Cruising on Allure with 8 month old. Help!

[SavannahBanana]

We are heading to the Eastern Caribbean on the Allure on Sun, March 20th (next weekend, ahhhh!) with our 8 month old baby girl. I am having a hard time looking forward to this trip because, to be honest, the anxiety of packing and having her on the cruise has hit me. :confused:

 

She is still nursing, but eats solids three times a day. She has never had jarred baby food, because I make all of her food and puree it. What do I do about food? I'm worried about this because the first 6 months of her life she had a cows milk sensitivity whenever I ate anything with dairy in it. So I'm worried that mashed potatoes and things like that won't work at dinner.

 

Has anyone traveled with an 8 month old in a similar situation? I'm so lost as to what to pack, etc. It's not like a normal vacation in the states--where if we forget something, we can run to the store and buy it. :(

 

Does anyone have a packing list they can share with me? I would be most appreciative.

 

We are going to Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Since it's such a short day at Nassau, we are thinking about staying on the ship that day. But what about the other ports? We are not taking a car seat, so we need to keep that in mind. Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

Also, I know the stroller question has been brought up a lot, but we really hate the umbrella stroller. She is most comfortable in her jogging stroller--the City Mini (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_mini_lp.aspx). It can be reclined all the way for her while she's sleeping, and it's got storage underneath which would be crucial for ports. As you can see, it's not huge like the BOB, but do you think it would be too much for the ship?

 

Also, how is the nursery on board? We are thinking about using it just at nights when we want to catch a show and put her down to sleep there. That is, if I can handle leaving her with strangers. :rolleyes:

 

I know I have more questions, but right now this is all I can think of. Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!

[queenL]

I can't help you much with the food thing. We cruised when DD was 100% breastmilk then later once she was on table food. Most people seem to just bring jars of baby food onboard. Can you bring baby food that you make and store it in your cabin refrigerator? (I don't know the shelf life on your own puree.) If it were me I wouldn't want to chance that she would have foods she liked. Nor would I want to worry about sensitivity to certain foods or experiment with jarred food for the first time.

 

We were on the Oasis and it was incredible. I never felt comfortable leaving my daughter in kids club situations until she was talking. So I have little personal experience with the nursery. We did go a few times while we were on the Oasis but we stayed with her and just allowed her to use the play areas and activities. However, the other parents I met seemed to really love it. I didn't come across anyone with anything bad to say.

 

Don't let it stress you. You will have a wonderful cruise. I don't think there is better class of ships afloat then the Oasis class.

 

This was my old pack list for my daughter when she was an infant.

 

Breast pump/ components

Medicine (teething) Tylenol, thermometer/Vicks, neosporin

Duck bath tub

Bath toys

Car seat equivalent

Stroller

Sheets

Hiking carrier

Sippy cups/Bottles/Microwaveable sterilize bags

Soap to wash bottles/brush

Disposable bibs/placemats

Diapers/Swim diapers

Sunscreen

Kal toiletries- baby wash/lotion/diaper/comb/brush cream/toothpaste/toothbrush/thimble/travel shampoo/condit/leave in hair condit/face lotion/

Hat

Diapers

Bucket/Shovel/inflatable beach ball

Life vest

Sanitizing Clorox wipes

Maybe Clorox spray

Crib sheets/blankets

Wipes

Toys

1 Formal Dress

1 Dress

Clothing/shoes/socks

PJ's

nightlight

Toddler water socks

Laundry det

Swimsuit/Cover up

Sun glasses

Snacks

Disposable baby silverware

Bags/Diaper disposal bags

Pacifier

Juicy Juice

Carry on bag to carry all the things we will buy at the store

Diaper bag

Sweater

[cb at sea]

The ship will puree food if you ask. And there are alot of "mashable" foods, too...bananas, mashed potatoes,fruits, etc.....you shouldn't have a problem. Now might be a good time to start getting her used to some different tastes, if you haven't started already! I would start trying things that might have a tad of milk...she may have outgrown any sensitivity! Check before you go...it will make life easier! and, maybe start getting her used to some jarred food....it's great quality, and will be much easier to deal with than trying to bring your own, perishable foods!

[kitty9]

They will puree peas, carrots, corn, peaches and just about any other soft food. You can also feed her oatmeal that you've softened by adding either milk or water.

