baby monitor on the ship - does it work? Would you use one?

With all due respect, OP, sitting in a lounge reading a book, two floors from your infant, is still a bad idea. What others on this thread have said, you're a parent now, and life changes. It's not the carefree lifestyle you had pre-child. And why can't you sit in your cabin reading your book? That's what nearly every parent does.

 

rajones - you read far too much into my statement, without any attempt to clarify:mad:. What part of "relaxing in the lounge down the hall" translates into needing a drink so badly that I need AA?

For the record, I was asking so that while my baby was napping during the day would I be able to sit in a close location and read a book. I often sit at the lounge to read on my previous cruises - the chairs are comfortable and during the day the lounge is usually deserted. In case you were wondering - no I don't drink while reading at the lounge, nor did I before having a child either.

You're absolutely right. My apologies. I should have stopped typing before I got to the AA comment.

And why can't you sit in your cabin reading your book? That's what nearly every parent does.

Because that's not the answer she wanted. She wanted the one where we all agreed with her and said, go ahead, have at it. ;)

It's very simple around here. If you bring a baby and want to get through naptime:

Option 1. Book a balcony/suite and walk outside when baby naps

Option 2. Book an inside/oceanview and be prepared to sleep when baby sleeps

Option 3. Strap the baby into the stroller and walk the open decks until the baby falls asleep

We used the ANGEL CARE monitor this year on the RC RoS. Monitor worked down to about 5 rooms where friends were staying. We were concerned regarding hearing her and someone entering. Tested it out and we could hear those noises fine. Even if the monitor worked that far away I could not go farther away then I could quickly see.

Morning folks.

 

Taking the little man (8 mo old) on his first cruise next week. while getting organized I started thinking: "what if I brought my baby monitor on the ship" Would it work to give me enough range to relax in the lounge down the hall?

 

Obviously I would test it out to see what sort of range it actually has before leaving him. But I'm wanting to know if anyone has used one before? What are your thoughts - does all the metal on the ship render it useless?

 

specifics:

I am in the rear Right corner of the ship, deck 8

Deck six has a lounge area right below us (2 decks)

Anglecare monitor

 

Thoughts?

Am I wasting my time hauling the anglecare, or is there a better solution?

 

Thanks

B.

Hello ,

Here are my two cents based on cruising experience with a baby/toddler: baby monitors do not really work on a ship. Their construction frame does not allow for the transmission of sounds very well. It might be OK for going to the next cabin for a quick 1 minute check, but definitely not something you can really rely on.

Now, as far as leaving your baby alone, it is certainly your parenting style that would determine how confortable you feel with that decision. You know what is best for your child. However, take into account potential differences that you may encounter on a ship in comparison to your own home.

1. Too many of the ship's personnel have a key to your room. You never know!

2. Emergency fire doors can potentially close at the hallway level, and hence deny you access to your baby in case of an emergency.

3. Something could happen to your baby while you are not there, and you may not be able to hear it (like moving to a face-down position where they cannot breathe).

4. If you are on a bar a few floors down, you might be too far to react to a real emergency, even if you can hear the desperate sounds of a baby (If a baby stops breathing, it only takes 1.5 minutes to stop the flow of oxygen to the brain).

So I agree with some of hte posters that it might be better to wait until your child goes to sleep and then take the baby with you on a stroller. That way, you can have a good time without the unnecessary worries of your child's safety. After all, you do want to enjoy your vacation.

If the baby is napping, or you just put him to bed, why not put him in the stoller, and take him with you. Also by "lounge" are you referring to the club or bar?

3. Something could happen to your baby while you are not there, and you may not be able to hear it (like moving to a face-down position where they cannot breathe).

You know, I just realized something that I must have been blocking out. And it took your post to realize it. Lord500 is asking about an 8 month old -- I was thinking this child was older -- a toddler.

My daughter was exactly 8 months old when we found her blue and not breathing in her pack n play (during naptime) on the Disney Magic. If we hadn't been in the same cabin, she wouldn't be here NOW. :(

The cause -- she caught something on the ship. My daughter had never been sick a day in her life. She was a perfectly healthy little girl and she almost died. So now I am going to BEG you not to leave your child. Their immune systems aren't developed enough, you really just never know. Because I didn't. :(

Thanks rajones007, appreciate the follow up comment!

I dont think a monitor would work well more then the next room over or so, I think 2 floors would be VERY unlikely. Ive considered bringing our video monitor in the future when DD is old enough to be left with an in room sitter while DH and take dinner at a specialty or go to a show (if I get so brave).

Do you have a balcony room? If you do/ can have one its super easy to pull the blinds and sit out there while baby naps. Its always worked great for us. I personally wouldnt leave my baby/ toddler/ child alone in the cabin. I just woudlnt be comfortable at all. What if the fire doors close? You would have NO WAY to get back to your child. Thats far too scary to me, despite the low risk of that happening, its not something I want to play games with.

If you have an inside room, could you flick the bedside light on once baby is sleeping and read there? It didnt seem to bother DD for us to turn one small light on after she passed out.

