1st disney cruise with a 3yo and 22mo

[Mskay1216]

hello everyone

So... Hubby and I booked our first family cruise aboard the dream this September
And I'm having 2nd thoughts.... Would they have more fun at the parks at their age?

We have a timeshare in Orlando so planning a WDW trip we can do anytime but how often can you take a disney cruise right?

Any experience at the parks or on the cruise with little ones around this age?

 

[ForMyBoys]

I think they would have a great time on the cruise. My youngest was 3 the first time we sailed and he did great. The servers really cater to the kids, its fun to watch. There are lots of characters and a splash pad and lots of fun things to see and do. And if you take advantage of the nursery and kids club you and hubby will likely have a less stressful vacation. Are you doing a 3 or 4 night cruise? With kids that age I would also make sure you either have connecting rooms or a verandah so you and hubby have a place to enjoy yourselves while the kids nap.

When we booked our first Disney cruise I almost canceled it (it is a lot of money!), but we had such a great time that we just finished our second cruise and have another booked for next year.

 

[Mskay1216]

I think they would have a great time on the cruise. My youngest was 3 the first time we sailed and he did great. The servers really cater to the kids, its fun to watch. There are lots of characters and a splash pad and lots of fun things to see and do. And if you take advantage of the nursery and kids club you and hubby will likely have a less stressful vacation. Are you doing a 3 or 4 night cruise? With kids that age I would also make sure you either have connecting rooms or a verandah so you and hubby have a place to enjoy yourselves while the kids nap.

When we booked our first Disney cruise I almost canceled it (it is a lot of money!), but we had such a great time that we just finished our second cruise and have another booked for next year.

I think they would have a great time on the cruise. My youngest was 3 the first time we sailed and he did great. The servers really cater to the kids, its fun to watch. There are lots of characters and a splash pad and lots of fun things to see and do. And if you take advantage of the nursery and kids club you and hubby will likely have a less stressful vacation. Are you doing a 3 or 4 night cruise? With kids that age I would also make sure you either have connecting rooms or a verandah so you and hubby have a place to enjoy yourselves while the kids nap.

When we booked our first Disney cruise I almost canceled it (it is a lot of money!), but we had such a great time that we just finished our second cruise and have another booked for next year.

Thank you! We booked a family ocean view and my parents and inlaws will be joining us so plenty of hands to help out
Did you get off the ship in Nassau ?

 

[ForMyBoys]

Yes and we had a fabulous time in Nassau. We did the blue lagoon island beach day excursion. It was fantastic. You do feel a bit like cattle because a lot of people meet and then you have to walk all in a group to the boat. But it was orderly. The boat ride was nice, its a little long but you see a lot of the island. The blue lagoon itself was gorgeous. Lunch was included in the cost. And the lunch was good. The sand was great, water was warm and beautiful. We didn't pay extra to rent anything but the boys had a great time playing the sand and water. The beach was not crowded at all. They had a whole section of hammocks and some local craftsman selling wares (not pushy at all!). So you do need some cash if you plan to buy anything. My boys actually met a local boy there and they spent an hour hunting for crabfish. It was a relaxing and nice day on the beach. I *think* you can go to the blue lagoon other ways that are less expensive than the disney excursion. I would highly recommend that beach. My co-worker did the blue lagoon dolphin encounter and raved about it, so that is a good one as well.

 

[Mskay1216]

Yes and we had a fabulous time in Nassau. We did the blue lagoon island beach day excursion. It was fantastic. You do feel a bit like cattle because a lot of people meet and then you have to walk all in a group to the boat. But it was orderly. The boat ride was nice, its a little long but you see a lot of the island. The blue lagoon itself was gorgeous. Lunch was included in the cost. And the lunch was good. The sand was great, water was warm and beautiful. We didn't pay extra to rent anything but the boys had a great time playing the sand and water. The beach was not crowded at all. They had a whole section of hammocks and some local craftsman selling wares (not pushy at all!). So you do need some cash if you plan to buy anything. My boys actually met a local boy there and they spent an hour hunting for crabfish. It was a relaxing and nice day on the beach. I *think* you can go to the blue lagoon other ways that are less expensive than the disney excursion. I would highly recommend that beach. My co-worker did the blue lagoon dolphin encounter and raved about it, so that is a good one as well.

Did you need or bring a stroller with your 3 yo?

