play session? Is there a splash pad/ pool that babies in swim diapers Dan use? Also, any tips for ports. We are going to Roatan, Honduras , Cozumel and puerto costa maya. Also, just curious if kids get there own sea pass card/room key ?

 

 

 

So you booked this trip, and now seeking advice. ENJOY THE CRUISE” I’m sure it will be the relaxing getaway you dreamed of.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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My oldest child's first cruise was when she was 9 months old and yes she had her own sea pass because that's her ticket on/off the ship. It was a fantastic cruise. She was unable to get into the pool simply because she was definitely still in diapers. She was too young to utilize the kid area which was fine as well. We took an umbrella stroller and requested a baby bed for our room which was granted. I also highly recommend bringing a blow up bathtub for the shower. It was a lifesaver!!! My advise--pack double the amount of diapers and wipes than you think you'll need! I ran out of wipes because my mother-in-law used them on EVERYTHING but my baby's behind and had to buy some on board the ship... Yeah $$$$. As for Dinner and shows--she did great. My parents and several friends sailed with us so I had a ton of help from them. I have never sailed Allure (32 days away from sailing on her) so I can only give my opinions on the ports of call. Cozumel--Mr. Sanchos is fantastic! You can reserve online and grab a taxi at the port. Extremely family friendly and it's all inclusive for everyone. There is also plenty of shade. We visited there 2 years in a row because we just loved it so much. For Costa Maya, I highly recommend Maya Chan!!!! It is perfect for families. It is an all inclusive beach resort and is just wonderful. Again, reserve online because they fill up very fast. Their fee includes transportation to/from the port and they are very well aware of what time you have to be back to the ship. The water there is not as pretty as Cozumel but the resort makes up for it. We love it so much we went there 2 years in a row as well! They are very friendly and the food is fantastic and there are lots of fun sand toys for the littles to build their castles with. As for Honduras, outside of tooling around the port area I really don't have any suggestions. The only "excursion" I have done there was the BEST dolphin excursion I've ever experienced but of course its not family friendly. I left my kids in the kids club on the ship for that one... My kids are now 7 and 8 and have been cruising their entire lives. I was very excited when they hit the "kid club" minimum age requirement even though we only utilize it in the evenings. We enjoy spending the entire day with them but having our evening dinners with the grown ups. The kids love it as well because it gives them a break from us. You will definitely enjoy your cruise with your baby. I think cruising with children--regardless of age--is such a fantastic adventure for families and each cruise you will find she'll be able to do more and more and more and she will grow up with the most wonderful memories.

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We have an 18 month old and we’re able to book 7-11 pm every night for the nursery. Only the first 3 nights at first and then on the third day they opened up all hours that were left.

We took her to windjammer to eat at 5, then bathed her and took her to the nursery. Awesome staff there.

Try and keep her to her napping schedule. It’s tough, but it makes the rest of the cruise so much better. Even if it’s just a 45 minute nap in the stroller.

One last thing, we found that the days we had no schedule of places to be were much happier than the days where every hour was planned.

Good luck...you’ll remember it forever.

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You may enjoy a balcony cabin-- when you put your little one down for the night , you will be able to enjoy a glass of wine while listening to the sea. In ports, you can visit beaches and enjoy the water with your baby. The lifeguards in the pool area are VERY vigilant about not allowing babies in the pools so any other opportunities to enjoy a beach vacation are great! The best stroller (in my opinion) is an umbrella stroller that reclines. An umbrella stroller will fit in the hallways and the reclining is perfect for napping. Also, as was previously mentioned, be sure to request a pack and play as they have limited number of these cribs. There are mommy and me sessions every day --I never attended one, but they seemed interesting. The nursery on the Allure is wonderful! But be sure to make it your first stop to reserve the hours you want....

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Disposable bibs, table pads/placemats and floor mats make meal clean up easy. "Take & toss" sippy or straw cups since the glasses in the dining areas aren't great for little hands. I suggest the main dining room as much as possible - so much easier than juggling in the buffet. Easy enough to leave if your child loses patience, but if you bring quiet little amusements for distraction between courses, toddlers often do well. In the morning I ordered a little room service milk and cereal for my girls while I was getting ready for breakfast so they weren't hungry while we waited. For us the trick to successful travel with kids is never let them get tired or hungry.

 

The pool area isn't an issue if they don't know it's there. My girls loved pools but weren't potty trained until they'd been on many cruises - we just didn't go to that area of the deck and enjoyed beaches/resorts in port instead. You can take your blow-up pool to an uncrowded area of the deck and have some splash play. It's awful when the pool is closed on a sea day because they had to shut it down due to someone not following the rules. A blow up ball can be used on the beach and in a closed lounge for some play time. Bring a few sand toys for the beach - a bucket doesn't take up too much room because you can fill it inside your suitcase, plus a shovel, etc. I just always left them at the last beach so I didn't have to worry about putting sandy toys back in my suitcase.

 

Have a great cruise - it's a wonderful way to travel with toddlers.

 

Best,

Mia

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I feel sorry for you posting this on here and mentioning the diaper. Commenters on here can be viscious and many posts AND commenters here are anti-kid notwithstanding that they are far better behaved than drunk adults.

 

We have travelled with our toddlers on several cruises and enjoyed ourselves. We will be traveling with them again on Harmony soon. We stay in suites so have space and the staff really accommodate all of our requests. Enjoy yourself and please don't let the many trolls on here ruin your experience or cruise.

 

 

By the way the pack and play RCI provides is adequate - not great - but adequate. There are NO cribs onboard.

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We have an 18 month old and we’re able to book 7-11 pm every night for the nursery. Only the first 3 nights at first and then on the third day they opened up all hours that were left.

We took her to windjammer to eat at 5, then bathed her and took her to the nursery. Awesome staff there.

Try and keep her to her napping schedule. It’s tough, but it makes the rest of the cruise so much better. Even if it’s just a 45 minute nap in the stroller.

One last thing, we found that the days we had no schedule of places to be were much happier than the days where every hour was planned.

Good luck...you’ll remember it forever.

 

Thanks for the info. So when she was in the nursery at night was she able to go to sleep or did she stay up 7-11? Is there cribs in the nursery they can sleep in? So overall you could only reserve your times for the first 3 days, or is that all that was available at first? How many babies do the allow in the nursery ?

I hear what you are saying about scheduling every minute ! The only time that worked for mama Mia was 2:30 pm on our first day at sea! It’s 2.5 hours long and I feel like that will take up so much of the first day! My cruise is only 6 nights so it seems like there is a lot we are trying to cram in! I am thinking we will skip some of the scheduled stuff.

Was there activities in the kids area for parents and toddlers, like a mom and me?

Edited by ETaylor1015
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