1 yr old on cruise - tips?

[jmpld40]

i'm going on my first cruise this weekend (Norwegian Gem out of NYC to Bermuda and back). it will be my parents, my siblings, my husband, and my 1 yr old daughter.

 

after reading a bunch of reviews from the ship, i'm really nervous about my daughter. with the waiting around and the things to do in bermuda on the island, i worry this may be more stressful for me than relaxing.

 

any tips for having a 1yr old on a cruise? tips for what to bring,places to go, things to do or not do?

 

also, do the restaurants on the ship and in bermuda have high chairs? stupid question maybe but i can't assume. what about bath tubs? we have a standard state room. any tips for embarkment or disembarkement. i'm starting to panic!

 

thanks for your help!

[paul929207]

I would suggest you check out the family cruising section of these boards.

 

Most cabins have a shower, not a bath tub.

[kitty9]

They will have a high chair in the dining room on the ship. One thing to be prepared for is, if the baby gets fussy in any public space, including the dining room, you really have to take the child out of the area. You cannot allow a crying child to disturb other passengers. If the baby does not sleep through the night, you could have problems with neighbors as the walls on a ship are very thin and they will hear a screaming infant.

 

There is no in cabin sitting on NCL, so you will be with the baby pretty much full time. The evening group sitting starts at age 2.

 

Diapered children are not allowed in the pools or hot tubs. Some people bring small blow up pools, but that can be a hassle. As for bathing, you can use the shower or if the sink is large enough, you can use that.

 

You have to bring everything for the baby as the ship does not have things like diapers, wipes and all that.

 

There's nothing to do for embarking as you're in it with everyone else. Just go with the flow and try not to stress.

[cb at sea]

There are "duck" blow-up pools....check the "Family Cruising" boards for more details. They are small, and will fit in the bottom of the shower. Many folks will also use them at the pool, as on most ships, diapered people (whether baby or adult!) may NOT use the pools.

 

You should get a guidebook on your ports...that will allow you to see all the "family friendly" activities available in each port. A bit of research will really give you the most out of your shoretime!

 

Yes..you will need to bring all the the "accessories" that your child will need, but you would have to do that with almost any vacation...no worries! The ship will provide either crib or P&P, and highchairs/booster seats for dining. Children are welcome in the main dining room, so don't avoid it because of your little one! The waiters will dote on your child!

 

I'm not sure what "waiting around" you're talking about....sure, there may be lines at peak times in the buffet, but you'll go either earlier or later, when there are no crowds! If you wait about 15 mins. after they give the "all ashore" call for folks to leave at ports, then you'll walk right off. We've never had to "wait around" for anything, on any cruise! At least, no more than in everyday life!

[mef623]

We took 1 year old twins on a cruise last year. It was Princess, but I'm sure you'll have the same experience.

 

Frankly, I don't think you have much to worry about. She will probably be so excited by all the action going on around her that she will keep herself busy. Ours loved being strolled around the Promenade deck and playing in the baby pool. Lines are rarely an issue at meal times, although kids can get fussy in the dining room, of course. BTW, cruises are an excellent time to introduce her to all kinds of new foods!

 

In terms of supplies, make a list of everything you would normally need (diapers, baby food, snacks, creams, etc.) and then double it. And then double it again. You just never know.

 

Mike

[boo214]

They will have a high chair in the dining room on the ship. One thing to be prepared for is, if the baby gets fussy in any public space, including the dining room, you really have to take the child out of the area. You cannot allow a crying child to disturb other passengers. If the baby does not sleep through the night, you could have problems with neighbors as the walls on a ship are very thin and they will hear a screaming infant.

 

There is no in cabin sitting on NCL, so you will be with the baby pretty much full time. The evening group sitting starts at age 2.

 

Diapered children are not allowed in the pools or hot tubs. Some people bring small blow up pools, but that can be a hassle. As for bathing, you can use the shower or if the sink is large enough, you can use that.

 

You have to bring everything for the baby as the ship does not have things like diapers, wipes and all that.

 

There's nothing to do for embarking as you're in it with everyone else. Just go with the flow and try not to stress.

one thing you wont have to worry about is sleep. we took our then 14 month old son on explorer to bermuda and he slept great. the motion of the ship is very comforting to babies.

[jmpld40]

thanks for the tips.

 

the whole "diapers and no pools" totally threw me off guard. never thought of that. even the little kiddie pool? i do have a small blow up pool i may consider bringing now.

[kitty9]

one thing you wont have to worry about is sleep. we took our then 14 month old son on explorer to bermuda and he slept great. the motion of the ship is very comforting to babies.

 

Oh, believe me, there are tons of infants who cry through the night. I've had more than my share of disturbed cruises because the infants next door screamed throughout the night. There are lots of infants who don't like the disruption of their routine.

[kitty9]

thanks for the tips.

 

the whole "diapers and no pools" totally threw me off guard. never thought of that. even the little kiddie pool? i do have a small blow up pool i may consider bringing now.

 

There aren't many ships that have baby splash zones, and those are the only places diapered ones are allowed. They aren't even allowed in the kids pool, if there is one. Baby splash zones only.

[serene56]

The showers are hand held- your daughter can sit on the floor as you splash her gently

 

You are going to have a different type of vacation but it should be fun.

Please adhere as much to her schedule as possible.

 

We cruised with a 18 month old. she was walking and running.

 

After dinner we took her outside to run the deck to get rid of the pent up energy.

See if the kids camp have after hours where kids her age can come and play with the toys = On Carnival the camps are closed from noon til 2 for the under two kids and their parents. It was a nice time to get away and just play,.

 

Bring extra diapers- they are expensive on the ship. We used disposable sippy cups, bibs, etc.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We took our daughter on her first cruise at 23 months of age. We did a short 3-day cruise (then drove down to San Diego for a hotel stay for a few more days). It just takes a bit of planning as you want to make sure you take anything your child may need (you can't depend on the shops onboard having these items, especially in the right size).

 

One thing to consider is staying onboard while in port. That would eliminate some of the stress trying to decide what is a toddler friendly activity.

 

As others have said, try to be proactive if the child starts fussing. You can eat in the main dining room but decide ahead of time which parent will take the lead and remove the child for a little time away if needed. The waitstaff will often dote on the little ones; many of them have left behind their kids back home.