Princess says no private babysitters - how do you cope with evenings with young kids

[bicoastalbabe]

Princess says they do not provide off duty crew for private in-cabin babysitting. How do you cope with adult dinners, evenings, etc.? We are grandparents with our kids and grandkids planning a New Years Cruise. The kids are 2, 4 and almost 6 with a normal bedtime of 8 PM. So the evening 7-10PM kids program doesn't help. We (the grandparents) like Princess but how can we have some adult family time at dinner (presumably late seating) and how can my daughter and her husband have evenings for dancing, shows, etc. without us being the babysitters?

 

Anyone have experience sailing Princess with young kids or any ideas?

 

Also, on RCCL or HAL where they do have babysitters available can you get one if you want or do they get booked up and some people can't get babysitters on a busy family cruise time (like New Years or Christmas)?

[cb at sea]

RCI does have "in-room" babysitting...most of the time.

This is the one downside of cruising with small children...the entire cruise experience is different than an "adult only" cruise, as you have the children to take care of!

Some folks will bring a "nanny" or "babysitter" with them, just so they can have some "time off" from the kids.

If neither option is available, you may have to throw the kid's normal schedule out the window and take them to the shows! On RCI, late seating goes to the shows BEFORE dinner, so that would be doable, if you fed the kids early, in the buffet.

Or, change to My Time Dining, and schedule your day around the kids!

[Essiesmom]

HAL does not provide children's activities or baby sitting for children under 3. EM

[crusinmama06]

Cruising with children is different than without. When the kids are younger, parents can just expect to make some sacrifices (no going out late at night) just like at home. I used to compensate for that lack of late night entertainment by getting a balcony so my husband and I could head "outside" for some quiet late night alone time.

 

If babysitting is important than choosing a cruise line that has it should have been a high priority. :)

 

On the flip side, I know you say that the kids "bedtimes are 7pm" but from experience - my kids bedtimes are always 7pm on land. At sea, those bedtimes get pushed to 10pm because the kids BEG not to miss the evening activities at the kids clubs.

 

So don't be surprised if the 4 and 6 year old aren't out having their own late night. Now the 2 year old, THAT poor child is going to be upset because his/her older siblings will be out having fun at the kids clubs (even during the day) and he/she isn't old enough for the Princess kids club. :(

[crusinmama06]

Oh and can I just add? You wrote "How can we cope with adult dinners" . Your daughter may have a different expectation for this cruise. When we cruise, it's a family vacation. So as a family, we eat together. The kids love going to the dining room. So if you expect to have adult only dinners on a cruise line without a babysitting service, you may have to change that expectation.

 

Maybe your daughter will choose to eat during early seating (main seating) as we do? Then the kids won't be expected to eat late at night.

[CgyTravelJunkies]

The only thing I can suggest if you are set on sailing with a line that doesnt offer private babysitting, is to bring your own Mother's helper/Nanny. It will cost you the price of an Inside cabin, but then you will have the luxury of having help with your kids around the clock if needed.

[Julienatul]

Essentially what you are describing is not doable. You cant have "adult only time" with young kids and no babysitting service unless you rotate and one person stays with the kids while the other "adults" enjoy time out doing adult things. My advice would be to switch cruiselines to one that offered babysitting for these ages (Disney, Carnival, NCL or RCCL) or take along a babysitter of your own to help out or just expect that the two yearold will be with you 24/7 and you most likely wont be able to eat late seating or enjoy the really late nightlife this cruise.

[Baxter]

I agree that it is an unreasonable expectation to have adult time. We love to travel with our kids -- we cruised pre and post kiddies. Pre-kids, we did the late seating, caught all the shows, did the casino after etc. Post-kiddies we do early dining, make sure we eat with other people who have children (so as not to potentially disturb those who don't want to dine with kids), and we alternate nights out. So I go to the show, but go alone. The next night, my husband gets the night out.

 

Personally, even if it were offered I would not use the private babysitting. I don't leave my kids with strangers at home, so I'm not about to do it in a foreign place. If we want to continue to vacation now that we have kdis, we have to redefine what that means.

[Onessa]

We did several vacations with our DD and my parents when DD was very young -- including some cruises. Like others described, we adjusted our "expectations".

 

One or more of us would stay with DD. We got ajoining rooms/cabins and spent our evenings together as a family -- when DD got tired, she'd go down in the other cabin. It was very relaxing.

 

DD was 8YO when my mother passed and 11 when my father passed. My family and I treasure the memories we have of those times. None of us ever regreted not being able to spend all night at the casino, or having missed a show, or whatever.

[A&Emom]

It was pretty easy for us. We put our children's needs first.

