Not informed I had to request baby food

[pinotjolie]

So I'm frustrated. I'm going on the Celebrity Summit next month with my husband, my then 11 month old, and my parents. Our daughter is slowly eating solids, but is primarily eating pureed foods.

My frustration is that I was never informed that I needed to specially request baby food for her. Maybe I'm naive as a new mom, but no one ever asked even when her age is on the reservation. If I had known what I needed to do, I would have done it-but it was never mentioned. So all in all, I'm paying a lot of money for my 11 month old to eat food that I have to bring from California to New Jersey.

Any suggestions? And please don't tell me to leave the baby at home (which people have in a previous post when I asked for hints for cruising with a baby-sheesh, so not helpful).

Thanks.

[notentirelynormal]

I haven't sailed on Celebrity but... why can't you send in a special request now for baby food? Did someone say its too late? I know on Princess we fax in a form found under special dietary requests and specifically tell them what food the baby eats and how much. Also, again on Princess, I know that they will puree the food for the baby as well. Call whoever you booked the cruise through, TA or cruise line and tell them you want baby food. You're right, you paid for the kid, they should give her food!

[pinotjolie]

After I posted, I decided to try for a third time (I'm not big on complaining, as a teacher I try to be a role model, but I felt wronged in some way). I explained my problem to the customer service person, and she turned out to be the person in charge of baby food ordering. Needless to say, she had to pull a few strings, but it appears that I will have baby food for the cruise. I really love cruising on Celebrity, so I was a bit disappointed that this was a problem. But good customer service makes me happy!

 

What I've learned from this experience-

Don't assume anything-I assumed that because our reservation had a crib, high chair request and our baby's age that food would be provided as well.

 

Baby food requests on Celebrity are due 40 days in advance.

 

Don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you don't understand something.

 

When I received the order form-there was quite a selection. For our weeklong cruise, we get two containers of Similac, two baby cereals, and 28 baby food jars.

 

Thanks!

[mymollysue]

Are you paying extra for the baby food and formula?

[c-cruise]

Yeah, we have run into this same issue on HAL as well. Fortunately our TA informed us of the need to request baby food in advance and we were able to get the order form and make our decisions early. The prices charged were pretty silly so we opted to just bring our own supplies onboard. It has always been a pet peeve of mine that they charge a cruise fare for an infant and then don't provide baby food. They provide food for those with other special dietary requirements (diabetic, gluten free, etc.) why not formula and baby food. Anyway, glad you were able to get it worked out and enjoy your trip. We have found that it's a lot easier to cruise with a baby at 11 months than when they get to be 2-3 yrs old!

[pinotjolie]

I'm fairly certain (but why should I assume anything?!) that the formula and food is included. Of course, I will find out as soon as I get the bill! The form I filled out didn't mention anything about cost, and I'm lead to believe it's included since the form said how much I could order, and if I ordered additional items it would cost $40.

I think it should be included! It's not like Lia is going to be eating food, swimming in the pool, or going to the shows. I was thinking that cruises should think about making staterooms more baby friendly for those of us with little ones. It would be a good niche to fill!

[Seraphine]

So I'm frustrated. I'm going on the Celebrity Summit next month with my husband, my then 11 month old, and my parents. Our daughter is slowly eating solids, but is primarily eating pureed foods.

 

 

We travelled with our 11 month old daughter in April. We had no issues getting food for her, and it never occurred to me to ask about special baby food.

 

Breakfast - porridge with mashed fruit, or scrambled egg (her favourite). Could get these at either the buffet or the MDR.

 

Lunch - mashed potato and vegetables from the buffet, with a bit of meat cut fine. She has lots of teeth, and didn't need everything pureed - she was quite happy with some texture.

 

Dinner - as we had the late sitting (by choice), we tended to feed our kids a late afternoon snack, so our daughter's snack was more "dinner". Again something from the buffet - lots of options. Vegetables can easily be mashed with a fork in a bowl, and there's always lots of fresh fruit available. Our daugher liked a bit of soup and bread as well.

 

Late dinner (ie, when we went for our late sitting), she wouldn't have a full meal, but would nibble on things and have tastes of things off our plates. We usually brought some cheerios for her to chase around her highchair, and she loved bits of bread and cheese. She was an absolute star the whole time, and we had so many people express shock there was a small baby at our table as they hadn't heard her all night.

