Island Princess: splash pool & baby alarm (2 years old child)

[MightyB]

In september we will cruise the Panama Canal with the Island Princess. It isn't our first cruise, however it will be our first cruise with our child and I have some questions where I couldn't find answers for in this forum.

 

1) Our doughter won't be "potty trained" and I read that swim diapers are not allowed in the big pools. Is she allowed to swim/play in the splash pool?

 

2) We want to take our baby alarm with us, but does a baby alarm work on a big ship? Do you need a DECT alarm? Or is is better to use a walkie talkie with a baby alarm function on it?

[Ula]

Island does not have a splash pool. She is a smaller ship. Not being potty trained your daughter will not be allowed in any of the pools. Many parents suggest bringing a small inflatable pool to splash on that can be used on the deck.

Have no idea on the baby alarm, what are you planning on using it for?

[MightyB]

Ok thx, than it will be an inflatable pool! :)

 

The baby alarm is for if our daughter sleeps at night and we would like to walk a little on the ship (we are 2 decks from the lido deck).

We have a balcony room, so be there most of the time if she sleeps, but it iwould be fun if you occasionally can leave your room for about half an hour. But we don't want to do that without a baby good alarm.

[cb at sea]

Doesn't Princes have babysitters? I don't think I'd leave my child alone in the room, unless I was just next door, or very, very close...even with an alarm, assuming the monitor would even work!

[MightyB]

Babysitting is only from 3 years old, so that won't work for us.

 

We will be at the room at night, that's why we took a balcony room, so we can enjoy the evening without waking up our daughter inside the room. Leaving the room is something we are not quite sure of, and if we would do that, at least with a proper working baby alarm (and not going that far from the room).

[Kerry's Girls]

Any number of room stewards, engineers, etc., have access to your cabin if you don't have it bolted from the inside (which is impossible to do if you're not in the room - and a cruise ship is different from a hotel - there are people coming and going from your cabin often because a ship has little down time for minor repairs, etc between cruises). I would be a bit worried about them - and I would expect a stern visit to the Purser or even Captain if they reported that I'd left a baby alone in the cabin.

 

What has worked for many of us is to have the sleeping child in a stroller with a beach towel hung over the canopy and takes walks on deck or around the ship with the baby.

 

The picture below is of my twins at 13 months on a Princess cruise. We had an amazing time, even without a pool or babysitting. I'm sure you will too.

[MightyB]

hm, that's a fact I didn't think about, a cruise ship is indeed different from a hotel. Thx for your advice!

[bigpuma]

If by baby alarm you mean a monitor it won't work more than a couple of feet from the door. At least that was our experience. My BIL and SIL were in the cabin across the hall and it wouldn't work there.

[MightyB]

In Holland we call it a babyphone, don't know if that's the same in the US. Is a baby monitor with a LCD screen? We have one, but have bad expriences with it, even by using it on a different level in our house.

 

I read there are babyphones/baby alarms (without LCD display, so just sound) with DECT technology and with a big range. However I think that the range depends on the amount of steel/walls between the sending unit and the receiving unit.

[Ula]

 

What has worked for many of us is to have the sleeping child in a stroller with a beach towel hung over the canopy and takes walks on deck or around the ship with the baby.

 

That is an excellent idea. I would also suggest a stroller that is easy to fold. Island has narrow halls in the passenger decks. She is built for the Panama Canal so is smaller and more narrow. She is also one of the more popular ships.

Many people cruise with young children and all seem to have a very good time.

[MightyB]

That is an excellent idea. I would also suggest a stroller that is easy to fold. Island has narrow halls in the passenger decks. She is built for the Panama Canal so is smaller and more narrow. She is also one of the more popular ships.

Many people cruise with young children and all seem to have a very good time.

 

We will have to buy a new stroller that is easy to fold and takes little space. It is easier on board and easier when we fly to the US (we have a non-direct flight from Amsterdam to San Francisco).

 

Thx for all the advices, it's our first "big/long travel distance" holiday with our DD, so any advice is welcome! :)

[Ula]

Just remember Island/Coral are a very different layout than the other Princess Ships. The buffet is in the front of the ship. You might want to see if there is a roll call for your ship under the Roll Call boards. You might find other people with young ones cruising.