2 year old on a cruise

[ang1684]

we are booked to go on the sun in jan with my 2 yr old:eek: :eek:

please tell me is going to be okay lol

im aware he isnt able to be in the kids club without us.

i guess im just after any tips on how you did it with a toddler and anything else i should know, oh and reasurance please im scared:o

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[rebeccalouise]

Basic things about cruising with toddlers.

 

Some people love to take their kids to dinner in the main diningroom.

 

I say eat in the buffet, where he can run around and where you aren't spending time in a confined area trying to get three people ready for dinner. Make life simple- just buffet it this time.

 

This also makes your cruise wardrobe much simpler. They do expect passengers to dress up in the public areas- bar,etc. but the buffet area is different- dress neat but not like you are going to a ball.

 

Frankly, I think you'll spend more time trying to occupy a 2 year old at dinner and be on pins and needles- hoping he'll sit thru the meal.

 

Yes, the crew love kids- but a one and a half hour dinner is what you are going to expect in the main diningroom. That's too long for a two year old.

 

By day, your child will enjoy exploring the ship. Go to the unused lounges and the theater and let them run around.

 

There are play areas in the youth program where they can go also.

 

Try not to micromanage the vacation- go with the flow. Don't schedule excursions. That means getting ready early (if it is an AM one) or doing an afternoon one (which interfere with naptime). Do your own thing- taxi rides where you can leave when you want and get back when you want.

 

Make sure to bring a laptop computer or portable DVD player. Most cruise lines do have the cartoon network but it is nice if the adults can watch the news, while the kid (s) watch something else.

 

Bring plenty of diapers, wipes, etc. You might not be able to find your brand and the cruise ship has some diapers but these are for emergencies and come with a price.

 

If you have extended family going- that is really going to be a lifesaver. Maybe one or two nights they'll babysit while you go to dinner in the main diningroom or at one of the specialty restaurants.

[larronry]

I'm going with my 2 year old on Sunday. The ship doesn't offer a true buffet option for dinner so we will be doing the dining room. Also, getting a little suit (Target has them or at least a few left for $20 or $25) would make a great family portrait. You can search this forum and you will find lots of things on dining with toddlers. I'm bringing crayons and paper, small toys, DVD player, and plan on taking walks between courses. We have no excursions planned for the ports we are going to but for certain ports would plan on taxi's to certain places to go see. It all depends on what ports you are visiting. My son loves to walk around and the people we are going with prefer to do a little window shopping so that's all we are planning. We will be using a stroller for the shopping part of it because he will tantrum when we stop. So we will be bringing snacks and drinks and when it's time to shop it will be time for snacks.

 

We're bringing a blow up pool since no swim diapers are allowed in pools unless you are on a ship with a water play area that allows diapered kids. I can tell you that my son going through the ultra terrible twos will probably love cruising, tantrums and all. He will love the time he will have with his Dad that he usually doesn't get and he will love all the time out of the house and walking around (most toddlers probably would). I will be coming back here on 12/23 or shortly thereafter and posting about my experiences.

 

I do not believe in allowing my child to run around any restaurant and that includes the buffet area. I just thing it sets a bad precedent. We eat at buffet style restaurants at home and I wouldn't like it if I was trying to bring a bowl of soup back to my table and I got knocked by someones child running around.

 

One of my rules of thumb is that even though the fastest way to end a tantrum is to totally ignore it when it comes to certain environments including the cruise ship the best thing to do is to remove my son so as not to disrupt someone else's meal or vacation. Hopefully it won't be enough to undo what I am trying to teach him. It's just better then getting the "that parent isn't parenting their kids" look. That said I was in line at the grocery store check out and my son was having a melt down. He wanted a balloon and I wasn't going to let them give him one as long as the tantrum continued. The Dad in front of me said I was doing a good job. So some people actually do understand. As soon as I finished and pulled my cart away the tantrum ended. I also wasn't going to let my son win by my leaving the store when I needed to buy groceries.

[bigpuma]

Some people love to take their kids to dinner in the main diningroom.

