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Question for parents who cruised with a toddler

love2traveljen

By love2traveljen,
in Family Cruises

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love2traveljen

love2traveljen

Posted
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I'm going on a cruise next month with a toddler, almost 2 years old. What was a few things that are a must for packing or something that you wish you packed? Of course I'm going to bring the normal toys and stuff but what else is a good packing idea? We're also driving 5.5 hours to the port the night before.

Thanks!

 

 

Jen

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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I've cruised a bunch, but in two weeks its the first time with my kids (4 and 2). I plan to bring coloring books and crayons, favorite toy/stuffed animals, swimmies for the pool. I'd also love to hear more suggestions! :)

 

Swim diapers are NOT allowed in the pools.....you might think about bringing a small blow up pool that could also be used in the bottom of the shower for bathing them...

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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They are allowed onshore :)

 

 

Jen

 

This is true....but sometimes new cruisers don't know they cannot put their non-potty trained kids in the pools with swim diapers.

 

Rarely a week goes by that this subject does not come up.....

 

Only trying to help.....;)

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CAnative1

CAnative1

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I just got off the Miracle yesterday (sad to be back to reality) with a 15 month old. We took meds he may need (didnt need any of them, but better safe than sorry), toys, a blow up bathtub, and our laptop with episodes of his favorite show on it so he can watch when getting him to wind down at the end of the day.

 

The other thing to do is research your ship a little and try to find places with low traffic during the day (for sea days) where your little one can run around and play if you do not intend to have them in camp. Mine is too young to partake in camp so we just found places to not be in the way of others.

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shellseroni

shellseroni

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I'm bringing my three year old for the first time in less than a month on a 15 day :eek: cruise. It's our first vacation as a family, so it's a pretty huge deal. I've been asking little questions here and there and just perusing the boards for this information. Here are some things I've come up with that you may have not considered.

 

-Sippy cups! Apparently getting a cup with a lid for a toddler is either very difficult or impossible on Carnival (probably the others, too, but I haven't looked at them). My little one is drinking out of an open cup now, but to avoid mishaps in the MDR, I will be bringing some take and toss cups for her with lids and straws.

 

-Laptop with DVDs. From what I understand, the tv's either do not have regular hookups for dvd players and/or they do not have dvd players. For us, we have a lot of sea days so we'll probably have some downtime in the cabin. My daughter is obsessed with Frozen, so we'll probably get to watch that like 50 times on this cruise. LOL

 

-Easy to pack activities like coloring books. I'm bringing some tiny ones for the MDR also, because there is usually a lot of wait time in there and my daughter has yet to learn about this thing called patience.

 

-Since we're bringing a laptop, we're going to have music on it also for her. She LOVES to dance. (Note: if you're going on the Dec. 6 cruise to Hawaii, my girl will be the one jumping up and down in time to EVERY song.)

 

-Really good sunblock. It's expensive on ships and probably a bit more in ports than you'll plan on spending. So just go ahead and bring the baby sunscreen with you (and don't forget about yourself).

 

-Travel easy kid friendly snacks like goldfish crackers. Toddlers can be super picky (which I'm sure you know) and it's probably a good idea to bring some tried and true snacks for those emergency situations in which the little one is on the verge of a tantrum because he/she doesn't see any food he/she wants to try.

 

-Nightlight for the room if you don't plan on leaving the tv on as some parents do. The rooms get super dark. My girl is in the stage of NOT liking the dark, but we'll probably just leave the tv with the deck channel on. No activity for her to get caught up in watching and we won't have to hassle with finding an outlet that will work for a nightlight.

 

-We plan on bringing her small blanket from home (it packs easily). I really don't know how she's going to do on the ship for 15 days. The blanket will be a little bit of security for her.

 

-Super important. Bring medicine for your little one (i.e. Tylenol or Advil). If the sunscreen is expensive on the ship, medicine is just downright outrageous. Plus, since I've never sailed with a kid I don't know if they have infant versions of medicine.

 

Sorry for the somewhat long post. This is something I've been working on for a bit. Honestly, somebody should ask what we DON'T have to bring for a toddler. I feel like that list may be shorter. LOL. I basically plan on packing as I would for a regular vacation with just a few exceptions. Good luck to you with your little one.

