Lots of questions, I hope this is ok! - Mainly kid related

So I've only been on one cruise, about 7 years ago. I may have learned a few things from that cruise, but now that we have kids, everything is different. So a lot of these questions have to do with having kids! So here goes!

Kids are two boys ages 6 and almost 3! Sailing on the Carnival Magic in mid. August.

1. Start off with a fun one! Formal night(s). I'm not sure if we want to mess with doing this, my husband is not one for dressing up, he wore black jeans with a tux jacket/shirt for our wedding as an example. I don't know if there is any way of getting him in anything besides jeans, so I'm guessing they might just throw us out right then and there if they see him wearing black jeans! I also was thinking this is probably just an adult thing, right? So I would need to take the kids to the kids club thing then, right? BTW, what exactly happens at formal night, what is the reason for doing it or not doing it?! We skipped out on formal night on our previous cruise!

2. So on the topic of kids club, I have my reservations in even sending them there, even though I know I would love some time away from the kids. First of all, they can't eat gluten. It is not an allergy, but I still don't want them to eat it, especially in large quantities. I know I can't expect my almost 3 year old to understand this and I have to watch a lot in certain situations what he is being offered to eat. My 6 year old knows better, but I believe he has been tempted before and gone ahead and eaten it. My best idea for helping with this besides informing the staff watching the children would be to do t-shirts for them saying they are gluten free. I know this seems a bit much and surely I could just put a sticker on their shirt and that would be good enough, but my younger one will not have a sticker on his shirt for anything, so that is out and my older son seems to think he can be treated like my younger son, so there is no guarantee he would be ok with just a sticker and of course he wants whatever his brother has anyway! So thoughts on this?

Also, I might want to put them in the late night childcare. Any idea if they let them sleep if they are tired?

3. I currently have a not potty trained almost 3 year old. I know it can be done before then and I'd love to be able to get that done as soon as possible for him to be able to swim/play in the water. I would probably have to take him to the kids club while we do swimming with the older one if he isn't potty trained yet. If he is and I'm pretty confident with how he is doing, taking him on frequent potty breaks, etc. What is the best way to handle any accidents? Do I need to inform the staff of what has happened? I hate to shut down the pool, but I would be putting him in a cloth swim diaper just incase anyway. I know I read clearly in the rules that potty trained only children are allowed, but it didn't mention anything about accidents.

4. Do I need to bring beach towels when we get off the ship, or can we use the ships towels?

5. I read that I can't put cameras, money, other valuables, etc, in our luggage, so I'm guessing I can bring those items in a carry on bag then, right? Or do I just wear my camera on me? I have a DSLR.

6. How many hours before the ship takes off should we be there, at the port we leave out of, Galveston?

Any other tips or suggestions for this cruise with kids would be super helpful, thanks!

So I've only been on one cruise, about 7 years ago. I may have learned a few things from that cruise, but now that we have kids, everything is different. So a lot of these questions have to do with having kids! So here goes!

 

Kids are two boys ages 6 and almost 3! Sailing on the Carnival Magic in mid. August.

 

1. Start off with a fun one! Formal night(s). I'm not sure if we want to mess with doing this, my husband is not one for dressing up, he wore black jeans with a tux jacket/shirt for our wedding as an example. I don't know if there is any way of getting him in anything besides jeans, so I'm guessing they might just throw us out right then and there if they see him wearing black jeans! I also was thinking this is probably just an adult thing, right? So I would need to take the kids to the kids club thing then, right? BTW, what exactly happens at formal night, what is the reason for doing it or not doing it?! We skipped out on formal night on our previous cruise!

 

2. So on the topic of kids club, I have my reservations in even sending them there, even though I know I would love some time away from the kids. First of all, they can't eat gluten. It is not an allergy, but I still don't want them to eat it, especially in large quantities. I know I can't expect my almost 3 year old to understand this and I have to watch a lot in certain situations what he is being offered to eat. My 6 year old knows better, but I believe he has been tempted before and gone ahead and eaten it. My best idea for helping with this besides informing the staff watching the children would be to do t-shirts for them saying they are gluten free. I know this seems a bit much and surely I could just put a sticker on their shirt and that would be good enough, but my younger one will not have a sticker on his shirt for anything, so that is out and my older son seems to think he can be treated like my younger son, so there is no guarantee he would be ok with just a sticker and of course he wants whatever his brother has anyway! So thoughts on this?

