Traveling with infant on Norwegian Cruise line (Enchantment of Seas)

[crichessill]

Hello,

I am interested in a cruise (more than 7 nights) through RCL but I will be travelling with an infant (16 months). I want to know what most people feed infants in cruise ships. My son eats mostly puree and not enough solid foods at the moment. Anyone can share any pointers around foods for infants? 

Specifically, i have these concerns:

1. I would like to feed organic milk for my son and maybe warm it. Do most NCL ships provide that service?

2. Is it okay to take a blender and use it in the ship?

 

Thank you

[ColeThornton]

I'm confused here.    Are you sailing on NCL or RCL?  

[crystalspin]

Welcome to posting on Cruise Critic!

 

Enchantment of the Seas is indeed a Royal Caribbean and not Norwegian ship. 

 

Their board is here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/51-royal-caribbean-international/

 

Milk on at least longer cruises is apt to be Parmalat or other ultra-pasteurized product and probably not "organic". I have only sailed once on RCI and don't follow the board. But taking a blender question does come up on threads I have read (other cruise lines) and the answer is always NO.

 

Baby food and formula commonly are allowed exceeding the normal limits of liquids in carryon luggage only.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, ColeThornton said:

I'm confused here.    Are you sailing on NCL or RCL?  

 

All those CLs look alike.

[GeezerCouple]

2 hours ago, crichessill said:

Hello,

I am interested in a cruise (more than 7 nights) through RCL but I will be travelling with an infant (16 months). I want to know what most people feed infants in cruise ships. My son eats mostly puree and not enough solid foods at the moment. Anyone can share any pointers around foods for infants? 

Specifically, i have these concerns:

1. I would like to feed organic milk for my son and maybe warm it. Do most NCL ships provide that service?

2. Is it okay to take a blender and use it in the ship?

 

Thank you

 

 

We brought an 18 month old grand with us a few years ago.

He was fine with mushy food or things like crackers (similar to teething biscuits).

 

On the second dinner, we had a waitress who was TERRIFIC.  She quickly asked what HE wanted/needed to be happy, and brought it fast.  That was a selection of plain spaghetti, which he enjoyed grabbing with his hands and stuffing whatever he got into his mouth.  We left it all to the parents... (!).  He also enjoyed some crackers, milk, and apple juice, and I'm forgetting what they ordered for him for 'real food' when the meal was served.  The goal was to keep him happy before regular orders arrived.

She was amazing.

We started asking for her table every evening, and if she saw us across the dining room, she was on her way to get "his things".

She would have brought us anything reasonable that we mentioned.

 

She kept the little guy happy, she kept us happy, and she kept all of the neighboring diners happy.

 

(And she brought some extra napkins and water at the end of the meal to help us clean his hands and face.  He was usually a big hit everywhere he went - cute and well-behaved, and yes, I'm somewhat biased, but not totally! 😉  That also made it easier.) 

 

She got some very nice tips from us, well deserved.

 

If you can find a good member of the waitstaff and stay with them, that could make it very easy indeed.

 

GC

[mjkacmom]

My toddlers were eating real food at that age, mostly finger foods they could feed themselves, cold milk out of sippy cups.

[mom says]

The average 16 month old should be well beyond pureed food. It should be easy to get a well balanced array of foods at the buffet or in the MDR. Whole milk is available, but is usually the long shelf life pasteurized type. You can bring cans or prepackaged baby foods on board with you if you prefer, but AFAIK blenders are not allowed.  But usually for children of that age , blenderized foods are unnecessary.

 

You may find more advice about cruising with children here:  https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/28-family-cruises/

[6rugrats]

This child is a toddler, and agree most children of that age are eating mostly regular food.

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, 6rugrats said:

This child is a toddler, and agree most children of that age are eating mostly regular food.

OP's toddler may not be like most - and might have special needs.  In that case, those needs should be raised with the line before sailing.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

OP's toddler may not be like most - and might have special needs.  In that case, those needs should be raised with the line before sailing.

Possibly, or perhaps a first time mom booking a future cruise not realizing that toddlers (because a 16 month old isn’t an infant) aren’t usually spoon fed puréed food. However if that’s not the case, I’m sure the kitchen can easily make up puréed food.

[GeezerCouple]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

OP's toddler may not be like most - and might have special needs.  In that case, those needs should be raised with the line before sailing.

 

21 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Possibly, or perhaps a first time mom booking a future cruise not realizing that toddlers (because a 16 month old isn’t an infant) aren’t usually spoon fed puréed food. However if that’s not the case, I’m sure the kitchen can easily make up puréed food.

 

My first thought upon reading the threat title was about whether the OP realized there was a lower age limit for "infants", in case they meant something like 4 months old.  But that certainly wasn't the case!

It was startling to see the "16 months" as the age.

 

IF OP hadn't referred to the child as "an infant", I'd have been more inclined to think there were special needs involved... and there still might be.  But if so, why not mention that so that the suggestions and advice can be more appropriate, such as mentioning "Special Needs" department or making more specific suggestions?

 

So I also wonder if this is a first time parent who doesn't realize how infants develop into toddlers into young children, etc.

 

However, regardless of the reason, this parent apparently does have some special needs for their child, so they should definitely contact the Special Needs department of whichever cruise line is involved.

 

crichessill hasn't responded after the first post, but has been following/reacting from the start.  And they are new to CC, so perhaps all of this is very new and overwhelming... or ...?

Otherwise, providing more information would allow other CC members to give more relevant suggestions/comments/etc.

 

GC

[shipgeeks]

And we are still not sure if she is asking re NCL or RCI, so if there are any differences in possible services available, we are not able to advise.

[Essiesmom]

I have gathered from previous posters from the UK that pediatricians there seem to much more conservative than we are accustomed to.  Moms asking how to sterilize bottles etc. for infants 8 months and older… EM

[Elaine5715]

On 9/13/2022 at 12:25 PM, mjkacmom said:

Possibly, or perhaps a first time mom booking a future cruise not realizing that toddlers (because a 16 month old isn’t an infant) aren’t usually spoon fed puréed food. However if that’s not the case, I’m sure the kitchen can easily make up puréed food.

The kitchen isn't going to pureed food.

[ldubs]

I'm kind of surprised a small baby food blender, especially battery powered, would not be allowed.  I think I would double check with the cruise ship.   One of our grandsons is at the soft food stage.  He eats pureed and also stuff we moosh-up, like avocado, banana, sweet potatoes, etc.  (Moosh-up - that is a medical term, right?).   Those little packets of pureed food are great to have around and I don't think need refrigeration.   

[mjkacmom]

14 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

The kitchen isn't going to pureed food.

Why not? My daughter has dietary restrictions and they would literally make her anything she wanted. Not being able to chew food is a dietary restriction (although a typical toddler can chew food).

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 9/15/2022 at 3:48 PM, Elaine5715 said:

The kitchen isn't going to pureed food.

 

I can't definitively contradict you, but I'd be astounded if that was correct.

[navybankerteacher]

On 9/15/2022 at 6:48 PM, Elaine5715 said:

The kitchen isn't going to pureed food.

I do not believe that any major cruise line would be either unwilling or unable to serve puréed food upon request of a parent of a very small child.