We Took our Two Year Old, Here's What We Learned!

We took our two year old on a 4 day NCL cruise last week. Here's what worked well for us, and what I wish we would have done differently.

1) Biggest thing for us was getting a suite. I realize it's not within everyone's price range, and normally we choose to spend our money differently, but this time it was what made the trip work for us. I think having a regular cabin would have been incredibly stressful around bedtime and nap time, instead we were able to enjoy our evenings/afternoons, and our daughter was able to get quality sleep. Snacks brought by our butler in the afternoon where also thoroughly enjoyed by our toddler. A cookie after waking up from a nap can be worth it's wait in gold. In addition the DVD player in the room allowed us to bring a DVD with her favorite cartoons, which could be put on in a pinch. There were also no such thing as lines for us, which was fabulous. Everytime we wanted to go off the ship, the concierge was right there to make sure we were escorted off, and directed around the long lines of passengers. Priority check-in, tendering, and disembarkation made traveling with a small toddler, and all the stuff that comes with them much less stressful.

If we were not to have splurged for the suite life, we would have probably chosen a land vacation somewhere instead, where there was at least a separate bedroom/living space for us, or left our daughter at home.

2) Routine. We kept our routine, and it kept our daughter smiling and happy the whole time. We usually woke up in the morning at 7 or 7:30am and went to breakfast in Cagney's, NCLs specialty restaurant where suite guests can go. (You'll notice quickly how often I praise the perks of having a suite). It was always quiet, and there were no lines, so we were always able to get in and out without any fuss. And the staff absolutely doted on our DD. From there we'd go back to the room, grab our stuff and head to the beach. Then around 11:30 we'd head back to the ship for lunch and a nap. Occasionally we had lunch room serviced (thank you expanded room service menu for suites!), other times we went somewhere on the ship. While our daughter napped, we usually laid out on the balcony and read.

Usually she woke up by 3pm, and we'd get dressed and go explore the ship. Then dinner at 5:30. Usually then it was back to the room for cool down/pajama time, and bed for her by 7-7:30pm. We'd stay up in the living area and enjoy dessert, watch a movie, or read, or use the hot tub on our balcony. We were able to feel like we were still getting a relaxing vacation thanks to that balcony. Then bed for us by 10:30 or so. Rinse and repeat.

3) Work on manners before you leave home. We talked extensively to our daughter about what was expected of her on the airplane and at the restaurants, and what her reward would be if she was well behaved. Even at two, she understood that on the airplane she was not allowed to kick the seat in front of her, and that we needed to use our inside voices. Restaurant manners were practiced well in advance as well, whether at home or at local chain restaurants here. As a result a) we knew that we could get about an hour of good behavior out of her at dinner, hour and a half was usually pushing it, so we knew as parents what she could and could not handle and b) we received so many compliments from other passengers and staff about her behavior while on the plane and at the restaurants.

4) Keep dinners early/quick and come prepared. Early: We always had dinner around 5:30, when the restaurants first opened. This allowed us to dine in the specialty restaurants with ease, as they were practically empty, and not worry about our daughter "ruining the ambiance" for other passengers, since we knew she wasn't going to be overtired, and the waitstaff would be able to get food to us relatively quickly.

Quick: We would have them bring out her entree with our appetizers, and let her have ice cream while we ate our dinner (it is a vacation after all!). Then we'd have them bring our dessert to go or send it back to the room. We only had one evening when she started to get antsy/fussy before we were quite ready to leave, and so my husband immediately took her out of the restaurant, while I had our dessert brought to the table so I could take it back to the room.

Come Prepared: We always brought stickers or a small toy for her to play on the off chance she started to get antsy. It kept her quiet while we were waiting for food to arrive or eating.

5) We did not expect to go to any of the shows. Any of them. Period. I had taken a look at the dailies for the 4 day NCL Sky cruise prior to our cruise, and all of their shows started at 8:30-9:00pm. Far too late for our family. I know other lines/ships may have them earlier. But I feel like even a show starting at 7:00pm may have been a tough sell for our family. It didn't make or break our vacation, but it may for someone else. Just be aware. We did catch the comedian and the Not So Newlywed show on tv in the evening while our daughter was sleeping, and seeing those was certainly enjoyable.

