Bringing a baby on Crystal?

[sfmama]

Hello,

 

I am thinking about going on Crystal's Serenity for the 7-night cruise departing on June 6th ("Greek Gods & Gondolas" #8313).

 

I will be travelling with my 7-month old baby daughter (who is a champ and does not cry much) and my mother.

 

I would appreciate some constructive input on whether cruising on Crystal with an infant would be enjoyable? For example, will there be a few other families with kids so we won't be the only ones and potentially social outcasts?

 

Also, has anyone else cruised on Crystal with a baby and used their babysitting service? We are hoping to use babysitters at night so we can enjoy dinner and entertainment.

 

Thank you in advance for your input!

[BeachBumMama]

Welcome to the boards.:) You might find more specific info on the Family Cruising (I think that's the name of it) boards. Most on there cruise with children and should be able to give all kinds of tips and suggestions. If you ask the same specific question, you might find some who have sailed Crystal. Wish I could be more specific, but I haven't sailed Crystal and I haven't sailed with an infant. Mine were older when they had their first sea adventure. But many on the family boards may be able to help more.

Please be aware (and don't let it scare you off), but there are some negative people on the boards that would suggest you 'leave the baby home'. :rolleyes: If you get snarky comments, pay them no mind, and have a wonderful cruise.:)

[Bonnie J.]

I don't know anything about Crystal but can tell you about other lines. Does Crystal have any children's programs? Most lines, if not all, do not have anything for infants. Kids must be 2 or 3 before joining any children's programs. The babysitting is for those children and are slumber parties - not in your cabin. A lot of the slumber paties end at 10PM. Anotherwords, you would be responsible for your baby ALL the time. Maybe you should wait until she's older to cruise. My son took his 1 year old to an all inclusive family resort where babysitting was included in the price. It was in Jamacia but they never left the resort. Now that he is almost 3, they are thinking of cruising with him.

[blindrid]

To clarify from Celebrity's website:

 

What are the age requirements for Celebrity Cruises onboard baby-sitting services?

Subject: Age Requirements

 

Babysitting (Youth Program):

 

For a nominal fee of $6.00 per hour per child, children participating in the Celebrity Youth Program, ages 3-12 years old, can participate in the Afternoon Party from 12:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. on port days and/or the evening Slumber Party from 10:00 P.M. - 1:00 A.M. daily. Children participating in the Celebrity Youth Program Afternoon and Slumber Parties must be a minimum age of 3 years old and completely toilet trained (diaper/pull-up free). Celebrity Youth Program Afternoon and Slumber Parties are available on all Celebrity vessels year round.

 

Babysitting (Stateroom Services):

 

For a nominal fee of $8.00 per hour, for up to two children within the same family, parents can arrange for a private, in-cabin babysitter. Children have to be twelve (12) months old or older to be eligible for in-stateroom babysitting and there are to be not more than two children per babysitter. Babysitting services are available through the Cabin Services Desk onboard all Celebrity vessels. Parents are asked to make all private, in-cabin babysitting requests 24 hours in advance. Private, in-cabin babysitting is subject to personnel availability.

 

Obviously, at 7 months you're pretty much out of luck. I researched whether or not to take our new granddaughter on one she's about 7 months also and decided to wait until she can have fun in the kid's club, taking the pressure of her parents and us. Each kid is different so I'm not sure what age that will be in her case.

[BaumD]

They are considering Crystal, not Celebrity

[blindrid]

Thanks, BaumD. Obviously, can't read today.... I guess my suggestion would be go to THEIR website and see what conditions they have in place for babysitting. Thanks again.

[BeachBumMama]

I researched whether or not to take our new granddaughter on one she's about 7 months also and decided to wait until she can have fun in the kid's club,

I can't wait to sail with my grandkids. Don't have any yet (and none on the way), but I've already started buying a 'cruise wardrobe' for them. I have grand-doggies, don't think they'll allow that.:eek: But I'm already excited about having a cruise partner when no one else can sail, I can just take off with the grandkids.:)

[cb at sea]

An infant can't participate in any of the kids programs anyway. If you are ok dealing with the baby and all of the stuff you will have to bring, then do it! The ship's don't provide anything for babies, tho--you have to bring everything from diapers to food! (If you're breastfeeding, that's an easy one!)

[kitty9]

I have been on 16 Crystal cruises, and to be frank, it's not that infant friendly of a cruise line---because of their itineraries, Crystal tends to attract kids 12 and older, and not many of those unless it's Christmas cruises or those more in the middle of summer. I think I've seen only one infant on all my cruises and I could count on one hand the number of kids on any Crystal cruise that I've been on, even in summer. Crystal is a very formal cruise line, with 95% of the men wearing tuxes on formal night and women in the finest formal clothes. Dinners run more than 2 hours with assigned tables and set dining times. The average age on Crystal, while somewhat lower in summer, tends towards 60 +. The itineraries tend to be quite port intensive, and their in cabin sitting is for evenings only, not during the day. And, you need to check, but Crystal has a minimum age of 12 months for their more exotic itineraries---I'm not sure if your itinerary is one of those with the age limit. Crystal doesn't provide anything for the child, so you will have to bring everything you need. I would suggest getting a PH or larger cabin because unless you share the bed with the baby, putting a pack n play in their A through C cabins will be difficult at best---their furniture is large and there's not much floor space. Also, your child will pay 50% of the adult fare, regardless of age---Crystal doesn't have third person fares that the mass market lines have. Crystal is one of the best cruise lines in the business, and ranks number one in all the publications. Their food and service is excellent. Dinners at night are wonderful, with formal, informal and casual nights. Most everyone dresses to the nines on Crystal. I have one friend who likes to say that every sequin in Hong Kong is seen on Crystal cruises. Entertainment runs more towards classical, with their production shows focusing on movie musicals and Broadway. If this sounds to your liking, then go for it.

[PennyAgain]

How about posting this question on the Crystal topic where the various ship companies are listed on CC?

[martinimadam]

SFMAMA - I've only been on 6 Crystal cruises. I've always found my fellow passengers to be very kind and friendly, so, don't worry about being a "social outcast". I'm sure many of the grannys and grampys on the ship will be cooing over her, as will some of the crew!

 

Your baby will be too small for any kids program, and Crystal usually doesn't do that unless there are lots of kids on board, which is rather rare. And, remember, babies aren't allowed in the pools, even with the "water tight" undies....

 

As Kitty9 said, the cabins, except for the Penthouses, are way to small to allow for any kind of extra bed, so a Penthouse would be an absolute "must". Good side of that is that they also come with a Butler!

 

The Crystal chefs are wonderful. You can get almost anything you want if you let them know the day before. They may even be able to help you out with baby food. I'd call/e-mail their On-Board Guest Services to see what they can do. You would, though, have to bring diapers, etc...And I don't know about babysitting, but they'll definitely be able to give you an answer for that, too.

 

Doesn't seem like your itinerary will be getting you into any rough seas; however, you may want to check with your pediatrician before you go re motion sickness stuff for the baby.

 

I completely love Crystal and would certainly urge you to give them a try!

[hammybee]

Crystal requires a special waiver if sailing with a baby under 6 months. So the age of your daughter is fine.

 

I would be far more concerned about her ability to deal with the 17-18 hour elapsed time associated with flying from SF to Athens and subsequent ability to adjust to the time difference, than I would about the cruise.

 

You will need a passport for the baby and the baby's father needs to consent to it. Additionally, assuming the baby's father is not traveling with you, you will need to have him complete a notarized consent form or it is likely you will be prevented from leaving the U.S.