Ways to make a cruise with an 18 month old enjoyable for all?

[Pshkbb]

Our family (great-grandmother on down to aunts, uncles and cousins ages 10-3) is taking a cruise and we are planning on going with our 18 month old. I know that it can be dificult to take a toddler on a ship so I was hoping other fearless parents/grandparents on this board could offer me some tips and suggestions to help us make the trip enjoyable for one and all?

 

Do you know what the crib/pool/dining/bathing babysitting options are for an 18 month old on RCCL?

 

The last time we took a cruise we did not have an infant and I am hoping to make sure this trip will be smooth sailing for one and all.

 

thanks,

Karen

[Host Jacquelyn]

I have inquired about this, and here is what I found out...

 

You can request a crib at the time of booking, but it may be just a Pack n Play.

If your child is still on jarred food, then take it along with you. RCCL does not provide baby food.

The baby is not allowed in the pool unless it s/he is potty trained. They do not even allow the special swimmy diapers.

You can call RCCL directly and inquire about babysitting. The child is too young to participate in the daycare, but I believe they do in-room babysitting for children older than one year.

If possible, get a suite so that bathing the child is a bit easier. I think it would be tricky otherwise, unless they are used to showers.

 

HTH, and I hope you receive other constructive advice...

 

--Jacquelyn Hyde

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[Kmay104692]

We went on Voyager for my younger sister's wedding in '01 with a group of 10 (family/friends). Our youngest was 24 mos.

 

We ordered a crib (pack'n'play) which worked out fine for us. The baby couldn't go in the pools (he wasn't yet toilet trained and they don't allow swim diapers). He was also too young for the Adventure Ocean program.

 

Between my parents, my wife and me and my sister, we traded off keeping track of the baby during the day (although I suspect my wife would say that she took the brunt of the "trading"). We had in-room babysitting every night (same sitter each time) and that worked out great. Each night, one of us took him to the Windjammer for dinner while the rest of us got ready for dinner (late seating). After he ate, the one that took him to dinner would pass him off the the ones that were ready for dinner and they would get him ready for bed. Then around 7:00 the sitter came (Nisa) and we all went for a walk or to the casino or shopping before dinner. After dinner we'd go back to the casino or to the show etc...We generally returned back to our room by 11:30, paid Nisa and then went to bed. The baby was, of course, already long since asleep. The whole thing worked out great for us. We had a fabulous time. Since then We have been on another trip (Princess) with him and to be sure it was better since we was able to be in the pools and the children's program. He's 4 now and we are taking him on Adventure of the Seas this fall. All in all, it's better when your todler will be older, but as they say, even a bad day on a cruise is better than a good day at home!

[rrkky]

So if the baby is big for his age and wearing a swim diaper under swim trunks, who will know?

 

Will they kick him out of the pool?

 

My baby will be 20 months on our cruise, and I hope to have him trained, by then, but who knows for sure.

 

How far in advanced do you need to book the in room baby sitter?

[want2seaitall]

Oh I think they'd no...there are no swim diapers allowed in the pools...no exceptions.

 

Serenade of the Seas - April 2005 - Our first balcony!!!

RCCL Majesty of the Seas - April 2004

Carnival Inspiration - June 2003

RCCL Monarch of the Seas - July 2002

 

 

[PhoenixCruiser]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rrkky:

So if the baby is big for his age and wearing a swim diaper under swim trunks, who will know?

 

Will they kick him out of the pool?

 

My baby will be 20 months on our cruise, and I hope to have him trained, by then, but who knows for sure.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

One would hope the parents will be responsible enough to keep the child out of the pool!

 

Navigator of the Seas 6/26/04

 

 

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[CGAGE]

Karen...There are some great topics and posts on the Family Cruising section of the boards. There is also a great packing list from one Mom that she'll email to you!

We're facing the same issues this coming June when we travel with my husbands whole family on the Sovereign. My daughter will have just turned one!

Good Luck!

 

CARRIE

 

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[yarlenna]

Swimmy diapers do not prevent ecoli from entering the warm water. The salt in the water is not at a high enough concentration to kill the bacteria. Other swimmers - even using the water hours later run the risk of eye and ear infections. Children who might swallow water run the risk of gastrointestinal infections. Please do not risk the health of the other 2,000 people on the ship with you. Would you want to swim in a toilet? Neither does anyone else.

 

Work like a dog. Live like a pauper. Save all your money. Then Cruise!

[iluvcruzin]

rrkky - There are signs displayed in clear view of the rules on the pool with relation to the swim diapers. There are other passengers on board so please be considerate and follow the rules. It's not like sneaking in liquor in your suitcase.

 

A swim diaper is very visable under a swim trunk so yes.. everyone will know.

 

Please take the advise of those posting here.

