What cruise line to choose when cruising with a baby??!!

[lidolovers]

We are looking at going on a cruise in March 2011 and at that point, we will be the proud parents of a 7 month old baby. For those who have travelled with a young child/baby, what cruiseline do you think is most appropriate or can best accomodate our family? Also, are there specific cabins that may be better?

I know my husband is dying to go on the new Celebrity ships (solstice and equinox)...anyone know how they are with babies? (as you can see, we've so far been very loyal Carnival cruisers)

[boulders]

There will be no amenities for your baby on a Celebrity ship. Oasis of the seas will be the most family friendly with a nursery and a baby splash zone. Disney also has a nursery. Your experience will depend on baby's temperament. If baby sleeps thru the night and enjoys people watching, you'll likely have a good time. If baby screams whenever you put him down or wakes every 2 hours, then your vacation won't be so enjoyable. Keep in mind that a child who is happy at home may be unhappy on vacation.

[rolloman]

We are looking at going on a cruise in March 2011 and at that point, we will be the proud parents of a 7 month old baby. For those who have travelled with a young child/baby, what cruiseline do you think is most appropriate or can best accomodate our family? Also, are there specific cabins that may be better?

I know my husband is dying to go on the new Celebrity ships (solstice and equinox)...anyone know how they are with babies? (as you can see, we've so far been very loyal Carnival cruisers)

 

The only cruiseline I would recommend is Disney. The Flounders nursery is great. The family experience can't be matched at this age. Once your child turns 2 NCL would be my choice and once your child turns 3 all ships will welcome you to their respective kids clubs.

[jam82]

You need to wait and see how your new little angel travels.

 

That said, I would choose Carnival hands down because they will be the most tolerable of you baby's needs at that age. They also have more babysitting than any other cruiselines.

[rolloman]

You need to wait and see how your new little angel travels.

 

That said, I would choose Carnival hands down because they will be the most tolerable of you baby's needs at that age. They also have more babysitting than any other cruiselines.

 

That is a completely false statement. Carnival has no day long nursery, it only has a group setting for late night babysitting. You obviously have not cruised Disney or the New RCCL Oasis of the Seas which has a nursery.

[sandytoes03]

You need to wait and see how your new little angel travels.

 

That said, I would choose Carnival hands down because they will be the most tolerable of you baby's needs at that age. They also have more babysitting than any other cruiselines.

 

I disagree. RCI Oasis or Disney would be best. They both offer nurseries for the baby, and splash zones for babies to play in.

 

RCI Freedom and Liberty offer splash zones, but no nurseries. In cabin baby sitting on RCI does not start until 1 year old.

 

Carnival sitting is usually only very late at night, and no splash zones.

 

I would choose Disney.

[c-cruise]

I don't think I would leave my 7 month old in a cruise ship nursery, but that is of course a personal decision. If you think you would take advantage of such a facility then definitely look into a line/ship that offers that as an option. Otherwise the two things I would look for are a line with larger cabins (including bathroom with a tub) and a reduced/free cruise fare for infants. A balcony is also a huge plus as it gives you somewhere to go while the baby is napping.

 

Surprisingly enough we found Holland America to be a great fit for cruising with our daughter. Took her first at 5 months (before the 6 month age restriction) and 4 times since. Their Vista class ships have a great "mini-suite" category which is large enough to accommodate the crib and baby gear, but not nearly the price of a full suite. Also have large bathrooms with two sinks and a tub and shower. We have found the staff to be very friendly and accommodating of young children, particularly in the Lido and dining room. While you can't leave a 7 month old in their kids area you can use Club HAL as a play space as long as a parent stays with the child.

[SensFan11]

As others have mentioned, there's so many factors at play here, including temperment of your child at seven months, and you and your husband's expectations.

 

We did seven nights on the Carnival Glory in January 2010 with our baby who was 11 months old at the time. Our greatest challenge was she was learning to walk at the time, which also meant she didn't really want to be carried or held. She was ok in the stroller for bits, but really wanted to get out and crawl, walk and explore...and there just aren't that many safe, appropriate places to do that on the ship! In this sense, it woud have been much easier when she was a bit younger (e.g. 6-8 months old)...similarly, we've found it's easier to fly with a baby before they're a year old...otherwise, it tends to be a challenge until they're 2 or 3 years old.

