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

[Lessum]

GO FOR IT! We cruised for the very first time 2 weeks ago and we took our 4.5 yo and our 15month old. WE HAD A BLAST! It was the EASIEST family vacation we have ever taken!

 

Carnival does have cribs....although we didn't use ours. Our baby ended up sleeping on the sofa bed (with the crib next to it so she wouldn't fall off). We did have a balcony cabin which I would recommend so you can go out there when the baby sleeps. We had little to no expectations about the trip so that was good. We brought a stroller that reclines so she would often sleep/nap in it. We just let her nap when she was tired, but did try to be consistent with bed time (although a bit later than at home). Most night the kids were in bed no later than 8 or 8:30 which of course meant no shows or nightlife for us...but that was ok for us. Carnival does have limited babysitting for children under 2. It was 8am-10am on sea days and til noon on port days or til 5pm on later port days. It is at Camp Carnival and costs $6/hr. They charge in 15 minute increments. We used it when it was available as it gave us some free time to relax or go into port without the kids. And she loved it! They also had a pack n' play for her so sometimes she napped there. We did not use the group babysitting from 10pm-3am at all as our kids were already asleep. As for the dining room - go to which ever seating you want...they can't tell you no! We had anytime dining but usually went about 6pm as that's when the kids were used to eating. The staff everywhere loved the baby and took time to talk/play with her. We did bring a blow up bathtub (from Babies R Us) and it worked great! As for excursions, we went to the beach twice with the kids and some shopping. One day while both kids were in Camp (until noon), my husband went shore diving and I went snorkeling and we were back to the ship in plenty of time.

 

HAVE FUN! YOU WILL ENJOY IT!

[Katiebug430]

I think we're going to go for it! :) We just can't see going on a trip and leaving her behind...we want to be making memories as a family (even if she won't be able to remember it). And DH and I were talking about driving to Montreal or Halifax for a land vacation and thought that a cruise would be considerably more pleasant than 8-12+ hours in a car with the baby. ;)

 

I asked about breastfeeding only because it may be necessary to nurse her somewhere besides our cabin. By the time June rolls around she might be eating several meals per day and only nursing a few times, or she might still be nursing a lot; it really depends on her. As a mom who works full time outside the home it's necessary for me to feed on demand when we're together in order to keep my supply up. Since she's used to nursing when she's hungry, she's liable to melt down if she has to wait to get back to our cabin. In ports of call or around the ship if she needs to nurse I wanted to see if it was likely to be a problem to find a quiet corner to do so - I'm pleased to hear that it shouldn't be an issue.

 

 

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.

 

Thank you for confirming that. I assumed that was the case (the law is the same as the law here at home in Connecticut) but I didn't know for sure. I'm very accustomed to nursing her in public and don't use a cover, but I do wear appropriate nursing tops/tanks to stay well-covered for my own comfort.

[mj cruiser]

We went last year with our 15 month old! It was work but also so much fun. I would do it again. It was different of course then going with our older son but it was so neat to see everything through his eyes! He danced and danced to all the music. We are taking him this year at almost 2.5

[beachchick]

Katiebug430: Good for you. I suspect you'll have a great time. You already understand that babies/children require us to be flexible and patient (at least, as much as we are able to as human beings), so you're already on the right track.

 

Have a great time!:)

 

beachchick