 

She was also still getting formula - she loves her bottles and I was worried about dehydration as we come from a cold climate, so I knew she was getting enough nutrition from that. But she loved to try new foods, and there's very little she didn't like. Much more adventurous than our first (but then, as he was our first, we were kind of protective of him and I don't think I fed him anything interesting until he was closer to 18 months... he's now the world's pickiest eater). Our daughter is now one year, and won't touch baby food jars - it's the only thing she refuses!

 

For formula, we purchased it before we got on the ship. We would have had to buy it anyway, and I never expected to find it on a ship. I tried her on a US brand a few days before boarding (to see if she would tolerate it) and as it was fine, I bought two tins to take with me.

 

 

* Oh, I just see you got a resolution - that's great! I hope you and your family and wee baby have a great time :) Good for you for trying that third time for a resolution.

[CruiserInMD]

Don't assume anything-I assumed that because our reservation had a crib, high chair request and our baby's age that food would be provided as well.

 

At 11 months, my son was eating everything we were. He stopped eating purees very early. I would never have assumed a cruise line would be providing baby food for him...even if he were younger. What I would've assumed is that I would need to pack anything special like that for him, or pre-order it.

[SuperCoolOne]

I am with the others. All of our babies were eating pretty much regular food by 11 months.

 

I wasn't much for buying jarred baby food so once they started showing interest in eating. I just mashed up bits of what we were eating (I would use a small fraction of the seasonings and such).

 

It's pretty easy to mash up rice or request steamed veggies and such.

[Mack2]

If you can bear it, you can try to carefully load up your carry-on bag with food (to bypass the >50lb weight surcharge on checked luggage)

 

I don't think it would be too much trouble to ask the food service people to puree some food. Additionally, there's always mashed potatoes somewhere on the ship. If your child can handle soft fruits or soups, that's also readily available.

 

While you might not get Gerber baby food on board, I'm sure you can "make it work". Remember, there is also a population of geriatrics aboard cruise ships, so there HAS to be food that is soft enough to mush to cater to the denture crowd.

[c-cruise]

If you can bear it, you can try to carefully load up your carry-on bag with food (to bypass the >50lb weight surcharge on checked luggage)

 

I would just buy what you need when you get to your destination rather than packing it all onto the plane. More difficult if you are flying in the same day as your cruise, but if you have a day or two pre-cruise it is a good option.

[mjkacmom]

I'm another who's babies were done with jarred food by that age. It's funny, my oldest ate babyfood for the longest, but by the time my twins were 10 months old (#4 and #5), they were eating tablefood 100% of the time. It was just SO much easier for them to fingerfeed themselves!

[Rapunsel]

[Remember, there is also a population of geriatrics aboard cruise ships, so there HAS to be food that is soft enough to mush to cater to the denture crowd.

 

LOVE THIS! I am also an RDA so that makes me smile...

[mrs.mobster]

I havent read any of the replies, but I wanted to add that we took our 11.5 month of DD last jan on the Summit too, and she was eating everything we ate. I know all babies are different and all parents feed thier kids differently, but I would think at 11 months she should be able to eat nearly everything on the menu. That said, they can absolutely puree foods or cook them very softly for you, no problem if you want to avoid packaged baby foods if your baby is still on purees.

[imsulin]

Don't assume anything-I assumed that because our reservation had a crib, high chair request and our baby's age that food would be provided as well.

 

At 11 months, my son was eating everything we were. He stopped eating purees very early. I would never have assumed a cruise line would be providing baby food for him...even if he were younger. What I would've assumed is that I would need to pack anything special like that for him, or pre-order it.

 

I'm with you. Even when my kids were young, they were eating mashed table food and things like Cheerios, cottage cheese, yogurt, rice, oatmeal, white fish.... at about 6-7 months. Baby food went hasta la bye bye at about 6 months. Similac at 11 months? I don't get that one, but maybe that's just me. Anyway, hope all works well for OP!

[Cuizer2]

So I'm frustrated. I'm going on the Celebrity Summit next month with my husband, my then 11 month old, and my parents. Our daughter is slowly eating solids, but is primarily eating pureed foods.

My frustration is that I was never informed that I needed to specially request baby food for her. Maybe I'm naive as a new mom, but no one ever asked even when her age is on the reservation. If I had known what I needed to do, I would have done it-but it was never mentioned. So all in all, I'm paying a lot of money for my 11 month old to eat food that I have to bring from California to New Jersey.

Any suggestions? And please don't tell me to leave the baby at home (which people have in a previous post when I asked for hints for cruising with a baby-sheesh, so not helpful).

Thanks.

