DCL as a single mom of 2+?

[xdannigirl]

Hiya, everybody!

 

At the time of sailing, I will have at least 2 children (going through fertility treatments for #2, which could result in twins). They will be approximately 7 (boy) and 3 (unknown), but potentially a bit older. Definitely not younger. I will be a single mom.

 

No one else in my family is interested in a Disney Cruise, as my sister can't kennel her dog due to a rabies vaccine allergy and my mom just isn't interested. So it'd just be myself and the kids.

 

I've cruised before (twice on Princess and twice on RC), but never on Disney and never as even an adult, let alone a parent. Ok, fine, on my last one I was 18 by like a week lol.

 

Does anyone have any tips for cruising as a single mom? Anything from safety to "must haves" to activities to "beware of the sticker shock on ___________"!

 

In terms of safety, I plan to bring life vests for the little one(s) and possibly even the big one too, and "leashes" for the ocean so I can keep everyone safe. I will also have temporary tattoos with my name and contact info (and I'll bring enough to re-apply at least twice daily - once after swimming and once after bath), as well as info charms for zipper pulls and belt loops in the event those do rub off. I wouldn't expect any of my kids to remember more than my name when they're panicking about having lost me, and even then I remember getting lost in Walmart when I was ~7 and they misheard my last name several times so they started paging the wrong name (my mom ran a daycare and went by "Mrs LastName" so I guess my kid mind thought that was good enough and never bothered to get her first name lol).

 

Also, is it possible to put the little one(s) in the nursery and take my older child to shore for a "big kid" excursion? I know on a lot of lines you can't. If not that's fine, I just thought I'd ask. 🙂

 

Thank you for answering all of my DCL n00b questions! 🙂

[Shmoo here]

On 4/4/2021 at 12:37 PM, xdannigirl said:

Hiya, everybody!

 

At the time of sailing, I will have at least 2 children (going through fertility treatments for #2, which could result in twins). They will be approximately 7 (boy) and 3 (unknown), but potentially a bit older. Definitely not younger. I will be a single mom.

 

No one else in my family is interested in a Disney Cruise, as my sister can't kennel her dog due to a rabies vaccine allergy and my mom just isn't interested. So it'd just be myself and the kids.

 

I've cruised before (twice on Princess and twice on RC), but never on Disney and never as even an adult, let alone a parent. Ok, fine, on my last one I was 18 by like a week lol.

 

Does anyone have any tips for cruising as a single mom? Anything from safety to "must haves" to activities to "beware of the sticker shock on ___________"!

 

In terms of safety, I plan to bring life vests for the little one(s) and possibly even the big one too, and "leashes" for the ocean so I can keep everyone safe. I will also have temporary tattoos with my name and contact info (and I'll bring enough to re-apply at least twice daily - once after swimming and once after bath), as well as info charms for zipper pulls and belt loops in the event those do rub off. I wouldn't expect any of my kids to remember more than my name when they're panicking about having lost me, and even then I remember getting lost in Walmart when I was ~7 and they misheard my last name several times so they started paging the wrong name (my mom ran a daycare and went by "Mrs LastName" so I guess my kid mind thought that was good enough and never bothered to get her first name lol).

 

Also, is it possible to put the little one(s) in the nursery and take my older child to shore for a "big kid" excursion? I know on a lot of lines you can't. If not that's fine, I just thought I'd ask. 🙂

 

Thank you for answering all of my DCL n00b questions! 🙂

First, relax and realize you can't do everything.  Just enjoy doing the things you can.

 

No need, really, to bring life vests, they have them on the ship.  If you mean for use in the pools, be aware they must be Coast Guard approved vests to use onboard the ship.

 

The kids will all have wrist bands.  Used for checking in and out of the club and identifying the child's life boat station, if they happen to be in the club while you are elsewhere.

 

Yes, you can leave the younger one in the club (a 3 year old won't be in the nursery), while you leave the ship.

 

 

[xdannigirl]

9 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

First, relax and realize you can't do everything.  Just enjoy doing the things you can.

 

No need, really, to bring life vests, they have them on the ship.  If you mean for use in the pools, be aware they must be Coast Guard approved vests to use onboard the ship.

 

The kids will all have wrist bands.  Used for checking in and out of the club and identifying the child's life boat station, if they happen to be in the club while you are elsewhere.

 

Yes, you can leave the younger one in the club (a 3 year old won't be in the nursery), while you leave the ship.

 

 

The safety stuff is for OFF the ship, not on. I have cruised before and know how it goes, so I'm more concerned about off the ship where there could be several ships in Port plus other tourists and locals 🙂

 

Ah, yeah, by "nursery" I more just meant childcare. Oops. Call it mom brain. Except I've found out that there's a childcare area in Castaway Cay so maybe I'll plan to put them there.

