Tips for Cruising with an Infant

[sciteach11]

We're planning to go to Alaska this coming summer with my parents, and we'll be bringing along our 7-month old. What tips do you have for cruising on Princess with an infant? I know that the minimum age is 6 months, that we still have to pay the full 3rd-person-in-room fee, and that we can request baby food be available in the dining room ahead of time. I was told that if we want to bring our own baby food it must be manufacture sealed.

 

For those of you who've traveled with little ones before, what other tips do you have for making this a great family vacation? Thanks!

[Colo Cruiser]

Just now, sciteach11 said:

We're planning to go to Alaska this coming summer with my parents, and we'll be bringing along our 7-month old. What tips do you have for cruising on Princess with an infant? I know that the minimum age is 6 months, that we still have to pay the full 3rd-person-in-room fee, and that we can request baby food be available in the dining room ahead of time. I was told that if we want to bring our own baby food it must be manufacture sealed.

 

For those of you who've traveled with little ones before, what other tips do you have for making this a great family vacation? Thanks!

They have limited pack and plays available onboard.

[weedpindle]

You will not be able to use the kids program unless an adult is with the child.

[capriccio]

For more information on cruising with kids of all ages, take a look at the Family Cruises board:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/.

 

In addition to all the good hints given thus far, be aware that only mini and full suites have bathtubs.  All the other stateroom categories only have showers.  When my daughter and son-in law first cruised with our granddaughter when she was almost a year old they brought a small blow up pool that they could place in the shower for baby bath time.  Also, bring more diapers than you think you will need!

[neverbeenhere]

You know you will have a 7 month old this coming summer?   Or a 1 year old this summer?   No, I don’t want an answer. 

[donswife]

Stick to the baby's routine as much as possible, even though that will mean sometimes missing out on activities that interest you. Babies can get extremely overstimulated in new situations, and need lots of quiet time. Also, bring a few familiar "lovies" and duplicates of any essentials like favorite cups or binkies, as things can get dirty or misplaced.

 

Princess ships have self serve laundry rooms, so bring along some fragrance free soap pods and dryer sheets. You buy tokens with your cruise card.

[cabin4three]

Hi, our kids have cruised with us since they were  a 1 year old.     We ensure our travel insurance covers us for cancellation, evacuation from ship, repatriation, and keeping  us all together if one is injured and needs treatment.

Make sure all your kids vaccinations are up to date (essential for some travel policies).

 

• Definitely take more nappies than you would ever think you need, and nappy bags!
• basic medications such as baby pain relief suspension - kids get used to a particular colour, flavour etc.
• Take feeding spoons, sippy cups etc
•  take a travel cot/play pen (pack n play??)  with our kids own baby sleeping bag and cuddly toys. great to keep baby/toddler safe whilst you have a shower etc
• buggy/stroller/pram  that reclines flatish for day time naps if needed
• small inflatable baby bath - for in bath or in shower
• baby soap, moisturiser
• baby laundry detergent
• steriliser - we took cold water sterilising tablets and a seal-able plastic lidded box(tupperware) - soaked sippy cups overnight
• favourite cuddly toys, plastic stacking cups (take up a little room but great to build towers)
• walking harness reins - ships are not built with babies & toddlers in mind
• nit comb!! we discovered an early lesson on that one!  if your child goes to the kids club they will be at risk
• few picture books, glove puppet, etc  - there will be times such as muster drill where you will have a bored child

 

And take some patience with you, we would often have people groaning, tutting and scowling when they saw our children.  Our children are very well behaved,  but they are children, so when they were grizzly or grumpy we would take them from any public area that was predominately designated for adults eg restaurants, atrium, theatre.   Some passengers will moan when they see children on a ship - even if the adults are in the childrens section of the deck.  Word of warning  - on some cruise itineraries that attract a mainly adult passenger the crew dont always enforce the children only section of the deck, especially when cruising along scenic routes. 

 

Have fun!  

 

 

 

[atobols]

It's really not bad traveling with a toddler as long as you and the child are used to it.  We took our son to Italy when he was 2 months old and Greece when he was 12 months old.  We lived in Germany at the time.  Traveling when he was 2 months old was so easy, all he did was sleep and nurse.  It got a little bit more difficult when he was older and mobile.  We never used a baby bath so that wasn't a problem.  I just sat our son on the floor of the shower when I took one.  We did ask our cabin steward for a pack and play/crib as soon as we got on the ships.  It took a few hours to get them, but no big deal.  We napped in the afternoon when our son wanted to nap.  He wasn't interested in food until he was over a year old so we never had to worry about baby food.  I'm sure he had small bits of whatever we were eating but his main source of food was nursing.  We did find that going to the main dining rooms was always the better option.  They knew we had a baby and were prepared with a high chair.  Finding a high chair and an appropriate table was usually a problem at the buffet.  We mostly carried him around in a chest carrier and used a collapsible stroller when off the boat.

 

The crew were amazing when it came to a baby.  So many of them had left small kids at home and they wanted to interact with him every chance they got.  

[Coral]

I don't have kids but I am surprised at the number of posts who have said that the pack and play fits perfect in the closet area. That area faces the bathroom in most cabins so it is sort of separate. 

 

I would definitely check out the Family Cruise forums. Enjoy your trip!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Just be prepared to be flexible.  Our girl was 23 months of age on her first cruise...and we just did day trips via car before then.  But some friends did fly with their son at 6 months of age (LA to NYC).

That one post early on had a good list, but you won't need to worry about vaccinations as you're basically just going to US and Canadian ports (and unless things have changed in 21 years, you can't get your child vaccinated at 7 months of age).  

