Is 7 months too young for a cruise?

[Leafpeeper]

I've been getting strange looks from people when I mention that we want our twin granddaughters to join us for a family cruise in January. They will turn 7 months a week after our cruise. Some people think they are too young.

 

I raised my 3 children going on winter vacations every February so it seems perfectly natural to me. My DD will bring lots of disinfectant for their cabin and our cabin and be sure to make our rooms as germ free as possible. We have both booked adjoining balcony cabins so we have more room and can open the slider for fresh air every day. We plan to take turns with the babies so we can all have alone time to kick back and relax. We will keep the babies away from crowded public areas as much as possible, but we know just going for doctor visits expose babies to germs at home so it is impossible to live in a germ free environment.

 

I know my DD and SIL can use a real vacation after the past year carrying twins and going through the exhausting first few months after delivery. The babies are finally sleeping thru the night and are becoming fun at this stage, so I think that it would be a fun cruise if we all pitch in. Of course, Grammy loves spending time with the babies and would rather have them onboard than leave them at home. My DD and SIL would never leave the babies at this early age, so either they go with us on our cruise or they stay home with the babies.

 

What do you think?

[gkrnjlr]

Coming from the mom of an almost 9 month old....I don't think they're too young. We're taking our daughter on her first cruise 2 days after she turns 9 months but I still remember two months ago thinking "we could go NOW!"

 

The only thing that crossed my mind when I read your post was that with the twins sleeping through the night....their schedules MAY be interrupted but even if that's the case, I am sure they'll settle back when they get home!

 

I say go and have a great time. There are people everywhere that will give looks or make comments. Just smile and give the twins a kiss! You'll have a great time!

[kat89447]

Don't worry about what others think. Just ask yourselves (everyone involved) a few questions.

Are the babies the type that enjoy change? Do they have the personality where traveling, crowds, and new surroundings don't bother them? Are you prepared to be somewhat limited on what you can do both on the ship and at ports? If so then go and have a blast.

I have a 6 month old grandson and he would love it, he loves all of the above, but I also have a 2 yr old niece that did just go on her first cruise and she didn't enjoy it so much nor did her parents. They stressed so much about EVERYTHING I think the only time they were happy is when they were miserable. My niece loved the kids club by the way, but mommy and daddy passed on their fears to her the rest of the time.

The other thing you need to make sure of is that the cruiseline accepts children that young. Some cruiselines have changed their policies recently. Some have in cabin sitting as well and some like Disney have a nursery available. Make sure you discuss cruising with their pediatrician and bring their vaccine records. I highly recommend you also get the insurance because especially with small children, it they would get sick it can get very expensive as they almost always get sent to a port hospital because ship medical centers are not set up for the little ones. Not trying to scare you, but when little ones do get sick (even diarrea) they can get dehydrated quick and go down fast. There are some great threads about what kids in diapers can do and can't do as far as pools and some great hints about everything from bringing your own small pool, to carseats and taxis in different ports.

Enjoy your vacation and I hope you can all go cruising.

[msmayor]

For me personally, I wouldn't want to do it. Way too much hassle compared to a land-based vacation.

 

There's no store to run to if you need diapers/wipes/formula. At 7 months, my kids were eating only baby cereal and some other solid jarred foods...if yours is the same, you'll need to pack all that you need as I don't believe the ship carries any. I wouldn't chance pureeing any regular ship food because at 7 months, most kids aren't fully 'allergy-tested' on too much variety.

 

Then there's the all-too-often chance of illness on board. Kids at that age can spike a fever very quickly, and ship medical services are not always able to provide all the support needed for an infant. If you do cruise with a child that young, be SURE you have enough trip insurance to cover any problems.

[pugparents]

We will be taking our son on his first cruise at 6 and a half months. We spoke with our pediatrition and he said going on this trip at 6 months or older should not be a problem. Both sets of grandparents are going and we are all so excited. We decided to leave from a port close to our house so that we could avoid flying. Luckily, we have not received any negative feedback from others.

[CeleBrat]

Don't even worry about it! We have taken our kids cruising with us since they were 4 months old (before the age restriction thing). Now, my oldest, who is 8, has 13 cruises under his belt, including one to Europe. They are well-traveled kids.

 

When the kids were infants, like you, we always took another set of hands with us. Yes, it's more work vacationing with an infant, but if you are organized, it can be relaxing.

 

Have fun!

 

CeleBrat

[CruizinMom2c]

I say 100% yes...