[LSP2005]

We were on Celebrity last year when DD was 8 months old. They made baby food for her. I would preorder her dinner the night before with our waiter. She also enjoyed fresh fruit every morning. Please note that some lines (Celebrity) don't have motors in their fridge. It is a gas canister designed to keep items chilled but not cold enough to store BM or formula. I brought our Peg P3 and was very happy with it. We also brought our back pack carrier and a high chair. Although they had high chairs available for use, they were the wooden style and at that time DD really needed the support our high chair provided. Also if she slept, we could recline her in the high chair.

I would remember a baby hat with chin straps

Baby suntan lotion

aloe vera

PJs for every night

extra clothing for you and your child

plastic bags

zip lock bags (for poop diapers)

disposable spoons (Celebrity had small spoons in the MDR but for other times it was nice to have our own spoons)

[RoadTripFanatic]

-When going out on an island make sure you pack a spare outfit for the baby in a ziplock bag. That way if she soils her outfit she has a spare and you have someplace to store the dirty outfit.

 

- Definately take your infant tylenol and a thermometer.

 

-Don't go nuts overpacking! Buy some travel sized dreft so if you need to wash something out in the sink. For a 7 day trip I usually packed 9 days worth of supplies. (Clothes, diapers, wipes, etc)

 

- Talk to your waiter. Tell them your DD has a milk allergy just to be safe. Anything they smash for her will not have milk in it. You don't want to deal with a reaction on the ship.

 

-Sunscreen! :) and a good hat.

[milton333]

We haven't cruised yet with DS, but just got back from a resort vacation with him. Have you seen those pouches of baby food? Plum Organics has them, and Target has a huge variety of different brands. http://www.plumorganics.com/for_second_blends.php It's pureed fruit and/or veggies in a squeezeable pouch. My DS (1 year) can just hold onto them and suck out the fruit/veggies. Very easy to pack, easier than jarred food. My grocery store also has Buddy Fruits and an applesauce in these style pouches.

 

Also, have you looked into baby-led solids? Throughout DS's life, we have used some pureed foods, but he's mostly gotten deconstructed versions of what we're eating for dinner. Very small pieces of meat, slightly over-cooked and soft veggies, rice, pasta, soups, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, lots of things that we're eating. By 8 months, she should be able to handle bits that are small enough to swallow without chewing. Remember that her esophagus is about the diameter of one of her fingers, so you want something smaller than that for ease of swallowing (if it's bigger, she'll just spit it out if she can't smash it, the danger is something that is the exact diameter of the esophagus, that's the choking hazard). But there's going to be a lot of soups, soft foods, and meats that can be cut small or shredded that you can feed her (or place on a tray/mat for her to feed herself).

[jules1121]

Also, I know the stroller question has been brought up a lot, but we really hate the umbrella stroller. She is most comfortable in her jogging stroller--the City Mini (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_mini_lp.aspx). It can be reclined all the way for her while she's sleeping, and it's got storage underneath which would be crucial for ports. As you can see, it's not huge like the BOB, but do you think it would be too much for the ship?

 

 

We never used our stroller on the ship but our LO was a little older so that was part of it. Have you looked at carriers like the Ergo. I loved having that on the islands because it kept DD close to me and I wasn't worried about turning away while DD was in the stroller.

[worldspan]

Whatever stroller you bring, make sure it has a narrow stance, narrow base. 10 days on Emerald Princess last fall I had a wider stance stroller for my grandson and it was pure hell trying to get around the room stewards carts which were parked in the hallways all morning and then all evening long. As such when I took him on maiden voyage of Allure on Dec 1st I took a much narrow stance stroller and life was so much easier!

 

Worldspan

 

128 cruises/129th April 21 2011 Radiance of the Seas

[KJENN]

I have a City Mini, and would love to bring it on our Oasis trip (DS will be 17 months) but I don't think i'm going to b/c of the wide rear wheel base-- Its constantly catching on things, and I can see it being a nightmare on a ship. But he loves it and sleeps so well I wish I could!

 

We bought a Britax Blink on albeebaby.com a few weeks ago just for the cruise- take a look at it if you're looking at lightweight strollers. It had everything I was looking for- its sturdy, tall handlebars, some storage, a good canopy and a deep recline, plus its an easy fold, lightweight and has a shoulder strap, and the footrest flips up so when he sleeps his legs aren't bent at the knees. I love it so far...they are hard to find in-store, but its very comparable (almost exactly like) a Maclaren Quest/Triumph but with a better recline, and Albee baby has it for $69 I think. Its very narrow.

 

As for food, we took DS to Mexico at that age, and packed lots of baby food to take with us. I fed him mostly organic, but for the trip I got the gerber plastic containers (easier to pack, no breakage)...he did great. Maybe you could get the baby used t o some commercial babyfood beforehand? Also, I have one of those food crank/grinder things...you could take one and make your own food out of what you get on the ship. But that seems like a ton of work for vacation, LOL.

