Tips On Toddlers!

[jabraun]

The only other ship we have been on was the DisneyWonder,and thats been 6 years ago. My kids were older then. Now we have a toddler 19 months old. And I could really use some tips on being prepared. Proper Packing , snacks, sippy cups, etc.. We requested the crib already. What about a highchair? Do you have to request highchair too? she likes milk, water, apple juice. Can you get this for a fee or is it free? Any mom's or dad's have any tips for us we would really appreciate your advise.

What type of activties would you be able to do with a toddler in the evenings? Explorer of the Seas 3/06

[DC_texas]

We just got off the Rhapsody with a 19month old. Milk and juice are free for the kids. We would bring a clean sippee cup to dinner every night and get it filled with milk. We would also grab an extra milk carton from the windjammer in morning and keep it in the fridge(grab a box or two of cheerios or fruit loops too!). As for high chairs you just carry one over to your table in the windjammer. At dinner, the waiter will get it for you. We had a great waiter. After the first night we would come in and the high chair is ready, all the sharp knives and wine glasses were removed, a glass of milk was ready, and a bowl of fruit was ready. You can customize the kids meal as well. We would usually get chicken fingers, mashed potatos, and corn on the cob.

 

This year they started an aqua tot program. They basicly set out a bunch of toddler toys in one of the lounges for a set period each day(10:30-11:45). I wish they would expand this as there isn't anything else specificly for this age on ship.

[ymann]

We had a great time. We requested a crib and it was a pack and play. I brought my own blankets. As for other things I packed a lot of disposable items. sippy cups, bibsters. the crew was so nice to my little one by the end of the cruise everyone new her by name. i think they all missed their own kids. we did the aqua tot program 2 times out of the 5 days. she enjoyed playing with the other kids. have a great cruise

[merrysunshine320]

I cruised with my son last year (he was 4 at the time). He still likes warm milk before bed, and room service was a godsend!! I could call and order warm milk for him, and within 5 minutes it was delivered to our stateroom on the proverbial silver platter! I told my son jokingly not to get used to that kind of service!

 

Anyway, don't forget room service, which can save an emergency trip to a restaurant on another deck!

[kmdress]

Not sure what type of room you have, but the pack and play takes up alot of space. We have a 3 year old, this will be his 3rd cruise and we have always had good luck just turning the small sofa around. The sofa has high enough arms, so that when turned to have the open area against the wall, there are no open areas to fall or slip through. The room attendant will cover it with a sheet, and any packed toys fit in fine. We always brought cereal, fruit and milk or juice back to the room for the after nap snack. Days at sea are tough. Too young for the programs and not potty trained for the pools, but usually enjoy running/falling down the long halls! Best of luck!

[sandbag7]

How did your kids get younger since the last time you cruised?

[larkwind]

The "bonus baby"! We have one of those too, and really enjoy him. Told the older kids he's going to be doing A LOT more than they ever dreamed of, so not to be jealous. He's 4yo,they are 22, 19, 17.

I had the morning room service bring up two yogurts and then I put one in the fridge for before bed snack. Also, with all the excitment onboard, don't forget the "mama & papa" time (downtime) in the stateroom a couple times a day--yours may be still taking a nap...

Have a great time!

[jabraun]

I have 3 kids ages 16.9 and 1. Last time we went on a cruise my 2 oldest kids were 10 and 3. Now we have a 19 month old and never cruised with one that small.

[gabtic]

I will be traveling on the voyager with a 3 year old. This is a first for us as well. Should I bring a stroller? I wasn't sure if I would need it much being on the ship. Is it worth the trouble traveling with it?

[margaritasalt]

The best tip I could give anyone traveling with a toddler on the high seas is that if your child has a favorite food that isn't easily reproduced in the middle of the ocean, bring it along.

 

I took my daughter on a cruise when she was just short of her third birthday. She spent an entire evening crying because the waiter couldn't produce any Chef Boy Ardee "ABC 123" pasta with meatballs. I looked for some at a grocery store in St. Thomas, but no luck.

 

The children's menu had enormous portion sizes that were overwhelming for my little girl. My advice is that you talk to your waiter from the get-go and ask him to bring half-sized portions.

 

Having said all that, traveling with your child can be a wonderful experience. Enjoy your cruise!

[margaritasalt]

I will be traveling on the voyager with a 3 year old. This is a first for us as well. Should I bring a stroller? I wasn't sure if I would need it much being on the ship. Is it worth the trouble traveling with it?

 

Definitely bring the stroller!

[shirleygr]

I will be traveling on the voyager with a 3 year old. This is a first for us as well. Should I bring a stroller? I wasn't sure if I would need it much being on the ship. Is it worth the trouble traveling with it?

