mruhaak Posted March 13, 2007 #26 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I used to camp in a pop-up camper with my kids beginning when they were 1-1/2 and 3 years of age...I can't believe anything would be harder than that! (especially when it rained:( ) but the good times far outweighed the hassle! Sue, My DH wants to go camping to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons this summer. DS's will be 1 and 4. Oh yeah...lots of fun...cough cough!! I love camping really. It's just a lot of work at that age!! BUT I get to take my cruises and this is something HE wants to do and has wanted to do for quite a while. I think if I had a wonderful Grandma like you coming along on a cruise I wouldn't even hesitate!! You can tell your kids that! Hope everyone goes and you have a great time! Melanie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 13, 2007 Author #27 Share Posted March 13, 2007 Thank you!:) The one thing about my camping days that I learned quick was getting my baby used to taking a shower! I started taking her in with me before she was a year old to get used to water running on her..then when we started camping with her, it was not a problem, didn't start early enough with her older brother and he did not care for showers as a toddler!!! ... NO BATHTUBS in pop-up campers OR in the camp showers! I have told my 'baby' to start getting her baby used to showers so it won't be an issue on the cruise if they go! I saw one post about putting a little inflatable pool in the shower stall to bathe the baby in.. ..our Lainie will be 1-1/2 and could easily adapt to showers by that age! She only takes tub baths now. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mruhaak Posted March 13, 2007 #28 Share Posted March 13, 2007 You know what I did with my first son for a bath while camping? I bring clothing in supplies in those plastic bins. I just emptied one. Heated some water put half hot and half cold water and put him in. It worked great! And I have a really cute picture of him doing it. We took a Disney cruise with him last year and they do have tubs in the bathrooms. Although DS was used to taking showers with Daddy by then anyway! That's good advice about getting them used to showers though. Also the DVD player with movies (mentioned above) is good advice too. One thing when you have to pack diapers is that your luggage is full when you get there but you have more room going home because of the diapers you used. So you can pack whatever you bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 13, 2007 Author #29 Share Posted March 13, 2007 You know, those big plastic tubs are something that was not available much back in the 70's when I needed them! I have seen people check those things (the heavier ones of course) full of stuff on planes! (wrapped with a luggage strap). I love them for so many things...the bathtub idea is a great one!! Only minisuites and bigger have tubs on Princess which is what we have cruised on since 2002 after doing a few Carnival cruises...I looked into booking a mini but it was 400.00 more pp for this 1-week cruise! Once in a while you can get a special upgrade...like our Diamond Alaskan cruise is only 100.00 more to upgrade to a mini from a balcony...sure would of been nice to have one with the baby! Grandpa and I are renting a car for the two days pre-cruise in Ft. Lauderdale, and we plan to do some grocery shopping....we usually buy soda, bottled water, a few snacks (I don't know WHY, like we don't get enough to eat?):rolleyes: ...and put them in a collapsable duffle bag that we packed in our luggage. I told my daughter we can buy the diapers down there and tote them on the ship in a duffle...as long as it fits through the metal detector you can carry it on! The diaper thing was something she was worried about.. ..I doubt if Lainie will be potty trained by 20 months! But if I remember right, they use less of them as they get older!;) Grammy Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mruhaak Posted March 13, 2007 #30 Share Posted March 13, 2007 That's a great idea. One thing that is kind of a hassle is we flew with our carseat so that our DS could use it on the plane. So then we had to lug it through the airport. We left the car seat in the rental car so we didn't have to bring it onboard ship and have it take up space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 13, 2007 Author #31 Share Posted March 13, 2007 By the time we go, I will have everything figured out! I planned on renting the car WITH a carseat...... not sure what to do about cabs, like the transport back to the airport after the cruise when we don't have a car of our own...then there is the plane!!! I'm not sure if they are holding her as she is still under 2 or buying her own seat....airfare is horrible right now...they are flying from Kentucky which has no deals to fly from there ANYWHERE! Yikes! I'm more worried about all this stuff than I am being on the ship with her! ...that will be easy it's the logistics of GETTING THERE safely! We never had all these things to worry about...I have