Also, I might want to put them in the late night childcare. Any idea if they let them sleep if they are tired?

 

3. I currently have a not potty trained almost 3 year old. I know it can be done before then and I'd love to be able to get that done as soon as possible for him to be able to swim/play in the water. I would probably have to take him to the kids club while we do swimming with the older one if he isn't potty trained yet. If he is and I'm pretty confident with how he is doing, taking him on frequent potty breaks, etc. What is the best way to handle any accidents? Do I need to inform the staff of what has happened? I hate to shut down the pool, but I would be putting him in a cloth swim diaper just incase anyway. I know I read clearly in the rules that potty trained only children are allowed, but it didn't mention anything about accidents.

 

4. Do I need to bring beach towels when we get off the ship, or can we use the ships towels?

 

5. I read that I can't put cameras, money, other valuables, etc, in our luggage, so I'm guessing I can bring those items in a carry on bag then, right? Or do I just wear my camera on me? I have a DSLR.

 

6. How many hours before the ship takes off should we be there, at the port we leave out of, Galveston?

 

Any other tips or suggestions for this cruise with kids would be super helpful, thanks!

1) Carnival is fairly relaxed as far as dress codes go. I've worn a tux shirt to formal night once. Most people just laughed.

2) I don't believe they feed the kids at Camp Carnival. I remember we always picked the kids up and took them to lunch. Royal Caribbean feeds the kids by taking them to the buffet, but I don't think Carnival will do this.

Nonetheless, just pick them up around 11am and drop them back off around 2pm and they should be food free.

3) Carnival will accept non-potty trained kids. I know other cruise lines will not.

4) You can take the ship's towels off the ship. Don't lose the towels or you will be charged.

5) I believe it is only recommend that you don't put valuables in your checked luggage. The reason being, it is not secure. As for fragile valuables, forget it. The way luggage is handled, anything sensitive (like a camera) could easily be damaged.

Yes, put the valuables in your carry-on.

6) Because of the homeland security rules, the manifest must be submitted one hour before departing. Thus everyone must be on board at least one hour before the ship departs. However, the cruise lines usually require passengers to be on board 90 to 120 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

At the port stops you have to be on board 30 minutes prior to departure time.

7) Recommendations. Take the kids to the Camp Carnival get together on the first night (right after dinner). You don't have to go the rest of the week, but it will be a good time to meet the staff, the other kids and to discuss any concerns you have with the staff. You can also visit Camp Carnival during embarkation day to see the facilities and speak to the staff.

You don't have to leave the kids at Camp Carnival all day. We brought them in the morning after breakfast and picked them up before lunch, then kept them the rest of the day.

From Carnival's website ...

Children with Special Needs

Carnival Cruise Lines is dedicated to offering the finest cruising experience for our guests with disabilities and special requirements. A Fun Ship® cruise vacation is perfect for people who have a special need for fun. Our ships provide excellent service and a variety of accessibility features to make your voyage an exciting, relaxing and memorable one.

The following information highlights some of the conditions under which our onboard Carnival Youth Program accepts children with special needs into the respective programs (Camp Carnival, Circle “C” and Club O2).

• In order to participate in any Carnival Youth Program activities the parent or legal guardian will need to complete a registration form.

• You will also be given an alternate special needs checklist, which will help aid the Youth Staff in how to best serve your child while participating in the activities.

• Children with special needs have the option to move down one age group if this will help them better adapt to the environment. (Parents will receive a program with all activities listed for the cruise and can then choose which activities will be suitable for their child to attend)

• We do not provide one on one attention, but if this is necessary, the parent or legal guardian, assigned helper is welcome to stay and participate with the child during activity times.

• Parents of children with special needs will be provided with a beeper or phone (if applicable).

• Youth Programs Important Information rules still apply to all children, in terms of administration of medication, illness and unacceptable behavior while in the program.

• The Youth Staff may not administer any medication and/or needles to any child participating in the Carnival Youth Program. Additionally, no medications with the exception of epi-pens, nebulizers, diabetic testing equipment & inhalers are permitted in the facilities.

• Should a child still be in diapers and they are older/bigger than what the diaper changing table can hold, then the parent or legal guardian will be called to assist.

• Youth Staff cannot lift children with mobility disabilities.

• Since the Youth Staff are not able to provide one-on-one assistance, children will need to be able to feed themselves. In the event that a child needs to be fed, a parent or guardian may remain with the child during dinner, or bring the child to activities following the dinner service.

