Recommendations for hotels or cruises with a toddler and newborn

[Samantha1409]

I am looking for recommendations in terms of hotels anywhere for a stay with an almost 2 year old a newborn (few months old). Hotels or cruises.

Royal Son Bou Family Club in Menorca

Unless the toddler is toilet trained, I’d say no to a cruise. They can’t use the pools, including kids ones. Swim nappies are not permitted.

What Turbo said. A lot of cruise lines have a minimum sail age of six months too.

Aw wow. Really didn't know that. Thank you !

Try the Kinder hotels in Austria! The one at Moar Gut is nice and they’ll arrange airport transfer from Salzburg. You want good weather though so either go immediately or wait til next summer.

Not old enough

yes Kinderhotels in Austria, Germany or Switzerland. Everything is set up for kids, and the ones I have been to were lovely.

Just to add a tiny bit of detail on the cruise side in case you haven't ruled it out completely, as the rules vary quite a lot depending on the cruise line and ship!

• Minimum age for a newborn: Most lines (P&O, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Princess and Celebrity) do have a 6-month minimum age on the day you sail (rising to 12 months on longer sailings with 3+ consecutive sea days). However, MSC Cruises is the main exception: they have no minimum sailing age on most cruises under 11 nights (including sailings out of Southampton), though their drop-off Baby Care club starts at 6 months.
• Swim nappies and splash areas: While it's true that lines like NCL, Princess, Celebrity and MSC don't allow swim nappies in any of the pools, a few family ships do cater for little ones who aren't potty trained yet:

- Disney Cruise Line has designated water-play splash zones on every ship where swim nappies are allowed (plus the 'it's a small world' nursery from 6 months). - Royal Caribbean allows swim nappies on ships fitted with a dedicated Baby Bay / Baby Splash area (such as the Oasis, Icon, Freedom and Quantum class ships—worth checking the exact ship deck plan before booking). - P&O Cruises (once baby is over 6 months) allows swim nappies in specific named splash/tots pools on its family ships (Iona, Arvia, Britannia and Ventura), and their free Night Nursery (6pm to midnight) is a lifesaver if you want an evening meal together.

While your youngest is still under 6 months, an aparthotel in Majorca (Alcudia) or Menorca (like Royal Son Bou, which a previous poster mentioned) with a separate bedroom, kitchenette for sterilisers, and a heated baby splash pool is usually the easiest win—and once baby hits 6 months, a Southampton sailing on P&O Iona or Arvia with no luggage limit and the Night Nursery is brilliant with two under three.

Tim

Meant to add—we put a full comparison table of cruise line baby rules (minimum ages, cots, splash zones and nurseries) and hotel cot policies up on Kiddieko if you want to compare the ships side by side. Tim

all cruise lines and many hotels do not allow dc to go in the pools in nappies, instead many provide a paddling pool or splash pad area for water fun. Check very carefully before you book including water temperature because even if dc can go in the pool they tend to be very cold, far too cold for me! Babysitting services may be available but children’s programmes don’t tend to start until older and potty trained. Disney cruise was good when mine were preschool age, any younger it’s probably a waste (check current rules for the clubs, it was 3 minimum).

with little ones i strongly recommend holidays you fancy and can adapt to include them rather than child focussed because they are still too small for kids activities. Road trips are the easiest option I found because you throw it all in the car - look at taking the ferry to Spain for instance and travelling along the Atlantic coast