Would you take

[pigget74]

an 18 mth old on a 4 night cruise? We went last March when I was pregnant and had a great time. We are going again in March of 07 and are taking our 3 kids--12, 9, and 18mths at the time (4 day cruise and 3 days at disney. We understand that we will not be able to do all the things we did on the last cruise. Would you take you little one or leave him behind? Just so you know he is a wonderful kid. Never cires and enjoys everything. We are taking him this MAy to disney--I guess we will see how he is then.

 

[kathybeany]

Most definitely would take my little guy. As a matter of fact, we ARE taking him next month. We've never been on a cruise and we figured Disney would be the best place to start. He'll be 20 months next month. We've got him reserved for some play time at Flounders, but we also have lots of family time together.

To me, it's worth a shot. We could have spent less money going on a longer cruise with a different line, but we decided to do a 3 nighter w/DCL. Who knows when/if we'll ever have the opportunity to cruise again. So we wanted to make a family affair. MIL is coming along for the trip too.

 

[rileysmommy]

We're going on the Wonder for 4 nights in January 2007 and my ds will be 16 months old at the time. I say go for it!!!! I'm excited. I know I won't be able to do everything that I want to but it will still be a wonderful vacation. I have just adjusted my expectations a little. I think we will all have a great time.

 

[CACruisin']

Sounds like you have your expectations set right, so yes, definitely bring him along. We did a 7 day last summer with DD11, DD9 and DD24months. It was a different trip than if we had not had our youngest along, but we had a great time. We booked Flounders for our couples massage and Palo dinner. We also booked Flounders time on Pirate night so we could enjoy the late night party with the older kids and a couple of hours one morning so we could again do something with the older two. It was a great vacation!

 

[PearlandPaige]

I would definitely take your 18 month old. My DS was 18 months old when we took him on our first Disney cruise (7-day Eastern). We all had the best time. He enjoyed every bit of the cruise and we had such fun sharing his enthusiasm. He did fine in Flounders - cried when we first dropped him off but when we looked through the two-way mirror seconds later, he was playing. And he had a blast just exploring the ship. Everything was new and exciting to him. Here's a photo of him napping on Castaway Cay. He took a three hour nap in the hammock there. Watching him nap there is one of my sweetest memories.

 

[mom x4 grandma x4]

yES YES YES!!!!!
take him. You will have so many priceless memories.
Be sure to take lots of swim diapers for him!! They do sell them on the ship, however they are very expensive and sell out quickly. One of the Mickey ears at the kiddie pool is for toddlers in swim diapers only so he can play in the water jets and have a blast like the older kids, you can sit on the edge of the ear so you can keep an eye on him. Our GS was 18 months when he went with us and he had a blast.. Also I know it sounds strange, but by the night clubs the big round port hole windows are padded at the bottom so kids or adults can sit in them and watch the ocean. Our GS just loved to lay back on the seat and watch the ocean. Plus if yout toddler likes to bop around to the music, take him to the Promenade lounge in the evenings when they have a duo playing in there. It is a variety of music with a tiny wooden dance floor. Kids love to bop to the music there and some older ones dance with their parents too. It is a great place to just let them unwind and have some fun. Lots of room to walk around without getting in the way or getting stepped on. Hope you have an awesome cruise. Give us a post when your return and let us know how your son liked the cruise.
mom x4,grandma x4

 

[clovely]

My kids are 5 and 6 and I remember thinking, with all the stuff we had to take with us that I would never do something like that with a kid in diapers! But we only went on one mini-vacation to a beach about an hour from home for a 3 day weekend when ds was about 2...this cruise last week was the first real vacation we've taken with the kids. I guess I'm just not that adventurous.

However, we took ds to a Pooh & Friends character dinner at Disney when he was 14 months old and it was precious! So I know the pictures you'd get and the fun you'd have with the characters on a Disney Cruise at that age would probably make it all worth it.