Cruising with a Toddler. Our Photo Intense Trip Recap of the 9-7-13 Carnival Dream

[TeknikDC2]

[TeknikDC2]

 

Now that we were out in the open sea and on our way to our next port we once again grabbed some Ice Cream and made our way back down to our cabin. If your traveling with a toddler get use to spending alot of time in your Cabin. Daniel had yet to have a nap today so thats what we were going down to the cabin to do. After letting him play for a bit he and Kiera crashed out for a afternoon nap as I watched some shows on TV.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

After everyone woke up from there Naps we started to get ready for the evening. Tonight was the ships first Eligant Night. In the past we have usually waited to iron our clothes until the evening of the first Eligant Night. But we thought ahead on this trip and Kiera ironed everything the day before. As we were getting ready for the night though I ran into a little problem. As I was putting my dress shirt on I asked Kiera where my Ties were. She replied "I thought you grabbed them". Yeah I didn't grab my Ties. They were left at home. Looks like I would be going Tie-less on the Eligant Nights this trip.

 

Edited October 13, 2013 by TeknikDC2

[TeknikDC2]

We were ready for the evening and rushing out our cabin door a little before 7:30pm. We didn't have dinner until 8:15pm but tonight was the opening night of the Punchliner Comedy Club and we didn't want to miss it. We ran into the club a little after it started. The Host Jeff the Fun Dude was doing his set. We found some seats and then kicked back to enjoy the show that featured Seth Buchwald tonight. He was also the one who performed a short set the night before at the Welcome Aboard show.

 

 

This was a new experiance for us. We had never been to the Comedy Club this early in the evening before. On our past 4 cruises that have featured the Comedy Club each and every show that we went to were the Adult only R rated shows that take place later in the evenings. Dispite some questionable raunchy humor these Adult shows always gave us a good laugh. With a toddler though it ment the Adult shows were out of the question so we would be experiancing the Family Friendly shows for the first time this trip. I'm not gonna lie it seemed much harder to prioritize the Comedy Shows when they took place earlier in the evenings. Especially when there were time conflicts with the shows in the main theater. This is another thing that would be easier had we had Early dinning instead of Late. Seth put on a great show and we were laughing hard nearly the entire time. I didn't realize how funny these family shows would be. And the humor was clean too. It was nice to not feel guilty or sickened by any of the material being used and talked about. Even if we go on an adults only cruise again I think we would consider the Family Shows as they were probably even more funnier then the Adult shows were.

 

Edited October 13, 2013 by TeknikDC2

[TeknikDC2]

The Comedy Club finished shortly before our Dinner was scheduled to start so we went back down to Deck 3 and waited with everyone else for the Dinning Room doors to open up. Tonight they opened early and in we went where our wait staff was waiting and happy to see us. Tonight is always a night I look forward to in the main dining room as it typically has my favorite line up of foods of the cruise. Its just too bad my stomach isn't big enough for all of it.

 

 

To start off tonight Kiera got the West Indian Roasted Pumpkin Soup while I went with the Spicy Alligator Fritters and also the Spaghetti Carbonara as a starter. For the first time I think I didn't get a Caesar Salad as I planned to get 2 entrees tonight and that would be way too much food.

 

[TeknikDC2]

Looks like I missed a pictures of Daniel's food tonight but we got him the Chicken Nuggets. Kiera went with the Prime Rib tonight while I went with the Prime Rib (my favorite of our cruise's) and also the Lobster Tail with Jumbo Shrimp. And yes I finished both of them.

 

 

Tonight the Dinning Room staff treated us with there first show of the cruise. Now I know this isn't something that everyone likes. But we really enjoy when they put on a show for us. The staff work so hard that they deserve a chance to let loose and have some fun each night. We think they do a great job and Daniel really got in and enjoyed it too.

 

 

After the Showtime we were served our desserts. Tonight I settled for the Chocolate Melting Cake which is my favorite dessert that Carnival serves and Kiera ordered a Banana Split off of the Kids Menu.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Since we were all dressed up nicer for Eligant Night we decided to get some photos taken. We haven't bought an actual photo from Carnival since our first cruise back in 2008. So we figured that maybe we could get a nice photo of our family to purchase from this cruise. We took a bunch of photos at many different stations. We wouldn't see the photos until the next day but for the most part there seemed to be something we didn't like with all but a couple of them. Still taking photos was kinda fun and diffenitly killed some time.

