NCL Gem, Oct repositioning, with a 2 and 4 year old

[Kapihopela]

Any advice?

 

This is our first cruise ever, and we picked an ambitious one lol. We are going to have a transatlantic flight to Venice, a week in the greek isles with a port day almost every day, then a 2 week transatlantic cruise back to new york with 5 straight sea days at the end. Our kids will be 2 1/4 and 4 1/2 at sailing. We'll be staying in a mini suite.

 

I'm looking for any advice or tips anyone has. Good tours for small children in the mediterannean ports especially. But ship board experiences are just as welcome.

[rebeccalouise]

First of all- what a great adventure.

 

I was tempted to tell you to fly into Venice two days prior to the cruise to ensure that you don't miss the boat and have more time in Venice but that is up to you. If you do this- stay at the Santa Chiara in Piazzle Roma- they offer quad rooms and the bus from the airport (very easy to use) drops you off right in front. Then the day you board the ship- you can easily get a taxi to the ship from there.

 

However, with kids 2 and 4 there are pros and cons to staying in Venice- the pro is that the kids can run through all the alleyways- without fear of being hit by a car. The con is that Venice is not exactly stroller friendly- lots of bridges but I did take a 2 year old to Venice and it was fun for all of us. We had an umbrella stroller for the two years old and we just carried it up and over the bridges with him in it.

 

As for your ports of call- I have been to Split but didn't get off the ship so can't comment.

 

Never been to Corfu.

 

Santorini- purchase the cable car tickets ahead of time on the ship. Saves time. Sometimes there are long lines for the cable car. I would not do a donkey ride personally. Takes a long time and didn't look very fun.

 

Mikonos was just ok- was not overly impressed. DO NOT walk from the ship into town. I did this and there is no shoulder and it is extremely dangerous. Take the shuttle. The town was pretty boring IMO.

 

Irakion- never been there

 

Malaga- There will be a shuttle from the cruise ship to town. We did a horse drawn carriage ride and asked to be dropped off at the Palace Alcazaba. The driver did not speak English. So have a guide book handy to point to where you want to go. You can also easily walk to the Palace. The Palace was wonderful and very interesting. I highly recommend this. Great view of Malaga. Kids can run around.

 

Cadiz- never been there.

 

Lisbon- we did a very boring bus tour that I don't recommend. The ship shuttles passengers into the town. From there you can take a bus to the Castle De Sao Jorge or a taxi (won't cost much) and it was great. Wonderful place for the kids to run and explore and a great view of Lisbon.

 

Ponta Delgada- sorry never been.

 

I have done two transatlantics and you will really enjoy that part- don't worry. You'll meet a nice group of people and there will be one or two kids onboard but not many.

[Kapihopela]

We're planning to spend at least 1 night in Venice but we're considering more, it'll depend on prices. As for the stroller, I was thinking of bringing my deluxe umbrella stroller (folds up small, but has a mesh basket underneath and fully reclines for naps/diaper changes),my cloth backpack style carrier and a harness. I figured I could store the carrier and harness in the basket of the stroller, and that way be able to put the 4 year old in the stroller and backpack the 2 year old if they're both tired or have them both walk with the 2 year old harnessed or have the 2 year old ride while the 4 year old walked. Seems like the greatest versitility for the minimalist amount of space. Can you see any flaws with that plan?

 

Thanks for the hotel suggestion, that'll be the first one I look up. Did you have any issues bringing your luggage on the bus? Do they ever have shuttle service between the airport and major hotels? I assumed that with luggage and children a taxi would be the easiest method of travel, but I haven't looked into it yet.

 

Thank you also for the port suggestions. I will be definitely looking into the palace at Malaga, A lot of the shore excursions seem really really expensive, so anytime we can do our own thing in town that's what we're going to try and do. Also so we can have some flexability in case the kids get overwhelmed.

 

I appreciate the tip about Mykonos, I might have tried that, it's good to know the little things like that, that aren't necessarily in the tour guide books. Everything about Mykonos seems to be aimed at the party crowd. Any ideas of fun things to do with the kids?

 

The cable cars on Santorini sound like fun, I will definitely be looking into those. I wonder if they have short donkey rides available? My kids'd flip for that.

 

Thanks again for the great tips. Feel free to keep them coming. I've never been on a cruise before and am really trying to get a feel for what I'm in for so I can prepare for going with the kids as much as possible. If it was just us I'd probably be a lot more willing to just take everything as it comes but going with kids it just seems smarter to do a lot of planning. Fortunately I still have lots of time lol.

[rebeccalouise]

I am pretty knowledgable about Venice (have been there 6 times).

 

The bus costs 3.5 Euros per person- so it will still be the cheapest way to get to Piazzle Roma (kids are probably free). A taxi would run about 40 Euros. There are no free shuttles to the hotels that I am aware of and if you find one it is going to be in the $500 range per night.

 

The buses run every 20 minutes or so from the airport and I have never had a problem getting on a bus almost right when I leave the baggage area. Its dead easy. You buy the tickets on the bus. The driver will put your bags under the bus and will not accept a tip- don't bother. They look at you funny.

