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Showing posts with the label Cruising with Kids

Disney Cruise Tips for a First-Timer

I knew our first Disney Cruise would be awesome, but didn't expect to be so completely impressed with every aspect of the cruise. From the magnificent cuisine, to the Broadway-style shows, to the amazing customer service, Disney is truly unbeatable when it comes to family cruising. There are many, many cruise planning sites, blogs, and tips out there to sift through, (which I did my due diligence reading in preparation for my own trip) including the wonderful articles here on the Kingdom Konsultant Blog. But, actually experiencing it, taught me so much more. Here are the things I wish I knew, but didn't on my first Disney Cruise: Arrival Day Advice If you want to pay with Disney Gift Cards or Disney Visa Rewards, first thing you should do onboard is go to guest services to put them on file for charges if you didn't already add your credit card to your stateroom when you completed your online check-in. Oh! and make sure you know your pin #!   Traveling with small chi

Cruising with a Baby: A Complete Guide

You took a baby on a cruise!? Yep, and I'd do it again knowing what I know now. So, say goodbye to months of research - Everything you need to know is here!! One of the biggest challenges of traveling with a baby is planning what you need to bring. I wanted to share what worked for us, and hopefully help others who are planning their cruise! Remember, babies can only cruise after their 6-month birthday on sailings from the U.S. If you are going transatlantic, or have more than three days out at sea, they must be 12 months old by the first day of your cruise. Pre-Cruise   We flew to the cruise port, and I couldn’t bring all the food and snacks I needed, so I placed an Instacart order for pick up near the port. I chose Publix in Cocoa Beach which is a few miles from Port Canaveral. I placed the order a few days before we left home, and set the pickup time to 11:00 a.m. I ordered formula, a box of diapers, swim diapers, bottle brush, dish soap, baby food, and baby snacks. I also broug

10 Things Carnival Has Over Royal Caribbean

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are known for their exciting, family-friendly vacations, popularity, and affordability. I am a loyal Carnival passenger, but when Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay opened, I just had to check it out.  Carnival and Royal docked in Nassau Royal Caribbean is an amazing cruise line, with some of the best on-board sports activities and technology, but these are the differences that I only realized after cruising on both cruise lines last year. Carnival Sunrise in Brooklyn We sailed on a 4-Night Bahamian cruise on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas in February 2020 (right before the shutdown). It departed from Port Canaveral with two stops at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and one stop in Nassau. RC's Navigator and Mariner of the Seas 10 reasons Carnival wins me over: 1. The Staterooms:  On the Mariner, I had a standard inside stateroom. There was a mirror on every wall, including behind the bed. The décor looked outdated with dar

Cruising with an Infant on Disney Cruise Line

Have you thought about taking the plunge and doing a Disney Cruise, but then quickly get your head out of the clouds and realize that you have a kiddo between the age of 6 to 18 months?  Ok, many of you may think what I am about to say is absolutely crazy but if you have a 6 month - 18 month old child, GET ON THE DISNEY CRUISE SHIP!  This will absolutely be the easiest vacation you will ever take with a young child of any age!  My family and I just returned from a 7 night Western Caribbean cruise on the beautiful Disney Magic.  We have two beautiful girls, age 7 and 8 months old, and I can honestly say that taking this cruise with our girls was the easiest week my husband and I have spent during a vacation! So let's talk about what made this trip so much easier than others. With a few exceptions, almost all of the food is included in the price of your cruise!  Our 8 month old has allergies to dairy, gluten, and soy.  The first night we were there, we talked with our head se

Top 10 Kids Activities Onboard a Disney Cruise Ship

One of the most common questions that I get from clients regarding Disney Cruises is “What kind of activities are there onboard to keep my kids occupied”? My answer- more than you can imagine! Disney Cruise Line has a wide array of kid and family friendly activities that appeal to all ages.  Here is my top 10 list of activities not to miss while sailing: 10. Poolside Games and Dance Parties Following the mandatory safety drill on embarkation day, head to Donald or Goofy’s Pool (depending on your ship) for the super fun sail away dance party!  This Jammin party is just the beginning of the various activities poolside led by the awesome activity staff.  Every day you will find games, contests, dance offs galore listed in your Navigator.  Be sure to catch them when you can and act like a kid again! 9. Daily Family Fun Activities As you become familiar with your Daily Navigator onboard the ship, you will notice Family activities scheduled around the ship throughout the day.  The