Possible cruise with 10-11 month old - are we insane?

[Katiebug430]

This wouldn't be our first cruise, but it would be our first as a family. Our daughter was born in August 2010 and we are thinking of taking a Carnival cruise in June or July 2011. It would be a 4 or 5 day Canadian itinerary departing from New York. DH and I were thinking of taking a cruise on our own late in 2011, but it's my hope that our baby will still be nursing then, plus we don't really want to leave her, so we thought that something this summer would be nice. A 4 or 5 day cruise isn't terribly long for baby's first cruise, and would be a pleasant getaway.

 

We don't want to fly with her quite yet, so New York is the closest departure port that we can drive to. We have cruised on Carnival twice before and enjoyed it so we are looking to take a Carnival cruise again, but are not opposed to other cruise lines. In 2005 we cruised on a Canada itinerary from New York for our honeymoon.

 

Baby girl is breastfed, so we wouldn't need to worry about bringing or mixing formula. On that topic, will it be an issue for me to nurse in public onboard? I know it won't be an issue in the Canadian ports. I am used to nursing in public but if it's likely that other passengers or crew members will ask us to return to our cabin we may reconsider taking a family cruise until after she's weaned.

 

She will be eating solids as well by then, but we would bring our own jarred food (I don't even know if Carnival provides jarred food). Will we be welcome in the dining room at the earlier dinner seating, or should we plan on eating at the Lido?

 

She will have a passport by then.

 

Does Carnival provide a crib, or should we plan to bring her pack & play? I've read on here to bring a blowup tub to use to bathe her. (And yes, we know she can't go into any of the pools on the ship. It's highly unlikely that we would be going in one of the pools anyways.)

 

We know that our shore excursion(s) would need to be more tame than what we did on our honeymoon cruise, perhaps limited to strolling around St. John's and/or Halifax on our own. Night life will also be limited, but hey - we have a kid now, that's going to happen! :) She is in daycare full time so she's used to being in a group setting. Does Carnival still offer group babysitting in the evenings?

[squidward]

You're not crazy! We loved the quality time we had with our 10 month old in June. It's so much more fun to take care of a baby when you don't need to worry about cooking or cleaning.

 

We did a 7-day from NY to Bermuda so we didn't need to worry about flying, but we took our baby's nanny along with us to help us out.

 

With the nanny on the cruise, we were able to enjoy dinner with the adults, and on 2 of the port days we had time on our own to enjoy excursions.

 

We are taking him on another cruise in just under 4 weeks. This one is 10 days, requires a flight to Miami, and we are going without the nanny this time. Maybe WE are the crazy ones!:D

[reallyexcited]

we took our just turned 13 month old daughter on a 7 day cruise years ago. It was great. She loved it...we had a great time. It was our second crise ( 1st with kids) we brought food for her but she ate somethings offered in the dining room.

 

They really catered to her ...she was well taken care of!

 

have fun..I think you should do it :)

[cb at sea]

As you know, you can nurse without anyone even noticing! If she's eating table food at home (mashed or whatever), you can have regular food pureed or mashed onboard..and there are plenty of "baby friendly" foods already....bananas, mashed potatoes, applesauce, yogurt, etc..... Do enjoy the dining room...babies are totally catered to!

 

It sounds like you know what to expect, so I think you'll have a great time!

[boulders]

With a child that old, I wouldn't breastfeed in public, on a cruise ship or otherwise. If you do breastfeed in public, expect some people to comment. :o

[B_Mc]

I don't think you're crazy at all! We're just back from a 4-night with DS who is 10 months old.

 

Here's my cruise diary:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1346005

 

We were hoping to make some shows, but DS was waking up at 5 am every day so we were exhausted and hardly got out! As you said, things are more tame but you can still enjoy it! We had DS nap in the cabin for consistency for him so we spent a lot of time enjoying our balcony. We thought we might take turns going out and about exploring the ship while the other stays in the cabin, but we found relaxing together was the most fun.

 

Re: breastfeeding and food at 10 months DS is eating LOADS of table food so I didn't bring any purees for him. He ate pieces off my or DH's plate and we often ordered him a starter of his own (usually fruit). He's also nursing much less frequently (as they do with age) so usually only 3 times during the day plus one bottle of formula so it is a lot easier than when he was 6 months and nusing 100 times a day! When I did give him formula I used bottled water.

 

Hope that helps! You'll make fantastic memories taking DD!

[Onessa]

DD (now 15YO) went on her first cruise at 8M - Canada and Alaska. It was a great trip (we first flew to SanFrancisco visited family, drove to Seattle, and boarded the ship -- we were gone just over 2 weeks)

 

I breast fed, discretely, - in public - with DD until she was 18MO. As long as the child does not play with your breast or try to uncover you, there is no reason why anyone should feel uncomfortable or feel that they should be banished to use their breasts for their intended purpose.