Camp Carnival will be closed every sea day for lunch. On port days, children whose parents are off exploring the port will be provided lunch at 12:00pm. Camp Carnival will ask parents to pick up their children for lunch if they are onboard the ship.

Camp Carnival offers dinner every night of the cruise (except the first night) in the Lido Deck Restaurant. A variety of foods will be offered for the children consisting of different menu each evening. Some of the options are: pasta, quesadilla, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwich, fish fingers, fried mozzarella, macaroni & cheese, vegetables, fruits and desserts. Check the Camp Carnival activity schedule for each night’s specific menu.

Within the Dining Rooms the children's menu features a variety of kids' favorites, including hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, pepperoni pizza, and banana splits, along with a "daily junior special" offering something new and different each day. The menus are included on the back page of a fun coloring/activity book featuring word finds, mazes, tic-tac-toe, crossword puzzles, connect the dots and other games. Crayons are also provided.

Due to severe food allergies and USPH requirements no outside food can be brought into the Youth Programs facilities. Light snacks may be provided for some specific activities.

Government regulations for U.S. departure ports require that a final departure manifest is submitted 60 minutes prior to departure. Guests must provide us with the required information prior to embarkation. The easiest and most convenient way is to complete our FunPass on line registration process (www.carnival.com/mycruise) at least (3) three days prior to departure. Guests that do not complete the registration process prior to embarkation are required to check-in at least 90 minutes prior to the published sailing time.

In addition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will no longer be accepting oral declarations to satisfy the requirements for identity and citizenship documentation. Guests must present the proper travel documentation at embarkation. U.S. citizens traveling on other cruises (cruises that begin and end in different U.S. ports or begin and end in a foreign port) will require a valid passport or other recognized WHTI-compliant document. For complete information on the required travel documentation, please visit the U.S. Government website (www.travel.state.gov).

Embarkation Hours:

Note: You must check in at least 1 ½ hours prior to departure or risk cancellation of your reservation.

Barcelona – 11:30 A.M.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Mobile, Galveston, Seattle, Tampa, New Orleans - 12:30 P.M.

Port Canaveral - 1:30 P.M.

Charleston - Carnival Fantasy at 12:30 P.M.; Carnival Glory at 5:00 P.M.

Honolulu & New York - 1:00 P.M.

Los Angeles (Long Beach) - 1:30 P.M.

Baltimore - 2:00 P.M.

San Juan - 2:30 P.M.

Ensenada - 6:00 P.M.

Embarkation Experience

Guests who purchased Carnival airport transfers - what to expect between the airport and cruise terminal:

Airport -

You will be met by our Meet & Greet Staff* at the Baggage Claim area and they will direct you accordingly (i.e. to carousel, waiting area). Once you arrive at the carousel area, you will need to identify and collect all of your luggage. Then, if we have enough guests for the motor coach to leave at full capacity, our Meet & Greet staff will escort you to the motor coach. If we need to wait for additional guests to arrive, you will be escorted to a waiting area with seats.

*Not all airport locations offer Meet & Greet staff. Please check your transfer voucher that is included in your E-Documents.

Cruise Terminal -

When you arrive at the cruise terminal, please make sure you collect all your carry-on luggage before getting off the bus. Once you are off the bus, you will need to identify your luggage to a porter. The porters will ensure your luggage is taken on board so that shipboard staff may deliver it to your stateroom. The customary tip for porter service is $1.00 per bag. When done, you will be directed inside the cruise terminal.

Guests who arrive at the cruise terminal on their own (i.e. personal car, dropped off) - what to expect:

Cruise Terminal -

Once you arrive at the port, you will go through Port Authority Security (usually a gate house) so please ensure you have readily available a picture I.D. and your cruise documents. You will then follow the signs to the terminal and continue on to the Baggage Drop-off area to hand your luggage to a porter. The porters will ensure your luggage is taken on board so that shipboard staff may deliver it to your stateroom. The customary tip for porter service is $1.00 per bag.

For guests who will park their car at the port, once you are at the Baggage Drop-off area, everyone aside from the driver may come inside the terminal while the driver continues to the parking area. At most of our ports, the walking distance between the parking area and terminal is a short one, making it an easy walk for the driver. Depending on the walking distance, some cruise terminals have a complimentary shuttle to and from the parking area/terminal.

