Advice and Tips for cruising with a 3 year old!

[summer76]

Hey there! I've been looking over the board and there are so many of you with such good ideas I am hoping you can give us some tips and advice for our 3 year old daughter's first cruise?

 

We are sailing Carnival Miracle to St. Kitts, St. Maarten, and Grand Turks. 8 days.

 

Any don't miss excursions? Any relatively good excursions. Lorelai can swim with a bubble (but we won't be doing any open ocean snorkeling!) but she is VERY fair! So we'll need shade! She listens remarkably well and is very verbal and social!

 

Anything that we should bring that you might not otherwise think of?

Also if you've done evening babysitting was that comfortable for you?

 

Thanks so much!!!

 

Summer

[kimmimom]

If she is younger 3 and just recently potty trained, bring extra clothes! My dd was 35 months when she traveled and she was trained, but she had several accidents. She was just too busy in Camp Carnival to think about going potty I guess. ONce we were back home, she was back to being trained with no accidents.

[KirstyGee1978]

Hi

 

Can I ask you about Camp Carnival? Do the parents need to be with the child at all times or are they supervised by the staff? i.e could the parents go to the pool for an hour and come back and get your child? How long can a child stay there and get supervised? Do parents leave the ship for a few hours while the child is at Camp Carnival?

 

Thanks!

[kimmimom]

you definitely can leave them in Camp carnival where the staff do activities with them. There are certain times it is open depending on the ship/itinerary and you can leave them there all the available hours if you want. Starting at 10 PM, they do charge for it. You can leave the ship also.

[summer76]

If she is younger 3 and just recently potty trained, bring extra clothes! My dd was 35 months when she traveled and she was trained, but she had several accidents. She was just too busy in Camp Carnival to think about going potty I guess. ONce we were back home, she was back to being trained with no accidents.

 

 

Thanks! She just turned 3 and pt'ed back in Aug/Sept. But I have lots of clothes (it's a problem!) for her for the cruise, so we're great there, I hope!

[summer76]

Anyone else? Advice is much appreciated! Especially in regards to port activities!

[serene56]

a kid MUST be two by the date of sailing. No exceptions.

Camps close between the hours of noon and 2 for under the age of two WITH parents.

ages 2-5 parents are given a pager incase the parent is needed.

 

youpick and chose when and how long your child stays in the camps.

Camps also close on most nights between the hours of 5-7.

 

CAmps charge an hourly rate of 6.00 starting at 10pm.

 

Yes, you can leave your child in the camp while you participate in an excursion. They do ask that you pick up your child once onboard and hope that is by noon. If not they will take them to lunch.

 

Soda cards can not be used in the camp because of allergies etc. Kids are given snacks and juice.

 

For port activities please read the port of call boards- much information there that can help you with what your family likes to do.

[Paumavista]

We did this last cruise....four in a cabin; 2 cabins (six kids) - over the door clear plastic (or netted) shoe holder. You can pick these up at walmart or most places. They can hang on the back of the door and have "pockets" for shoes.........but on the ship we hung one in each room and packed them with everything (that would have cluttered up the desk top, beds, and bathroom)......camera, room keys, shoes, change of clothes, toys, sun glasses, hats, papers, diapers, lotions, and anything else that would normally be left lying around the room.

 

I found the suggestion here at cruise critic and it worked wonderfully!! These things aren't very expensive but kept so much stuff organized and neat....we could see through the clear plastic so it was easy and with kids there is always an abundance of "stuff".

 

Judy

[summer76]

LOOOOVE it! Thanks! And I have tried the locations boards...but there is not a lot of info specific to traveling with little ones....I was hoping for some advice from those who had BTDT! We leave in a week and I'm a little nervous.....thanks!

[Julienatul]

lets see last cruise with our 3 yr old, we brought floatie's and she used the pool and loved it. She's been potty trainmed for a yr, no accidents at all the entire cruise. Although they did have to close the pool once when a 6-7yr old decided he would rather go in the pool than use the bathroom :) We brought coloring books and stickers for dinner. Little dollar store dolls and toy sets (like polly pocket) worked well too. We brought a blow up beach ball and a small pail and shovel. We always just pick a beach excursion since DD loves the water. At 3 you could really pick anything since their attention span is better and they are able to listen and follow directions. Have a great cruise!!

[s318830]

For my son last year we brought a folding step stool for getting up on the toilet. I also brought his Baby Bjorn Potty seat from home. This year my daughter will be 3 and she's potty training right now. I'll bring a stool and potty seat for both of them. I also got 3M Stick0n hooks to hang the potty seat on the wall. I probably won't bother with the folding stool. I'll just bring their normal plastic stool in the suitcase and pack stuff in and around it. When you do that, something like a step stool really doesn't take up much room.

 

http://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-Toilet-Trainer-White-Black/dp/B0009PAN7Q/ref=pd_bxgy_ba_img_c

 

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Command-17003-VP-3PK-Large-Value/dp/B000M3V8XI/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b

[crusinmama06]

It's not "babysitting", it's a kids camp. :D:D:D

 

Here are some of the schedules for the Carnival camps.

 

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/cruisinmama06/Camp%20Carnival%20Capers/?start=all

 

My youngest loves that camp.