Does RCI have age restrictions for infants?

[wrp96]

I am the one that originally started this thread and never expected this much controversey over a question of whether or not a 3 month old is allowed on a cruise ship (RCI).

 

 

You just happened to hit one of the more controversial topics on the board. Some people are adamant that no young kids should be brought on cruise ships. Some are just as adamant that as long as they pay for it they can do whatever they want. Most of us are in the middle, realizing that not all kids are bad, but some just aren't meant for travel (neither are some parents). You might want to ask this question on the Family Cruising board as there are people there that can give you good suggestions.

[crusinmama06]

Don, I agree with wrp96, come on over to the family cruise board and I promise it will be a warmer reception. :D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

And I have to say congrats on the impending birth of your first grandbaby. What a special time this is for your entire family. I hope you have a wonderful cruise. :)

[appleseed28]

Don,

Great question, I applaud you for taking the time to ask such an important question. Everyone seems to have their own opinion which has sparked a great thread. I personally have been on RC and they have amazing ships as well as a top of the line medical facility. My wife got severly sick while saling, (flu like symptons) and what they carry on board (medcine wise) was equal or greater to any doctor on land. With that said, if the baby was to get sick, I am sure they could handle any medical problem. The fact that you are going to be an GrandFather is wonderful!!! That is what Family cruises are all about!!! Does your Daughter or son in law have any Polish in them? Once the baby reaches three months, Polish babies are known to sleep threw the night.

[dongordon]

Thanks for the advice on getting information on the "Family Cruising Board"......I never thought of going that route.

 

We had a CC member who brought her 18 month old son onboard on our last NCL Spirit cruise last month. I am sure she made sacrifices, but had her family to support her and help to make the cruise a most memorable event. She even had purchased a tuxedo outfit for him for formal night. He was well behaved and I heard he certainly enjoyed his first cruise. They will have these family vacation memories throughout the years and some great stories to go along with them as I have had with my four daughters throughout the years.

 

Don

[HurricaneSally]

My biggest concern would be the baby's immune system at such a young age. Babies immune systems are very underdeveloped. Even germs that are used to, are bad, but to have them exposed to germs from foreign countries is just scary to me. Plus, no sun. How much fun would that be?

 

Not much.

[dolphincruiser404]

I didn't mean to come off overly selfish, but I get very frustrated by people who believe that your life should end when you have a baby. I know that my life will be severely impacted and that it will never be the same. However with some adjustments, I think that I can continue to live my life. I am not saying that I am totally inconsiderate of other passengers, but I will say that I have been disturbed by much worse things on a cruise ship than crying infants. In fact, they are probably some of the better behaved individuals on the ship! Perhaps if you are looking for a cruiseline with out the possibility of crying infants Royal Caribbean isn't the best option!

[crusinmama06]

Thanks for the advice on getting information on the "Family Cruising Board"......I never thought of going that route.

Don

 

You're welcome. :)

 

And I can honestly say that by having all of the family support on your cruise, your daughter will have no problems with caring for the baby and still having a wonderful relaxing vacation.

 

The only cruise we have ever been on without family was our honeymoon one. ;)

[Beffy1167]

Does your Daughter or son in law have any Polish in them? Once the baby reaches three months, Polish babies are known to sleep threw the night.

 

I had to LOL at this one! :D

My son must've missed this lesson when he was in utero. I've got more Polish than anything else in me (Grandma immigrated to US from Poland when she was a small child) and he still didn't sleep through the night until he was 5 months old. Of course, maybe it's DH's fault since he has no Polish ancestry at all.

[nrdsb4]

I didn't mean to come off overly selfish, but I get very frustrated by people who believe that your life should end when you have a baby. I know that my life will be severely impacted and that it will never be the same. However with some adjustments, I think that I can continue to live my life. I am not saying that I am totally inconsiderate of other passengers, but I will say that I have been disturbed by much worse things on a cruise ship than crying infants. In fact, they are probably some of the better behaved individuals on the ship! Perhaps if you are looking for a cruiseline with out the possibility of crying infants Royal Caribbean isn't the best option!

 

I don't know many people who believe "your life should end" when you have a baby, but it does change in many ways that you just can't comprehend until you've actually lived it. We all have ideas of how we think our lives will be with children, what kind of parents we will be, how our children will behave, etc., but life doesn't always work out the way you envision it. I think the primary factor in choosing the types of vacations you will take once you have children should be the children themselves. I have one child I wouldn't have dreamed of taking on a cruise as an infant. Not only because she would have disturbed other passengers, but because SHE would have been miserable. She cried A LOT, and I mean about 12 hours a day and that's when her routine was stable and predictable. Take her out of that environment and it was pure unmitigated hell for her and anyone around her. It would have been unfair to HER for me to inflict my visions of "life as I want it to be" on her when she clearly wasn't up to it. Funny, now (at 16), she's as happy and easy going as they come!