Yes, bring a stroller. An umbrella stroller is easy to bring and store and will be a godsend. We forgot one when we took my daughter on a Carnival ship when she was almost 4 and ended up renting one because she got tired very quickly and was heavy to carry. There is alot of walking on a ship and the umbrellas strollers are great since you can just fold it up to go up one flight of stairs instead of waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the elevator. Also invaluable on shore excursions.

We are going on the Enchantment in April and bringing both our daughters this time--5 and 4--and we will be sure to bring a stroller.

Very helpful, disposable sippy cups. I also brought disposable plastic sporks for my daughter when she was 2 since she wasn't used to "big people" silverware and that worked great for us.

Agree that room service is a godsend, as is a room with a refrigerator.

Cruising with kids is fun and a wonderful family memory to cherish. Just remember that a cruise with your children will be different from a cruise without and you may need to tailor your days differently to be sure your child gets his/her needs met. Enough downtime is an absolute necessity. I learned the hard way that doing a port everyday is a little too much for little ones. Now we do an excusion one day, and if the next day is another port, we may stay on the ship or just opt to walk around a little and shop but not make it a full day. At least until they get older. Hope this helps.

[DC_texas]

Don't know if your room has a bathtub or not. Last year our room did not and we packed a rubbermaid storage bin. On ship we emptied it and placed it in the shower as a tub. The kids enjoyed the bath and it didn't matter how much they splashed since the bathroom has a floor drain. Definitely, bring a stroller. There's a lot a walking and it's a convenient place to carry a bag with juice, toys, diapers, etc.

[gabtic]

That's a great idea about the bath tub! We have a balcony cabin, but no tub. How do you pack a plastic container and get it on the ship. My son only takes baths, and the shower situation is stressing me out. My plan was to introduce the shower to him at home a few times at home before we travel.

 

Thanks so much for all the tips, they really help.

 

I will be packing our umbrella strooller.

[DC_texas]

Just duct tape it closed so if it gets dropped it wont spill open and then put your luggage label on it. I've even put a luggage tag on a 12 pack of soda.

[flagger]

I have taken my DD at 15 months, 19 months and at 2.5 years.

 

For the first two cruises instead of the PNP provided by the cruiselines, we brought a Safety First Collapsible Bed Rail. It just fit inside a 28" rolling suitcase, but it could be carried on. We had the sofa made up as a bed and slipped the bedrail under the cushions. It saved on space not having either a big ole crib in that room and also not having the sofabed fully pulled out blocking access to the balcony doors.

 

We have always had our stateroom attendants empty our fridge or told them that is what we were doing as to keep little fingers from opening $7 tiny bottles of gin. It also left us plenty of room for milk, juice etc.

 

We always have had our daughter try whatever we were eating even when we ordered off the children's menu. Our daughter loves fruit especially grapes, watermelon and cantaloupe and after the first night there was one waiting at her place. A high chair was provided on the first two cruises, but this last one she sat in a regular chair without a booster. We had a four topper next to the window to ourselves. We would allow her to look out the window but not run around the restaurant (I HATE WHEN PARENTS ALLOW THAT).

 

We took a backpack carrier on the first cruise and left the stroller in the car on the second one. We never missed it on our cruise last month. Being able to walk around ports and the ship really tuckered her out. Besides they are really a PITA on the beach. You have to go with what works for you.

 

We have had two showers and one bathtub and she did fine in the shower.

 

Empty lounges and an empty theatre during the day are fun to let your child crawl or toddle around in. The basketball court in the evenings were great because they were open air but enclosed and she could run around and chase the basketballs without getting in anyone's way.

 

Naps are extremely important but it was something we relished as I do not shop so we would come back from a port and nap and Ms. Flagger would shop. I never get to nap during the week and frankly I just loved it. You still do all the things you do as a parent of a 19 month old on a cruise as you do at home but at least you have a break from cooking and cleaning.

 

Next January she will be old enough for the kids club on the FOS, so it will be fun to do things as a couple with Ms. Flagger.

[DesertStarr]

Yes!!! Bring the stroller! We found it very useful on the ship AND in port! We were also able to get on the ship faster, since the stroller/baby gets attention.

 

Here is another tip I haven’t seen posted yet:

make a tag or bracelet or something to identify your child/mom and dad, etc... and put it on your child in case he gets lost.

On our last morning we were getting all of our stuff out of the cabin for disembarkation and in all of the confusion, we lost our 3 year old. (He ran straight to the elevator when we opened the cabin door) We were on the lower deck and that was where the crew members were getting on and off... the door was WIDE open. I was terrified that he had gotten off the ship. We split up looking for him for about a half hour. Finally we went to the pursers desk again and he was sitting there quietly coloring. (ha, we could NEVER get him to sit anywhere and color quietly if we tried)

He loved the ship and of course the elevator and was just looking around. Anyway, if he had some ID on him, we would have been notified that he was in the pursers office as soon as he had been brought there.

