Would you take an 8-month old baby on the Royal Carribean "Serenade of the Seas"?

[Sandeebeach]

Hi,

 

My husband and I are thinking about taking our 8-month old girl with a few friends on the Royal Carribean "Serenade of the Seas" in March for 7-days to the Southern Carribean (San Juan, Antigua, St Johns, St Lucia, etc.).

 

I called RC who advised me that there is a pack n play I can borrow, and I can request a fridge for food in our room. Apparently, babies are not allowed in the pool due to health regulation but there is the Royal Babies program which offers arts/crafts, fisher price learning program, stroller work-out programs.

 

Since my husband and I will be cruising for the first time, we have some questions:

 

1. Would you bring a baby on a cruise?

2. What room would you book? Inside vs balcony room?

3. Have you left your baby in the nursery (i understand they charge $8/hr).

What has that experience been like? Did you feel safe?

4. What practical considerations should we be aware of when traveling on a cruise and when we go to the ports?

5. Did you have any problems bringing your baby in the dining room, specialty restaurant, to watch shows, entertainment, etc.??

6. Looking back, did you enjoy cruising with your baby?

 

Any tips/advice would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Sandy

[cb at sea]

If you want the baby with you, bring it. If you have someone you trust to babysit, then leave it...the baby won't care one way or the other. Babies cost the same as adults on RCI!

If you bring baby, get a balcony...you'll need someplace "to be" while baby is napping or asleep at night. You don't want to be stuck in a small cabin in the (near) dark all evening! A balcony will give you someplace to sit, read, chat, without being "in" the cabin.

The child care folks on the ship are well-trained....you should have no issues with the care of your child. Not sure Serenade has the "nursery" option yet...check that out!

Babies are welcome in all venues (except casino)....taking them to the dining room isn't a problem.

The ship has P&P's...you won't have to bring one. Request it in advance.

 

You will need to bring any and all personal items for your child....diapers, wipes, etc....the ship doesn't usually have them for sale...if they do, they will be expensive and my not be the right size/brand. Bring strollers/carriers for ashore. Don't book looooong excursions...baby will be bored and fussy and you wouldn't be happy then!

Babies are NOT allowed in the pools. Bring a small, inflatable something...useful for bathing baby....there are only tubs in JS's and above, so you may well have a shower. An inflatable will make bathing easier!

[kitty9]

There are a few considerations. Is your baby a good sleeper, or a night time screamer? Cabin walls are thin and if you have a colicky infant, you will have unhappy neighbors. Unless I'm mistaken, that ship doesn't have a nursery, and babysitting is not available to infants under age one.

 

Of course you can bring a baby into the show lounge or dining room, but of course if the baby becomes fussy, parents do leave the room.

 

The Royal Babies program is only 45 minutes a day.

 

I think it's easier to travel with an infant than with a high energy toddler. But, only you know your baby and if taking a cruise will fit with his/her temperament

[sandytoes03]

I would try to go on a ship that has a nursery for babies (Disney, Oasis, Allure, or early 2011 Freedom and Indy, any others??) and a splash pool for babies. Again, same ships as above. If I would be willing to pay the 3rd person fee for a baby, I would want at least a few amenities. Also, JMHO, I wouldn't cruise out of San Juan. I would find a closer port, maybe even one I could drive to, so that I could bring as much gear as I wanted. But I live on the East coast, so this might be easier for me than for some.

 

If you do go though, have an awesome time and come back and let us know how it went!

[jam82]

Hi,

 

My husband and I are thinking about taking our 8-month old girl with a few friends on the Royal Carribean "Serenade of the Seas" in March for 7-days to the Southern Carribean (San Juan, Antigua, St Johns, St Lucia, etc.).

 

I called RC who advised me that there is a pack n play I can borrow, and I can request a fridge for food in our room. Apparently, babies are not allowed in the pool due to health regulation but there is the Royal Babies program which offers arts/crafts, fisher price learning program, stroller work-out programs.

 

Since my husband and I will be cruising for the first time, we have some questions:

 

1. Would you bring a baby on a cruise?

2. What room would you book? Inside vs balcony room?

3. Have you left your baby in the nursery (i understand they charge $8/hr).

What has that experience been like? Did you feel safe?

4. What practical considerations should we be aware of when traveling on a cruise and when we go to the ports?

5. Did you have any problems bringing your baby in the dining room, specialty restaurant, to watch shows, entertainment, etc.??

6. Looking back, did you enjoy cruising with your baby?

 

Any tips/advice would be appreciated. Thanks :)

Sandy

 

1. Yes, I would, but it would depend on the baby. If she is an easy baby go for it. I cruised with my son at 11 months and 14 months. Both times were very easy. I also cruised with him at 18 months and it wasn't that easy, but we managed.