6) Try the kid care program. We did try the kid care program a couple times. NCL is still accepting 2 year olds on the Sky till then end of the year, and give you a pager in case you are needed for a diaper change/crying child. The first time we left her was on the first full day, when we got back to the boat a bit early before lunch. We dropped her off around 11am and came back to pick her up around 11:45am. Since we were in port, the kids area was empty, and the only people in the kid care center were the counselors. She did great, and had a blast. The second time was in the afternoon on the third day, when we left her for an hour before dinner. There were a lot more kids there (mostly around age 5), and thus she did not do as well this time. Literally as we were walking into the room to come get her she burst into tears. I think she was just overwhelmed by all the kids. Still I think it was good for her to try some time away from Mom and Dad, and certainly good for us to have a little time away.

7) Bring the stupid car seat, but try to make sure you won't need to use it in port. I'd hate to have had to lug that thing on excursions. It's a royal pain, but necessary element of the vacation. We only walked around in Freeport, and walked (7 min. walk) to the British Colonial Hilton in Nassau for a beach day, then NCLs private island, so we only ended up using it once in a taxi on the way back to the airport. On the way from Miami airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the port, we used a shuttle that did not accommodate car seats. Flame if you will. That's how we handled it.

8) Do not bring a car seat on the plane if you can avoid it. We used the CARES harness for our daughter on the plane, and it was great not having to lug the carseat through the airport. We checked it instead for free. Obviously for an infant it would be different, but our daughter is big enough that it wasn't a necessity.

9) Have a well organized diaper bag. Trying to root around and find snacks/toys/whatever, on an airplane to placate a toddler is rough. Make sure you have easy access to things, and know where things in your bag are. You don't want to have to unpack your whole bag just to find a package of crackers for snack.

10) Arrive a day early. Shlepping all the suitcases filled with baby/toddler gear through an airport is exhausting. Having an afternoon to unwind, and let our daughter play at the hotel pool, was a great way to start our vacation.

Things that Did Not Work Quite as Expected:

1) Bringing an inflatable pool for on the balcony. We knew that kids still using swim diapers are not allowed in the main pools, so we brought it, but we never used the thing. Our daughter loved our beach mornings, and afternoons were usually spent exploring the ship. Perhaps if it had been a longer cruise (which I don't think I would have tried with a toddler) it would have gotten some use, but as it was it just took up space.

2) Ordering from Diapers.com. I had placed an order at Diapers.com with free two day shipping to arrive at our hotel. I figured this way we could avoid packing a ton of diapers/swim diapers, and an inflatable pool for on the balcony. I even ordered it so that it would be delivered a day early. Well, shipping was delayed, and it didn't arrive till after we were to have been on the ship. Luckily I was tracking the packaging, and was able to pack extra diapers/swim diapers/inflatable pool. Lesson learned, always double check orders, and order it delivered more than a day or two early. It would have been much easier if those bulky things hadn't been taking up room in our suitcases.

3) Do not let your child fall asleep on the way back to the ship if you plan on having to give them a bath. This one may just be for our kid, but she is super cranky right after she wakes up from her afternoon nap. Unfortunately she fell asleep in her stroller on the way back to the ship on our morning on the beach in Nassau. She had sand everywhere and desperately needed a bath before being allowed to play in the cabin, but waking up from her nap only to be plunked in a bath led to the worlds worst meltdown. Honestly I'm surprised people didn't come check on us to make sure we weren't murdering her in our cabin! Luckily because we had the suite (yes, I know, but it really did help!), we had a large bathtub that allowed both my husband to hold her down, while I hosed her off.

4) Be prepared for a slight upset upon returning home. I was kind of expecting this, but it's still not fun. Our daughter was quite dismayed to find out that she couldn't have ice cream after dinner every night upon returning home, same for having pancakes for breakfast. Snacks now are fruits and vegetables instead of cookies, and she is not allowed to play with mommy and daddy's Ipad nearly as much. That coupled with being tired from the vacation has left us with more than the normal amount of temper tantrums. Give yourself time for things to get back to normal.

