Celebrity with Toddlers (twins!)

[Mom_of_Twins]

We LOVE celebrity cruises - at least we did 2 years ago and before back when we cruised as a couple.

 

Now we have two kiddos who are almost a year old and I am trying ot convince my husband that a cruise would be the "perfect" vacation for our little family.

 

Any advice - good or bad? :p

[Mom_of_Twins]

Anyone got thoughts out there?

[newmexicoNita]

you will get all kinds of answers to this question I am sure, but unless you plan on taking someone along to help you, someone like grandma or auntie, there might be a better vacation for you this year. Remember it isn't easy for toddlers especially that young to spend an hour or longer at the dinner table; do you plan on eating every meal at the buffet? What about the shows and other night life? year olds can't enjoy any of the after dinner activities, there is no kids camp for toddlers that young. No matter what size cabin, let's face it, with 2 cribs you would be packed in like sardines. You have to take the stroller, 2 car seats and all the other baby things with you. Of course the kids can not play in any of the pools and who will watch them during nap time? Are you going to take turns spending every afternoon in the cabin?

 

The positive: Babies and toddlers always draw attention and you have 2. I am sure many of the passengers and crew members would love to see them, give them attention and enjoy watching them play.

 

NMnita

[Ma Bell]

This is one of those questions you hesitate to answer. I really think it's better to wait until the kids can participate in the children's program. There really is not much for them until they are 3 and it would be difficult for you and your husband to have a minute to yourselves.

We had a couple with two small children on the 14 day Hawaii cruise in the cabin next to us and the children cried almost every night and much of the day. I think the ship's motion may have been bothering them but there was no way for them to explain that to Mom and Dad. They disembarked in Hawaii and did not finish the cruise.

We took our 7 grandchildren to Alaska last year, but the youngest was age 4. They had a wonderful time and so did their parents.

[Mom_of_Twins]

One of the concerns that my husband and I have ARE the other passengers. I had not thought about the motion of the ship being an issue. I also have to say I can't imagine trying a 14 day cruise with little ones! Maybe a 5-7 day one.

[bububr]

Infants really should not be on a ship.

 

First they are much too young to understand whats going on around them, and secondly mom and dad are out of their comfortable zone having to deal with unfamiliar accomodations, diningtimes, recreation, etc...

 

Also many excursions do not allow young children so your choices would be limited.

 

I'm not a child hater, but I think lines should enforce a rule that only allows children three or older to travel.

 

Aside fromthat we travel almost exclusively on Celebrity as it is mainly adults and very few children. I would like to see it stay that way.

 

Dave:eek:

[Homosassa]

Our daughter cruised with us at 18 months. We all had a great time and I never regreted bringing her.

 

Whether you want to cruise with your toddlers depends on their dispositions. My DD had a sunny, good-natured disposition. We also set limits and enforced rules from the time she was an infant.

 

She could sit quietly in the dining room and enjoyed the food we gave her to eat.

 

We made sure she had her naps and went to bed at her regular time. Nothing is worst than being on a cruise ship with an exhausted child who is sobbing because of being overtire.

[kitty9]

Here's another thought for you to remember. Those cabin walls can be very thin, and having one crying child at night can cause problems for your neighbors. Think of what two will do. Some children adopt well to the changes in time, food, movement, but with two kids, I'm not sure I would do it until they are older. I guess there are some sacrifices we make as parents.

[Drew B]

I also think that it's not entirely SAFE for kids that age. They want to be on the ground crawling/walking around, and a ship doesn't really have great places for this. The cabins are too small with very little floor space, and all the public areas are not safe. There are too many people around and a good number of them are seniors. In a crowd, somebody is likely to trip over your kids, possibly injuring everybody involved.

 

I agree that when they are old enough for the organized kids' programs is the time to begin taking them.

[Host Anne]

Mom of Twins ~ how thoughtful of you to be concerned about other passengers. There's no right or wrong answer. You know your children and you know what it's like to cruise. You need to decide for yourself if this is the type of family vacation you want to try at this point in time. I'm sure it has worked out wonderfully for some families and the opposite for others. Let us know what you decide! :)

[rebeccalouise]

Former Mother of 13 month old son says "DON'T DO IT!"

