Cruises have a novel enchantment in relation to vacationing with little ones.
There’s no packing and unpacking between locations, loads of actions for all ages, and, crucially, alternatives for folks to have some alone time. Not like different holidays that may really feel like nonstop parenting marathons, a family-friendly cruise like these provided by Royal Caribbean permits dad and mom to unwind and recharge.
Royal Caribbean markets itself as the final word family-friendly cruise line, and it’s straightforward to see why. For those who’re searching for a extra adult-centered expertise, there are different cruise strains to discover. However for households, particularly these with infants, Royal Caribbean’s setup is right.
Our 7-night crusing on Icon of the Seas was my child’s first cruise and my first time navigating a trip with a baby in tow. Fortunately, the ship’s considerate facilities and the Journey Ocean program helped make the expertise unforgettable.
Journey Ocean: A game-changer for folks
Over my years of cruising, I’ve come to know and love most of what Royal Caribbean has to supply, however this journey introduced me into new territory as I explored their famend youth program: Journey Ocean. Particularly designed for households, this program affords actions and babysitting providers for kids aged 6 months to 12 years, with age-appropriate groupings to make sure each little one has a enjoyable expertise.
Journey Ocean’s Royal Infants & Tots (or Journey Ocean Infants on the Icon of the Seas) is designed for kids from 6 months to 36 months. It contains actions and playtime that preserve little ones engaged, permitting dad and mom to take pleasure in a while to themselves.
For older children, there are much more choices: Aquanauts (ages 3-5), Explorers (ages 6-8), and Voyagers (ages 9-12), every with areas and applications geared to their pursuits.
What to like about Journey Ocean
Journey Ocean is a fan favourite amongst households, and it’s straightforward to see why. It’s not unusual to listen to that folks usually discover that their youngsters want spending time right here over accompanying them across the ship.
Between the colourful play areas and the expertly crafted actions, it’s no marvel children beg to return. From black-light puppet reveals to bedtime tales beneath the celebrities in Surfside, the applications are entertaining and enriching, making Journey Ocean a real win-win for folks and kids alike.
Throughout our cruise, there have been limitless actions for children, together with a haunted home expertise only for little ones and themed play periods. These options set Journey Ocean aside, showcasing Royal Caribbean’s dedication to making a memorable family-friendly expertise.
Babysitting providers
For folks of infants, probably the most helpful providers is the Journey Ocean Infants program, obtainable on choose Royal Caribbean ships.
Whereas there’s a small hourly charge—$6 per hour till 6 p.m. and $8 per hour from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.—it’s an inexpensive price in comparison with the price of babysitters on land. The place I dwell, babysitting can price upwards of $20 an hour, so this onboard service felt like a tremendous deal.
Reservations are required for the newborn program because of the want for a secure ratio of caregivers to youngsters. On our crusing, the Icon of the Seas’ child and toddler room may accommodate ten youngsters throughout sea days and eight on port days, with a number of employees members within the room always. Understanding my child was in good palms with certified employees made it straightforward to calm down and luxuriate in some much-needed time for myself.
Registration for Journey Ocean Infants
Probably the greatest ideas I obtained was to go on to Journey Ocean for registration as quickly as we boarded. It’s a small however vital step, as registration ensures your infant is on the listing for this system and avoids any last-minute hiccups. Moreover, for the Journey Ocean Infants program, early registration helps you to e-book time slots earlier than they replenish.
After finishing the necessary muster drill, we went straight to the Journey Ocean space. There have been no strains, and we had been greeted by a pleasant employees member who walked us by the registration course of on a pill.
The shape allowed us to share important details about our daughter’s consuming and sleeping habits, in addition to any particular wants. We additionally designated who in our social gathering was allowed to examine her out of this system.
One useful function we obtained throughout registration was a DECT telephone. This telephone allowed the employees to achieve us anytime whereas we had been on the ship, which introduced large peace of thoughts.
Nonetheless, it’s value noting that this telephone solely works on board, so we had been unavailable if we took a shore tour. We signed an settlement acknowledging a alternative charge if the telephone was misplaced or broken, starting from $25 to $300 relying on the situation.
Reserving time slots
As soon as we accomplished registration, we had been able to e-book our preliminary time slots. Initially, households are restricted to reserving six hours at a time, with the choice to examine again after Day 3 to see if further hours can be found.
Understanding upfront once we needed baby-free time was useful, and we used the Cruise Planner to map out actions. This fashion, we maximized our expertise and secured the care slots we would have liked.
An added bonus we realized about was nursery entry for households booked on Royal Caribbean excursions throughout port days. This selection permits dad and mom to make use of the service even when nursery capability is proscribed.
By reserving spots particularly for households on Royal Caribbean excursions, Royal Caribbean ensures dad and mom can take pleasure in these particular actions with out concern for his or her little ones’ care. Whereas we briefly thought of reserving a nursery slot on a port day to take an tour that concerned bus transportation (which we wouldn’t do with out a automobile seat), we finally determined in opposition to it.
