Cruising with a 10 month old - Eastern Mediterranean

[deniuh]

:confused: Hi Everyone!

My husband and I just had our first child Dec 07 and are avid travellers. We've just hit 30 and have cruised several times including Europe. We would like to go back in October 08. Do you think it's doable with a 10 month old? We are thinking it shouldn't be that bad since the ports are not as intensive as the Western Med. It's a really scary step for us since we've been travelling for the past 10 yrs without having to think about anyone else. :eek: Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[rebeccalouise]

The pros are that you can take advantage of going off season.

 

I think cruising the Eastern Med is a great way to see many places in just a few days. So that's a plus.

 

A 10 month old might be walking and might not like being confined to the stroller. That aside, a 10 month old won't be very interested in typical site-seeing.

 

If you are doing Santorini and Mykonos- both of these places should be easy with a baby- very pedestrian friendly. I would take taxis- versus tours- this way you can come and go as you please.

 

I won't say that it is going to be easy but doable. If you are selecting a cruise line- I suggest Celebrity- because they have incabin babysitting at night- which will free you up for a quiet romantic dinner- after long days on land.

[kitty9]

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself: Can the infant handle the change in routine---lots of infants under 18 months cannot? Is this a fussy baby who's crying will be heard in the surrounding cabins at all hours---cabin walls are very thin and you can easily hear a crying infant at 3 am? Is the infant generally healthy? Do you want to have to pack absolutely everything you'll need for an infant including food and diapers? Assuming you're from the US, and depending on where you'll be flying from, can you and your child handle the 7 to 11 hour flights to and from Europe? Like Rebecca said, it's doable, but it can be a hassle. I'm not sure, but in cabin babysitting might have a minimum age of 12 months.

[calikak]

DH and I did a cruise last year on Carnival Liberty with some friends who brought their 5 month old. It wasn't the Med, it was the Caribbean, but she did quite well on all our tours. I'm sure it'd be tougher with a 10-month-old because they're so much more mobile at that age. But I think if you choose tours that are going to work for your child, and you think you can survive the flight over there, I think you'll be OK. Good luck and if you do decide to go, please be sure to post back here about how it went!

[6rugrats]

IMO, and I have several children and stepchildren of every age, you are going to find it a shock traveling with a baby vs. traveling by yourselves. Kitty brings up some very good points. Unfortunately, your baby is too young yet for you to have any idea how he/she adapts to different situations. And, what is true at 6 months can be totally different at 10.

 

I would add to her thoughts - are you willing to have every meal in your cabin if necessary? Are you able to cancel any thoughts of a quiet stroll through a museum? Would you still be able to enjoy your vacation and not be resentful because the baby choose that time to start teething or get sick or decide they wanted to walk everywhere, not ride in the stroller?

 

I would and did find it stressful traveling with a very young child because I was always worried that they would bother others, and they just have a knack for coming down with that ear infection at the most inconvenient time!

 

The hardest part of being a parent for me sometimes is realizing that I can't do what I want when I want, because I have to consider what's best for the children. This type of trip may not be what's best for your baby.

 

No one can tell you what to do. Just consider all the possibilities and see if you could make it work in the worst case scenerio.

[deniuh]

Hi everyone, thanks so much for your input. You are right about waiting until she is older. We would be flying from HOU so it would be an incredibly long flight. My husband is convinced that we can do it, but like you said it will probably be a shock. We love Celebrity, and since there's not much to do on board, we won't feel like we are missing out, as opposed to RCCL. I guess we'll give it a few more months before we make a decision. If you think of anything else please let me know.

 

Thanks!!

[rebeccalouise]

Celebrity is very kids friendly and will babysit children 6 months and older.

 

I did my first transatlantic flight with my son when he was 22 months old and I thought it would be a nightmare. It was fine.

 

I think the key is to make sure that you keep your child entertained until you board the TA flight. Right before take-off fed your child (presumeably it will be a night flight) and then change his diaper. Let your child suck on a bottle of water or watered down juice during takeoff to protect his ears.

 

Most definitely book your child his own seat. It is too long to risk having a child on your lap. That would be horrible.

 

As for vacationing in Europe. If your husband wants to do it- sounds like he is willing to help out.

