Cruising with 11-month old

[J's Gal]

My DH and I love to cruise, but haven't been since the birth of our daughter last May. We are planning to book one for April, when she will be 11 months old. My parents may or may not go with us.

 

And let me preface this with: We do realize this will be a different cruise experience for us than what we've had in the past. We will be keeping to her schedule as much as possible and missing evening shows, no biggie, we just need to get away. And leaving her behind is NOT an option.

 

For those who have cruised with a baby before, what kind of advice can you give that you wished you'd know before your first cruise with the baby. And what length cruise would you recommend from your experiences. Also, what type of excursions did you do or wish you had done with the baby.

 

Thank you in advance for your positive feedback.

[Carolin]

I don't know if this is an option for you but its very nice to have a balcony. You and your spouse can enjoy the ocean on the balcony while your little one naps or is tucked in for the evening.

[J's Gal]

I don't know if this is an option for you but its very nice to have a balcony. You and your spouse can enjoy the ocean on the balcony while your little one naps or is tucked in for the evening.

Yes, Carolin, a balcony is a MUST! Thanks for that advice!

[cb at sea]

I agree---a balcony will give you someplace "to be" while you're with sleeping baby.

 

Pick the ship/itinerary that suits you---baby couldn't care less where she is or why she's there! Many excursions do have age requirements, so you may want to stick to beach days, or just wandering around port....I doubt sightseeing tours would keep baby's attention for too long.

Bring along any necessary "equipment"...strollers, a small tub for bathing your daughter (unless you get her used to the shower!) and any "special" comfort toys! And, sunscreen! You don't want her to burn!

Yeah, it will be different, but that's ok...it's a "family" vacation!

[mrs.mobster]

we leave on friday for a 7 day southern caribbean with our 11.5 month DD. Ill try to remember to come back and post how it went when we come back :)

[leighuf]

I cruised with a 10 month old once and I cruised with my hubby MANY times prior to that. It IS different, but it's still an enjoyable experience. The staff was amazing and very helpful. And our son loved every bit of attention he received!

 

1. I highly recommend getting the best room you can afford. We got a Superior Balcony room (hump room with extra long balcony) and it was TIGHT with the ship pack n play put up in front of the couch. We LIVED on the balcony. We parked the stroller there, feed our son there, and bathed him there too. He wasn't walking just yet but he was cruising. So the closets and drawers were toys for him!

 

2. Bring liquid dish soap for cleaning bottles.

 

3. Bring a portable tub (like the duck one from Target).

 

4. Book early dining (more kids present) and indicate to your waiter that you want a rushed dinner. That way you can dine and be out within 1 hour.

 

5. Book family friendly excursions or do ports on your own.

 

6. Bring some toys for the room. For example, we brought a music table (breaks down for suitcase packing) so he had something to play with on sea days).

 

7. Wish we had brought our own pack n play. The ship's Graco PNP was dirty (dried spit up and god knows what else) but luckily we had anti-bacterial wipes on hand. It was a 'cheap model' too so the mattress kept slipping around during the night. One morning my son was basically sleeping on the metal bars that support the PNP because the mattress pad slipped up. Wished we had brought our own.

 

8. Bring the grandparents! They will enjoy the expencience! One night my husband and I even got a 'date night' thanks to my parents. We went out to a speciality restaurant and enjoyed some 'child free moments' as my parents babysat and later enjoyed some time on our balcony as he slept.

[bmccarthy]

We took our daughter on her 1st cruise on the Monarch for 3 nights at the beginning of December. She was 14 months at the time. We had just taken her to Costa Rica right after her 1st birthday, so we weren't planning to go on a cruise, but we found a really good last minute rate, so we decided to book and my in-laws went too.

 

My in-laws had an extra 30 sq. ft. in their room, so they had the pack 'n play that Royal Caribbean provided set up in their room. In the morning, my father-in-law would take her for a walk around the ship. She just loved to walk around. Luckily the cruise was the beginning of December, so it wasn't really swimming weather for us. When we went to Costa Rica, she went swimming everyday and is a water bug, so I was worried about that being a problem. The Monarch had a really good rock band that would play in various ships during the evenings and my daughter loved to walk around on the dance floor and dance to the music.

 

The dining room staff was very accommodating. They provided a high chair and gave us all the milk we needed for the night. My in-laws had a fridge in their room, which was helpful for storing milk overnight. They have lots of different options on the kids menu (pizza, mac & cheese, pasta, chicken fingers, etc.) that might work for your child depending on what they are used to eating and how many teeth they have.

 

If you travel with your child, then packing for a cruise is no different. You have to bring the same things you would if you are going on a land vacation. Make sure you pack plenty of wipes, diapers, and swim diapers because it might be difficult or even impossible to find them depending on where you go on your cruise. If you child is still on a bottle, then make sure you bring some dish soap to wash out the bottles. That was one thing I forgot.