[secbrb]

We are going on the same cruise as you with our 7 month old. (and our 9 and 7 year old kids). I know what you mean, I am most concerned about the baby. I have started to pack her, and it is overwhelming. Our baby is on formula, so we have that issue to deal with. Good luck and maybe we will see you on board!!

[jlaxelrod]

We took our City Mini on the Oasis in December and had no problem with it. The size was fine and it was perfect with the reclined seat and the large sun shade. I would definitely recommend bringing it!

[elephant98]

I have taken our City Mini on the Liberty of the Seas (twice) and the NCL Sky. There is just enough clearance to get into/out of the stateroom. Works great throught the ship and is especially handy in high traffic areas with long stretches to walk, like the promenade. It should come in handy on a huge ship like the Allure.

[Katiebug430]

We haven't cruised yet with DS, but just got back from a resort vacation with him. Have you seen those pouches of baby food? Plum Organics has them, and Target has a huge variety of different brands. http://www.plumorganics.com/for_second_blends.php It's pureed fruit and/or veggies in a squeezeable pouch. My DS (1 year) can just hold onto them and suck out the fruit/veggies. Very easy to pack, easier than jarred food. My grocery store also has Buddy Fruits and an applesauce in these style pouches.

 

We make most of DD's baby food at home but once or twice a week we resort to commercial organic baby food. I want to recommend the pouched baby foods. Not only do you not have to worry about container breakage like with glass jars, but they are lighter in weight and IMO the foods taste better than jarred food. We plan to bring the Plum Organics and Happy Baby pouches with us on our cruise.

 

Boon makes a dispensing baby spoon that screws on to the pouch nozzle and it works reasonably well (and works on at least Plum Organics and Happy Baby since they use the same pouching system; I have not tried it on Ella's Kitchen). Our 7.5 month old can't handle the pouch on her own yet.

 

As others have said there should be "mashable" options on the normal menu and at the buffet. Annabel Karmel makes a great little masher bowl for mashing and feeding soft foods. I've used it so far for avocado, cooked potato, bananas, and blueberries. As baby gets older you can use it on whatever you're eating for your meal.

 

Fortunately even if she's a little off on her solids intake on the cruise, she's still nursing and will likely make up for it with mama's milk. ;)

 

I don't have a recommendation on the stroller, as we plan to bring an umbrella stroller (UppaBaby G-Luxe). I want the stroller to take up as little space as possible in the cabin especially since it'll already be crowded with the pack & play. We babywear a lot and either the Ergo or my Baby Hawk will be coming along as well.

[SavannahBanana]

Whew! I am SO relieved to hear that others have had great experiences with bringing the City Mini. This was one of my major concerns! She sleeps great in that stroller, so I was really hoping to take it! Thank you guys so much for all the hints and tips!

[vicarella]

Just get them to puree the food for you, you can request this ahead of time. Here's a good website with a list of packing items for children. http://www.havebabywilltravel.com/tips_info/tips_info.htm

 

In St. Thomas we went to Magens Bay. We took a safari open car which I do not recommend. Take a taxi (normal one). It will cost you 8.00 there and back per adult your child is free. Or if you wish you can get a taxi for the day for 150.00 (With a car seat!). Here is a contact

Alvin Raymond

Islander Taxi Services, Inc.

Islander Taxi <islandertaxiservices@yahoo.com>

 

We never used the nursery on board but we used the kids club and I stayed with her to play in the afternoon.

[FMZ]

Your stroller is fine, we took 3 cruises with our DD and brought the big boy stroller and had no problem!

[cantw8togo]

She is still nursing, but eats solids three times a day. She has never had jarred baby food, because I make all of her food and puree it. What do I do about food? I'm worried about this because the first 6 months of her life she had a cows milk sensitivity whenever I ate anything with dairy in it. So I'm worried that mashed potatoes and things like that won't work at dinner.

 

Has anyone traveled with an 8 month old in a similar situation?

 

We are going to Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Since it's such a short day at Nassau, we are thinking about staying on the ship that day. But what about the other ports? We are not taking a car seat, so we need to keep that in mind. Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

 

 

Yes, I have traveled when nursing my DS who is allergic to dairy which meant that I wasn't consuming dairy either. You can ask that your meal be prepared without dairy and they usually ask that you preorder the night before. Usually they ask that you notify the special needs desk when you book so you may catch them off guard, but I'm sure that you won't be first one with a dairy allergy. We don't worry about cross contamination (he is still allergic at age 7 although 80% of kids outgrow it by age 3) and when he was still nursing, I didn't worry about consuming small amounts of dairy myself, but he has always avoided it.

