Cruising with a 2 year old: suggestions?

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

We are cruising to Alaska in June and have a 2 year old. Has anyone travelled Celebrity Infinity with a little one? Any suggestions?:)

[SusieQT]

We just got off the Galaxy with a 3 & 1 year old. Don't take this the wrong way, but can you wait 1 more year? (We couldn't, it was an extended family trip) When the children are 3 and potty-trained, they have a GREAT kids club that is free from 9am-10pm (you have to pay for meals on port days). My daughter LOVED it!

 

They have in-cabin babysitting for $8/hour for younger children, we used it 3 times. 2 hour minimum, 5 hour maximum.

 

Get a Family Suite (don't know the right name) or Royal Suite, this gives you room to watch tv, etc. when the little one is asleep.

 

I would be happy to answer specific questions!

[canderson]

We are cruising to Alaska in June and have a 2 year old. Has anyone travelled Celebrity Infinity with a little one? Any suggestions?:)

Our grandson (now 2-1/2) went with us on the Infinity in July 2003 (he took his first real steps in a FV cabin!) and he just went with us again on December on the Summit.

 

You've gotten over one of the sticky issues of X and babies at least -- food. We talked to the folks months ahead of the trip to assure a supply of appropriate baby food, and you'd think that after paying full adult fare for the little guy (X cuts you zero slack on this), they'd be able to manage that. 2nd day out, someone finally found the box that was prep'd for us. There was just no practical way to carry that much weight in a suitcase on the airplane, and we didn't think it would be such a problem for them. We managed. This is just a word of warning to someone taking babies and toddlers, and wouldn't apply to your situation if yours is already eating what mom and dad eat. More on dining later.

 

No doubt still doing milk, so be advised that a bottle warmer in the cabin can be plugged in to solve that problem. We cleared out the mini-bar fridge and used it to store things as needed.

 

If still in diapers, he/she won't be welcome in the Fun Factory just yet, but you can check out the "Treasure Chest" toy set to take down to your cabin if you like.

 

Speaking of diapers -- there seems to be some confusion about this as regards the pools. The diapers designed specifically for swimming are evidently OK. We were allowed to use the pool outside of the Fun Factory on Deck 11 (only filled on at-sea days, it seems).

 

Lunch and dinner can always be a challenge, especially if you have shore excursions planned. You can't take unpackaged food off the ship, so be sure that you have packaged food for your little one. We took cartons of juice, little packages of applesauce, etc. to augment local diet. At dinner, there's a kids menu, and you'll find that your waiter will try to help you in every way possible to deal with food preferences -- and in our experience, even some good entertainment!

 

You don't say where you're going. We found it very difficult to pull it all together between return from shore and early seating. So we did what no one though possible or reasonable and opted for late seating. Works pretty well. Everyone gets a little rest and cleaned up, then it's up to the sushi or pasta bar for his "snack" around 6:00 that tides him over until we're ready to sit down at 8:30. On an 11nt trip, he managed all but 2 nts to keep his good humor, and we took turns those two nights in the cabin. The waiter was very good about letting one of us have our dinner sent up. I can't tell you for certain what the best plan is here -- much depends upon your own experiences with your 2 year old. If he/she is good with strangers, they have in-cabin babysitting services by volunteers (you pay them, but they volunteer for the extra duty) for a very reasonable fee. We didn't use this service the first time, but did the 2nd, and they picked us a winner. Hope you're as lucky.

 

If I had an idea what sort of cabin you've got, I could be more help there, too. Cribs are available, but depending up on cabin type, can get a bit tight. Both times, we've had a Family View (see pics below) and that leaves plenty of room for either a crib, or a buttressed pillow arrangement on the low fold-out sofa in the next room.

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

Thanks! No, I can't wait- we are also on a family vacation- she fortunately has 2 sets of Grandparents also going that will "babysit", giving me and my DH a little time to ourselves. Did you use the FUN Factory- don't they have a ball area or fun things to do "with supervision", of course.:) What was the Fun Factory like in general. We have a 4, 6, and 9 year old in our family that are going too.

[canderson]

Thanks! No, I can't wait- we are also on a family vacation- she fortunately has 2 sets of Grandparents also going that will "babysit", giving me and my DH a little time to ourselves. Did you use the FUN Factory- don't they have a ball area or fun things to do "with supervision", of course.:) What was the Fun Factory like in general. We have a 4, 6, and 9 year old in our family that are going too.

