Cruising with a 5 month old baby

[woodmill100]

Hi

 

We've come across a cruise later in the year with a price too good to turn down! Our baby will be about 5 months at the time.

 

At the moment, the deal we have seen is with Celebrity but RCI also have good deals on.

 

Is it easy to cruise with such a young baby? Obviously, formal nights would be out and we'd probably eat mainly in buffet but if any parents out there could give us any tips, we'd be grateful - even if it is to say don't be so silly to cruise with a child so young. I'd rather you were honest with us.

 

Also, are the cruise lines helpful with sterilising equipment? We have an electrical sterlisier for bottles but not sure if these are allowed in the cabin so we may just have to ask for a bucket of water to do cold water sterlising instead.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Carnival Game]

Could you not leave the baby home with grandparents? That's such a long flight for a baby and frankly don't feel it would be much of a vacation for you with sterilizing bottles, changing diapers, bathing a baby, etc.

[pungo3]

I agree with the OP. Cruising with a small baby will not be fun for you. You will have to miss out on most of the activities. In all my cruises, I've only seen one small baby and when I spoke with the mom, she said she wished she hadn't done it. People tried to talk her out of it and she didn't listen. Sorry to give you a bad reply. I know it's not what you wanted to hear. I'm just being honest.

[woodmill100]

The flight would be 2.5 hours Edinburgh to Italy to meet the ship. Thanks for your comments though. Very helpful.

[misty57]

Hi

 

We've come across a cruise later in the year with a price too good to turn down! Our baby will be about 5 months at the time.

 

At the moment, the deal we have seen is with Celebrity but RCI also have good deals on.

 

Is it easy to cruise with such a young baby? Obviously, formal nights would be out and we'd probably eat mainly in buffett but if any parents out there could give us any tips, we'd be grateful - even if it is to say don't be so silly to cruise with a child so young. I'd rather you were honest with us.

 

Also, are the cruise lines helpful with sterilising equipment? We have an electrical sterlisier for bottles but not sure if these are allowed in the cabin so we may just have to ask for a bucket of water to do cold water sterlising instead.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

I personally can't imagine cruising with an infant, I had 4 of my own and vacations were quite interesting to say the least. However, I do wonder if you will even be able to take your 5 month old with the new regulations. I would check that out first. It sounds like you are being realistic in your expectations of what you would be able to do with your child, but I wouldn't think you would have to avoid the dining room. If you take your child with you to restaurants at home, you should be able to handle it on the ship as well, maybe easier because you can always go back to your cabin if things get hairy! As far as sterilizing equipment I assume you mean bottles and nipples? Why on earth do you sterilize them? If the water supply is safe... hot water and dish soap are all you need ( yes I know this because I have decades of experience in a neonatal intensive care unit and teach parents baby care on a daily basis)Are you going to be able to take enough formula and baby food for a week? Would you consider leaving the baby with a grandparent? Only you know if you would be able to handle the experience, but be aware of the lack of adequate medical care for children onboard and in some ports. I personally wouldn't risk it, but good luck if you do.( and take lots of pictures!!:) )

[Barbee524]

Be sure and check the cruise lines policies on the miinimum age for children before you book. I believe Royal Caribbean recently changed (raised) the minimum age requirement and since they also own Celebrity their's may have also changed.

[pungo3]

Well, if you decide to do it, I can assure you that your cabin steward will do everything possible to get you what you need for your baby. They allow other electrical 'applicances' in cabins so I don't think a sterilizer would be a problem, as long as there was an appropriate voltage plug. Most cabins I've been in have had both 110 and 220, but they were in separate areas of the cabin and not always easily accessible.

[6rugrats]

Hi

 

We've come across a cruise later in the year with a price too good to turn down! Our baby will be about 5 months at the time.

 

At the moment, the deal we have seen is with Celebrity but RCI also have good deals on.

 

Is it easy to cruise with such a young baby? Obviously, formal nights would be out and we'd probably eat mainly in buffet but if any parents out there could give us any tips, we'd be grateful - even if it is to say don't be so silly to cruise with a child so young. I'd rather you were honest with us.

 

Also, are the cruise lines helpful with sterilising equipment? We have an electrical sterlisier for bottles but not sure if these are allowed in the cabin so we may just have to ask for a bucket of water to do cold water sterlising instead.

Thanks for your help.

 

You will not be able to cruise on either of these lines with a five month old baby. They both have policies that state your child must be at least six months old as of the first date of the cruise. The age limit is even older, 12 months for certain cruises, such as transatlantic and transpacific.

 

So what anyone thinks is a moot point. You can't do it.

[woodmill100]

Thank you everyone. RCI have indeed raised their age to 6 months. I think we may well be leaving this cruise for a while.

[UK.Girl]

Hope you find another good deal when your baby is older!

[cb at sea]

When you have an infant, you must bring EVERYTHING the baby will need: Diapers, wipes, formula (if not breast-feeding) baby food.....The ship supplies NOTHING.

If you have to fly to port, this can present quite the packing problem.

I'd let baby bond with a grandparent or other family member and have some adult alone time with the spouse! Remember--you are MORE than a parent!

[Andee]

When our children were babies, a cruise wouldn't have been a fun vacation for us, but everyone is different. At that age, our babies were sleeping well through the night, and taking 2-3 naps per day. I wouldn't have enjoyed having to spend 7:30 PM to 7:00 AM and nap time sitting in a quite dark cabin, so they could sleep.