 

There are better vacations for kids this age. Rent a condo with a kitchen, DVD player... lots of room. Go to a place that has a kids pool or where you can blow up a kids pool. Travel with another couple who has kids or with extended family. It makes you trip more enjoyable.

 

I say this because I have cruised with a 3 mo. old (fine) a six month old (no problem) and then a runner- a sweet, hell on wheels 13 months old. There isn't much to do all day but chase them down halls. I didn't cruise again until my son was three and he has been on 8 cruises with me in 3 years! Once they can go to the Fun Factory you have it made.

 

I am sorry but you asked.

[coopersmommy]

I usually do not post on these boards, but I had to comment. I feel like parents of children are being discriminated against. Why should I stay at home if I can take may child with me on a cruise. My son is 13 months old and will be sailing with me in 2 weeks to Hawaii. I feel very offended by the comments on this board. Other boards are more family friendly. I feel that if a parent disciplines the child and is okay with entertaining them all day, it is no one's business if he/she is on the boat. I have a feeling these opinions are on this board because most cruisers are older. Also, to answer the comment that my child may cause an injury to another passenger- he is 20 1bs and 30 inches. He is not really a lineman or anything. I wish everyone would be a little more tolerant of others and just enjoy your vacation.

[rebeccalouise]

Disregard these comments. Let me say that my 13 month old was an angel. I was the one doing all the work. I don't think he bothered others because I didn't let him. His running was supervised.

 

Having said all that, I still say "Don't do it!" Yes, it can be done but cruising is more fun with older kids. That's all. You have paid for your trip to Hawaii and I am sure that you will make the most of it and have a good time. The OP was asking for opinions and she got them.

[CajunLiner]

I don't know why people get so offended by the comments when others ask for opinions!

 

I have two children, both Fun Factory age and we will be going on our 3rd and 4th cruises with them this year. They have not posed any problems for us on cruises, but they are 11 and 12 years old.

 

I personally cannot imagine cruising with 2 children under the age of 1 year. I would not be able to get any rest. One poster stated the obvious, children that age want to roam around and there is no place on a CELEBRITY cruise for them to do that unless you can afford to get the Penthouse suite! I'm sure the so-called "family friendly" cruise lines such as Disney would have lots of room set aside for such aged children. Maybe the OP should look into one of them. But she did ask specifically about CELEBRITY, right?

 

I agree with MaBell. If you want to cruise Celebrity, wait until they can go to the Fun Factory, then all of you would have an enjoyable cruise.

 

Donna

[coopersmommy]

I feel that I am giving my opinion also. I work full-time as a doctor and do not get to spend much time with my child. Therefore, this vacation seems like heaven to me. I do not mean to sound confrontational, I just feel some of the comments (not all) were not being helpful, just selfish. I think the expecations of a cruise will determine if it is right or not. I do not enjoy staying out late anymore and would much rather spend quality time with my child. I do think you have to make sacrifices and realize that you will not be able to do everything offered on the ship. However, this does not mean the trip will be miserable. If I took my child to a resort, I still would be chasing him around all day. No difference. Everyone must make a decision based on personal preferences and needs.

[melika091900]

to MOM of twins

DO what you want to do, your the mommy, if you feel comfortable bringing the lil ones on a cruise go for it , and to heck with other passengers , its YOUR vacation that YOU paid for,,,,

I would find a kid friendly cruiseline, like NCL ,, they had a great kids pool area..

