Hey everybody,
This will be our first cruise and that too with our 16mth old daugher. There are almost 35 of us on the cruise. Ages range from 16mth to 60yrs.(majority over 45) The grand parents will be with us, so they'll be more then happy to watch the baby for a few hours at a time. We are taking the Carnival Victory to Halifax & St. John in the middle of July.

Few questions:
1) Any advice appreciated for taking a child under 2 on the cruise. Food, activities, packing, etc...
2) Typically, what is the weather like? I've read a few reviews saying its usually very foggy this time of the year.
3) Excursions in Halifax & St. Johns. Obviously, we all won't be able to stay together, but just some ideas.

Again, this is our (i think just about everybody in our group) first cruise, so any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

No advice to give, but just wondering about your dates? I'll be on the victory from 21-26 July.

I went to Halifax on a 4nt cruise in the month of July. It was cooler and I remember one day was totally foggy. The day we were in Halifax turned out pretty nice for most of the day though. We went to the Mariner's Museum and walked around town and up by the Citadel. Peggy's cove would be a beautiful tour if the weather is good.
You will want to take all your child's necessities like diapers since the ship won't have them. There is a self laundry onboard. Lisa P and Dave Beers can give you more tips since they have traveled with children.

Welcome to Cruise Chat.

Hi hbomb, welcome to Cruise-Chat. It's not going to be easy with a child that young, but you will still have a wonderful time. She won't be able to go to the pool on board, unless she is fully potty trained. I believe the minimum age for Camp Carnival is 3, but I could be wrong. There will be things available on board for her to eat. Oatmeal, mash potatoes, etc., and the wait staff in the dining room will do their best to make her happy. There are hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza available, if she likes that. They have cereal in the mornings as well. I'd bring a fold up stroller, because she will get tired running around the ship as well as in ports. Best wishes and once again, welcome aboard.

We took our son on his first cruise at 20 months. An umbrella stroller was a must, as was baby food , diapers, and all the other baby care stuff since the ships don't have it.

Camp Carnival starts at 2 years old, and they don't make exceptions. However if supervised by you or another adult in your party the child can play with the toys and other stuff. You just can't leave her with the staff.

As Penny mentioned, the pools are off-limits unless a child is totally potty trained. Plastic pants are not acceptable.

It is good you have so many family members with you. It was just my wife, me, and our son on his first cruise and we were not especially relaxed when it ended.

Hi hbomb, and welcome to cruise-chat.com.

Not only have we cruised with our son when he was a baby or toddler, we've also done many Canada/New England cruises. In fact, our last C/NE was the Carnival Victory 5-nighter to Halifax and Saint John in 2006.

To your questions:

quote:

1) Any advice appreciated for taking a child under 2 on the cruise. Food, activities, packing, etc...
2) Typically, what is the weather like? I've read a few reviews saying its usually very foggy this time of the year.
3) Excursions in Halifax & St. Johns. Obviously, we all won't be able to stay together, but just some ideas.

1) I often reference an article I wrote several years ago, located HERE. Since then, cruise lines (and many hotels) have stopped allowing swim diapers, but most other tips are still valid.

2) Most of our C/NE cruises were during the summer, and weather varied. On one particular trip, we were in the midst of a heat wave, while it rained on another. There is occasionally some fog overnight, but that tends to burn off by morning. As far as air temperatures, the average high is 71F in Halifax in July and the average low is 55F, according to weather.com.

3) Traveling with a toddler, you'll want stroller-friendly excursions. Halifax is easy -- there's a wonderful Maritime Museum about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the ship along a boardwalk. Just be aware that some other parts of Halifax can be quite steep and therefore hard to navigate with a stroller. As for Saint John -- if the ship offers it, look for a trip to the Cherry Hill Zoo. If you stay in town, Saint John is very easy to see on foot. The Market Square Building is a short walk from the ship, and houses several shops and a museum. The nearby Old City Market is great to explore, although it can get a little crowded. Last time we were there, we noticed a new boardwalk just outside the Market Square building... this looked like a pretty place to take a stroll.

I'm happy to help with other questions. Our son is now 14 years old, yet we have great memories of his early cruising days.

Happy cruising,
LisaP

Hi hbomb, Welcome to Cruise-Chat!

Lisa, I truly enjoyed reading your excellent and informative article.

Dwayne

Dave & Lisa. Thanks for the information, it will be very useful

Ricks,
I'm going july 12th week, so I won't have my review posted by the time you leave.