As noted above, diapered ones not welcome there, but we saw kids in your 4~9 range that couldn't be pried out of the place on the Summit! They seem to do a VERY good job of keeping them entertained there. On our last trip, they stopped us pre-boarding to give us a quick run-down and to let us know we should visit and where the place was.

 

With 2 sets of GPs along (we were the "one set" - "our" 2 year old is our grandson), there's always an alternating someone who can cover at dinner time if absolultely necessary. Very handy!

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

Thanks for all the info canderson! We are going to Alaska in June on the Infinity. We have a Deluxe Stateroom with Veranda on the Vista deck.

 

My only question back to you was in regards to the Fun Factory. They are allowed to use it at all if they are in diapers? Not even with adult supervision?:eek:

 

Thanks for the package food advice too. Very helpful. She is a good eater and eats what we do- but for shore visits... thanks.

[canderson]

Thanks for all the info canderson! We are going to Alaska in June on the Infinity. We have a Deluxe Stateroom with Veranda on the Vista deck.

 

My only question back to you was in regards to the Fun Factory. They are allowed to use it at all if they are in diapers? Not even with adult supervision?:eek:

 

Thanks for the package food advice too. Very helpful. She is a good eater and eats what we do- but for shore visits... thanks.

 

FF: Nope -- not even with adult supervision.

 

It's those "Mommmmyyyyy....." stomach calls at about 10:30 and 3:00 that we kept reminding outselves to prepare for. We also took along extra bottled water. Once you're on land, you'll find something to handle the problem. We took the crab adventure and had the "crab feast" at the end, and discovered we couldn't get the stuff unshelled fast enough for him. Talk about champagne tastes!

 

As for cabins, I get mixed up on the names. If that's the old Category 1 (191 sq. ft) cabin as I think it is, it's probably going to be a CC cabin by the time you get there. There's just enough room to do the crib thing in front of the veranda door in front of the sofa, or you'll have the sofa option. If you think you can find good use for the crib, let your stateroom attendant know and one will appear for you. They will also take them down for the day since there's really no room to get around them in anything smaller than a FV cabin. If you have the option of switching to the FV for a few $, that's a recommendation BTW. What could you do on a 242 sq ft. veranda in front of Hubbard Glacier? We ate ice cream!

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

I guess I better get started with the potty training and hope for the best! :) I can't believe they won't even let them play:( . Bummer.

 

Yes, I will take your advice about the crib and the Family Suite. They were already taken when we booked but I'll let my TA know to keep a look out for cancellations.

 

Thanks again for your helpful suggestions (especially the ice cream!) Where did you go for the crab feast???:p

[canderson]

Where did you go for the crab feast???:p

It was part of a Skagway or more likely the Ketchikan excursion, but I'll have to check tonight to be sure. The excursion had something called a "crab feed" in the title (it was us being fed, not the crabs!) We went out in a boat and brought up pots and measured the buggers, noted sex and general health for the record, and back in they went. Found out quite a bit about them. At the end, they took us to a lodge and fed us all until we were ready to pop. The timing was a bit odd since they'd delayed the start of the excursion for some reason, and we were eating at something like 4:00~4:30 in the afternoon. Of COURSE, it was lobster night...

[Happy ks]

To go to the Fun Factory. You never know, though, cruising Alaska in June, there will probably not be many kids yet, perhaps they will let her play in there. For that same reason (cruising in June) it may not be warm enough to swim, so don't even worry about that.

 

We were in the same type of cabin this last August on Infinity. It would be pretty tight to fit a crib in there, but there is a sofa sleeper about the size of a fold-out single bed.

 

With grandparents in abundance, she will probably never be bored!

 

Have a great cruise, Infinity is a beautiful ship.

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

canderson- I just found your message on the other thread. You are so funny! I hoped she would clarify why they won't let 2 year olds play in the Fun Factory- especially with supervision. I'm a little shocked- if that's the right word- disappointed too. She already loves to play in the ball pits!

