Babies and shore excursions

[jacobatt1]

Since we've booked our cruise way in advance, we may have another little soul to take with us!

How do you handle shore excursions with a baby? For example, if we wanted to do snorkeling from the beach, we could just take turns hanging out with the baby and both still snorkel, but do you have to pay for the baby? Can you just take the baby's KTTW card and go?

I'm not talking about dangerous excursions or anything, but like in Cozumel, to go to Chankanaab, I would want to take the baby too, lots of things to see!, but if we all wanted to take turns snorkeling (from the beach, not a boat), how does that work with a Disney excursion?

(Leaving the baby on the boat is not an option for me--I'm fine with babysitting, but not while I'm off a boat in a foreign country LOL--sorry, don't flame me!!!)

I'll give up an excursion if I need to, but is there a way to work this out? Thanks for all your help!!!!

Amy

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Good question -- would love to hear what others have to say about this because for our next cruise our first baby will be about a year and a half. DH and I have never cruised with anyone but one another!

I know that on CC, you can leave your toddler with Flounders on the Island. Has anyone ever done this?

Melody

 

[pbharris4]

I don't have an answer for you, but we're going on a cruise in July with our 2 girls (9 and 2). The youngest will have just turned 2 in June. We plan on taking her with us on excursions. (We take our kids everywhere anyway because we don't have a babysitter) Now we're only doing the 3 day, but we planned on doing a self tour (just the shopping areas) of the Bahamas and on Castaway Cay we'll take turns snorkeling with my 9 yr old while the other plays with the 2 yr old. If it gets too hot one of us will just go back to the ship with the 2 yr old and then come back and switch or something. We wanted to do the 7 day western, but we want to see the ruins and figured that would be too much for the 2 yr old so we put that off for another 2 yrs. You can take your child most places probably, but be flexible. We learned that when our other DD was that young. Sometimes it goes the way you want and sometimes it doesn't. Take lots of sunscreen and rent an umbrella for shade and switch back and forth with your husband. Take lots of pics so when your child is older you can tell them they were there.

 

[Stimpy]

We're going with our DS-5 and DD-1 in April. The DCL CM told me that our baby can go to the Chanakaab Sea Lion excursion with us at no additional cost.

For Key West, we are doing our own thing and taking the trolley around by ourselves. If you do it by yourself and not through DCL I think you can get on and off at different stops. (Not sure, we haven't done it before. That's just what I heard here)

GC we are going through Capt Marvins for the Stingray City snorkling excursion. We can take her on the trip with us, DH and I will take turns in the water and staying with her. DCL would not allow her to go at all. (They did say she could go on the Nautilus semi-sub excursion but we would have to pay for her)

Hope that helps!

 

[rcumming]

Good question -- would love to hear what others have to say about this because for our next cruise our first baby will be about a year and a half. DH and I have never cruised with anyone but one another!

I know that on CC, you can leave your toddler with Flounders on the Island. Has anyone ever done this?

Melody

We cruised last year with our then 1.5 year old and took her on the excursion that took us aroudn the island on the van. It was fine for us. I didnt feel comfortable leaving her onthe boat (like the previous young lady talked about).

You can leave them in the Flounders Reef, but remember that you need to sign up as soon as you get on the boat. Last year we had such a hard time getting there (plane delays and rerouting) that when we got there it was too late. But I woudl never have signed her up while we were on the island because of the being in a different country and all. I would have signed her up jsut so that she could play with other kids.

On the van ride she was the only year old everyone else was 17 and up, and we all had a good time.

So go on take them on the excursion, I think that it helps to see differnt things. ANd their little brains need stimulation.

This year we are going back and she is now 2 and she is more excited. Besides its a vacation for the FAMILY!! So enjoy it with them. They will love it too. And to see the looks on thier faces when they see something new IS PRICELESS!!!. WHen we saw the water for the 1st time my dd just sat there starring in the water in amazzment. I got it on film.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

You should get a guide that spells out what age groups are allowed for what excursions. But here's the basics of what you can expect based on reviewing DCL web site and asking just these kinds of questions.

Usually, if the excursion lists a price for ages 3 and above, then those under age three can go as well for free. If the prices start at age 5 (like most snorkelling trips) then (for liability reasons) children below that age are not permited on the excursion. Same thing when there is a price for age 10 and above (then no-one under 10 is allowed).

The only way I know to do a snorkel excursion and still have an infant with you is to contract with an outside vender (such as Captain Marvins). Otherwise, you'd need to try to get a spot at Flounders for while you're on your excursion. Generally, the times for Flounders on shore days is from the time of the first excursions to about 1:30 and again from 5:00 to midnight. These times are just a general estimate and even any quoted times DCL can give you are tenative and subject to change.

