Tips for Cruising with a 2 year old

My husband and I are taking a 5 day cruise on the Carnival Triumph with our 2 year old grandson. Does anyone have any tips for traveling with a 2 year old? We would love any suggestions for both on and off the ship. Our cruise will be going to Cozumel and Progresso.

I did a cruise Nov of last year with my son who was 16 months at the time. As others will tell you, make sure you take anything with you that you would normally need at home for him such as medications, special snacks (if he is particular about his food), diapers, wipes, powder (if he is still in diapers). Also make sure to have some of his toys with him. That was something that helped us (granted my son was younger than your grandson) since he had things that were familiar to him.

Things to remember on the boat would be that he would not be allowed in the pools if he is not potty trained. What I did on sea days is seek out areas that had less foot traffic and we would go there and play with a ball and just run around a little. My son also just enjoyed walking around the decks in general and "exploring". We had to come up with our own things to do since at that age he was not allowed in camp carnival yet. We will be going on another cruise this coming Nov with a different line (where he will be too young for their camp carnival equivalent since it is for children starting at age 3) so we will see how it goes at an older age.

As for the ports, we just did beach days with him and a little shopping. Things are different when traveling with a little one, but they can be fun as well.

Check out the Family board for other info.

Thanks for the info. Our grandson will be able to go to Camp Carnival some of the time, so we will try that out. We are working on potty training, so it sounds like we need to ramp it up a little bit for him to be able to play in the pools. I am glad you shared that information. I will also check out the family board. I also got the fast pass, so we can avoid waiting in the long check in lines.

Thanks for the info.

 

 

I also got the fast pass, so we can avoid waiting in the long check in lines.

You are very welcome.

The FTTF was a great thing to have for us as when we boarded it was my son's nap time. Was great being able to head straight to the room and have him take his nap while my wife and I took turns going to the Buffet to grab food and come back to our room to enjoy

I think the number one thing to keep in mind is be flexible. Otherwise it can mean cranky child and parents/grandparents.. Also do pack enough diapers and butt cream in case they have diarrhea from changes in food and water. We purchased small blow up balls that she loved. Played with these in different places on the ship.

We have traveled with grandsons since one was 5 and the other 2. Both are platinum. Very seasoned cruisers and have become addicted to cruising. Even took them to Europe at ages 9 and 14. They loved it.

Now working on almost 3 year old granddaughter. She has 3 under her belt now.

Be flexible and enjoy

be flexiable.

expect kid to eat/sleep more/less. Pay attention to his sleep ques. At 14 months dd was on one nap, she took 2 a day during the cruise. This worked out well, one nap early, one before dinner. at 2, she had one nap, but also had quiet time. I think she slept twice a few times so she could stay up late. PLEASE know how he reacts if he's kept up late, mine doesn't sleep in, if she's overtired, that night's sleep is horrible, resutling in the day being a waste Last cruise, no nap, but quiet time twice a day.

On her first, when she was in diapers, I packed diapers, mats, wipes, in the diaper box, put a tag on the box, and that was that. threw the box away afterwards, packed the few extras.

Bring blanket/pillow case, nighttime friend. Something about having your own blanket is comforting!

I bring 'tinkerbell' gifts. things she'll get on the ship, at different times. Crayons, small toys, markers, color wonder or magic markers. charactor soap. At two, she packed her own little bag with what she wanted to bring (it was a small, a few books and a few friends). Once at port she got her minnie mouse, which keep her happy. small target dollar spot type items, micheal's crafts.

We bring a cheap $15 umbrella stroller, it's served us well.

Early dining. and room service. I keep milk, cherrios and fruit in the room. My kid isn't great at telling she's hungry till it's too late.

Go to the dollar store, they sell foam puzzles, different charactors. get one put magnates on the back. Perfect to keep him busy in the room. I also got cardstock charactors and did the same, dd played at the doors. A few cheap art sets and toys will go a long away! I bring a beach ball and bubbles.

I do pack a few snacks. dd is a good eater, but at ports I bring boxed cereal from the ship and fruit/veggie pouches, granola. I just keep it in our bag, helps if in line getting on the ship or whenever!

There were a lot of very good suggestions above. Additionally, I would try to avoid ship tours if possible. You can often save money by booking an excursion independently with the exact same company as the ship tour, and arrange transportation independently. You do not want to be stuck on a ship tour or a large group tour with a child who needs a snack break immediately, needs to go at a very slow pace or needs to go back to the ship because he/she is melting down.

we recently cruised with our 1 and 3 year old on the Norwegian Getaway. Having a Haven Suite was a big plus while traveling with little ones. In preparation for our cruise, I found this video on you tube. Our kids absolutely loved this video (and the other cruise video by the same you tube user)-- lots of good tips on here, and some good laughs! My kids watched this about 30 times before our cruise, ha.

Thanks for the info. Our grandson will be able to go to Camp Carnival some of the time, so we will try that out. We are working on potty training, so it sounds like we need to ramp it up a little bit for him to be able to play in the pools. I am glad you shared that information. I will also check out the family board. I also got the fast pass, so we can avoid waiting in the long check in lines.

