Did I bite off more than I can chew?

[PrincessDreams4P&B]

(Posted on Carnival Board as well)

 

I promise to make this as brief as possible...

 

To those of who may know our story already, I apoligize for the review.

 

My family consists of a husband, 2 amazing sons, one of whom has autism (8) and the other Sensory Intregration Disorder (5) and a gorgeous 7 month old daughter. We have a cruise planned on the Triumph in Oct of 2008

 

Here is my problem: We were very accustomed to traveling with our 2 sons and they are inspiring as to what accomplished travelers they are given the hurdles they have to overcome. We went on our 1st cruise (Carribbean Princess) as a family in Oct 06 and the boys did great, couldn't have asked for a better trip. We just got back tonight from a 3 day trip to Hilton Head, SC and my husband and I are exhausted. I felt more overwhelmed by what to pack, how to wash bottles, feedings keeping her out of the sun etc. than I ever did when traveling with our autistic son. I thought the whole drive home, "how am I going to do this in 6 months?"

My friend said that it is normal as this was our first trip with a baby in over 5 years and that we are older and 3 kids are work and that by the time that Oct rolls around, we will be more in a groove and she will be older and everyone will be hitting a stride. I told her that I may need Zanax by the end of the cruise. Now don't get me wrong, seriously my daughter is rarely fussy, she is a happy and content baby. She didn't give us a moments fuss during the trip. I just felt..so out of sync like I was doing this for the first time.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions (besides leaving her at home, we have no one to leave her with and we really want to spend this time together as a family it is rare for us and the boys are so excited about the trip - it was a reward for goals they met during school and therapy) on how to get my act together? Is there a master list as to what I should bring on the cruise? Tips? I feel so lost, I mean she is my third.

 

Help!

[aaklang]

I think that by October you will have a much better handle on things and a lot less to stress about. Keeping her out of the son will be a little less of an issue and you can use sunscreen more freely at that age. She will likely be walking so it will make getting places a little bit easier too.

 

In terms of packing, maybe you can buy some things when you get to your departure city, rather than bringing everything from home. We plan to buy diapers when we arrive in Seattle for our Alaskan cruise and just carry them onto the ship, rather than getting them in advance and figuring out how to pack and transport them from LA. Same for baby food (though the ship is providing a lot of the jarred food).

 

She'll be able to entertain herself more easily without needing to bring as many toys, so that should help too. In terms of washing bottles, you can consider getting the Playtex bottles with the bag insert. There is a lot less that needs to be washed that way. Bring a small bottle of dishwashing soap and a bottle brush and you can wash them in the bathroom sink Lay a towel out on the desk and they can dry there. By then, she could also be drinking whole milk, so maybe you can get cartons of milk on the ship for her and not have to use as many bottles.

 

Hope that helps some. Try to look forward to it and not let it stress you out too much. I'm traveling with my son in May right before his first birthday. If I have any good tips that I learn on the trip, I'll post a review when I return.

[kat89447]

Just a couple of thoughts. Do the boys do well in the kids groups? That might take a little of the load off you and you can get a couple of "housekeeping" items out of the way and still have fun. As for your DD, mine was on sippy cups at that age which are way easier to clean and more convienant while traveling. My sister's DD was very good with a straw (with some help holding it) and packed straws and juice boxes. Most importantly, make sure you take a little time to breath. It will be easier than you think as the pace on board is different than most land based vacations. Good luck.

[Mich1121]

I just cruised last month with a 5 1/2 year old and my 11 month old girl. I was really nervous before leaving because I was not sure if I would stay sane during the week with her and how she would react to everything. Throughout the entire trip I must say she was great! She never cried or threw fits. Even in the restaurants she was fine. The one thing I recommend is sticking to her nap schedule even if that means missing fun by the pool. It will be well worth it in the long run. My daughter was so tired at night from all the excitement that she passed out and slept better on board then she does at home. Don't get me wrong-it was a lot of work but I do not regret going and I had a great time. We're already planning a cruise to Bermuda for 2009. (this time our daughter will be 2 so we can put her in the kids club to have an adult dinner--I'm almost counting down the days!!!! can you tell I don't have baby sitters??)

 

The best advise I can give is relax and don't worry! If you need a break give the kids to your husband and take a walk or go and have a drink.

[rebeccalouise]

all of you should have "quiet time" during the day. I need a nap almost every day when we are on vacation. The hot sun really takes it out of you and the kids get overstimulated if they don't have some down time.

 

The best time is from 2-5 because dinner starts around 6 for most families. My son sometimes naps for 2.5 hours on cruises and he is almost 8. They really need a rest. Most times, he wouldn't fall asleep until 3PM and was up at 5PM. I usually sleep from 2-4 and then would have one hour to get ready for dinner in peace. Then get him ready at 5PM and he was fine for the 6PM dinners and stays up until 10PM in the Kids Program.

 

We always ajourn to the cabin by about 10:30 and are up around 7-7:30. That's just us but we cruise often and this really seems to be a good time table for kids.

 

As for the toddler- you will have to take turns at night looking after her. Toddlers need to stick to a schedule. Whatever you do at home- do on the cruise. Don't expect to take a toddler to a show at night. They won't have the patience. The toddler should be to bed at the usual time she goes to bed at home. That's the sacrifice you'll have to make. At least one of you can go to the shows, etc.

[I&MsMom]

I haven't cruised with a child that young (our youngest was 25 months on our first cruise.) I agree with all the previous posters who emphasized sticking to a schedule with naps and her normal (probably pretty early) bedtime. The absolute worst thing I can let happen to my kids when we're traveling is to not meet their sleep requirements. It starts a downward spiral of being over-tired and having a hard time falling asleep, which means they wake up cranky the next day, and drag all day, only to end up over-tired again and the whole pattern repeats, with ever-increasing frustration on everyone's part. They're miserable, we're miserable....well, you get the picture.:eek:

 

What made my afternoons (naps) and evenings (early to bed) not only bearable, but downright enjoyable, was a balcony cabin. I didn't feel at all deprived: warm breezes, watching the water, a good book and a wee glass of wine - I was living large, and my DD got her requisite amount of sleep - everyone was happy!:D

 

I find that cruising is a LOT less stressful than land-based vacations. There is just something about it - I think it has a lot to do with the camp, but it's also the familiarity of a ship, the same waiters every night, no real debates about where and when to eat, the ease of popping up to the Lido for snacks at all hours (or calling room service), just the overall experience.

 

One idea that comes up pretty frequently here is: start now to gather together a group of new toys that you can introduce to her on the trip at strategic moments. She may be too young for them (or not - it's scary how quickly you forget!:p), but my kids loved the small foam geometric building blocks. They could build - and knock down - to their hearts content without making noise.

 

I'm sure you'll have a great trip. It was an absolutely exhausting land based trip - the first major one we'd taken with two kids - that led to our considering a cruise for the first time...and now we're hooked!

 

Relax, don't worry, and enjoy!!:)

[cantwait2cruize]

Nap on vacation, when your daughter is napping:p . Happy mom equals happy family.

[quagmire0]

My DW and I took our 6mo daughter on a cruise - we had booked it before she was born. Well, while it wasn't the worst experience of my life, it was a LOT more work than a vacation should be. :D

 

She turned 1 today and a few weeks ago we both decided that she would be much more enjoyable on a cruise at this age. When she was 6mo, we couldn't manage to get through 15 minutes in the formal dining room on most nights without her flipping out. Now, she'd easily make it through and often enjoys 'dining' at home - she really knows how to stretch out her dinnertime. :)

 

I think you'll be fine.