Embarkation Process - what to expect:

Security Checkpoint

You will go through the x-ray security machines with your carry-on luggage. If your luggage exceeds 24"W x 16"H x 30"L, you must see a porter to have it checked in.

Check- in

From the security checkpoint, you will be directed to the check-in line. Once you reach our check-in agent, you will need to present your picture I.D. and proof of citizenship, as well as establish your Sail & Sign on board account. For additional information about Sail & Sign, please click here. Once our check-in agent completes your registration, they will provide you with your Sail & Sign card.

On the following ships, the Sail & Sign card is also used to access your stateroom and serve as your boarding card to get on and off the ship while in the ports of call: Carnival Inspiration, Carnival Elation, Carnival Paradise, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Triumph, Carnival Victory, Carnival Spirit, Carnival Pride, Carnival Legend, Carnival Conquest, Carnival Glory, Carnival Miracle, Carnival Valor, Carnival Liberty, Carnival Freedom, Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic.

On these ships, in addition to the Sail & Sign card, our check-in agent will provide you with a stateroom key: Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Ecstasy, Carnival Sensation, Carnival Fascination and Carnival Imagination.

Embarkation Souvenir Photo

Our ship's photo staff will be in the terminal to capture your "Welcome Aboard" souvenir photo. This photo will be displayed on board at the Photo Gallery and available for purchase.

APass (second security checkpoint)

This is your final embarkation step. Everyone's photo, including infants, will be captured through our APass kiosks. Your photo will be linked to your Sail & Sign card and used at security checkpoints when getting on and off our ships.

Thanks for all the helpful info, Cruizer2. I'm still curious about taking them to the camp carnival at night and if they will allow them to sleep, I did a little research and it looks like they might. Not sure why they wouldn't since they allow kids younger than two in there after 10 p.m. So it sounds like formal night is just getting dressed up to go to dinner, not a big deal, right?

3. I currently have a not potty trained almost 3 year old. I know it can be done before then and I'd love to be able to get that done as soon as possible for him to be able to swim/play in the water. I would probably have to take him to the kids club while we do swimming with the older one if he isn't potty trained yet. If he is and I'm pretty confident with how he is doing, taking him on frequent potty breaks, etc. What is the best way to handle any accidents? Do I need to inform the staff of what has happened? I hate to shut down the pool, but I would be putting him in a cloth swim diaper just incase anyway. I know I read clearly in the rules that potty trained only children are allowed, but it didn't mention anything about accidents.

Accidents are the main reason non-potty trained children are not allowed in the pools on most (not all) cruises. Carnival puts salt water in their pools. This means no or very limited chemicals that normal pools have that deal with accidents.

Bowel movements in the pool = pool shut down, drained, cleaned and refilled. This isn't a quick process and you can find posts on here mentioning the pool closed for almost full sea days because someone had an accident in the pool. I remember one when it happened multiple times by the same family even!

IMO always best not to chance it because well it isn't just your vacation it is the thousands of others on the ships vacation also.

It is possible to buy proper swimming pants for non-potty trained kids. They will contain fairly well, and in my experience with my kids, once in a pool, they are too excited about that to being using their bowels anyway!

Formal nights are fun to go to and dress up if that is your thing. Not too often in our everyday life do we get that chance. My kids loved it too, with the 9 year old wearing a bow tie. My four old loved it also. But they were a bit older.

It is possible to buy proper swimming pants for non-potty trained kids. They will contain fairly well, and in my experience with my kids, once in a pool, they are too excited about that to being using their bowels anyway!

Formal nights are fun to go to and dress up if that is your thing. Not too often in our everyday life do we get that chance. My kids loved it too, with the 9 year old wearing a bow tie. My four old loved it also. But they were a bit older.

It doesn't matter. Its a US thing about the swim diapers. The cruiseline will not allow them. The only exception is for the ships based in Australia due to the laws there.

main dining room is not just for adults. i think its an awesome learning tool and makes for a'fabulous family time. especially with your older child. getting them to try new foods. we have taken our grand daughter on a few cruises starting at 18 months. She did amazing that cruise too. she is headed on her 4th cruise in august and has always eaten with us a family kids camps for the 2=5 and the 6-8 are next to each other. there is nothing for them to eat because of allergies. theynhave water to drink. kids are not there all day long.. they go at 10and get picked up by 12:45 opened back at 2 and closes'at 5 opens back at 7pm. so you see, they will not go hungry. late night camps...they sit and watch movies, somif they fall asleep they are allowed the kids will be together at this time too

not trained by 3?