 

Our other child could go anywhere and was a delight, adjusted well to different routines, etc. and take her we did. Cruises, land vacations, upscale destinations, etc. She was always happy to be there and never bothered a soul. Funny, she's now 12 and showing signs of being a little more difficult than her big sis. Go figure.

 

You really can't know for sure just how mobile your child will be until he/she arrives and makes their personalities known. Just my .02.

[cruisePRN]

 

I say go for it as long as mom and baby are doing well!!! Perhaps if your neighbor doesn't like the sound of a crying baby you could turn a radio up really loud. Perhaps they would prefer that!

 

Please don't take the cabin next to mine. Actually please don't take a cabin anywhere near mine, i hate loud music and rude people.

[nrdsb4]

I don't have kids yet, but I think this is an interesting topic. I for one, will not end my life when I have children! My husband and I will continue to take nice vacations and carry on our life with our children, while we will have to make a few adjustments. I have seen plenty of small infants on the four cruises that I have taken! As long as the cruise line allows it, you can bet that my husband, infant, and I will be cruising within a few months after the child is born. I think it would be a great way to relax and "go with the flow." It would be a different kind of vacation, but I think it would mean great family bonding time without the day to day interruptions of life!

 

I say go for it as long as mom and baby are doing well!!! Perhaps if your neighbor doesn't like the sound of a crying baby you could turn a radio up really loud. Perhaps they would prefer that![/quote]

 

I just re-read your post and couldn't help but chuckle about your "few" adjustments comment!;)

 

With all due respect, I don't think there are many people who actually like the sound of a crying baby, particularly in the middle of the night, particularly on their hard earned vacations. Your comment seems to suggest that anyone who "doesn't like the sound of a crying baby" is being unreasonable. I disagree - I loved my own babies more than anything in the world. I found constant crying extremely unnerving, however, and I would understand how others might not enjoy the "music" my little ones produced. Doesn't make them kid haters, sourpusses, or anti family. I think it makes them "normal."

[bplazo]

I remember my daughter crying alot at night. I wouldnt have taken her on vacation at that age. I would worry that she would disturb people in nearby cabins.

[dolphincruiser404]

I don't have kids yet, but I think this is an interesting topic. I for one, will not end my life when I have children! My husband and I will continue to take nice vacations and carry on our life with our children, while we will have to make a few adjustments. I have seen plenty of small infants on the four cruises that I have taken! As long as the cruise line allows it, you can bet that my husband, infant, and I will be cruising within a few months after the child is born. I think it would be a great way to relax and "go with the flow." It would be a different kind of vacation, but I think it would mean great family bonding time without the day to day interruptions of life!

 

I say go for it as long as mom and baby are doing well!!! Perhaps if your neighbor doesn't like the sound of a crying baby you could turn a radio up really loud. Perhaps they would prefer that![/quote]

 

I just re-read your post and couldn't help but chuckle about your "few" adjustments comment!;)

 

With all due respect, I don't think there are many people who actually like the sound of a crying baby, particularly in the middle of the night, particularly on their hard earned vacations. Your comment seems to suggest that anyone who "doesn't like the sound of a crying baby" is being unreasonable. I disagree - I loved my own babies more than anything in the world. I found constant crying extremely unnerving, however, and I would understand how others might not enjoy the "music" my little ones produced. Doesn't make them kid haters, sourpusses, or anti family. I think it makes them "normal."

 

I'm going to make one last comment on this. I am not saying that they are child haters or anything else, but I am saying that if I were in that situation and having paid good money to go on the cruise, I deserve to enjoy myself as much as any other passenger on that ship. There are a lot of things and people that I am irritated by on my cruise, but I don't let it ruin my cruise. If I felt comfortable travelling with my infant you can be that I would be on that cruise. This is NOT to say that I wouldn't do everything I could to prevent my child from disturbing other passengers.

 

If it was such a horrible thing to take an infant on a cruise, the cruise lines would prohibit it. It all comes down to a matter of opinion and a level of comfort on the part of the family.

[yarlenna]

I love to cruise. I just think we have rules for the wrong things. I don't care what people wear. BUT PLEASE don't let our cruise by any loud noises when I am trying to sleep. I don't want to hear any big noises. I don't want to smell anything other that sea when I am sitting on my balcony.