[canderson]

canderson- I just found your message on the other thread. You are so funny! I hoped she would clarify why they won't let 2 year olds play in the Fun Factory- especially with supervision. I'm a little shocked- if that's the right word- disappointed too. She already loves to play in the ball pits!

We received what we thought at the time was a rather lame and vague claim regarding U.S. sanitary standards. First, Celebrity isn't bound by U.S. law, and there isn't any U.S. law of this type. So I'm not clear whether their heartburn is primarily from past experience (likely), but they could do a better job of explaining it. I suppose I could have called when I got back for a clarification, but they weren't going to budge from their policy in any case, so there didn't seem much point.

 

That we were invited to use the kiddie pool was really enough -- the treasure chest thing was just a bonus. I think Ethan (that's the GS's name) has some strange DNA thing going -- something to do with fish. Doing dishes? Close enough. He wants a piece of that action. Being able to toss him into the shallows in Aruba and at Xcaret across from Cozumel were a couple of the most enjoyable of the days he's ever spent in his two years. I never would have guessed that seawater wouldn't bother his eyes at all. He didn't care.

 

For the older kids, our observations are from both a couple of trips up there to look around and ask questions (for future cruises) and discussions with two couples who also had kids with them who were past the diaper stage. They both talked about how much fun their kids were having, and one of the fathers was actually grumping a bit at the fact that he couldn't seem to get his daughter to leave the place when it was time to get ready for dinner. I took that as a good sign!

 

As your kids get a little older, they can "step up" to the teen area, but we've noticed that after about 13 or 14 or so, they get "too cool" for that venue, and it's at that point that Celebrity doesn't have much for them. You've got a while and a bunch of cruises before you have to worry about that, though!

[SusieQT]

Keep in mind that the cabins are REALLY small if you truly are a "virgin cruiser"! :) Maybe you could be a connecting room with a family member if you can't get the family room. It's going to be really small, so just prepare yourself.

 

Also, the water in the kiddie pool is filled with sea water, it was cold in the Caribbean this month, so it could be too cold to use in Alaska. Maybe for Alaska they use different water or heat it?

 

I did notice in the bathroom in the Fun Factory on the Galaxy that they did have gloves and wipes in a cabinet, there were probably diapers somewhere. The regs may come from the CDC inspection they have to do (re: Century) but this is just a guess.

 

Our 3 1/2 year old loved the Fun Factory! She was exhausted by lunch and took long naps. The staff was fantastic, there were only 5 kids on board eligible to go, 4 went on a regular basis. There were 3 toddlers on board. You could not use the pool in a swim diaper, but Conner did play with the water toys and water by standing outside of the pool. He was fine with that (16 months though)

 

We had terrible service in the dining room.........so don't count on getting your kids' food quickly or any extra attention. There will be whole and skim milk on board in abundance and plenty of tasty choices. The mac & cheese was fantastic and the kids can order off of the adult menu, my 3 year old has adult tastes, shrimp cocktail, steak, salmon! Lots of ice cream with rainbow sprinkles too.

 

Any other specific questions?

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

Thanks for the responses SusieQT and canderson. I understand sanitary reasons but under supervision and that person will change the diaper when necessary -like in any daycare situation- it shouldn't be an issue- whatever- I can only hope maybe they will allow her if she potty trained and if I stay??? Thanks again for all your helpful advice. We are on the waitlist for early seating- but I'm beginning to think we should just stay with the late seating. canderson- I remember you saying you had time to rest snack and then have dinner? But I'm wondering if I should even plan on going to formal dinning and do whatever works?:confused:

[canderson]

We are on the waitlist for early seating- but I'm beginning to think we should just stay with the late seating. canderson- I remember you saying you had time to rest snack and then have dinner? But I'm wondering if I should even plan on going to formal dinning and do whatever works?:confused:

We took Ethan to formal dinner on two of the three nights. We had a babysitter (Tess) one night as we had planned to stay up a good bit after dinner. Much depends upon how your little one handles it. They'll bring you your choice of either the standard plastic tray highchair setups, or one of the wooden ones that you pull right up to the table itself.

