Alaska cruise with 1 year old or wait till 2?

[mintchoco_ykc]

Hi,

 

I'm hoping to go on an Alaska cruise with DD4 and our baby. I'm wondering if it's better to go now when the baby is 1 year old and more portable or wait until next summer when she will be 2 years old.

 

We are considering NCL or Disney as we want to sail out of Vancouver.

 

Thanks!!! Please don't tell me to leave the baby at home...I'm aware of limitations of travel with a baby and we still want to go.

Edited March 6, 2015 by mintchoco_ykc

[Sooner-Cruisers]

Go now and when she's two. :)

[cb at sea]

It won't matter..1 or 2..they don't give a fig where they are...

[Sooner-Cruisers]

In a lot of ways I think one is easier, they are less mobile and more happy being in the stroller. You also won't be in the middle of potty training. On the other hand, we took lo on a cruise when she was two and she had lots of fun, I don't think you can go wrong either way.

[mcd_rn]

Assuming your main goal is for you to see Alaska and not for her to have fun on a cruise, I think doing it this year will be better. Having gone on an Alaskan cruise with my then 9 month old who is now 2, 1 yr would definitely be easier. We are about to do a cruise with her now and I just know she will have FUN but it will be more work. At 9 months, she was super happy hanging out in the stroller or being in her ergo/carrier looking around. I'm told she's an incredibly easy 2 year old, but even with that she needs a lot more entertainment, meals are harder, mood isn't reliable day to day, etc. I'm fine with it for this cruise because we're just looking to hang out and not to experience something unique/different like AK...if she was this age when we did AK, I think I would have missed out on things I wanted to experience even though I'm sure she'd have fun.

[mcd_rn]

Oh, I should add that in preparing for an upcoming cruise, it appears 2 is a tough age even on family-friendly lines. They're at a tough in between place where they're not old enough to be in the kids clubs, but too much energy to be content chilling out and toddling around. The nursery options have an add'l hourly rate but I think aren't really intended for all day fun like the 3+ clubs. It's also possible your 2 year old won't be potty trained so no pools, which I know will be frustrating to my fish of a daughter, but a 1 year old won't know the difference.

 

It's something we've had to consider, and again are okay with the sacrifices it comes with since there's less personally invested in our own experience bc we're not doing something as special as Alaska.

[092306]

I would say go when the baby is 1. Cruises with our son at 11 and 14 months were great. The one when he was 2 wasn't so fun and we would have skipped that cruise in retrospect.

[CaroleJM]

I'd say go now. We went when our son was 1.5 and it worked awesome. As someone mentioned, have stroller, will travel. Also, go Disney. :)