 

 

Afterwards we walked around out onto the Lanai for a bit before returning to our cabin to change out of our nice clothes for the rest of the evening. Off in the distance we could see the lights of another cruise ship in the distance. Of course we had no clue which ship it could be. Daniel always loved running around out on the Lanai.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Our room was once again turned down by the time we got back and since Daniel didn't fall asleep tonight he really liked seeing the Towel Animal there tonight. We got changed back into our clothes but we decided to put Daniel in his Pajamas and then we went up to the Lido deck to get some Ice Cream and see what was taking place at the Seaside Theater. It was pretty funny when Daniel tried being Mister Independent and tried climbing up the stairs all by himself. He made it to about Deck 4 when he finally gave up and had us carry him the rest of the way.

 

 

It didn't take long for Daniel to figure out the Lido deck as once we were on Deck 10 he wanted down and knew exactly where to run to to find the Ice Cream Machine. And continuing his independence kick tonight he even tried working the machine himself. With Ice Cream in his hand the kid was in Heaven.

 

[TeknikDC2]

We went out to the Seaside Theater to relax under the stars and found the Giants Vs. Cowboys football game being broadcast on the large Outdoor Screen. I'm not the biggest pro football fan but it was fun to sit out and watch so many other guests react to the game. I'm glad to see that Carnival now gives out free popcorn (the charged for it last time we were on the Dream) for the movies under the stars which we go tonight. Alhough they were out of salt at the moment but thats ok as Kiera likes it without.

 

 

The Football game was in the final minutes and it was pretty close. Right at midnight though when it looked like the Giants could pull the lead back from the Cowboys the screen defaulted back to its default programing. It was pretty funny to see everyone watching immidiatly get upset that the game was turned off in a moment of suspense. Many went running to I assume there cabins to try and catch the game. After a few minutes though the game did get put back on only to see an Interception was made and returned for a touchdown securing the win for the Cowboys.

 

 

The Movie that was gonna play that night on the screen started right after the game finished but we weren't gonna stick around for it. Daniel was tired and it was getting late so we headed back down to our Cabin for the remainder of the night. As Kiera and I was getting ready for bed though we found him hiding near a corner snacking away on some treats that we thought we put out of his reach.

 

 

Soon enough though we got him settled into his bed for the night and he fell asleep and we weren't far behind him. Tomorrow would be our first full day of sleep so we hoped we would be able to sleep in for a little while. I guess we would have to see if Daniel wwould allow that or not.

 

 

 

 

And thats it for Day 5. Thanks again for checking out my review and pictures. As always comments are welcomed and I'll answer any questions you might have. I hope to start on the next update soon. Thanks again until then.

 

 

 

 

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[JaniceB]

Caught in the act, LOL!

 

Great review and pictures!

[jenseib]

He looks so cute sneaking his treats.

How did he like the comedy club?

[ch27088]

I saw something on the news last night about a ride stuck at Universal, thought of you when I saw it.

 

You know what, I saw the same News segment and thought about him and his family as well!

[ch27088]

We went out to the Seaside Theater to relax under the stars and found the Giants Vs. Cowboys football game being broadcast on the large Outdoor Screen. I'm not the biggest pro football fan but it was fun to sit out and watch so many other guests react to the game. I'm glad to see that Carnival now gives out free popcorn (the charged for it last time we were on the Dream) for the movies under the stars which we go tonight. Alhough they were out of salt at the moment but thats ok as Kiera likes it without.

 

 

The Football game was in the final minutes and it was pretty close. Right at midnight though when it looked like the Giants could pull the lead back from the Cowboys the screen defaulted back to its default programing. It was pretty funny to see everyone watching immidiatly get upset that the game was turned off in a moment of suspense. Many went running to I assume there cabins to try and catch the game. After a few minutes though the game did get put back on only to see an Interception was made and returned for a touchdown securing the win for the Cowboys.

 

 

The Movie that was gonna play that night on the screen started right after the game finished but we weren't gonna stick around for it. Daniel was tired and it was getting late so we headed back down to our Cabin for the remainder of the night. As Kiera and I was getting ready for bed though we found him hiding near a corner snacking away on some treats that we thought we put out of his reach.

 

 

Soon enough though we got him settled into his bed for the night and he fell asleep and we weren't far behind him. Tomorrow would be our first full day of sleep so we hoped we would be able to sleep in for a little while. I guess we would have to see if Daniel wwould allow that or not.

