Cruising with a baby- Under a year old

[KerCar]

 

Keep the posts coming! I've read every single one of them.

 

Dee~I just posted this on the "other" thread:eek: but then realized you might not visit that one again so I'm reposting my thoughts over here for you:

 

 

Oh, I know, you think you can have it all, but that's just a lovely myth, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny ....

 

I'm sorry you feel that way:( I am the proud mother of two beautiful, healthy, well-behaved children. I have everything I could ever ask for and more. IMO, I DO have it all and then some:D

 

To the OP~We cruised with our 15 mo and 4 yo last spring and had a BLAST! Between the darkness of our cabin and our rocking motion of the ship, ours slept through the nights wonderfully. DD took a nap each day and DH and I would fight over who got to rest with her! Since neither of us get to take naps at home, we LOVED being the one to get to do it:D

 

Ours did a great job in the main dining room. Ever since my children were born, we eat dinner together every night as a family. No one starts until we are all served and no one gets excused until dinner is over. Since our nightly dinners are long, eating in the DR was a breeze. We had many older couples come up to us and comment how much they enjoyed watching our little ones.

 

To everyone else~The fact that Dee is looking for advice before she is actually pregnant speaks volumes about her. Like the majority of us on the Family Board, she is taking the time to research and plan well in advance to avoid some of the problems that some of you have mentioned. She definitly doesn't strike me as someone who would let a baby cry through the night and ruin someone elses vacation. On our cruise, I had DD's stroller ready to go if she woke up in the middle of the night and started to cry. The plan was I would take her up to a public deck and do laps. Fortunatly, it never came to this as she slept like a log. Unfortunatly, the same couldn't be said for DH and I as there were two loud drunk adults in the cabin above us:rolleyes:

 

You are all entitled to your opinions, but just realize that there are many of us who actually LOVE cruising with our children and have figured out ways to do it successfully:)

 

PS: I'm glad you found your way over to this board. The mothers, fathers, and grandparents on this board have been the best resource I have found while planning our cruises. I LOVE learning from these people.

[KerCar]

 

I have visions of my lil one on the beach with an oversized sun hat and tons of lotion on and a bit of relaxation.

 

Just hangin at the beach has always worked for us when traveling with our babies. Find a beach with nice calm waves and you, baby, and DH can plop yourselves down in the water and splash around. Be sure to bring some beach toys. . .and your camera:D

[Dee79]

I stopped reading my post/thread on the other board after someone called me Britney. Seriously.. Do I sound like a Britney? I unsubscribed to it also because it was getting me down so this is my place to be.

 

This board is fantastic with the amount of positive feedback from you Momma's. I'm learning a ton and I know what may and what may not happen while cruising with a child and we've accepted that. :)

 

As for the camera. We don't go anywhere without 3 digital cameras, a ton of recharable batteries and cards for them. We also plan to bring our laptop so we can unload them and email them out on certain days of the trip. I'm NOW excited again and hope that we're blessed with a child so we can finally be a family on our vacations. It's something that we've missed in our travels to be honest. But I love to be prepared before hand so again I appreciate this thread. :D

[notentirelynormal]

Had to go back and read it - Yup the comment was rude. P*ssed me off actually, so I responded. Oops.:p Some people's children just don't have manners and the poster is one of them.

[Kudos2Fly]

crusinmama06 was probably refering to me when she said a poster always says the same when I respond to those family post. Even so it still was an experience my husband;s family did go through.

 

But the fact is I don't ever have a problem with people cruising with their babies.

 

And just because people that do not have children doesn't mean their opinion doesn't count. For good or bad. My only thing was when traveling with a baby you "NEED" the room. And most cruise lines are not noted for there "big" inside rooms.. My husbands nefew and his wife experience this and it was a problem for them. But their baby did do well on the cruise and he was about 11 months old.

 

But it looks like you have room size work out. And that is good improvement for you to enjoy the cruise. The only thing I hope you look at is how your baby will travel. If the baby is a great traveler and sleeps through the night then you have it made.

 

The times I have cruise I never had a problem sleeping next to a family with a baby that cries at all hours of the night. I hope to keep it that way.. You just to make sure you are thinking of the people around you. Because those people also paid to have a nice vacation and not be woke up in the middle of the night every night on their cruise..

 

It is to bad you got a response like that from the main board. But not everyone was rude either. You can get great information from the main board. Good Luck on your decision. And YES I don't have KIDS but my opinion DOES COUNT.