 

Make sure you bring a sense of humor and be open minded going into the cruise. Go with the flow and I am sure that no matter whether you choose a short or longer cruise, you will have fun.

 

We are already planning to take our daughter on her 2nd cruise. She will be almost 21 months when we sail and it will be in June, so I know she will want to be in the pool, but isn't potty trained yet so that's not an option. We are looking at the Freedom Class ships, because of the H20 zone and the baby play area.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

Beth

[leighuf]

I forgot to mention... on our cruise there was another 10 month old and we talked to her parents. Apparently she had NEVER slept in a pack n play so she was fussy and refused to settle down at night in this new contraption. So she barely slept and cried many many hours at night. So be sure your child is comfortable sleeping in a bed other than his/her crib. Our son was well traveled and familiar with a pack n play so it wasn't a problem for us.

[marley]

Hi, We have cruised with our babies and you are going to have a great time. Don't forget to bring all the diapers and wipes you may need, they may not have them on the ship. Also don't forget the formula, baby Tylenol, ambosol, diaper cream, thermometer or any other medications they could possibly need if they get sick. Sunscrean and a hat! Baby wash/shampoo (tearfree) I forgot this once! You may want to bring a couple of your own sheets for the pack and play so it looks familiar to the baby. As for the tub, I have found a small blow up one at target that worked just fine or I just took them in the big tub with me. I definitely agree with everyone above about getting the largest room you can afford and a balcony. Also, Keep in mind that the babies schedule will be a bit different on vacation. Enjoy it and take lots of pictures. It goes so fast. Have a great time!

[williamsk]

Hi-

Just wanted to write. We went on a 4 night NCL cruise with my daughter when she was about 14 months old. We had a balcony, but it was a mistake on the sky as the railing wasn't solid all the way up. She kept sticking various appendages out, so I constantly had to have a grip on her. The nice aspect of the balcony was after she went to sleep so we could have a little relaxation. It was also a plus as the room steward moved a table out there to make room for the packnplay.

 

The length of the trip was about right for that stage too. Any longer at that point and it would have probably declined. Her routine was a bit messed up, but she tolerated it well for a few nights. So I am saving the 7 night for Alaska this May and am hitting a small 5 day on Century this Feb. The longer trips may be more tolerable if some sort of infant nursery is available (Disney or Oasis primarily). Or if Grandparents are along that could/would help out a couple nights.

JMHO

Katie

[paryea]

We took DS on our first cruise when he was 14 months (14 night Alaska on HAL) and we all loved it. I took way too many diapers, but better too many than not enough! We had an inside cabin and had the beds pushed together and against the wall on one side so he slept with us. The most important advice remains true for cruising as with anything else to do with children: be flexible.

 

What worked for us:

Anytime dining...we always tried to be there when they first opened up, but no problem if we were running late. If DS was having a bad day we went to the Lido, not as nice for us, but much nicer for everyone else. :-)

 

I bought a soft-sided lunch box and a bunch of small, new toys to go in it. I put his bibs and cup in it before we went to a meal and he liked carrying his bag. Between courses (or while we were filling a tray at the Lido) I would pull out one toy and let him play with it in the high chair until he tired of it. Then that one went away and the next one came out. We called it the emergency kit and it really was a life-saver.

 

We usually got off the ship in the morning when at port and did something for a few hours, came back in time for lunch and nap and then just hung out and found places to play and watch the scenery after the nap. We didn't do any ship excursions unless it was just transport to somewhere/something we wanted to see.

 

Drawbacks:

We didn't have any other family or friends with us and so we weren't able to do any "adult" things together. I didn't mind sitting and reading in the stateroom while DS was sleeping, but DH got tired of wandering around on his own. That said, we knew that going in and didn't let it ruin our vacation. A balcony would have been nice for nap times or evenings after he went to bed, but was just too expensive for that trip. I'm trying to get my mom to go on our next one...and yes I booked a balcony.

[J's Gal]

Thank you all so much for the advice, lots of great ideas! We haven't booked just yet, but boy do we have the fever! :)

[socalfam10]

My husband and I took turns watching dvds while the baby napped. The other one was free to go off for swimming or something else. Worked out for everyone!

[QTMichele]

You've gotten a lot of great advice! :) I just wanted to add some of my experience since I'm fresh off the Freedom of the Seas with a 14 month old.

