Anyone sail Med or Baltics with kids under 4?

DH and I are seasoned travellers . With 2 young kids, we continue to travel but adjusted a bit. Last year, I came to these boards looking for info on cruising to Alaska with small kids (then 2.5 yrs and 9 months) and got some criticism on the Alaska boards. In the end we went and had a wonderful time. We set our expectations accordingly knowing we wouldn't be able to do the very active excursions we'd done pre-kids. Of course there were some stressful moments but we had a good time and our older one had fun watching whales, seals, birds, fish, etc.

This year we're conisdering the Mediterranean or Baltics itinerary. In skimming the boards, I've noticed most that have gone with kids, took them at age 4 and up. Our kids will be 3.5 yrs and 21 months. We haven't done a Disney cruise yet but their Med itinerary isn't very appealing since DH and I have been to Italy a few times and it's heavy on Italian ports. We are looking to do a Med cruise heavy on Greece with some Turkey and Croatia. I found a few that we like on NCL, Celebrity and Princess.

So the big question is.. has anyone gone with kids this young, were they totally bored? Would you recommend one ship over another on these routes?

I say go for it! The hardest part I think would be dealing with a stroller on those bumpy European sidewalks or streets. :) I'm all for doing child friendly stuff when they are little but we adults still have a right to do what we want. I say take them! In fact except for our trips to Disney and the beach we've gone to regular vacation places too! I'll confess I never booked a cruise when DD was little thinking will she be bored? If they are bored you can always find something fun to do. Find a nice common area and let them run for a bit! Make a trip through a museum a treasure hunt to see what they can find. (Pictures of angels, a green gem, a really old statue etc.) When they get grumpy stop for ice cream/gelato. My best advice is just bring some of their favorite snacks to have while in a foreign land.

I haven't been on Celebrity but DD has always enjoyed NCL and Princess.

Kids as young as yours won't be bored because they really wont know where they are. There are some considerations when taking kids that young. First, If you're flying from North America, the flights are very long, and if your kids don't sleep on flights, well, let's just say you will have some very upset fellow fliers. Another problem in the Med will be the very hot and humid weather. I've not known a young child that does well in that kind of weather. And seeing that most sites aren't air conditioned, that could present problems. And finally, some of the ports for a Med cruise are at least 90 minutes from the cities, and their buses are awful when it comes to being air conditioned. Tours to Rome and Florence are 10 to 12 hours long, and move very quickly, something that might not bode well for young ones.

Can it be done? Only you can decide if your kids can handle such a strenuous cruise. It won't be easy for you, but it might work especially if you do a lot of private tours, and not the ship group tours. At least with private tours, if the kids become problematic, you can come back to the ship.

FYI, you absolutely cannot let kids run through a European museum or most other places unless it's outdoors. All it would take is one child running into some priceless work of art to cause major problems. Plus, if you're on a group tour, there's no time to stop the tour for a gelato.

I agree that it will be hot and humid in the Med...unless you can go on shoulder season. You don't have to worry about school vacations yet. I really think I would do the Baltic at this age, rather than the Med. EM

I think that you can have a great time with your kids in either the Baltics or the Mediterranean. My philosophy is that kids can be taken just about anywhere as long as your expectations are adjusted to accommodate their pace and their interests. Our family likes to travel (and my kids now have their own opinions about the countries they would like to visit) and I just ignore the naysayers who think kids should only go to theme parks. We also heard a lot of criticism before going to Alaska (my younger daughter was under 4) but had a wonderful time.

Mine were a little older when we went to the Baltics (my youngest had just turned 6) but I wouldn't hesitate to have taken younger kids as it is very child-friendly. The Baltics have the advantage of being cooler than the Mediterranean if you are going in the middle of summer and in most of the ports the ships are docking in the city and you can simply walk off the boat and get local transportation or simply walk into town. St. Petersburg is the exception to this and we hired a private tour guide for our family the two days that we were there and it worked out perfectly.