If your child will be 3 by the time you sail, they will not change diapers and you will be called via beeper to come and retrieve your child for changing.

As per US health rules, children in diapers or swim diapers are not allowed in any water facility.

Even if a "swim diaper" holds in the solids, the pool water flows through it, putting all the nasty germs into the water with a bunch of kids! Yuck. It's unhealthy.

Non-pottytrained kids may swim at beaches in ports. Not on the ship!

So I've only been on one cruise, about 7 years ago. I may have learned a few things from that cruise, but now that we have kids, everything is different. So a lot of these questions have to do with having kids! So here goes!

 

Kids are two boys ages 6 and almost 3! Sailing on the Carnival Magic in mid. August.

 

1. Start off with a fun one! Formal night(s). I'm not sure if we want to mess with doing this, my husband is not one for dressing up, he wore black jeans with a tux jacket/shirt for our wedding as an example. I don't know if there is any way of getting him in anything besides jeans, so I'm guessing they might just throw us out right then and there if they see him wearing black jeans! I also was thinking this is probably just an adult thing, right? So I would need to take the kids to the kids club thing then, right? BTW, what exactly happens at formal night, what is the reason for doing it or not doing it?! We skipped out on formal night on our previous cruise!

 

I think Carnival isn't formal-formal, but you can (should, actually) read up on what the cruise line is expecting as far as dining wear on the Carnival web site. It'll have tons of info, especially in the FAQs. There is a casual option, the buffet, that you can eat at, if their definition of "elegant" is still too formal for you. The main dining room is for all ages, so kids can eat there. As someone else said, it's a great opportunity for kids to try out their manners. And the waiters really dote on the teeny ones. They will even fill a sippy cup with milk and provide high chairs for toddlers.

 

Personally, I only take jeans on colder cruises (like Alaska or the first couple of days of Hawaii out of LA, or the first/last day of a Mexican Riviera cruise) and would wear those during the day or a dressy pair in the MDR (I did this for the first time on my last cruise--a black pair of skinny jeans that looked so good, even on me, along with a dressy shirt...but for smart casual night).

 

2. So on the topic of kids club, I have my reservations in even sending them there, even though I know I would love some time away from the kids. First of all, they can't eat gluten. It is not an allergy, but I still don't want them to eat it, especially in large quantities. I know I can't expect my almost 3 year old to understand this and I have to watch a lot in certain situations what he is being offered to eat. My 6 year old knows better, but I believe he has been tempted before and gone ahead and eaten it. My best idea for helping with this besides informing the staff watching the children would be to do t-shirts for them saying they are gluten free. I know this seems a bit much and surely I could just put a sticker on their shirt and that would be good enough, but my younger one will not have a sticker on his shirt for anything, so that is out and my older son seems to think he can be treated like my younger son, so there is no guarantee he would be ok with just a sticker and of course he wants whatever his brother has anyway! So thoughts on this?

Also, I might want to put them in the late night childcare. Any idea if they let them sleep if they are tired?

 

I don't recall Carnival feeding the kids anything in the kids' area. I think because of the potential of allergies as well as for cleanliness sake. They probably still have the kids' dinner in the buffet, but you can talk to the counselors right before then and see if they'll watch what food your gf kid eats -- if not comfortable with that, bring your kids with you to the MDR, and then take them for the evening activities later on if you want.

 

Usually the post 10-pm kidsitting is putting on a kid-friendly movie and lying out pillows for the kids. I remember coming to pick up our little one, and many kids -- not ours:rolleyes: -- were snoozing. They might even suggest changing the kids into their PJs before bringing them.

 

In the meantime, read the Carnival website's FAQs about how to send them info on your gf needs -- they usually need a lead time to make sure they bring aboard the right type of foods for this, and they'll need to know how many passengers need a gf diet.

 

3. I currently have a not potty trained almost 3 year old. I know it can be done before then and I'd love to be able to get that done as soon as possible for him to be able to swim/play in the water. I would probably have to take him to the kids club while we do swimming with the older one if he isn't potty trained yet. If he is and I'm pretty confident with how he is doing, taking him on frequent potty breaks, etc. What is the best way to handle any accidents? Do I need to inform the staff of what has happened? I hate to shut down the pool, but I would be putting him in a cloth swim diaper just incase anyway. I know I read clearly in the rules that potty trained only children are allowed, but it didn't mention anything about accidents.

