Nursery Onboard QM2

My wife and I will have our daughter who will be 2 weeks shy of one year on a Caribbean Cruise next December 2006. One year is the age in which the nursery will accept the child without a parent. Anyone have any experience with this particular situation. Do they ask to see the child's passport in the nursery?

How difficult is it to arrange private babysitting in the event the two weeks we are short is counted? Thanks very much.

P.S. Serious help only, those that want to post 'don't take kids on QM2' move on.

My wife and I will have our daughter who will be 2 weeks shy of one year on a Caribbean Cruise next December 2006. One year is the age in which the nursery will accept the child without a parent. Anyone have any experience with this particular situation. Do they ask to see the child's passport in the nursery?

How difficult is it to arrange private babysitting in the event the two weeks we are short is counted? Thanks very much.

P.S. Serious help only, those that want to post 'don't take kids on QM2' move on.

No experiences, as I don't have children, but you could try calling anonymously, saying you are thinking of booking, "but our child will be two weeks shy of 1" when you are planning to book (Is she two week shy at the beginning or end of the journey?)

I suspect you won't have to show her passport to the staff but rememebr they will have your paperwork from your registration, and you really must put the right information on that, since you will be dealing with immigration, and by then, perhaps the new passport law, if they don't scrap it entirely after pushing it out a year. It would be awful for you to book, show up, and then be denied permission to board due to the discrepancy. I am certain one of the items they will probably write down will be the child's birthday as a precaution, so babues don't get mixed up. You can prove it is your child as you will know her birthday. I suspect that is one of the identifying characteristics they use as a safeguard, and you really can't fudge it one the registration.

Just my thoughts, although I certainly don't know!

Does anyone know, is the nursery run by Cunard or an outside agency that sets their own rules- Like the salons and entertainment, who usually are not employed by the line?

In my experience on other lines, Carnival, RCI and Celebrity, they go by the age of your child when the cruise starts and they can look it up on the computer. But, the fact that they take children at 1 makes Cunard different, plus it is free that is another difference. So, I would call the line to find out. It may depend on how many other children are on the ship.

I would also like to know if anyone has arranged private babysitting as we are going on QM2 in April 2007, and although we can use the nursery, I dont know how well my children (then will be 2 and 31/2) will sleep in it.

http://www.cunard.com/FAQ/faq.asp?Cat=&View=ViewArticle&Mode=News&ContentID=3677&LeftNav=&Active=&Sub=&OB=&ArticleID=11

doesn't this say no private babysitting?

It's my understanding that Cunard only take children who are 1 year old or older on the date of boarding. At least, ours had to be, and if you have to enter passport details of your child, it's going to flag up the date of birth/age.

Best you check carefully.