 

As you are probably already aware, dairy lurks in so many things, but there are lots of alternatives. You can ask for substitutions of veggies or rice instead of things like mashed potatoes, although many veggies are dressed with butter, just ask them to leave it off or use olive oil or margarine if it is dairy free. You can always ask for a boiled potato and mash it with a fork for your daughter. Many of the buns have diary in them although I do remember that they had one style that was okay. The only dairy free dessert that they had was jello although you can ask them to prepare something specifically for you. On our recent cruise (with NCL) we had them make some chocolate cookies for our DS that he had each day for dessert. If there is a Ben & Jerry's on board, they serve a true fruit sorbet that doesn't contain dairy and the apple pie at Johnny Rocket's is also dairy free although probably not cost free. When we were on the Indy last year, all of the fruit sorbets in the MDR were technically sherberts as they contain milk. Be sure to ask them to check the ingredients.

 

They generally stock soy milk, even in the buffet, but you have to ask for it. You can ask to speak to a sous chef in the buffet who will go over everthing with you and tell what doesn't contain dairy and what can be altered or prepared fresh.

 

As others have said, the kitchen can puree anything you need with no dairy or salt for your little one.

 

Regarding the ports of call; in St Maarten, it is about a 10 minute walk into town or there is a water taxi and the beach is quite nice. In St Thomas, I think RCL docks at Crown Bay which is closer to town, but if you are at the other dock, there is a butterfly park near the dock and there is also the Paradise Point gondola which take you up to a look out point.

 

I hope you get a chance to read this before you sail.

 

Hope this helps and let us know how your trip went.

 

N.

[staceyeileen]

We cruised when DS was 9 months old, and it sounds like we had similar situations. I primarily made his baby food when at home but did bring along the pouched organic food on the cruise. We brought the city mini, and he napped in it pretty much every afternoon while we walked out on deck. We also brought our fisher price booster seat and it came in handy when I wanted to feed him in the cabin (I'm not a fan of using restaurant high chairs). But, we live within driving distance of the port so packing light was not really a concern.

[alexieb]

I cruised on the Valor in 2004 when my son was 8 months old. We brought a reclining stroller. He fell asleep in it and we were able to go to the late seating in the dining room every night. We just covered the stroller with a blanket and park it at the end of our table and he slept while we ate. We took him out when the singing started.

 

I brought gerber organics baby food and a case of water to make formula.

[jt20]

Can you let me know how ur trip went? I will be experiencing the same on te allure on dec 8 and am getting so anxious about all the packing, food and excursions. Did you have a fridge in the cabin? Pack n play? High chair? What did u end up doing at the ports? Any info u cqn provide will be helpful.

 

Thank you!

 

 

We are heading to the Eastern Caribbean on the Allure on Sun, March 20th (next weekend, ahhhh!) with our 8 month old baby girl. I am having a hard time looking forward to this trip because, to be honest, the anxiety of packing and having her on the cruise has hit me. :confused:

 

She is still nursing, but eats solids three times a day. She has never had jarred baby food, because I make all of her food and puree it. What do I do about food? I'm worried about this because the first 6 months of her life she had a cows milk sensitivity whenever I ate anything with dairy in it. So I'm worried that mashed potatoes and things like that won't work at dinner.

 

Has anyone traveled with an 8 month old in a similar situation? I'm so lost as to what to pack, etc. It's not like a normal vacation in the states--where if we forget something, we can run to the store and buy it. :(

 

Does anyone have a packing list they can share with me? I would be most appreciative.

 

We are going to Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Since it's such a short day at Nassau, we are thinking about staying on the ship that day. But what about the other ports? We are not taking a car seat, so we need to keep that in mind. Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

Also, I know the stroller question has been brought up a lot, but we really hate the umbrella stroller. She is most comfortable in her jogging stroller--the City Mini (http://www.babyjogger.com/city_mini_lp.aspx). It can be reclined all the way for her while she's sleeping, and it's got storage underneath which would be crucial for ports. As you can see, it's not huge like the BOB, but do you think it would be too much for the ship?

 

Also, how is the nursery on board? We are thinking about using it just at nights when we want to catch a show and put her down to sleep there. That is, if I can handle leaving her with strangers. :rolleyes:

 

I know I have more questions, but right now this is all I can think of. Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!