 

Absolutely no swim diapers in the pools, unless there's one of those wading pools. Any accident means shutting down a pool to be cleaned and the water re-shocked. The other passengers will not be thinking kind of you is your kid is responsible for this. And it is a rule at any public pool -- unless there's stupid people running a recreation program.

 

My little one was in pull-ups at age 3 (addressing this to the poster who seemed amazed), and I know she isn't the only one. Potty training actually goes on for a while even after they understand the process. Carnival takes kids at a younger age than many other cruise lines and says they will change diapers, but I found the staff often procrastinating on this so I would still check in to see if a change is needed.

 

4. Do I need to bring beach towels when we get off the ship, or can we use the ships towels?

 

The cruise lines will have beach towels for use at the beach.

 

5. I read that I can't put cameras, money, other valuables, etc, in our luggage, so I'm guessing I can bring those items in a carry on bag then, right? Or do I just wear my camera on me? I have a DSLR.

 

As someone else said, it's not that you "can't," it's that you really shouldn't. Keep all your valuables, medications, cruise docs and IDs, a change of clothing in your carry on. It may take a while for your luggage to show up at your cabin.

 

6. How many hours before the ship takes off should we be there, at the port we leave out of, Galveston?

 

Be sure to be at the ship way before the sailing time. Noon is a good time. If you're flying to your embarkation city, always do so at least a day ahead.

Any other tips or suggestions for this cruise with kids would be super helpful, thanks!

As someone suggested, take your kids to the kids' area the first night (there should be info in your cabin about the program and when to sign up). There will be a place on the form you'll be filling out to put down allergies, and you can introduce yourself to the staff and let them know about the gluten problem. I'm sure many of the parents will be announcing allergies to nuts, etc.

The kids don't have to be there all of the time, but go through the daily schedule (again, it should be in your cabin with a packet or packets for each kid's group) with them and let them know what activities they can do.

Haven't been on a Carnival cruise since 2002, but I put my answers in red about what is was like taking a kid under 5 as we had.

Thanks for all the helpful info, Cruizer2. I'm still curious about taking them to the camp carnival at night and if they will allow them to sleep, I did a little research and it looks like they might. Not sure why they wouldn't since they allow kids younger than two in there after 10 p.m. So it sounds like formal night is just getting dressed up to go to dinner, not a big deal, right?

As I said, Carnival is fairly relaxed with its dress code. They don't even call it formal night. They call it elegant night. If you are wearing something that you would wear on Sunday if you went to church, you will be fine.

Some parents will take the kids to an early dinner at the buffet, then drop the kids off at Camp Carnival. And yes, they will allow the kids to sleep.

Accidents are the main reason non-potty trained children are not allowed in the pools on most (not all) cruises. Carnival puts salt water in their pools. This means no or very limited chemicals that normal pools have that deal with accidents.

 

Bowel movements in the pool = pool shut down, drained, cleaned and refilled. This isn't a quick process and you can find posts on here mentioning the pool closed for almost full sea days because someone had an accident in the pool. I remember one when it happened multiple times by the same family even!

 

IMO always best not to chance it because well it isn't just your vacation it is the thousands of others on the ships vacation also.

Just having salt water in the pool does not mean that there are less chemicals in the water to deal with "accidents". The USPH inspectors, who monitor cruise ship sanitation (many of whom are former NYC health inspectors) will tell you that actually the cruise ships have it easy as far as pool chemistry is concerned because the pool is required to be drained twice weekly, where as shore public pools are almost never drained unless they need to paint it.

Sea water pools on ships can be in one of two modes. When a ship is off-shore, and is going to be at sea for a couple of days, the pool will be placed in "flow through" mode, where sea water is continuously drawn into the pool, and returned to the sea. In this mode, no chemicals are required to be added. When in port, or on short hops between ports, the pool will be on recirculation mode, and chlorine will be added.

If your child has an accident in the pool, you MUST inform the crew of this immediately. The pool will be drained, sanitized, and refilled. This is a USPH regulation, and failure to do this can result in fines, poor scores on USPH (CDC) inspections, and possibly the loss of the ship's "certificate to carry passengers", which means the ship would be precluded from sailing until the entire ship is brought back up to the very high standards of USPH (and the reinspection would be much more stringent than normal). Pool sanitation is very important to the USPH.