 

I say eat in the buffet, where he can run around and where you aren't spending time in a confined area trying to get three people ready for dinner. Make life simple- just buffet it this time.

 

This also makes your cruise wardrobe much simpler. They do expect passengers to dress up in the public areas- bar,etc. but the buffet area is different- dress neat but not like you are going to a ball.

 

Frankly, I think you'll spend more time trying to occupy a 2 year old at dinner and be on pins and needles- hoping he'll sit thru the meal.

 

Yes, the crew love kids- but a one and a half hour dinner is what you are going to expect in the main diningroom. That's too long for a two year old.

 

We took our 22 month old son to dinner almost every night in the dining room and it wasn't bad. Yes he got antsy at times so we took turns taking him out of the dining room and letting him run around. I think it really depends on the kid. Our son generally could go about 45 minutes in the dining room without a problem. We also took my In-Laws so we had extra help with our son which is very helpful.

 

To the OP: Taking a 2 year old will not be as relaxing but you can have a lot of fun. If possible take advantage of in room babysitting for one night. Better yet bring the grandparents along, that's what we did. :D

 

Also we would have missed out on formal night if we didn't go to the dining room.

 

[ang1684]

thankyou all your advice has been so helpful.

one of the great things is there will be plenty of help we have both sets of grandparents coming an aunty and my foster bros and sis's who adore him, alot more help than most have although this is there holiday aswell and do not expect them to be watching him all the time.

 

we are planning to go to the dinning room as i think thats part of the fun of cruising and he is usually very happy as long as ppl are goo and gaaing over him lol. im planning also to take him for walks inbetween courses. but hey if it just isnt happening i wont force it and will leave.

 

i actually have no expectations for this cruise wich is good on my last cruise i was like oh how would we go haveing bub on here lol

 

we are not doing any tours just make our own way around as its a qld cruise pleanty of shops and water.

 

thats a great idea of taking him to the unused areas to run around and let some energy out thanks

 

oh bigpuma that photo is adorable:D might have to get me one of those

 

on tantrums funny u should say that we had our first public tantrum today lol he turned 2 3 weeks ago so didnt take long for it to kick in lol

im not one to give in either although i agree on a ship its much better for the ppl around and him to remove him from the situation.

 

my biggest worry is of a night time i dont know how he will sleep even if i have the telly on quietly or doing anything else. hopefully i wont be going to bed at 8.30 every night haha

 

thanks again girls

[ShelbysMom]

I will second the advice to go to the dining room, if you think your child can handle it. We took our about to turn 2 year old on a 10 night Tahitian Princess cruise. That ship has limited buffet options at night, so if we wanted a good meal at night, it was the dining room or specialty restaurants. We thought we would skip at least a few nights, but we ended up eating in the dining room every night but one, when we had an even longer dinner to celebrate my birthday at the steakhouse. We left before dessert once (but only after looking at the dessert menu and deciding there wasn't anything that trumped DS's mood.)

If you think your child can handle it, go ahead and do it.

Taking the cruise with the 2 year old was definitely different than cruising alone. But we had a wonderful time anyway. And we didn't have any family with us, either. We did a few excursions with the three of us, and then DH did one on his own and I did one on my own, so that we could do things that we couldn't do with DS. It worked out great.

[crusinmama06]

My 3 year old is set to go on her 5th cruise. No worries! :D lol

 

You will have a wonderful time. You won't have to clean. Someone else will be doing the cooking for you. And there is loads of things to keep a toddler entertained all over the ship. Just a nice stroll on the deck works too.

 

I look at it this way. I have to deal with 2 kids all day long at home. I would rather have someone pampering me while I do it. Any day on a cruise ship is better than a day at home.

[bigpuma]

 

we are not doing any tours just make our own way around as its a qld cruise pleanty of shops and water.

 

We found that the beach resort excursions were a good way to go. It seems like most ports of call have them. The resorts tend to have a pool and a nice beach plus chairs and umbrellas for shade. It is a nice way to spend the day and our son loves to swim and he couldn't swim in the pool on the ship.