What is the fast pass? Does it apply only to children?

What is the fast pass? Does it apply only to children?

They mean faster to the fun.

It is something you can purchase (when available) under the excursions page for your cruise. The cost is $50 per cabin and allows you to get on the ship faster, have your room ready when you board, priority tender, a dedicated line for GS desk as well as a line when you go there in person to speak to someone, and last put not least... your bags arrive quicker to your room.

 

 

I do pack a few snacks. dd is a good eater, but at ports I bring boxed cereal from the ship and fruit/veggie pouches, granola. I just keep it in our bag, helps if in line getting on the ship or whenever!

Be sure that any food you take off the ship into port are unopened factory-sealed food.

Camp Carnival starts at age 2 so you should be fine as long as the child has celebrated his/her birthday. Cruise lines are very picky about this, especially for liability reasons. Our daughter was 23 months of age on her first cruise and we knew not to even press it with Carnival. And since you will have to have documentation for each child with a date of birth on it, they'll know each child's exact age.

Speaking of documentation, make sure you get birth certificate (with the raised seals and not a hospital certificate) for each child, along with a notarized authorization signed by both parents that authorize you to take the child on the cruise and out of the country -- whether you go out on port. You might not be asked for this, but if you are and don't have it, you won't be allowed to board. Also get an official okay to authorize medical treatment from the parents along with a copy of a medical insurance card.

And don't try to push it with potty training just so the child can go in the pool. If he/she has an accident, the pool has to be drained and specially cleaned. The other passengers will not be exactly happy with you then. Find out on the Carnival board if the Triumph has a splash pool for toddlers.

Have the parents put medications (cold, pain, etc.) in a ziploc bag along with dosages listed for the child (also have them list the child's weight). Bring along a supply of diapers/pullups as the ship's store won't carry these. If you're flying, do so at least a day ahead and then you can take a smaller number on the plane and will be able to stop at a store to stock up before the cruise (always have more than you think you may need). Bring stain remover that you can use to treat stains (Carnival has laundry rooms on board so if you think you may do laundry, take along a baby-safe detergent such as Dreft, which you can use for your laundry too).

We just took our daughter on her first cruise in February. I wish I never bothered to take her carseat. It was a waste since we never used it. We took her everywhere with us. We did 2 off ships tours with her. We never stopped doing anything we wanted to do because we had her with us. We just took her with us and let her sleep in our arms or in her stroller.

We looked at it as being her vacation too, so we didn't stress too much about getting her to bed at 8pm like we would at home. This all being said, we have a "go with the flow" baby and have accustomed her to going with the flow. We have a fairly strict schedule at home with her, but, don't get stressed if things don't go as planned. We bought diapers and wipes when we arrived to Puerto Rico so we did not have to carry them in our luggage. We brought our small umbrella stroller but I very much missed our Bob stroller. We let her swim in the pools even though she is not trained but she was wearing specific swim diapers for her age. We took her to the shows and she passed out in our arms and never woke up so we never missed anything. We kept fairly strict on her diet there which is fine since the food is so good and there are so many options. We did let her have some treats but did not go over board.

Bring something she can use to drink from. We always had it with water in it.

We did not use the daycare facilities at all. For us, we were on vacation with her.

We did bring Tylenol but did not need to use it.

Make sure you have all proper legal documents ready to go. I know in Canada we have forms that the parents of the child must sign in order for the child to leave the country.

Hope this helps.

Please don't allow children who are not potty trained in the ship pools. Diapers of any kind do not keep the bacteria or whatever a dirty diaper has in it. Those pools don't have chlorine so that is why the cruise lines have strict rules on it. Just FYI.

Please don't allow children who are not potty trained in the ship pools. Diapers of any kind do not keep the bacteria or whatever a dirty diaper has in it. Those pools don't have chlorine so that is why the cruise lines have strict rules on it. Just FYI.

AMEN. Brother Craig

Actually, there are ships that do have pools specifically for children that have a different filtration system than the main pool. And, we were informed by staff we were allowed in a certain pool on the ship with her and her swimming diapers. So, according to the pool staff on Celebrity we were allowed to. Carnival may have different rules.

Each ship has different rules regarding pools and diapers. It's a major health issue....there must be a special filtration system for diapers (fecal material)...

Most think because a swim diaper keep the poop in, it's safe......but it's not! The water flows through the diaper and enclosed materials...infecting the pool water with bacteria. That's why diapers are NOT allowed in most pools Please respect that, for the health of all concerned!

Each ship has different rules regarding pools and diapers. It's a major health issue....there must be a special filtration system for diapers (fecal material)...

 

Most think because a swim diaper keep the poop in, it's safe......but it's not! The water flows through the diaper and enclosed materials...infecting the pool water with bacteria. That's why diapers are NOT allowed in most pools Please respect that, for the health of all concerned!

also, swim diapers do not hold urine. oh, no, they do not. I found this out...dd was 14 months, ready to go (Disney's splash pad, swim diapers allowed), she was at the balony door, I was getting ready...

