two-foxes
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2002
- Messages
- 2,582
So, I am living vicarously through you all cruising! I had wanted to do a mini-tip session for the podcast with all the stuff we learned cruising with Merrick at 14 months, but I kept forgetting to get it written up and to get it in....sooooo, since it is a whole 8 days away (but who's counting!!!) Here's my quick "Cruising with a weee little one tips" I hope someone cruising on the podcast cruise is able to take advantage of some of these tips or add to them!
-If you are using bottles or sippies, bring a small bottle of dish soap and sponge/bottle brush to get them clean.
-Take advantage of room service if you find your LO konks out during dinner. Merrick made it through 1 dinner on the whole cruise! But, nothing beat the fruit bowl, mac and cheese and other kid friendly options that room service had!
-Don't forget, whole milk is available at the drink station!
-If you and your partner have different waking schedules as DH and I do, I usually made my way up to the deck 9 buffet for breakfast w/DS on my own. I never had a lack of help when the servers noticed I would be navigating trays and a stroller by myself. I ALWAYS had someone offer to carry my tray, which was a huge help!
-Don't hesitate to bring your stroller to dinner. Since DS was out during dinner, it was easy to just push him slightly under the table where he slept soundly!
-Check out the deck 9 character meet and greets. They were usually MUCH less crowded than the atrium meet and greets.
-Merrick started walking two weeks before we left for vacation, go figure. We found outside deck 4 to be the best place to let him wander around to get his "sea legs". Keep an eye out for joggers/walkers, but it is the safest place for a new walker to wander staying out of most peoples way. Deck 9 was a nightmare and deck 10 was just too windy (and full of those every appealing stairs!)
-Jogging strollers and wagons are available (first come first served) at CC. It was such a huge help to have a jogging stroller to take with us on the beach to allow DS to nap. We left our personal stroller for the day by She sells....although I never found official stroller parking, our stroller stayed put the whole day.
-Although the Mickey Ear is said to be for diapered kiddos only, it was always bombarded by big kids running/jumping through (this was right before the Magic refurb). With the new splash area, this may be less of a problem, but just beware if you have non walkers or tots in this area.
-TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FLOUNDERS!!! I got flamed pretty good on the cruise board when I made it clear that DH and I would need "adult time" on our cruise (it was our 6th DCL cruise, but our very first with a little one!) when I was seeking info in cruising with a little one for the first time. However I never second guessed putting DS in there, although I was a bit nervous on the first night. But, when I saw Pluto on the floor with the kids, "reading" to them, I knew it would be just fine. Merrick cried a bit when we handed him off, but he was so quickly distracted by the great staff and Pluto, that it lasted just a second.
-SUNSCREEN...ALL THE TIME!!!!
-I would pack more diapers, wipes, formula and food than you think you need. You will use the wipes for everything,and it is much better to have a bit more than what you need than be out of it before the end of your cruise!
-Lastly, be patient. Your little one is probably going through a bit of sensory overload, and it could bring out the worst in them from time to time, and test your patience, as well. DH and I found our groove after day 2 or so (and a reminder to DH that he just can't bail to the rainforest room for a few hours anymore
)! Although it was such a different cruise for us, it was a blast...plus we saved money on the spa bill
I hope you all have a blast and you find some of these tips to be useful!
-If you are using bottles or sippies, bring a small bottle of dish soap and sponge/bottle brush to get them clean.
-Take advantage of room service if you find your LO konks out during dinner. Merrick made it through 1 dinner on the whole cruise! But, nothing beat the fruit bowl, mac and cheese and other kid friendly options that room service had!
-Don't forget, whole milk is available at the drink station!
-If you and your partner have different waking schedules as DH and I do, I usually made my way up to the deck 9 buffet for breakfast w/DS on my own. I never had a lack of help when the servers noticed I would be navigating trays and a stroller by myself. I ALWAYS had someone offer to carry my tray, which was a huge help!
-Don't hesitate to bring your stroller to dinner. Since DS was out during dinner, it was easy to just push him slightly under the table where he slept soundly!
-Check out the deck 9 character meet and greets. They were usually MUCH less crowded than the atrium meet and greets.
-Merrick started walking two weeks before we left for vacation, go figure. We found outside deck 4 to be the best place to let him wander around to get his "sea legs". Keep an eye out for joggers/walkers, but it is the safest place for a new walker to wander staying out of most peoples way. Deck 9 was a nightmare and deck 10 was just too windy (and full of those every appealing stairs!)
-Jogging strollers and wagons are available (first come first served) at CC. It was such a huge help to have a jogging stroller to take with us on the beach to allow DS to nap. We left our personal stroller for the day by She sells....although I never found official stroller parking, our stroller stayed put the whole day.
-Although the Mickey Ear is said to be for diapered kiddos only, it was always bombarded by big kids running/jumping through (this was right before the Magic refurb). With the new splash area, this may be less of a problem, but just beware if you have non walkers or tots in this area.
-TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FLOUNDERS!!! I got flamed pretty good on the cruise board when I made it clear that DH and I would need "adult time" on our cruise (it was our 6th DCL cruise, but our very first with a little one!) when I was seeking info in cruising with a little one for the first time. However I never second guessed putting DS in there, although I was a bit nervous on the first night. But, when I saw Pluto on the floor with the kids, "reading" to them, I knew it would be just fine. Merrick cried a bit when we handed him off, but he was so quickly distracted by the great staff and Pluto, that it lasted just a second.
-SUNSCREEN...ALL THE TIME!!!!
-I would pack more diapers, wipes, formula and food than you think you need. You will use the wipes for everything,and it is much better to have a bit more than what you need than be out of it before the end of your cruise!
-Lastly, be patient. Your little one is probably going through a bit of sensory overload, and it could bring out the worst in them from time to time, and test your patience, as well. DH and I found our groove after day 2 or so (and a reminder to DH that he just can't bail to the rainforest room for a few hours anymore
)! Although it was such a different cruise for us, it was a blast...plus we saved money on the spa billI hope you all have a blast and you find some of these tips to be useful!