[IBoz]

Wow! Between this thread and the other one, things are certainly a little heated!

 

I grew up in FL, but DH is a Brit. When DS was born, we were living in England. When he was 6 weeks old, we took our first trip. Just a short one, a weekend in Wales. He was not, of course, sleeping on anything resembling a schedule at that point. Long story short, it wasn't so bad. He was breastfed, so no bottles needed. We took along a big pack of diapers (or nappies as DH calls them), and the portable bassinet.

 

I was tired most of the trip, but then I would have been tired even if we had been at home. He only got fussy once, during dinner the 2nd night. Dh took him right out, settled him down, and came back.

 

That trip was a "dry run" for another trip when he was 10 weeks. We hopped a flight to Bruges for a week. It was a wonderful trip. A friend that lived in the area sent her niece to babysit at our hotel a couple of nights, so we could get out and have a leisurely dinner.

 

DS handled it all well. It helped that he was cute and easy natured (still is, actually), but I think most of it was that we were calm and relaxed most of the time. We didn't fuss or fret over a lot, and were able to be flexible in our daily plans. As a result, we could handle the little things that came up.

 

So what does this have to do with cruises and babies?

 

Well, our easy traveling adventures with DS led us to think we could do the same with DD when she came along. We have been fairly successful, but I think it is easier to handle when you aren't in a small-ish cabin with limited room to roam.

 

My advice would be, like so many others on this thread, to wait and see what kind of baby you have, and what kind of parents you and your hubby are. If you, your DH and the baby can roll with the punches, you should be fine.

 

If the you or the baby turn out to need more structure, you may want to wait until the baby is a little older.

 

Good luck!

[GaTechCruiser]

"I have visions of my lil one on the beach with an oversized sun hat and tons of lotion on and a bit of relaxation."

I am trying to post of picture of my little one in a big floppy sun hat with sunglasses on sitting on the beach at 5 months, but I can't get it to work.

Looking forward to cruising with her when she is 13 months old in April.

[GaTechCruiser]

Here is my little one with a big floppy hat enjoying the sun

[KerCar]

[ATTACH]71337[/ATTACH]

Here is my little one with a big floppy hat enjoying the sun

 

ADORABLE:)

[6rugrats]

OP - as one who has several children, my advice to you is to take a cruise now, with just your husband. If you get pregnant later, and you think you can handle cruising with a baby, you have another cruise to look forward to.

 

Until you have a child, there is really no possible way you understand what's involved. Until you know your baby, you have no idea if they would be able to handle a vacation like this. Some take changes in their routines easily and some would be a nightmare. And a child who is constantly crying and upset will ruin your vacation and the vacation of others.

 

Good luck to you!

[crusinmama06]

crusinmama06 was probably refering to me when she said a poster always says the same when I respond to those family post.

 

Actually nope it wasn't you. :D Believe me when I say that this poster says the SAME thing word for word. She could copy/paste her statement between every child post and it would never change.

 

And yes I value the opinion of people who don't have children. We have a wonderful poster here at the family board who doesn't have children of her own but she has wonderful advice for those who do. :D

 

I have MAJOR problems with the kamikaze posters who do a suicide dive into a conversation...have nothing to contribute to the thread, but are only there to fuel the fire.

 

In this case Dee asked for advice from those who have cruised with children. Kind of the same with the poster who asked for parents who HAVE taken their children out of school.

 

Most of the parents here care enough to get opinions on how to take their children on a ship and minimize the effect on other passengers. They don't come here saying "I have a child who screams all night but it's my vacation and everyone else will have to put up with it." ;) So I guess when talking to parents here about behavior, it's kind of like preaching to the choir. :)

[crusinmama06]

I am trying to post of picture of my little one in a big floppy sun hat with sunglasses on sitting on the beach at 5 months, but I can't get it to work.

Looking forward to cruising with her when she is 13 months old in April.

 

Awww she is adorable!!!! Now you have motivated me to bring out our old floppy hat pics.

 

Orient Beach - St. Martin

 

 

And onboard Disney Magic

 

[Kudos2Fly]

Actually nope it wasn't you. :D Believe me when I say that this poster says the SAME thing word for word. She could copy/paste her statement between every child post and it would never change.

 

Well that's good to know :o I do have a bit of experience with children of all ages, while working in an Pedi ER for 5 years. So I have seen all "Types" of families. Some wonderful to work with and others down right rude as if everyone owned them for just living.