 

Maureen

 

Princess Sun 2/27/2005

Mariner of the Seas 10/15/2005

 

8 cruises to date.

[Kmay104692]

RRKKY:

 

They ask that you give them at least 24 hours notice. We booked the babysitter the first day at sea. The babysitters are ship employees that work other jobs when they are not babysitting (e.g., laundry, housekeeping, waitstaff). We were really happy with Nisa. She was very nice and everything worked great. It was also nice to have a quiet dinner after a day of chasing a toddler around the ship/ports.

[Catnip]

Please, please be considerate of other passengers and DO NOT let your baby into the pool unless he is tiolet trained!

It is a health risk for everyone else. It would be really takcy and hughley irresponsible to let a kid with poopie diapers into the pool. It WILL affect other people.

 

(26 prior cruises & 2 flights on Concorde)

 

It has been said that angels, while on Earth,

aren't allowed to show their wings,

but nothing was ever said

about not showing their whiskers. <^..^>

 

 

[want2seaitall]

I guess one Mom on our last cruise...well I guess I should say Mom or Dad...put there not so potty trained child in the low end of the pool...and yup...they let one go right in the shallow water...how embarrasing for them...the pool had to be closed for most of the afternoon while workers worked at cleaning it.

 

NO kids in pools unless potty trained...not even the kiddie pools. PLEASE!!!

 

Serenade of the Seas - April 2005 - Our first balcony!!!

RCCL Majesty of the Seas - April 2004

Carnival Inspiration - June 2003

RCCL Monarch of the Seas - July 2002

 

 

[Pshkbb]

Hi again all,

 

I originally posted this topic to get advice on making the cruise a more enjoyable one for all parties involved and I am looking for advice for ways to keep my son happy and busy.

 

I think the topic of swim diapers in the pools has been exhausted (and I was not looking to start another debate on the topic) so if you have additional ideas or suggestions on ways to help us make our trip a successful one I look forward to hearing them.

 

I am looking to see if RCCL has a children's menu (I don't remember them having one, I just remember Johnny Rockets), cribs, babysitting options as well as anything I should bring with me (medications, toys etc..) as well as ways to help child-proof the cabin so my toddler can run free there and not bother others or get hurt I'd really appreciate it.

 

thanks again,

Karen

[want2seaitall]

Sorry Karen...you are right...this issue of swimmies kind of took over here...largely due to rrkky's response.

 

My youngest is already 8 so I'm not much help here...but they do have a kids' menu in the main dining rooms...grilled cheese, hot dog, cheeseburger, chicken fingers, and spaghetti...I believe. They also have pizza available into the late evenings and the Windjammer is open for breakfast, lunch , and dinner.

 

Cruisecritic is, of course, a great place to get advice...but sometimes I find the RCCL site to also be a wealth of information...and it is sometimes best to get your information right from the horses mouth...so to speak.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

 

Sorry we got off the subject a bit!!!

 

My first balcony on the Serenade - 4/16/05!!!

 

RCCL Majesty of the Seas - April 2004

Carnival Inspiration - June 2003

RCCL Monarch of the Seas - July 2002

 

 

[Florida Beach]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Pshkbb:

Hi again all,

 

I originally posted this topic to get advice on making the cruise a more enjoyable one for all parties involved and I am looking for advice for ways to keep my son happy and busy...

 

..... ways to help us make our trip a successful one ...

 

I am looking to see if RCCL has a children's menu ... as well as ways to help child-proof the cabin so my toddler can run free there and not bother others or get hurt I'd really appreciate it.

 

thanks again,

Karen<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Karen,

 

My friends traveled with us on our last cruises with their almost 2 years old daughter and had a great time.

 

They had an ocean view cabin instead of a balcony (for safety measures - so little Katy would not accidentally "falling though the crack" ). The ship designer did a good job on safety (round corners and sturdy furnitures). They also have a 16 years old, who took her share of babysitting so Mom and Dad can have some relaxing time.

 

Travel with a baby can slow your pace a bit; there will be time when one adult will have to stay on the ship with your kid while the rest of the family go on shore. We felt bad leaving our friend with her baby, but she was okay with the idea. The joy of being a parent outweigh a couple hours on shore. They did "save" a chair for Mom in some shows so she could appear just right before the show start.

 

Regarding food, I don't know what they fed little Katy, but their 16 years old daughter had a surgery on her jaw and her mouth was wired-shut (?). The kitchen staff was informed before the cruise started and had all food puree for her.

 

Have a great trip.

 

March 28, 2004 - Mariner of the Seas

[rrkky]

OK, I hear you loud and clear. My child will not be in the pool if he is not potty trained by the time of the cruise.

 

I simply asked the question how would they know? And if someone actually monitored the situation. I would venture to guess that there are plenty who do disobey the rules, however I will not put the baby in the pool.