 

 

 

it is so much easier than a land base vacation... since you have everything right there...and you dont have to load everyone into a car to go eat dinner...then get back into a car to go to a pool...etc. You have everything right there..and if they get tired you can easily stroll down to your room and take a nap...instead of having to drive back to a hotel..if you were at a land base vacation.

 

 

 

We have done both cruises and land base vacations and the cruises are sooo much easier.

[allycatt]

I will be taking my then 11 month old twin daughters on a cruise in November. If I could have taken one when they were 7 months(they are 8 1/2 now) I would have jumped at they chance. We did take them to Texas(we live in VA)to see their big sister when they were 6 months and had no problem they were sleeping through the night by then and as long as we kept their nighttime schedule they were fine. They even did very well on the plane rides. We just plan to take everything that we need for them. If you plan on taking water with you you are able to take as much as you believe they will need, We are planning to bring two cases for the week so we know we have enough and some for us. You have to carry it on though.

[beachchick]

I think it's possible that some of the "strange" looks might be more along the lines of "you're braver than we would be/would have been" or "my goodness, that's a whole lot of work for a vacation" or similar sentiments, rather than "babies don't belong on cruise ships" or similar sentiments. I'm sure that some are, in fact, based on the latter thoughts, but please consider that a good many are more along the lines of the former.

 

The only thing that matters is how well it will work for your family. I completely agree about considering the personalities and travel abilities of the babies. Some babies do extremely well being taken out of their familiar home and routine, while others are miserable, crying and fussing the entire time, which is no fun for anyone. An unhappy baby crying/screaming at all hours will affect everyone in the family (as well as neighbors and others on the ship). Before anyone decides to "scream" at me for daring to mention the effect of a constantly fussing baby on other pax: I am not saying babies don't belong on cruise ships. I am saying that we all should consider how what we do affects others. I wouldn't be happy with neighbors who partied loudly at 2 am either. Ships are by nature confined spaces, so I do believe that we should consider the others onboard. If you know your baby/young child doesn't travel well and will be fussy, crying, or (in the case of toddlers and older) acting out/throwing tantrums most of the time, then IMO it's important to take that into account--for the parents' sanity too. It's "work" enough traveling with a baby. (Yes, we've traveled with babies/toddlers, just not on cruises, and are happy that we did.) It would be a shame if mom and dad came home more stressed and tired then when they left. And I'd lay odds that if the babies were not good travelers that mom and dad would feel guilty leaving them with the grandparents (not wanting to burden them with crying babies).

 

The bottom line is that what others think or whether they look at you like you're crazy is immaterial. As long as you know you'll all have a good time and as long as you're considerate of the other pax, why shouldn't you all go and have a blast?

 

beachchick

[CruizinMom2c]

I agree Beachchik...

 

 

definitely depends on the children...some just don't do well outside of being in the comfort of their home...

 

 

7 months old is a pretty good age to have your first cruise experience with babies.. since they might be a little mobile but not completely running around.... you will probably mostly have them in the stroller walking around...and if their parents are ok with that..then they will have a good time.

 

 

 

 

Its funny how much each cruise has been different for us with our son...and its only been a small time frame.

 

 

 

1st cruise- he was 9 1/2 months old and was crawling everywhere and cruising furniture...so it was by far very easy.we just strolled around in his stroller and we were able to sit down and relax while he was taking naps in the stroller... its was a very nice and relaxing

 

 

 

2nd cruise- he was 11 1/2 months old and walking everywhere! he still loved his stroller...so we would stroller him around...but since he was a walker...we would let him walk around every so often...but the only difficult thing was the sitting down to eat time...it was a little more difficult, but we got through it and didn't regret anything.

 

 

 

this cruise here in a few days..will be COMPLETELY different ..haha. He is 15 months old...and running everywhere....he has an opinion of his own, talks like crazy. So we are prepared for a high energy vacation...but we are ok with that...we are pretty active people and don't mind the constant walking around. (he still loves his stroller..thank goodness! )

[Julienatul]

We took our DD on her first cruise at 7 months so YES, YES, YES go and enjoy. It was by far one of the easiest we have done with her. If you plan well enough it works perfect.

