gupsmom Posted March 5, 2008 #1 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I posted this on the RCI board and someone suggested I post it here too... We've been on RCI with our first 3 kids but that was before our twins were born. If we book again we'll have our twins with us. They'll be somewhere between 14 months and 2 1/2. How does the babysitting work? hours? availability? etc. What else is there onboard for toddlers? We just got off of a Disney cruise (twins are 9 months old now), so we know all about taking babies on a cruise. The babies did great. We had a wonderful time...but Disney has a nursery. So we had some kid-free time to do activities and relax a bit. I'd stick with DCL but I'm also thinking of taking a shorter cruise out of NY (Explorer of the Seas). Thanks... Jess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted March 5, 2008 #2 Share Posted March 5, 2008 You have to go to the Purser's office and sign up for a babysitter. It's $8 an hour, per child with a little price reduction for extra kids, paid in cash to the babysitter. You are not guaranteed a sitter as it's a volunteer crew member. Usually, you get the sitter for evenings, but sometimes you might be able to get one for days. There's a couple of hours a day when you can take the toddlers to the playroom and play with the toys there, but one adult must stay with the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IandY Posted March 6, 2008 #3 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I posted this on the RCI board and someone suggested I post it here too... We've been on RCI with our first 3 kids but that was before our twins were born. If we book again we'll have our twins with us. They'll be somewhere between 14 months and 2 1/2. How does the babysitting work? hours? availability? etc. What else is there onboard for toddlers? We just got off of a Disney cruise (twins are 9 months old now), so we know all about taking babies on a cruise. The babies did great. We had a wonderful time...but Disney has a nursery. So we had some kid-free time to do activities and relax a bit. I'd stick with DCL but I'm also thinking of taking a shorter cruise out of NY (Explorer of the Seas). Thanks... Jess Hi, We just finished our first Royal Caribbean cruise and also our first with our two kids, aged 5 & 6. I had done quite a bit of research on this site and still, the thought of leaving our two with someone we really don't know was quite unsettling. I can tell you things worked out great. The way it works is that on the first day you go to Guest relations and inquire. They'll take all the information about your kids and as well, what times you require and will then get back to you if someone's available. We were told there's always someone available. When they let me know that someone was available, I asked at Guest Relations if the person was someone that baby sat on a regular basis and was told yes. As it turned out, she was terrific. In regards to pricing, it way $12.00 per hour for the two kids and you pay in cash directly to the individual. We payed a bit extra. We had to cancel on the one evening with very little notice and that was no problem as well...there was no penalty or problem. Lastly, as far as the programs for your little ones, you may want to do a bit more research here but I think the minimum is 3 years old and potty trained on RCI. I can't help much more on that one. Good luck with whatever cruise you choose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinmama06 Posted March 6, 2008 #4 Share Posted March 6, 2008 I see you got enough info on the babysitting (they did raise the price recently) so I'll just discuss the Parents/Babies program The Program for that age is "Aqua Babies" (under 18 months) and "Aqua Tots" (18-36 months) They are 45 minute sessions (created by Fisher Price), for parents with their kids to play with some toys. And maybe even meet some other families onboard with kids the same age. They aren't in the same rooms as Adventure Ocean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmfan Posted March 8, 2008 #5 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Just a thought ... maybe take a family member along as your sitter. It would free you up some and give you time for adult time when the kids are napping/sleeping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.