2. I'd book a balcony so you have some place to go while the baby naps.

3. I never cruised RCL with my baby. We only cruised Carnival because we felt their child care better suited our needs. Yes, we left him in camp and was a bit nervous at first, but we were extremely happy with the care he received.

4. Again, it depends on your baby. Only you know how they tick. Generally, I would say bring a stroller and all supplies that you normally carry for a day out with baby including a baby medicine kit. If your baby is fine with day long outings at home, then they should also be fine with them on a cruise.

5. We never had a problem bringing the baby to the dining room. We had late seating so we knew he would be asleep and he slept by us in his stroller. It was easy as pie. We just made sure we got there early so we could get the stroller in without a traffic jam. Asleep or not, I didn't think it was a good idea to bring him to a speciality restaurant. I think many people eat there so they don't have to see children and I didn't want to change that. We don't usually go to shows, but there are many people who will bring babies to the shows as long as they are quiet. The babies seem to really like the lights and music.

6. Yes, our son is now 3.5 and will take his 14th cruise this year so you can see we like cruising with him. 18-24 months was not my favorite time to cruise with him. As an infant it was easy and now it's easy again.

[onthelake]

You did not mention if any of your friends have small children. If they are child-free partiers (dancing to the wee hours), or ready for hours on the beach with a few beverages you may feel left out or as if you did not get enough for your money if you have to spend a lot of 'baby time' in your cabin. If they also have kids, you will be more in sync with how you spend your time and can, perhaps, share or trade some child care time.

 

Think about what you expect from the cruise, how much will it cost and will you be able to enjoy yourselves enough to make it a reasonable choice. As others have said, only you know your child and some babies are definately easier than others at that age. We have always found cruising a great family vacation but we were not trying to travel with others when DS was that age.

[Julienatul]

1) Yes, we sailed with both DD and DS starting at 7mo each and avaerage 2 cruises a year with them.

 

2) balcony so that you and DH can enjoy while baby sleeps. If all you can afford is inside we have done that as well just bring magazines, books etc.

 

3) yes, they are safe. They will give you a pager or cellphone and call you if baby becomes unconsolable

 

4) Bring a stroller, dont choose long excursions that baby might not be able to handle, think low key and flexible

 

5) With DD at 7mo we chose late seating and just put her to sleep in her stroller, she never woke during dinner since she was used to sleeping around 7-7:30. With DS we had DD who was 3 so we had to do early seating. We would bring jarred baby food and feed him right at dinner and we would take turns if he was fussy.

 

6) loved it, that is the easiest age to travel since they are not mobile yet! DD age 5 is going on her 11th cruise in a few weeks and DS age 20mo is going on his 4th so yes we love it!!! Easiest way by far to travel with young kids since everything is right there. Remember to take turns giving each other a break and relax dont be stringent. If baby is fussy consider ordering room service and eating on the balcony. Just go with the flow

[6rugrats]

You did not mention if any of your friends have small children. If they are child-free partiers (dancing to the wee hours), or ready for hours on the beach with a few beverages you may feel left out or as if you did not get enough for your money if you have to spend a lot of 'baby time' in your cabin. If they also have kids, you will be more in sync with how you spend your time and can, perhaps, share or trade some child care time.

 

Totally agree with this. If your friends do not have children, IME, they will not understand the care your child requires, and they will be participating in activities that you can't enjoy. There is no nursery on your ship, only on Oasis. Even if there was a nursery, you would be limited to 12 hours of use for your entire trip. As stated, babysitting is only available to children one year of age and older, so you will have your child with you 24/7.

 

I would not have cruised with any of my children at this age. They were good sleepers, but just didn't do well in strange situations. I would have been stressed out and constantly worrying if they were going to make noise or upset other people. A land vacation worked better for us then. Each child is different.

[AgVball]

I would at least get a Balcony if you can - but it is doable in smaller rooms too. If you have a balcony - you may have to create your own dividing curtain because RCCL doesn't have one - its just a decorative curtain in the pictures.

 

We took our twins at 10 months and it went smoothly so much that we signed up for another when they were 20 months - it was not as great. At 10 months, they weren't as mobile - easy to just push around - they just looked around and absorbed what was going on.

 

Oh, for the refrigerator, we found that ours was not very cold (for keeping milk/formula)...we requested a "medical" refrigerator and it kept things much colder!

 

Yes - they have pack-n-plays - get your Travel Agent to request one ahead of time.

 

At the time, RCCL offered in-room babysitting. I can't remember if it was for 1 year olds, or if we just said they were 1...either way...it worked out great for us to go out for dinner without the kids. We also had in the back of our mind that they may not do well with the sitters and we would have to make alternate plans. We always expect something to go wrong...and just adjust...but it worked out (at 10 months). I'm not sure if RCCL still has sitting or not.

