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Brittania with an 18 month old - tips?


Sophie5
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Hi,

We go on Britannia soon from Southampton. This will be mine and my husband's 3rd P&O cruise but our first holiday with our 18 month old daughter.

Has anyone got any tips for cruising with a toddler? Any must-takes or anything not to bother packing?

She will be in a cot in our balcony cabin and P&O customer service advised to bring our own travel cot matress as they only provide the hard standard one.

I know we can't leave her in the kids club but we can enter with her.

Anything else we need to know?

We are planning to at least try and eat in the main restaurant a few times, as she is a pretty happy, settled girl, so hoping she won't be too distrubing to other diners. Will she be fairly welcome there if we eat nice and early? My hubby not keen on the idea of leaving her at the night nursery.

We have been on Britannia once before but we didn't take any notice of the kids stuff or look at things from a parent's perspective then..!

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Hi,

We go on Britannia soon from Southampton. This will be mine and my husband's 3rd P&O cruise but our first holiday with our 18 month old daughter.

We are planning to at least try and eat in the main restaurant a few times, as she is a pretty happy, settled girl, so hoping she won't be too distrubing to other diners. Will she be fairly welcome there if we eat nice and early?

 

I can't help much as my children are a lot older, but I certainly wouldn't have a problem with her in the MDR. I'm sure she's beautifully behaved and from what I've seen the waiters love young children and make a huge fuss of them, so she certainly won't be short of attention.

Make sure you take her favourite toy/comforter and maybe a light blanket that smells of home to help her settle at night/when she's napping.

I hope you have a lovely cruise as a family.

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Hi

There is an outside play area behind the kids club with a ship to climb on and a paddling area with toys. There is also an area inside the kids club you can stay with little one and play with toys.

We took little boats and blow up toys that are easily packed.

The waiters will spoil her rotten they love having little ones to fuss over.

I don' know if you let your little one watch cartoons on a tablet or iPad but we found that really helpful at dinner times.

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I know we can't leave her in the kids club but we can enter with her.

Anything else we need to know?

 

This is not entirely true. There is a section in the children's club called "The Night Nursery". It is specifically for children aged 6 months to 4 years of age. It opens at 6pm in the evening and closes at 2am. Children are expected to be asleep or sleepy on arrival and you get a pager in case of waking up. Last admission is 11pm.

 

There is a children's tea time in the afternoon before first sitting where only the children may eat. Parents can then dine as a couple later and leave under 5's in the Night Nursery for a sleeping session. If the pager goes off you simply go up there immediately and all children are tagged. It is worth giving it a go the staff are absolutely top quality same as if you left a baby in hospital.

 

If you do Club Dining 1st or 2nd sitting the waiters become used to finding high chairs and having them ready. Probably better off with an exclusive table but if you end up on a shared table, siting youngsters between parents is safest. It would depend on the table mix and probably maitre would put you with young parents. Freedom Dining and you can choose your own time and table size, so just for your group makes sense.

 

Regards John

Edited by john watson
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Thanks for the replies!

That's a great idea about taking famliar smelling bedding/comforter groovechick, thanks!

Good to know she will be welcomed in the MDR. We have freedom dining and usually ask for our own table so I think we'll do this again this time.

I thought inflatables were not allowed? We have a very small blow up boat for floating in, will we be allowed this?

 

Are nappies and wipes easy to get hold of on the ship? I am concious of the amount of things like that I'll need to take!!

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Nappies are available from the emporium but the size and brand range is extremely limited. Best to take your own and top up at ports of call if your size is not stocked.

 

Some parents take their own small inflatable paddling pool. There is usually a more remote pool where people are sunbathing more than using it. Depends on which ship. Fill up yours from their pool with your plastic play bucket and dump water in the scuppers after use. This gets round the potty trained rules. The same inflatable pool works as a bath as the alternative is the shower or sink in the cabin, you can stand it in shower fill then bath.

 

 

Regards John

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Sorry the inflatables we took were little blow up animals and boats that she held in her hands.(from pound shop)

Officially children in nappies are not allowed in the main pools but there is a little splash area they can use.

Re nappies and wipes make sure you take enough, the only ones I saw in the shop were for small babies and they were expensive.

Don' worry about luggage going from Southampton you can take whatever you need (as long as you are not flying back)

We found taking snacks helpful too as sometimes they just need a little something to keep them going between meals and also for days off the ship

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Thanks John, I will take enough nappies and wipes then rather than reply on the ship shop!

 

I thought babies in swim nappies were allowed in the Lido pool? I think I read that somewhere. She has a swin nappy than is then covered in a neoprene swim nappy so very secure!

 

 

Nappies are available from the emporium but the size and brand range is extremely limited. Best to take your own and top up at ports of call if your size is not stocked.

 

Some parents take their own small inflatable paddling pool. There is usually a more remote pool where people are sunbathing more than using it. Depends on which ship. Fill up yours from their pool with your plastic play bucket and dump water in the scuppers after use. This gets round the potty trained rules. The same inflatable pool works as a bath as the alternative is the shower or sink in the cabin, you can stand it in shower fill then bath.

 

 

Regards John

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Oh I haven't seen those kind of inflatables before! I will have to have a look!

 

 

Looks like we'll not be packing light for our first holiday with a toddler in tow, luckily we don't have to worry about luggage going to and from Southampton...!

 

I am sure I read she was allowed in the Lido pool with her swim nappy, is this info wrong? John has also mentioned potty trained only in the main pools? The splash pool by the kids club should keep her busy enough I guess, and we're going fairly soon so I doubt it's going to be red hot leaving us desperate for a swim!!

 

 

Sorry the inflatables we took were little blow up animals and boats that she held in her hands.(from pound shop)

Officially children in nappies are not allowed in the main pools but there is a little splash area they can use.

Re nappies and wipes make sure you take enough, the only ones I saw in the shop were for small babies and they were expensive.

Don' worry about luggage going from Southampton you can take whatever you need (as long as you are not flying back)

We found taking snacks helpful too as sometimes they just need a little something to keep them going between meals and also for days off the ship

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Absolutely allowed into Lido pole. This is the one with the proper steps into it. Search on P&O help confirms as much.

 

P&O will provide, baby bath, bottle sterilisers, pop-up mothercare cot. You can also order cow & gate jar food in advance for free. Then you just ask room service to deliver on arrival.

 

You can also order powdered formula for free in advance - just limited to brand.

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I'm with John and Mrs applehead on this one about the swim nappies or not toilet trained children are not aloud in pools , I have read somewhere in their p&o questions and also seen signs next to swimming pools but don't worry about it as they have a lovely splash area for the younger ones to enjoy, also have you thought about loading up (if you/she) has a tablet with her favorite cartoons programs she watches just to keep some regular activity she would normally do at home so that she won't find it all too much and over whelming for her , I also found that taking a few new small toys/games to play always kept them happy with a surprise and new activity

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If you’re trying to get them used to swimming s splash pool is no good.

 

As per https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/fleet/cunard_pools

 

 

Children

 

Children are welcome to use the friendly family pools. Due to public health regulations, children in nappies, swim nappies, pull ups, or who are not completely toilet trained are only permitted to use designated pools, which are:

  • Aurora - Children’s Splash pool (Deck 8 Aft) and the Terrace Pool (Deck 8 Aft)
  • Azura - Children’s pools (Aft) and the Coral Pool
  • Britannia - The Reef Adventure Zone and the Lido Pool
  • Oceana - Children's Pirate paddling pool
  • Ventura - Children’s pool (Aft) and the Beach comber Pool

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