mediterranean itinerary with a 4yo?

[dorito6778]

has anyone every done this? by the time we're "due" for our next cruise, DD will be just turning 4...and have been on 3 carribbean cruises already (eastern, western and southern).

 

we're looking to do something different. MH and I would like to do a mediterranean cruise with her, and its really not much more expensive for use to do a mediterranean itinerary than to do ANOTHER carrib itinerary.

 

please, no comments on how europe is no place for a 4yo. i'm just looking for feedback from those who have done this before (what ports you visited, what you did with your kids, etc.).

 

thanks.

[cb at sea]

Who says 4 year olds don't belong??? There are PLENTY of kids in the Med! I mean, folks LIVE there...have kids....so don't worry about bring your children wherever you want to go!

[boulders]

I took ds4 on a Med cruise a year ago. He had a blast. His favourite excursion was probably Pompeii.There were lots of little kids on our DCL cruise.

[koalagurl]

We did this on the epic this past summer and the kids had a blast!!

 

We had 4 kids in our group, 6,4,3 and 1.

 

In Livorno we went for a quick stop in Pisa (thanks to the Little Einsteins the kids knew about it ahead of time) then to Lucca and wine tasting. In Lucca we rented bikes with trailers and rode around the wall. Every so often there was a small park for the kids to play in.

 

In Rome we did all of the major sights. Some of them we did by car, and in the Vatican we got a guide who worked as best he could to tailor the tour to the kids.

 

Naples we were beat and just enjoyed the pool on the ship, though I bet they would have enjoyed Pompeii.

 

One bit of advice, use private tours! We used Rome in Limo and they were fantastic.

[dorito6778]

Who says 4 year olds don't belong??? There are PLENTY of kids in the Med! I mean, folks LIVE there...have kids....so don't worry about bring your children wherever you want to go!

 

haha...i know! i've just seen a lot of snark on these boards about how we shouldnt waste such trips on such young children "who wont care or remember."

 

 

 

good recs about pisa and pompeii, and introducing them through little einsteins (or similar). thanks!!!

[6rugrats]

You just have to realize that many places are not close to the ports (such as Rome), and there can be travel involved to get there. Adjust your expectations, as you won't be able to do everything you might have if you just had adults with you, though they can be plenty whiney themselves.

 

Book private excursions and bring snacks. Stop frequently for food and drink breaks. There is no reason you can't have a good time.