Spacious Cabins/Staterooms
Plentiful deck space to roam
Mindful of Railing Gaps
Infant Lifejacket
Bar Fridge in Room
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On-Board the Sapphire/Diamond Princess with Infants and Toddlers!
As a parent of a 1 year old and 4 year old, I combed the
internet before my cruise to get more information about bringing little ones
onboard a cruise ship. Now that I have returned from a 7 day Alaskan
cruise (May 2009) on the Sapphire Princess with very young children, I thought I should
share this experience with other concerned parents. Please note that
the Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess are twin ships, and hence my
experience on board the Sapphire Princess should equally apply to the
Diamond Princess.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience as there is lots to do
on a cruise ship with little ones and most importantly when they get tired,
you can bring them down to your cabin/stateroom anytime so they can get some
sleep or just rest up for a few hours. I give cruising a two thumbs up
for a young family vacation with little ones. I organized this website for parents
thinking of bringing their young children on board a cruise ship (and in
particular the Sapphire/Diamond Princess) focusing on issues such as getting to the
cruise ship regarding the use of car seats, which Stateroom/Cabin to select, types of On-board
Activities for kids, and safety issues to consider.
Getting To The Cruise Ship (Child Car Seats and Strollers)
One of the biggest
problems bringing babies, infants, and toddlers to a cruise ship is the
need of car seats to get them from the airport to the seaport. Quite
simply put, the vast majority of ground taxis and shuttle buses do not
have child seats available...
Click here for transportation details including Photos |
Stateroom/Cabin
Alaska is relatively cold in May
(about 46F~54F or 8C~12C) on board the ship and hence you won't have much
opportunity to enjoy the outdoor deck other than to take pictures
and soak up the beautiful scenery. For this reason, a balcony
room doesn't offer much value ...
Click here for Cabin details including Photos |
On-Board Activities
Like other cruise ships, the Sapphire Princess is
really designed for adults and older children. There isn't many
dedicated children activities for children 2 years and younger, but that
doesn't mean it's boring for them. For children 3 years and older, there
is a children's program called Princess Pelican which is like an
on-board daycare where you can drop them off and pick them up for lunch
and dinner. More....
Click here for On-Board
Activities including Photos |
Kid Safety
Some concerns I had before going was how easily can an
infant/toddler fall overboard? What happens in an emergency? How
kid proof are the cabins/staterooms?, and is it easy for them to get lost on
board? Well here are your answers to these parental concerns.....
Click here for Kid Safety including Photos |
Stroller Friendliness
Getting around on the ship
and at Alaskan ports is easy with a stroller. The entire ship is
designed handicap friendly meaning there are ramps and elevators
everywhere. There are also lots of indoor and outdoor deck room to
stroll the kids so if your infant/toddler can only sleep in a moving
stroller, there won't be a shortage of space for you to do so.....
Click here for Stroller Friendliness including
Photos |
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