How bad is a cruise w/ an infant/toddler???

[Iggipolka]

As you mentioned you had extra hands. When I sailed with my older son it wasn't as big of a deal because he would sit in the cabin at night if we wanted to go out for an hour. But without helping hands- its 24/7 with a toddler.

 

I'm 24/7 at home with my toddler, so it's really no different for me taking her on a cruise. I actually found it easier to travel with her because of all of the stimulation and new things she was exposed to. It certainly kept us both busy and entertained.

[NJfoodie]

We sailed w/ DS last spring when he was 14 months old, and will be doing it again this summer at just over 2 yrs old. Given that our intent was a family vacation w/ the little guy, it really came down to the cruise being one of the easiest ways for us to vacation as a family and was reasonably cost-effective, especially as we prefer to sail out of NYC where we won't have to fly. Flying w/ a toddler was manageable when we went overseas last winter to visit great-grandma, but exhausting.

 

Our experience last year was sailing out of NYC to port canaveral and the bahamas. We traveled with 4 friends, and we got a balcony room. My son was still small enough for a PnP at the time. We did not at any time ask for babysitting help, nor was it really offered as our friends were on vacation too. They were still a huge help though even in short bursts in that there were often several of us keeping an eye on him, and they would often take him up to breakfast as soon as the they were ready and the baby was ready, giving me a chance to get a shower or get dressed in peace before I went up to join them. DH and I took turns with staying in the room after the baby was in bed for the night or during naps, and we also were thankful for the balcony space for an extra area to hang out and relax. DS loved the balcony as well and in general was fascinated through out the trip by all the new sights. Our son is generally a good traveler - he adapts well and is a happy kid but at the time he wasn't sleeping through the night yet and as with any toddler has his meltdowns.

 

Pros: We found it a lot easier to know that food was readily available anywhere and at any time, especially compared to having to drive around to a restaurant and wait for a table on a land vacation. DS also has a dairy allergy and the cruiseline was absolutely wonderful accommodating him. The service was great and the staff really went above an beyond to keep him happy and entertained. I rarely get that caliber of service on land dining out w/ a toddler. We did make a point of eating early, and occasionally having to take turns taking him out from the dining room when he'd get bored. It was reassuring though to know that we could get food packed to go back to our room if he was fussy, or at any time, we could grab a plate from the buffet or get room service if we were stuck in the room because he was sleeping. I had lunch on the balcony often because that's when he naps. I also would sit out on the balcony w/ the door open since he was napping inside so I could just chill w/ a book while he slept. He was at an age where he was walking and wanting to explore but it also meant as long as he could walk around, he was very easily entertained. He was happy as a clam walking around deck or in the lounges that weren't being used during the day. Compared to say, renting a condo at the beach, I didn't have to do anything but take care of the baby and that was a shared duty - no cooking, no cleaning, no worries.

 

cons: You're still on mom duty 24/7. Although duties were shared between DH and I so that either one of us could take a few hours off and sit by the pool or hit the casino, it's not a vacation where you can do whatever you want whenever you want, just like at home. We were dealing w/ night waking and trying to get him back to sleep quickly. Luckily he cooperated most nights and at least didn't fuss long. He's an early riser so while I would have loved to sleep in, he was up at 6am, just like at home. I wouldn't say there were more hazards, but there were different hazards so we still had to be on our toes to make sure he didn't bolt off or go careening down the stairs. We were definitely limited in evening entertainment, the main limitation being that we couldn't go out together at night.

 

Cruising w/ DS certainly was not the same experience as taking any vacation without him, but since we wanted a family vacation, compared to a land-based destination or renting a condo, cruising wins for convenience. This year with DS being old enough for kids clubs, we're hoping we will get a couple hours off every now and then but even if we don't, it's still our family vacation.