Those lines that do not allow non-potty trained children in the pools also do not allow swim diapers.

If your child will be 3 by the time you sail, they will not change diapers and you will be called via beeper to come and retrieve your child for changing. .

carnival changes diapers-- although you have to supply everything that is needed

 

1. Start off with a fun one! Formal night(s). [...] BTW, what exactly happens at formal night, what is the reason for doing it or not doing it?! We skipped out on formal night on our previous cruise! I am one of those people who firmly believe jeans ARE NEVER appropriate in the MDR, even on non formal nights. with this being Carnival, who knows he may get in, or he may not, either way he will look out of place. he needs to suck it up and compromise: a pair of khakis and a nice collard shirt is enough of one. otherwise, plan on eating Room service, or the buffet

 

2. So on the topic of kids club, I have my reservations in even sending them there, even though I know I would love some time away from the kids. First of all, they can't eat gluten. Is this a personal choice to not eat gluten? IIRC they will not necessarily be responsible for meals anyway.. you can always pull them out yourself to ensure they do not ingest it. the dining staff is pretty good about handling GF diets.

 

3. I currently have a not potty trained almost 3 year old. you are usually given one free pass. if a second accident occurs the child can no longer remain in the kids' clubs. you will be called when thee is an accident and you must take care of everything. swim diapers are NOT allowed. there might be a splash zone near the main pool for the non potty trained set.

 

4. Do I need to bring beach towels when we get off the ship, or can we use the ships towels? I forget this, I am pretty sure that on the private island that's fine, but at any other time no. they will charge you as much as $30 for any towel you check out that is not returned. I'd probably suggest buying a few cheap $10 ones and bringing them.

 

5. I read that I can't put cameras, money, other valuables, etc, in our luggage, so I'm guessing I can bring those items in a carry on bag then, right? Or do I just wear my camera on me? I have a DSLR. you should never check anything valuable. the carry on luggage goes through a scanner about the same size as the airport ones, and it can be as late as 2 pm before your room is ready, so be prepared to lug it around with you until then.

 

6. How many hours before the ship takes off should we be there, at the port we leave out of, Galveston? you must be on board at least 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure.

 

Any other tips or suggestions for this cruise with kids would be super helpful, thanks!

just go with the flow. you may have to adjust your expectations and schedules on the fly.

If your child will be 3 by the time you sail, they will not change diapers and you will be called via beeper to come and retrieve your child for changing.

 

As per US health rules, children in diapers or swim diapers are not allowed in any water facility.

Carnival changes diapers, not sure on other lines.

Public pools in the US allow swim diapers. I think it just varies by locality.

We have a very nice rec center and swim diapers are required. Its also filled with chemicals :( Sometimes I think we would be better off with the occasional germ than the ever present chemicals. Why would US rules apply to a foreign flagged ship anyways ?

this discussion reminds me of that seen in Caddy Shack.

germs are one thing but swimming around in basically someone's toilet?

is there a problem the kid isn't trained by 3yo or have you just not got around to it?

Carnival changes diapers, not sure on other lines.

Public pools in the US allow swim diapers. I think it just varies by locality.

We have a very nice rec center and swim diapers are required. Its also filled with chemicals :( Sometimes I think we would be better off with the occasional germ than the ever present chemicals. Why would US rules apply to a foreign flagged ship anyways ?

The USPH Vessel Sanitation Program applies to foreign flag ships that call in the US. Actually, the only US flag large cruise ship, the NCL Pride of America, is governed by similar regulations, but they are administered by the Dept of Agriculture.

The USPH VSP specifically prohibits children in diapers or swim diapers from any pool that is not specifically designated for children in diapers. As with other aspects of the VSP, food safety, water, etc, the requirements for pool water far exceed most local and state health laws.

carnival changes diapers-- although you have to supply everything that is needed

I got the information directly from Carnivals website. It's specifically stated that if the child is three or older, they will not change the diaper, but call a parent to do it. Under three, they will change diapers.

Why would US rules apply to a foreign flagged ship anyways ?

Because it has to pass US health inspection or it will not be allowed to dock in the US.

The USPH Vessel Sanitation Program applies to foreign flag ships that call in the US. Actually, the only US flag large cruise ship, the NCL Pride of America, is governed by similar regulations, but they are administered by the Dept of Agriculture.

