Abneo Posted February 3, 2008 #1 Share Posted February 3, 2008 PLease advise, anything and everything you can, Dh & I have taken one Carnival 3 day cruise together and never one with our baby! We head out in August. What do we need, how will it all work etc.. My whole family will be on board for my cousins wedding THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted February 3, 2008 #2 Share Posted February 3, 2008 "New" 3 year old? Click on the link in my signature and go to Adventure Ocean, then Page 3 to see the Adventure Ocean pages I have from Freedom (when my 3 year old was onboard) What would you like to know? Freedom is my absolute favorite cruiseship. I think it's the best for families. Any specific questions? Here are some of the pool pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abneo Posted February 3, 2008 Author #3 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I guess I should have worded that Newly three years old. Our Dd will be three in June. :p Well for starters, How did you do meal times and bedtimes and naps on the ship. Can your kids go in the main dining room? ( i never saw any on Carnival when we went) how did you dress them for formal nights and regular dinners? How many outfits do you take? I looked through and saved those pictures of the daily activites. Thank you for that. I wonder how my DD will do with the organization. She has been to the same in home day care since she was 6 weeks old and they don't seem to do organized activites, I guess I am just worried she'll have a hard time with the listening. I don't want to be the parent with their kid kicked out of camp! I sound like I have never traveled with a kid before but I am so nervous about taking this cruise with her....any and all advice and tips and packing list or whatever you have or can think of would be great.. It sounds like you have some goo experience with this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsmom Posted February 4, 2008 #4 Share Posted February 4, 2008 It's extremely rare that they would kick a kid out of Camp! LOL! Those workers have dealt with all kinds of kids. They will know how to handle her lack of organizational experience. The kids can eat with you in the dining rooms--they will get you a high chair or booster and it will be there waiting for you every night. There may be some "eat with Camp Carnival" nights where they have dinner with their new friends, but I'm not sure about the 3-5 age group. It's been a few years since I had one in there. Camp Carnival generally closes at 10, I think, and that's when we go to bed. We usually put the kids in bed at 9 at home, but that extra hour really didn't make a difference on the ship. Nap time was strictly observed, however, since no one wants to vacation with a cranky child! Sometimes it meant prying her away from Camp, but she was usually exhausted and ready for a nap anyway. They close up for a few hours in the afternoon, so that generally was nap time. My kids don't really get into dressing up for formal night, so we feed them in the buffet then drop them off at Camp Carnival and have a grownup dinner. Dress them for dinner like you would dress--something nice, but something that wouldn't get ruined if the pizza sauce strays.;) (Take along a small container of laundry detergent for hand washing in the sink.) You'll find tons of info on this board--just keep reading! And Michelle is a wealth of info herself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted February 4, 2008 #5 Share Posted February 4, 2008 It's extremely rare that they would kick a kid out of Camp! LOL! Those workers have dealt with all kinds of kids. They will know how to handle her lack of organizational experience. The kids can eat with you in the dining rooms--they will get you a high chair or booster and it will be there waiting for you every night. There may be some "eat with Camp Carnival" nights where they have dinner with their new friends, but I'm not sure about the 3-5 age group. It's been a few years since I had one in there. Camp Carnival generally closes at 10, I think, and that's when we go to bed. We usually put the kids in bed at 9 at home, but that extra hour really didn't make a difference on the ship. Nap time was strictly observed, however, since no one wants to vacation with a cranky child! Sometimes it meant prying her away from Camp, but she was usually exhausted and ready for a nap anyway. They close up for a few hours in the afternoon, so that generally was nap time. My kids don't really get into dressing up for formal night, so we feed them in the buffet then drop them off at Camp Carnival and have a grownup dinner. Dress them for dinner like you would dress--something nice, but something that wouldn't get ruined if the pizza sauce strays.;) (Take along a small container of laundry detergent for hand washing in the sink.) You'll find tons of info on this board--just keep reading! And Michelle is a wealth of info herself! The OP is talking about RCCL Freedom, not Carnival Freedom...ROFL :D HAHAHAHAHAHA, they