 

 

 

 

And thats it for Day 5. Thanks again for checking out my review and pictures. As always comments are welcomed and I'll answer any questions you might have. I hope to start on the next update soon. Thanks again until then.

 

 

 

 

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Loved the picture of Daniel sneaking the treats/snacks. Love to see little ones (especially the little boys) doing this, it's too cute. :D

[TeknikDC2]

He looks so cute sneaking his treats.

How did he like the comedy club?

 

He did fine each time we went to the comedy club. Obviously he didn't understand any of the humor but we sat towards the back just in case he got fussy. We also brought him some toys and the phones to play games on if needed.

[TeknikDC2]

Day 6, Part 1: First Sea Day

 

For pretty much the entire trip we've had to wake Daniel up each morning for the activitiy we had planned. Today was our First day at Sea and that ment that we didn't have to wake up early for anything today. We could sleep in and we wouldn't have to wake up Daniel.

 

So of course that ment on the day that we could sleep in Daniel decided to wake up early. There would be no sleeping in for us. No matter how much we looked forward to it. At least we didn't have to spend much time this morning getting ready for the day. As it would be lazy day just laying out in the Sun and playing in the Water.

 

 

Before that we needed to grab some breakfast first though. So up to the Lido buffet we went. Today I made myself a breakfast sandwich to eat. I just got some peices of toast and put some egg's and bacon, and ham on it. Pretty easy to make and very good to eat. Daniel of course was happy with his box of Fruit Loops and Kiera just got misc items from the buffet.

 

 

When we were finished with breakfast it was time to head outside and try to find a spot to relax the rest of the day. Many of you know how crowded the deck space can get on sea days around the Lido Pools. And this was no exception as the pool are was rediculously packed. Its a good thing we weren't gonna try to find a spot here. Instead we were heading up to Deck 12 to see if we could find a spot near the Toddler play area so that Daniel could play. It was just as packed up here as it was around the Lido pool but we were able to find at least one empty chair right across from the Toddler slides. One chair would work out just fine for us as Kiera relaxed in the Sun and I walked over to sit near the Toddler slides to Watch Daniel as he played.

 

 

Daniel was in heaven as soon as he got in the play area. Not only does he love slides and water but he also loves playing with other Little Kids. There were alot of kids playing on the slides today. And about 90% of them were around his age or a bit younger. So he had a blast with them. But he also had a blast going down the slides over and over and over and over again. It was kinda funny as at first he would only go down the right side slide. Even if there was no wait for the left. He played well and most of the other kids played well too in the area.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

After so long though Daniel would realize that he needed a break from the play area so he would go back and lay next to Kiera or just play in the shade.

 

 

That never seemed to last too long though as he would then run right back to start playing on to the slides and water again. This when we had to get after him a bit though as he started trying to climb up the slides which is not allowed. He eventually caught on though and didn't try again. He finally realized as well that he can go down both slides and not just the Right side.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

He hopped out to go lay with Kiera again so while he was out and Kiera was watching him I decided to go up and do the big slides. Last time we sailed on the Dream I had a great time on the slides. I love what Carnival is doing with there Waterworks slide area. It was now around lunch time so for the most part there was a very short wait for the slides. The first one I did was the Drainpipe Slide which had the shorter wait of the two. The slide is alot of fun but I was soon reminded of what I hate about the slides on the Dream. They are so rough. And I like to slide down with my back arched as you get more speed this way so they were even more painful as you can feel the edge each time a peice of the tube was attached to another. This hurt last time we sailed but it hurt even more this year as the slide has gotten more worn out. I really wish there was a way for Carnival to fix this.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

That didn't stop me though from going back and doing the Twister slide next. The wait was longer for this slide but it only took a few minutes. Off in the Distance I noticed another Cruise Ship ahead of us. I wasn't sure which ship it was until after I went down the slide and came back with my Camera though. The twister slide was also fun but just as painful as the Drainpipe slide was. After the slides I needed a break from them so thats when I grabbed my camera to take the photos posted above and below. The ship ahead of us turned out to be the Oasis of the Seas. Which upon looking at the night photo I posted in the previous update I believe that was also the Oasis.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

Just past the slides in the Ships Serenity area. This too was one of our favorite features of the Dream on our past cruise. This Adult only area is for those 21 and older only and is very relaxing and peaceful. Of course traveling with a Toddler on this trip ment that we wouldn't use it on this trip though.

