Cruising with an infant

My grand baby will be 8 months old when we go on our cruise. My daughter thinks it will be ok to take her, my son in law and husband doesn't. Who has cruised with an infant and would you suggest going now or waiting until she is more mobile? All suggestions greatly appreciated.

Are the grandchild's mother and father sailing with you?

Hmm, this isn't the same thing.

 

Strange posts to defend bringing babies on a cruise. OK, bring them, but there is a responsibility to understand that the other passengers paid a lot of money for their vacation. Just be responsible.

 

Burt

Families cruising with small children could possibly be paying the same or "more" than what you paid for your's.

An officer enjoying as close to a visit "home" as s/he can muster is a vastly different thing than a passenger who won't delay a few days of vacation or make other arrangements.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Not everyone has the kind of options you're alluding to.

I'm going to assume you "never" traveled with children.

The times we have traveled with our children & grandchildren are some of our greatest memories...ones we will cherish and so will they.

As has been pointed out so often, post#8 is not the best (or even appropriate) advice.

 

That baby will have absolutely no memory of anything that happens on that cruise. So, why subject him/her and yourselves to all the associated demands? Most importantly, the medical staff (no matter how knowledgeable and accomplished they may be) are usually not specialized in the care of infants).

IMO, taking someone this young on a cruise is a selfish act with zero value.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We did take our girl on her first cruise at 23 months of age....my hubby was reluctant because he would worry about her fussing (she was a horrible teether) but it actually worked out great. We took a 3-day cruise and paired that with her first hotel stay afterwards (we drove down to San Diego to tour the tall ships in port at that time). She didn't fuss at night and she loved exploring the ship.

And even though she might not exactly remember the trip, she can look at the photos and know she didn't stay home all the time for her first few years (we have done day trips to Sea World, Disneyland, Ventura before that).

A friend had pointed out to me a short time after my girl's birth, that studies show any type of stimulation, such as new places, helps develops the synapses in the brain for newborns and toddlers. One reason reading to your kids are very important.

For many, leaving your kids with the grands isn't always the answer. So really, with great planning, going on a cruise with little ones can be an easy vacation, even if you just stay on the ship in port.

Families cruising with small children could possibly be paying the same or "more" than what you paid for your's.

Agree.

I'm with the Mom who wants to bring the baby. We took my daughter (and her older sister) to Disney when she was 6 months old. In many ways, it was easier to take her at 6 months than 6 years old. We have WONDERFUL memories of that trip. We had to carry the food, diapers, over the counter meds and all the rest of the gear...so what. You would have to provide this to someone if you are going to leave the baby with a friend/relative while you're gone. She slept in her stroller,we had her grandparents with us who were delighted to help watch her. She was too young to remember it but we enjoyed every minute of the trip and every compliment from every stranger. I would have been miserable to have left her at home. I am always thrilled to see a small baby or toddler on our cruise. It's been many years since we've had a small child. My Grandson was 3 when he went on his first cruise. He's now 23 and is Diamond, all earned on his own cruises. Had we discovered cruising earlier, he would have most certainly been taken along with us.

It will be much easier to cruise with her before she is mobile!! Our son was about 10 months on his first cruise and he did great. I'm aiming for the 7-9 month old range for our second's first cruise. Just know going in that it will be MUCH different than a cruise without kids. If you're going as an extended family that is perfect, because you can have family together time and can also take turns giving each couple some alone adult time for a few hours! We cruised with both sets of our son's grandparents on his first cruise (and with one set on his second when he was just over 2) and it was a wonderful arrangement. Some nights we all dined together. Other nights his grandparents watched him and fed him while we went for an early dinner, then we picked him up in time for them to enjoy a quiet dinner of their own a little later. Same with excursions. We did some all together, some we took him so grandparents could do their own thing, and at one port they kept him (on or near the ship) so we could go do a non-baby friendly excursion.