Nonetheless, this selection is implausible for households with older children, particularly since many excursions have a minimal age restrict of round 4 years previous. I used to be shocked that even seashore breaks, which appear perfect for young children, had been usually restricted by age necessities.
Understanding that folks of toddlers can nonetheless take pleasure in these excursions with out fear, due to the nursery, is a giant plus for households seeking to profit from their journey.
Exploring Journey Ocean
After finishing registration and chatting with the pleasant nursery employees, we took a fast tour of Journey Ocean. The areas designed for older children had been spectacular; it was straightforward to see why youngsters would love spending time there.
As a result of no youngsters had been at the moment current within the nursery, we had been allowed to take footage—one thing we couldn’t do in any other case, and we appreciated the thoughtfulness behind that coverage.
I wasn’t positive what to anticipate from the Journey Ocean Infants room, however I used to be genuinely happy with what we discovered. Proper as we entered, a half-wall partition with a door separated the primary nursery space from the doorway. This setup stored the house secure and clear by stopping individuals from strolling by unnecessarily. The partitioned space allowed us to deal with drop-off and pick-up procedures whereas nonetheless with the ability to see clearly into the primary room.
For added security, the door main into the room is locked and may solely be opened by employees members from the within. The room was spacious, clear, and thoughtfully organized with options for little ones’ enjoyment and luxury. A big playmat within the middle, surrounded by toys and a rocking chair, was designed for play and luxury.
To 1 facet, there was a small desk for toddlers, together with a row of lockers for storing any objects introduced from our stateroom. The toilet was designed particularly for young children, with pint-sized bogs that even the youngest may use.
Past one other half-wall, we found a quiet space with cribs and a altering station. This a part of the room was stored dim, with a low-level sound machine enjoying softly for kids who wanted to nap throughout their keep. It was clear that quite a lot of thought went into making the house as purposeful and comfortable as attainable.
Toy lending luggage
One shock we found was the supply of toy lending luggage by Journey Ocean. These luggage, obtainable to households with younger youngsters, are stuffed with age-appropriate toys, books, and actions to maintain little ones entertained within the cabin or across the ship. It’s a superb choice for folks who don’t need to pack a ton of toys however nonetheless need their little one to have partaking actions on board.
We picked up a toy bag on the primary day, and it included quite a lot of enjoyable, secure, and clear objects like a light-up piano, rattles, squeaky toys, and extra—all of which stored our daughter fortunately occupied throughout downtime within the cabin.
Every bag is rigorously curated by age group, so dad and mom can really feel assured that the toys are appropriate and secure. These usually are not solely free to borrow, however you may trade the bag for a brand new one as usually as you want, so there’s at all times one thing recent and thrilling on your little one.
This service actually added a particular contact to our household cruise, and it’s a terrific instance of how Royal Caribbean has thought by the main points to make touring with younger children simpler. The toy lending luggage allowed us to pack lighter and nonetheless have all of the leisure necessities we would have liked for a calming household trip.
Our first reservation: clean crusing on a sea day
Our first nursery reservation was scheduled for the second day of the cruise, a full day at sea. We had reserved the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. slot, hoping to expertise the record-breaking water park—one thing we couldn’t absolutely take pleasure in with our child in tow. We arrived a couple of minutes early, simply in case there was a line.
The check-in course of was fast and simple, which put us comfortable. The employees verified our reservation occasions after which requested to see our SeaPass card for scanning.
They offered a small label with our child’s title, stateroom quantity, and reservation time, which we had been instructed to put on her again. Subsequent, they inquired about her final feeding and diaper change and whether or not she would must be fed or put down for a nap whereas within the nursery.
Dad and mom can depart a ready bottle or deliver method in pre-portioned containers to be combined as wanted for bottle-fed infants.
If bottles aren’t labeled, employees will mark them with tape and your little one’s title to make sure they’re solely utilized by your child. Dad and mom are additionally requested to offer diapers, wipes, and different necessities, similar to a favourite toy or pacifier. We even had the choice to depart our stroller with them, making it straightforward to benefit from the water park with out additional baggage.
The check-in course of took beneath 5 minutes, after which we had been off. Since our child attends daycare through the week, she was snug within the nursery atmosphere, which resembled our daycare’s setup again residence. Due to the time change we had skilled the evening earlier than, her nap schedule aligned completely with our reservation.
One of many conveniences of Royal Caribbean’s nursery is the DECT telephone system, which permits dad and mom to remain related with out interrupting their actions.
Between every water slide experience and exploration of the ship, we made a degree to examine the telephone for missed calls, which gave us nice peace of thoughts. Understanding we might be reached instantly made it simpler to calm down and luxuriate in our time collectively.