 

 

I returned to Kiera and Daniel who were still laying out. Kiera decided she needed a break from laying out and wanted to do the slides as well. So up we went back to the slides which still had a short wait with most people having lunch at the time. She decided to do the Drainpipe slide and also agreed that it hurt pretty badly. She only ended up making it around once though before she stopped.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

When she was done I decided to go down the Drainpipe again as well. And this was the best spin around the slide that I've had. Its also the time I kinda got in trouble. Apparently there is some unwritten rule that you can only go around the twister slide 3 times. I made it around 4 times on this run and when I finally stopped I was told very sternly that your only allowed to go around 3 times. Again this is some rule that I didn't see written anywhere in the rules of the slide nore is it told to you. But whatever I doubt I could make it around that many times again even if I tried lol.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

After we were done with the slides it was back to Toddler area where Daniel once again got back to playing on the slides and having a good time. On the Toddler play are there are also some ropes that the kids can pull and have water dump onto them which Daniel found he liked too. Of course he wasn't tall enough to reach the ropes on his own though. Overall the Toddler slide area is a cute area that every kid seemed to enjoy. There isn't a lifeguard on duty or anything but all of the parents around the toddler area were really good about helping keep an eye on one anothers children. At one point some much larger kids showed up and started going down the slides and plowing into other kids. But one of the Crew Members that was monitoring the bottom of the Twister slide was quick to walk over and kick those larger kids out so that the Toddlers could play in peace.

 

[TeknikDC2]

Down on the Lido Deck next to the pool they had started one of the games they do thruout the day. This time they were doing a Hulu Hoop contest and I thought it was pretty funny that pretty much all of the contestants were children. It was cute and some of those kids really knew how to Hulu Hoop.

 

 

Back at the Toddler area Daniel was still enjoying the slides. But he also discovered a new part of the play area. At the top of the stairs on the plateform before the kids go down the slide there are fountains that spray up out of the ground. These fountains are controlled by a steering wheel that any of the toddlers can play with. You turn it one way and it turns the fountains off. The other way it turns them on full blast. Daniel found the wheel and thought this was the coolest thing. He turned it back and forth just laughing the whole time for a while.

 

[TeknikDC2]

 

It was not around 2pm and we were once again getting hungry. So down to the Lido buffet we went to find something for lunch. Today we decided to try something that we didn't get a chance to try on our previous Dream cruise. We were gonna try out the Burrito Bar. The Burritos are made to order. You go up to the station and pick your meats and beans and whatever else you want in it. Then its wrapped up and put on your plate. I don't like veggies or beans so when I just asked for Meat and Rice at first I was kinda dissapointed with how little meat they put on it. However it turned out to be very, very filling. I also tried some of the green salsa with it but I wasn't too impressed with the taist of the salsa. Kiera also got the Burrito bar.

 

 

While eating though you could tell Daniel was getting pretty beat from playing in the sun all afternoon and after only a few bites of food he crashed out asleep on Kiera. And he stayed asleep for a few hours afterwards.

 

 

 

 

 

Alright and thats gonna do it for this update today. Thanks to everyone again checking out the thread. Thank you for following along. I'd be happy to answer any questions or comments that you might have. Thanks so much for the support and giving me the desire to get these updates done quickly. I do truely appreciate it.

 

 

 

 

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[hckyfan68]

Hi Jeff and thank you so much for writing this review!

 

We are taking our twins on their first cruise in January and it is great to see how things went for you two. It give me a little insight as to what we are in for.

 

I have a couple of questions.

 

Does Daniel sleep in a bed at home? I ask because the twins still sleep in cribs. They would be a holy terror otherwise.

 

Second, it looked like in the pictures of Nassau that Daniel was wearing either a diaper or a pull-up (I could be wrong). How did you handle the toddle water park?

 

I hope I didn't ask anything too personal. We are working on potty training, but I am a bit nervous because the girls seem so far away from being ready.

 

Thanks again for your review!

[Mrs.C05]

If I may give my input, my son was 18 months old when we took him last month on his first cruise and he did great. He isn't potty trained yet, but did wear swim diapers at our half moon cay port. As for sleeping, he slept on a mattress on the floor. He does sleep in a crib, but takes naps on mats at home and at daycare, so he was used to that. He loved having his own "bed". Don't know if this helps our not, lol.

 

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