I wouldnt do celebrity,, , which we are going on soon i know , but on celebrity its usually people over 60,,, no offense to anyone, but i remember our 1st cruise on celebrity, we felt really out of place...

but this time the heck with it,, we found a great iten, a great price and we are going on celebrity again...

anyways,, go for it girl, have fun,,,

dont worry about what everyone else thinks,,

no matter what everyone complains about something whether it be teenagers running down the halls or lil ones crying ITS LIFE <<<< DEAL WITH IT ,,

Have fun sweetie take care

Melissa

[moesyk4]

I don't think it's offensive for other cruisers to offer how they would feel with neighbors, tablemates, etc. with young children. Even as a parent, imagine how nice it is to go out to eat without your children sometimes and just be able to enjoy yourselves without concentrating on them the whole time. It's not being selfish, it's taking time to refresh yourself. I respect "Mom of twins" for considering how her children would affect other passengers, as anyone should for various reasons (talking on cell phones, having an especially large and boisterous party, having special needs). Children aren't a burden but they do create special circumstances.

Do you have a family member who would be willing to take the twins for a couple of days? A weeklong cruise with you and your husband would be an excellent way to recharge and be ready for an even more wonderful time with your twins when you get back!

[Ma Bell]

I don't quite understand why someone would be offended by the opinions offered. The OP asked for both the good and bad. Personally, I never said she shouldn't bring the children, just that it would be better to wait until they were a little older. If she didn't want to know what people think she wouldn't have asked.

I raised four children, and by the way my youngest sons are twins, and I have 7 grandchildren ranging from 5 to 8. I think my opinion is just as valid as anyone's. There's nothing wrong with bringing your children with you, there just may be a better age and there may be better places for famly vacations with children that young. If she wants to bring them anyway, that's her decision.

 

I think it's a good thing that she does think about the other people on board. A little common courtesy makes things good for everyone. That works both ways. To take the attitude that one shouldn't care about anyone else but himself is pretty sad.

[rebeccalouise]

I understand that many parents can't or simply don't want to leave their children behind while they travel. I am one of them. Having traveled by different means- the trips I enjoyed most with toddlers were to other peoples' homes or renting a condo with another couple or extended family. That way all the fun can be had under on roomy roof. A cruise ship cabin is small and kids need more room than it affords. When I traveled with my then 13 month old my parents had the Royal Suite. They babysat while my husband and I went to dinner. I even had incabin babysitting at night. The problem was that during the day I didn't dare take him to the pool area because he loved to swim and wasn't allowed. So my day consisted of watching him climb stairs and run through the empty lounges or theatre. He had a blast but there was no bingo, ballroom dancing, sitting in the hot tub for me. It was worse than being at home because everyone else was having fun but me.

[bububr]

with all the cruise lines out there, with all the promotions and advertising...

 

There are people that choose a cruise for themselves and not their children.

 

There are lines that specifically cater to families and children, Disney, RCCL...and others they have specific facilities for kids of all ages.

 

Most of these lines are more casual, and less formal. The other thing that always gets my goat is when people say we won't follow the dress codes because we have kids and can' afford to or refuse to buy clothing they will grow out of....most kid friendy casual lines are PERFECT for families with children of all ages. some lines like Costa charge minimal for infants if not just port taxes.

 

 

 

And then there are lines like Celebrity which advertises to be a more traditional, more formal line, with no rock climbing walls, ice rinks, water parks and all the other kid/family friendy attractions. While they do have a great kids club starting at 3 and up it is more to keep the kids OUT of everyones hair, not to promote familiy friendy cruising. and third and fourth passenger are at a set rate. A single person travelling with a child is charged 2 full fares. In essence if you want to travel with your children they pay the same price as anyone else.....this is meant as a deterrant.

 

Many of us choose X because of the lack of children as it is one of the only mainstream lines left where adults can have an adult experience with out the kids....

 

So for the poster that said something about discriminating against children, its not discrimination, it asking the traveler to choose the correct venue and nothing more.

 

As for infants crying, two years ago my SIL had a cabin next to an infant that screamed late into the morning hours, being a pediatric nurse she wanted to get away from kids on vacation. So when the baby screamed we just resorted to pounding on the walls of the cabin....sorry, but as I said a ship is no place for an infant....After a few days the cabin was vacant so I dont know if they changed cabins or got off the ship. We had a peaceful trip after that.

 

I don't blame the child for screaming, I blame the selfish parents for choosing a venue that was not appropriate for an infant.