Bring everything you might need: including extra diapers just in case baby goes through a lot (you can't be assured of finding a specific size that easily in the small ports, and the ship's store probably won't carry diapers), any medications (again, you can't be guaranteed in finding baby Tylenol, etc.), toys and books, a portable bath, etc.  
Your baby will not be allowed in the swimming pools even if with swim diapers.

[Essiesmom]

First off, Alaska is part of the US.  It may be The Last Frontier, but it is not a third world state.  WalMart is present in Alaska.  People have babies in Alaska.  They wear diapers, eat baby food, take baby medications.  Don't stress about taking everything including the kitchen sink.  Granted, you would prefer not to use your time ashore looking for a place to restock, but it's not something to stress about if you find you are going to need something.  The water is safe to drink, even for your baby.  You don't need sterilizing tablets, etc.  I realize pediatricians in the UK are much more conservative than in the US, but once you have a baby crawling around and putting their fingers in their mouths, sterilization is meaningless.  There is a WalMart in Ketchikan, something similar in Juneau, and believe it or not, there will be someplace to restock in Skagway.  Even tiny Whittier will have someplace to shop, and of course, if you come through Anchorage...

 

If it was me, I would pack enough for a couple of days, then when I arrive at my departure port, by air a day or two ahead, I would pull out a foldable tote and go shopping for what I am going to need. 

 

Visit the Alaska board here, under Ports of Call.  Lots of locals on that board who can tell you what the resources are in each port.  EM

Edited December 17, 2018 by Essiesmom

[Bemidji Ty]

We cruised with our grown kids and their families to Alaska a couple of years ago.  The youngest was 7 months.  She was a joy.  We had a wonderful time.  She was a calm, happy, easy baby who many called "Smiley Riley".  It can be done and you can have a great time.

 

I don't know the specifics of your questions as I am just the Papa.  I just wanted to encourage you.

 

Cheers.

[sciteach11]

Thank you all very much for the advice and support! It's nice to know so many people have had success traveling with a baby. I know that some people will look at me like I'm trying to ruin their vacation, but our baby is well behaved and we would definitely take him out of any public areas if he's getting fussy so I don't think he'll cause any problems for other passengers. I really appreciate the packing list and all of the tips for taking care of my little one while we travel. Being a new mom is hard, and it's exciting to have a fun vacation to look forward to!

[creel5857]

As noted, make your own decision but DO NOT ASSUME you can easily purchase diapers at a value price just anywhere.  Yes there are some Walmart’s but not in small ports and a lot of everyday products are much more costly in Alaska that lower states.  That said, you could pack less clothes for yourselves and use laundry self/paid on ship if needed.  Goin on a cruise is not cheap either way but doing your homework ahead is good 

[cabin4three]

On 12/17/2018 at 3:01 AM, Cruisin' Chick said:

That one post early on had a good list, but you won't need to worry about vaccinations as you're basically just going to US and Canadian ports (and unless things have changed in 21 years, you can't get your child vaccinated at 7 months of age).  
 

In the UK vaccination programme for babies starts at 8 weeks old, so obviously very different to USA.

 Just FYI in UK there are vaccinations at 8, 12, 16 weeks and then further ones at 1 year and more for pre-schol (so about 3-4 years old).  Always interesting how different countries do things :-)

 

[indygirl99]

4 hours ago, cabin4three said:

In the UK vaccination programme for babies starts at 8 weeks old, so obviously very different to USA.

 Just FYI in UK there are vaccinations at 8, 12, 16 weeks and then further ones at 1 year and more for pre-schol (so about 3-4 years old).  Always interesting how different countries do things :-)

 

We have the same vaccine schedule here in the States.

[Colo Cruiser]

4 hours ago, cabin4three said:

In the UK vaccination programme for babies starts at 8 weeks old, so obviously very different to USA.

 Just FYI in UK there are vaccinations at 8, 12, 16 weeks and then further ones at 1 year and more for pre-schol (so about 3-4 years old).  Always interesting how different countries do things 🙂

 

Think they may have been talking about travel vaccinations when going to different countries, not a child's normal vaccination schedule.

 

[cruisingrob21]

lots of good tips at this link:

 

https://sites.google.com/site/princesscruisesfaq/home/cruising-with-little-kids

 

best advice i can give from multiple cruises with infants is bungee cables, inflatable toys (beach balls, balloons etc), ziplock bags, and to tip your steward a bit on the first day to communicate nap times.  We have found doing that makes it very easy since infants can sometimes get in a habit.  Since you will be in a room with an upper bunk (maybe 2) its a great place to store strollers and other stuff.  Cruising with an infant is different, but go into it and make it work, it can be so much fun.  Another tip is that sometimes you are allowed to go to the kids club with kids who are too young (2 years ago anyways) - its a great way for them to explore and get some energy out.

[land lover]

On 12/17/2018 at 11:41 AM, sciteach11 said:

Thank you all very much for the advice and support! It's nice to know so many people have had success traveling with a baby. I know that some people will look at me like I'm trying to ruin their vacation, but our baby is well behaved and we would definitely take him out of any public areas if he's getting fussy so I don't think he'll cause any problems for other passengers. I really appreciate the packing list and all of the tips for taking care of my little one while we travel. Being a new mom is hard, and it's exciting to have a fun vacation to look forward to!

 Babies are easy to travel with, toddlers are the tiny people who can be double trouble. There will probably be several infants on your cruise, there were on ours last May.  Do be aware though, that emergency medical help can be limited on land in Alaska ports...last May I traveled to Alaska with my son who is a "new" GP, we were surprised in a couple of ports they only have small clinics. So make sure to have travel insurance, in case a plane ride is needed for transportation.

 

I am one who enjoys seeing small people on cruises...especially when they and family members are enjoying themselves...now airplanes can be a different story...but most parents have been there so we are understanding....

Edited December 19, 2018 by land lover