Our family is going on a Celebrity cruise in the Mediterranean this summer which starts in Rome and goes to Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Istanbul (2 days), Ephesus and Salerno. We are spending three days in Rome beforehand. I chose this itinerary in order to avoid the long commutes into the Italian cities from the ports and because I want my kids to experience cities like Florence and Venice on longer stays rather than rushed visits. This itinerary also has three full sea days which allow them some down time to relax, cool off, play/hang out with new friends on the ship and gear up for more sight seeing the next day. I know that in the heat of summer we are going to have to move at a slower pace so as not to exhaust my younger daughter and that we will not see everything but I think that we can have a great time nonetheless.

If you have the advantage of sailing outside of the heat of summer then that would probably be preferable with young kids. The heat is more of an issue when you have only a few hours in port. If you are on a land-based trip then you can move at a more leisurely pace and take it easy in the hot afternoons. We spent 2 weeks in the Mediterranean last summer and many afternoons were spent in the pool. :)

Sorry for the longwindedness - but I say pick where you want to go, plan with your kids needs in mind and have a great vacation!!

Lisa

We are very seasoned travelers who take our children. We are going on a 12 day Holy Land cruise on RCI this Oct with our 3 & 5 year olds, flying in from Canada, then doing Rome for 5 days, flying to Lisbon for a week. It definatly can be done, it's all about your expectations. I would take the 21 month old in a backpack if you are able for walking through museams and such. Does your 3 year old walk long distances? If not now, then start going for long walks before your cruise, get him/her used to it. Our have been able to do this from about 2 1/2 onwards. You don't get to things as fast, or see quite as many things, but you still get to enjoy each other while on vacation.

Take along little favorite toys. While flying, i always get a few dollar store items, wrap them up, and every couple of hours let them open something. This way they have either just opened something new and are still enjoying it, or waiting to and can only get it if there is good behaivor. We try to book overnight flights when going 6 hours or more, then they spend a good deal sleeping. And bring the usuals, stuff to color and books (actually we bring our IPAD and download books for children).

When are you thinking of going? I would take a look at the Royal Carribbean itineraryies, they are pretty good. We are leaving from Rome, going to : Naples, Ashod & Haifa (Isreal), Rhodes, Ephesius, Athens, Crete back to Rome.

Depending on which cruise line you choose, there are some amazing kids programs on board. Last cruise (Carnival, because children's programing started at 2), we couldn't get our kids to leave the programs. They LOVED it!! It allowed us to spend some quality grown-up time together, then we were rejuvenated for kid time.

I can't imagine how a child could be bored, but then again, I can't imagine how and adult could be bored on a cruise! It's all about what you make it.

We are doing the med this summer with our 4 and 6 year olds. And my sister is bringing her 3 and 13 month olds. This will be my kids 3rd cruise, and my sister's kids' 2nd cruise. For my kids, we are trying to do a bit of research before by reading some children's books that talk about Ancient Rome for example. For your 3 1/2 year old, you could get some pictures of sites you may see. I am still on the hunt for some kids shows like Little Einsteins or the like that may show some famous landmarks or art.

I think planning and setting expectations are key. You know your kids best and know what they can handle and how to help them handle it. When we go, we are doing some private hire tours so that we can go at our pace, and not foollow a large tour for a 11 hour day. That way, if we need to find a park for an hour or something like that we can.

When choosing a cruise line, if you want some babysitting, you'll have to see which ships offer programs for the under 3 (or under 2) set. I know Disney has a great nursery that my son LOVED (at 22 months). I think some of the newer Royal Caribbean ships have nurseries as well. Aside from ship itineraries, that would be my deciding factor, as we enjoy the ability to have a dinner or two on our own. (Though, we also love dining as a family, and our kids are fairly well behaved. They love the whole aspect of going to a "fancy dinner.")

And don't listen to naysayers...they also say a kid shouldn't go to Disneyland until they are over 3 and can remember it. Both of my kids have been going since they were about 6 weeks old.

Thanks for all the feedback so far. I'll look further into the itineraries and weather temps (still deciding whether to go end of Aug, Sept or Oct) and agree when the weather is more comfortable, the kids typically are too. Our older child did the kids program on the NCL Alaska cruise last year and enjoyed it so we'd probably sign him up again.