 

My absolute best advice is to have no expectations - just go with the flow. This really helped me keep a positive attitude when I wasn't able to do something because my DS needed my attention. Even though this is a vacation, babies are still work. ;)

 

Other great tips (IMHO) is to take a great stroller. I brought our Peg Perego Pliko P3. This is a full size stroller with a great sun shade and portable fold. (I kept if folded in our closet when we weren't using it - no problem with space.) I had absolutely no problems moving around the ship. The sun shade was great for keeping my DS out of the sun while on deck, plus he was able to sleep in a reclining position in his stroller while I sat at the pool or strolled the decks. A quality umbrella stroller would work too - Combi makes a good one for under $100.

 

I would also highly (HIGHLY) recommend some sort of carrier (front carrier/backpack carrier/sling/etc.) for those times you want to tour the ship (if you don't want to wait for an elevator on each floor) and for ports. We took a backpack carrier since I didn't want to bring our stroller to the beach - too much of a hassle with the sand, especially since we like taking long walks. My DS was able to fall asleep without any problems. :) Also a good thing! I stored the backpack in our closet, but it could easily be stored under the bed.

 

I did not bring the Target tub. I didn't have a problem bringing my son into the shower with me. In fact, the only problem was not having my hubby there to take my son OUT of the shower. I relied on my DD for this part. Perhaps the duck would've been a better solution to our situation? ;) We had access to a baby pool (i.e. swim diapers allowed), but I would absolutely bring the tub if you don't have access to a baby pool. It's amazing how many HOURS a baby will splash around in a few inches of water. There's a lot to be said about enterainment value! :D

 

I'm not sure what line you are going on, but Royal Caribbean has a toy lending program. We used it and thought it was great. I didn't pack any toys because of this (saved a lot of room).

 

My son does well when he's tired, but still needs at least one nap a day. Definitely take the time to let your child have some down time. A ship's environment is so stimulating and can cause the best mannered child to lose it. heck, I even saw a few adults past their limit. ;)

 

Good luck and enjoy planning your cruise. You deserve it!!!

[Julienatul]

We started sailing with my DD when she was 7 mo and she has sailed 8 times since then. We just got back from another cruise with my 12 month-old last week. He did great!! He loved trying new foods, watching people, listening to music and hanging out on the balcony. We had grandparents along which helped. We ate in the dining room each night and I only had to leave once with him, the first night when he didnt nap because of the lifeboat drill he was very cranky. We brought the blow-up tub for the shower and plenty of toys to play with in the cabin. He enjoyed strolling around the ship and people watching. I sat on the balcony while he napped and DH would go back to the cabin with him after dinner while I took DD to the shows or kids camp. We did beach excursions or short city tours. He really did great overall and I would do it again!!!

[BugsMomma]

Everyone has mentioned the things I was going to post. We took our DD when she was 6 months. I took lots and lots of pictures, but not nearly enough video. Take as much video as you can, sometimes you forget the little things they were doing at that age and it helps if you can catch them on video.

[mr0315]

We started sailing with my youngest when she was 7 months old and haven't stopped! As long as you can "go with the flow", you will have a wonderful family vacation. An umbrella stroller is a must! The first time, we took the big combo stroller - horrible maneuvering narrow hallways! Emily would conk out in the stroller for occasional naps during the day. Camp Carnival has a designated play time for under 2's and their parents most days and will babysit the little ones after 10pm. She loved watching cartoons at Camp and they would give the kids blankets and pillows to fall asleep on. We brought our own toddler utensils and sippy cups and gave them to our dining staff on the first night. They would have milk and a fruit plate waiting for Em when we got there each night. Toddlers aren't great with waiting, so having something there for her to start on was very helpful. On occasion, she would get fussy and one of us would take her out of the dining room. I found I tended to overpack things like toys. A cruiseship is full of sights and sounds - I would advise bringing one or two favorite toys at the most! Do get dressed up for formal nights and have lots of pictures taken. Some of the best portraits we have are from our cruises because she loved hamming it up for the crowd that would always stop to watch "a cute baby" getting her picture taken. She loved the production shows each night, and of course, Funship Freddy! Hope you have a wonderful time!

[jfhandel]

We first cruised when our little boy was 10 months and we had a fantastic time. As with everything else, holidays are different with a toddler in tow - it will take you twice as long to do anything, and even then you have to expect the unexpected.

 

We took it very easy on that first cruise, even to the extent of picking an itinerary which took us to places which we'd either visited before or which were not hugely interesting. The reasoning was that we knew it would be too much work to get us off the boat at 8am, and too much for bubs to go a whole day being schlepped around. So, we aimed low and weren't disappointed!

 

We have been lucky in that both of the cruise lines we have used have a night nursery, so we could drop our little boy off at 6.30pm, settle him down to sleep, and then go and enjoy a whole evening to ourselves safe in the knowledge we was being well looked after. At the end of the evening we simply scooped him up from his cot and carried him downstairs to the cabin.

 

Enjoy!

