Alaskan cruise 20 weeks pregnant?

[cheflauraleh]

I am currently looking into 2 cruises that are each about 2 weeks long in Sept and I just wanted to get some advice about whether it would be wise to do these cruises while 20 weeks pregnant. I have read the policies of RCCL and Celebrity, so I know I would technically be allowed to cruise, but I wanted to get some thoughts. My husband and I are 28 and 25, respectively, and we are pretty adventurous. We would like to do more active excursions like hiking, kayaking, etc.... I don't want to go to Alaska and not be able to do these things. Any advice? Should I go now or just wait until after the baby is born? Thanks in advance!

[schmeed]

I'm not a woman, so perhaps my opinion won't count as much, but here goes anyway. :)

 

My wife and I went on a Caribbean cruise in 2004 when she was 5 months pregnant with our 3rd son. We had a great time and she didn't have any issues with being pregnant or being too active.

 

Is there the possibility of having early labor? Sure! Is a cruise ship or foreign country the best place to have a baby? NO! But what I will say is that if you wait until AFTER you have the baby, it may be a long time before you are able or feel comfortable going by yourselves. Leaving a newborn behind is difficult for most parents. And I cannot imagine taking a very young baby on a cruise.

 

My opinion: Go for it!

 

HTH!

[Cheryl H]

I am currently looking into 2 cruises that are each about 2 weeks long in Sept and I just wanted to get some advice about whether it would be wise to do these cruises while 20 weeks pregnant. I have read the policies of RCCL and Celebrity, so I know I would technically be allowed to cruise, but I wanted to get some thoughts. My husband and I are 28 and 25, respectively, and we are pretty adventurous. We would like to do more active excursions like hiking, kayaking, etc.... I don't want to go to Alaska and not be able to do these things. Any advice? Should I go now or just wait until after the baby is born? Thanks in advance!

 

Every pregnancy is different, plus you might ask your doc....but I can relay what happened on our vacation. We went to Monticello/Williamsburg/Virginia Beach when I was 13 weeks pregnant. All we were doing was walking around Jefferson's house and I started to feel faint. Had to go outside and sit down (they don't let you sit or even lean on the walls inside). We finished the tour and I started bleeding. We got in the car and cranked the air conditioner and I put my feet up and rested. Everything ended up fine and we had a bouncing baby boy later on, but it was scary and we were a long way from home and our doctors.

[chipmaster]

Consult your OBGY and only between your doctor and you can you decide regardless of the policies of the ships.

 

FWIW my wife cruised at 28 weeks, it was her third and we already knew very well how she does during these, very well in general ;) It was the end of my sabbatical and it was in the US, so we felt a bit safier as you on such a cruise you are usually less than 1/2 day from port, but even that can be a looong time. But even that said each preganancy is very different so nothing is a given. We had some limitations I probably should share. We had two interesting encounters with the doctor on board, between her getting a really bad eye infection and some horrible nausea due to a really bad storm. The doctor wouldn't touch her or give her anything.

 

BTW it was Alaska for us, the only thing we did was ride the train and take the heli and land on the glacier. When your DW is pregnant there was not going to be any big hikes, kayaking, adventures in small boats etc. at least that was what it was for us. I think you'd be crazy to consider kayaking or glaicer trekking or anything like that at 20 weeks no matter your age or fitness unless its something you are doing regularily and all thru your pregnancy. During pregnancy is not the time to start something new especially on a vacation far away from home!

 

 

I am currently looking into 2 cruises that are each about 2 weeks long in Sept and I just wanted to get some advice about whether it would be wise to do these cruises while 20 weeks pregnant. I have read the policies of RCCL and Celebrity, so I know I would technically be allowed to cruise, but I wanted to get some thoughts. My husband and I are 28 and 25, respectively, and we are pretty adventurous. We would like to do more active excursions like hiking, kayaking, etc.... I don't want to go to Alaska and not be able to do these things. Any advice? Should I go now or just wait until after the baby is born? Thanks in advance!

[mytime53]

Congratulations!

Unless you develop a medical problem, the doc is probably going to say that you can do anything you're comfortable doing. The good news is that at 20 weeks, you'll probably be past the initial tiredness and morning sickness (if you even have those). Also, since you won't be drinking, your cruise bill will be lower!

The bad news is that you might be a little unwieldy for things like getting into and out of a kayak;). But hiking (I'm not thinking straight up a mountain, here) will not only be doable but healthy. I also would forego a zipline. Other than that, your options should be wide open.

[Middle Aged and Happy]

Again, no medical advice coming from here but from my experience....

 

At 20 weeks you will probably feel better than you ever have. Once you have your child, your vacations will be limited to ear infections, and all the other things you have to take off for a sick child. You won't be sleeping.

 

Alaska is good a clean. I don't know if I'd go to a third world country but Alaska is a go.

 

Go for it. Enjoy your last vacation for the next 2-3 years. It will be fabulous.

[cheflauraleh]

Thanks for all the replies. I am very active now and I'm (hopefully) going to be running and exercising throughout the pregnancy. We already hike and kayak occasionally so I won't be adding any new exercises, just continuing the ones I already do. I know every pregnancy is different, but I've read that the 2nd trimester is a good time to travel. We are going to wait and see how I feel for a few more weeks before we book and we will definitely be getting insurance! I'm only 4 weeks along, just found out a couple of days ago that we are expecting, so I've got some time to decide. Thanks again!