[bluesharpie]

My kids were older when we cruised to Bermuda last summer. Neither of them wanted to use the kids club so it was very tiring but very fun. Bermuda is a wonderful place and since you are in the Dockyard you will be able to get off the ship and stretch your legs:) We found it relaxing just to be able to walk around the port when our kids had a little cabin fever. There is a lot to do and see not needing to go far. Not sure what your itinerary is whether your ship is just docked in Bermuda, though. The Summit was docked with us (RCI Explorer) and they were there for 3 days. I agree with the above posts that you are still on mom duty and have to just see how it goes.

 

Also, be careful about sitting in the pink Bermuda sand, its really ground up coral:p

[rebeccalouiseagain]

One of the best things we did as kids on Bermuda was the glass bottom boat tour. Not sure if they still have them but you do see lots of coral, fish, and the occasional shark. Then the boat anchors and you snorkel. I really enjoyed this as a child. Something you don't do at home.

[KJENN]

Glad I found this thread. My wife and I are happy (& extremely exhausted) first-time parents. We heard it's pretty much free to travel with a baby/infant until they are 2yrs old so we're kicking around the idea of another cruise or some other type of travel.

 

We thought that when they're between 6 and 10 months old would be perfect since they would still be relatively easy to carry with you and wouldn't be running away and you don't need to bring a bunch of bottles/formula since my wife would still be breastfeeding. I'd think it would be nice to have all of his meals ready on tap. ;-) We've gone out to only a couple dinners so far with him (he's 5 weeks old) and so far he slept the whole way through or nursed almost the whole way through. Wherever there's noise or a loud hum, he's out cold.

 

Am I way off base here though? Should we probably not do the cruise until he is older? But if we wait until then, there'd be a lot more toys and stuff to carry around. Right now, all he seems to need are mommy's breasts and diapers.

 

I agree with traveling with that age group- We did an allinclusive with our 9 month old and it was fantastic. We just hung out in the pools/beach during the day, and he slept in his stroller at night. We were on a pretty good schedule by then, and he wasn't mobile yet which made things very easy at the resort and on the plane. We brought jars of baby food and would just feed him those and some table food from our plates too. We brought bottles and formula (premixed) with us, and it still wasn't hard. I bought a small bottle warmer that basically "boiled" hot water- I would use that to sterilize the nipples and his pacifiers. If you had a microwave you could use those steam sterilizers. THe best part was that he was free...flight and at the resort. For the cruise he will be paying a pretty good cruise fare.

[Chan_T]

Glad I found this thread. My wife and I are happy (& extremely exhausted) first-time parents. We heard it's pretty much free to travel with a baby/infant until they are 2yrs old so we're kicking around the idea of another cruise or some other type of travel.

 

We thought that when they're between 6 and 10 months old would be perfect since they would still be relatively easy to carry with you and wouldn't be running away and you don't need to bring a bunch of bottles/formula since my wife would still be breastfeeding. I'd think it would be nice to have all of his meals ready on tap. ;-) We've gone out to only a couple dinners so far with him (he's 5 weeks old) and so far he slept the whole way through or nursed almost the whole way through. Wherever there's noise or a loud hum, he's out cold.

 

Am I way off base here though? Should we probably not do the cruise until he is older? But if we wait until then, there'd be a lot more toys and stuff to carry around. Right now, all he seems to need are mommy's breasts and diapers.

 

We did an AI last year when our daughter was 10 months old. She was eating mostly (soft) table foods. We did take some baby food (in the pouches) with us and ended up using a few of them. It was different from our previous vacations that only included DH and me, but we still had a nice time. The staff interacted with our daughter quite a bit and she enjoyed the attention. We did keep her with us the entire time, with the exception of a few hours one day when we took her to the kids camp. She did fine in the kids camp (she goes to daycare at home). You just have to have realistic expectations in regards to the type of vacation that you will have with a little one. Good luck with your decision! :)

[mjkacmom]

I agree with traveling with that age group- We did an allinclusive with our 9 month old and it was fantastic. We just hung out in the pools/beach during the day, and he slept in his stroller at night. .

 

Just keep in mind that most cruise ships will not allow a baby in the pools.