 

Your baby will pay the same rate as an adult for a 3rd passenger.

Like some others have said - what do you want out of your cruise - relax by the pool - enjoy some shows? You may or may not be able to do this with your baby. Your friends - what do they plan to do - do they have kids?

We drive to our port - so we don't have experience with flying to a port for a cruise.

 

When our kids were 10 months - I think we only got off the ship once (7 day cruise) and we just took a taxi van tour of Cozumel. When they were 20 months, we took a taxi to the beach for just a little bit.

 

At 8 months, they are still taking at least 2 naps if not 3, right? If they are good about sleeping anywhere or while they are in strollers, then no problem. Otherwise, you'll have to plan your days around being in the room so they can nap.

[beachchick]

1. Would you bring a baby on a cruise?

2. What room would you book? Inside vs balcony room?

3. Have you left your baby in the nursery (i understand they charge $8/hr).

What has that experience been like? Did you feel safe?

4. What practical considerations should we be aware of when traveling on a cruise and when we go to the ports?

5. Did you have any problems bringing your baby in the dining room, specialty restaurant, to watch shows, entertainment, etc.??

6. Looking back, did you enjoy cruising with your baby?

 

I'm assuming you mean she will be 8 months old on the cruise? That's how I'm answering. If she is 8 months old now, then my answers would be almost the same, but not quite.

 

If she will be 8 months on the cruise, then she is about 2-3 months old now. She will change so much over the next several months that it's going to be hard for you to know how well she will travel or what little "quirks" she will have developed. Be ready to change plans if you decide she will not handle travel or changes well at that age. Keep as much to schedule as possible. If you haven't, I highly recommend that you do a "trial" overnight somewhere before the cruise--Anywhere will do because this is a test to see how she does.

 

1. We would not have, but many parents do successfully and joyfully. It's a different experience than cruising with only adults or with older children, of course. As with many things, expectations and experiences must be adjusted once you have a baby.

 

2. Balcony, at a minimum; mini-suite with bathtub if possible. Inside? No way.

 

3. I've not doubt that the nurseries are safe on ships that have them, but Serenade does not have an infant/toddler nursery and is not scheduled to be retrofit with one. They also do not offer in-cabin babysitting for children younger than 1 year, so that's not an option. You will have the baby with you at all times. That's not a bad thing, but it is a consideration. Correct that your little one will not be able to go in any pools or water facilities. There are "Royal Babies" and "Royal Tots" play sessions for children younger than 3 (which is the minimum age for the children's program), but they are not held in the children's club facilities and a parent/adutl must remain with the child for during the 45 minute session. (Note: The only thing different if she is 8 months old now and will be more than 12 months on the cruise is that in-cabin babysitting is available, but not guaranteed and must be arranged in advance.)

 

4. You'll need to bring all the supplies you need with you: Diapers and everything that goes with them; formula (if applicable); infant medications (e.g., Tylenol) and thermometer; baby sunblock; stroller and car seat; plenty of clothes; a blow up tub to put in the shower if your cabin doesn't have a tub; familiar things from home (a blankie, toys); fitted pack-n-play or crib sheets (more on that in a minute); possible teething needs--a biggie because you do not want to have a screaming baby all night long, for your sake and for your neighbors. You will typically have started solid foods by then and most cruise lines will puree some items for you, but many parents bring or order some standard baby food for sensitive tummies.

 

You need to request a pack-n-play in advance. They tuck in regular sheets, rather than using the properly sized fitted ones. That's why you need to bring your own.

 

Be very careful with sun exposure. The Caribbean sun is fierce and can cause overheating and sunburn before you know it. Hats, sunscreen, covered stroller, etc. are necessities.

 

Do not plan on any regular excursions in ports. Most are not appropriate for babies. A ride or stroll to a beach or other simple activity is your best bet.

 

5. You will be able to bring your daughter to the dining rooms, buffet, and pretty much all non "adults only" activities. Just be prepared to leave if she becomes fussy. She will not be allowed in the casino, except to pass through to elsewhere. You will not be allowed to have here her stroller next to you while you play. She will not be allowed in the Solarium, spa, gym, adult shows, and certain other areas/activities. I mention this just so you can plan what you will and will not be able to do, not to discourage you in any way. Are your friends bringing young children? If so, then you should be working from the same "play book" for planning; if not, be sure they and you are prepared for how different the cruise will be for you with a very young child.

 

6. Can't answer that, but I can say that we loved traveling with our daughter when she was young. But it is a lot of work and not at all a "vacation" in the sense that many people think of one. It depends on what you want out of the cruise and what your preferences are.

 

beachchick