 

She was not mobile yet so she just sat in her highchair or stroller or on mommy and daddy's lap the entire cruise. We also took a blow up pool which also served as a mini playpen when its dry and we would sit her in it in between some lounge chairs on deck with a few toys. By this point she wasnt waking at night as much but we kept her pack n play close to our bed so we could quickly quiet her just in case. We took a large diaper box filled with diapers, wipes, large can of formula, bottles, bottle brush, small dish soap, baby food in plastic containers, baby cereal portioned out in small ziplock baggies, disposable infant spoons, bibs, bowls. We just checked that right along with the luggage. Sure, its a little more to carry but it is so wonderful to have someone else cooking and cleaning and entertaining you for a week. We kept to her schedule but at that age she was very easy and would just sleep in the stroller. We got to see a few shows and eat dinner in the dining room every night. We were flexible and prepared to eat in the buffet or miss a few shows or excursions if we needed to. As long as you go with that attitude, you will have a great time. In fact, it was so great we took her again at a year. We are taking our DD on her 6th cruise this weekend and she is only two. If we had had a bad time, trust me we wouldnt have done it again.

 

Julie

[crusinmama06]

Normally around here I am a "Yes, go do it, have a blast!" kind of poster but we did have a major issue with my youngest on a Disney cruise in Feb, she had been 8 months old.

 

My youngest was medevacced from Disney Magic in Feb 2005. She was 8 months old. She caught a virus onboard the ship (it seemed like all of the kids were hacking like crazy that week). She stopped breathing, was seizing and blue when we found her in her pack n play. :(

 

So no, our experience is not a normal thing that can happen on a cruise ship. But it does happen. If I had it to do all over again, I wouldn't have gone with a baby during the height of cold/flu season on a ship with MANY MANY children (like Disney).

 

With that being said, that same "baby" has been on 4 more cruises since that with no problems. :D

[sas80]

Our DS went on his first cruise at 5.5 months. He was perfectly happy and enjoyed himself. He even rolled over for the first time while we were on board the ship!

 

DH and I had a GREAT vacation too! Like you said, mom and dad are very much due for some R&R after carrying these twins and dealing with them for the first 6 months.

 

DH has since been on 2 other cruises - one at 9 months and one at 18 months. We have a transatlantic scheduled for the fall of 2009, when DH is 3 years (and hopefully potty trained)(A.O. here we come!) and the newest member of our household will be 1 year old.

 

I say YES! Do it!

[PhotographyGirl]

We are taking our 2 girls - aged 7 months and 2 /2 years - on our first cruise in just over 2 weeks. Neither my husband nor I can imagine being on a vacation without our children. We would be miserable. We came to the same conclusion that a cruise might actually be easier than a land-based trip.

 

We're travelling with Grandma & Papa for extra assistance, and to give us some flexibility with shore excursions. I think we're going well-prepared :), and yes, we purchased some extensive insurance.

 

I do expect to get some looks, but people will always have their opinions. I will post again at the end of September and let you know ho it turned out.

[gkrnjlr]

Are we the only ones traveling without Grandma/Grandpa or anyone else?

I don't think we'll regret it, but I'm reading so many people saying that they're taking Gma/Gpa!

[Julienatul]

Are we the only ones traveling without Grandma/Grandpa or anyone else?

I don't think we'll regret it, but I'm reading so many people saying that they're taking Gma/Gpa!

 

We sailed without grandma and grandpa for most of our sailings. Actually they only came on the last one with us. Sure its easier with them for added help but its also easily manageable with just you and DH. Just trade off so each of you has some down time. You will definitely not be the only ones

[gkrnjlr]

Makes sense. I would love to have some extra "help" but it's not available to go with us. SO....it's just us! :p

 

Thanks!

[CruizinMom2c]

my MIL came with us on the cuise last feb...but the one last april, it was just the 3 of us.

 

 

 

the one this weekend is the 3 of us and our best friend... and it will be nice to have another person there for those times when we need to walk out with him...

[Eclipsepearl]

I can't speak from cruising experience with babies but I took my two daughters to the U.S. at about that age. For us, that's a 11 1/2 and 10 1/2 hour flight back.

 

What I actually did to make my life easier was I put off starting solids until we were home. At that age, they don't need solids and it really is messy for travel. More and more evidence is coming out to support that babies don't need food as early as many would expect and my ped was 100% behind me on this decision. The two girls both started at 7 1/2 months. Today, my two girls are excellent eaters, never picky and have never had weight issues either way.

 

Hopefully she's breastfeeding (which makes life with multiples so much easier) so encourge her to continue until cruise time. This will not only help with the germ issue but less to pack and give her more time to relax and enjoy the cruise without constant bottle washing and preparing. This also avoids the whole what-water-to-use-onboard decision.