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DobberDog

DobberDog

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Cruised with an 18 mo old . Didn't bring an inflatable pool for baths. Son just took showers. It was his first time doing showers and he did really well. I do recommend sappy cups and baby wipes. Lots of baby wipes even if the kid is potty trained or you don't usually use them. We didn't bring activities and even though he wasn't in camp carnival, he was not bored. Keep up with his daily schedule as much as possible even naptime and everyone will be happy.

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jetta8300

jetta8300

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Benadryl. My doc says to use that for the little ones for motion sickness if they're too young for Dramamine. My nephew gets horrible car sickness even on short trips and they keep this on hand for him. Never know if the seas will be angry :)

 

 

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LREcruise02

LREcruise02

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A small umbrella type stroller. Kids cups with lids. Snacks they like. A tip up have is order room service for about the time your kiddo gets up with dry cereal, milk or juice etc they can snack on while everyone gets ready before breakfast. Have fun!!

 

 

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JustKeri86

JustKeri86

Posted
Posted (edited)
Swim diapers are NOT allowed in the pools.....you might think about bringing a small blow up pool that could also be used in the bottom of the shower for bathing them...

 

 

Both mine are potty trained so no worries there! :) I haven't been able to find a baby pool,but in sure they'll be fine with the shower. We have sippy cups packed and an umbrella stroller for my 2 year old. Great ideas thanks!

 

 

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Edited by JustKeri86
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RuthlessBoss

RuthlessBoss

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What are the sleeping arrangements? A while ago, someone posted a picture of making a small bedroom around the crib using magnets on the ceiling and stringing a shower curtain on it. Gave a sense of privacy for parents and child. Another posted about making a bedroom under the desk with pillows and folded comforter. She said the child really liked it!

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Freckle53

Freckle53

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One thing I haven't seen mentioned is good walking shoes/sneakers for yourself! We cruised with our new 2 year old last month and we walked, and walked, and walked and rode elevators and walked some more (with the stroller and without) and also did many rounds of going up and down stairs. ;-) I brought a laptop with some DVDs of our beloved Blue and his clues. Other than that, he was happy just exploring and watching all the people and saying "hi" to every person we passed. And I mean *every* person. Have fun! My quick review of our Pride cruise is floating around here somewhere with more details of the little one and how he kept us on our toes.

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iceberg1116

iceberg1116

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A blow up for your baby to take a bath. (assuming you do not have a suite with a tub).:)

 

Can I ask what is the size of blow up pool that everyone recommend taking to the cruise? Going on Norwegian Breakaway with 2 kids (8 months and 3 yr) next month. Thanks.

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d-train

d-train

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Don't forget your LO's "lovie," whether it is a blanket or a stuffed animal, etc...

Plenty of diapers and wipes, and pack them in all of your suitcases, if a piece of luggage gets lost or misplaced for a while, you are still good to go. Plenty of wipes of course... One or two of their favorite toys. Everyone else had great suggestions too!

The iPad has been great for us too. Easier than a laptop, videos, games, etc...

A pair of children's headphones were great too.

 

And most of all, your own adaptability and patience. These two things are key for travel with a toddler... Plans will change, naps will be needed, etc...

 

Enjoy! Looking forward to our next cruise with our toddler in June!

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d-train

d-train

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You know what else was a nice thing to have...those little scented bags to put the used diapers in...if you buy them in the baby section of walmart, they are a bit pricy, but you can buy the same bags, in much, much greater quantity, with a different label on them...in the pet section.... The cabins are small, and the smell can quickly overtake the room at times... ewww...

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Akitkat118

Akitkat118

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What cruise line are you going on? There are several royal caribbean ships that have a baby splash pool so you can be in there with swim diapers.

i cruised with my son when he was 20 months. we just stuck him in the shower.

i brought some books, coloring books, crayons, my ipod loaded with tv shows, magnets b/c the stateroom walls are magnetic, any and all meds needed including the powdered pedialyte. i just wanted to make sure if he got anything i was covered. we took the take and toss sippy cups. dish soap. corn starch for diaper rash and to get sand off. an umbrella stroller that reclined. that's about it - royal caribbean had a toy lending program and a nursery so we were covered.

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