Cruising with baby

Hi all! We are platinum NCLers looking to go on our first cruise with our infant. She will be approximately 11 months at the time. We are so excited! Any tips from experienced cruising parents?

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Bring dish soap to wash bottles, cups etc! Also bring any infant medications (tylenol etc) because they aren't always available on board.

You may find this link helpful. It is the "family cruising" section of the forum. Looks like it has info that may help you. Here you go:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

Just FYI, the baby has to be 1 yr old if you want to book a cruise with more than 2 consecutive sea days.

NCL website says:

"At least 12 months of age on the day of boarding if your cruise has 3 or more consecutive days at sea."

Bring dish soap to wash bottles, cups etc! Also bring any infant medications (tylenol etc) because they aren't always available on board.

Thank you! This is something I definitely didn’t think of.

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Just FYI, the baby has to be 1 yr old if you want to book a cruise with more than 2 consecutive sea days.

Thanks. The PCC told me 6 months was ok for this cruise since it’s less than 2 consecutive sea days.

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NCL website says:

"At least 12 months of age on the day of boarding if your cruise has 3 or more consecutive days at sea."

Thank you!

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Definitely bring any and all "baby specific" stuff....diapers, wipes, medication you MIGHT need...the ship does NOT sell pediatric stuff! Nose drops, baby tylenol, cough medications, tummy medications, ear drops, antihistamines, etc......whatever you use or may need...bring it.

Also, most cabins have only showers, so either get baby used to that, or bring a blow up tub. Baby's aren't allowed in the pools, so it may be useful for splashing on the pool deck. (Empty into a floor or shower drain...not onto the pool deck or into the pool!)

Make use of the dining rooms...so much easier to be served than juggling plates utensils and baby in the buffet!

Definitely bring any and all "baby specific" stuff....diapers, wipes, medication you MIGHT need...the ship does NOT sell pediatric stuff! Nose drops, baby tylenol, cough medications, tummy medications, ear drops, antihistamines, etc......whatever you use or may need...bring it.

Also, most cabins have only showers, so either get baby used to that, or bring a blow up tub. Baby's aren't allowed in the pools, so it may be useful for splashing on the pool deck. (Empty into a floor or shower drain...not onto the pool deck or into the pool!)

 

Make use of the dining rooms...so much easier to be served than juggling plates utensils and baby in the buffet!

These are all great tips! I am hoping we can get to the port in time to buy diapers and a few things once we arrive to take on board.

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You can also buy diapers from NCL (about $1 a diaper) to have delivered to your stateroom on the first day. Of course it's more expensive, but might be worth the hassle if you are tight on time before boarding.

A suite is great if it's an option; especially the 2 bedroom ones- you can put baby to bed and have the butler deliver food from anywhere on the ship for dinner for 2.

Don't bring a big stroller, but a folding umbrella type will be a lifesaver. If baby needs to sleep while you are dining let it sleep in the stroller. Also be prepared to not be able to finish a meal in case baby gets fussy. Staff might wrap your meal and you can take it with you, but don't count on it.

Small blow up pool/tub for splashing if you have a balcony would be fun.

Just know that your cruise experience will be a bit different from what you are use to. Maybe invest in a mini suite on ships that will have a curtain you can close off when the little one goes to bed so you can at least sit in the room but not have to worry about light/tv disturbance.

Wool diaper cover! They are great for parents who are cloth diapering, but can also be used over a regular diaper. They do not keep the baby too hot, and they are perfect in situations where you're traveling and will have a harder time dealing with any bedtime leaks should they occur (since your baby may be off schedule and her diet may be slightly different.) If they don't get soiled, they can be used multiple times, and if they do, you can do a quick wash in the sink and air dry. They were lifesavers for us because my son always had 1-2 days of looser bowels when we traveled, and it always seemed to start in the airport security line.

If your baby likes to be carried in a wrap or carrier (like the ergo), we found that to be much easier to deal with than a stroller -- it gave us more flexibility to take stairs or get through crowds, and I found he was much more likely to "go along" with being off schedule/tired if he was also in his carrier.

We brought heavy duty magnetic hooks and a dark shower curtain and hung it from the ceiling to divide the room so she couldn't see us. We had the umbrella stroller which was perfect. Plan to eat earlier if possible. If baby nurses, can nurse and they may pass out during shows. Don't forget things that encourage sleep at home (sound machine). If you can, try to shower with them a couple of times before you go so they get used to no tub. Swim diapers for the ocean. More sunscreen than you normally would, with higher spf. If you have a shade for the beach that is small, that. If you are traveling by air, a blanket because planes can be chilly. Window clings will keep them occupied for a while on the balcony door. They often have special kids meal items like fruit salad that you can ask for right away when you sit down- so immediate distraction!

Definitely bring any and all "baby specific" stuff....diapers, wipes, medication you MIGHT need...the ship does NOT sell pediatric stuff! Nose drops, baby tylenol, cough medications, tummy medications, ear drops, antihistamines, etc......whatever you use or may need...bring it.

Also, most cabins have only showers, so either get baby used to that, or bring a blow up tub. Baby's aren't allowed in the pools, so it may be useful for splashing on the pool deck. (Empty into a floor or shower drain...not onto the pool deck or into the pool!)

 

Make use of the dining rooms...so much easier to be served than juggling plates utensils and baby in the buffet!

This, plus most of the staff love babies atleast this was our case. Blow up pool is a life saver if you don’t have a room with a tub.

