Hi Moms! My husband and I haven't been on vacation in three years, and we've decided to go for it this summer. My son will be about 16 months old then, and I'm planning on taking my mom along so we have some built-in help/babysitting. My question is: Where should we go? We were thinking about possibly taking a cruise. Has anyone done this with a child this age? How did it go? Any other good ideas/bad ideas out there in terms of a destination? Thanks for all your thoughts.
If you do a cruise remember that he has to have a passport and you have to pay a full ticket for him. Also stay away from Nassau Bahamas, it is scarry there at night.
Hi R.,
We went twice to a all inclusive destination in the Caribbean, when my son was 8 months old and 19 months old. We have a great time. We enjoyed the beach, we did not have to worry for the meals, nap time or anything, since we have everything that we needed in the resort. Also, some of them has really good babysitting services. I do not have experience in a cruise with babies/kids.
Good luck,
V.
If you want to do a cruise, there are some that are pretty child friendly, disney cruises, for example.
We love the beach! We took my daugher to Destin,FL when she was about 6mos and then to the Cayman Islands last summer when she was 18mos. She had a BLAST last summer and LOVED the ocean, sand and pool!!! Have a great vacation!
I love the responses so far. Europe really is easier than you might think with a little one. I took my daughter to London and Paris when she was 2, and people rushed to help me with her stroller, especially in Paris. For a really relaxing time, though, you can't beat the Caribbean all-inclusive resorts. I love this one in Jamaica--it's very kid-friendly, you get a nanny assigned to your family, and the staff is super-nice. www.fdrholidays.com All of the nannies dote on the kids, especially babies, and they are meticulous with the sunscreen. My very fair-skinned daughter has yet to get sunburned, and we've been to this resort twice (and are going back for a third time in March). I will say the facilities are a bit run-down, but they are spotless. It's a nice place for a family trip.
Some of the other all-inclusive resorts have Elmo and Sesame Street themes, which might be just perfect for your little boy. I'm sure you can find one with some googling. Hope this helps!
We took our daughter ( now 11) to London,Scotland and Wales when she was about 16 months old, and she did great. At this age they will not remember much of the vacation anyway, so do something that will be fun for all of you. We went because it was something we knew we would not be able to do once we had more kids.
I second the nomination for the beach. We took DD on a 2-week beach vacation at that age, and she LOVED it. Played in the sand, splashed in the water, etc. If possible, try to find a place with other kids, or bring another family along--we had some family friends with us, with a boy just slightly older. He and DD played together in the sand, and actually allowed us grown ups to sit and relax (about 5 feet away from them) for a bit! We were on a lake, so didn't have to worry about big waves, etc. which also helps--I had no qualms about DD going in the water about knee deep without me holding her hand (although obviously not far away!). GL!
Keep this in mind with a cruise...except for Disney, their kids clubs don't allow you to leave your child unless they are at least 2. We did a Carnival Cruise when my daughter was 26 months. While we had a great time, even at that age (and she was very social), she didn't want to be left by herself.