We've been to Disney 5 times already with them and I always pack little dollar store toys and snacks to keep them busy on the flights. They both sleep well on the plane so the longer flight is not of that much concern. Last year the flight to Seattle was around 6 hours and they were very good.

We have a few carriers so we could carry both of them on certain excurions if needed. We did this in a city walking tour of Portland and at Mendenhall Glacier and it worked out well.

Hi Koalagurl,

Are you familiar with the Magic Tree House series - there is one entitled "Vacation Under the Volcano" about Pompeii and another called "The Hour of the Olympics" about Ancient Greece. There are also companion research guides, "Ancient Rome and Pompeii" and "Ancient Greece and the Olympics". My younger daughter is 7 and quite likes these books. We also have the EyeWitness guides for Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece which have lots of great photos. A recent acquisition (not yet read) is Geronimo Stilton: The Colosseum Con.

Agreed - it is hard to find movies. Not sure if your 6 year old is a girl or a boy - a few days ago we watched "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" which is set in Rome so there are lots of shots of famous landmarks in the city. I'm still on the look out for other kid appropriate movie to watch before our trip this summer.

Lisa

My adivice is pick a cruise and sign up for your roll call and then see if others have young ones and book private tours with them. It saves lots of money. You will have a good time. Heck our folks drug us around growing up to historical and vacation spots they could afford. Probably why as adults we developed a great love of history.

Hi Koalagurl,

Are you familiar with the Magic Tree House series - there is one entitled "Vacation Under the Volcano" about Pompeii and another called "The Hour of the Olympics" about Ancient Greece. There are also companion research guides, "Ancient Rome and Pompeii" and "Ancient Greece and the Olympics". My younger daughter is 7 and quite likes these books. We also have the EyeWitness guides for Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece which have lots of great photos. A recent acquisition (not yet read) is Geronimo Stilton: The Colosseum Con.

 

Agreed - it is hard to find movies. Not sure if your 6 year old is a girl or a boy - a few days ago we watched "The Lizzie McGuire Movie" which is set in Rome so there are lots of shots of famous landmarks in the city. I'm still on the look out for other kid appropriate movie to watch before our trip this summer.

 

Lisa

Yes! We just got the Magic Tree House books a few days ago. So far, my 6 year old is doing well reading them. I need to read them too so we can discuss. I'll check out the other books.

My 6 year old is a girl, so I'll check out that movie. Thanks for the recommendation.

When do you go on your trip? We go the beginning of August.

The PBS store used to have a few videos about historical things. I remember they had one called Castle, partly animated, about why castles were built the way they were, and the same on cathedrals. EM

Hi Koalagurl,

We are flying to Rome on August 4th and setting sail on the Celebrity Equinox on August 8th. Can't wait!! :) What ship are you on?

Lisa

We are doing the Epic 7/31 - 8/7. I think we are in Rome on the 3rd.

If I learn anything of great value, I'll try to post while onboard (talking can't live without type of info, LOL!!)

I just rented some episodes of Little Einsteins that may have either some art or something related to the trip. (I think one episode was about Barcelona, where our cruise originates.).

We took DD on a Med cruise when she was 3YO land trip to Italy when she was 4.5YO. We all had a great time on each trip. The first time she was back in Venice after the 4.5YO trip was when she was 12YO and I was surprised that she recognized quite a few things.

We did alot of things we normally would do -- museums, parks, historical sites. To prep a bit for the art museums, we read some of the "Katie and the . . . " series from James Mayhew. It helped her understand the artwork much better.

We researched the ports and put together visual scavenger hunts for each city. We included crude hand drawings (mine) in addition to the words - for mundane things (an orange backpack) and things we knew she'd see (a winged lion in when we were in Venice). If she got everything on her list in a day, she'd get a treat. It really kept her interested in looking around.

Even when she was 4.5 and we were in Venice (not a wheeled friendly place!) we used her stroller -- no tired legs made for a happier kid. We packed snacks each day. We always had a change of clothes and a sweatshirt. IOW be prepared.

We tend to vacation "off season" April, May, late Oct, Nov. Less crowds for me translates into easier travel.