 

We just did a family cruise to Alsaka on the Sapphire in July. 22ppl total. We were traveling with our 2yo & 6yo. The next youngest child was 8yo. We had late seating but understood that if it was too much for our 2yo son that one of us would be eating dinner in our cabin. On those nights my in-laws were happy to take our 6yo daughter along to the show, and drop her off afterwards. We did make one show together and that was fun, but we didn't feel like we'd been missing out.

 

We made good use of our balcony and had many enjoyable nights just hanging out there with new friends and family members having a late night drink and pizza.

 

Traveling with children is different and anyone who doesn't acknowledge that is setting themselves up for disappointment. We first cruised with our daughter when she was 2yo on RCCL, which does offer in cabin babysitting. We only utilized it once during that week.

[poppan]

We're in a similar group -- grandparents, parents and young children (twins aged 2 in my case). I am the parent instead of the grandparent -- so in your daughter's shoes.

 

We have only cruised with Princess in the past and this will be our first cruise with the kids. We are choosing a different cruiseline (Celebrity) this time precisely because of the Princess policy on no in-cabin babysitters. Also, our kids are under 3 and cannot participate in their kids program without a parent, so regardless of bedtime, we were not going to get adult time by dropping them off there.

 

It's a 14 night cruise for us with a lot of sea days (we're going to Panama Canal). I'm hoping to line up a babysitter for 3-4 evenings, hoping that my parents will volunteer to watch them 1-2 evenings (I'm not counting on it and will not ask, but will accept gratefully if they offer). For the first time we are spending the extra money for a balcony because we are figuring on spending more time in the room than on previous sailings. I'm not sure how it will all go but am getting ready to just roll with it... whether that means room service, buffet dinner on non-babysitter nights, or waiting outside the MDR with the kids until the main course is served, dashing in to eat it and then exiting as soon as the kids get restless again.

 

On Princess I don't see how you're going to get around it... someone will have to stay with the 2 year old, or the 2 year old will have to come with you to the dining room. Unless, as someone else suggested, you have the resources/desire to bring a nanny with you. I wouldn't mind paying for an extra interior stateroom -- it's the 24-7 nanny bill that I can't afford... :rolleyes:

[zoncom]

I would ask the crew to find a sitter. Theres always a female crew member looking for extra $$. Cruisesline does not want the responsibility. $$ talks, offer a generous sum.

[chj]

Princess says they do not provide off duty crew for private in-cabin babysitting. How do you cope with adult dinners, evenings, etc.? We are grandparents with our kids and grandkids planning a New Years Cruise. The kids are 2, 4 and almost 6 with a normal bedtime of 8 PM. So the evening 7-10PM kids program doesn't help. We (the grandparents) like Princess but how can we have some adult family time at dinner (presumably late seating) and how can my daughter and her husband have evenings for dancing, shows, etc. without us being the babysitters?

 

Anyone have experience sailing Princess with young kids or any ideas?

 

Also, on RCCL or HAL where they do have babysitters available can you get one if you want or do they get booked up and some people can't get babysitters on a busy family cruise time (like New Years or Christmas)?

 

Leave the boat anchors at home.

[c-cruise]

I would opt for an early dining time and take the kids to dinner with you. If you are going to cruise with young kids you are going to have to make sacrifices like adult only time.

 

Personally, we take grandma with us and she is nice enough to watch our daughter for us a couple nights during the cruise so that we can have an evening to ourselves or catch a show.

 

As others have said cruising with toddlers is a whole different cruise experience!

[Kerry's Girls]

I would ask the crew to find a sitter. Theres always a female crew member looking for extra $$. Cruisesline does not want the responsibility. $$ talks, offer a generous sum.

 

Have you done this successfully on Princess? On Princess, it is against the rules for a crew member to be in a passenger cabin, so they would have to sneak through the corridors, so I wouldn't have thought any of them would take the chance, but I'd be interested to know if it's worked for you.

 

Best,

Mia

[bicoastalbabe]

Has anyone done this ? And on lines that offer private babysitting have you always been able to get one when you want?

 

I thank everyone for their comments. I have copied them all and sent them off to my daughter and son-in-law. As I figured, this policy pretty much knocks Princess out of the box. Unless people report being able to get unofficial babysitters.

[crusinmama06]

Has anyone done this ? And on lines that offer private babysitting have you always been able to get one when you want?

 

I thank everyone for their comments. I have copied them all and sent them off to my daughter and son-in-law. As I figured, this policy pretty much knocks Princess out of the box. Unless people report being able to get unofficial babysitters.

 

I haven't been on Princess but I can tell you that I have never seen anyone report back that they were able to hire crew for personal babysitting. ;)

 

Another option you haven't mentioned - Celebrity. They have in cabin sitting too. (at least I think they still do)

[karatemom2]

Has anyone done this ? And on lines that offer private babysitting have you always been able to get one when you want?

 

I thank everyone for their comments. I have copied them all and sent them off to my daughter and son-in-law. As I figured, this policy pretty much knocks Princess out of the box. Unless people report being able to get unofficial babysitters.