 

For us, renting a condo or a lake house was better, because there was a separate bedroom for the baby, a living room where we could hang out while the baby was sleeping, and a kitchen so we could keep formula and wash bottles.

 

Actually, our best vacations then were to visit family, where adoring grandparents wanted to do all the baby care, and I got a break.

[hajekfam]

You were considering Celebrity? Their policy was recently changed.

Celebrity (as well as Royal Caribbean and Azamara) requires infants to be at least six months old on the first day of the cruise, in some cases 12 months old. From their website:

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour. However, for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, select South American cruises/cruisetours and other selected cruises/cruisetours, the infant (as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour) must be at least 12 months old.

 

As of April 22, 2008, the list of cruises to which the 12 month minimum age requirement applies (in addition to all Transatlantic, Transpacific, and Hawaii cruises) is as follows:

 

• Celebrity Infinity - January 31, 2010, February 14, 2010; Any cruisetours associated with these cruises are also subject to the 12 month minimum age requirement.

 

Denial of boarding for infants who do not satisfy these minimum age requirements may also result in the denial of boarding for one or more guests sailing with that infant. No refunds or other compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests.

[LHP]

The only concern I would have cruising with an infant of any age under 1 is that something like the Norwalk Virus that is just a pain for adults can be dangerous for an infant.

 

An infant can become dehydrated very quickly and the doctor on board is not a pediatrician.

 

We have two boys that are now 16 and 20 and they have traveled with us everywhere. But we did not cruise with them as infants, because in case of an emergency there is limited help onboard a ship.

[silentbob007]

The only concern I would have cruising with an infant of any age under 1 is that something like the Norwalk Virus that is just a pain for adults can be dangerous for an infant.

 

An infant can become dehydrated very quickly and the doctor on board is not a pediatrician.

 

... which is probably the reason for the age change ... these wonderful "journalistic" stories about families and their sick babies being "kicked" off the ship.

[CruisnGram]

You've received some excellent advice here. Keep in mind that once your baby is 6 months old, and you are considering a cruise, that things may not work out like you planned.

 

My grandson is an easygoing, happy baby. We felt that if any baby could do well on a cruise, it would be him. He was 9 months old when we took our cruise and my daughter was in tears at one point during the cruise and said it was the biggest, most expensive mistake she'd ever made. This easy going baby was teething and to make matters worse, the ship changed time zones 4 times during a 7 day cruise. Most times, when we sat down to dinner, it was his bedtime. So there weren't too many happy, leisurely dinners with a teething, exhausted 9 month old.

 

Sure, we managed, but it wasn't easy. And of course, once my daughter got over her moment of being depressed, it was fine. Not fantastic, but fine. However, she did say that she would never cruise again until her kids were old enough for the kids club so that she and hubby could have a few minutes of alone time.

 

Yeah, I know, you look at that face below and think I'm lying! LOL

[MrsPete]

My girls are way past infant stage, but I don't think any vacation would've been fun with them at five months.

 

You didn't say so, but your post gives me the impression that the baby isn't born yet. If so, you don't know whether the child'll be five months old at cruise time or not. My oldest was born more than three weeks late (yes, there's a story involved, but that doesn't matter).

 

At that age, there's still so much physical labor involved with caring for them: you'll just be starting solid foods, you'll be changing diapers, and it's quite possible that the baby still won't be sleeping through the night. You'll either have to have a stroller (which'll be unhandy on the ship) or you'll have to carry the baby everywhere. The baby won't be old enough to be out in the sun.

 

I never used bottles, so I don't know anything about sterilizing equipment.

 

Few deals are genuinely once-in-a-lifetime, and another one'll come around when your baby's older. Personally, I wouldn't take a child younger than 2.5 or 3 years old; that is, I wouldn't take a child who isn't potty-trained yet because I'd want the child to be able to swim.

[boating girl]

I definately would not take a small infant on a cruise. You will not enjoy it and will miss out on a lot of activities. And, the infant may disturb other passengers who have gone on a cruise to get away. Cabin walls are thin.

[kitty9]

... which is probably the reason for the age change ... these wonderful "journalistic" stories about families and their sick babies being "kicked" off the ship.

 

I was on the ship for one of the two infant situations. On mine, the infant stopped breathing and our ship had to stay in Aruba in order to bring a specialist on board to help revive the infant.

[gazingm42]

From Celebrity website - Must be 6 months old. I know Carnival and

NCL as the same rules.

 

Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour. However, for Transatlantic, Transpacific, Hawaii, select South American cruises/cruisetours and other selected cruises/cruisetours, the infant (as of the first day of the cruise/cruisetour) must be at least 12 months old.

 

As of April 22, 2008, the list of cruises to which the 12 month minimum age requirement applies (in addition to all Transatlantic, Transpacific, and Hawaii cruises) is as follows:

 

• Celebrity Infinity - January 31, 2010, February 14, 2010; Any cruisetours associated with these cruises are also subject to the 12 month minimum age requirement.

 

Denial of boarding for infants who do not satisfy these minimum age requirements may also result in the denial of boarding for one or more guests sailing with that infant. No refunds or other compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests.

[cuyahoga11]

The OP stated back in post #9 that they would not be going