Advice on cruises with 2.5 y/o twins?

[twintravelingmama]

Hello,

My husband and I are starting to discuss the possibility of taking our b/g twins on a cruise next summer (2013) when they will be 2 1/2. My parents would also probably come. We have only cruised once before and used Princess, and we like the itinerary options from Princess the best of those we've looked at (we're thinking Europe). Unfortunately, it looks like RCI and Disney are way beyond Princess in family-friendliness but don't have itineraries we're particularly interested in. Anyone have any recent experiences with this age group on Princess? Do they allow any flexibility on the 3-and-up kids' activities? Has anyone flown to Europe and cruised? They have proved to be pretty easy-going kids so far, but this is a whole new ball game. Really looking for any feedback, advice, personal experiences you have had. Thanks!

[cb at sea]

If you want to use the kid's club, wait until they are of age....they are NOT flexible on ages at all! And, having them potty-trained will make life easier, too!

[Kerry's Girls]

Princess will allow under-3 year olds to use the facility with a parent, which we enjoyed before my girls were 3, but Princess offers absolutely no chidcare for kids who don't qualify for the kid program. I had also mostly cruised Princess prior to having kids, so I understand wanting to stick with them, but I found it more enjoyable to have the option of the kid club. We're booked on a 9 day Carnival next June that has a fantastic itinerary. You may want to take a look at Carnival and NCL. NCL isn't usually my cup of tea, but they have great family suites and as long as you plan on the pay restaurants, the food is fine.

For Europe, you may not end up caring about the childcare though. We enjoyed our time in port so much, that we usually all had dinner and went to bed anyway. I will say that the staff on all the Princess cruises we took were extremely kid-friendly - my girls were always treated like Princesses and we never felt unwelcome with staff or passengers. I just knew that I'd be spending 24/7 with my kids.

Best,
Mia

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Absolutely wait.

I have flown with a 2 almost 3 year old to Europe and he did fantastic. We went to Switzerland. Had a large two bedroom suite for a week and then did a side trip to Venice. It was awesome. I was hesitant to go in the first place....

Having said that- he was allowed to use the pool even in swim diapers. No children can use the pools or hot tubs on Princess in diapers.

No children under 3 (and potty trained) are allowed in the youth program and Princess does not offer in cabin sitting.

There is no way I would do a cruise with this age. It will be to limiting and the excursions will be expensive and not enjoyable because they are designed for adults.

If your family wants to do Europe wait until they are old enough to go to the youth program. I think 4.5 is a good age.

[sandy18]

Hi,

I haven't flown with my almost 3 yr old b/g twins, so I cannot help you there. With my boy, I don't think that he would do well cooped up that long. It would really depend on their personalities.

On the cruising part, I can tell you that they will have a great time. At that age, twins are a whole lot more manageable and will at least let you sit down for a little bit and people watch. I've only been able to do this since they turn 2.5 so I am really grateful!

Keep in mind that some children will not stay in the kids club and you may not be able to use it. We've only tried Carnival because they will allow 2 yr olds. My DD loved it and we would take her at night when we would go for dinner. One day, she came back with her face painted as a bunny and another a pirate. The staff at the camp were great. However, my DS would have none of it. He flew in the first day when he saw all the toys and DH and I had a great 1.5 hour break

The following day we tried to drop them off so that we could have dinner and DS started to shake his head no as soon as he saw the camp sign. They tried to make him happy and stay but he would have none of it. He spent the whole week with us and even though it was challenging at times (specially dinner) we had an exhausting great time. but, you have twins so you know exactly what I am talking about!

We had tried cruising when they were 14 months old and it was a nightmare, the second time around was great.

Good luck!

[twintravelingmama]

Thanks for all of your responses. Just some insight...we are considering the trip next summer rather than waiting because my parents will both be in their 70's by then. While they have enjoyed pretty good health thus far, and we certainly hope that will continue, we would like to travel with them before that becomes and impossibility. They have always preferred such adventures when I do the planning and go along, and, of course, they would be a huge help with the kids.

For those of you who said you have traveled with twins that age, what did you do for a stroller? We have a Bob Duallie, but it seems like that would be too bulky and wide for cruising/touring, though I LOVE the large rubber wheels for ease of maneuvering on rough terrain and cobblestones.

Can someone explain to me the dining arrangements on NCL? Is there no "default" dining room? And do you pay for every meal?

Thanks for your time and thoughtfulness!

[travelhound]

I can't help you with the child information (we're taking our 15 month old on her first cruise for New Years), but I have been on many NCL cruises so I can help you with that question.

We specifically booked an NCL cruise because of their dining. They have "freestyle", which is their term for non-traditional dining. I couldn't imagine doing anything but non-traditional with kids under 3. NCL pioneered the freestyle concept and although most other ships offer some type of anytime dining, we think NCL does it best. There are two main dining rooms that do not charge. You can be seated alone or with others. We've found that when it was only the two of us they serve really quickly, so we're hoping to go to the main dining room most evenings with our dd rather than the buffet. Of course the buffet is also available and there is no charge. Room service is also no charge except for a tip. By the pool there is also a lunch BBQ that is a burger/hot dog/chicken breast type of thing for no charge.

Each ship has their own names for the pay restaurants but it's some combination of French, Italian, Japanese, Asian Fusion, Steakhouse, etc. The prices usually range from $10-25 pp. I wouldn't go to any of those restaurants with little kids. They are more intimate (ie - quiet) and the meals take too long for little attention spans. If you do use the childcare or babysitting serve in the evening, that would be the time to go to a specialty restaurant. Even if you stick to everything that is no additional cost, you'll be fine. I think the food is acceptable. Of course it's very good in the pay restaurants, but it that may be for another time.

Have fun!

[Kerry's Girls]

Originally Posted by twintravelingmama

For those of you who said you have traveled with twins that age, what did you do for a stroller? We have a Bob Duallie, but it seems like that would be too bulky and wide for cruising/touring, though I LOVE the large rubber wheels for ease of maneuvering on rough terrain and cobblestones.

Can someone explain to me the dining arrangements on NCL? Is there no "default" dining room? And do you pay for every meal?

Thanks for your time and thoughtfulness!

I used the Maclaren side-by-side for port days. It's pretty narrow, but most important it handled the cobblestones well, reclines some for napping, and folds easy and light for carrying up and down subway stairs, etc. I never used it on board because a side-by-side doesn't work well on a ship.

There is a main dining room on NCL that is free. The dining that is closer to Princess quality are the pay restaurants, so when considering NCL, I just figure the cost of the pay places into our budget. When we were on the Jade, the children could have free kids meals in most of the specialty restaurants, except the steak house and "Benihana"-style restaurant, which were the only two places that weren't kid friendly. The others that we visited - the Italian, Mexican and Asian specialty places - were very family friendly. We did like the freestyle schedule and casual dress code of NCL for a Europe cruise - it was nice to grab dinner whenever we returned to the ship.

Best,
Mia

[twintravelingmama]

Thanks for the helpful responses. Kerry'sgirls, did you use the Maclaren Twin Triumph? The wheels look fairly small on that (compared to my Bob jogger), but you said they did fine on the rough terrain? Also, how did your duo do on the Transatlantic flight?