[ArthurUSCG]

Depending on which itinerary you choose, you might not need the life vests. For the 3/4 night, we don't bother getting off at Nassau due to the long walk and DCL treating it like a day at sea for activities.  We figure, we are paying Disney prices and don't want to go on the same shore excursions that Carnival is doing.

At Castaway Cay, DCL provides life vests as well as having Scuttle’s Cove, which is the kids club but it is all outside and doesn't have a nap area. Our little one crashed though wrapped up in towels on a beach chair while we drank frozen beverages that a waiter brought to us.

[xdannigirl]

On 4/8/2021 at 7:09 AM, ArthurUSCG said:

Depending on which itinerary you choose, you might not need the life vests. For the 3/4 night, we don't bother getting off at Nassau due to the long walk and DCL treating it like a day at sea for activities.  We figure, we are paying Disney prices and don't want to go on the same shore excursions that Carnival is doing.

At Castaway Cay, DCL provides life vests as well as having Scuttle’s Cove, which is the kids club but it is all outside and doesn't have a nap area. Our little one crashed though wrapped up in towels on a beach chair while we drank frozen beverages that a waiter brought to us.

Not gonna lie, that sounds elitist as h*** and if that's the attitude Disney cruisers take maybe I won't go...

[Shmoo here]

8 minutes ago, xdannigirl said:

Not gonna lie, that sounds elitist as h*** and if that's the attitude Disney cruisers take maybe I won't go...

I've found the same attitude on Holland America & Princess, as well as Carnival.  Many people who've done Nassau once have said "once and done".  

 

 

[xdannigirl]

Except that's not what Arthur said. There have been ports I've done where I've had a "been there done that" attitude, but never "I won't get off the boat because other people who paid less for their vacations are also enjoying the island."

 

As I said, elitist AF.

[ArthurUSCG]

23 hours ago, xdannigirl said:

Except that's not what Arthur said. There have been ports I've done where I've had a "been there done that" attitude, but never "I won't get off the boat because other people who paid less for their vacations are also enjoying the island."

 

As I said, elitist AF.

I'm playing Disney level of money for a Disney experience. A DCL cruise is already twice to three times as much as a Carnival and we want to feel like we got our money's worth. 

 

I would prefer the ship skipped Nassau all together and had a double dip at Castaway Cay. The whole reason we take the short cruise is for the stop at Castaway Cay. 

 

The first time we docked at Nassau we stayed on the ship because a late arrival and nap times and since then we haven't bothered getting off because there is so much Disney stuff to do. My kids would rather see the Disney characters, ride the Aqua Duck, swim in the pool or play mini golf.

 

Disney treats Nassau like a day at sea with the activities, there's so much to do on the ship that Nassau is an after thought for us. And judging by how few people get off the ship at Nassau, most agree with us.

 

If I wanted to see and experience Nassau, I would have picked a much cheaper way to get there.

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, ArthurUSCG said:

I'm playing Disney level of money for a Disney experience. A DCL cruise is already twice to three times as much as a Carnival and we want to feel like we got our money's worth. 

 

I would prefer the ship skipped Nassau all together and had a double dip at Castaway Cay. The whole reason we take the short cruise is for the stop at Castaway Cay. 

 

The first time we docked at Nassau we stayed on the ship because a late arrival and nap times and since then we haven't bothered getting off because there is so much Disney stuff to do. My kids would rather see the Disney characters, ride the Aqua Duck, swim in the pool or play mini golf.

 

Disney treats Nassau like a day at sea with the activities, there's so much to do on the ship that Nassau is an after thought for us. And judging by how few people get off the ship at Nassau, most agree with us.

 

If I wanted to see and experience Nassau, I would have picked a much cheaper way to get there.

All very valid reasons for staying onboard.  There are many cruisers (on all cruise lines) who don't "do" ports at all, their cruise is for the shipboard experience.  

[kitkat343]

I've never sailed Disney, and I'm not a single parent, but here is my advice:

 

Book private tours for just your family with transportation in port.  That way, you get to control the itinerary and go at your children's pace.   That will go really far in terms of what they will be able to see (I took a 3 year old to St. Petersburg and he was able to visit all of the museums and historical places because we went at his pace and explored what he was interested in.  It meant 40 minutes at the Hermitage with him, 20 minutes sitting in the cafe giving him a treat).  You will have limited time in port, so decide ahead of time exactly what you and your children want to see.  When your kids start to get whiny, immediately get them treats (this isn't the time to enforce rules or healthy eating, although it is a great opportunity to get them to try authentic local food).  A lot will depend upon your children's personalities, but if your kids like to explore and listen to rules, I think you would be able to take at least a 7 year old and one 3 year old off the ship.  I took a 5 year old and a 2 year old to Norway and the 5 year old was a lot of help with his brother (I explained to him before that trip that we needed help because if he fought with his brother we wouldn't be able to travel in the future.  My five year old was really good with the 2 year old and let him always go first and have what he wanted.)  A lot will depend on the children's personalities, but it might be possible for you to take them by yourself on a private tour.  Not a ship tour.  You don't want to be stuck somewhere with an overwhelmed 3 year old and trapped without transportation to a nearby ice cream shop.