 

As mentioned, Carnival doesn't offer a nursery for this age...they do, however, offer infant time most days (usually noon - 2pm, might only be sea days) where parents can stay and play with their children or leave them in the care of counsellors (at $6 per hour)...we did both and our daughter really loved getting out and being able to explore a bit. Other than that, Carnival's only option is nighttime babysitting that doesn't start until 10pm!

 

We had an oceanview cabin...specifically chosen because its a little larger...not so much for the baby, but because we also have a five year old! They brought a crib for the baby that worked great!

 

Another thing to think about is how you'll spend your evenings. Children can be very different when it comes to sitting at formal dinners for extended periods (up to 90 minutes)...both our children are great, but I know that's more the exception than the rule. My in-laws also joined us for this cruise, which was also a great help, as they would some nights after dinner spend time with the baby or our five year old.

 

Overall, you have to remember it would be a different type of vacation. It could be a vacation from work or the weather, but it's not a vacation from being a parent...the one proviso to that would be that if one of you are planning to stay home with baby, at least on the cruise it will be two of you taking care of baby and sharing that load...just make sure the one of you who's working understand what that means too!

[jam82]

That is a completely false statement. Carnival has no day long nursery, it only has a group setting for late night babysitting. You obviously have not cruised Disney or the New RCCL Oasis of the Seas which has a nursery.

 

This is not a completely false statement, actually your statement that Carnival only has late night babysitting is false. Aside from evening babysitting from 10pm-3am every night, they also have babysitting for infants from 12pm-2pm on sea days and from arrival in port until 12noon on port days. You have obviously not done your research here.

 

I have not cruised Disney (and I never will) or Oasis (I may try that), however, both lines limit the number of hours that children can spend in their nursery. Carnival does not limit the number of hours an infant can spend. Therefore, Carnival does have more babysitting for infants than either Disney or RCCL.

 

The OP was looking for opinions, and I gave her mine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. One of the great things about CC is you get to learn from others. You do not have to agree with my opinion, but please do not tell me it is false when it is not.

[rolloman]

[quote=jam82;24131323

One of the great things about CC is you get to learn from others.

 

I hope you have your "learning cap" on. I agree with you, don't you worry about Disney even though they are completely set up for infants with pediatric medical staff, I am sure in the event if an illness were to happen, your beloved Carnival will make sure they get your baby treated on an island hospital in the middle of nowhere. Nevermind they have cabins bigger than any line with tubs and storage space. With a 7 month old its not that important. Disregard their infant and toddler pools. Pay no attention to the special attention and foods designed at dinner for the little one. Don't bother with those disney shows... and characters for the little ones , plus the channels on tv are littered with kids shows. All are very annoying to someone with a little one. It really does not matter they have multipe adult only areas including one of the best specialty restaurants at sea "Palos".

 

FYI, if you still have your learning cap on... Not sure if you watch the news but recently a Carnival ship lost a passenger, tried to rescue said passenger and sank their rescue boat in the process. By the way Disney was nearby and within no time at all saved the passenger. I guess having only two ships with a high retention rate skilled crew came in handy. You run along now and have fun on those Carnival ships specially designed for the heavy drinker. Those Disney ships which YOU have not sailed on are really not all that. Come to think of it, I do not even know why they built and are getting ready to release the state of the art Disney Dream end of this year. What a waste......

[jam82]

You can down Carnival all you want. It is not my favorite line by a long shot, but IMHO, they are still the best line to travel with an infant. I have sailed Carnival with an infant. Don't knock it until you try it. My statement that they have more babysitting than other major lines for an infant is true even though you want to say that is a false statement. Instead of presenting the facts, you want to sensationalize an isolated incident and be sarcastic.

 

We are all here to learn and share.

[Shelbyjane56]

That is a completely false statement. Carnival has no day long nursery, it only has a group setting for late night babysitting. You obviously have not cruised Disney or the New RCCL Oasis of the Seas which has a nursery.

 

So so true!! Disney is the way to go with babies,,,Your baby will have more fun and you will have a lot more fun!

[ifiteverstopsraining]

I'll be cruising with my 8 month old in July on Carnival. Thankfully we will be traveling with my family - almost 20 people!

[nvrdunn]

personally I will not do Disney until all my children are old enough to enjoy the Disney expierence for the cost I would be putting into it. I would agree though, Disney has more options for the under 2 crowd.

[skywalkervadar]

I'm not sure it matters which ship has more actual babysitting or nursery time. Your baby will be only 7 months old. Most parents have a hard enough time relinquishing their children to day care when they're 1 year old. My guess is if you do take advantage of on board nursery care, it will be for very short bursts of time.