[SusieV]

With a child that old, I wouldn't breastfeed in public, on a cruise ship or otherwise. If you do breastfeed in public, expect some people to comment. :o

 

A ten month old isn't too old to be nursing! WHO recommends nursing until two and both American and Canadian doctors until at least one if possible.

 

Now would I cruise with a baby that little- nope! We cruised with our son at 14 months and won't be taking him again until he's at least 3. He'll get to enjoy some quality time with Grandma. :D

[cantw8togo]

No, you are not crazy. We went on our first cruise when our DS was 6 months old and we flew to Aruba. Talk about Mommy brain...I had no idea that it was a 5 hour flight :eek:, but we managed and had fun doing it. (I only dropped a bit of food on his head while he slept on my lap during dinner...;):D)

 

We took a reclining umbrella stroller, (that we didn't end up using very often,) and a Baby Trekker baby carrier that we used a lot in port. It was so much easier to walk around and to not have to worry about stairs, cobblestones and narrow aisles in stores. It helped that it wasn't too hot when we were there.

 

Try to stick to her nap and eating schedule as much as possible to avoid meltdowns. Being able to nurse makes traveling so much easier. If your little one is easy going then the trip will be quite different than if she is high maintenance and constantly on the go. Be prepared to be flexible and to go with the flow.

 

We enjoyed it so much the first time that we went on our second cruise when our first DS was 4 1/2 yrs and our second DS was 15 months. My greatest memory of the second cruise was that our youngest learned to walk while on board. He didn't like the way the carpet felt when he crawled, so he finally decided that that was a good time to start. Those were some sea legs!

 

Have a great time and you will have memories to cherish for years.

 

N.

[milton333]

With a child that old, I wouldn't breastfeed in public, on a cruise ship or otherwise. If you do breastfeed in public, expect some people to comment. :o

 

Ridiculous!

 

Every medical professional recommends that children be breastfed for at least the first twelve months of life. They must have either breastmilk or formula as the primary source of nutrition for the first year, even if they are eating solids (which should not be begun until at least 6 months old).

 

The natural duration of breastfeeding is anywhere from 2 to 5 years. There is absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about breastfeeding your child in public!!!

 

To the OP, I've found that cruise ships have a lot of non-U.S. passengers and usually an almost entirely non-U.S. crew. Breastfeeding is going to be an absolutely normal thing to them. I would not for a moment worry about breastfeeding your child anywhere on the cruise ship. When I've traveled internationally, I've found that attitudes toward breastfeeding are very different from in the U.S., which has an absolutely shameful record for failing to breastfeed children, putting them at greater risk of asthma, obesity, and other significant health problems.

 

We are about to take our first short (4-day) vacation with our son, who will be 13 months, and will be taking him on a 7-day cruise when he's 20 months. I think a cruise is a great family vacation, and you should absolutely enjoy it. I am crazy about my son and don't get to spend enough time with him because I work, and would never consider leaving him behind - it's a family vacation, the point is to spend time together!

 

You're not crazy, and I hope you have a great time.

[Perfect Stranger]

The natural duration of breastfeeding is anywhere from 2 to 5 years. There is absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about breastfeeding your child in public!!!

 

 

Two to five years??!! :eek:

Now that's ridiculous!

[milton333]

Two to five years??!! :eek:

 

Now that's ridiculous!

 

You're simply displaying your ignorance here.

 

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/detwean.html

 

http://www.kathydettwyler.org/dethowlong.htm

 

http://www.drjacknewman.com/help/Breastfeed%20a%20Toddler.asp

 

http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/sustained.html

 

http://www.whale.to/a/extended_bf_factsheet.pdf

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=daeq84DTC3IC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&dq=natural+duration+of+breastfeeding&source=bl&ots=SnZ5zmSkGP&sig=jJQu7Ko8rwF4XZ9b1N9XI2TMAzY&hl=en&ei=JHNATardBInagAfv3vzsAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=natural%20duration%20of%20breastfeeding&f=false

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/028646_brstfeeding_metabolic_syndrome.html

[youngestof9]

getting back to the topic....NO you're not insane. Just make sure your expectations are that there might be hiccups along the way. But if you go with the right frame of mind, you'll have a great time with your baby!

 

We took a beach vacation when our baby (now 12 *sniff sniff*) was 9 months. Now we were on land and in the states, so things were fairly easy. But we still weren't "home", she wasn't in her own crib. We had a great time. We went with the expectation that things could happen, we weren't going to be able to lay on the beach from 9-5 like we used to do. Have cocktails and adult nightlife every night. But guess what...we had FUN! We took turns at nap time. I was able to read a book *GASP* while she napped or got some beach time when it was my husbands turn. It will work out. Be willing to be flexible.