As for what we did when we brought a 1yo with us, we either left him in Flounders or limited our selves to walking off the ship. We were unwilling to risk taking a 1yo on even a tender as they need special floatation devices (which DCL supplies in case of an emergency, but I doubt they would allow you to remove from the ship to go on an excursion).

 

[mommykeg]

I got the same answers when I called DCL yesterday about our West Coast Cruise. My DS will be 4 when we cruise, and they told me he absolutely would NOT be allowed on any excursion that states 5 and above. I'm a little bummed since some of the excursions are snorkeling from a beach...where DH and I could take turns playing on the beach with DS and snorkeling with DD8 (who REALLY wants to go snorkeling). I can understand if the snorkeling was all from a boat, but if the beach is involved, I don't see why younger children can't go along! It really limits the excursions that are open to us...many that DS would be allowed on involve a lot of driving, which would not be fun for him at all! It's hard to balance the needs of an 8yo and a 4yo on DCL excursions!

 

[rsjj]

i love the water! enjoys swimming, just love it! not the case with my DH! and our DSs (3 & 5) are just beginning to learn to swim, soooo...that leaves a lot of water excursions out for us.

when we went on our first cruise (western), our DSs were 2 & 4 at the time. i really wanted to do the snorkeling/sting ray thing. since dcl only allowed kids 5 & up, i got info (from these boards) about captain marvin...and tried to convince my family it would be fun! DH agreed to go, although he said he'd just stay on the little boat with DS2. ok. DS4 was really excited to swim with the stingrays, just like me. ( i was really hyping this thing up!!!!) anyways, when we got there, and they told us, "ok, off the boat to go swim with stingrays!", DS4 did not want anything to do with them! needless to say, in our scrapbook, for gc, i was the only one in the water!

but we did bring our children with us! and our DS3 (who was 2 at the time), still says, "and i stayed with daddy on the boat", whenever i talk about swimming with the stingrays. and our DS5 says, "and i didn't want to go in there!"

just our experiences! we don't regret bringing them, and will do it again, on another excursion. (i'm working on a horseback riding now, for our west coast cruise...wish me luck) half the fun is seeing our DSs having fun!

 

[jacobatt1]

Thanks you guys!! I knew you would be a big help

I agree about the snorkeling from the beach issue--I would definitely not risk a baby going out on some excursions, but from the description of Chankanaab park in Cozumel, you take a taxi to the park and the snorkeling is done from the beach!! I don't see why we can't take a baby and just switch off, but maybe I'm missing something. We will definitely take the baby, though (thanks for the validation guys!!!) so maybe we'll do a sea lion excursion at the park since it sounds like a baby could go.

Hmmmm . . . . .
If you take a sea lion excursion from Disney, can you pay at the park to snorkel???


Thanks everyone!


Amy

 

[Stimpy]

Hmmmm . . . . .
If you take a sea lion excursion from Disney, can you pay at the park to snorkel???

I bought DS a cheap snorkling set from Target the other day to bring with us. (Well, ok, the Easter Bunny went to Target and got it LOL)

I believe you can. The rent the snorkel equipment there I think. I've heard of people doing the snorkling on their own. They took a taxi to Chanakaab and got everything themselves. I'm not 100% sure but it is definately something to look into! Good Luck!

 

[sharonk]

I got the same answers when I called DCL yesterday about our West Coast Cruise. My DS will be 4 when we cruise, and they told me he absolutely would NOT be allowed on any excursion that states 5 and above. I'm a little bummed since some of the excursions are snorkeling from a beach...where DH and I could take turns playing on the beach with DS and snorkeling with DD8 (who REALLY wants to go snorkeling). I can understand if the snorkeling was all from a boat, but if the beach is involved, I don't see why younger children can't go along! It really limits the excursions that are open to us...many that DS would be allowed on involve a lot of driving, which would not be fun for him at all! It's hard to balance the needs of an 8yo and a 4yo on DCL excursions!

That's why DCL is so appealing to us. My kids are 3, 7 and 9 and it's hard to balance everyone's needs on vacation. We are planning to send our DD3 to the kids club for a half day and do snorkeling or something else that our older kids want to do. We'll also set a side a half day to spend just with DD (no older brothers!) That way, we have a lot of family time, plus each of the kids gets some "alone" time with Mom and Dad, something that is a real rarity and a huge treat at our house.

Sharon

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Personally, I would not feel comfortable leaving our little one in Flounders on the ship while we do a shore excursions somewhere. I think we'll try to choose excursions that she'll be able to go on with us. As for Castaway Cay, I might think about leaving her at Flounders on the Island if DH and I want to get a couple's massage or something. But we really look forward to experiencing all of this with her -- especially her first experience with sand and the ocean!