 

Most of the crew work 10 to 12 hours a day. I doubt they would have the ability to pick up a babysitting job even if it was allowed which I am guessing it is not. Even if they were doing it on their own time, since they are an employee of Princess the line would still probably bear liability and therefore it is likely against Princess policy.

 

Really, would you want a perfect stranger babysitting your grandchildren anyway? I mean personally I would have a big problem with that. At least if it is arranged babysitting through the cruiseline you could hopefully assume the person has had some training and a background check.

 

If you are unable to take turns babysitting the two year old, I'm thinking Princess may not be the best choice for your family. I would look for a line that has a children's program with a lower age limit and/or in room babysitting.

[jimswims]

I would ask the crew to find a sitter. Theres always a female crew member looking for extra $$. Cruisesline does not want the responsibility. $$ talks, offer a generous sum.

 

I would not be the one responsible for that crew member's firing. That is what most likely will happen if she is caught doing this.

[kitty9]

I would ask the crew to find a sitter. Theres always a female crew member looking for extra $$. Cruisesline does not want the responsibility. $$ talks, offer a generous sum.

 

When a crew person breaks a cruise line's rule, they will be fired, immediately. I can't imagine anyone being selfish enough to try and do this, and then being the cause of anyone losing a job.

[bicoastalbabe]

You're all right, of course. I don't know what I was thinking. We'll just have to do Princess when it's just the two of us until the kids are old enough. I didn't mention Celebrity (or Disney) because the younger generations are all in San Francisco so we are looking at West Coast holiday cruises.

 

Thanks everyone for your help.

[Mack2]

The cruise being a family vacation, I would recommend an early seating dinner.

 

This gives you time to dine as a family unit, and the opportunity to take the kids to a show or a stroll. Speaking of strolls... a stroller REALLY helps with the 2 year old... My daughter at 18months would come with us to the show and promptly fall asleep in the stroller halfway through.

 

For us, the adult time is the premium dining that the lines are now offering. The specialty steak house or something. It is easier to have the kids dine at the buffet before letting them play at the kid's club while the adults are dining in the specialty restaurant.

 

Of course... you have to take into account the kids' temperments. My toddlers could sit through a show and either enjoy themselves are fall asleep without much of a fuss. Other kids may get antsy and cause a commotion (which is why it's nice to be able to sit in the back near the exit)

 

We were on the Grand Princess two years back... the kids at the time were 8, 5, and not quite 3

couldn't get my daughter in on the kids club as she was 3 months from her birthday, so she hung out with us. Take her to the show in the stroller, the boys like the shows. Turn in at around 10pm... and take turns going to the casino (the slots are very anti-social anyway)

 

It's doable. Right now may be the best time to do a 14-day Panama Canal cruise... since you can't really take them out of school for two weeks once that starts (or you might not want to take them out for that long)... and its really HOT during the summer for that, isn't it?

 

 

And how can you pass up opportunities like the Ostrich Farm in Curacao?

She doesn't remember it much... but it's really COOL!

[ShelbysMom]

Have you considered Carnival? Camp Carnival starts at age 2. The Splendor is doing 7 day Mexico out of LA this year.

[poppan]

You're all right, of course. I don't know what I was thinking. We'll just have to do Princess when it's just the two of us until the kids are old enough. I didn't mention Celebrity (or Disney) because the younger generations are all in San Francisco so we are looking at West Coast holiday cruises.

 

Just had to give a shout out to my fellow San Franciscans! Are you sure you aren't *my* mom? ;)

 

Just for consideration... since Panama Canal was mentioned by the previous poster -- we are doing exactly that, Miami to San Diego by way of Panama Canal, on Celebrity (which has in-cabin babysitting). I'm flying with two 2-year-olds. We're braving the flight to Miami but the one back to SF from San Diego should be a piece of cake, right?

 

I think HAL also has in-cabin babysitting, but I don't know if they have any cruises leaving from SF.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Princess says they do not provide off duty crew for private in-cabin babysitting. How do you cope with adult dinners, evenings, etc.? We are grandparents with our kids and grandkids planning a New Years Cruise. The kids are 2, 4 and almost 6 with a normal bedtime of 8 PM. So the evening 7-10PM kids program doesn't help. We (the grandparents) like Princess but how can we have some adult family time at dinner (presumably late seating) and how can my daughter and her husband have evenings for dancing, shows, etc. without us being the babysitters?

 

Anyone have experience sailing Princess with young kids or any ideas?

 

Also, on RCCL or HAL where they do have babysitters available can you get one if you want or do they get booked up and some people can't get babysitters on a busy family cruise time (like New Years or Christmas)?

 

 

We go to cabin at 9 ,by 9:30 baby go to sleep and we seat on balcony with a drink:D I would never leave my kid with God know who in cabin,you can call me stupid for this:o