Recent Dream Cruise w/Toddlers?

[jktmom]

Has anyone been on the Dream since it resumed sailings with a toddler? We have a 2 & 4 yr old. I am wondering how your littles did with masks and how strict they were about the really little guys wearing them? Our 4 yr. old does great but our newly 2 yr. old is still learning. I was also wondering how busy the kids splash area is and if there is a capacity limitation?

Thanks!

 

[jktmom]

Just giving this a little bump! We REALLY want to cruise in Sept/Oct but are nervous and hoping some families with littles can let us know about their experience. Thanks!!

 

[AquaDame]

Bump... anyone?

 

[Ol Goof]

Love to know how the COVID testing went for the little ones also. Sailing with a 4 year old.

 

[Dug720]

Love to know how the COVID testing went for the little ones also. Sailing with a 4 year old.

Practice with the kiddo. Take a q-tip and swirl it around inside their nostrils so that it is not a new sensation. Also be positive - not “I know you don’t want to do this” but “You can do this!”

For the mask-avoidant, the be positive thing applies as well. I’ve seen some parents likening the mask to a super hero cape and reminding the kid that they are a super hero. Really encourages the kid to wear the mask.

 

[jktmom]

One last bump in hopes that some on the boards has since sailed with toddlers! Thanks!

 

[megfarwell]

I'm bumping this too! We'd love to know as well!

 

[Disneyland_emily]

We sail on the 17th with a 4.5 year old and can answer back after if none else chimes in

 

[dclDream2018]

We sail on the 17th with a 4.5 year old and can answer back after if none else chimes in

Ditto, I'm early October but will swing back with an update. Would love to hear about anyone else's experience!

 

[jktmom]

For those of you with planned sailings in the near future, are you nervous about taking your littles? Are you within driving distance to the port or do you have to fly?

 

[WinnieThePooh13]

Right now, I'm planning on taking my 1.5 year old 3.5 year old in November for a split Disney World and cruise stay. I would think that the COVID situation in Florida will look very different by then, I'm just unsure if it will be much better or much worse by that time. We are planning on flying; we have flown at other times during the pandemic, mainly when the risk of contracting COVID seemed similar in our home town as it did to Florida or flying. We have also cancelled a trip during the winter surge. Fingers crossed that we will be able to go. I will say, when I was in Disney in Oct 2020 and April 2021 I felt very safe with their mitigation strategies, more so than in stores with my kids at home (which we avoided). My experience at those times was that Disney was very strict on mask wearing for my then-2.5 year old, but it sounds like masks now are only being enforced indoors and on transportation in Disney World. I would be prepared for the scenario that if Disney says they have a policy, that they follow it. I have not cruised since Nov 2019, so no experience with DCL and masks/covid changes.

 

[jktmom]

WinnieThePooh13,
Thanks for the response! I forgot the other thing I was wondering is how strictly masks are enforced for 2 yr. olds on the ships. We want to follow all the rules but our newly 2 year old is still learning. Not a mask wearing pro like his 4 yr. old bro!

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

We were fortunate enough to go on one of the Fantasy preview sailings this last week with a friend who works for DCL. On several occasions I saw the crew on board interacting with families with very young kids who were having issues wearing masks for extended periods of time.

All of the interactions seemed very pleasant and the crew were very kind and patient with the kids. It was less of a "You must put a mask on the child" and more of a conversational "Is she/he comfortable wearing a mask?" I thought they did an incredible job.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

For those of you with planned sailings in the near future, are you nervous about taking your littles? Are you within driving distance to the port or do you have to fly?

Not overly worried outside of having to have her through several Covid tests on a tight time frame.
We are driving distance (hour away) and have done the parks enough post Covid I’m comfortable with their safety..

I would hesitate to fly in only because the uncertainty of the tests and getting the results in time

 

[jktmom]

Anyone cruises with toddler since this post? My main concern is my 2 yr old who is still learning to wear a mask. He does wear one but will remove it from time to time. We def want to follow the rules but just wonder if someone will constantly be talking to us about it if he removes it in the hallway.

 

[jdnyc]

We just went last week with our 2 and 6 year olds. The Cruise Line App now says children 3 and older need to wear masks. Our 2 year old never wore one on the ship. So much of the time is spent outdoors, sitting down to eat, or in our stateroom that masks weren't really an issue for us.

 

[jktmom]

We just went last week with our 2 and 6 year olds. The Cruise Line App now says children 3 and older need to wear masks. Our 2 year old never wore one on the ship. So much of the time is spent outdoors, sitting down to eat, or in our stateroom that masks weren't really an issue for us.

Thanks so much for your response! Did your 2yr old enjoy themselves? Did you see any shows with them?

 

[jdnyc]

Thanks so much for your response! Did your 2yr old enjoy themselves? Did you see any shows with them?

He did - we usually had Nemo's Reef to ourselves or with 1 or 2 other families. My 2yr old loved the island - the water was clear and warm and he also like the splash pad near the bike rentals. We took him to the show on the last night and he sat through the whole thing. For Beauty and the Beast, they had three performances on the day at sea, so he took a nap with grandpa while the rest of us went to the show at 1pm after lunch. It worked out well. The best part really was two days at Castaway Cay - it will be sad when it goes back to one haha!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[MLC0806]

We just went last week with our 2 and 6 year olds. The Cruise Line App now says children 3 and older need to wear masks. Our 2 year old never wore one on the ship. So much of the time is spent outdoors, sitting down to eat, or in our stateroom that masks weren't really an issue for us.

Where in the app were you able find the 3 and up info? Pre-sailing all I see is a link that sends me to the DCL website where it says 2 and up. I will be sailing with my 2 year old in November. He can wear a mask so I’m not too worried about it but it’d be nice if he didn’t have to!

 

[jdnyc]

Where in the app were you able find the 3 and up info? Pre-sailing all I see is a link that sends me to the DCL website where it says 2 and up. I will be sailing with my 2 year old in November. He can wear a mask so I’m not too worried about it but it’d be nice if he didn’t have to!

I could see it in the app when we were on the ship and it had a COVID section with more details about current procedures on the ship. Could be an error, because I agree it says 2 on the DCL website, but no one on the ship questioned him.