When our two-hour session on the water park was over, we made our manner again to Journey Ocean. By then, the nursery was busier, and one other household was checking their little one in. We realized that the nursery solely permits one household within the room at a time, which retains the house from getting crowded and provides an additional layer of security for the kids.
The pickup course of was simply as clean as check-in. After scanning our SeaPass card to verify we had been licensed to choose up our child, the employees shared a fast overview of her time there. They seen she liked the bouncer chair and spent a very good a part of the session fortunately enjoying.
When she started exhibiting sleepy cues, as famous in our registration, they laid her down in one of many cribs, the place she napped. This consideration to element and personalised care reassured us that she was in glorious palms.
Since she was nonetheless sleeping, they allowed one in every of us to enter the room to get her. They rapidly buzzed me in, and I used to be in a position to decide her up from the crib to attempt to protect the nap. We actually appreciated this, as anybody who has handled a sleeping child is aware of that waking them early can finish badly.
After beginning off with a constructive expertise, we had been in a position to breathe a sigh of aid. Despite the fact that our daughter is used to childcare, you by no means understand how they could react in a brand new atmosphere, and with this room having a bigger age vary than our residence daycare, we weren’t positive if that will impression something.
Following experiences
For the reason that subsequent day was Day 3 and we had been feeling assured, we known as them within the morning to see if there have been any additional time slots obtainable. We had been in luck! Whereas they didn’t inform us precisely how a lot time was obtainable, they requested what hours we had been searching for. We reserved a dinner slot that evening, so we may calm down and benefit from the Fundamental Eating Room with out feeling rushed.
Later that night, we additionally took benefit of some post-dinner time. My husband tried out the thrilling Crowns Edge expertise, whereas I spent a while assembly the Chief Canine Officer, Rover. It was refreshing to share some “grown-up” time collectively with out worrying about our infant.
This expertise was similar to our first, and once we returned, our daughter was napping once more. This time, they talked about they initially tried to place her in a crib, however she had hassle settling. So that they positioned her in her stroller, rocked it a bit, and he or she drifted off. The employees even pushed her stroller into the dimly lit crib space, letting us roll her out peacefully, which was a pleasant contact and one thing we’d pre-approved as a backup choice.
Our third reservation was on Day 4, and it was our first time testing a previous bedtime drop-off. Usually, we persist with a strict bedtime routine, however we determined to loosen the reins and flow.
We dropped her off at 7 p.m. so we may catch the 7:30 p.m. grownup comic present. We made positive to do our regular pre-bed routine, together with tub time and altering her into pajamas however saved her night bottle for Journey Ocean Infants.
After we picked her up later, we had been glad to listen to she had settled in, completed her bottle, and fallen asleep in a crib. I managed to switch her again to our cabin with out waking her up—one thing I’m positive fellow dad and mom can recognize as a small victory!
Our final reservation was on Day 6 from 1:30 p.m. to three:30 p.m., so we may catch a favourite present, Love & Marriage. Nonetheless, I’d mistakenly remembered it as a 2 p.m. reservation and didn’t understand till we confirmed up at 1:50 p.m. Fortunately, since they weren’t at capability, they prolonged our reservation, letting us keep till 4 p.m.
Half an hour later, nevertheless, our telephone rang—alarming us, because it had been virtually inactive your entire cruise. The employees knowledgeable us that our daughter was crying, they usually could not soothe her. We instantly left the present and headed over to choose her up.
After we arrived, I discovered one of many employees holding her, attempting to calm her down. It was uncharacteristic of our daughter to be so upset, and I puzzled if she might need taken a small tumble since she’s nonetheless studying to take a seat up unassisted.
They assured me that she was bodily fantastic however was merely unable to self-regulate at that second. I took her into the hallway to appease her whereas the employees helped collect our stroller and diaper bag. As soon as she calmed down, we returned to our cabin, the place she napped and awakened as again as her regular self.
Reflecting on this, I spotted she might need been experiencing early indicators of separation nervousness, a typical stage for infants. She was additionally beginning to teethe, which has made her a bit extra irritable than regular, a sample we seen even after returning residence.
Total ideas
Despite the fact that our final session at Journey Ocean Infants was lower quick, I felt relieved realizing she was in succesful, caring palms.
Infants cry—it is how they specific themselves. I’ve seen loads of adults shed tears on a cruise (particularly later within the night after a couple of drinks), so it’s all a part of the expertise! What issues most is how youngsters are responded to, and Royal Caribbean has clearly taken the time to vet their Journey Ocean employees, prioritizing professionalism and heat.
Cruising with a child might sound daunting, however Royal Caribbean’s family-friendly strategy and well-designed Journey Ocean program make it an gratifying expertise for folks and little ones alike.
Whether or not you’re a first-time father or mother cruiser or seasoned sailor, you’ll discover that this mix of facilities and considerate providers permits for a memorable, stress-free journey that everybody within the household can take pleasure in.