Are there cribs in Flounders's Reef???

[mmouse37]

I have never cruised with a young child (2) before so now that my sister and her family our joining us I would like to know more about Flounders Reef on the Magic so I can advise my sis.

Thanks..

MJ

 

[Gillian]

Not sure about the Magic, but there were cribs on the Wonder. However, they told us that the cribs were for the little ones, not for 2 year olds like our son. They tried to put him to sleep on a mat, which he has used at day care, but he didn't go for it and was up until 10 PM. They don't try to make the kids sleep, they can just watch movies or play. If they had put him in a crib I think he would have gone right to sleep. The second time, we picked him up at 10:15 and he was in a rocking chair watching TV.

The staff there was very nice. We left DS 3 times in 4 days, just for 2-3 hours at a time. He didn't mind it, and had fun playing with the toys, but he was happy to see us

 

[jel0511]

There are cribs in Flounders, but I must reiterate what the previous poster said. That larger children, usually 1 1/2 and up are usually put to sleep on a mat and not in a crib. Our 19 month old was sometimes in a crib and sometimes on a mat. I think it depends on how many babies they have that evening, since they should get first priority for the cribs. All the nights we left DS, he was sleeping when we picked him up between 9:30 - 10:00. They are really great and my DS enjoyed his time there. We peeked in one night and he was having a BLAST!!! So, if your sisters child needs a crib to fall asleep, let them know that their child may only be given a mat. I was fully impressed with the staff at Flounders and it was wonderful that DH and I got some alone time on our cruise. We LOVED the experience so much we're going on a 7 night next time!!!

 

[peg2001]

It is possible that it is a safety issue. Some kids, 18-months and up, are excellent climbers and could get hurt climbing out of the cribs. If they put them to sleep on a mat, they can't get hurt.

Just a thought.
Peggy

 

[4nana]

Dream on....
Yikes, we are traveling with an 13 mo old and an 18mo old.
Not that we will be using Flounder's often, but sorry, but I can't imagine either staying on a mat to sleep . Guess that's where Nana comes in to play .

 

[Gillian]

i'm sure the 13 mo old will get a crib. And probably the 18 mo old too. There's a big difference between 18 months & 24 months

 

[GoofyDisney]

This is what I post whenever someone asks about FR...

>>>>
When we first cruised our DD was 2 yr 4 mos. (9/2001)

We liked Flounders Reef. Our DD is not in daycare, so the closest thing we can compare it to was church nursery.

The Reef: There is a small waiting room out front with a split door to the nursery and a large porthole with one-way glass so you can come and peek anytime without getting caught.

The first room is large and brightly colored. There is a tv always playing Disney movies. Some rocking chairs, some pads and soft chairs on the floor for the kids. There is a bookshelf with lots of books. There are tons of toys, though they tend to be aimed at the younger children (understandable). The changing table is right out in the open, and CMs wear gloves to change diapers. There is a a large play area. Then there is a smaller, back tv room with some rocking chairs and another tv so, as was the case with our DD, kids who didn't want to sleep, but just wanted to veg out and watch tv in a quiet area, could do so.

Then there is the crib room, for children who go to sleep while being rocked by CM, fall asleep on the mats watching movies, or its nap time.

When we were there, the child to CM ratio was 2:1 sometimes even 2:4. It just depends.

The trick is to be at the Reef door when it first opens on Saturday. (If not open yet, go ahead and form line along the wall.) Then when you can go in, book every single night. And then cancel as you do not use it. Just make sure you know the cancellation policy and remember to make the call! You may not get every time you request, but they call you everyday to confirm the next day if they are expecting you.

Also, when we were on the ship, there were no Reef times that coincided with Palos brunch on days at sea. Check it out to see if that is still the case. (This has indeed changed. On the 10/26, parents could go to brunch on SUnday, Key West day, and have their children in the Reef.)

M.M.'s Magical Guide talks about the nursery and how safe it is as far as no one being to be alone with your child without being noticed and about the background checks and training on Reef staff. http://hometown.aol.com/entropym/pages/index.htm

They give you a pager. They are SUPER diligent about paging you if your child needs you. We appreciated this. One time, our DD started asking for us. They were seconds away from paging us when she got interested in something else. But I appreciated them telling us this, and them being willing to page us just cause she wanted us.

We took our umbrella stroller on the cruise. When not in use it was folded up in the closet, but otherwise, we took it everywhere. It really helped when it came to not wanting to wear DD out!

CAN'T MISS: Make sure you get a wake up call every morning! You just dial it into the phone and when it rings, it is Mickey Mouse calling to get you out of bed! This was one of DDs favorite things to do was answer the phone and have it be Mickey Mouse who was calling her. We ended up doing it several times even after we were all awake. We just dialed in 7:45, 8:00, etc. She loved it!

Any other questions? Let me know!
Have a great cruise!
>>>>

 

[mmouse37]

Thank you all for your responses....I will print the whole thread out for my sis....I have a copy of MM cruise guide which I will pass along as well!!!

MJ

 

[Gillian]

I kind of disagree with signing up for every night. While it is probably the most convenient thing for you to do, I think it's somewhat selfish to ask for every night if you don't intend to use them. There are a limited number of places available.

We picked 2 evenings and 1 afternoon on our 4 day. On the other nights we had to spend more time in our cabin, but DH & I enjoyed our together time on the verandah while DS slept.