Wow.. this has always been a worry for me. Baby monitors capture crying just fine (and, following some books, some intentionally start to ignore at certain ages to train infants to not wake up expecting midnight feedings). They don't capture things like this. This is why I don't have much faith (or much use) for monitors on land. I think this thread did a great job highlighting the added dangers at sea (waves, fire, intruders, etc).

In a way, though the cruise caused this, it was fortunate being in the same cabin (vs on land)? Can't imagine if this happened to mine at home, in her own room.. wow..

You know, I just realized something that I must have been blocking out. And it took your post to realize it. Lord500 is asking about an 8 month old -- I was thinking this child was older -- a toddler.

 

My daughter was exactly 8 months old when we found her blue and not breathing in her pack n play (during naptime) on the Disney Magic. If we hadn't been in the same cabin, she wouldn't be here NOW. :(

 

The cause -- she caught something on the ship. My daughter had never been sick a day in her life. She was a perfectly healthy little girl and she almost died. So now I am going to BEG you not to leave your child. Their immune systems aren't developed enough, you really just never know. Because I didn't. :(

In a way, though the cruise caused this, it was fortunate being in the same cabin (vs on land)? Can't imagine if this happened to mine at home, in her own room.. wow..

She's 6 and we still have video/cameras monitors in her room. She's over the seizures but when she's adjusting to new meds we turn the nighttime monitors back on just in case. Old habits die hard. You could say we are a little hypervigilant now. ;)

Again, I'm not a parent, but I have observed a lot of infants. Wouldn't the baby fall asleep in his/her stroller? I've seen sleeping babies in strollers everywhere, even in noisy environments. If you're going to the lounge to relax because it's a quiet and comfortable environment, wouldn't the baby be just fine in the stroller, napping? You could always throw a lightweight blanket over the top if you're worried about excessive light or something.

I'd never leave a baby alone. Using the monitor in a suite or adjoining cabins situations sounds do-able, for sure, but not 2 floors down!

I haven't had the chance to keep up with all the posts on CC in a while, but reading recent posts (besides this one) makes me a little disappointed in the way some people respond to some posters.

 

"are you serious?" "you must be joking" etc.

 

Really - do people come on here and post things out of the blue just to stir people up? Maybe - it seems to be working.

 

The OP has 8 posts - he might be new to cruising in general. The person is reaching out for guidance. They may have no clue what a boat is like (i.e. fire doors) since they've not been on one. People have multi-story houses...or do garden work at their houses while their baby sleeps inside the house and that may be ok (depending on the situation). Educating new cruisers and/or new parents to the environment can be very helpful and hopefully we can help them have a better and safer cruise experience. Attacking them (ok - that might be a bit strong) - they may never come back to get good advice again. Just answer the question instead of injecting insults and assumptions (i.e., drinking/bar was never in the original post).

 

Thanks to those who have posted general reasoning behind your standpoint - it helps folks understand a little better - it wasn't my post - but I'm always trying to be a better cruising parent ;)

Well said.

FWIW I wouldn't even consider this but each to their own.

I know this is an old thread, but we are in a similar situation. We have booked an inside and an outside cabin directly across from each other on our upcoming cruise (Norwegian Spirit, departing Barcelona Aug 2nd 2012). We are hoping to be able to sit in the outside cabin and read/watch tv/admire the view while our 2.5-year-old takes his nap in the inside cabin (he does not sleep well in a stroller, or in a room that is not totally dark). Obviously we will use a baby monitor. Our original plan was to get a balcony cabin, so we could read on the balcony while he slept, but we have my mother with us (she will sleep with him at night) and all the 4-person balcony rooms were sold out. And apparently there are no connecting inside or ocean-view rooms on this ship, only balconies, and we can't afford 2 balconies. Do you think this plan will be ok? Will the monitor work across the corridor? It's pretty sensitive, so I find it hard to believe that it would not alert us if anyone entered the room, and we'll just be across the hall if he needs us...

One of the major problems with your plan would be the fact that you cannot secure the door of the cabin. Any crew member could get in. But, an even BIGGER risk is that your child could get out! The doors of cabins cannot be secured and can be opened from the inside-- easily. A two-year-old could open it up and walk out into the hallway, and you may not hear it on the monitor. Toddlers wandering out of cabins is a significant risk, IMHO. What if your child wakes up in this unfamiliar environment, sees you are not there, and goes looking for you, leaving the cabin? I am not judging at all, but in my opinion, to answer your question, I would not leave a toddler -- or any baby or young child -- alone in a cabin even if you are just across the hall with a working monitor.

I know this is an old thread, but responding to the last recent post. When my girls were infants and they needed to nap during the day i looked forward to laying down with them and catching up on some much needed busy overtired momma sleep! I would not leave my child, even across the hall too many things can happen. Rest or invest in the itty bitty book light and use it once they fall asleep!

Will it work? Probably - depending on your monitor. It has worked for us on RCCL being right across from each other. We even used a "cheap" $20 FP monitor. You will probably have to be directly next/across from the room for it to work.