 

On the first morning, go to the buffett with a large bag and fill it with fruit and yogurt and cereal boxes (if they still have cereal boxes) so you always have snacks on hand in the room and don't have to wait for room service when your kid is about to melt down.  This might not be necessary on Disney - I've only sailed other lines where there are no snacks left in the rooms.  You can bring sealed yogurt or cereal containers off the ship, but not fruit.  Having snacks on hand on tour can avert lots of meltdowns.  Good luck with the fertility treatments and travel!

Edited May 26, 2021 by kitkat343

[ArthurUSCG]

4 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

I've never sailed Disney, and I'm not a single parent, but here is my advice:

 

Book private tours for just your family with transportation in port.  That way, you get to control the itinerary and go at your children's pace.   That will go really far in terms of what they will be able to see (I took a 3 year old to St. Petersburg and he was able to visit all of the museums and historical places because we went at his pace and explored what he was interested in.  It meant 40 minutes at the Hermitage with him, 20 minutes sitting in the cafe giving him a treat).  You will have limited time in port, so decide ahead of time exactly what you and your children want to see.  When your kids start to get whiny, immediately get them treats (this isn't the time to enforce rules or healthy eating, although it is a great opportunity to get them to try authentic local food).  A lot will depend upon your children's personalities, but if your kids like to explore and listen to rules, I think you would be able to take at least a 7 year old and one 3 year old off the ship.  I took a 5 year old and a 2 year old to Norway and the 5 year old was a lot of help with his brother (I explained to him before that trip that we needed help because if he fought with his brother we wouldn't be able to travel in the future.  My five year old was really good with the 2 year old and let him always go first and have what he wanted.)  A lot will depend on the children's personalities, but it might be possible for you to take them by yourself on a private tour.  Not a ship tour.  You don't want to be stuck somewhere with an overwhelmed 3 year old and trapped without transportation to a nearby ice cream shop.

 

On the first morning, go to the buffett with a large bag and fill it with fruit and yogurt and cereal boxes (if they still have cereal boxes) so you always have snacks on hand in the room and don't have to wait for room service when your kid is about to melt down.  This might not be necessary on Disney - I've only sailed other lines where there are no snacks left in the rooms.  You can bring sealed yogurt or cereal containers off the ship, but not fruit.  Having snacks on hand on tour can avert lots of meltdowns.  Good luck with the fertility treatments and travel!

The rooms have mini fridges as well, so you can order a cheese and fruit platter from room service (for free) along with some juice to keep on hand. But it doesn't take room service that long to bring food or it's not that bad to run up to the pool deck and grab something from the counter service places. Depending on which fridge is in your room, it may have a small freezer sections to keep a stash of emergency mickey ice cream bars.😋

[coldflame]

We've traveled with our two children on RCL, NCL and DCL on 15 cruises. RCL and NCL do a pretty good job with the little ones in terms of "day care and entertainment". However, JMO, there is just no comparison to DCL in this regard. DCL not only has bar-none children's day care and entertainment, but really most of the ship is sort of built around them. If either I or my wife had to cruise alone with our kids, DCL would be an easy decision -- not even close.

[serene56]

On 4/10/2021 at 9:08 PM, ArthurUSCG said:

I'm playing Disney level of money for a Disney experience. A DCL cruise is already twice to three times as much as a Carnival and we want to feel like we got our money's worth. 

 

I would prefer the ship skipped Nassau all together and had a double dip at Castaway Cay. The whole reason we take the short cruise is for the stop at Castaway Cay. 

 

The first time we docked at Nassau we stayed on the ship because a late arrival and nap times and since then we haven't bothered getting off because there is so much Disney stuff to do. My kids would rather see the Disney characters, ride the Aqua Duck, swim in the pool or play mini golf.

 

Disney treats Nassau like a day at sea with the activities, there's so much to do on the ship that Nassau is an after thought for us. And judging by how few people get off the ship at Nassau, most agree with us.

 

If I wanted to see and experience Nassau, I would have picked a much cheaper way to get there.

 

 

We are cruisers-  but first timer on disney.   After being in nassau a few times--  I will be staying on the ship for all the reasons you have stated.   I am paying a lot of money for this cruise vs the other ships we sailed-- so i want my moneys worth.