 

If this is your first child, you may be surprised at how attached you become to them. It's not so easy letting even Grandma take them for an afternoon or evening, let alone a complete stranger on a giant ship floating in a huge ocean.

 

We'll be on our fifth cruise in May on the NCL Jewel with our 2.5 year old (her first cruise) and while we may let her play in the kids area for a bit, she'll still spend most of her time with us.

[lolakat]

I sailed with my daughter on NCL at 6 and 7 months. We chose NCL for the following reasons:

 

1. NCl does not charge an infant rate

2. Disney, the other line that doesn't charge an infant rate was nearly twice the price.

3. I couldn't see myself leaving her with a stranger/babysitter at that age anyway so I wasn't swayed to RCI/Disney/Carnival/Celebrity who all offer some form of infant babysitting or child care.

4. I would have liked the baby splash area on RCI or Disney but it wasn't a priority with a child that young (more of a proplem now.) We brought an inflatable pool which works for us.

4. I like the free style atmosphere and dining option with a child that age. I wanted to be flexable to her schedule and eat at a table with just our family.

5. The courtyard villas (or even the AB suites) are amazing and give the chlild a separate room to sleep in (IMO the best suite program on a mass market line) The relative peace and quite of the courtyard in fantasic for an infant compared to the main pool deck.

 

This May will be our 4th cruise on NCL with our DD (now 2.5 yr old). I don't know if I will stay with them once she is old enough to enjoy the extra child entertainment on Disney or the larger RCI ships. We will be checking out Disney next year the suites are truly outrageous with minimal perks compared to NCL. Also certain members of our party will miss the casino.

 

Overall, if you don't think you would use the babysitters on other lines I think NCL is a good choice. If you would use the babysitters I would do Disney first choice (if money allows) and RCI Oasis second. My personal experience on Carnival is limited and I did not bring my daughter so I won't comment except to say they are not my favorite line.

[rolloman]

I sailed with my daughter on NCL at 6 and 7 months. We chose NCL for the following reasons:

 

1. NCl does not charge an infant rate

2. Disney, the other line that doesn't charge an infant rate was nearly twice the price.

3. I couldn't see myself leaving her with a stranger/babysitter at that age anyway so I wasn't swayed to RCI/Disney/Carnival/Celebrity who all offer some form of infant babysitting or child care.

4. I would have liked the baby splash area on RCI or Disney but it wasn't a priority with a child that young (more of a proplem now.) We brought an inflatable pool which works for us.

4. I like the free style atmosphere and dining option with a child that age. I wanted to be flexable to her schedule and eat at a table with just our family.

5. The courtyard villas (or even the AB suites) are amazing and give the chlild a separate room to sleep in (IMO the best suite program on a mass market line) The relative peace and quite of the courtyard in fantasic for an infant compared to the main pool deck.

 

This May will be our 4th cruise on NCL with our DD (now 2.5 yr old). I don't know if I will stay with them once she is old enough to enjoy the extra child entertainment on Disney or the larger RCI ships. We will be checking out Disney next year the suites are truly outrageous with minimal perks compared to NCL. Also certain members of our party will miss the casino.

 

Overall, if you don't think you would use the babysitters on other lines I think NCL is a good choice. If you would use the babysitters I would do Disney first choice (if money allows) and RCI Oasis second. My personal experience on Carnival is limited and I did not bring my daughter so I won't comment except to say they are not my favorite line.

 

Thanks for Clarifying my post above as NCL is a great option for a 2 year old. My daughter is 23 months and has been on 6 cruises, number 7 is in July on the EPIC. I think Disney is expensive yet consider it insurance as the line is absolutely white glove and has the medical team and staff at the ready for children. There is a reason they are the only line who allows children at 3 months to sail. I will say I am not a fan of in cabin babysitting. Tried it twice now on RCCL and I am way more nervous about that method than an open nursery with several staff members working the floor. Anyways to each his own, but as far as the other poster goes, I can assure you anyone who says Carnival is more prepared to handle a 7 month old over Disney basically has no clue what they are talking about. It is the equivalent of chattering teeth on a desk. They dont go through the motions, Catering to children is is simply what they do. Period.

 

FYI OP- If your husband likes new ships the Brand New Disney Dream will be sailing during the time frame you mentioned. From the recent reports, the ship will be absolutely incredible. I am an Elite member on Celebrity and love the line but for your childs age trust me when I say it will not be a real vacation for you.