Cruising with a toddler - Looking for advice

[genki3]

Hello!

I'm set to cruise with my almost 19 month old in less than 3 weeks. Anyone out there have experiences they'd like to share with me of their time cruising with the little ones under 3?

I don't plan to put her in the Nursery, except when the adults go to Palo. I prefer to have my vacation with my baby girl. How about you? Where did you enjoy time together on the ship?

Any advice/tips on what I shouldn't forget to bring? Anything you would change if you had another opportunity to cruise?

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[KBinCO]

which ship?

 

[Dug720]

I do know that unless she's potty-trained - as in NO swim diaper - she cannot go in the pools. If you're on the Dream or Fantasy there is Nemo's Reef splash zone she could do. Not sure about the Magic and Wonder. But no swim diapers are allowed in the pools.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I do know that unless she's potty-trained - as in NO swim diaper - she cannot go in the pools. If you're on the Dream or Fantasy there is Nemo's Reef splash zone she could do. Not sure about the Magic and Wonder. But no swim diapers are allowed in the pools.

On the Wonder there is Mickey's Splash zone


And on the Magic there's Nephew's Splash Zone (new with the re-imagining).

Both areas are in the Mickey Pool area.

 

[Quellman]

We cruised with our 15 month old. We thought we rationed our diapers appropriately based on historical usage and then for some extras. Our guy got a bug that had us off the ship in a hurry once docked at St Maarten to scurry to the convenice store quick. After that it cleared up quickly.

Like you, we only used the nursery one night for a dinner. However, they offer open houses during days at sea or other times through the cruise. This I highly recommend. Kids love toys and experiences and this open house time allows you to use the facility with your little one for no charge. We used it to get him used to the space, and of course we can't pack enough toys and activities for a trip like this, so he had a blast in there. When we dropped him off later in the week, he was so excited to go in, that they let him in before checkin was complete. We took individually wrapped candies (I think starburst) as a tip for the nursery staff. They were so awesome!

We did late seating for dinner, but managed to get him a third nap during the day, which he hadn't had for ages. He tried a few new foods, but as with a toddler they either eat or don't. But this is a good place to let them try lots of different things. We did take an ipad to the dining room, which we don't at home, in case things were starting to get out of hand!

Have a great time on your voyage!

 

[ayz75]

We're also doing our first cruise with my daughter in a month! (she will be 2 years old - her birthday is 3 days before the cruise!!)
Like you, we intend to put her in the nursery only when we go to Remy. We travel A LOT with her (by a lot, I mean she's been to Europe twice, Asia twice, Bermuda, and lots of places) so we are pretty good at handling her and don't usually feel stressed. The only other time I am contemplating putting her to the nursery is if Tomorrowland premieres onboard then we might watch the movie (might as well!)

Not too sure about cruising, but based on my experience traveling with her, we always make sure we have sticker books (not necessarily crayons - she was too young before and I was worried she would start drawing on the airplane seats/restaurants) sticker books work wonders. Bring a few "new" packs though. I never bring toys as she doesn't care for them unless they are new toys and they take up luggage space. I know the MDRs have crayons and the staff will make an effort to play with the kids so you can eat. I find that meal time has always been the most difficult part when it comes to traveling with a little one.

We also always bring a carrier with us (we use ergo) she will fall asleep in the ergo when she's tired so it's great for airplane rides (or wherever the stroller is not convenient). Other than the carrier and sticker books, and the essentials (diapers, extra clothes) I don't have any "must bring" for her. We can usually improvise on the spot if we forget something.

 

[mose2000]

There are a few activities that I remember particularly enjoying with my toddler on his first cruise (which was a few years back), but the only one I can recall the name of was something like "Wake up with Disney Jr." I know they still offer it, because I saw it on the personal navigators in March. There will be plenty to do - see if you can find some navigators from your ship/itinerary to get an idea of what to keep an eye out for!