 

Shore excursions can interrupt nap times, and we actually found it was easier to get back to the boat, feed him a bite from the pasta bar, and park him for a bit to cool his jets, and if we were lucky, have him sleep a bit. Given that there are going to be 6 of you (3 per cabin?), he (is it a he?) may find it a bit tougher to get enough quiet to get a decent nap. If so, he may not be fit company for dinner, or he may just zonk out on you! Only you will be able to see how this is going, read the situation, and adjust accordingly. We found that the big change in routine and associated excitement made it pretty tough to get him down for a nap for a day or two anyway.

 

If all else fails, the "informal dining" (aft section of Deck 10) is a good alternative, and while we didn't find the menu quite as nice as the regular dining room, it was certainly decent food. As someone else noted, there's also a kids menu if something on that seems more appealing to them at the time.

 

Actually, late seating could be tougher on your other 3 since you can bet none of THEM are going to be talking "nap time" at all, and this gets them to bed a bit late. Many of the shore excursions start out pretty early in the a.m., so getting them out of bed may be a bit of a challenge.

[flagger]

Here are my suggestions having cruised Infinity last September with a 15 month old and Rhapsody of the Seas three weeks ago with a 19 month old.

 

Remember that traveling with a 2 year old means lots of luggage.

 

 

I also recommend the collapsible bedrail by Safety First. We had our sofa made up as a bed (not pulled out) and used it under the cushions. We had the crib sent away the first night. The sofa was not so high that she could get hurt if she rolled out, but just in case this prevented that. Ours fit inside a 28" rolling suitcase.

 

Here is a picture:

 

 

Remember that from where ever you are coming from it will be later body time in Alaska as far as meals are concerned. Having done both early seating in Alaska and late seating in the Caribbean, I recommend staying with early seating or waitlisting for it if at all possible. Talking to the maitre'd once you board can help you as well if it does not become available before you leave. On our recent cruise, we found we missed most of the shows which were at 7pm for late seating diners. We were either trying to get her fed or entertained until dinner time or until the babysitter arrived.

 

We did borrow the "treasure chest" from the fun factory, but no matter how much you ask, under 3 just cannot play there even with adult supervision. The day we were at Hubbard Glacier, our daughter decided to pitch one of the toys under the plexiglass on our balcony but luckily it landed on Deck 4 and not overboard. The chest went back that day. However with that in mind and that there is so much to see and do on the ship, I would not bring every toy in the world. Space is so tight in the cabins, that you really don't want more clutter.

 

The over the door shoe holder was perfect as it held diapers out of the way for us.

 

She did enjoy going on the whale watching boat with Captain Larry in Juneau. He was really sweet with her as well. We even had one humpback swim right at the boat when we arrived and went under about 25 feet from us. Just awe inspiring.

 

 

It is worth it to go to the speciality restaurant on board at least one night. Our daughter was not allowed so we used the babysitter for that night as well as the second formal night. I am sure she loved going because the first word out of her mouth when we got to the pier in Galveston three weeks ago was "Cruuuuuuuuuise".

[AnotherVirginCruiser]

Thanks again canderson!:) I read your thread on wine...we love Silver Oak too! We live 40 minutes from there, so were spoiled!:p But, it makes it hard to get wine that I like too. So I appreciate your advice about that also.

Flagger- that was a fantastic response! :) Thank you- thank you for the pics. I was planning on doing the bedrail thing although I thought of unfolding the sofa. I like your picture and idea!! Also, the over the door holder for space. So I think I will continue to be on the waitlist for early seating. I'm from the west coast so our time won't be too different, although it will still be light out at night. I love that she liked to cruuuuuuuise! and I hope mine will too. If you think of anything else, please get back to me!

:( Still sad about the Fun Factory- but I will do other things and we are in ports most of the time.

[flagger]

The reason we never had the sofa pulled out was that space thing. We could still get to our balcony from the bed and not disturb her sleep by using the bedrail. Also remember that naps are important. We found that Ms. Flagger loved to shop and I would relax with the blinds closed while in port. Yes this was a time where we spent some time apart, but honestly as a stay at home dad, I NEVER get to nap at home and I came back quite relaxed from both cruises.

 

Our key was just not trying to do too much and knowing our limits. We never ever found ourselves rushing to get back to the ship in time. Yes we missed quite a bit in the different ports, but having someone else cook and clean for us was worth the price of admission. Oh yeah, bring the smallest stroller you can manage. Chicco has an umbrella one at BRU for about $80-90 that has a small basket and a small shade. The hall ways are not that big and the rooms certainly are not. A ship is not the place for a big ole SUV type of stroller.