DD's now 15.5YO and a seasoned traveller (and very well rounded kid). Our next trip isn't until December of this year (to Pasedena for school) and our next cruise until next Spring (Greece and Turkey), because her schedule is so hectic -- so take advantage of this time now, because older is not necessarily any "easier":)

We just got back from a Holy Land cruise with our 13 month old and our 6 year old. We were on RCI Mariner of the Seas, so no pool or childcare/nursery for the baby.

We paid for a private tour for Ashdod (Jerusalem) and Kusadasi (Ephesus). We were also going to do a private tour for Haifa, but I decided to stay back with the girls and DH went on a group tour by himself. We realized that going on 10 hour trips two days in a row would be too much for the kids (and myself!). I think that is the main thing, like everyone says - you just have to set more realistic goals and maybe even lower your expectations a little. So, on the Haifa day, I took the girls around town/to a playground/shopping, and then back to the ship in the afternoon. Not a full day of touring amazing sights, but it was still memorable.

ETA: regarding a stroller, we used our umbrella stroller all over (including the Acropolis and Ephesus). Yes, it does not have the best push/ride, but it was fine. A decent umbrella stroller will be fine even on cobblestones, etc. We also used our Ergo Carrier when appropriate.

Thanks for the additional advice. DH and I have done more research and adjusted the timing of the cruise due to work so now we're targeting mid Oct-mid Nov which rules out Baltics. We're seriously considering Star Princess Greek Isles, HAL Mediterranean Empires and Cunard Queen Victoria Egypt and Greek Isles. All are 12 night cruises, quite port intensive.

I was surprised Cunard was in the same price range as the the others and wonder if that's due to Egypt? Anyone sail on Cunard with kids? I know it's typically not a family line but they have a children's club and nannies. I am sure we will get stares from other passengers if we bring 2 small children :rolleyes:. Also, I noticed Star Princess is going to drydock after these 2 sailings (Oct/Nov) so I'm questioning the condition of the ship.

We've set our expectations and started researching excursions to get an idea of what we would do through the ship vs on our own. Anyone here do the Alexandria-Cairo motorcoach ride? I read it's 3 hours each way to get to the pyramids/sphinx. It's a long excursion but there are sea days on each end of it.

 

We've set our expectations and started researching excursions to get an idea of what we would do through the ship vs on our own. Anyone here do the Alexandria-Cairo motorcoach ride? I read it's 3 hours each way to get to the pyramids/sphinx. It's a long excursion but there are sea days on each end of it.

Especially with kids, in my opinion I would never do a ship tour in this area - on your own/hiring a cab or pre-arranged private tours cost less and are much more kid-friendly.

For Cairo, our private tour cost less than half of the ship tour, with the added benefit of being treated like VIPs, going at our own pace and choosing a kid-friendly itinerary (no "factory" shops or long museum stops). My twins had just turned 6 and absolutely loved Cairo/Giza, but there were other younger kids on our cruise who also had a good time. The drive was about 2-1/2 hours, but could easily be longer due to traffic, but my girls were fine since we brought lots of snacks and amusements, plus the interest of watching what was out the window. Half-way to Cairo is a rest stop with lots of food choices, including pizza, etc. and a small playground. Happy to answer any questions you have.

Best,

Mia

I've traveled everywhere with my children, long flights, short flights, cruises. I think a long flight isn't really that different from a short flight because the annoying part is really the bags and the airport (waiting, security, etc) not really sitting on the plane. Of course I try to avoid long flights if only for the money but I've had work in Brazil and the first time we went my daughter was 4 months old and we had a great trip.

Going on a cruise with my 9 month old here in Europe was great too. It's not as relaxing of course but then again it will not be much different anywhere else. I find it a million times easier than traveling by car - this I admit, I have given up, I no longer enjoy big car trips with the children, they are very annoyed and it's not so great. But the cruise is a fabulous experience. I've done a cruise when my son was 4 yo and with when he was 5 yo and my daghter 9 months and will be cruising again this year, my children will be 2 and 7 yo.

