Freedom of the Seas with a toddler

Hi everyone! We will be taking our DS on his first cruise in March on the Freedom of the Seas Western itinerary. He will be just over 2 at that point. At this point, I am just looking for tips on the FOS specifically with a toddler. Anything that is not to miss? Also, if you have any tips on what to do in port that would be great. Our ports are Labadee, Falmouth, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. Thanks!

Freedom of the seas with a toddler

What you have suggested is an impossibility ;)

Labadee is a beach day... you can come and go from the ship at will....easy!

For the rest of your ports, get a guidebook, see what's available in each place that would interest you....and THEN you can decide if you can do it on your own, or if you really need to pay for an excursion. Lots of hints and tips in a guidebook! Libraries have them, you know.

You will benefit from a balcony cabin, so you will have someplace "to be" while your child is napping or down early for the night!

You might want to try Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. I have taken my kids there the last two times we have been there and they have enjoyed it, including my two year old. You will have to do it on your own, but it is easy to arrange.

We didn't find the Freedom class ships particularly inviting for toddlers, unless they are potty trained. The H20 Zone is only for potty trained kids. Unless thy improved the character breakfast, we found it too long and not enough characters walking around to keep a 2 year old entertained.

What we did like was the play area that they would set up (I think in one of the lounges on deck 12) and the parade in the Royal Promenade. They also had Shrek at one of the sail away parties that was good.

We did not get a chance to go to the ice show, but that might be ok for a 2 year old. The rest of the shows will not work well.

We are taking our 3.5y.o. and then 18m old on the freedom in sept. , and have taken DS at 16 months on the oasis. I'll update afterwards, but so far we plan on doing Passion Island in Coz. since we won't have to use a car/taxi (so no carseat).

In Grand Cayman we're still deciding, but are eyeing Dolphin Cove to do a dolphin encounter for my husband and son. DD and I will watch and take pictures. If you book direct it is $59 a person for adults, free for kids. $12 for just transportation for a non-participant. They use Coaster buses (mid-size) so trying to see how I feel about not having carseats.

Labadee is easy, just walk down the dock to the island. We found plenty of shady spots under palm trees, and we took DS's stroller for naps.

Falmouth was under construction when we were there with Oasis, but we will still probably just get off and walk around the port, then get back on the ship and enjoy the empty-ness :)

Freedom will be a good ship for toddlers I think- they are able to go in the kiddie pool, which if its like oasis is enough for a 16mo old. We loved the Royal babies and tots nursery as well, and also the open play rooms. You can also borrow bags of Fisher price toys to take back to your stateroom. We plan to play mini-golf (let them hit the balls around), maybe see one of the movies, the ice show, maybe try a show. We took DS to some shows and he would sleep on me or in the stroller. We'd also walk him around the ship and night in his stroller (he'd fall asleep)- then sit and have a drink in one of the promenade bars or just watch some of the entertainment from the back of a lounge. We also used the nursery 2-3 nights and he'd go to sleep there, we' d just put him in his stroller and wheel him back- he never woke up, he was so exhausted from the day. So definitely bring a stroller with a good recline!

GL!

Other things...

Also, to wear him out, we'd let him walk down one of the stateroom halls during the day when on our way somewhere and he'd be wiped out.

He loved the Character breakfast as well as the parade too.

We'd take milk from the Windjammer to keep in the room for early mornings, and also mini-boxes of cereal for snacks. The café in the promenade always had milk too so sometimes we'd just take an early morning walk there to get it (it was always empty!)

For DS' bed, instead of a pack n play our cabin guy turned the couch around so that it faced the wall each night- this way we still had lots of floor space, and DS was contained b/w the back of the couch and the wall (though could still climb over the armrests, though at 2 shouldn't be a problem).

We brought a sound machine as well so that he'd be lulled to sleep and we could still watch TV.

parades YES YES YES

Character breakfast - why not

Ice show - every 2 min they say, keep quiet - tell that to a two year old. That said after the initial, i have to to sit still whine complain, he loved it.

I did get looks like "are you serious? you gonna keep that loud kid in here?" But he settled right in for that show. That was however the only show we made it though.

also, the kiddy splash pool is right beside the splash area they CANNOT go to. Try explaining that to a 2 yo- you have to stay in this boring area and cannot go to the fun looking splash area.

There is a under 3 toy time, they love the toys. BUT i have toys at home.

Freedom was by far the least fun cruise we have had with our little ones. Just my opinion.

I seem to remember on Grand Cayman walking off the tender with my 2 year old in a baby carrier on my back and walking shortly after onto a semi-submersible "glass bottom" boat. She was utterly engrossed in the boat trip, looking out the windows. We ended up going on glass bottom boats at every single port, though Cozumel sucked.

Anyway none of them were attached to teh cruise line as official shore excursions.

Oh, and not ONE of our family members had a decent time in Cozumel. If I ever am on another cruise with that on the itinerary, I'm staying on the ship. It was AWFUL. The boat was so bad that I had them put me ashore and took a crazy cab back to the ship with my kid between my feet because no carseat was safer and more pleasant than staying on the motorboat for another second. My parents described their Mayan Ruins tour as "A forced march through the valley of the sheep people" because the vendors along the path would look at the tourists and bleat like sheep, making fun of them. My husband took a "therapy" retreat that involved a truck with no shocks (Bumpy road therapy!) to a hot place where they sat in a hotter place to have sweating therapy. But I like being on the ship, so having a day when I don't actually get off the ship even when it is in port is fine by me.