we are going on a cruise with 2 infants to the carribeans on the royal carribeans voyager of the seas. Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable shore escursions
One thing to keep in mind when choosing shore excursions is that taxis/vans in the Caribbean will likely not have seat belts, meaning that securing a car seat may be out of the question. What we did when our son was younger was to look for excursions that transported us on a large bus, or ventured out on our own walking tour with our son in his stroller.
Also, RCCL may offer excursions on your itinerary that are family-oriented. While this won't necessarily solve the car seat issue, other pax won't mind as much should the baby become fussy. Although, in our case, our son usually fell asleep.
If going to the beach, please be certain to have a strong sunscreen for the babies -- one that is recommended by their pediatricians. Additionally, when packing for the cruise, pack any medications you can think of, such as Baby Tylenol, as these will probably not be available on the ship.
What is your itinerary? We may be able to help with specific ideas for each port.
I guess I should ask why you would want to bring your infants, unless you dont have a suitable babysittler , or anyone nearby to babysit while your gone.Or are they are just too young to leave with someone. Then I guess I would just wait until a better time.
I hope everyone doesnt jump on my back for this advice, but I think they will really hold her back from enjoying the cruise to its fullest, agree?
Let me say I also had oneinfant and a toddler at the time of one of our cruises, its a good time for mother to get a break, and a good time for mom and dad to rekindle what may have been put on hold for awhile.
When we started cruising with our son, that changed the whole dynamic. Cruising was no longer the romantic getaway it had been, but became a family vacation with many of the associated responsibilites. The key is that we accepted this and found new ways to enjoy cruising. That's not necessarily a bad thing -- at least for us -- as we still got the breaks from cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other household chores. Taking care of our son was still entirely up to us, yet it was not as hectic as it was at home, where we were juggling two jobs, taking care of the house, etc.
Clearly, this is not for everybody. It's very true that things will change. I still enjoyed my cruises... just in a different way.
We took our son on his first cruise when he was 20 months old. While we had a good time, it was still a handful. Regardless of the environment - home or cruise ship - babies still require the same amount of work on the part of the parents. And, when it comes to infants, the ship will not provide much relief via the youth program because of the minimum age for inclusion in the program.
All that said - it is doable provided the parents agree to share the load so each will have some quality time to themselves. As Lisa said - it will not be a romantic getaway but perhaps your first taste of a family vacation ala The Griswolds. Well, maybe not to that extreme.
I don't mean to sound downbeat but I do mean to be frank about this. It will not be a carefree vacation with the ship's staff tending to the children.
We found new and creative ways to pack diapers into every open space in our luggage. We learned the joys of flying with baby, baggage, car seat, and umbrella stroller. We were frazzled at times and I admit to wondering more than once during the cruise if I had screwed up. But that was us, not you. Just go into this knowing that it will not be all peaches and cream. Know that you will get dirty looks and perhaps some snide comments from some other passengers. And also know that many other passengers will be delighted to see the babies and perhaps offer to help you.
Oh, and work out something with your cabin attendant about diaper disposal as soon as you get to your cabin. That will help immensely!
I have to agree with lisa P....cant exactly stop going on family holidays when you have kids
but time away from the regular schedule of home and work has got to be a good thing:-)
Indeed, the mere change of scenery and not having to get that report ready for the boss are good enough reasons to take a cruise!
Our son is now 11 and has been on a dozen cruises. Not bad for someone his age. He enjoys it and looks forward to it every year, and things have gotten much easier for us over the years as he can go off to the youth area or the arcade by himself.
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