 

Do it - start her travels young and she'll always be able to adapt to new things. ENJOY!!!

[tmc011101]

Last year we took our 6 month old on a Disney cruise andwe had a great time. We are going on a 7 day Royal C cruise Feb 27 she is now 18 months I wil let you know if I come back with any great tips. But as for the first cruise as I said it was great but we did have to realize that we were not going to be able to do some of the activities. But I can tell you a cruise is easier than all the other types of trips we have taken with her!! Bring toys and things from home to keep the baby occupied but for the most part babies love to people watch!! I wish you luck!

I need some too since now my baby can walk!

[Derby]

We took our DD on a Disney cruise when she was 11 months old and had a blast. We chose Disney since they have bathtubs and had a splash pool she could go in wearing swim diapers. And I will 5th or 6th that that is not "too old" to breastfeed in public. We will be taking our yet-to-be born 6 month old on a cruise this November - can't wait!

[boulders]

Ridiculous!

 

Every medical professional recommends that children be breastfed for at least the first twelve months of life. They must have either breastmilk or formula as the primary source of nutrition for the first year, even if they are eating solids (which should not be begun until at least 6 months old).

 

The natural duration of breastfeeding is anywhere from 2 to 5 years. There is absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about breastfeeding your child in public!!!

 

To the OP, I've found that cruise ships have a lot of non-U.S. passengers and usually an almost entirely non-U.S. crew. Breastfeeding is going to be an absolutely normal thing to them. I would not for a moment worry about breastfeeding your child anywhere on the cruise ship. When I've traveled internationally, I've found that attitudes toward breastfeeding are very different from in the U.S., which has an absolutely shameful record for failing to breastfeed children, putting them at greater risk of asthma, obesity, and other significant health problems.

 

We are about to take our first short (4-day) vacation with our son, who will be 13 months, and will be taking him on a 7-day cruise when he's 20 months. I think a cruise is a great family vacation, and you should absolutely enjoy it. I am crazy about my son and don't get to spend enough time with him because I work, and would never consider leaving him behind - it's a family vacation, the point is to spend time together!

 

You're not crazy, and I hope you have a great time.

 

Which part of saying that I would not breastfeed 12 month old in PUBLIC is ridiculous? Did I say no one should? No - I said I wouldn't in those circumstances.

 

The natural duration of breastfeeding in the U.S. is not 2 -5 years. It's less than 6 months. CDC stats In fact, at 6 months of age, only 35% of white infants are breastfeeding.

 

So, having established that it is not a cultural norm to be breastfeeding at 12 months, let's consider the demographics on a cruise to Canada. The passengers on this type of cruise tend to be older than those on Caribbean cruises. Most of them will not be new mothers - in fact, they will be much much older. It's one thing to breastfeed in the middle of a mall during the day when many other moms are doing the same. It's a whole different ball of wax to breastfeed when most of the other passengers are 60+. IMO, there's no reason a 12 month old can't wait until you're in the cabin. You'll be having to go back to the cabin to change diapers anyway.

[Julienatul]

Not crazy or insane!!! We sailed with both our kids when they were both 7months and 12 months. It can be a fun family vacation for all. Its certainly different than pre-b baby cruising but enjoyable. Your DD will love people watching, music, exporing the ships and the ports. Just be mindful of her normal routines and try and stick to them, nap times, meal times etc. Get a balcony cabin if you can afford one and then you and DH can enjoy some alone time while baby sleeps. Also take turns caring for the baby so each of you get some time to yourself to relax. I dont see a problem whatsoever with breastfeeding onboard. Most crew are from nations where breastfeeeding are the norm and widely admired so you shouldnt have a problem.

[cruiserNC]

You are not crazy. The only way we will vacation is with our family. To us that is what vacation is all about making memories as a family. One bit of advice I would give is to try to do your public activities with the little one either before or after the rush. Our DD's first cruise we ate breakfast and lunch before the rush just reduce some of the hectic...ness. Have a wonderful time!

[Perfect Stranger]

What IS crazy...MILTON...is nursing a child old enough to be in school! :eek:

[exj132]

Carnival does provide cribs. They can be booked when you book your cruise. They are about the same size as a pack n'play and about the same height...maybe a bit higher.

 

You can eat in the dining room at the early seating for sure. They will have a highchair ready for you each night, which is super convenient. They also have a menu of things for children, but likely at that age she will be more apt to eat off your plates. You will also be able to easily find jarred baby food if you decide you want it, at any of your ports.