 

Children are not a burden, they are a responsiblity....and unfortunately in this ME ME ME world some parents feel they do not have to make any sacrifices, but just go on with their lives as usual like the child is simply an accessory.

 

Dave:eek:

[Muushka]

Just what you need, another opinion!

 

Our background: We are a couple that chose not to have children. I enjoy children (well behaved ones, though), just didn't want to have any of my own! We are also huge Disney fans.

 

When we did our first 2 cruises, we chose DCL. We knew that the ships would have plenty of children. We also knew that Disney wanted to make the cruise appealing to the childless, so many wonderful venues were put in place where we could be around children or not. Our choice.

 

We just completed our first Celebrity cruise. We loved it. We really loved the more mature passangers. There were a few children, but none under the age of 5 (that we saw). We also love DCL, kids and all! And for the record, not one child got on my nerves on the DCL cruise, on a 7 day and a 4 day. I don't know how they did it!

 

As others have said, there are ships that cater to children, and do it very well.

[newmexicoNita]

I feel that I am giving my opinion also. I work full-time as a doctor and do not get to spend much time with my child. Therefore, this vacation seems like heaven to me. I do not mean to sound confrontational, I just feel some of the comments (not all) were not being helpful, just selfish. I think the expecations of a cruise will determine if it is right or not. I do not enjoy staying out late anymore and would much rather spend quality time with my child. I do think you have to make sacrifices and realize that you will not be able to do everything offered on the ship. However, this does not mean the trip will be miserable. If I took my child to a resort, I still would be chasing him around all day. No difference. Everyone must make a decision based on personal preferences and needs.

it really doesn't make much difference whether you are a full time doctor or ditch digger there are better vacations for children as young as Cooper than crusing in my opinion. Of course I am not the one who has made the choice to cruise with him, nor am i the one in the cabin next to you or at the table next to you. You are correct, you will not be able to do everything: mostly you will not be able to do much of anything. As for safety, I have seen kids running around and pushing each other (older ones I admit) and tripping passenger as they goof around. Kids need room to roam, cruise ships do not offer this, especially to very young children. You have made a choice, you think some on here are selfish because they feel toddlers do not mix with cruising: I don't think they are selfish; they simply have witnessed young ones and know how seldom it is a good choice. You may have an exceptional child, maybe you are traveling with others that will be able help care for him or maybe you really think this will offer you quality time with him. Whatever your reason for choosing a cruise I hope you have a great time and the passengers around you do as well. NMNita

[CruiserRev]

I think it's funny that the folks who don't want kids around label the parents who take them as being selfish, while they themselves are being selfish in that desire. I've seen more tantrums thrown by mature (agewise) adults than I have little tots on our cruises, even if the manner in which they throw their tantrums is more socially acceptable. My wife and I took our then 9-month old daughter on an 11-night cruise on HAL, and had a great time. Of course, our daughter is extremely well dispositioned. She's not a screamer, but a couple of nights she woke up and wanted to stay awake because she knew we were in the same room. I promptly took her up on deck and we played and eventually she rocked to sleep in my arms. I would never be inconsiderate enough to allow a child to continue to scream when there are passengers right next door to us. The crew absolutely adored her, as did most of the passengers, though we did get a condescending tone or two ("how brave of you", and the like). We're strange--we think a family vacation should include all of our family. She may not remember it (as we were told time and again), but she did have a good time, and we've got the pictures and memories to prove it. We had in-room babysitting each night during late seating so we didn't subject her to the long dinner hour (though she handles long dinners out at home quite well). We're normally Celebrity sailors, and we're back on Celebrity for a 14-night to Hawaii (out of LA, on 4/28, though I think we've all made final payment and it may be too long for you to back out, if you're offended), at which time she'll be 15 months old. She is still a delight (not just to us--she really is an extremely well dispositioned baby), and we wouldn't take her on a second cruise if we didn't think she could handle it. This will sound strange for all the no-kids fans....we choose longer cruises, just like you do, because there will be fewer kids. We still appreciate elegance, and dressing formally. In a couple of years, if we're still able to afford to cruise as our family grows, all the kid-friendly bells and whistles may come into consideration. For now, though, a cruise is still mostly for us, though we make it as wonderful as we can for her, too. We're fortunate this time to have a good friend of ours coming along as a "manny", to give us some extra time together, and to be the first line of defense to take her on deck if she wakes up at night. We do our best to be considerate of everyone at all, so forgive us for also considering what is the best vacation choice for us, and not yielding to the very vocal minority who are so condescending and feel that their self-entitlement trumps that of the inferior lot that is the rest of the world.