 

If you and your husband have your heart set on taking your son- then by all means do. If you have family willing to watch him- that might be a better solution. But you have to decide what you are comfortable with.

 

I left my 19 month old home with his aunt for 10 days and he did fine. So don't worry if you decide to leave the little one at home. Although I must say that once you get on the ship- the hard part is over (the flight).

 

As for fussy babies- I think you might get fussy but I suspect baby will be fine.

[bhcruise]

We did a Celebrity Med. cruise in Nov. on Millenium with our 10 month old and 4 year old. We had a great time! The kids did great and because it was off season, they were able to watch our son in the fun factory. Every night the kids would have dinner in the fun factory and we would have a quiet dinner. Our 10 month old did fantastic on all the shore excursions we did. He really just slept most of the time. Almost all the pictures I have are of him sleeping. I would definitely encourage you to take your child as long as you are aware of what could happen. I made the flight from Washington D.C. to Venice by myself with both kids and we did fine. It was a little stressful but I found lots of helpful people. I agree with the previous poster though, you definitely need a seat for the baby. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[Florida_cruisers]

It is doable, especially if he is not walking yet.

We went on a Northern Europe cruise with our son at 1.5yrs old and he did great on all of the excursions, no problems at all.

When he was 7 months (not walking of course), we took him to California to San Francisco and Napa and he did wonderful. Just pace yourself and know that you will have to be sensitive to his naptime and his bedtime at night. Have fun!!

[Onessa]

Our DD (now 12YO! - how time flies!) has been traveling with us since she was an infant - car trips, train trips, air trips and cruises.

 

My niece (not quite 4YO) has been traveling extenstively since she was just a few days old (her mother is a flight attendent, her father is a commercial pilot and in the Navy Reserves).

 

In both cases the girls have always been good travelers -- some of that might be their personalities, some might be just that they have been exposed to it their whole lives.

 

Don't get scared off of a long trip with a little one. A cruise with an infant is considerably different than one without. Not that one is necessarily better or worse, just very different. The time that you get to spend as a family without any of the stresses of everyday life (no work, home, cooking, driving, cleaning, appointments, meetings, . . . .) is simply invaluable. However if DH or you are harboring hopes of late nights in the disco, hours sunbathing by the pool, long excursions -- you may want to rethink this trip. But a moonlight walk forr three on deck followed by a quiet evening in the cabin, days in a shady spot splashing in an inflatable pool, family excursions based solely upon your little one's disposition for that day - can be just what a new family needs!

[Onessa]

Our DD (now 12YO! - how time flies!) has been traveling with us since she was an infant - car trips, train trips, air trips and cruises.

 

My niece (not quite 4YO) has been traveling extenstively since she was just a few days old (her mother is a flight attendent, her father is a commercial pilot and in the Navy Reserves).

 

In both cases the girls have always been good travelers -- some of that might be their personalities, some might be just that they have been exposed to it their whole lives.

 

Don't get scared off of a long trip with a little one. A cruise with an infant is considerably different than one without. Not that one is necessarily better or worse, just very different. The time that you get to spend as a family without any of the stresses of everyday life (no work, home, cooking, driving, cleaning, appointments, meetings, . . . .) is simply invaluable. However if DH or you are harboring hopes of late nights in the disco, hours sunbathing by the pool, long excursions -- you may want to rethink this trip. But a moonlight walk forr three on deck followed by a quiet evening in the cabin, days in a shady spot splashing in an inflatable pool, family excursions based solely upon your little one's disposition for that day - can be just what a new family needs!

[triptastic]

I just returned from an Eastern Med cruise with my 8 month old. The trip was much better than I could have dreamed. Like you, this was our first trip with babe after many years of travel as a couple. It is much different way of traveling but beats staying at home til they are older. By the way, babies are like rock stars in Italy, you can barely walk down the street without droves of people coming up to the baby. If you have any questions just ask.

Christa

[I&MsMom]

I agree with everyone who said, go for it! Yes, traveling/vacationing with a baby is different, but gosh - isn't everything? Our first TA flight was when DS was 11 months old. It was a great trip.