 

Although, I will not have kids of my own in this life.. My husband's older son and his wife just had there 1 child in Dec. So now I have a step grand daughter. And they are keeping her home for this up and coming cruise. But they do have someone that is more then willing to take care of her for a week.

 

I guess they figure they will need some time with out her..

 

I do look forward to having her coming up to our place when the parents feel it is good to do so...

[crusinmama06]

Well that's good to know :o I do have a bit of experience with children of all ages, while working in an Pedi ER for 5 years. So I have seen all "Types" of families. Some wonderful to work with and others down right rude as if everyone owned them for just living.

 

Although, I will not have kids of my own in this life.. My husband's older son and his wife just had there 1 child in Dec. So now I have a step grand daughter. And they are keeping her home for this up and coming cruise. But they do have someone that is more then willing to take care of her for a week.

 

I guess they figure they will need some time with out her..

 

I do look forward to having her coming up to our place when the parents feel it is good to do so...

 

Congrats on your new grandbaby. :D

[KerCar]

crusinmama06 was probably refering to me when she said a poster always says the same when I respond to those family post. Even so it still was an experience my husband;s family did go through.

 

But the fact is I don't ever have a problem with people cruising with their babies.

 

And just because people that do not have children doesn't mean their opinion doesn't count. For good or bad. My only thing was when traveling with a baby you "NEED" the room. And most cruise lines are not noted for there "big" inside rooms.. My husbands nefew and his wife experience this and it was a problem for them. But their baby did do well on the cruise and he was about 11 months old.

 

But it looks like you have room size work out. And that is good improvement for you to enjoy the cruise. The only thing I hope you look at is how your baby will travel. If the baby is a great traveler and sleeps through the night then you have it made.

 

The times I have cruise I never had a problem sleeping next to a family with a baby that cries at all hours of the night. I hope to keep it that way.. You just to make sure you are thinking of the people around you. Because those people also paid to have a nice vacation and not be woke up in the middle of the night every night on their cruise..

 

It is to bad you got a response like that from the main board. But not everyone was rude either. You can get great information from the main board. Good Luck on your decision. And YES I don't have KIDS but my opinion DOES COUNT.

 

 

Kudos~Your opinion most certainly counts as you are speaking from experience. You made a valid point on the other thread about space. Unfortunatly, some of the other posters were not so nice and those are the ones that some of us take issue with. Congrats on your new Grandbaby:)

[Kudos2Fly]

Thanks

[karatemom2]

Dee so sorry you got subjected to all that vile stuff on your original thread. Even though I predicted it based on past experience, it still makes me mad to read it. You are getting great advice here as I knew you would. Don't get discouraged. As you can see from the posts here, traveling with a baby isn't necessarily easy, but many do it very successfully and have wonderful experiences. Only you can decide what is right for your family, so keep your options open and if it works out that you cruise with your baby you will be doing so armed with loads of advance planning and knowledge thanks to the information you are gathering here on the Family Board. Best of luck to you!!

[kitty9]

I wonder Darcie, if you also give equal attention in warning people who ask a question about traveling with a elderly parent or with an adult who has a handicap of all the possible hazards of cruising?

 

Considering that the vast majority of medical evacuations and deaths on a cruise ship are elderly people who are cruising with heart problems, diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc., it would seem at least equally as important to point out to those cruisers all the possible problems that might come up.

 

I know that I have never been warned that traveling with my elderly parents might keep me from having the same type of cruise that I would have if they weren't with me. My parents insist on eating earlier than I would prefer, and they get grumpy and cranky if things don't go the way they like, and they wander off and get lost sometimes, and I am always worried that they will get off the ship and not find their way back. They also insist that we play cards with them at night when we would rather be in the casino or at a show. Maybe we should inquire to Celebrty about parent-sitters in the evenings so we can be free to go out and have a good time!! We change a lot of things when we cruise with my parents.....and yet we still have a wonderful time.

 

The same applies when we have traveled with our grandchildren. For instance, when we were in Acapulco with our children and grandchildren we went to a water park for the day....certainly not something my husband and I would have done alone. But, we had a wonderful time.

 

My greatest regret is that my husband and I don't have the money to take my parents, all my children and my grandchildren on a cruise every year. How glorious would that be?? :D

 

I have seen it over and over again on Cruise Critic where a poster gets attacked for even mentioning that they are thinking of traveling while pregnant or with their babies and children...I think it's a shame that some people wish to be fear mongers instead of being helpful and supportive.