[newmexicoNita]

I think it's funny that the folks who don't want kids around label the parents who take them as being selfish, while they themselves are being selfish in that desire. I've seen more tantrums thrown by mature (agewise) adults than I have little tots on our cruises, even if the manner in which they throw their tantrums is more socially acceptable. My wife and I took our then 9-month old daughter on an 11-night cruise on HAL, and had a great time. Of course, our daughter is extremely well dispositioned. She's not a screamer, but a couple of nights she woke up and wanted to stay awake because she knew we were in the same room. I promptly took her up on deck and we played and eventually she rocked to sleep in my arms. I would never be inconsiderate enough to allow a child to continue to scream when there are passengers right next door to us. The crew absolutely adored her, as did most of the passengers, though we did get a condescending tone or two ("how brave of you", and the like). We're strange--we think a family vacation should include all of our family. She may not remember it (as we were told time and again), but she did have a good time, and we've got the pictures and memories to prove it. We had in-room babysitting each night during late seating so we didn't subject her to the long dinner hour (though she handles long dinners out at home quite well). We're normally Celebrity sailors, and we're back on Celebrity for a 14-night to Hawaii (out of LA, on 4/28, though I think we've all made final payment and it may be too long for you to back out, if you're offended), at which time she'll be 15 months old. She is still a delight (not just to us--she really is an extremely well dispositioned baby), and we wouldn't take her on a second cruise if we didn't think she could handle it. This will sound strange for all the no-kids fans....we choose longer cruises, just like you do, because there will be fewer kids. We still appreciate elegance, and dressing formally. In a couple of years, if we're still able to afford to cruise as our family grows, all the kid-friendly bells and whistles may come into consideration. For now, though, a cruise is still mostly for us, though we make it as wonderful as we can for her, too. We're fortunate this time to have a good friend of ours coming along as a "manny", to give us some extra time together, and to be the first line of defense to take her on deck if she wakes up at night. We do our best to be considerate of everyone at all, so forgive us for also considering what is the best vacation choice for us, and not yielding to the very vocal minority who are so condescending and feel that their self-entitlement trumps that of the inferior lot that is the rest of the world.

I think you are totally mistaken about the selfish part as well as who loves and doesn't love kids. I was the one that referred to a poster being selfish as she first, said those who didn't agree with her were being selfish. It sounds like you are making every effort to keep your toddler under control and doing what you can to make certain you, your family and those around you are having a good time. I have seen a few very young cruisers who are wonderful to be around: I have also seen more that are cranky, whiney and would rather be anywhere than cooped up on a ship. This doesn't me I or anyone else are anti kids. I have a granddaughter, expecting her first baby in about a month. She is the first to say, No way would she take a child under 3 on a cruise. She has cruise many times. We intend on doing a family cruise when her younger sister graduates from college next year: the baby will be a toddler and get to spend a week or so with his/her paternal grandparents. Again, I, personally am not saying no kids under a certain age should cruise, but I do beleive 90% of them could and would enjoy another type of vacation more. NMnita

[Ma Bell]

If you read all the posts carefully the label selfish was not directed towards the parents of small chidren but exactly the reverse. Most of us who advised against bringing "2" toddlers have no objection to children on cruises and are more concerned about whether the parents will be able to enjoy themselves. All the defensiveness is completely uncalled for. It's great if you can make it work. Bringing one child and a nanny is a lot different than bringing twins and no nanny. The OP asked for opinions regarding her situation.

I'll say it again. In this particular situation it might be better to wait until they are older, but if that's what she wants to do, go for it.