 

Another HUGE tip from us. The basketball court behind the funnel on Infinity is open air but enclosed with two entrances. It was a PERFECT area to let our daughter run around in and chase and bounce balls without disturbing the walkers, joggers, shuffleboard players. We discovered this the fourth night of the cruise. If not in use during the day (we went at night before bed but after dinner), keep that in mind for someone who needs to run off energy.

[ashleysmm]

Two years ago we cruised with our 2 yr old granddaughter on the Galaxy. It was a family cruise including our daughter and her husband and our son and his fiance. We did late seating and never had a problem. The waiters and Matre'd were fabulous. We ordered from the children's menu and she received her food during appetizers. Also every night there was a plate of cherries and paper umbrellas brought to her as she was seated, the waiter new they were her favorite. She was the center of attention whereever we went it seemed like the entire crew knew her name and stopped to make a fuss over her. She even went to Island Night and danced with everyone. Every afternoon one person in our group was elected to take a nap with her. We retired to her cabin, pulled the shades and both our granddaughter and the other person ended up napping for an hour or so. My husband and I overnighted our granddaughter in our room when mommy and daddy wanted their own time. It's been 2 yrs and she still talks about the Big Ship and when can she go again. She's very excited as this May our son and his fiance are getting married in Hawaii then we'll all board the Serenade of the Seas for an 11 night cruise. Since she's 4 now she'll be able to take advantage of the onboard childrens program which should make it even more enjoyable for her. However her best memories are of the time spent at the beach and the being aboard the Big Ship with the wonderful crew. My advice would be to relax and enjoy your cruise and your children will also. Have a great vacation.

[cruisebunny32]

I have cruised with my son when he was 8 months, 19 months and almost 3. It is true, the must be 3 AND Potty trained. They ask for the birth certificate to be sure. I figured my son was tall and talking pretty good, I could sneak him in, but no. That was very disappointing to me. Anyways, we still had fun.

 

The dinner seating depends on the childs schedule. The first 2 cruises, late seating was fine, but by the almost 3 one, he was on a pretty good schedule with his preschool, he just could not make it till 8:30 for dinner. We asked the Matre D if we could move to earlier seating, and he did it for us without hesitation. We had much more enjoyable dinners after that!

 

The crew is awesome with kids. I think because a lot of them have children at home that they miss, they love the kids. The kids menu is awesome. They have a real entree every night, along with hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and frenchfries. My son also got a pasta entree each night of macaroni and cheese, which he just loves! He also had a fruit appetizer and of course Ice cream for dessert. During they day you can always find stuff they will eat, and if you can't, just ask. At this age they should be eating enough table food that you shouldn't have to bring much food with you. I guess it just depends on what they eat. They have practically everything. They have apple juice and fruit punch most of the time. I also brought juice boxes for the excursions for him. Water is good too! He even had a few shirley temples!

 

The folding bedrail is a must. I was always afraid he would fall out. Even with the sofa open, there is still space between your bed and theirs, and I always fear the worst. Keeping the sofa unfolded with the rail, now that is a great idea! Thanks!

 

Enjoy your cruise. You have plenty of help and you will be fine! make sure you get a day to yourself also! Make use of the baby sitting service, it is well worth it!

[flagger]

We were in pretty much the same size cabin, but on the Sky Deck with Concierge Class ammenities. Your room may be a bit smaller with or without the verandah, but maybe not. If your child is not used to showers, work on that before you go.

 

I loved having the bathtub in the JS on Rhapsody but in the class you are going on Infinity it will be just showers. My DD was less than pleased, but we dealt with it.

 

In all honesty, though there were some swimmers in Alaska, the water is really just too cold. You can go to the T-pool area which IS heated, but that is for adults only and the diapers issues is moot.

 

And really keep that basketball area in the back of your mind come your cruise, I wish we had known about it beforehand. One way also to tire our daughter out is to use the stroller very little and to use stairs as much as possible rather than the elevators. We were on Deck 9 which was one down from the pool and Oceanview Cafe (our cabin was midship). Easy to run up a flight of stairs to get a burger, hot dog, pizza or fries and run back down. I will admit to even doing that while she napped one afternoon.