My sister is getting married next year and just called me to tell me she is going to have a destination cruise wedding. Has anyone ever done this? I've never been on a cruise before and my husband will probably be working so I'll be going it alone. My nanny is afraid of boats so she will stay behind and housesit but I'm nervous about having a toddler and an infant on a ship at once. Is there a lot to do on board for little ones? Will I be a frazzled mess? haha.
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I don't have cruise experience, but I traveled recently with a 1 month old and 3 yo from NYC to Hawaii. If I didn't have my husband with me, I don't know what I would've done at certain points, but that's mainly because my newborn was still nursing every 2-3 hours. How old will your children be though? If the infant is a bit older and your toddler adjusts easily to traveling, it might not be that bad. Look at the cruise website for their kiddie activities and accommodations. Since it's your sister's wedding I'm assuming you'll have more help/childcare once on the ship with family around?
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@NYCaliMama: You will have to tell me your secrets. My parents live in Hawaii but I have still been too scared to take my daughter to visit them. Which flight/airline did you book?
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@Andrea: I was super scared! Looong flight(s). I'll post on your wall so as not to hijack this thread
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@NYCaliMama Thanks! I had to call her back to find out which ship. It's the Carnival cruise line and it seems like they have a lot of really fun activities for Liam but our daughter will be just 6 months so there is nothing for her to really do. I am sure that my family will be passing her around though haha! It looks fun and I can't wait to go down that waterslide!
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Oh and hijack away if you like - I'm sure we would all like to hear secrets on keeping our babies occupied on a long flight
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@NYCaliMama: thank you!
@ecogirl: oops, so rude, totally hijacked your thread! congrats to your sis. a destination cruise wedding sounds awesome.
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@Andrea no you didn't!
I wanted to know too haha! Hawaii is far from NYC so I don't know that Liam would behave. I'd be afraid of annoying everyone and them making us leave the plane before it landed haha! Thank you!
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I've wondered this too. We're taking our first plane trip with LO in February and I'm beyond nervous.
@ecogirl. If your family can be there to help you through the check-in, that would help. I've been on lots of cruises, and the biggest hassle is the process of getting on and off board. If you can, try to get the priority boarding so that you dont' have to wait in the regular line. Same with getting off the ship at the end.
You may also want to make sure you get one of the larger rooms b/c cruise rooms are TINY. Will you be formula feeding the baby? If so, you may want to bring your own bottled water. Or buy their big bottles (way overpriced, but your stuck and so you buy them) b/c I know I wouldn't use the tap water for a bottle.
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@sandsandmore Thank you so much for those tips! Those aren't the type of things that they tell you on the website haha! I will be formula feeding so I'll be sure to bring water. Do you think I can ship a case there beforehand or do they not allow that? I am going to go check how to get priority boarding thank you so much! I want to do a suite so I have enough room but I'm afraid of Liam with a balcony. Did you ever have a balcony with the little ones? Also have you ever been on Carnival? I'm trying to find out if I have to be very dressy as I'm usually wearing yoga pants and big shirts that soon after birth haha!
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I don't have kids yet, but my husband and I LOVE cruising!! Will your new baby for sure be 6 months old by the time of the cruise? I know that's the min. age they will let you a baby board.
As far as clothes you get both ends of the spectrum. Some people dress up nice all the time and some wear jeans and t-shirts the whole cruise. Each cruise will have 1 if not 2 formal nights where people dress up more, but again that is anything from slacks and a nice shirt to an evening gown. I know in the dining rooms you used to not be able to wear jeans to dinner, but anymore I think they are pretty lax. on that.
All this talk makes me want to go on another cruise!!
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I don't think you can ship water, but what we've done is buy water at a grocery store right before we go to board. We usually bring an extra suitcase and just fill it up (you can't bring alcohol though, so don't try it).
I've had balconies lots of times, but not with kiddos yet. Some balconies are solid, meaning no gaps,but others aren't. You should be able to look at the deck plans on the website to figure out which type you'd have.
Carnival is probably one of my lesser favorite ships, but they are the 'fun ship' for a reason. You'll be fine in yoga pants and shirts. Like the PP, there's all types of dressing on board.
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Thank you so much everyone. I tried to check on the website to see if the balconies are solid but I cannot tell. I'm going to call them to ask if they are and also if the door locks because it doesn't say that on the site. If it locks I won't mind because he will only be able to go out there when I'm there. Thank you @Tisty1982 for all of the great information. I doubt that any of my dressy things will fit then so I guess I get to go shopping for formal nights
hahaI cannot believe what a great value cruising is! It seems like they have a lot for parents and kids to do for a very reasonable price. My sister is on a very tight budget because she is paying for my parents and brother and his girlfriend to cruise in order to have the family there. I'm contemplating paying for all of their fares so that she can use that money for her and her soon to be husband and making that her wedding gift. I'm not sure if I can do that through the cruiseline though because it doesn't mention payment arrangements like that anywhere. I wonder if I can get their confirmation number and pay it?