 

If the babies are formula fed, it's a little more challenging. Suggest she use the bottles with disposable liners and premeasure a whole zip lock bag full of them so that she has less to do once on the ship. I would fill those bags and roll them up and then just throw the liners away as I used them while away from home. This will also limit her handling of the formula powder in the cabin and she also wont have to wash large bottles (no bottle brush needed!). Less to both clean and prepare. At that age, they wont need the bottles warmed so she should make sure they're used to them at room temperature. There is no health benefit to warming bottles.

 

They might find it simplier to have two single strollers rather than a bulky double, especially if it's a side-by-side. With so many adults, you have plenty of hands to push them both and it will make it possible to each take a child separately. Grandparents can take one for a walk if the other is sleeping or having a meltdown!

 

It's actually a good age to travel since they didn't run yet. There is almost a "honeymoon" period between the newborn and the toddler ages. I found my toddlers much more difficult so I hope they take advantage and enjoy a vacation while it's still kind of easy.

[maramire]

I took my 7 month old daughter on a cruise in June to the Bahamas and it was a great experience. I took pre-made formula bottles (made feeding anywhere/anytime easy and sanitary), jarred baby food, and many disposable bibs. I did have both sets of grandparents on board so that definitely was the deal breaker for not leaving her at home. If you'll have the help necessary take them with. You won't regret it. We plan on taking her again next year.

[wrp96]

I'll go with the answer - it depends on the baby (how well do they travel, time of year, etc) and how well the parent will handles it. Some kids travel really easily from the time they are born, some don't need to be allowed away from home until they turn 18.

 

I was 17 days old when I flew for the first time - a 14 hour trip - which many people would call crazy. Travelling at a young age doesn't seemed to have harmed me, except for this crazy desire to travel all the time.:p

 

I think if a parent (or in this case grandparent) knows their child, the restrictions and obstacles they might encounter, and have reasonable expectations then traveling with a young child can be great. And especially in the OPs case I think it can be a great opportunity.

[bandtw]

We took our daughter on her first cruise when she was 10 months old. she took her first real steps on the ship!! She is now 3 and willl be going on her 3rd cruise in Oct. Every time we take a trip she asks "are we going on a cruise?" :)

[cruiseman40]

I don't think it's too young to take kids especially that young. We've been traveling with kids since kids were in mommy's tummy. We flew on airplanes when their babies even purchasing the extra seat and insurance mind you even though I tried so hard to convince my wife the savings in not buying the seat(lap). I know they won't remember anything because we took son when he was 18 months to disney world and disney magic and can't remember a thing. Daughter was 4-6 months when she went on a cruise and had some people say you could have left her with grandparents. Wife said and grandparents going to breast feed too? But I tell you what, it's worth every darn cent and money just to be with them. They're only young so long and then poof they're out of the house as you know. So in my opinion if you want take them regardless what people say, or give you that look, it's your child and your vacation!

[sas80]

Are we the only ones traveling without Grandma/Grandpa or anyone else?

I don't think we'll regret it, but I'm reading so many people saying that they're taking Gma/Gpa!

 

I would love to take grandma and grandpa with us on a cruise! It's the $$ factor that kills that idea for us :o

[Leafpeeper]

We will be taking our son on his first cruise at 6 and a half months. We spoke with our pediatrition and he said going on this trip at 6 months or older should not be a problem. Both sets of grandparents are going and we are all so excited. We decided to leave from a port close to our house so that we could avoid flying. Luckily, we have not received any negative feedback from others.

Thanks for all you feedback.

 

We will also be driving to the port. I know airplanes are the worst for germs because of the air circulation so I would definetely not fly with babies this young. My DD and SIL would be happy to just stay onboard the ship in port, but I am sure DH and I will be off the ship at 9am and back onboard by 1pm. Then my DD and SIL can get off and have a little fun in port before we sailaway.

 

I think my DD and SIL could really use a cruise but I know they would not leave the babies behind. They still have 2 months to cancel before final payment, but I have a feeling that once the leaves are off the trees that a caribbean cruise will look better and better. Grammy and Grampa have other vacation weeks for just the two of us after this cruise is back so we don't mind babysitting whenever we are needed during this cruise. We would like to see our DD and SIL enjoy some R&R, and a cruise from a port within driving distance seems like a convenient way to getaway.