Is it crazy talk?

[Florida_cruisers]

I am dying to go on another European cruise since I enjoyed our Mediterranean cruise so much. But now we have a 9 month old baby. Would it be too crazy to take him on a Northern European Cruise with us for 2 1/2 weeks total??? I could not stand to leave him for that long, so he would have to come with us.

 

We currently have a 5 day cruise booked to the Caribbean and I thought.... the same thing he is going to do on the boat to the islands, is the same thing he is going to do on the boat in Europe, a cruise is a cruise; except for the ports, of course.

 

I was looking at one leaving out of England to Germany, Norway, Amsterdam, Denmark, Holland, France, and Belgium in late September (for my 30th bday). He will be 1 1/2 yrs old by then. Am I crazy???

[Arubalisa]

Interesting question...Our family had considered a cruise this Christmas to Hawaii. Dh and I decided against it. Here were a few of our reasons, I am sure they will vary depending on each families situation.

 

1. Even for our 10 year, it is very difficult to keep her occupied and sit still for that long of a flight.

2. With the ports presented, and none of us having been there previously, we would be sightseeing. Dd does well for 4 - 5 hours at a time on a tour, but anytime longer that, she looses all interest.

How would your child take to a stroller through Europe? How do you work around nap times?

 

3. For us, and this is personal, so not a problem for some, Dd is adopted, there is no way we could travel without her.

 

If we took the cruise, yes, we could have left her on the ship in some/all ports. She loves the kids club and there would never be a complaint. However, why pay all that money for a cruise only to play in the kid's club? She can do that in the Caribbean A LOT cheaper!

 

Final decision was yet another Caribbean cruise. We will save the more exotic trips until she is older and better able to handle the long hours.

[shellie100]

I have a 3-mo-old and a 3-yr-old and I take them everywhere with me. Neither them nor I would enjoy an extended vacation away from each other. With that in mind, I prefer Mexican and Caribbean cruise vacations for now. The thought of dragging a toddler through Europe does not sound like any fun at all. You'll spend the whole time trying to keep him quiet and still wherever you go. And all that time in cars and busses, and nowhere to burn off all that toddler energy, eek! If I had no choice I would, of course, bring my kids. BUT, since I do have a choice, its cruises with beach ports for us, for now. I'm planning a Europe trip when my kiddos are teens (haven't decided if we're bring them or not, LOL!).

 

If you can book one for sooner, say next month, go for it while he's still little enough to be happy to be carried everywhere :p Otherwise, maybe make it a 40th birthday trip instead of a 30th...

[kitty9]

That's a tough itinerary for a very young child. Lots of buses and long tours, not many places to change a child on tours and long days. Can it be done? Perhaps, with A LOT of planning. Plus, you have the very long plane rides both there and back and only you know if you want to fly for 10 hours with an infant. Then there's the issue of child care. No kids clubs for someone 18 months of age, so you'll have your son with you full time. And depending on what cruise line you consider, there's no babysitting in your cabin during the day or evening---only group sitting after 10pm at night.

[CurtS]

I agree--that's a tough itinerary. With our 3- and 4-year olds even a 2-1/2 hour flight from Indianapolis to Orlando was a bit of an ordeal--airplanes are a bit boring! I've been on flights with toddlers and they don't sit still long and I feel sorry for the harried parents who are doing their best to keep them content (yes, there are some that don't bother, but they are the minority). You're right--the activities on the ships probably mimic each other, but I assume that you will want to get off of the ship and you will need to worry about packing an extra bag, watching where you eat (child-friendly restaurants), carrying a stroller or child-bearing backpack. If it's your plan to freely enjoy your vacation, you probably will need to eliminate the word "freely" from the sentence. I, too, would not want to leave my children behind so I plan vacations that are short jaunts to make sure that they are included. I figure I'll do the long vacations when they get to the age that they wire for college spending money. (and I can't respond back because I'm on vacation).

