Need advice for taking a 14 month old on 1st cruise

[mcneilam]

We are taking a 7 day princess cruise (crown) on Jan 18 and I'm wondering what the heck we are going to do on board with our 14 month old daughter.

 

This is our 8th cruise on Princess, but 1st with our dd.

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

I know there isn't any baby sitting and I"m unclear about the pool usuage if she is in swim diapers.

 

Thanks

[paul929207]

Check the "Family Cruising" section of these boards.

[katisdale]

No one in diapers is allowed in the pools. Some parents bring a blow-up pool for their child. One thing you can do is use the kids space IF you or your mate stay with the baby. You are right that there is no baby sitting on Princess. There are children's channels on the TV but at that age my daughter was not interested in TV. The cabins stewards and dining room wait staff will be wonderful. They many times miss their own children and love seeing the little ones.

[sultan_sfo]

Definitely not allowed in the pools with swim diapers. There is one kiddies wading pool where it may be allowed. There was a big article in the newspaper travel section where a parent even tried to sue the cruise line that it was not made clear.

 

...

I know there isn't any baby sitting and I"m unclear about the pool usuage if she is in swim diapers.

 

Thanks

[Cruisin' Chick]

My girl was 23 months when she went on her first cruise (not counting the one when she was minus five months:D). So she stayed with us the whole time, which turned out not to be a problem. She loved exploring the ship, and we were organized when it came to packing (make sure you have all the diapers/pullups as you can't depend on finding the right size on the ship or in port; also bring special foods and treats, esp. Cheerios; sippy cup and dish detergent; games and a few toys and books, especially a few new ones).

[chasetf]

........There was a big article in the newspaper travel section where a parent even tried to sue the cruise line that it was not made clear.

Princess is pretty clear about it.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Not sure if she is too young for this or not, but when we cruised with 2 year old granddaughter and her parents, DD brought along a portable DVD player with a supply of childrens movies.

[Mother of Pearl]

Some of the best advice we recieved (from these boards) when we traveled with our DD to Alaska (8 mo) was:

Bring an over the door clear shoe rack for socks, hats etc. It was so fabulous, I ended up using the system when we got home for a while!

Arrange with your room steward to take the trash out regularly/ extra as needed. Tip generously for all the mess you make.

We used a soft carry pack and a small umbrella stroller. Bring the smallest stroller you have. Anything bigger will be a mistake. Our dd still slept in the stroller so we brought a heavy blanket that blocked out the lights for her to through over the stroller.

 

On board, often my husband just walked around with her on the ship. Everyone was super friendly to us and she is super friendly back.

 

It feels like forever ago, but it was really only a year and a half. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

 

Have fun!

[mcneilam]

Check the "Family Cruising" section of these boards.

 

 

Thanks I did and they suggested I come to this board. :)

[newmexicoNita]

boy, I guess you are getting the run around, one says "go to this board" one go to another board.. Pretty much you will be spending all your time with your little one as there isn't much to do for kids under 2 or 3. The idea of a blow up pool is one many recommend and the crew will be glad to help you with it. Under no circumstances can she use any of the pools. I would bring lots of her favorite toys, plan to dine in the buffet a lot unless she is used to eating at restaurants that take a long time. It may have just been our luck but our last Princess cruise dinner normally took about an hour and a half.

 

Good luck and enjoy your time with your daughter.

 

Nita

[BalconyBumz]

They have babysitting for $5 an hour with a beeper also. So you can use that if you need a break. However, I don't know if they have an age limit as to the ages they will watch.

[Cruisin' Chick]

This is what princess.com says about the age range for the nighttime kid sitting:

 

Please note: no group kidsitting on Pacific Princess and Tahitian Princess.

* A $5 USD per child/hour group kidsitting charge is applicable from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. for youth passengers ages 3-12.