 

I am sure you will have fun especially with all the family joining you.

 

Also not all of us are girls. ;) :p

[As You Wish]

I returned on Saturday from a cruise with my just-turned 2 year-old DD. I found the portable DVD player we brought to be a lifesaver on the plane, and I also used it in the cabin to help wind her down before nap & bed times.

 

You may want to bring a sound machine for the cabin. I use one at home with my DD, and I found that it helped drown out the noise of the TV which I'd turn on after my DD was sleeping.

 

I would second the idea of letting your DS run around in the unused clubs or lounges during the day. Taking a walk around the ship is also a nice time-killer and my DD thoroughly enjoyed riding in the glass elevators. If you have a balcony cabin, I would encourage you to bring a reading light and some books or magazines so that you can enjoy some quiet time on the balcony after your DS goes to bed.

 

I found the dining room was more manageable for me than the buffet which was a two person job for my DH and me. If you do the dining room, just be prepared for the possibility of leaving early. The waiters were kind enought to prepare a dessert plate for me that they gave to my DH when I had to leave early.

 

The beach excursions worked well for us. All DD needed was a shovel and pail in the sand, and she was content for a long time.

 

I'm sure you will have a great cruise. It won't be as relaxing as a pre-child cruise, but it will be much nicer than a week at home. Enjoy yourself.

[ang1684]

You may want to bring a sound machine for the cabin. I use one at home with my DD, and I found that it helped drown out the noise of the TV which I'd turn on after my DD was sleeping.

 

 

thanks so much that is a great idea i have one of those:)

 

bigpuma im so sorry i did that in another thread aswell haha

i go on a mothers forum wich is all girls so im so used to saying it sorry again:o :D

[crusinmama06]

bigpuma im so sorry i did that in another thread aswell haha

i go on a mothers forum wich is all girls so im so used to saying it sorry again:o :D

 

LOL! I do the SAME thing. I have 2 online mommies groups so I always have to remind myself that there are daddies on the family cruise board.

[myraid]

"As you wish", I was reading your review and it could have been written by me! I couldn't agree with you more!

 

The DVD player was a lifesaver. We used it at the airport and in the room for quiet time. He loved having it. There were a few times that I was tempted to use it in the dining room, but I didn't have to. Not that I have a problem with it, it just wasn't necessary for us. At the airport we quickly had a gathering of kids around us to watch Toy Story as we waited for our flight. I joked to DH that we should have charged admission!:D

 

The beach excursions worked well for us as well. We went to 3 and had a great time on all of them. As you said, all DS needed was a bucket and a shovel.

 

We did the dining room every night and only left before desert one night. Did DS have a few "shout-outs" as I like to call them? Yes. But it was loud enough that it didn't seem to bother anyone. I caught a few dirty looks, but they were easily ignored. Other tables were just as loud with their talking and laughing (which didn't bother me in the least). The dining room is much easier than the buffet IMO. DS was much better behaved in the dining room and DH and I were able to enjoy a nice meal, albeit with some entertaining of DS in between.

 

Take advantage of all of the open spaces on the ship. We were on Princess and spent 1/2 hour up in Skywalkers every night just letting DS run around. Other times we rode the elevator up and down 14-5, 5-14 every night and my DS loved that. Every once and awhile I would hop off at a floor and grab drinks and then hop back on. People thought that was a hoot.

 

Most importantly...have fun. We created great memories with our DS and I'm sure you will too!!!!:D

[notentirelynormal]

Basic things about cruising with toddlers.

 

Some people love to take their kids to dinner in the main diningroom.

 

I say eat in the buffet, where he can run around and where you aren't spending time in a confined area trying to get three people ready for dinner. Make life simple- just buffet it this time.

 

 

Wow, so you think its ok for the people that are eating in the buffet to be subjected to a kid running around while they are eating? Aren't they entitled to enjoy their dinner too?