The diaper held nothing, the urine went down her leg.

Really, at that age, they don't know or care. Do something else, stay away from the pools till potty trained and YOU KNOW they won't wet. It really sucks to be the parent having to tell your kid well, some other parent didn't follow the rules, so now you can swim. If your kid isn't trained, keep them out of the pool!

Thanks! These are great suggestions. I am going to pack him a "goodie" bag, so he has some new toys/books to play with on the cruise and will definitely bring an umbrella stroller. My grandson is a night owl (just like his mom), so I will probably be asleep before he is most nights. Unfortunately, with my daughter's work schedule changing on a a regular basis my grandson's schedule changes frequently also. I am hoping that helps us avoid too many sleep issues. Carnival told me that I just needed a notarized letter from my daughter giving us permission to bring him on the cruise. I am also getting medical power of attorney, so that if anything does happen on the cruise we can get him medical care. (My husband ruptured his achilles tendon playing basketball two years ago on a a cruise, so we know first hand unexpected things can happen.)

Great Advice!

Bring a sippy cup, or a cup with a lid and a straw - even if the toddler can drink out of a cup, the glasses on the cruise ship can be too cumbersome for little hands to hold. Also, bring straws with you to the dining room - we occasionally had trouble finding someone who could bring us straws at dinner.

Bring a bit of dish soap and a bottle brush to clean the sippy cup in your cabin.

Put together a "dinner" bag with things that you can do together at the dinner table if you eat in the dining room. Dinner can go on for several hours. We take paper lunch bags and crayons and make puppets. Grandpa did a great job making up voices for the puppets the kids created.

Know ahead of time how the little one will react to the shower. Two of my four kids (ages 2-6) won't get near the shower. Pack a tiny blow up kiddie pool to use as an impromptu bathtub. Even if you only put a few inches of water in it, the kiddo will get cleaner than trying to scrub up with a washcloth in the sink.

Be prepared to beg for specific food items if you've got a picky eater. At breakfast, I was teased for asking for "6 slices of white bread - not toasted" from the buffet every single morning. But, my kids wanted to eat butter sandwiches, and so that's what I made for them!

Take advantage of the ships laundry service if you need to. We've had more than a couple of trips where the kids had accidents while potty training, or woke up wet from diapers that leaked. It's so nice just to pack those wet clothes into a laundry bag and have the cabin steward make sure that they come back clean and dry. Well worth $15!

Try to sit at booths and window seats. It's easier to sit a 2 year old on a booth seat next to you, than to have them sitting in a booster seat in a chair. Window seats give them something to look at.

If you're bringing a stroller, keep in mind that the cabin doorways are tiny. An umbrella stroller will usually fit through, but our twin stroller (not a side-by-side style) did not fit. We leave that one at home now, since we had to take it apart to get it in and out of the room each time.

Use the stairs. My little ones will wear themselves out going up and down the stairs. Find a less traveled area of the ship and let him have at it!

Ice cream is a perfectly acceptable breakfast, lunch, dinner or midnight snack on a cruise ship. My kids loved that treat!

Enjoy yourselves.

Hope that helps!

Jennifer

 

Ice cream is a perfectly acceptable breakfast, lunch, dinner or midnight snack on a cruise ship.

/QUOTE]

 

Love this! One of my greatest memories of all our cruises is the first time I let my girls have ice cream in the morning. The joy on their faces in the pictures still makes me smile.

 

Ice cream is a perfectly acceptable breakfast' date=' lunch, dinner or midnight snack on a cruise ship.

/QUOTE']

 

Love this! One of my greatest memories of all our cruises is the first time I let my girls have ice cream in the morning. The joy on their faces in the pictures still makes me smile.

 

dd was 2. it was our 10th aniversary, seeemed acceptable to let the kid have ice cream for dinner, right?

 

I'm just happy we were NOT kicked off the ship and yes, if there's any doubt those walls are sound proof. Kid was up middle to night, crying, screaming, so crazy!

 

 

She did however get cow milk and bananas on demand. and her cow milk was from the coffee cups. Kid was happy!

 

Ice cream for breakfast is acceptable. Cookies are better. :D

Jumping on this thread as well... some great suggestions, I'm taking notes! This will be our first time cruising with our daughter who will be 18 months at the time of sailing so definitely looking forward to any and all suggestions. Definitely trying to avoid traveling once we get to the port if possible since we won't have a car seat and I know how crazy the driving can be in the Caribbean. Has anyone with little ones been to the ports below. Looking for suggestions on things to do in the port

Costa Maya - I know this is a cruiseship made port so plenty of beach here, can't remember last time I was there if there were any kids play areas.

Cozumel - Any suggestions on a good beach to go to here fr children? I know most of the shoreline is Rocky at port areas. Still trying to find out what dock the NCL Star comes in to.

Roatan - If we were going into the new Carnival port we'd be fine but I think the Star docks at Coxen hole. I have not been to this dock in quite a few years. Is there anything to do here? We usually go over to Tabyana Beach so we may need to do this again even though it requires some travel.