 

[ForMyBoys]

No we did not bring a stroller. The only time I recall walking really far with him was the walk from the cruise ship to the boat in Nassau, but my hubby just put him on his shoulders for that part. The boat ride to the beach was cramped so I doubt a stroller would have fit. On the cruise ship itself we never felt we needed one as we weren't in a hurry and he liked walking. Also on castaway cay they have trams and free wagons to use so we grabbed a wagon for the day and it worked out great. I would have like to use my baby carrier but by 2YO my son didn't want anything to do with it

 

[brnc014]

We took our 3 yo on a 7 night on the Fantasy this past October. He loved it. We considered doing the parks but the thought of dragging him around a hot amusement park scares me. He still takes naps every day so being able to go back to the room with one of us while the other one gets to do other activities was great. There were tons of activities that catered to him (Jake and the Neverland Pirates) and the character interaction was way better than what we would have gotten in the parks. It was so nice to go on vacation with a 3 yo and actually get to relax.

 

[beckysko]

following! Heading on a 4 night cruise in Aug with a 2yo (turns 2 on the boat) and an almost 4 year old.

 

[KBinCO]

My kids were 4 and 5 on our first cruise, but those seem like perfect ages to cruise.

My older daughter had been to WDW at age 2.5 and then both went to DL when the younger was 2.5 and the older was 4. While they enjoyed the parks, they weren't big on the rides, rushing around, standing in the heat, etc. and neither were my husband and I- we consider those trips as taking on for the team so the kids will have fun.

The cruise is fun for everyone. We all got to have fun, relax, and we got some time to ourselves while the kids had a blast... And the part of the parks that my kids love the most- the characters- play such a BIGGER role on the ships. So many more personal and intimate experiences. By the end of the cruise, I swear my girls thought they were best friends with so many of them.

We went to WDW after our cruise and the kids were miserable. They just wanted to be back on the ship. I'm not sure we'll do the parks ever again after cruising.

 

[AAAG]

We did it last year with an 18 month old and 4 year old, and we went again this year when they were 2.5 and 5 years.

We haven't tried WDW, but i would think the cruise would be better since kids that age do not wait in lines (at least mine didn't). Also napping is so much easier on the ship (mine have never napped in strollers), so at the end of the day on the cruise, you have less tired, less cranky kids.

We had a slight problem this year in that the 2.5 year old was not potty trained, but loves swimming. There were a few meltdowns because he wanted to go in the pool with his brother and cousin. The splash pad area only interested him for short periods. he wanted to swim.

we did bring an umbrella stroller, and we did get off the ship at Nassau - we went to Ardastra Zoo on our own, then to the beach.

 

[Mskay1216]

We took our 3 yo on a 7 night on the Fantasy this past October. He loved it. We considered doing the parks but the thought of dragging him around a hot amusement park scares me. He still takes naps every day so being able to go back to the room with one of us while the other one gets to do other activities was great. There were tons of activities that catered to him (Jake and the Neverland Pirates) and the character interaction was way better than what we would have gotten in the parks. It was so nice to go on vacation with a 3 yo and actually get to relax.

Awesome! Thank you

 

[beckyhd13]

We went on the Fantasy for 7 days last year with a 3 yo and 21 month old and it was fantastic! So much so that we signed up for another one this year - 40 days and counting! I can't imagine standing in lines with the kids at this age, and it's so easy to be able to run back to the room for a nap. You can even see if your little one will nap in the nursery, but we had a verandah, so no one minded sitting on the verandah and reading while the little one napped. The fact that we could put the kids in the nursery/kids club at times and give ourselves a break made this a true vacation for everyone. We had tons of time with our kids, but we also got breaks and had adult time, which was fantastic. Disney cruises are so fantastic for kids - every little thing is thought out, from the dual bathroom setup with a tub for baths to the kid size silverware at dinner. I was so nervous before the first cruise because it was so much money and I was worried either we wouldn't have fun or the kids wouldn't, but it was truly such a fantastic trip and we are all giddy counting down the days for the next one.

We did two umbrella strollers last time, which was great. There is a lot of walking around on the ship and their legs got tired, but many times we only had one stroller with us and they would take turns. This time we'll only be taking the one stroller since the now 4 yo won't sit in it.

 

[Mskay1216]

thank you all soo much! I'm excited again..
I was having some doubts
I think I'm going to bring an umbrella stroller for my 22mo.. has anyone seen the strollers you can rent on the ship? are they big and bulky?