Excursions with a toddler?

[tizbo1423]

I’ve been on a good number of cruises before, but never with a toddler. I’m not worried about her on the ship, but curious how to get around the ports and excursions. We’re planning on just booking beach day transfer type of “excursions” with her, but wondering if there are any restrictions since she’s so young. Normally she’d be in a car seat, does she just ride on our laps in buses/shuttles/taxis? Are we able to bring along a small stroller? 

Also, would we be able to bring her on any sailing excursions, catamarans? 
 

Any info or tips on toddler cruising is appreciated! 

 

 

[mdjohn5]

Having cruised both before kids and with kids, in my experience, its a whole different game.  You are not going to be able to do everything you did pre kids,  so it's best to adjust your expectations.  It is still fun,  just different.  It can be a little disappointing when you realize you cannot do everything you did without kids, but on the flip side you get to experience the cruise through their eyes instead of your own.

 

Car seats are one of the topics that gets two passionate online crowds fighting.  On one side you have the "its a vacation,  I am not lugging car seats everywhere" people.  On the other you have "the Laws of Physics work the same everywhere and I would never leave the house without one" people.   

 

Airlines usually let you check a car/booster seat for free so its definitely doable.  We lugged car seats multiple times,  but honestly we found we didn't use them as much as we expected.  We did transfers in big busses to/from the airport and mostly stayed near the ship on port days.  A lot of the stops like Turks, Amber Cove, Tiano Bay, etc have shopping and pools right where you dock.  Nothing fancy but lets you stretch your legs and swim in a real pool....not one rocking around on the ocean.  Of course the private islands do not have cars at all.  To me it really depends on how active you plan to be in ports.  You can find normal taxis with seatbelts in most places  but it might take a few attempts.  In most ports we were able to find plenty to do right off the ship and/or on the ship that we didn't feel like we needed to adventure out a lot with the kids in tow.

 

I would recommend a stroller of some sort.  Kids get tired and its nice to have the option to ride......plus a stroller can help you get into the "family line" at the TSA checkpoint at the airport.  We bought a cheep umbrella stroller at a garage sale for $5 with the stated purpose that we would just throw it away if it ever became a burden or beat up.....that thing lasted forever.  Bigger strollers are better for hauling all the gear you need,  but they can be harder to navigate in crowds and they can take up a lot of space in a small cabin.  You have to decide which is more important.   

 

My one tip would be to NOT be afraid of the main dining rooms.  Be courteous to the people around you and be ready to get up and take a walk with the kiddo to settle them down if they get unruly,  but it is a lot easier to have people bring you food while you entertain the kiddos than trying to juggle the buffet.