 

Take your DS to the dining room. With a lot of people traveling together just take turns taking him for short walks between courses to break it up a little. Order his meal as soon as you sit down. We always ordered chicken nuggets and strawberries already there while we waited for his first course. Funny thing, as soon as my GS got on the ship, he just knew we were on vacation and changed into a little cruiser guy.

[BGinGA]

We took our almost 2 yr old DS on a 7 nt cruise last year. It went MUCH better than we thought it would. We paid close attention to posts on here regarding toddlers and took notes. I agree with pp's that a portable DVD player is a lifesaver. While the children's programming on TV was cute, they play the same things over and over. DS enjoyed watching his favorites to calm down before nap and bedtime. We also turned the volume off and let him watch Baby Einstein at the dinner table after the main course was mostly consumed. (No flames please.) We were able to make it through dinner every night. During the day, we walked the ship, let him run around the empty auditorium, and kept things simple. Like pp said, it will not be the most relaxing cruise, but it will still be a great one. Have fun!

[Cruisin' Chick]

We took our girl on her first cruise at 23 months old. Even though she missed the cutoff for Camp Carnival, she had a great time. And so did we. We took her on a three-day cruise as my hubby was a bit apprehensive. But even he said it was a great vacation. We did take her to the dining room, along with crayons and paper (there was also the kids' menu with various coloring activities). We were prepared for one of us to leave with her if there was a problem (just as we do at home), but that worked out too, and our waiter took her along during one of the waitstaff dances. We continued with a land based vacation in a hotel for a few days and she enjoyed that too.

 

There's a bit of planning when you have a toddler: any special foods, diapers or pullups, sippy cups and dishwashing items, strollers. Don't assume that the ship will have everything you may need and if you're flying in to your embarkation port, consider flying in a day or more ahead (a good idea no matter what) and shop for whatever you couldn't take on the plane. Bring a favorite toy, but also bring a few small new toys to distract as necessary -- a great incentive for great behavior.

[Palmfam]

I just got back yesterday from our 7 day cruise with our son who is 2 1/2. I was on this board everyday. I tried to be the perfect planner and organize every minute. I even broke out in hives!! PLEASE relax.

It was great, go have a good time. We are already looking into our next cruises-yes, plural.

Cruisin mama I am not sure what you do for a living but you need to be a cruise planner-you were/are a blessing!! Thank you to all the other parents as well.

 

We took him on 2 excursions and left him in Camp Carnival for 2.

He LOVED Camp Carnival.

I was surprised they don't give them naps. Not a problem, we came from our excursions early gave him a nap and went to dinner.

 

We eat dinner every night together, no tv, just our preference-he did okay in the dining room, got a little antsy a few times. By dessert he wanted to sit on my lap.

We traveled with family they helped out.

 

The DVD player was key on the plane and nap time.

I brought those squishy water balls. My son was on the ledge and some older boys started playing catch with him. It was an hours worth of entertainment.

Also another 2 year old brought bath toys-he shared them with my son. Fun for the pool.

The sand bucket is also a must.

Snacks-we brought at least 7 different things. By the end of the trip he would say, "mommy, I'm hungry, what's in your purse?"

 

DVD Movies I packed his favorites plus some new ones.

Spiderman is one of his favorites, I packed the bonus feature DVD and NOT the movie. Not even a meltdown over that!

 

He loved the mints on the pillow every night.

 

If I can survive-anyone can do it...please relax! :)

[mmcruise]

We went on our first cruise when DS was 2 1/2 - not by choice, but a dear friend was getting married on the cruise and we don't leave him behind for 7 days.

 

It was a blast, though as I'm sure you've concluded, not the same vacation you had BK (before kids). It was amazing, though. We took advantage of in-room babysitting (not sure what your cruise line has available) and the DVD player and stroller were key to our sanity.

 

I do understand and feel for you. I freaked out until the day we set foot on the ship, worrying about what I would do and bring and how we would survive.

 

We're now planning his third cruise and he can't wait...

[CruznIsBest]

please tell me is going to be okay lol

im aware he isnt able to be in the kids club without us.