 

 

DesertBelle, I AM disabled, since age 2 from polio and 9 subsequent surgeries on my legs, and I DO go on the boards for the disabled and "warn" them about the hazards of cruising. I also tell them what to expect as far as accessibility issues are concerned both on the ship and in ports of call. I also assist them with where they can go for renting wheelchairs/oxygen/scooters and accessible tours. I use a cane or scooter, and I've been all over the world as a disabled person, so I do impart advice whenever someone on the HC board asks for it. I also impart my knowledge when traveling with an elderly person. My mom is 81, and cruises all the time, and again, I DO give advice, when asked, about traveling with someone who's older. My mom broke her hip last year on Millennium, and I now "warn" others who have elderly family members who cruise about the problems that an elderly person can experience on a cruise. I warn people they need to get travel insurance in case of emergency, so they won't be caught with a $9000 air evacuation bill like we did. I tell of our experiences with trying to get special meals for a picky eater and one who needs special meals due to medications.

 

And I do give advice to solo women who want to cruise alone, but are afraid. I try and calm their fears but still inject a certain amount of caution when it comes to certain ports of call. I impart my experiences, as a solo woman cruiser and the things, both positive and negative, they can expect from feeling lonely to ignoring unwanted advances.

 

So you see, I'm not picking on baby people. I'm lucky to have certain knowledge of cruising after taking 52 cruises, on most of the lines out there. Plus, this is a public forum, and all opinions, no matter if they fit anyone else's, should be welcomed and considered as a matter of a person's personal experiences.

[JWestShuh]

I just wanted to post what the overwhelming response was on the other thread which was - wait and see what kind of baby she/he will be and THEN decide if cruising will be a good idea. A lot of people have said that their babies have been miserable while others have said that it went fine. I think you should wait to book because there are so many unexpected things that could happen between here and now in terms of pregnancy. While some were out of line for calling you Britney, saying things like "tax break", "snot nosed brats", etc...I think that waiting is the best advice.

[sunrise&set]

I have not cruised with our DS yet... we leave in 3 1/2 weeks and he'll be 13 months old. I absolutely cannot wait! I do agree with pp's about waiting to see what your baby will be like first. DS has been sleeping through the night for quite some time, he's very easy going and happy all the time. If he was the opposite, I wouldn't even consider it, not only for the sake of other passengers, but more importantly, for my own sanity LOL!! I wouldn't want to spend all that money and have a terrible time! Of course, it could still be tough, you just never know.

 

I have been planning like crazy and reading these boards. I want to be as prepared as I can be in every other aspect. But basically I've learned to be prepared for anything. I think a cruise is a great idea with little ones, although it took some time to convince DH. To have everything so close by with no worries of driving around... perfect!! We booked a suite so we have a larger room with balcony. My DD (14) is also coming with a friend and they will be helping us out. DS is walking so we'll be chasing him around alot, but that just means we'll work off all that food!

 

Good luck with trying to conceive and I hope you will enjoy family vacations for many years to come!

[lucyddr]

Just a word of advice (from someone without children, but who is a physician)... In the event that you choose to cruise with an infant under 6 months old, it is imperative that the baby be completely up to date with all of his/her immunizations! My husband and I will definitely be cruising with our children (when we have some), but won't get on a ship until they are over 4months, having had 2 rounds of shots, and still on breast milk for it's immune system benefits...

Probably more than you asked for, but I just think it's really important!

[Jake's Mom]

We took our 3 month old to Alaska on RCCL in June of 2005 and had a fabulous time. The cruise line provided a pack n'play crib and we brought our stroller/car seat (travel system). The stroller did take up a lot of room in our cabin, but it was worth it, I strolled him all over the ship and in all of the ports. I brought a two week supply of diapers and wipes for our 7 day trip and a two week supply of Similac on the go packets. They are the greatest thing ever. One packets and 4 oz of bottled water = one bottle.

Our cabin steward made sure we had plenty of bottled water and set up the crib for us every night.

 

We took him in the main dining room every night. We just brought his bottle with us and fed him while we ate. He had lots to look at and was very content.

 

We did have to changes our night time activities a little, but we did still go to the show. We just sat in the back, on the aisle in case we had to leave quickly with a crying baby. (which he only did once).

 

As a new mom is was a nice break, for seven days RCCL took care of me and I never had to cook a meal, wash a towel...etc. When we got home I told everyone that I wanted to live on a cruise ship.

 

We have great memories of that first trip with our son and are planning our next trip this summer.

 

:)