[renata102]

I had to LOL at this one! :D

My son must've missed this lesson when he was in utero. I've got more Polish than anything else in me (Grandma immigrated to US from Poland when she was a small child) and he still didn't sleep through the night until he was 5 months old. Of course, maybe it's DH's fault since he has no Polish ancestry at all.

 

HI

I am 100% Polish and hubby is Peruvian. That being said my two children were sleeping through the night at 3 WEEKS! Actually my 2nd child (son) was at 3 weeks and 1st child (daughter) at 5 weeks. AND sleeping through the night from 9 pm 7 am take a bottle after waking and sleeping to 10. I SWEAR i am blessed! I am now pregnant with my THIRD! ALso that polish myth maynot be true becuase my sister daughter had SEVERE COLIC and cried 24/7 WOW

 

Anyway, although I have to say my kids are truley easy to deal with CHILDREN DO CNANGE YOU LIFE! Its not about adjustment its about CHANGE!

however, we do take our children out and about. This will be my DD (5 yo) second cruise and DS (11 months) first. AND I AM PREGNANT! its still tough! however they are VERY SOCIAL kids and do well staying up and going to the shows. My DD (at 2 yo) was out with us till 1 am. let me tell you we took good naps in the afternoon. That being said, since my son will just be 1 I am not going to torture him and plan to have a inroom baby sitter by 9.

[KS17]

Don

 

First of all congratulations on the upcoming birth of your new grandchild from a fellow long islander.

 

I find it very amusing that all you did was ask if there were any age restrictions for cruising and the responses you received were all about personal opinions on why an infant should or mostly shouldn't cruise.

 

As long as the pediatrician said it was safe for the infant to travel on the cruise and RC doesn't have age restrictions, don't worry about others opinions and go for it. With all of the family support on the cruise I'm sure a good time will be had by all.

 

Hey, maybe your next post should ask if there are any age restrictions for infants at the late dinner seating. :eek:

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

[kyriecat]

Even if you ask a pediatrician, you will end up with different responses regarding whether an infant should travel. One of my sis-in-laws (she elected not to breast feed) was told not to take her daughter on a plane until she was at least 6 months old due to immune system concerns. A coworker whose wife did breast feed was also told the same thing about not traveling until 6 months. My other sis-in-law who also did not breast feed and whose son was born with a blood condition that caused him to be in the hospital for his first month was told that she could take him anywhere at anytime. Apparently there is no correct answer since pediatricians cannot even agree. Two healthy babies are told not to travel and the sickly one (he's fine now - turned 2 yesterday) can travel. :rolleyes:

[nrdsb4]

 

I'm going to make one last comment on this. I am not saying that they are child haters or anything else, but I am saying that if I were in that situation and having paid good money to go on the cruise, I deserve to enjoy myself as much as any other passenger on that ship. There are a lot of things and people that I am irritated by on my cruise, but I don't let it ruin my cruise. If I felt comfortable travelling with my infant you can be that I would be on that cruise. This is NOT to say that I wouldn't do everything I could to prevent my child from disturbing other passengers.

 

If it was such a horrible thing to take an infant on a cruise, the cruise lines would prohibit it. It all comes down to a matter of opinion and a level of comfort on the part of the family.

 

Who said it is a horrible thing to take an infant on a cruise? I and some others are simply saying that a parent needs to take into account the type of personality their infant has when making vacation plans. It is not our "right" as paying customers to bring an infant who is not up to cruising along and then simply expect our neighbors to "deal" if it screams all night long. Nor are we justified in telling other people what can or cannot ruin their cruise. Part of being a good human being is being able to balance our own wants and needs with those of our fellow human beings. Most parents know if their babies are the type to be able to handle a change in routine and if you as a mom know your kid will be supremely cranky during the night, it would not be fair to expect your neighbors to suffer through the night with your problem. As far as doing all you can to keep the baby quiet, that's good, but a baby who cannot be comforted is not all that uncommon. I have massive experience in trying everything in the world to comfort an infant to no avail.

 

I love babies, and I say bring them along UNLESS you have a baby that does not adjust well to change. Those type of babies are also miserable, not just their neighbors. Fortunately, I think most babies do just fine with cruises as long as the parents work hard to keep their schedules as consistent as possible i.e. naps, diet, etc.

[cruisePRN]

Planning a cruise before the baby is born is risky. What if it's a colicy baby and you can't go. You will loose some or all of your fare if you cancel after final payment. What if the baby is premature and can't go?