 

[Golden Rose]

We cruised when both our kids were toddlers. DD absolutely loved the nursery as an almost 2 year old. She wanted to go. (By the time she was almost 3, we still signed her up for nursery time, but she got approved to go to the Oceaneer's club, which she much preferred at that age.) When she was in the nursery as an almost two year old, Snow White came to visit, and they gave us pictures of Snow White holding her and playing with her in the nursery. That was the start of her love affair with princesses.

Hmm, general advice about cruising with a toddler. Bring more diapers, wipes, and rash cream than you think you'll need. You can usually buy them on board if you run out, but they are EXPENSIVE. If your toddler has favorite snack foods that are easy to pack, bring them even though there will be enough food on board. Sometimes ours just wanted something familiar. Bring a few cheap toys along that your child will enjoy playing with, but won't upset anyone (you for budget or the child for attachment) if an item gets lost on a vacation. If your child has a comfort object, bring it, and if possible, an identical spare. Bring sunscreen and two swimsuits, so you aren't trying to squeeze a wiggly toddler into a wet suit to go to the water play area.

Don't be afraid to use the nursery to give yourself a little alone time. Honestly, most of the kids that age love it. Reconnect with your spouse a little, and relax knowing your child is in excellent hands. Relax in your room, get a spa treatment, eat a romantic dinner, grab a drink, watch a movie you wouldn't take a child to; spend a little couple time you probably don't get much with an active toddler wanting attention at home.

Definitely plan on doing some of the family activities around the ship - our toddler loved the morning wake up with Disney Junior program. Go to the Open Houses in the kids club when the whole family can go together.

Talk to your servers on your first day about what your child enjoys eating, and what it would be helpful to get out to the table as quickly as possible at meals. We've had cruises where our servers would have a bowl of fruit and a glass of milk waiting for our toddler when we got to the table. Admittedly, I didn't request it; I didn't know I could request something like early on, but the servers figured out I was always ordering it for our son, and from then on, they had it waiting for us.

Be aware that some of the meals in the MDRs may drag on too long for an active toddler. We actually started booking our nursery time for halfway into our meal, so DD could start the meal with us and eat her dinner with us, then one of us would take her to the nursery and then return to finish the second half of dinner in peace. (DS was happy to be at the table for the entire meal, and behaved extremely well. DD wanted to be off playing the moment she was full.)

 

[ctnurse]

We cruised on the Fantasy when DD was 18 months. She is a great traveler and did great. DH and I used the nursery for dinners, spa time, and time in the adults only sections. We requested a pack and play and diaper genie for the room.

I would also suggested purchasing a seat on the plane for your LO. Your trip will start and end much better if you aren't trying to wrestle a toddler on an airplane.

 

[Suruat68]

We did our first cruise when DS was 18 months old. My tip: take it slow, don't worry about missing things. We missed all but one show, the fireworks, the movies, etc, but its ok! Let your LO be the guide on what he/she is able to do. Also, don't overpack diapers. They take a lot of room...I would bring one extra diaper per day you cruise.. Also, bring extra sippy cups/bottles from home. We filled them up with milk and kept it in the fridge -that way we knew we had quick access to milk 24/7.

 

[spb1989]

Bring your favorite go to OTC medicines for your little one. Thinking ibuprofen, etc. Children's medicines are very limited in the gift shops and would be very expensive.

 

[Nateanite]

Thanks for all this great information! We're going to be cruising with our then 21 month year old daughter in late November. One question I have, what kinds of excursions worked well for you all with a kid that age?

 

[hardis5]

Our youngest was 18 mos and turned 3 the day we disembarked our 2nd sailing with him as a toddler. We brought an umbrella stroller we threw under the bed when not needed but that saw a lot of use during excursions (even if just getting to transportation at port). Bring an extra hat (had one go MIA) and lots of extra sunscreen for the little one (we from a northern climate, the intense sun down south will have one burn really quick). We sided on bringing more toiletry supplies for him than thought needed the first time out (and pull-ups the 2nd time out). You'll still free up lots of room during the cruise as used (we brought unopened packages - compressed - and would open a pack when/if needed). We'd rather be prepared and budgeted the suitcase space for a few extras not used on-board rather than running low/out due to illness or being more "regular" due to a variety of new foods tried (or he overdoing it on Mickey waffles).