 

JFH

[lwf99]

We went on a family cruise to Alaska with our 10 month old son years ago. It was awesome. We had my parents, uncle and brother with us and everyone had a great time. Michael worked on learning to walk on the dance floors every morning. The best part was that Holland America provided us with diapers and baby food. We didn't know it at the time but my other son was on that trip with us as well. Michael also loved the excursions like boat rides and walking around the towns. Be sure to bring a light weight stroller. Most of the time Michael sat on my husband's shoulders when we walked around the various ports. Since then both of our sons have traveled extensively and know how to behave on cruises. Have fun!!!

[awaldo]

Not much additional to add, everyone else pretty much hit it on the head. Both of our daughters went on their first cruise around the 10-11 month age. Each one was entirely different, though. 1st was so easy, go with the flow, walking. Second was much more dependent but the experience was largely the same. RCCL has a partnership with Fisher Price, so if that line is an option, they have structured play time daily for babies. We were not breast feeding, so purchased the little single serving enfamil powdered tubes which were very easy to pack. Plan on taking at least 50% more diapers than you need, just in case. We packed about 5-7 diapers with a small pack of wipes in a ziploc, so anytime we wanted to go anywhere, we could just grab a pack. Ditto on the dishsoap. If you're still using bottles then, check out the kind with the disposeable inserts. We used those with our youngest to a resounding success. I used the Bjorn religiously. I know I looked like a moron, but it allowed me to have a somewhat normal cruise experience, she rode/slept, I could swing by the bar to get a drink, walk around the ship, etc.

 

One other thing that worked well for us is all the public spaces not used during the day. We could go in an empty lounge and let her roam around. In the end, we spent a lot more time on the ship than we did before the girls, but it was still a great experience.

[cruzingfamily]

-Hi our son was 7 months on his first cruise! He is now 6 ( has been on a total of 9cruises) and we have a new baby who will be 6 months on his first cruise this June on the Oasis of The Seas!

-All the advice you have gotten has been great so I will try not repeat those ...

-In the evening when our son slept we would put him in his covered stroller in his jammies as he slept we would tour the ship have coffee or a drink Iwould sit outside in an enclave near the casino with an ice cream or soda and we would switch off when the shows were on we sat in the back parked the stroller held the baby in a blanket muffled his ears and he would sleep through...we really would wing it if he slept we would take him out with us if he was fussy we would go back to room till he fell asleep again..we did not have to rush through much at all we would even have late seating cause then he was fed bathed and asleep in buggy while we ate nicely...when baby was older around 12 months we always brought his portable dvd with him full of teletubbies einstien elmo and at the table we would eat his fruit laugh and spend time with us when he started fussing out came the dvd magic he was calm and enjoying himself!! The baby tylenol and other medicines is a must as baby wipes and extra grocery bags to put dirty diapers in so they dont smell. You will have such a good time try not to limit yourself around the ship...and the crew members LOVE the babies..

-We are going on Oasis and I hear they have a baby room now that take 6month olds and up now-Have a good time!!

[bean24]

We are doing a family trip with 3 infants and a 2 yr old in May, and all this advice has been great. One more thing my pediatrician reccomended they now sell pedialyte in a single serving packets, no one likes to think about noro, but better safe than sorry,

[mandiecandie5]

Reading people's experiences here is very helpful for those considering bringing an infant! :) I still have one question though...what do you do in port? If you take a taxi on your own anywhere do you have to bring your carseat with you or do people just 'hold' their baby? Or if you sign up for ship excursions do they accommodate infants as young as 6 months? This is the only unknown factor holding me back at this point.

 

I enjoy hanging out on the ship a lot so would have no problem skipping some ports (especially those we have already seen), but I would like to see at least one beach during the trip so how do we make that happen?? :confused:

 

(FYI-We haven't picked a cruiseline yet and will be traveling with other family if that helps) :)

 

Thanks for your advice!

[J's Gal]

Thank you for all the great tips! I haven't even thought about pedialyte, but that is a great thing to remember.

 

Looks like the grandparents won't be joining us for our DD first cruise, but we plan to just go with the flow and have a nice family vacation!

[CruizinMom2c]

Our son goes on every cruise with us (only cruise w/o was our Conquest honeymoon before he was born of course)

 

 

So far he has cruised at 9 months, 11 months and 18 months old..and each time has been great!

 

 

As far as the ports:

 

He has been to Cozumel twice and the Bahamas once...

 

 

One time in Cozumel we just did the "shopping" thing and relaxed on the boat, the last time in cozumel he was 18 months old and we did a beach excursion that he loved, because there was a pool there that he could actually swim in..and plenty of sand to play in.

 

In the bahamas he was 9 months old, so we took a water taxi to atlantis and walked to the free beach and relaxed.

 

 

 

So when you decide on the cruise, I could tell you the places in more details if you go to any of those ports.