The idea that you might have difficulty moving around with a stroller is amazing: we live here! There are millions of people living in our cities, we have children too and strollers... come on... :cool:

I think cruising is great with children because they learn so much, we can be very active and see many things without tyring them and also the trip is very adapted to children. We live by the beach so do not really bother to loose some hours of beach to stay by the sea ;) - now with small children I find that staying long hours by the beach might be a bit dangerous so I kind of feel like the ship is a great alternative.

Also, saying that a child will not recall much is a bit strange to me because they also will not recall Christmas or their birthdays or a holiday by the beach, or anything else for that matter... so the option is just to stay at home until they can remember? :confused: WE will remember and they will learn so much and have fun... at least for me this is enough. I think it's relaxed, active and safe, a way to learn and see a lot without much stress. And for me, being with my children is the main priority so it's great anywhere, even at home, I don't find it that stressfull to go out or eat at a table... they are used to it and enjoy it. When they don't we find other alternatives like a quick buffet. It doesn't really matter that much, when you have children you are used to coming up with a quick second plan just in case something turns out difficult for them...

Hope u have fun.

...

Also, saying that a child will not recall much is a bit strange to me because they also will not recall Christmas or their birthdays or a holiday by the beach, or anything else for that matter... so the option is just to stay at home until they can remember? :confused: WE will remember and they will learn so much and have fun... at least for me this is enough...

Yes! That logic of not doing anything until a kid is old enough to remember just does not compute. :) The funny part is that usually I find the parents saying they aren't going to take their toddler to Disneyland because they won't remember are the same ones throwing extravagant 1st birthday parties (and we all know those are definitely not for the 1 year old.)

Hey! Just noticed your posting. We sailed last year in/out Venice with NCL. Athens, Dubrovnik, Ephesus, + another stop in Greece that escapes me. Just to make it fun, we flew into Milan and out of Rome -- and added train to each. With our three-year old son. This year, thinking just like you, we're doing NCL's Baltic trip.

My son just turned four and is about to top ten countries, so we feel if you travel, you travel. Go for it! That is not to say that some of it won't be painful. But, as parents, we all know how that is. And travel, as wonderful as it is, is hard sometimes even with adults only.

I should add that my son is VERY active. So...this is not an easy time. But we try to factor in his enjoyment and the enjoyment of fellow traveler's. We aren't even typical cruisers but had so much adult time last year with the NCL kid's camp. It worked very well for us. The year before we hit Rome/Tuscany/Florence/Venice by train and car. And he was 18 months then.

Enjoy! You're raising little travelers.

Tracy

Just to share - The Leaning Tower of Pisa is featured in the "Birthday Machine" episode of Little Einsteins. Kids love that!

Just to share - The Leaning Tower of Pisa is featured in the "Birthday Machine" episode of Little Einsteins. Kids love that!

Great tip thank you!

Thank you all for the feedback.

We're currently booked on Cunard QV in late October and will be visiting: Venice, Split, Dubrovnilk, Corfu, Alexandria, Ephesus, Istanbul, Dikili, Volos and Athens. We decided to go with Cunard for their itinerary, kids club starts at 1 years old and the pricing was cheaper than Princess and HAL, the other 2 were were considering. Most of the ports we plan to do private tours or go on our own but I was leaning towards booking a tour with the ship fore Cairo only to find out yesterday that Cunard's minimum tour age is 3 and one of us would need to stay back on the ship with the <2 yr old which is nuts. Kerry's Girls refreshed my memory of the families that have booked private tours in Egypt and had a good experience so I'm researching our options.

I am sure we will get plenty to stares from fellow passengers since Cunard its typically not full of kids but it's our vacation too, my kids have travelled a decent amount already, they a well behaved and we're going to have a good time!

That's an amazing itinerary! We are going to be in Ephesus, Istanbul, and Athens on our family cruise this summer and will definitely let you know how child-friendly we found the ports. I've actually heard that Cunard is quite a family-friendly line so I wouldn't worry too much. I believe that the vast majority of cruise ship passengers don't get themselves all worked up about there being children in their midst, there are just a few really vocal ones that think families have no right to travel and aren't afraid to express that opinion to anyone who will listen. Enjoy your cruise - I'm sure your family will have an amazing time!! :)

Lisa