He enjoyed Nemo's Reef though was a little shy the first time with the older - still young but more adventurous 3-4 year olds. He enjoyed his first movie theater movie while on-board proudly sitting in the seat by himself while quiet and when he started to get fidgety (about 20-30 minutes in) we left - rather do that there than for a movie we paid $25+ for us all to attend. As a PP mentioned, make sure to take advantage of the open houses for both the nursery and Oceaneer Club (our little one never did really warm to the nursery but had a blast in Andy's room in the Oceaneer Club during the open house). We as well enjoyed standing, walking around the poolside decks while funnel vision movies were shown and the little one (especially the first time) had a blast just walking (actually running like a drunk sailor the way little ones run) while we walked the corridors when getting to our cabin. We'd often take the furthest elevator from our cabin just to allow him the opportunity to walk the corridors.

 

[horvatron]

We had our 21 month old on the Fantasy for a week. We had no problem putting her in the nursery for a small amount of time here and there. It was good for her to play with other kids and toys. I think she enjoyed it. Plus there are things that are nice to do without the kids - ahem... massages!. She didn't like their baby splash zone area and since we couldn't take her in the pools, it was a bit of a bummer. She did really like the splash zone at Castaway Cay though. I could barely tear her away. I think that was the highlight of her trip. One of the best purchases I made was for this little inflatable baby tube/seat. I put her in that and we floated in the water at Castaway Cay. (something sort of like this)

As far as excursions, many are not available for this age, meaning that you can't do them either. That was frustrating. At St. Maarten we rented a private van (there were 10 of us) and we drove around the island all day. That became difficult for her since she missed her nap. Le Galion beach on that island is perfect for little ones though! On St. Thomas we just skipped the excursions and walked around downtown for a bit. Saw the butterfly farm - totally worth missing btw and then went back to the ship early. We put her in the nursery and had a couples massage while everyone else was off the boat. That was the best.

It was also difficult since she was still teething at times and was very cranky during much of the trip. She hated the uncomfortable pack and play and refused to sleep in it. So we had them prep the daybed for her and just used a bedrail. She was fine. Her 7yr old brother got the upper birth and liked that.

 

[Footnotegirl]

As far as excursions, many are not available for this age, meaning that you can't do them either. That was frustrating. .

A note: The nursery is open on shore days. We sailed when our daughter was 4 months old (before they changed the age cut off) and went on excursions on both St. Maarten and St. Thomas while she stayed safely and happily on the ship. So excursions are totally a thing you can do if that's important to you.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

Our youngest was 18 mos and turned 3 the day we disembarked our 2nd sailing with him as a toddler. We brought an umbrella stroller we threw under the bed when not needed but that saw a lot of use during excursions (even if just getting to transportation at port). Bring an extra hat (had one go MIA) and lots of extra sunscreen for the little one (we from a northern climate, the intense sun down south will have one burn really quick). We sided on bringing more toiletry supplies for him than thought needed the first time out (and pull-ups the 2nd time out). You'll still free up lots of room during the cruise as used (we brought unopened packages - compressed - and would open a pack when/if needed). We'd rather be prepared and budgeted the suitcase space for a few extras not used on-board rather than running low/out due to illness or being more "regular" due to a variety of new foods tried (or he overdoing it on Mickey waffles).

