Flying Lad Goes Cruising
Recently, Flying Lad went cruising for the first time. Flying Dad and Flying Momma are big fans of cruise life–relaxing days at sea, all the hamburgers you can eat. We weren’t sure how Flying Lad would take to cruising, and we were unsure of cruising with a toddler, but we were willing to give it a try, so we booked a 4 day cruise out of Tampa stopping in Cozumel.
The Good
While we didn’t utilize the kids club, we did enjoy our ships’s Seuss at Sea activities. On our first day at sea, Flying Lad participated in the Seuss-A-Palooza parade and story time. With noisemakers and signs in hand, he and dozens of other youngsters marched from the aft lounge down Carnival Blvd. to the forward lounge. There, the children could sit on stage for a telling of The Cat in the Hat, with live actors chosen from the audience. Bonus for Flying Lad: Flying Dad was chosen for the part of the Cat in the Hat.
this actor’s portrayal was a riveting, moving experience that I will never forget. I was driven to tears
Even more fun than parade and story time was the Seuss at Sea Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast. This cost $5 per person, but it’s worth it. The dining room is decorated in a Dr. Seuss theme, including a Cat in the Hat ice sculpture. The kids get visited at the table by Thing 1 and Thing 2 and you get to take pictures with a variety of characters. The food is creative and delicious. Flying Lad got the waffles, which arrived decorated in a colorful blue and red pattern. Another little guy at our table got the green eggs and ham, which were fun, but not the most appetizing to look at because the green eggs were two scoops of scrambled eggs dyed bright green. Other table mates got the cereal crusted french toast. One had Cheerios stuck to hers, the other Corn Flakes. Good to know: you can bring your favorite Dr. Seuss books on the cruise with you and get them “autographed” at the breakfast. Just remember to bring the books with you to the breakfast, because if you’re like our table mates and forget them in the room, you may not want to make the trek back to get them.
Dr. Seuss’s Beginner Book Collection (Cat in the Hat / One Fish Two Fish / Green Eggs and Ham / Hop on Pop, Fox in Socks)
The Not So Good
We booked a shore excursion to Isla Pasion for a nice beach day, with an all you can eat buffet, open bar, hammocks (including water hammocks), and more. We could just walk to the end of the pier and then load up onto a catamaran, which we liked because we didn’t bring our car seat with us and were wary of riding in a taxi or van without one. Flying Lad enjoyed the whale watching tour, so we didn’t think this boat ride would pose any issues. However, the 45 minute
boat ride to the private island was a bit bumpy. It wasn’t a big deal. He just spent most of the time curled up under Flying Dad’s arm. It’s too bad because we saw flying fish and marveled at the color of the water. Thankfully, he survived and we enjoyed our day on the island.
Be Prepared
Every time Flying Lad walked by the arcade (and casino for that matter) he wanted to play. We indulged him in a game or two per day (at the arcade, of course). Not gonna break the bank, but good to be prepared for that request and to set aside some money in the casino budget for that. Flying Lad and Flying Dad had some fun times on the motion simulator ride, playing Flying Lad’s first driving video game, and playing the claw game.
Tips:
Flying Lad enjoyed the pool. In the kids pool area on our ship there was a hot/warm tub with jets and one without, in addition to a larger pool, which I understand was very cold. We went right after breakfast and it was just us and one other family. Nice to be there before the crowds.
Flying Lad enjoys his TV shows. We downloaded a few episodes onto our Kindle so he could get his Team Umizoomi fix when he needed to (or when we needed some R&R), but he also enjoyed watching the movies in the room, which was a nice way for us to end the day as a family.
Overall:
We’ve been on a ton of cruises, but we weren’t sure it would be right for a toddler. Turns out this was a perfect cruise for a toddler (short of a Disney cruise, of course). He loved 99% of it, and we never felt unsafe or that there was never anything to do for him (or us). If you’re thinking about taking one, but unsure whether it will be kid friendly, not to worry. You’ll all have fun!
1 comment
[…] Cruises […]