 

I would just bring up a couple of points. Someone said that babies that young change a lot month to month. This is so true. Try to keep your thinking and expectations flexible. I once planned a trip to Disney at a time when I thought for sure our youngest wouldn't be walking yet and guess what? Yes, that was me following 6 inches behind her as she spent the entire week practicing her new skill of walking on her own! Nothing on earth could entice her to stay in her stroller.:eek:

 

Speaking of which, I can't emphasize enough the importance of a great stroller for travel. I honestly think it can go a long way toward making (or breaking) your trip. A "good" travel stroller should, IMHO

 

1. Recline

2. Have a 5 point harness

3. Have a bonnet top

4. Have a rain cover

5. Have adequate storage or accommodate an additional bag somewhere

6. Fold quickly, easily (preferably using only one hand) and compactly, and

7. Have large VERY STURDY all-terrain wheels (cobblestones, etc)

 

If you're going to Venice, I would add it should have a sturdy footboard: at all of the bridges (and there seems to be one every few feet:p), one parent would lift the stroller by the footboard, while the other was at the handles - up and over, easy as can be!

 

In terms of size, keep in mind cabin doors are narrower than most - we once brought a stroller that had to be folded up before we could bring it in the cabin - result being that if our child fell asleep in it, we had to take her out to enter the cabin. Not the end of the world, but certainly not optimum.

 

Children are remarkably adaptable, as long as their needs are consistently met in a timely fashion, which I'm sure you'll have completely covered. In my opinion, the whole cornerstone to a successful trip is not allowing anyone (children or adults) to get overtired or stressed.

 

I'm not sure what's available on board, but I always travel with a full compliment of children's over the counter medications. DS once needed a fever reducer in Rome when he was an infant. They had a familiar brand, but did not have the familiar syringe dispenser. He just did not want to take it from a spoon. From then on, I leave nothing to chance, including traveling with a couple of small bottles of Pedialyte. Diapers, wipes, etc. were IMO interchangable with the ones we brought from home.

 

The only other thing I would add is that food may prove a challenge. Our first trip to Italy with children (DS 11 months) was the end of eating baby food. I brought enough from home for a couple of days, as I'd been told it was available there. It is, but not anywhere near the variety he was used to, and apparently they use different recipes because he absolutely refused to eat it. All restaurants were incredibly accommodating in providing pastina, broth, etc. and I just cut everything really, really small. Then there's the snacks. A couple of years ago, I was assured Cheerios were readily available in grocery stores in Italy. Well, yes, but only the Honey Nut variety. Any idea what happens to a fistful of Honey Nut cheerios after a while? Icky-sticky mess! But if you can go with the flow and laugh this stuff off, you (and your baby) will be just fine.

 

While our first European cruise was with (slightly) older kids, we've done the infant/toddler thing a few times, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have!

 

October would be a perfect time for this trip. I hope if you decide to go for it you have a really terrific time!

[Eclipsepearl]

What great advice you're getting here!

 

I'm a Flight Attendant and I've been flying transatlantically with my own three kids since each was 4 months old, about twice a year.

 

We also did a Eastern Med cruise on Celebrity last summer. We actually waited until our youngest was 3 to take advantage of the club. I actually think 10 months is good. I wouldn't recommend this type of cruise for a toddler.

 

Celebrity is good for kids but I never booked a babysitter enough in advance to take advantage. Try to do that asap and try to get the same or two of the same people. I'd also go for a balcony, budget permitting, so you can do the watching the sunset while baby sleeps thing a couple of evenings. Also, it's great with the portable pool.

 

There was no cartoon channel so bring a portable DVD player if you need it (I didn't with such young ones but you decide what works for you son). Also, there weren't any supplies in the store for babies. You will have to bring absolutely everything. All food jars, bibs, formula and I would be prepared to do a bit of sink-washing. Our clothes took forever to come back.

 

Too true about the Cheerios. Only Honey-Nut here in France also. I was told not to give them to babies at all because of the nuts and choking factors. Also, diapers can be sold under different labels. I have wasted good vacation time searching for the right brand/size. Now I don't. Every single diaper we needed was packed. Use plastic bags with rubber bands to make space...space which you can then use for souvienirs on the way home!