 

Carnival does offer group babysitting in the evenings for $6 an hour.

 

As for the breastfeeding dilemma...you are free to breastfeed anywhere at anytime you want. No one employed by the ship or in Canada is going to question you. If you feel uncomfortable in public, there are a lot of covers that can be used, although many times that just draws more attention. Just ignore any comments or looks you may get and realize that they are the uneducated ones. You are doing what is best for your child, which is all that really matters.

[cruiserNC]

Carnival does provide cribs. They can be booked when you book your cruise. They are about the same size as a pack n'play and about the same height...maybe a bit higher.

 

You can eat in the dining room at the early seating for sure. They will have a highchair ready for you each night, which is super convenient. They also have a menu of things for children, but likely at that age she will be more apt to eat off your plates. You will also be able to easily find jarred baby food if you decide you want it, at any of your ports.

 

Carnival does offer group babysitting in the evenings for $6 an hour.

 

As for the breastfeeding dilemma...you are free to breastfeed anywhere at anytime you want. No one employed by the ship or in Canada is going to question you. If you feel uncomfortable in public, there are a lot of covers that can be used, although many times that just draws more attention. Just ignore any comments or looks you may get and realize that they are the uneducated ones. You are doing what is best for your child, which is all that really matters.

 

Just my IMO and I am a man, breastfeeding in public isn't cool..But again IMO and really a whole different story. Like I said before enjoy your cruise!!!!!!!!

[SusieV]

The reason Americans don't breastfeed for long is because your laws are so family-unfriendly. I mean, come on- 12 weeks mat leave, in most cases unpaid? How exactly are women supposed to nurse when they have to work or lose their jobs? It's ridiculous.

 

Here in Canada, breastfeeding rates are much higher because we get a year off paid.

 

By the way, the law in Canada is that you can nurse anywhere that you are legally allowed to be. You do not have to cover up if you don't wish to, and no one can say a word to you without violating the law.

 

Please don't feel uncomfortable about doing what is best for your child. If ignorant people have a problem with it, they don't have to look.

[aelittleb]

Please don't feel uncomfortable about doing what is best for your child. If ignorant people have a problem with it, they don't have to look.

 

very well put susie!!!!

 

and to op- we are planning a cruise for 2012 and we will be taking a 3.5 yr old and approx 1 yr old and we are so excited!!! ive read lots of good tips on the board over the past few days so spend some time reading through. one great idea was to bring a blow up pool that you can put in the shower (if theres no tub), on the balcony or at the poolside so your baby can splash around in the water as they arent allowed in the pools w/out being a potty trained. another was to bring the disposable bibs and placemats.

[beachchick]

You are not crazy. The only way we will vacation is with our family. To us that is what vacation is all about making memories as a family. One bit of advice I would give is to try to do your public activities with the little one either before or after the rush. Our DD's first cruise we ate breakfast and lunch before the rush just reduce some of the hectic...ness. Have a wonderful time!

 

What a great idea.

 

The reason Americans don't breastfeed for long is because your laws are so family-unfriendly. I mean, come on- 12 weeks mat leave, in most cases unpaid? How exactly are women supposed to nurse when they have to work or lose their jobs? It's ridiculous.

 

Here in Canada, breastfeeding rates are much higher because we get a year off paid.

 

By the way, the law in Canada is that you can nurse anywhere that you are legally allowed to be. You do not have to cover up if you don't wish to, and no one can say a word to you without violating the law.

 

Please don't feel uncomfortable about doing what is best for your child. If ignorant people have a problem with it, they don't have to look.

 

That's no doubt part of the reason. But many of us have got the idea that anything that raises taxes is evil/bad, even if it's important for well being and health--regardless of age. I am appalled at the number of businesses that do not provide a room for nursing mothers to pump during the work day, but expect them to just use a bathroom stall. Ick. I've heard that there are laws either in the works or being passed that would require a quiet, private place for them.

 

There are places where I do not believe breastfeeding in public is appropriate. For example, breastfeeding in a courtroom. We had a news story here some time back about a woman who brought her infant into the courtroom and literally "whipped out" a breast and started nursing. It was distracting to the jury, the witnesses, etc. The judge asked her to go use the nice room in the courthouse that had been set up for exactly that reason, but she raised a fuss and then threatened to sue because she felt that it didn't matter whether she was causing a scene. Other than places and situations such as those, there's no reason for women to feel ashamed or embarrassed about breastfeeding. For mothers who nurse for several years, I do think it is best to breastfeed in private. But that's just my opinion as I can't imagine nursing a 5 year old at all.

 

beachchick

[thewolffs]

Go for it! You'll have a blast.