honeymooner16

If you are in port during dinner hours, sometimes the AO stays open and feeds the kids, but that requires you to sign up ahead of time. On Allure, pre-covid our little was able to eat with the kids club for dinner. Hoping it comes back soon. 

1 hour ago, Monk86 said:

Is there still a dedicated check in line for Crown & Anchor members or at what level does that start at?

There hasn't been at any of the Florida ports. It looks like maybe Pinacalle or the Key guests get priority, but normal C&A just use the normal lines. 

On the bigger ships there is a baby splash zone that they do allow swim diapers, but any other pools and splashaway bay is a no. They will not even allow older siblings to come into the baby area and then go back out due to cross contamination. The baby area is great for little ones though. Ours loved it until she was old enough. There was a small climbing area and a slide and a few inches of water to splash in. Honestly splashaway bay has so many big kids running around you wouldn't want one small enough to still be in diapers in that area. 

Should I be nervous that our first flights is a month from tomorrow and the airline is still showing a message "please contact your travel agent to pay for and ticket your flight"? I've called air2sea four times since final payment to ask when they are going to pay and the answer is "oh we will do that right now". With how horrible wait times have been on Royal's customer service lately, I don't want to call again, but I'm also afraid the airline is going to cancel our seats. What do I do?

20 hours ago, revjamesl said:

My wife and I haven't been on a cruise since before the pandemic in part to having our first child that will be two, June 9--which also happens to be our 10th anniversary! We want to go on a cruise and we may not be able to leave our son with any family/friends.

 

Questions:

Have you cruised with a 2-year-old or a toddler of similar age? What was it like? How did it work for your particular family/situation? Benefits? Challenges? Recommendations?

 

Thank you for taking the time to help me as I figure this out!

We took our oldest on his first cruise when he was just over 1 to Hawaii (6 hour time change). Our youngest was on her first at 8 months. They have been on at least 5 since then (3 since cruising reopened). We are taking them both to Europe this June for our 10 year anniversary as well. All that to say: DO IT! 

It's not the same as cruising without kids, that's for sure, but the kids absolutely adore it and despite there being challenges (like walking a toddler around when dining time was well past his normal bedtime at home), we have only the good memories several years later. 

Take more diapers than you think you'll need. You're not cruising during peak hurricane season, but we ended up with 3 extra days on the ship due to a hurricane once and had to trade pull ups for diapers with another family. Take all the kiddie medicines that exist. They don't sell any on board and you will inevitably need the one thing you didn't bring.  The pack n plays are small - let them use the pull out couch and use a chair and pillows to block them in.  Our are always wired up the first night, so we thankfully no longer try to bother with bedtime that first night - by the second they are tired enough to sleep. Bring something to read if your still naps. Use the kids club - its the cheapest babysitting I've seen. If you can, potty train before you go. No diapers are allowed in the pool. If you're on a ship with splashaway bay they have one water slide area that does allow swim diapers. At that age, just climbing the stairs and the lights in the atrium are big hits. The mini golf course is also a great place to let them run if no one else is playing. Go in with the expectation of watching the kids experience the excitement and trying new things. I'm happy to answer any specific questions you have. Enjoy!

2 hours ago, xxHadleyxx said:

You could prebuy a test that has online protectoring and sends you a certificate in email and then buy internet the last day on the ship and take the test then.

This is our current plan if testing is required since the last day is a sea day and air2sea moved our flight up to 11:30. 

Agreed! The airline switched our flight to an 11:30 am flight, then scattered my 3 and 6 year old all over the plane. I call air2sea and they say there is nothing they can do but I should be fine on the flight time. I call the airlines and they can't do anything because I booked through a travel agent. 🤬 I wish whoever gets to sit next to my kids luck on the 10 hour transatlantic flight that air2sea and American don't want to help me with! Does that count as free babysitting? 

We will be in Rome on the Wonder in June. I think we are in Rome on the 16th. I can't seem to find a ship tour that does all three. Its not clear yet if RCCL is going to allow us to do private tours. Does anyone know if there is an RCCL tour that does all three? If not, are there private tours that do all three? Bonus points if they cater to younger kids. Thanks in advance!

Good morning! We are stopping in Rome on the Wonder in June and I think I want to do a ship tour for this one since it is so far from the port and none of us speak the language, and we are travelling with two small kids. My question is which of Royal's tour's go INSIDE both the Vatican (with Sistine Chapel) and the Colosseum? I see the small group tour does, but are there any others? So many seem to go inside one but not the other. Royal's website isn't very descriptive. Is it better to do the small group tour vs the big one? Thanks in advance!

We were just on the Indy this weekend and the door had a metal piece and there was a magnet on the wall to keep it open and in one place. 