He enjoyed Nemo's Reef though was a little shy the first time with the older - still young but more adventurous 3-4 year olds. He enjoyed his first movie theater movie while on-board proudly sitting in the seat by himself while quiet and when he started to get fidgety (about 20-30 minutes in) we left - rather do that there than for a movie we paid $25+ for us all to attend. As a PP mentioned, make sure to take advantage of the open houses for both the nursery and Oceaneer Club (our little one never did really warm to the nursery but had a blast in Andy's room in the Oceaneer Club during the open house). We as well enjoyed standing, walking around the poolside decks while funnel vision movies were shown and the little one (especially the first time) had a blast just walking (actually running like a drunk sailor the way little ones run) while we walked the corridors when getting to our cabin. We'd often take the furthest elevator from our cabin just to allow him the opportunity to walk the corridors.

Are the parents allowed in Nemo's reef with the LOs? My DS isn't walking yet, so he may need my help enjoying the splash area.

 

[MommyMeNDisney]

We had our 21 month old on the Fantasy for a week. We had no problem putting her in the nursery for a small amount of time here and there. It was good for her to play with other kids and toys. I think she enjoyed it. Plus there are things that are nice to do without the kids - ahem... massages!. She didn't like their baby splash zone area and since we couldn't take her in the pools, it was a bit of a bummer. She did really like the splash zone at Castaway Cay though. I could barely tear her away. I think that was the highlight of her trip. One of the best purchases I made was for this little inflatable baby tube/seat. I put her in that and we floated in the water at Castaway Cay. (something sort of like this)

As far as excursions, many are not available for this age, meaning that you can't do them either. That was frustrating. At St. Maarten we rented a private van (there were 10 of us) and we drove around the island all day. That became difficult for her since she missed her nap. Le Galion beach on that island is perfect for little ones though! On St. Thomas we just skipped the excursions and walked around downtown for a bit. Saw the butterfly farm - totally worth missing btw and then went back to the ship early. We put her in the nursery and had a couples massage while everyone else was off the boat. That was the best.

It was also difficult since she was still teething at times and was very cranky during much of the trip. She hated the uncomfortable pack and play and refused to sleep in it. So we had them prep the daybed for her and just used a bedrail. She was fine. Her 7yr old brother got the upper birth and liked that.

Did Disney have bed rails available or did you bring your own just in case?

 

[genki3]

Thank you all for your suggestions!

 

[lisamarie12]

Interested in hearing more about this wake up with Disney Jr. Is it a show or is it more interactive? My DD LOVES Disney jr. characters. I mean I pretty much know the theme song to Jake, Sophia, Mickey Mouse Club house, Doc McStuffins, Sheriff Callie, and Octonauts, to name a few. I do admit its better than the PBS kids shows she used to love, but I am ready for some different shows... LOL.

OP, I have not cruised Disney, so my advise is not Disney specific, but cruising with a child specific. My DD's first cruise was 15 months and second when she was 27 months. It was like night and day. The cruise where my DD was younger was much more pleasant than the second one. My best advice to you is limit your expectations. Plan to go with the flow. Plan to possibly miss something you really want to do because your child happens to be napping, overstimulated or just crabby. You know, kind of like regular life. Do not expect everything to go perfect just because you are on vacation. Beaches are a great option for young children. We also did a few city tours with DD, which went fine (these were van tours, not walking tours). My favorite memory of my DD's first cruise was when we stepped off the tender boat in Grand Cayman. The water is really shallow there and very clear, you can see the bottom. Well my DD's eyes got as big as saucers from excitement and she kept saying "Mommy look, fishies." She just loved it. Because children can see something that we might take for granted and be fascinated. Seeing something new through your child's eyes is priceless.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

After just getting off a cruise with our 21 month old (in a group of 13 including 7 kids), let me share a dinner strategy that worked for us. We printed dinner menus out ahead of time and I would go to our table at dinnertime with the others and order for my husband and toddler and they either finished napping or played for an extra half hour. They arrived about the time appetizers came out or slightly after, shortening up dinner time for the toddler. Sometimes our toddler was still "done" before us, and we would order a dessert for me or my husband to go and bring it back to the stateroom so one of us could leave early with our toddler.
Hopefully you won't need that strategy. We have 5 kids and he's the first we've had to use this strategy with, but it was definitely better than trying to keep him happy for an hour and a half or so!