 

The buses drop you off in Piazzle Roma. This is the end of the road for land taxis and buses. From here you have to use the vaporetto or a water taxi or walk. The vaporettos to St. Mark's are 6 Euros for adults and less for small children- one way. They will charge for large bags also. This is really tough with luggage and small children. Don't bother. The water taxis are very pricey- even a short ride will be 40 Euros and more likely 90 Euros- they are a rip off.

 

So stay in Piazzle Roma- the Santa Chiara is the only one I know of that offers quads. The Ca Doge' is a good choice but doesn't have an elevator and doesn't offer quads (as far as I know). So book early. The quads go fast. Expect to pay about $ 300 for a quad. Venice is pricey.

 

Once you are situated, then you can walk to St. Mark's or do the vaporetto- much easier without having luggage to contend with. Venice is a walking museum- you really don't need to do any "museums". Just walking through the canals will be a learning experience.

 

Don't do a gondola ride with a 2 year old. The baby will tire of it in 10 minutes and they CAN NOT move around.

 

The stroller will be cumbersome in Venice but you don't have much choice with little ones. As long as you and your husband can lift it together over the bridges with the two year old in it- it will work. My son (then 14) and I didn't have trouble with the small bridges. The kids will love St. Mark's Square. From there head to the Arsenal area and there is a small park- which will feel like a welcome escape from the crowds. Its a nice walk to the park along the waterway. There are swing sets and playground equipment there and you will see how the locals live- very pleasant area with trees.

 

As for the ship- I haven't sailed on the Gem but the crew will adore having children onboard and you will be treated royally. Have a wonderful time. If I think of anything else- I'll let you know.

 

Don't do the tours offered by the ship with kids that age- they will be totally bored.

[Kapihopela]

Oh, these are all wonderful tips, thank-you so much. This was exactly the kind of advice I was hoping to get!

[Kapihopela]

has anyone ever tried staying in a hostel instead of a hotel in Venice with toddlers/preschoolers. They seem much much cheaper. Would it be a bad idea? Or a bed and breakfast?

[rebeccalouise]

Can't say that I have and that might be a great idea- however.... I strongly recommend that you know where it is and how you are going to get there. This is easier said than done in Venice.

 

Venice is not an easy city to navigate with luggage. Some B&Bs don't have elevators. We stayed at a cheap place for one night but it was really difficult to find and when we finally go there- no elevator and three flights of stairs- two carryons and two big suitcases. Ughh..... I think what ever I saved on the room, I spent on massage and chiropractic care for the abuse to my back.

 

Make sure that you can access it by water taxi or easily by foot. Let me give you an example. I booked a room that required us to go over one bridge. I had my son (7), two carryons, and two suitcases. Now the 7 year old could not carry the suitcases. So I had to pull both suitcases (roller bags) up 20 or so steps and he had to do the same with the carryons. Then we both had to come down 20 or so steps with these suitcases. It was like the story of the fox, the chicken and the bag of corn. I couldn't leave my son- I couldn't take each bag and leave it unattended while I went back over the bridge.

 

So that's why I really push people to stay in Piazzle Roma at the Santa Chiara or the Ca Doge'. Then you can just have the fun of exploring on foot. Plus- you already mentioned the stroller- yikes.

 

Now I should mention a slightly more complicated option if you want to stay in st. Mark's Square.... There is a ferry from the airport. You need to ask for directions. It takes about 1 hour with a couple stops. It terminates in St. Mark's Square. From there- you can sometimes get a porter from your hotel to help with the baggage or there may be B&BS in this area.

 

And of course there are water taxis but they are very expensive. I did one though in 2002 with my son from the train station to our hotel- the Bauer. We were living large since I thought it would be my one and only trip to Venice. I've been back 5 times- now I am more practical!

[cruisincarly]

has anyone ever tried staying in a hostel instead of a hotel in Venice with toddlers/preschoolers. They seem much much cheaper. Would it be a bad idea? Or a bed and breakfast?

 

 

I haven't done hostels in Venice, but I've done a few in Italy (and a lot in Europe more generally). Unless the hostel specifically says it is "family friendly," I would advise against it. Hostels in Europe tend to be full of 20-something backpackers. Sometimes they're quiet and polite and sometimes not so much, but either way, perhaps not the best place for a family. That said, if you're wondering, you can always email/call the hostel and ask whether or not they get many families -- there are, indeed, some family-friendly places that call themselves "hostels" so it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

Even then, if you've not done hostels before, make sure you know what you're getting into: the basics, and just the basics: a place to sleep and shower. Which is fine, as long as you go in expecting that. Some are pretty clean and well kept, others not so much -- read as many reviews as possible before booking!

 

Edited to add: I've not tried to hostel with kids, I'm speaking from experience as myself a 20-something (and even teenage) backpacker.

[rebeccalouise]

A good link is Veniceby.com (or Italyby.com). Here you can find hostels, B&Bs, rentals and hotels.