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Cruising can be good value. If you drink a lot, the drinks add up fast. It hasn't been unheard of for DH's and my onboard fees to be equal, if not more, than what we paid for an entire cruise.
You may have to call Carnival to pay for their fares. You'll definitely need their confirmation numbers.
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What a nice gift!
I haven't gone on a cruise with my lo, but even with just me and my hubby things can get a little chaotic. Mainly boarding and getting off the ship like a Pp said, so I would definitely try to have a family member help you. Sounds like you'll have a good amount of family there so I wouldn't be too worried.
If you don't want to dress for dinner you can always go to the buffet. Or get room service if you're too exhausted!
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I'm not positive about Carnival but I know some cruise lines have gift certificates you can purchase that you would be able to give your sister. My hubby and I did Royal Caribbean for our honeymoon and I know they offered some. Also, if she is doing this as a group cruise you may all have one travel agent you're working with in which case I'm sure they would be able to credit their account.
As far as the drink costs - yea those add up quickly!! I would highly suggest purchasing (if you're a soda drinker) a soda card, that way at least your soda's are free!
Also - I recommend going to Cruisecritic.com, you can sign up for their boards and they offer SO much information from people that cruise all the time, it's a great way to get your questions answered!
Have I mentioned how much I love cruising!
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oh man-- if I were you, I'd leave them at home!
but if that's not an option, will you at least have help from family members?
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@Tisty1982 You are a genius thank you! I casually asked my sister who the travel agent is and was able to contact them directly. I just gave them my card to pay for the five adults and my two children. I cannot believe that my unborn child is booked on a cruise already haha! I was surprised that babies have to pay but I'm sure she will have fun
At least I'll get neat pictures.@Tina I was stupid and showed Liam the fun kids play areas on the website. He would throw a fit if I disinvited him now! haha
I'm wondering if I should let her know early about the gift so that she can budget differently? My other thought was to make it a surprise.
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I would just let her know ahead of time - when she goes to pay for her cruise it will show as being paid and you don't want her to think they charged your card by accident!
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Is Liam potty trained? Just a FYI toddlers who are not potty trained are not allowed into the pools, even the kiddie pool. They can only play in the splash/sprinkler areas. A main reason I have put off going on the Disney Cruise till my youngest is potty trained. The great thing about cruises is that they don't count luggage so you can bring everything you need. Does the boat leave from NYC or are you flying down to FL?
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@Amy Liam is almost 3 and this has been a real challenge. We have time though so maybe this is the reward that might work? Haha Thank you for that information! We leave from Florida so at least the plane ride is short. I don't think I'll be relaxed until I am actually on the boat
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@ecogirl: You are brave for venturing on a flight with a toddler and an infant. Its a short flight but still a flight none the less. Hopefully someone is able to fly with you. Taking a 3 yr old to the potty with a infant in tow doesn't sound like fun. When I flew to Seattle without my husband (he was already there) with my 20 month old and 8 week old I flew my mom and my sister out with me just so they can give me a hand on the plane. Nothing works out better then out numbering the kids with adults =)
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So glad you posted this! I LOVE cruising and my LO will be 9months by the time we cruise again (if SO lets us since he thinks it's a waste forher age. Sour puss!LOL)
Hope lots of ladies chime in!
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This seems brave. I would do it. What's the worst that could happen. LOL
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@Amy Thank you haha
This will probably be one of those situations where I ask myself Why Did I Want To Do This when its happening but right now I feel like I can do it 
I just talked to my brother and he said that maybe he and his girlfriend will come visit me in NY for a few days before since his girlfriend has never been here. That way we could all fly down together and he could help me. We haven't met her yet either so I want to size her up haha!I'm getting very excited about cruising! I keep reading the website and it really seems like a neat vacation
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Help to my cruisers! haha
Now the cruise line is saying that I cannot have a suite with only 3 of us! 
I am unsure what to do. Can anyone that has stayed in a suite tell me if I'm going to immediately regret asking my brother and his girlfriend to stay in a suite with me and the kids? I'm looking at the Grand Suite on Carnival. Has anyone stayed in it? Is it spacious enough for all of us? I will be caring for a toddler and a brand new infant and don't want to be driven to throw anyone overboard! haha -
Some carnival ships have five people normal staterooms. If you are looking to save money it could be done with all you in a normal room but any suite would be even better. I don't think it would be bad to share. You really aren't in the room that often.