 

On the Galaxy there was a baby pool. I'm trying to remember if diapered children were allowed. I think they were (it was drained and refilled) but get this point clear with the ship you're sailing.

 

I would second the recommendation to book private tours with the baby. You can hook up with other passengers but they need to be clear that you are toting a tot. You can also use your car seat onboard. That is a recommendation based on observation. My dh stayed on the ship and only I went on excusions. He has a bad back and actually prefers to relax anyway. It was also hot and high season so I wasn't keen to drag kids off and they were happy in the club (plus the fact we are already living in Europe so there wasn't the pressing need for them to see stuff). In Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes, you do not need to book a tour at all and can just disembark and sightsee as you want with your baby.

 

You need a good baby backpack or carrier in addition to the stroller. For certain places, strollers are just a pain! I'm just picturing Pompeii with one... Get something like an Ergo or other carrier that goes on both the back and the front. I used a sling for flying but it is only worn on the front. On other vacations when mine were smaller, a wrap worked well. Cruise babywearing sites if you don't already have this secret to easy parenting. A good carrier is a gold mine and a must-have for travel!

 

For the stroller, get one that folds easily. I was just in Paris alone with my three and I borrowed a McClaren which was really handy on the Métro. I'd pop it closed, take my dd by the hand and scamper up the steps. It even has a handle for this purpose. It met all the criteria a pp posted except with the wheels. I actually don't recommend an all-terrain stroller just because they can be bulky. If you can find a stroller with small all-terrain wheels, go for it!

 

For flying, since I've done many, many Xatlantics as both a F/A and a passenger/mom, you might find my (totally non-commercial) article helpful;

http://flyingwithchildren.blogspot.com

 

Yes! Bring the seat. You might need it for the excusions and transfers anyway. Try to book a U.S. based company so that you can use it. Maybe you can secure an empty seat off-season but in October, it's tricky. That's a big conference month so you are warned... Not only is this the only way to fly safely, it will save your sanity.

 

Just to squelch a couple of myths; the car seat doesn't have to go by a window. It just can't block another passengers' access to the aisle (FAA says!)

 

Also, you don't have to make them suck on take-off and landing. This is a myth. If you want to, go ahead but many babies fall asleep on take-off. Parents panic, thinking that their childrens' ears are going to explode and try to wake them up... Please let him sleep!!! So unnecessary. I have never, ever done this and they've never had ear problems. Take your son to the doctor and have his ears checked out before flying. Healthy ears can handle pressurization changes!

 

Like everything else with your life, travel will be different now that you're parents. You know it wont be like cruising before you had him but it doesn't mean staying home. We travel all the time with ours'. I had been to almost 60 countries so it's been a challenge but we manage. Cruising is actually one of the less-stressful ways to travel with a baby and it's easier now than it will be when he's walking (running!) so take advantage.

 

Happy planning!

[Mich1121]

I am sailing next month aboard the NCL Gem with two kids. My son being 51/2 and my daughter will be 11 months old. As of now she is not walking. As long as your child stays on his or her nap schedule and is getting proper amount of sleep they should be fine. Obviously if she were throwing a fit in a restaurant I would leave but she never does that. I take her out all the time and is always well behaved. The flight your talking about maybe too long but maybe you can look into another cruise. At any age you will not know how they are going to behave until the trip actually comes. Take a chance... There's no sense of not having any fun because the baby may act up. Some kids do... Take them to places where it is accepted and you can make an easy exit if you have to.

[GJH78]

What are these portable pools that are in this thread? How does it work with Celebrities policies? Where can we use them and where can I get one?

How would you dispose of the water after?

[kitty9]

There are some very tiny blow up pools at Target, Walmart and Kmart. They will be a great thing for bathing your baby, by putting it on the floor of the shower---that way, it's easily drainable in the shower floor drain. Some parents use the pool on the balcony and just fill it with an inch or two of water. I'm not at all sure where you drain it on a balcony and I don't think it would fit through the balcony door for draining in the bathroom when it's inflated. I can't think of any place to drain one from a balcony. Others will find a nice empty space, not blocking anything or anyone, out on deck and again fill it with an inch or two. Make sure you're near to a shady area if it starts getting too hot or sunny for the child. You can drain it in any drain that's on the open deck.