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Doing a 12 night Med cruise with a one year old

weezlesgirl

By weezlesgirl,
in Family Cruises

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weezlesgirl

weezlesgirl

Posted
Posted

This will be my second cruise but the first taking my daughter. I feel completely overwhelmed thinking about everything I need to take for her and the things I need to plan. Has anyone taken a young child on the Legend of the Seas? What should I expect traveling overseas with a baby? She is a very well behaved child, can she eat in the dining room with us? If not is there a daycare service?

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Travalerie

Travalerie

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I will be traveling with our 1 and 4 year old daughters in a month, so I understand your feeling! How old is yours? I have a list of things I am packing for her that I started a few weeks ago. I add or take things away as I think through things more. Good thing you have plenty of time. I think writing things down, takes it off your mind and you don't have as much swirling around in your head. I plan on taking my kids to the dining room on HAL and I would just try to get early seating. There are usually more kids during that time. It is your vacation too, so you should be able to have the experience of being served during your vacation. If you do want dinner alone, you can always hire a babysitter that will come to your room. Personally I have mixed feelings about this, but I have not heard anyone have a bad experience with it. And depending on her age, Adventure Ocean is open for a period of time in the evenings.

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costa del sol cruiser

costa del sol cruiser

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We sailed on voyager of the seas last year when our son was 14 months old and found it to be a fantastic experience. Usually you will be given a main dining seating which in the med tends to be about 6.30pm - everyone is welcome and at no time did we get made to feel unwelcome with out little one. In fact quite the opposite - people could not do enough for us, whatever he wanted to eat he was given and ever member of the waiting staff (not only ours but the surrounding tables!) knew us by the end of the second day. Most of the staff have been away at sea for a while and are missing young family members of their own so make quite a fuss of any little ones on board. If you have one ( and your child will watch it) you can always take a portable DVD player into your meal with you - as long as you keep the volume low nobody seems to mind and beside what would they rather have a child being unruly or some background noise from the teletubbies! This then means you can sit back and enjoy your meal even more. However if you don´t fancy the main dining room you can always go to windjammer for a more causual dining experience where the pressure is off or order room service!

There is an in-cabin babysitting service for a small cost but we never found the need to use it as the baby came everywhere with us and was totally spoilt by everyone.

At one year old your child is too young for the kids club and adventure ocean but on voyager they had a playgroup every morning and I´m sure your ship will be the same. it gives the children chance to let off steam and you get to talk to others in the same boat (literally!).

As for what to pack - don´t go over board but remember plenty of nappies and baby forumla (if you use it). We took a small inflatable paddling pool with us which we took on deck by the childrens pool area and he then could have his own watery fun, in the evening it also double as a bath as he does not enjoy having a shower.

If there is anything else you need to know just ask - I´m happy to help.

:)

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holiday queen 500

holiday queen 500

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Hello, maybe I can reassure you a little, I've cruised with my first son at 9 mnths, 14 mnths, 18 mnths, 23 mnths and we are going on the Independence on the 15th Oct with him now 2 yrs 9 mnths and our newest arrival 6 mnth old brother.

We cruised without children too and yes it is a completely different experience. Things like sipping cocktails in the jacuzzi are a thing of the past unless you take turns with daddy and go in on your own.

Anyway, things I can suggest.......

Adventure Ocean is from 3 yrs old, do no good this time unfortunately.

Baby-sitting - now only available for children over 1 year (used to be 6 months). I have used the in cabin baby-sitting on the Navigator, Brilliance and Splendour, every time we could not have been happier. The ladies who have sat for us are staff from the ship who have other (normally lower paid) jobs who do it to earn extra money. They have all been very friendly so much so that during the day when we've seen them around the ship usually cleaning they are very happy to see our son, almost like a loving grandparent. I don't think they would do it if they didn't like kids. Our son was asleep most of the time when we left him but when he did wake he was settled and we were never called.

On the Navigator they had DECT phones for hire and these were very good incase the baby-sitter needed to get hold of you. On the smaller ships we would call in at intervals during the night to check all was well. They do need to know roughly where you will be on the ship so they can find you if needed.

Not sure if you can get baby-sitters during the day?

 

Aquatots is a Fisher Price 45 min play session usually held around 9am in one of the lounges or conference rooms, although I thought this was a bit poor as the only thing for children under 3, until you go you don't realise how much they need to play with toys.

As for toys, take a few smaller things with you, we take cars, colouring books, small dinosaurs etc for playing with in the cabin / around the pool.

 

You will not be able to use the pools in swim diapers and if your child like water you will find this very hard to keep them away, try buying a small inflatable pool for use at the poolside. If you have lots of beach stops you might not need it.

 

I always pack enough diapers, wipes, cotton wool, food, formula etc for the whole trip. You probably won't be able to get what you need on the ship, and on shore could be an unknown.

 

RCCL do not have laundrette's, but the cleaning service is very good value for money, however there isn't any discount for small items. You will pay the same price for a t-shirt for daddy as you will for toddler, so take some travel wash for washing out small items in your cabin if you don't want to pay.

 

Your toddler will be overwhelmed by the ship, we've spent hours going up and down the lifts, looking at model boats and walking the entire length of each deck - lots to keep them entertained.

 

Dinner - we've done both early and late sittings, with a one yr old we changed our reservation to the later as we found that 6.30 was too late for his dinner (30 mins before bedtime), so we'd take him to the windjammer for his dinner, then either back to the cabin for milk and baby-sitter, or find a quite spot usually at the pool bar for milk a slow walk around in his stroller so he'd drop off to sleep. Both ways it mean't we could eat out dinner without a screaming over-tired baby. We have just altered this arrangment for our next cruise as he can wait a bit longer for dinner now. So after dinner with us we have granny to take both kids back to the cabin for bed-time and baby-sitting. (RCCL will not provide for 6mnth old).

 

Thats all that immediately springs to mind, all I can say is don't worry I'm sure you will be hooked after the first time. We can't get enough everything is all in one place, there's no where for any dodgy baby-sitter to go, everything feels very secure.

 

Oh one last thing, my sister was new to cruising when we were on the Navigator and her main concern was that her 3 yr old would fall over board. This is not possible on any deck but the very top and they would have to climb over a high barrier / railing to do so, and I'm sure any parent would not let their child out of sight long enough for this to happen.

 

Relax, it will be amazing, any more specific questions that I can help with please ask and I'll try to help.

Tracy

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wrp96

wrp96

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RCCL does offer in cabin babysitting at night, for 1 years and up. This could be an option for you if you want to do some night time adult activities. But please don't be afraid to take your child to the main dining room with you - she will be more than welcome to join you there.

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Travalerie

Travalerie

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RCCL does offer in cabin babysitting at night, for 1 years and up. This could be an option for you if you want to do some night time adult activities. But please don't be afraid to take your child to the main dining room with you - she will be more than welcome to join you there.

 

Off topic, but come to our Arkansas thread in the Floataway Lounge!

 

And OP, bring your own stroller.

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