My husband and I are dying for a vacation this spring. I thought about a cruise in April. I can't imagine how it would be to cruise with my two boys (ages 26 months and 8 1/2 months now). I thought about leaving out of Galveston because that would be an easy drive, or perhaps New Orleans. Will they have cribs or will there be room in the room for 2 cribs? What about strollers?
Can you give any advice?
Should I not be considering this with their ages?
Any other ideas for us?
I just got back from a cruise with my 3 year old, and yes you can do it. There are no cribs, and you really need to bring 2 umbrella strollers in order to be able to fit in most places. A portable dvd player was a life saver in the room, and waiting in line to get through customs after we got back.
Also, I'd definately recommend going out of Galveston, which is only 5 hours away, over New Orleans, which is 15 hours away.
You can fit one crib in a room, but two would be pretty challenging, for most rooms. Also, most cruise lines charge (a reduced fee, but still expensive) for infants. My husband and I took our son on a cruise with us when he was 15 mos. old. It was challenging ... I don't regret taking him, but my husband does.
I say go for it, my daughter had been on 3 cruises by the time she was 3 years old and loved it every time! We like traveling on the Carnival Conquest (out of Galveston) when we go with her because if you get a cabin with a ocean view you get a little bit bigger room that comes with a couch that they convert into a twin bed (which I would probably use for the older child). They do have cribs and they are no additional charge. We bring our own stroller every time and it is always a life saver =) I would however suggest bringing a smaller than normal stroller it just makes it easier to get in and out of the door.
We brought plenty of toys for my daughter to play with at dinner and while we were in the room and she was fine! We had a great time and I know you will too, so enjoy.
I would be happy to chat with you if you have any questions, have a great weekend!
Do it! Our daughter was 9 months old for our first cruise and she was 2 1/2 and our son was 6 months for the second. They are a ton of fun!
We left from Florida and did a Bahamas cruise (Royal Carribbean) the first time and California and did a Mexico cruise (Carnival) the second time. We PREFER the Florida/Bahamas one. The weather was much nicer. And the ship was older for Royal Carribbean so it was NOT a "party" ship full of young drinkers. The Carnival cruise was a new ship and a total party ship.....
Both ships PROVIDED pack'n plays. You just need to request one when you book. We brought our own stroller the first time and rented one on the ship the 2nd time. IF you have an umbrella type stroller, bring it. The strollers we owed were too big to get around comfortably and fit everywhere. We couldn't even fit our stroller through our doorway for the first cruise.......
Cruises are a great way to travel. All the food is included! But make sure you get tickets for BOTH your kids. When we went on our second cruise there was a couple trying to get on with their baby but they didn't have a ticket for her. They thought she was free! Age doesn't matter for cruises. A body is a body and each ship can only hold so many bodies. We don't know if there were able to board or not, but it didn't look like it was going to happen........
Personally, I would wait until they are older. My husband and I went on a cruise when I was pregnant with my 2nd child, and we left my 2 1/2 year old with my sister and parents. We had a great, relaxing time and felt sorry for the parents juggling little ones. They didn't look very relaxed!
I took my daughter on a girls cruise with my mom and sisters when she was five and we had a blast. She was old enough to enjoy the amenities (ice skating, kids club, and excursions) and she will remember it forever.
HECK YEAH! We took my daughter when she was 16 months old and 2.5 years. LOVED it! We went on the Disney Cruise Line. Fabulous ship that caters to a family's every whim! The cheapest time to go is late January, early February. Every room has TWO bathrooms and most have pull down bunks for the kids. Loads of storage too. You may even be able to rent a stroller. One entire deck of the ship is just for kids. After the age of 3, you can even drop them off to play for free and they will give you a beeper to page you if your child needs you! Pools and water slide are fabulous too.
You must look into Disney's line! All the characters are on board as well and appear, like, 3 times a day. No lines and easy access to them all. My daughter was in heaven! Great entertainment for adults too! Fabulous food!
Here is the link: http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/?sourcecode=12355&C...#