 

 

Hi - don't worry. Our daughter is 3 years & 4 months old, and she's already been on 2 week-long cruises (as well as 3 trips to San Diego, 1 big trip to Disneyland, a Christmas in Hawaii, and will be on another 3-night cruise in May). We didn't miss a single dinner/dessert in the main dining room, nor did we annoy ANYONE with her behavior. :-) For the cruises, because we live on the West coast and were in the Caribbean, we kept her on "pacific time"......this meant we slept in 'til 9'ish ship time, she took a nap around 3 - 4 pm, and was wide-eyed by dinner time through 10/11 pm. It was great. We brought *quiet* activities for her to do at the table on the first cruise (this was last year at this time, so she was just over 2 years old) like stickers, crayons, and paper. This past May when she was on her second cruise, we had my folks and grandma with us, we we all just chatted with her to keep her occupied. She'd take turns sitting on our laps in-between courses, but for the most part, she sat in her seat and ate like a champ.

 

In the evenings, DH and I like to gamble, so we just took turns for an hour or so while the other one stayed in the room and played with her or watched TV (we brought a portable DVD player for her and we'd just watch whatever was on the ship's TV to keep us entertained).

 

On shore, we LOVE hanging out at the beach (and shopping, of course). So, we'd head for the beach first thing, and when she was exhausted, we'd go shopping with her sleeping in the stroller. By the time we'd get back onboard, she'd finish her nap in the stroller or in the room, and then it was time to get ready for dinner.

 

Good luck to you and your family.....these message boards are a great resources for tips and tricks. I'd also suggest paying attention to the posts that b!tch about kids so you can hopefully avoid making any faux pas and annoying other cruisers. I know I learned from several of those posts even though many of them are mean-spirited....one in particular has to do with kids in the pools if they're not yet potty trained.....just don't do it. :-)

[Yellowlily]

I just wanted to add that beach excursions are a good way to go, from my experience. I have a 2 yo daughter and she just completed her 3rd cruise. She has loved every one of them. We took a portable DVD player with us and used it a lot. I also took her a Dora backpack full of new toys. She loved it. Have fun on your trip!

[larronry]

Don't be scared. I was petrified before leaving a week ago today on my cruise. I survived. Oh and it was worse then I expected, but if I had to do it all over again I would still bring him even knowing how things went. :D

 

That said my son was so tired at night from is constant walks around the ship and the track and up and down all the stairs and the use of the glass elevator (got him over is fear of elevators) that it was no problem to watch TV or talk while he slept at night.

 

I allowed him to walk a little in the buffet area but that was because he liked to stand up by the glass and look out. Because the ship I was on has a very open (tables are spread apart) I allowed it. I would never have done it if the tables were on top of each other.

 

The thing that helped me best during dinner was when we found a play mate out in the elevator area outside the dining room. I actually got to sit and relax while the two toddlers entertained themselves for a bit. I discovered after that I could bring him back to the dining room, but after walking all he wanted to do was walk.

 

I will be posted within the next few days about my experiences on my cruise hoping that it will help others. I never had a problem with any of the passengers and he had plenty of grand motherly types goo goo over him and feeling bad for my husband and myself as they saw us make the round walking with him LOL but we had a lot of problems with the ship and cruiseline that I think that other parents could learn from should they ever experiences the same or similar issues.

[TropicalSnowflake]

With all that family, it will be all right. Just don't be scared to take some one up on their offer to take your son for a few hours. My MIL goes with us and on many nights, she will literally walk around the whole ship with our little one(s) in a stroller. They both enjoy it while my DH and I get to have a drink (or two, or three...)

 

Also, a lifesaver for us was bringing Matchbox-sized cars for our boys to play with at the table. I know, it seems rude, but it's fine. Like a pp said, the dining room is usually noisy enough. As long as you engage your child in eating, conversation or an activity, they will be fine. But keep an eye on the "warning signals." It can turn nasty quickly and once the spiral of exhaustion begins, the only way out is back to the room for your LOs solitude.