For anyone who cruise to Italy recently, where you able to get off the ship with young kids who are not yet eligible for the vaccine? I know the requirements will likely change in the next few months, but I don't understand the language on the embassy's website. It appears they are exempt from testing on exit and quarantine on arrival but can't enter unless they can provide proof of vaccination or recovery? That seems contradictory and appears to block anyone not eligible for the vaccine from entering at all? We will be arriving to 3 ports via cruise ship - so will we have to test for each port, or just for the first entry into Italy? Thanks in advance! 

9 hours ago, molly361 said:

Got it @Biker19I was onboard last week.  There were headliner shows and  ice shows (Under the Big Top) as well and they had a juggler/comedian  There was also a tribute to Elton John show (missed it) 

Thank you! So glad to hear it! There was nothing in the cruise planner in the app and I love the shows. 

9 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Look on the RCI app for the current sailing - good chance the same shows will be on your sailing. @molly361 may have some info.

Thanks! The current app doesn't show any so I was worried. 

Are there any shows or comedians or anything on Mariner right now? All I see in the cruise planner is outdoor movies. We sail on Friday and I was so looking forward to this part of cruising again. 

We cruised on 7/19 on the Freedom of the Seas out of Miami - 2 parents are vaccinated with 2 kids not yet eligible. Happy to answer any specific questions you have. 

We were not allowed off in Nassau unless we were with a cruise ship tour. There were certain shows the kids couldn't go to (there was at least one "everybody" option, not always at a time that worked for little kids) and they couldn't ice skate because that was vaxed only. 

We did have to sit in the unvaxxed section for dinner, but for most of it there was no one else anywhere near us. The last night the table next to us came. It was oddly empty. 

You did have to sign up for times for the kids club, but again it was empty to the point mine were often the only ones there. 

We are booked again on the Mariner for labor day, but debating if I want to pay for the covid test that is now required for all of us to board. 

Parents,

Where were you able to get a free test for your 2 year old? In Florida, CVS and Walgreens do it for 3+ for free (even for travel if I am reading it correctly), but anywhere I've found that does 2 is doing rapid and not PCR or is making you pay out of pocket. Thanks! 

Thanks! Not sure why I didn't think to search for hiking trails. Thanks! I'll be curious if anyone has an personal experience doing any hikes or visiting any of the towns?

On 6/15/2021 at 12:38 PM, oliver67 said:

You can also rent a car. There is a rental company that delivers the car to the pier, programs the GPS for you with parking in Florence and Pisa and you drop the car at the pier in front of the ship. Did that twice and it always worked nicely. Livorno to Florence is mostly highway, if I remember it right. 

Do you happen to know the name of the company? And do they have car seats available?

We are thinking of arriving in Barcelona a few days before our cruise in June 2022 and maybe spending some time relaxing and hiking up in the mountains. Any suggestions of good ski towns/hotels/ spots to check out? How hard is driving in Spain if we were to rent a car compared to the US? Or are there any good tours that would take us up into the mountains? Thanks in advance!

Not sure if it is the same as it was pre-covid, but we used it for the Allure out of Port Everglades back in Sept 2019, and it was totally worth it. When you walked into the port there was literally no line to walk up to a representative for those that had used the expedited check in. We quickly showed them the app and our passports, had our boarding pictures taken and walked on board in under 10 minutes. Most of that 10 minutes was spent literally walking from the entrance up to the ship and taking pictures. The regular line wrapped and wrapped on forever. We were just offered the ability to do it again for our July on Freedom (in fact I think it might be required now?). Hopefully it'll be as easy next time! We sail in July and September, so if you remind me I'll update with my experience this next time. 

Also, I think it has the option to scan your passport which cut down on the amount of typing. 

I know you mentioned there are only a few kids onboard, but any information on how the kids clubs are functioning? Are they open?

My family is going on a cruise in a month (HAPPY DANCE!) and I know I want to book our anniversary cruise for next year very shortly. Is it worth waiting til we get on board for next cruise benefits? I've never used it. We would likely book a large inside or spacious oceanview  (traveling with little kids, space is more important), so I don't imagine we'd get much in the way of OBC. Getting the room is more important. Wait or book directly through RC's website? 

Thanks!

How can you tell what rooms are still available if the sailing isn't showing any more? I'm assuming they've hit their reduced capacity limit. 

Royal announced that new sailings on Freedom and Odyessy will be released tonight, does anyone know what time? 

1 hour ago, yanks23 said:

I am talking to our Travel Agent and he is being told that the Independence of the Seas for July 3rd is being moved to the Odyssey of the Seas  for July 6th on the same itinerary.  I was more then glad to shift and lift to a brand new ship with the same itinerary.  Until I see it on my account I will not believe it.  Please let me know if this is the case.

How is Odessy going out on July 3 without a test cruise? Does anyone have any more information on Odyssey? I would like to switch to this ship (as I'm sure everyone else is doing too), but I don't see it as an option on their website.