Another tip, you may want to bring a white noise maker for the baby because the rooms can be noisy (like a cheap hotel) an especially if you try for nap time it could be difficult.
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I wouldn't worry about dressing up on Carnival. They are extremely lax because they are so family friendly. We cruised on a luxury line and found some folks got away with wearing jeans to formal night. :-\
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We're taking a cruise early next year too and I'm a bit apprehensive on how LO will fare with travel, a time zone change, and ship life in general, especially since it'll just be me and hubby. Any tips from previous travelers with toddlers would certainly be helpful.
BTW, here's another thread that you might find helpful.
http://boards.hellobee.com/topic/going-on-a-cruise-with-a-toddler#post-9447
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Thank you! I am really getting frustrated here. My husband is now saying that we should either tell our nanny that the trip is non-negotiable or offer her a bonus to come with me. The problem is that she is very afraid of boats and being on the water. I am not comfortable asking her to do something that terrifies her. I certainly will not wave money under her nose to do so. I don't want to fight with my husband over this but I am at my wits end!
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@ecogirl: Cruise ships are SO huge. You don't even realize you're on the water. Maybe you should tell her that you're gonna hire another nanny for the cruise, but would LOVE for her to come with you. Maybe she'll feel threatened by the other nanny.
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Oh my goodness fellow hellobeers I am going to shoot my husband tonight! I swear he pushes my buttons like this only when I am a hormonal mess. I just got in from an upsetting run and my nanny told me that Liam went to her and said he really wants her to go on the cruise with us! Liam would never say that in a million years if his father hadn't told him to. I am going to skype with him momentarily and you may hear me yelling in California haha
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@ecogirl: did it work at least?! is she going with?
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@Chopsuey119 Haha
She looked like she felt guilty when she told me. I told her it was nonsense talk and not to worry about it. This is just a big phobia of hers and to be honest I don't want to put her or I through it. Just imagine if she ended up having a massive anxiety attack on board. Then I would have to take care of an infant, a toddler, myself and my nanny! Haha -
Oh my goodness cruisers, this has been a real process! I finally was able to get a suite but I had to pay for the grand suite and pay for 5 people with only 3 of us in the room
My brother and his girlfriend are saying they don't know if they can come now and of course my sister is upset. So I told her about our gift to them of paying for her, her husband and my parents' cruise fares and we also covered all of the excursions they picked out. It wasn't the way I wanted to present our gift to her but she was so upset over my flaky brother saying he doesn't know if he can come. She was very happy with our gift so that made me happy but I just want to take her stress away. I put my foot down with my husband about trying to force our nanny to come so at least that is done. I told him if it was so important to him he could manage to not go to work for one week and come with me. haha Now I am exhausted and trying to figure out how I am going to even do this! I want to scream! Talk me down ladies haha
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@ecogirl: Dang! So generous of you to pay for your family's fare. Since you have so many people going with you, hopefully the extra hands will come in handy when you need help with your LOs!
When are you planning on going on the cruise? -
Thank you Chopsuey! She is on a really tight budget and I know how that feels. When I was a resident I lived in a dump in a dangerous neighborhood with roaches as room mates haha so now that I am more fortunate I want to do things for my family! Plus maybe I can use it as a bribe so I can make someone watch the kids while I get a manicure!
We are going in September on a Carnival cruise. I find myself staring at that fun water slide whenever I'm overwhelmed haha
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@ecogirl: Oh nice! Grayson should be really fun to play with by then--she'll be 7-8 months old? I would totally leave the kids with their grandparents and have a spa day.
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You just made me smile for remembering her name!
Yes, she'll be super fun at that age won't she? I am a bit of a fashion freak with her already so I've been looking at little bathing suits already haha I am totally making Mema and Grandpa watch the kids!
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@ecogirl: I love the name Grayson!
Love Liam too Hehe.
Omg. Baby girl swim suits are to die for! I can't wait to squeeze my daughter into one this summer. I just hope she still has her arm and leg rolls in a few months!
And yes. I'm sure the grandparents will be more than happy to watch the kiddies
Totally wanna go on a cruise now.
I just talked to my brother and he said that maybe he and his girlfriend will come visit me in NY for a few days before since his girlfriend has never been here. That way we could all fly down together and he could help me. We haven't met her yet either so I want to size her up haha!
I am unsure what to do. Can anyone that has stayed in a suite tell me if I'm going to immediately regret asking my brother and his girlfriend to stay in a suite with me and the kids? I'm looking at the Grand Suite on Carnival. Has anyone stayed in it? Is it spacious enough for all of us? I will be caring for a toddler and a brand new infant and don't want to be driven to throw anyone overboard! haha 
Totally wanna go on a cruise now.
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