Is it ok? From prior responses - its up to you and your comfort level. We did it, we were comfortable with it. At times, we could hear our girls sigh (or breathe heavy), I was surprised how much we could hear. Yes, staff has keys to the door - staff could try to be super quiet so the monitor doesn't pick up the clicks of the door - staff could unplug your monitor (even if you hid the monitor - ours was up at the ceiling because of the light). At times, we did have a grandma sit on the couch and watch TV as the curtain was pulled at night. Like another poster suggested, bring a book light with you (or plan to sit in the bathroom). If you are comfortable with the idea, then enjoy your balcony. If you end up NOT liking it, OR, if your monitor doesn't work as well as you had hoped, then take turns sitting in the room with your little one.

Enjoy your trip!

you could possibly get arrested for doing this on land or at the very least earn yourself a visit from child protective services

why would you do this on a cruise?

I want to start by saying that we are going on a cruise and my husband and I will be staying in two different rooms(1 with each child). It was cheaper than a Jr. Suite. I know that when my children were babies,they would never fall asleep when they could see me. I would stay only in Embassy Suites. Finally the day came I had to try and it was a nightmare. I finally put them in the crib, sat in the hall and waited until they were asleep. Did I go to bed at 8pm? Yes! I did find this works just in the future I was prepared. I took a few beers, a book or magazine and I had a party in my pj's! I got some strange looks but it was worth it! The kids are now 6 and 9 but I worry about nightmares and getting locked out so they will have an adult in the room. I think I would use a moniter if I was next door( with the door adjar) but the unknown is scary.

I know this is an old thread, but we are in a similar situation. We have booked an inside and an outside cabin directly across from each other on our upcoming cruise (Norwegian Spirit, departing Barcelona Aug 2nd 2012). We are hoping to be able to sit in the outside cabin and read/watch tv/admire the view while our 2.5-year-old takes his nap in the inside cabin (he does not sleep well in a stroller, or in a room that is not totally dark). Obviously we will use a baby monitor. Our original plan was to get a balcony cabin, so we could read on the balcony while he slept, but we have my mother with us (she will sleep with him at night) and all the 4-person balcony rooms were sold out. And apparently there are no connecting inside or ocean-view rooms on this ship, only balconies, and we can't afford 2 balconies. Do you think this plan will be ok? Will the monitor work across the corridor? It's pretty sensitive, so I find it hard to believe that it would not alert us if anyone entered the room, and we'll just be across the hall if he needs us...

I know this is a super old thread, but I googled and had the exact same questions, so I believe it's still relevant. I am wondering if my Levana video monitor will be able to work (it uses its own channel and does not connect to wifi.) We have 3 cabins, one of them being a 2br suite all next to and across the hall from each other. We also plan to use the in-room sitter service on RCCL and I would prefer to keep a nanny cam in there to be able to watch my children with the adult sitter. This question isn't just for people who want to leave their kids and go prancing around the ship with just a monitor in the room. Good grief.

I had a royal family suite on Grandeur once. It is one big suite with 2 bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living area sharing one room number. We sailed with our 3 kids. Our DD was 1 at the time and I wanted to keep an eye on her. I brought our video monitor. It didn’t work very well when you got further than a few feet away. We could sort of see her, but there was interference sometimes. The walls on cruise ships are metal. I don’t think that the signal travels well. We ended up leaving the door to the room ajar so we could hear her from the master bedroom at night. It worked better during the day for naps.

I know this is a super old thread, but I googled and had the exact same questions, so I believe it's still relevant. I am wondering if my Levana video monitor will be able to work (it uses its own channel and does not connect to wifi.) We have 3 cabins, one of them being a 2br suite all next to and across the hall from each other. We also plan to use the in-room sitter service on RCCL and I would prefer to keep a nanny cam in there to be able to watch my children with the adult sitter. This question isn't just for people who want to leave their kids and go prancing around the ship with just a monitor in the room. Good grief.

FYI, Royal Caribbean is discontinuing their in-room babysitting services (aka Sitters at Sea) at the end of this month. I just got an email about it a few days ago.

If your cruise departs on or before September 30th, you'll still be able to request an in-room sitter (if any are available). If you depart any later you'll be out of luck and have to use the group setting Royal Babies nursery (for 6-36mo Olds) or Adventure Ocean (3yo and up) for childcare.

FYI, Royal Caribbean is discontinuing their in-room babysitting services (aka Sitters at Sea) at the end of this month. I just got an email about it a few days ago.

If your cruise departs on or before September 30th, you'll still be able to request an in-room sitter (if any are available). If you depart any later you'll be out of luck and have to use the group setting Royal Babies nursery (for 6-36mo Olds) or Adventure Ocean (3yo and up) for childcare.

Thanks - yeah, I saw that as well. We will be the last Oasis cruise to take advantage of the program on 9/23. :)

Thanks - yeah, I saw that as well. We will be the last Oasis cruise to take advantage of the program on 9/23. :)

However, if there are no volunteers to sit (which apparently has happened a lot lately and may be the reason the program is being discontinued), you will not have a sitter. Best to have a backup plan.