 

ANYTIME you need anything out of the ordinary, don't assume that the person you are dealing with will realize it even if it seem obvious. This includes baby food (your issue) and linking two cabins, booked at the same time, by the same person, for dinner (my surprise issue).

 

In short, better to ask and be told it has already been taken care of then to not ask and find out it has not been taken care of.

[Bakincakes]

Any pax, no matter the age, who needs specialty foods should contact special needs.

 

I don't know why your childs age should have been the determining factor. Every child is different..you can't assume that Celebrity would know your childs eating habits.

 

How would you have reacted if your child was eating regular foods and they just automatically brought gruel for her to eat every night instead of consulting you first?

[Maryscooking]

Similac at 11 months? I don't get that one, but maybe that's just me.

 

Cows milk is not recommended for babies until they are one year old. I can't remember the specifics, but it has something to do with the proteins and digestion, and it can make them sick.

 

So if a child is not nursing at 11 months, they should be on a formula like Similac - even if they eat other "non-baby" foods.

[SunniLicious]

Similac at 11 months? I don't get that one, but maybe that's just me.

 

Yes, it's just you. Babies require a full-fat milk source until age 2 for proper brain myelination, and should not have cow milk before their first birthday. Breastmilk or formula should comprise the bulk of their caloric intake for the first 12 months.

[lilipad2]

My guy didn't eat solids until about 8 months so I understand where you're coming from. I wouldnt' bring too much baby food frankly. She's about a yr and should be able to handle a good many of the solids that will already be available on board. You can cut things up or mash them with a fork. She should be getting the bulk of her nutrition from you or formula at this point anyway. I imagine there will be a good number of foods you can feed to her that will be good -- fish, fruit, etc. Good luck!

[imsulin]

Yes, it's just you. Babies require a full-fat milk source until age 2 for proper brain myelination, and should not have cow milk before their first birthday. Breastmilk or formula should comprise the bulk of their caloric intake for the first 12 months.

 

Wow!! If only we'd known this in the 70's! At 11 months, my five were "weaned" and eating table foods (including.. "gasp"...cow's milk!) Guess I'll make them return the one PhD, the three MA degrees, and the BA. Seems like my two grandkids are similarly doomed.....

[SunniLicious]

Wow!! If only we'd known this in the 70's! At 11 months, my five were "weaned" and eating table foods (including.. "gasp"...cow's milk!) Guess I'll make them return the one PhD, the three MA degrees, and the BA. Seems like my two grandkids are similarly doomed.....

 

21st century babies deserve the benefit of 21st century knowledge.

 

I was driven home from the hospital after a five-week NICU stay without a carseat; in fact, I was placed between my parents on the bench seat as they drove. I survived, but that doesn't mean today's safer alternatives are pointless. I have a master's and a doctorate, but not because of that ride home.

 

I can understand you'd be sensitive to today's recommendations, because it implies the way you did things was "wrong", when really you were just doing what "normal" was at the time. "Normal" has changed. Parents today would not be allowed to take a newborn home without a carseat, and parents today are given very different feeding recommendations - based on quality, systematic study - than what was de rigeur just a generation ago.

[sailinglisa]

Wow!! If only we'd known this in the 70's! At 11 months, my five were "weaned" and eating table foods (including.. "gasp"...cow's milk!) Guess I'll make them return the one PhD, the three MA degrees, and the BA. Seems like my two grandkids are similarly doomed.....

 

I agree! I was fed milk before I was a year old........maybe I should return my nursing degree.

[Cuizer2]

Wow!! If only we'd known this in the 70's! At 11 months, my five were "weaned" and eating table foods (including.. "gasp"...cow's milk!) Guess I'll make them return the one PhD, the three MA degrees, and the BA. Seems like my two grandkids are similarly doomed.....

 

As long as it is not a BS degree I think they will be fine.

[uppitycats]

Wow!! If only we'd known this in the 70's! At 11 months, my five were "weaned" and eating table foods (including.. "gasp"...cow's milk!) Guess I'll make them return the one PhD, the three MA degrees, and the BA. Seems like my two grandkids are similarly doomed.....

 

There's a lot of us in this situation! :eek: I bet you didn't wear helmets when you rode your bike, either..or shinguards, or wrist guards. How did we ever survive childhood!!!! :eek:

 

I do think that an average 11 month old (I'm not talking about a child with special needs, physical issues, etc.) should be well on his/her way to eating solid food...and a fork always seems to work well to mash up most things quite adequately.