Other than that, we had a lot of fun.

 

Relax and have a great time.

 

Starr

[jabraun]

Thanks everyone for all the great tips!! The id bracelet is a great idea....

Keep the great tips coming in.

[rose102798]

Yes!!! Bring the stroller! We found it very useful on the ship AND in port! We were also able to get on the ship faster, since the stroller/baby gets attention.

 

Here is another tip I haven’t seen posted yet:

make a tag or bracelet or something to identify your child/mom and dad, etc... and put it on your child in case he gets lost.

On our last morning we were getting all of our stuff out of the cabin for disembarkation and in all of the confusion, we lost our 3 year old. (He ran straight to the elevator when we opened the cabin door) We were on the lower deck and that was where the crew members were getting on and off... the door was WIDE open. I was terrified that he had gotten off the ship. We split up looking for him for about a half hour. Finally we went to the pursers desk again and he was sitting there quietly coloring. (ha, we could NEVER get him to sit anywhere and color quietly if we tried)

He loved the ship and of course the elevator and was just looking around. Anyway, if he had some ID on him, we would have been notified that he was in the pursers office as soon as he had been brought there.

Other than that, we had a lot of fun.

 

Relax and have a great time.

 

Starr

 

. . .it must have been really scary. We too, will bring some type of i.d. for our 3yo. -- just in case!!

[Cape Cruiser 2007]

ouch! Scary!

Can I get an ID for dh??

[LauraS]

This is a GREAT thread for our families w/ toddlers...thanks everyone and keep them coming!

 

We're shortly opening a "Best of the Boards" forum and this one is a sure candidate.....

 

Laura

[shirleygr]

. . .it must have been really scary. We too, will bring some type of i.d. for our 3yo. -- just in case!!

Really, really frightening. Thanks goodness everything turned out ok.

We have a laminator at work, so I make id tags for each of my kids each time we travel with their names, our contact info, and our itinerary. My 13 yo has high-functioning autism so he gets easily distracted and can wander off. I usually pin it into his trouser pocket so he doesn't lose it. My older son (17) puts it in his wallet, just in case. I make special ones for my girls (5 and 3) with a picture on one side and the information on the other. I pin the girls' tags to their shirts with the picture out and the information against their shirts. Luckily, we've never had occasion to need them. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Cape Cruiser 2007]

I've read where parents brought one of those small blow up pools for use on thier balcony. It maybe useful for some quiet time. Some have said they've brouhgt ii poolside??? Not sure if they'd allow that but hey.

[mruhaak]

They have those small blow up "tubs" for when kids are small. You could bring one of those. I usually see them in the infant section of walmart/target, etc.

 

There is a lot of good advice and several threads on toddlers on "Family Cruising" board under "Special Interests".

 

Another bit of advice often suggested is to bring portable DVD players with headphones to keep kids occupied during dinner. We found this very helpful with our DS2.5 on the flights. You need to practice with the headphones. Our son was content just to watch the movie with the sound on low on the plane, the plane was so loud no one else was disturbed.

 

We brought a small Cosco stroller that was lightweight and had a carrying strap. this came in very handy as he is quite heavy and I am pregnant so not up to a lot of carrying. It also had a basket underneath for camcorder/diapers/wipes. We bought it at Target for $50.

[mruhaak]

Here is another tip I haven’t seen posted yet:

make a tag or bracelet or something to identify your child/mom and dad, etc... and put it on your child in case he gets lost.

On our last morning we were getting all of our stuff out of the cabin for disembarkation and in all of the confusion, we lost our 3 year old. (He ran straight to the elevator when we opened the cabin door) We were on the lower deck and that was where the crew members were getting on and off... the door was WIDE open. I was terrified that he had gotten off the ship. We split up looking for him for about a half hour. Finally we went to the pursers desk again and he was sitting there quietly coloring. (ha, we could NEVER get him to sit anywhere and color quietly if we tried)

He loved the ship and of course the elevator and was just looking around. Anyway, if he had some ID on him, we would have been notified that he was in the pursers office as soon as he had been brought there.

Other than that, we had a lot of fun.

 

Relax and have a great time.

 

Starr

 

They had a segment on the news here recently about how important it is to teach your toddlers their first and last names. There was a situation where a child was picked up by police and it took a little while to find the parent. Don't they make the kids where ID bracelets on some cruises? Or is that just if they are in the kids programs?