Overall it was a great vacation. We researched it extensively, and as such were well prepared for what was coming our way. It is very different cruising with a toddler, but if you have the right expectations, it can be very enjoyable.

Product Recommendations:

Kidco Peapod Tent: Perfect for a toddler who has outgrown a pack n play, but you would still like confined when sleeping. I wouldn't recommend it for an infant, but it's great for our two year old. It's super light, folds down to practically nothing, and we were able to slip it in our closet, and give DD her own little sleeping space. The product was just recalled though, do to suffocation hazard with the air matress (which we never bother with, we just use blankets), so parents, make sure you get the free repair kit!

http://www.kidco.com/products-page/peapod-standard/

JuJuBe B.F.F. Diaper Bag: Oh my god, this is the best diaper bag ever. It is a little pricey, but super worth it. I love the material, it's held up so well over the years, and the fact that it converts into a backpack, is super helpful when travelling. Tons of pockets, and easy to keep organized.

http://shop.ju-ju-be.com/BFF-at-Ju-Ju-Be-in-PID10858-09FM02A.aspx

JL Childress Cups 'N Cargo Stroller Organizer: We attached this to the back of our umbrella stroller and it was fantastic. Allowed us to walk around the ship/port with a couple diapers, wipes, stickers, snack, sippy cup, change of clothes and bottle of water for us without a diaper bag.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X2HC9W/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00

Inglesina Swift Stroller:

Loved having this stroller with us. Folds compactly, with a handle to carry when boarding the plane. Nice shade for little one, super easy to steer, small recline feature and super light. Way cheaper than a Maclaren with similar features or Uppababy. Love the bright green color, which is gender neutral and makes it easy to find your family in a crowd.

http://www.albeebaby.com/inglesina-swift-stroller-mela-green.html?gdftrk=gdfV21377_a_7c623_a_7c4726_a_7cAG84D0MLAUS&gclid=CMmF1Keh27MCFQ-f4AodDCAAaQ

CARES Harness

Makes traveling on the plane a breeze. I just wish they could come up with something similar for cars!

http://www.amazon.com/CARES-Child-Aviation-Restraint-System/dp/B0012E4FV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1353336685&sr=1-1&keywords=cares+harness

Hope this helps!

This is such a helpful post! We are travelling with our 16 month old (yikes) thnaks!!

Great post with excellent, valuable information!! Thanks for sharing!

:)

Great post, our daughter is older ( just turned 4) but still lots of great ideas, thanks for sharing

Welcome back! And I agree with everything you said - even with some "not so young" kids ;)

The NCL suite experience - the size of the suite (ours was a two bedroom). And the amenities involved are second to none. It is VERY hard to go onto another ship without those amenities.

Great review... We are going on the RCI Independence in Jan and we got 2 connecting inside cabins so our two year old could have privacy as can we for nap times, and he can go to bed early while we eat and watch tv. It was pretty reasonable pricewise too. We probably had to pay about $300 more than we would have in a single balcony cabin but I think it will be worth it for a week with a busy 2 year old. I think we will prop the door open a little between the rooms at night time and nap time but he should sleep well. Anyone ever tried this?

I cannot praise you enough for being thoughtful,caring,responsible parents. I hope many others will read you helpful hints about what did work and what did not.

One that really hit me was:

"Work on manners before you leave home. We talked extensively to our daughter about what was expected of her on the airplane and at the restaurants, and what her reward would be if she was well behaved. Even at two, she understood that on the airplane she was not allowed to kick the seat in front of her, and that we needed to use our inside voices. Restaurant manners were practiced well in advance as well, whether at home or at local chain restaurants here"

I remember having lunch at a local restaurant where a child was banging on the table and then let out one of those screeches, and her mother just gave us a smug smile like isn't that cute?

Great post, thank you! I will be traveling as well with my under 2 year old daughter on Independence in January. My daughter and I will be in a connecting room with my parents, so I am sharing my room with her, but I will be able to get into their room during her naps and when she goes to bed :)

Loved reading your review! Our youngest was 4 when we first took them on a cruise, and I thought we were the brave ones :p