should stop naming ships after one another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted February 4, 2008 #6 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I guess I should have worded that Newly three years old. Our Dd will be three in June. :p Well for starters, How did you do meal times and bedtimes and naps on the ship. Can your kids go in the main dining room? ( i never saw any on Carnival when we went) how did you dress them for formal nights and regular dinners? How many outfits do you take? I looked through and saved those pictures of the daily activites. Thank you for that. I wonder how my DD will do with the organization. She has been to the same in home day care since she was 6 weeks old and they don't seem to do organized activites, I guess I am just worried she'll have a hard time with the listening. I don't want to be the parent with their kid kicked out of camp! I sound like I have never traveled with a kid before but I am so nervous about taking this cruise with her....any and all advice and tips and packing list or whatever you have or can think of would be great.. It sounds like you have some goo experience with this! You really saw no kids in the dining room at Carnival? Did you go to late seating? Early Seating (Main Seating) is always full of kids. Ok, so choose Early Seating with a young child so she can go with you to eat at 5:45pm and go to Adventure Ocean by 6:45pm. The servers usually serve the kids meals REALLY fast so the kids can eat and go. My husband (or I) take the kids to AO and then continue with our dessert kid-free. Most of the young child activities start at 7pm...so that's a good time to aim for. We celebrated my youngest's 3rd bday on Freedom and I have to say that she wasn't thrilled with AO like she was Camp Carnival. BUT, she didn't like to sit still for crafts (now she does but back then she didn't) and the NEW AO counselor picked on her. She gave her TWO strikes (3 and you're out). One was for getting marker on the table during craft time :eek: and the other was for wanting to be on the slide during craft time :rolleyes: I was IRATE that the counselor would give her 2 strikes for that. She was just being a NORMAL 3 year old. So I went to Guest Relations, then to the head of AO who couldn't apologize more. :p She then spent the rest of the week having a great time at AO. But the first 2 days were touch and go. Is she potty trained? She must be 100% potty trained to attend AO. They give strikes for that too :rolleyes: Bedtimes, I made sure my kids were out of AO and in bed by 10pm (which is still really late for them) but I couldn't get them out any sooner. They refused to come...lol. My kids don't nap...but my 3 year old did pass out from exhaustion on the beach and in the stroller on the tender ship (bring a stroller, it's a great place for them to crash if needed) And we always book a balcony so the kids can go to sleep and I can go out to the balcony for some adult alone time without having to tiptoe throughout the cabin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsmom Posted February 4, 2008 #7 Share Posted February 4, 2008 The OP is talking about RCCL Freedom, not Carnival Freedom...ROFL :D HAHAHAHAHAHA, they should stop naming ships after one another Silly me--I should read slower! I think the Carnival dining room comment must have gotten me started on Camp Carnival. But come to think of it, AO is run pretty much the same!;) Just a note--there are occasionally counselors who aren't as patient and understanding, and then there are some who are too patient with bad kids. Did the head of AO talk with the counselor that was at fault? Did she change her "3 strikes" rule for the rest of the cruise? Interesting...I'll have to remember that the next time I come across a counselor who is yelling at a group of kids. Had that happen a couple of cruises ago. Of course, my kids just went on their merry way, but it only takes one person like that to ruin someone's trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted February 4, 2008 #8 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Did the head of AO talk with the counselor that was at fault? Did she change her "3 strikes" rule for the rest of the cruise? Oh heck yeah. She didn't know she was dealing with a CC mom who would go LIVE FROM FREEDOM detailing every little detail and naming names...LOL! The counselor was removed from my daughter's group. And was kept from the younger group during the subsequent sailings. The counselors shouldn't do that to children, but they should REALLY not do it to children of moms with internet connection and a big mouth...LOL! The strikes were voided. According to the head of AO, the strikes have to be put in writing with the head of AO and that never happened. This counselor just took it upon herself to assign strikes to kids and warn the parents that the kids couldn't come back (unbeknownst to the head of AO). She said that strikes were for SERIOUS behavior issues and coloring on the table is not a "serious behavior issue" ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abneo Posted February 5, 2008 Author #9 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Define 100 % potty trained. Aside from yesterday when she had friends over and was getting tickled she hasn't had an accident in over a month. Now she is in a diaper for bed time still, has gotten out of them for Naps. We still have 6 + months before the cruise so she should be completly accident free, but what if she does have one, what will they do? I would find it completly normall to have an accident in a different setting, so i think they'd understand that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamsmom Posted February 5, 2008 #10 Share Posted February 5, 2008 They'll give you a pager when you leave her, and if there's trouble (like an accident), they will page you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abneo Posted February 5, 2008 Author #11 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Oh good so I'll know if they need us or if my DD needs us then. I like that as I feel like a huge worrywart but I am just afraid she'll go love it and then have an accident and they won't let her come back and she'll never understand that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne74 Posted February 5, 2008 #12 Share Posted February 5, 2008 I would definitely try and stick to a routine. I have been traveling with our now 6yr old on many trips since she was 2yrs old. The key is to put her to bed the same time every night and nap her everyday at the same time. We always let our daughter stay up later on the cruise as well but she always seem to sleep in a little later too. One parent always took the turn of going back to the cabin around 3pm to nap our DD. We either sit out on the balcony and relax, start getting ready for dinner or sleep with her! :D The other parent was free for 2hrs to do whatever they please. This still gives you all morning/early afternoon at any port or most of the day at sea to have fun. If she knows when nap time is then it won't be a struggle everyday. She will also not be cranky for dinner time. I would bring her to early dining with you and have the waiter bring her dinner out while you eat your appetizers. You can then leave at 6:45pm to bring her to the kids club while you finish the rest of your dinner. Do not expect your 3yr old to enjoy 2hr dining everynight unless you bring an endless supply of things for her to do. You have the option on formal nights for her to eat at the Kids Club. Most kids love this option, especially if they are meeting fun kids to play with. I highly recommend that you go to the Family Welcome Aboard Show and go with her the first night to see all the councelors at the Kids Club and put a big smile on your face and tell her how lucky she is to have her own fun place to go to. Show her around, show her all the toys, introduce her to kids her own age that are there too. It can make all the difference that first night. If you have a day at sea the next day, make sure you send her there for just an hour or so the first morning or afternoon for her to get a feel for it. Then you will know if she is ready or enjoys herself. I always kid around with my DD that I want to be a the kids club and act like I am checking myself in. She is always laughing and saying "no, kids only!!!" It works well. She doesn't seem to think it is just a place she gets dumped at. It seems like a fun place I can't get into. Makes all the difference!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted February 5, 2008 #13 Share Posted February 5, 2008 Define 100 % potty trained. Aside from yesterday when she had friends over and was getting tickled she hasn't had an accident in over a month. Now she is in a diaper for bed time still, has gotten out of them for Naps. We still have 6 + months before the cruise so she should be completly accident free, but what if she does have one, what will they do? I would find it completly normall to have an accident in a different setting, so i think they'd understand that. They will give you a cell phone on Freedom (not a pager). So if she has an accident, you will be called. They do give "strikes" for accidents. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymann Posted February 5, 2008 #14 Share Posted February 5, 2008 My daughter was on her first cruise at 13 months and second cruise when she was 2. We stuck with our normal routine. She really had a great time especially this last one she danced on the dance floor with other children and played on the pool deck. She took naps like she always does and we dressed her up for dinner. Great way to get use out of the easter and christmas dress's. We also brought a portable dvd player for her. It was great entertainment for her. My daughter even napped thru the mustar drill. I just stayed in the cabin with her. I could not believe it all that noise and she didn't even flinch. have a great time on you cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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