Rhapsody with 3 year old (5/8/05 review)

We enjoyed our recent cruise on Rhapsody. I mentioned that I would post a review on our experiences. My husband and I took our 3 year old (non potty trained) son on this ship for the 5/8/05 sailing. We participated in the Aqua Tots program and shore excursions for each port. Here is a review of what we did with him. First, neither of us are drinkers or partiers, so we were usually in bed by 10:30 at the latest. Because my son is not potty trained, we didn't spend a lot of time around the pool. I didn't want him to feel like he was missing something by not being in the pool. So, what did we do?

Aquatots - We attended every session of Aquatots, except for Thursday and Friday port days. The classes consisted of a song at the beginning, playtime, song at the end. On the last day, the instructor actually pulled out a coloring sheet for the kids. The first day there were 6 kids, it averaged 2-3 the rest of the cruise. The toys were Fisher-Price toys, Little People Farm, Power Touch, Litttle People Trucks, and Little People playground, school with more trucks. My son really enjoyed playing with this group and the toys. There were many that he didn't have. I would like to see them make this a little more structured, with a story, and some other type of activity that encourages interaction. I would also like to see a room set aside for the children to use at other times of the day for free play. The class was only held at 10:30 in the morning in a small area of the Moonlight Bay Lounge. It would be nice if it could be held twice a day.

Excursions - We took R.C. sponsored excursions at each of the ports. My husband was worried about taking taxis, so we booked excursions that had transportation included.

Key West - When we booked this cruise over Carnival's Elation, we chose it because it stopped at Key West. I wanted to see the Hemingway House and the famous cats. We booked the Hemingway House Walking tour. Well, Empress of the Seas was in port before us with engine trouble and it delayed our entry into Key West over an hour. The Hemingway House closes at 5:00pm. We thought since we booked this excursion, that they would still be open for us. Boy were we wrong. When we arrived on the dock at 4:15 our time (5:15 Key West), we were informed that the museum had already closed. This was a major disappointment. But, we took the walking tour anyway, and it was very nice. My son slept in his stroller for most of the tour. They refunded the amount of the tickets for the Hemingway House. I really think they should just not offer this excursion. With a 3:00pm (4:00 pm Key West) arrival time, trying to see any museum there is chancy.

Grand Cayman - We took the Turtle Farm and Beach Colony Club excursion. We were packed like sardines on buses and given a detailed description of all of the banks and businesses on Grand Cayman by the driver, Max. He was very nice, but the bus was way too crowded. The turtle farm was kind of sad. Turtles are packed at least 5 deep in pools and although they say it is for conservation, we were told that they are farmed for consumption. But, we did get to hold some of the smaller turtles, and it was a very neat experience. My son really liked it. Before the turtle farm, we stopped at the town of Hell for about 15 minutes. The rocks are interesting, but we could have missed it. The biggest disappointment of the excursion was the Beach Colony Club. Each cruise line was given a tiny area where lounge chairs were packed like sardines. You couldn't leave this area while there, you had to stay in the assigned area. The beach was dirty with cigarette butts, and my husband said he even saw a rusty nail. He was not impressed at all. But, my son really enjoyed being able to actually get in the water. We stayed mostly on the sand, just at the surf, because he has never really been around water and I don't swim.

Cozumel - One word of advice. Take your stroller. It may be a major inconvenience, but the place where we docked was very far from where we went to the buses. My son wanted to be carried on the way there, and was asleep on the way back. That's a long walk carrying a 35 lb kid. It nearly killed my back. We took the Deluxe Beach Break. They have very nice air conditioned buses, so the transportation was the best we had on the trip. Playa Mia was very nice. There was enough stuff to do for the 5 hours we were there. My son got to play in the water for about 2 1/2 hours, then we ate at the buffet (so so food). There is a mini zoo there that is not too bad. Several monkeys, etc. Plus, there is a nice little playground. So, he was able to climb and go on the slide.

People - Everyone we met in the dining room and staff in other parts of the ship were wonderful to my son. We had main seating at table 128. Our waiter (Glenda Carolus) and assistant waiter (Iowanna P from Romania) were wonderful with him. Iowanna seemed very taken with him. Others we met were Rosario, Lolly, etc. I don't know last names. My son had no problem asking for food that was not out, and he was never denied any request. On two occasions, staff went out of their way to bring him what he requested. Our stateroom attendant Carlos Alvarez (?) was especially nice to John and always gave him candy when he saw him. The towel buddies were especially nice.

Shows - My main gripe with the cruise is the late timing of the shows for those with early seating. They were mostly at 9:00, with one at 10:30. We only made it to 2 shows because of this. We saw the Hanes magic show and the Rock on Broadway show.

Cabin - Unlike many, we spent a lot of time in our cabin. My husband was having trouble with his knee and shoulder and was in a lot of pain. We brought a portable DVD player and Thomas train pieces for my son. We had a balcony cabin and really enjoyed it. The beds were not very comfortable and even though my son had his own bed, he usually ended up with us in our bed sometime in the night. We did not get very good sleep. He developed a cold about the same time we boarded.

On our last day at sea, we found a location that really was good for him to stretch his legs and not bother other people. We took him on the promenade deck, and he really seemed to have a good time there. I wish we had done it earlier in the cruise. There aren't that many people on this deck, so he really didn't bother anyone.

Other things that we really liked: food was pretty good, musicians in the dining room were very good. Biggest surprise, and pleasant for us, the musicians in the dining room played some old and not so old well loved hymns, as well as Phantom of the Opera songs. They also played some Texas favorites, Cotton eyed Joe and Orange Blossom Special. If you take a child, make sure they see the Parade of Friends. I was the only one who went, but I think my son would have loved seeing the staff parading with flags. It was very nice.

One word of warning, although that's a little strong term. My son became very clingy on the cruise. I could barely leave the room without him, and couldn't go to the bathroom without him. So, keep that in mind if you are cruising with little ones. They may need you much more than they usually do.

For things to do in and around Galveston: We went down a day early and saw the Johnson Space Center and the Battleship Texas. My son loved them. After the cruise, we went to the train museum, which is very close to the terminal. I was surprised at the deterioration of the museum. I had been there right after it opened, and wanted my son to see it. They must have lost a lot of funding. But, he enjoyed it anyway and didn't want to leave.

Hopes this helps those who may be taking little ones in the future.

Suze

Rhapsody of the Seas 5/8/05

Thanks Suze! We're contemplating booking a cruise in July and taking our 3 year old. I have someone that could keep my 1 year old, but I don't think my 3 year old would handle us being gone so long. We're trying desperately to have him fully potty trained before we go!

I had read several posts on the "family cruising" board that told me how the staff pampered their kids and was relieved to see that. I was getting nervous thinking about having him with us, but someone said, it's not so bad since you don't have to cook and clean like you would at home!!

Lynn

Emerald Seas 6/86

Carnival Holiday 6/88

Dolphin Seabreeze 5/89

Carnival Fantasy 7/90

Voyager of the Seas 7/03

Hopefully Mariner of the Seas 7/05!

Thanks for the review. We have 2 young children, and are hoping to take our first family cruise when the youngest one is 3. Thanks for sharing your experiences.