Infants on Princess

[familytrippers]

We're taking our 3 kids (one of which is only 8 mos) on the Coral Princess at the end of the month. If anyone's traveled on Princess with an infant, we'd love some help!

Are the cribs portable or just a packnplay type? We are in a minisuite...can the crib fit in the closet? (Trying to find any way to make the area quieter/darker for her to sleep.)

Is the Kids Club area okay for a young infant? She loves to crawl and "cruise" around and we would love to find a safe area (we know we have to be with her).

Princess doesn't have any private or group babysitting for infants--any suggestions on dinner/evening with baby in tow? Is it easy to get a highchair--can we dine with her in the dining rooms?

What has been your experience in terms of crew/passenger attitudes with babies?

Sorry for all the questions...have never done this with such a young one before!:)

Thanks!

Familytripper

[cruisead]

What type of room do you have? Most closets on cruise ships can barely hold the clothes for two people, much less than for a family, so putting the crib in the closet is probably impossible. Ditto for the bathroom.

 

Of course you can dine with her in the dining room, and the only time there might be a problem with your fellow diners is if your daughter starts crying during dinner. It's really tough to keep infants entertained for the long time it takes to eat dinner. Be prepared to leave the dining room if she becomes fussy.

[PattyW]

We cruised on the Golden Princess last November with an 11 month old. We also were in a minisuite.

 

1. Cribs: definitely the luck of the draw. We got a pack and play (although a very large one) and my sister-in-law two doors down got a regular port-a crib for her almost 2 year old. I think it's first come first serve for the stewards and all the cribs go first. As I think back on the room, I don't know if it will fit in the closet - maybe, but it would be very cramped. The only place it will fit comfortably is in the "Living room" area.

 

2. Kids Club. We didn't utilize it, but it is my understanding from these boards that you can take a younger child in to play as long as you are in attendance.

 

3. Evenings/Dinner: Our daughter has a very easygoing disposition, so dinner was never a real problem. I believe we ate one night at the buffet and the remainder in the dining room. High chairs are not a problem at all in the dining room. If you choose anytime dining, tell the host you need one and it will be set up before you are seated. If you choose traditional dining, tell your server on the first night and s/he will have it waiting for you the remainder of the nights. In the buffet, the quickest way to get a highchair is probably to look around for an empty one. If not, any of the drink servers will go in the back and get one. We never had a problem and we sailed Thanksgiving week (tons of kids of all ages). We brought small toys with us to dinner to keep her occupied, but she basically played with the breadsticks (long and crunchy) as I recall. She held up quite nicely up through the dessert portion of the meal. We were never able to stay for coffee, though. Just know your baby's limits and remain flexible. Evenings are tougher. We're the type of parents that try to keep a reasonable bedtime for our child, so basically, after dinner, she was off to bed. We had some family along, so we were able to go out a couple of evenings, but we also enjoyed staying in and sitting on our balcony watching the water and talking in the evenings. Sorry, I'm not much help there.

 

4. Crew/Passengers. For the crew - it was unanimous. They all seemed to love all the babies. They would go out of the way to talk to our daughter and play with her. However, and this was weird, none of the waitstaff could touch her (take her hand, pat her head, etc). One of the servers said it was a CDC regulation. The pasengers - almost as unanimous. Most people seemed to welcome the children or at worst ignore them. There was one person on the ship we met who clearly did not agree with children on cruises (mumbled in the elevator: I went on vacation to get away from children. . .), but that's only expected as well, I presume.

 

5. Baby Food. You didn't ask, but just to make sure you know, Princess will provide baby food for you child so you don't have to lug it on board. Make sure your TA calls ahead of time to let them know how much you'll need. You get the food in the dining room. We had an arrangement with our head-waiter where we would get all the food we needed for the next day at dinner the night before since we never ate breakfast or lunch in the dining room.

[Happy ks]

Nothing to do with taking your baby on the cruise, that's your choice. I would worry about putting the crib in a closet. Several years ago, a local couple did just this while in town visiting relatives (not on a cruise ship). Sadly, the baby got ahold of a plastic dry cleaner bag and suffocated. Knowing many of us pack this way, the thought of not being able to see your baby at all times is not a safe choice. Better that mom and dad just accept the fact they have to take turns at nap time.

 

You should check with your individual cruise line to check out the kids club policy. Some lines do not allow children under 3 and not potty trained into the area, even with a parent. I'm sure you will be able to find another area for your little one to play.