 

The USPH VSP specifically prohibits children in diapers or swim diapers from any pool that is not specifically designated for children in diapers. As with other aspects of the VSP, food safety, water, etc, the requirements for pool water far exceed most local and state health laws.

Interesting. Thanks :)

Hi there!

You have a lot of advise here so I will only speak to what pertains to me.

We took our son last year on the Magic. He was 3 at the time. He was potty trained and we knew we were going on the trip so we put in a lot of extra time to get him where he needed to be before going. Knock on wood, he has been potty trained for over two years and has not had any accidents in or outside of bed or otherwise. By the way, there is a restroom a few steps from the main pool area. We frequented it. =)

As for dining, I wore a cocktail dress and my husband wore a suit. I debated on this topic because my husband does not prefer to dress either. We did buy our son two suits for the trip. Not expensive because they grow out of them and what is the point. He looked very handsome and was a huge hit in the main dining room. I did find that the waiters really cater to children. Our son was treated like a prince. He is well mannered, in public, so I was not concerned about behavior. I was worried that he would get bored or act out because he was done with dinner before us, etc. He was a trooper. We did early, assigned dining and that worked out great for us. The waiters had his booster ready along with his drink and crayons and paper to occupy his time. We even went in one night and they had a little paper toy on his plate along with his favorite fruit waiting for him. This was not a request, it just showed up.

We had our son ready for Camp Carnival. We talked about it and got excited about it for two weeks before going. We watched Youtube videos and looked at lots of photos. We got to CC and he had a name tag waiting for him. We put it on, he looked so cute. We got to his area and he was NOT having it. I mean, no amount of plodding and pleading was going to make him go to CC. He had been in school for almost two years so we thought it would be a breeze for him to meet new friends, etc. Nope. He was with us the entire 7 days, right at our fingertips. We still had an amazing time. Lots of fun things on the ship for his age. He even enjoyed the shows we saw (family friendly).

We are going to try Camp Carnival again this trip. We leave in November and he will be 5. I pulled down a list of all of the things he missed last time and he is so excited to try those this time. We will see how it goes. I don't have experience with CC after 10:00 but did read a lot about the Night Owls stuff they receive. We are taking our son's nap mat with us so he can take it to CC for those times. He thinks it looks great and a special treat to stay up that late to watch a movie. I told him we would put him in his PJs and slippers so he would be comfortable and have fun. We will see what happens this time.

My biggest advise is to go with an open mind, expect anything out of the kids. You never know what they will do, LOL. Although we were not on any type of schedule except dinner and our excursions, I tried to have our son rest a little during each day. That helped him and us be able to enjoy a few extra things past his normal bedtime. We watched Movies under the Stars and he thought that was the coolest thing. They were playing Tangled.

Have fun and don't be afraid to try things you think might be a bit scary or challenging with a three year old. I found mine to be a lot more resilient than I expected. My husband and I had the best time watching all of the wonder in his little eyes at all of the new things he saw and did. The ship is big and beautiful. The staff will be great to you and your children.

Happy cruising!!

Hi

We had our son ready for Camp Carnival. We talked about it and got excited about it for two weeks before going. We watched Youtube videos and looked at lots of photos. We got to CC and he had a name tag waiting for him. We put it on, he looked so cute. We got to his area and he was NOT having it. I mean, no amount of plodding and pleading was going to make him go to CC. He had been in school for almost two years so we thought it would be a breeze for him to meet new friends, etc. Nope. He was with us the entire 7 days, right at our fingertips. We still had an amazing time. Lots of fun things on the ship for his age. He even enjoyed the shows we saw (family friendly).

 

!!

my grand daughter did the same exact thing== except she was 5. she did try it for an hour-- hated it and asked not to go back. We had a ball doing things together all week.

You give great advice-- especially to go with the flow

this discussion reminds me of that seen in Caddy Shack.

 

germs are one thing but swimming around in basically someone's toilet?

 

is there a problem the kid isn't trained by 3yo or have you just not got around to it?

I see on this thread that you felt the need to ask this potty-training question twice for some reason.

Not all children are potty-trained before the age of 3. My son has autism and potty-training was a very, very long and difficult process. It had nothing to do with "not getting around to it". Other children can have other challenges and developmental delays that make potty-training very difficult. Please don't be judgmental - you never know what families are dealing with.

That being said, of course I would not have allowed my son to swim in the ship's pool before being potty-trained - swim diapers or not. It's not allowed.