 

Curt

[Onessa]

It depends upon the child. We've taken our daughter everywhere (she's now 11YO). I still remember a 5+ hour flight I took with her (alone) when she was not quite 8MO. I had bought the extra seat for her and planned the flight for when she should have been asleep. She was so fascinated by everything going on that she was up (and happy) the whole flight. Big thing with infants is to keep them content - lots of diaper changes, familiar foods (same formula/baby food brands, or a regular diet for you if you are nursing) - that means you'll be bringing alot of stuff with you for a 12 day cruise in Europe - Products are different, stores are less accessible.

 

DD was always comfortable in a backpack carrier. DH and I would take turns schlepping her all over - San Fransisco (the hills are murder!), the Black Forest, New York city, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Milan, Madrid - I have pictures of her in the carrier on dad's shoulders (NO ONE takes pictures of mom!:D ). She had travelled since she was just a few weeks old and is 1) used to it, and 2) has a good personality for it.

 

Traveling with an infant is certainly different than travelling without. You should scale back on your expectations and be prepared to change plans.

[I&MsMom]

We've always traveled with our children. Our first trip to Europe was with DS at 11 months. Our first cruise was when his younger sister was 25 months.

 

It CAN definitely be done at that age. We took a trip to Europe when DS was not quite two, and another when DD was 18 months. But, my personal feeling is that it is much easier to travel with them when they are younger (before they start walking), and much, much easier to travel with them when they are a bit older.

 

The problem with the 18 month stage is that they are physically able to do things and get into things but they have no real appreciation of the danger, and they often aren't the greatest listeners. I'm not saying you don't have to keep an eagle eye on, say, a 4 year old, but it is very different when they are 18 months. You literally need to have them within arm's reach all the time and you can never take your eyes off of them, even for a second. On the one hand, you have to do that at home anyway. But, your home is child-proofed, no one has left anything that is a choking hazard within reach, etc. There are distractions for you and dangers to your child when you are traveling (cruise, or land vacation), and you just need to be prepared to be very vigilant.

 

I'd also second a previous poster's point about excursions. IMHO, I would pretty much eliminate most, if not all, ship sponsored excursions. I'd try to arrange for a private guide who is willing to flexible right up to the last minute, or I would plan to tour a city on my own. There is no way to predict with a child that age what their tolerance will be on any given day. Long bus/train rides, or "shopping" stops, or even just waiting for the group to gather could prove to be unpleasant for you and your child.

 

I would also plan on adapting the trip to maintain his schedule as much as possible. For my kids, getting adequate rest when we travel is paramount to keeping them feeling good and being happy. That meant making sure they had a place to nap in the afternoons, and ensuring that they don't stay up (much) beyond their regular bedtime.

 

I think if you really want to do this, there are ways to make it happen. I'm always amazed when we're traveling how many people with kids are doing even more with them than we are with ours. You just need to be realistic about the realities of traveling with a small child. If you're OK with them, then you'll likely have a lot of fun. It's great to see the world through your child's eyes!

[3GR8Sons]

We travel with our kids. We have traveled with them since they were babies. They are currently 7, 10, and 12 (almost 13). The only trip we have taken without them occurred last year when we went to Alaska for a week. They stayed with their grandmother.

 

That said, we stick to fairly close flight in the US and Carribbean. It can be difficult to do long trips with babies and toddlers. Whether you do Europe with a baby really depends on the baby. My kids were all really crabby if they had to sit in a stroller and just take in the sights all day. They required physical activity that would not have been possible on a European vacation. They also needed regular naps and generally did not sleep in the stroller. However, I have known toddlers that were perfectly content to sleep in the stroller and happily sit still all day.

 

I think you need to be in touch with your child's needs. I think that you can figure out whether Europe is a good trip for your child based on your knowledge of your kids. I wouldn't have done it with my kids.

 

My kids have enjoyed our trips to the Carribbean very much. They also enjoy domestic travel. We are hoping to take a European vaction someday. But the cost of hotels in Europe is prohibitive for a family of 5. Maybe soon.

 

Good luck with your choice.