I strongly recommend Baby wearing if your little one will go for it. We did it a TON on the cruise when my son was 10 months and at least briefly most days on the one where he was 2 years old. We also took a small stroller and used it every day as well. We flew to our embarkation port the day before and bought diapers, wipes, snacks, etc. there. Disposable bibs are wonderful for cruises! And we took some baby spoons (we took the take n toss ones so if we forgot a couple of them at restaurants it was no big deal), bottles/sippy cups, a bottle brush and a small thing of dish soap to wash them with. Had a great time, and looking forward to our next cruise in a few months when my so will be 4 and daughter will be 9 months.

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You can also buy diapers from NCL (about $1 a diaper) to have delivered to your stateroom on the first day. Of course it's more expensive, but might be worth the hassle if you are tight on time before boarding.

 

 

 

A suite is great if it's an option; especially the 2 bedroom ones- you can put baby to bed and have the butler deliver food from anywhere on the ship for dinner for 2.

I didn’t know about the diapers! That is genius! Also, we are planning on the suite for those exact reasons...dinner in the room sounds amazing :)

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Don't bring a big stroller, but a folding umbrella type will be a lifesaver. If baby needs to sleep while you are dining let it sleep in the stroller. Also be prepared to not be able to finish a meal in case baby gets fussy. Staff might wrap your meal and you can take it with you, but don't count on it.

 

 

 

Small blow up pool/tub for splashing if you have a balcony would be fun.

 

 

 

Just know that your cruise experience will be a bit different from what you are use to. Maybe invest in a mini suite on ships that will have a curtain you can close off when the little one goes to bed so you can at least sit in the room but not have to worry about light/tv disturbance.

The blow up pool and umbrella stroller sound like a great idea! Thank you!

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We brought heavy duty magnetic hooks and a dark shower curtain and hung it from the ceiling to divide the room so she couldn't see us. We had the umbrella stroller which was perfect. Plan to eat earlier if possible. If baby nurses, can nurse and they may pass out during shows. Don't forget things that encourage sleep at home (sound machine). If you can, try to shower with them a couple of times before you go so they get used to no tub. Swim diapers for the ocean. More sunscreen than you normally would, with higher spf. If you have a shade for the beach that is small, that. If you are traveling by air, a blanket because planes can be chilly. Window clings will keep them occupied for a while on the balcony door. They often have special kids meal items like fruit salad that you can ask for right away when you sit down- so immediate distraction!

I’m so thankful that so many of you have done this. I would have never thought of the window clings and probably would have forgotten the sound machine!

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I’m glad people have had successfully Baby wore. I think we are planning on that as she loves doing that for other events we go to. I am really looking forward to the whole trip. I hope she eventually loves cruising like we do :)

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The blow up pool and umbrella stroller sound like a great idea! Thank you!

 

 

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Make it a blow up "tub" not a "pool". The tubs are just little rectangles about the size of the baby's butt and outstretched legs.

I didn’t know about the diapers! That is genius! Also, we are planning on the suite for those exact reasons...dinner in the room sounds amazing :)

 

 

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then also bring a baby monitor.... it can be hard to hear through the doors, and if you're out on the balcony it's tough to hear too. When our kids were a little older we bought a magnetic sensor thing that made a loud screetch sound if the door was opened. We had heard horror stories of kids waking in the night and going out the wrong door- it locks automatically of course and then they can't get back in. something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Alarm-Window-Magnetic-Sensor/dp/B00KI0KJ6W/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1516401761&sr=8-10&keywords=magnetic+door+alarm

we didn't attach it to the door to the hall, but placed it balanced against the door once we were in for the night so that if the door was opened it would sound.

Be wary of the "oldies"/ older folks.

My sister took her then almost 2 year old son and while eating at the buffet the baby started getting fuzzy and crying.

Some old guy had the nerve to ask us if we can please shut that baby up. I asked that man to shut himself up and mind his own business. That was extremely rude :mad:

The youngest we ever took was a 3 year old, and I would say bring Grandma or college aged nanny. My mom would stay with our son and we would enjoy a night out. Or nap time she would sit with him and we could run out and then switch, came in handy when he ended up a bit exhausted after a beach day and he slept almost a whole day. For us we cruise to enjoy the ship, the spa, and family fun together spending all the time in the room is not something we want to do and with young children that happens sometimes so we bring Grandma and Grandpa.

We traveled with our daughter and our 10 month old granddaughter back in 2007 while her hubby was deployed to Iraq. We shared a balcony cabin, and with the roll in crib, it was tight. Thank goodness for the balcony for a place to sit and converse when the baby was asleep. But these are my tips: bring a blow up baby bathtub to put in shower. It was a godsend. Bring a light weight umbroller with a sun awning. There is no room in the cabin for a large stroller. Someone else mentioned packing all baby meds. Most definitely, but let me add to pack pedialyte. I am so glad I did, as our little one began vomiting on day 2. Motion sickness? Who knows, because it only lasted the day, but I was glad we thought to pack it. She was also still on formula and baby food (we had a hard time getting her to eat table food) so we had to pack both, along with diapers. But I see you are sailing NCL, and they do sell diapers to be ordered online ahead and left in your cabin. NCL usually has a room called Guppies for babies to crawl around and play. We did not have that on our ship. We used to go to the library because nobody Cruising a Carnival ship is ever in the library—LOL—and closed the door and let her crawl in there. I hope these tips help.

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