said it before: It's a wonder any of you born in the 70's survived because when I see what is available NOW to ensure safety for little ones, compared to what us old timers used on our kids...YIKES!:eek: a Safer Grammy Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexxity Posted March 13, 2007 #32 Share Posted March 13, 2007 I planned on renting the car WITH a carseat Do not rent a car seat always bring your own. My friend hired a car and seat and the seats he was presented with were in the worst condition, battered, bumped, very obviously unsafe. Things were so bad he made the manager go out and buy a seat for them. You can buy a bag to tote the car seat in from sunshine kids for a few dollars plus you can put more stuff in the bag too.;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sale Away Posted March 14, 2007 #33 Share Posted March 14, 2007 Our DD was also 20 months on her first cruise. We were traveling with a group but none that we knew terribly well that could be called on for babysitting. We did hire a crew member a few nights to watch her so we could attend a show. What we did for dinner was take a late seating so that we could feed her earlier. I'd just get something simple from room service for her. We'd take her to the dining room for our meal but she would usually fall asleep soon after we'd get there. Our table was by a wall so I'd bring something to lay on the floor for her to sleep on. No noisy baby issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onessa Posted March 14, 2007 #34 Share Posted March 14, 2007 You can buy a bag to tote the car seat in from sunshine kids for a few dollars plus you can put more stuff in the bag too. When my DD was young and she and I were travelling alone, I'd always buy a seat for her on the plane and bring her carseat. I have a small luggage cart - so her diaper bag ('her' carryon, my carryon, the carseat would all get strapped onto the luggage carrier and it would 'roll' through the airport (and she was strapped into her infant carrier to keep my hands 'free') - - infants can be a bit of a challenge in that respect. Thanks for reminding me! Gee, it's almost :eek: worth all of the pre-adolesent angst not to have to worry about all that stuff anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 15, 2007 Author #35 Share Posted March 15, 2007 the more I think buying that extra seat for a baby when the flight is over 2 hours long is the way to go. Most of the time the flights are sold out, so finding an extra seat that could be used would be nearly impossible.... and it would sure be a safer way to travel...not to mention, more luggage allowance, and room to deal with the little one. :rolleyes: Thanks for you input regarding car seats...bringing your own would be the way to go..no worries that way about what to do..worth the extra hassle. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mruhaak Posted March 15, 2007 #36 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Sue, I really struggled with whether to buy the extra seat on the plane too, but in the end decided it was necessity. And really the safest way to go. We brought my sons regular car seat so he was right at home in it. That said it was kind of a big pain hauling it. I would highly recommend a non-stop flight. Then it wouldn't be so bad. We did not have non-stop flights! I will never fly with young children again unless it's non-stop!! Just my opinion! Melanie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 16, 2007 Author #37 Share Posted March 16, 2007 I talked to my daughter tonight and she said she heard of a travel carseat that fits into a small stroller frame....it's great for plane travel...and can be used easiely with rental cars. If they go, I think we will get that third seat...they live near Lexington KY and they have access to 3 airports, the biggest one is Cincinnati (actually the airport is IN Kentucky) about 70 mi away for them and does have nonstop flights to Ft. Lauderdale...it's cheaper too..Lexington and Louisville have very few non-stops. I agree, driving a little further to do a non-stop is worth it! NOW, if the airfares would just drop a little...they are so high right now! I guess because fuel costs are once again going up!:eek: I told them, if the fares drop, they need to make a decision FOR SURE and get them ASAP before they go up again. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted March 16, 2007 #38 Share Posted March 16, 2007 My hubby, who's loves cruises, was a bit concerned about taking our little one on a cruise for the first time. We hadn't gone anywhere for the first 23 months of her life, except for day trips to SeaWorld and Disneyland, etc. We finally decided to do a three-day cruise and then drive to San Diego for a few days and see the tall ships. The cruise and the trip went really great. We all had fun, even though she was a month too young to be in Camp Carnival. And we ended up spending all the time with her. The big key is planning. Making sure you bring whatever you need (the ship may not have the right size diapers or even stock your child's favorite food). We drove to the port but if you're flying, I would suggest going a day early and plan to buy a lot of what you need in your embarkation city. It'll make the flight a lot more easier for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jellybeana123 Posted March 16, 2007 #39 Share Posted March 16, 2007 I talked to my daughter tonight and she said she heard of a travel carseat that fits into a small stroller frame....it's great for plane travel...and can be used easiely with rental cars. If they go, I think we will get that third seat...they live near Lexington KY and they have access to 3 airports, the biggest one is Cincinnati (actually the airport is IN Kentucky) about 70 mi away for them and does have nonstop flights to Ft. Lauderdale...it's cheaper too..Lexington and Louisville have very few non-stops. I agree, driving a little further to do a non-stop is worth it! NOW, if the airfares would just drop a little...they are so high right now! I guess because fuel costs are once again going up!:eek: I told them, if the fares drop, they need to make a decision FOR SURE and get them ASAP before they go up again. Sue I've been following this thread for a few days now but I haven't contributed because I pretty much agree with what most of the posters have already said. I am keeping my fingers crossed that your daughter and son-in-law decide to go. It is so sweet of you to want them to come along for a family vacation. My two little ones, ages 2 and 3 will be going on their first cruise in 11 days. We haven't hesitated to include them in all of our family vacations because I know that our family time is incredibly important and that I would miss them too much if we left them at home. It just takes some extra planning but with the extra help that you've offered your children, I'm sure that everyone will have a wonderful time. Since you mentioned something about a carseat stroller, I just wanted to suggest looking on craigslist. We bought two sit n stroll strollers recently for less than half of what they retail for. The ones we bought are used but they are in great shape. this is the sit n stroll carseat stroller that we have: bought from www.craigslist.org - look for the city or area closest to you, then check under the for sale section for babies and kids. hope this helps. Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mruhaak Posted March 16, 2007 #40 Share Posted March 16, 2007 I've seen those! I really wish we had made the investment with our first son, because now I have my second son and could use it next November. But he's getting so big, so fast I'm not sure I want to buy it! They also have those type of things in the One Step Ahead catalog that I get. The website is http://www.onestepahead.com I've gotten a few helpful baby/toddler items from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom of three 1971 Posted March 17, 2007 #41 Share Posted March 17, 2007 :rolleyes: Either One step ahead or The right start cataloge also had a car seat holder that straps on like a back pack that you can use with any carseat you already have. we purchased a seat for our 20 month old and thank God we did! She napped in her carseat because she used to doing that. Also, I was worried if we hit some turbulance that she be secure. Also there isn't a whole lot of room in those seats, with a child on your lap you can't put down your table. I suppose with a little infant it might be ok but we thought it was safer for her to be in her seat. Also I can't stress enough how helpful a little portable DVD player and some Wiggles Dvds are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted March 17, 2007 Author #42 Share Posted March 17, 2007 You all are giving us so much encouragement! What a lot of great ideas we are getting! I would say it looks like a "go" for the trip! The more my daughter learns about all this, the more confident she is becoming and that is being transferred to our "doubter" of the group. Just wanting to go is not enough, she needed to be the confident one to convince HIM..not me, the mother-in-law trying to convince him. Just realizing that others do this and it is a great experience is helping! They were only on one 5-day cruise and I don't thing they paid much attention to if there were babies on the cruise..since they were on their honeymoon! ;) Thanks again to all of you who have responded or will still be responding! Grammy Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimiSoo Posted September 24, 2007 #43 Share Posted September 24, 2007 You ARE a wonderful Grammy! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueKayL Posted September 24, 2007 Author #44 Share Posted September 24, 2007 I started this thread back in March and have appreciated all the comments... AND opinions! I have been checking in on here every few days lately and getting more and more ideas and information I am so glad we ARE all going on the Caribbean Princess on November 4 as I hoped and I am looking forward to it VERY MUCH! This site is a wealth of information! Grammy Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.