[Nliedel]

Hyland's Colic Pills. Available at natural food stores. They saved us with two of our little colic monsters. It's a milk sugar. I don't know how it works, but it does. Bless them.

[nrdsb4]

Hyland's Colic Pills. Available at natural food stores. They saved us with two of our little colic monsters. It's a milk sugar. I don't know how it works, but it does. Bless them.

 

I wish I'd known about those when my first was an infant. I remember my husband working later and later each evening with our first daughter because he knew he was probably coming home to TWO cryng females.

 

Oh well, we survived somehow.

[Nliedel]

I wish I'd known about those when my first was an infant. I remember my husband working later and later each evening with our first daughter because he knew he was probably coming home to TWO cryng females.

 

Oh well, we survived somehow.

 

Welcome to the joys of parenting. There are nights most moms break down crying. No one really tells you that before you have kids, or they do and we, as parents, are convinced it will never happen to us! No one knows how to parent like people who don't have kids. If I had a dime for every stupid idea I had about parenting before kids I would be rich.

 

A friend told me about Hylands. Many Hispanic kids get colic, something some women on a train, who were Hispanic, told me AFTER we adopted our two Hispanic babies. Not that it would have made a difference. They told me about Hylands. All four of our boys had a bout with colic, but the oldest two had it really bad. You could set a watch by Steven. He'd start at 7 every night and end right at 10.

[Got Out There]

We cruised with one of our children when he was just 8 weeks old. It was an enitrely different type of cruise due to his age. We typically stayed away from the crowds. We booked a suite so that when we took turns being with him we were much more comfortable. We knew going in that it would be a different type of cruise, that was the key. It was such an enjoyable trip we ended up doing it again two weeks later. Our son is now 5 and has been on around 15 cruises.

 

The other day we rec'd the new C&A mailing. He found it and carried it to my wife and said, "does this mean what I think it does?", my wife asked him what he was thinking it meant, and he replied that we were going on another cruise!

 

We cruise with and without our children and the key is getting your expectations in line with the expeience you are going to have. We have been on about 40 cruises and I can honestly say that I enjoy cruising more with our children then without (well...most of the time)!

[bangzoom6877]

Hi everyone (Hi Don!)! I am the fellow CC member who brought my 18-month-old son on the cruise on the Norwegian Spirit, which Don was also on. Yes, we had a very different experience this time around than on past cruises (I'd been on 12 beforehand, and my husband had been on 3 beforehand). However, I wouldn't change a thing if I had to go back and do it all over again. And Don is right, we have wonderful memories! We took lots of pictures, my cousin sent me some, and my father took over 200! Many, many of those pics included my son Philip. However, a 3-month-old is different than an 18-month-old, mainly because of all the things to bring, and also because there is a chance the baby won't be sleeping through the night yet. My son Philip slept through the night (7 hours or more per night) consistently from the time he was 6 weeks old. The very first time he slept through the night, he was 4 days old, and slept through for 6 hours a night every other night for a while (2 or 3 weeks). Then he would get up once a night for a bottle (3AM) and then sleep until 7 or 8. We had a very good experience with our son.

 

As far as immunity, I remember that at Philip's 2-month checkup, I had asked the doctor if we could bring him to a restaurant or the mall. He said yes (and this was the beginning of March, still winter). He added that we could even fly out of the country with him if we wanted to. So I am sure he would have approved of a cruise as well. Like you said, just check with the baby's doctor. I think that if anyone feels comfortable bringing their children (or babies) on a cruise, then they should by all means. And Don's family seems like a very nice group of people, and also very considerate, so I am sure they would do all they could to make sure the baby is happy, as well as fellow passengers.

 

No, I wouldn't want to hear constant crying from a baby in the dining room, in my cabin, at a show, etc., but I also don't like teens running wild (or other children), or rude and loud yelling adults. Unfortunately people like that cannot be prevented by the cruiseline! And yes, there are certain cruises that do not have children onboard and that is the only way to guarantee no noisy kids.

 

-Bonnie

[bangzoom6877]

Don:

Something I found online...they do make bottle sterilizers so that they don't have to be boiled, and the ones I found only take 6 to 8 minutes and only require to be plugged in, not microwaved like some of them do. I totally forgot about these, because we never used one for Philip (we didn't travel with him until he was over 6 months old). We will probably get one though if we go to Boston when the new baby is very little. That way we can stay anywhere and not worry. This would certainly make a cruise with a 3-month-old much easier!

 

-Bonnie