 

NOW, more questions.........

 

 

Has anyone left the baby on the ship with a hired babysitter while on a shore excursion? Would you feel safe doing it?

 

I don't recall high chairs in the dining room, are there high chairs in the dining room?

 

What about strollers? Have you brought one on board?

[want2seaitall]

I have seen high chairs in the dining rooms...but I have read previously on cruisecritic that strollers are not allowed in the dining room. Strollers are allowed to be taken onboard however. I tried to find a link to that info on the RCCL site for you...but couldn't find anything.

 

My first balcony on the Serenade - 4/16/05!!!

 

RCCL Majesty of the Seas - April 2004

Carnival Inspiration - June 2003

RCCL Monarch of the Seas - July 2002

[cruisin' 4 fun]

We brought our DD who at the time was 16 months old on a Carnival ship. The one thing that I was glad I had was a kid leash, I got some funny looks but it was better then having her go overboard. On Carnival that could have been very possible, on RCCL the rails are covered better with glass (Serenade). We also has a room that the bed pulled down from the wall, we put the crib under that and wrapped a blanket under the mattress,so it would hang down,we could have lights on and it was still dark for her. They let us use a stroeller and there were highchairs in the dining room. Remember this was on Carnival. Many nights we would feed her in the room with room service, get her to sleep and then put her in the stroeller and we could go to dinner and a show and she would sleep right through it. This vacation was hard and on our last cruise we last the kids at home with the grandparents and we will continue to do that until they are older. That is just my opinion and when I see parents with young kids on a cruise, I'm just glad it's not me. Good Luck.

 

enchantment of the seas 1/05

serenade of the seas 3/04

fantasy 2/02

ecstasy 2/01

disney magic 2/99

[bob278]

rrkky,

 

Nothing is risk-free, but I would think the situation on board a ship is pretty well controlled, Until the episode where the coast guard made the Galaxy leave Charleston, I would probably be OK with leaving a child with a babysitter on board ship if we had some experience with that particular sitter.

 

Imagine how a parent would have felt watching the ship leave and not knowing what was going on? In that case, the ship returned after waiting 2-3 hours to satisfy some bureauratic regulation, but OMG, the fear I'd feel if the ship pulled out with one of ours on board.

[Travelgrrl]

One idea I had would be to bring a little wading pool (brand new, and uninflated so it wouldn't take up too much room in your suitcase)and then put it in your shower or on your balcony (?) and let the baby splash in it. You could toss it out at the end of the trip, or give it away.

 

I think there are times you can bring toddlers to the kids' clubs and let them play - while you are there supervising them.

 

The baby can swim in the ocean if you go to beaches at the ports. (Lots of sunscreen!)

 

Just a few ideas...

[Dengail]

Hi- just a few thoughts about babies and kids on cruises. We take ours on almost every cruise and it's works out great. I did have a great tip from an experienced mom of 11 kids(whew). She taught me to "train" my 1 yr olds to sit on my lap and be happy for extended periods. It just takes practice and perserverance. We would sit with baby for extended periods of times every day until she knew that we meant business (wasn't getting down).Babies are used to the car seat and can become used to your arm as a "seat belt" too. The stroller works great too. This works great for ships shows, and church at home too. Of course I'm prepared with a couple little things to have them look at, or pacifier/blankie whatever calms them. They usually just fall asleep.

Also, a balcony or at least a window cabin is great so you aren't confined inside when they nap.

Of course when we are in appropriate areas we let them play and tottle to they're wore out!

Have a great time!

[john&kelly]

The feeling that "who will know" if there's a diaper under the swim suit is SO depressingly familiar. As long as YOUR interests are taken care of, too bad for everyone else- be it safety, health or any other issue. A little consideration for fellow passengers would be nice- and it would be even nicer if it didn't have to be coerced!

[happysinglemom]

I wouldn't even leave my 11yr old on the ship without me - no way would I leave a baby. I have learned that I am always in the most conservative camp though, when it comes to kids. So....JMHO...for whatever it's worth.

 

Adventure of the Seas will be our maiden cruise!

[Desertbelle]

I am with you happysinglemom! I feel the most relaxed and safe when my whole family is with me in foreign ports. I doubt that I would let even an adult child go anywhere without me. When we cruised to western Caribbean a couple of years ago we had our 18 and 21 year olds with us and where we went, they went.

 

BTW, we will be taking our daughter, son-in-law and their 20 month old with us on our November cruise on the Dawn Princess and we anticipate a good time will be had by all....even those anti-baby grouches who encounter us on the cruise!

 

Margie

 

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[lindalu62]

How will they know?? Unless they are blind, they will know!! Have you ever seen what a water soaked swim diaper looks like under a suit???