First Time cruisers w/ BABY

[laurenvit]

bring doubles of some things. our daughter was 2.5 on our cruise and we brought 2 blankets, 2 loveys, etc. thank god we did. she had an *ahem* explosion all over her things. we ended up throwing out one of her blankets, it was that bad. also, bring a couple of sheets for the pack n play.

 

also, bring a bottle brush and a small dish detergent for the bottles. extra pacis, too.

 

good luck!

[serene56]

a small dish detergent for the bottles. extra pacis, too.

 

good luck!

 

 

what we did--- took heavy duty paper towels- squeeze detergent on a few and let them dry. Placed them in a baggie and used them during the week. Worked like a charm

[gma_pat]

Excellent! Thank you. I was planning on bring toys and floaters for the pool, so glad now I know he wont be able to enjoy them. I have not been able to find small blow up pools of tubs but will keep looking, everything seems so big.

 

 

Try here http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=small+inflatable+baby+tub&hl=en&gbv=2&prmd=ivns&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3882963905995875989#

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our girl was 23 months of age on her first cruise, so no worries about formula. But I did pack plenty of pullups (you can't depend on the ship's store to have diapers, and if they do, in your kid's size), medicine (another thing you can't depend on the ship's store, and if you buy there or at the infirmary, you can be paying quite a bit), snacks, sippy cups, detergent.

 

If you're flying to your embarkation port, pad in an extra day so you can shop for any items you didn't have room for in your suitcase.

 

Many of the crew members have small kids back home, who they miss terribly. They absolutely will fawn over any little ones they encounter. My girl was often in their dining room parades -- don't know who was enjoying that more, she or the waiter carrying her. You'll see that the tips are totally worth paying for.

[Jo-Bob]

Maybe you know this already....but in case you don't....no baby wipes in the toilets. Ever.

[packyourpixiedust]

Try here http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=small+inflatable+baby+tub&hl=en&gbv=2&prmd=ivns&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=3882963905995875989#

 

Thanks for this link!

[nationsgirl89]

Hi everyone, we will be tcruising for the first time on RCCL Liberty of the Seas on 6/2. We will be travelling with our 6 month old son? Any tips or advice? He is on formula and will need bottled water, should we bring our own or get the bottled water package?

 

Thanks :)

 

I'm cruising with 9 month old in two weeks. how was your trip? any problems or advice?

[camara381]

I'm cruising with 9 month old in two weeks. how was your trip? any problems or advice?

 

The trip was amazing! Had no problems with the baby, I actually think he enjoyed the cruise more than we did. We took him everywhere with us, pool party, formal dinner, captins reception, shows and had no issues. Everyone was very friendly and accomodating. Aleczander made a lot of friends. Based on the previous comments I took tons of stuff and some we didnt need. The cruise was 7 days but we had a few days in Paris before.

 

Inflatable bath tub - we didnt use at all. It was much easier and quicker to stick him in the shower with me.

 

2 boxes of wipes - only used 1 pack and still had a little bit leftover.

 

80 diapers - only used 60 including the 14 in the diaper bag and hand luggage for the trip home.

 

4 blankets (2 receiving blankets and 2 a bit thicker) - only used 1 of each

 

Laundry detergent - There was 1 day on the cruise that was laundry day we were able to fit all of the baby clothes in the bag they provided and gave them the detergent with a special request note. They were able to wash all of his clothes with his detergent at no extra cost.

 

Sheets for pack and play - not used they provided sheets

 

Formula - we took one 1lb tub of Similac formula and one 1/2 lb tub. Shoud have taken two 2lb tubs we cut it really close.

 

Bottled water - So glad we took our own, I was not comfortable giving him ship water. When we were handing in our luggage the "porter" told us the water would be confiscated if it was left out seperatly. He advised us to put the bottles in our luggage and we did - had no issues.

 

Stroller - We have the Peg Perego Pilko P3 and it fit everywhere but was a bit snug fitting in the door way of the cabin.

 

Dinner - We asked our waiter for a high chair and he had one waiting for us every night.

 

Tipping for the baby is an absolute must, everyone went out of their way to ensure the baby was happy.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[nationsgirl89]

Great info! Thank you

 

This puts me at ease. I will take the extra formula. And the info about the water is great. I really don't want her drinking ship water either so I will bring our own. Did you have any problems with him sleeping during the show? Glad ya'll had a great time! I can't wait and am so glad ya'll had a good time!

[MingusBigBand]

Thank you for the information. How did everything go at the Ports and excursions with the little one?

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

[MingusBigBand]

One other question, we will be traveling with grandma to assist in babysitting. How can we communicate messages if grandma takes the baby back on the ship while we are out on an excursion? Can we leave a message at the entrance to the ship to inquire if they are back on?

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

[camara381]

Thank you for the information. How did everything go at the Ports and excursions with the little one?

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

We were not informed about the Royal Tots program (we found out about it the last day of the trip, in retrospect it would not have made a difference) so we took him ashore at every port, on the trains, taxis, ferries, shuttle buses, excursion buses and even local buses with stroller and all. The locals were very helpful in getting us on and off.

[camara381]

One other question, we will be traveling with grandma to assist in babysitting. How can we communicate messages if grandma takes the baby back on the ship while we are out on an excursion? Can we leave a message at the entrance to the ship to inquire if they are back on?

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

I am not sure about leaving messages. We communicated through text message and walkie talkies.

[serene56]

One other question, we will be traveling with grandma to assist in babysitting. How can we communicate messages if grandma takes the baby back on the ship while we are out on an excursion? Can we leave a message at the entrance to the ship to inquire if they are back on?

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

 

No, they will not be responsible for that.

I also do not think walkie talkies will work when granny is in the cabin and you are off on an excursion

 

You can leave granny a voice mail by calling the ship cabin- which will be expensive when calling from your cell phone.

[MingusBigBand]

No, they will not be responsible for that.

I also do not think walkie talkies will work when granny is in the cabin and you are off on an excursion

 

You can leave granny a voice mail by calling the ship cabin- which will be expensive when calling from your cell phone.

 

Do you know if they would tell us if they are back on the ship if we asked at the entrance? I was thinking of maybe finding a spot to leave a note at each port.

 

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[notentirelynormal]

Do you know if they would tell us if they are back on the ship if we asked at the entrance? I was thinking of maybe finding a spot to leave a note at each port.

 

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2

 

No, they won't. Can you imagine the logistics of keeping track of 3,000 people to pass on messages? Like serene56 said, NO they won't. You will have to get back on board, walk to a house phone can call their cabin and hope they are in it. Or have them leave you a message on your phone and go back to your cabin and check. There is no place to leave personal messages either. The same thing - 3000 people leaving messages :eek: for each other. The spot to leave the note is on your/their door.:eek:

[BenjElz]

Hello,

We are hoping to hook a cruise and our baby will be 8 months. Jewel of the seas Scandinavia an Russia. Slighlty panicky after reading '9 reasons to not cruise with baby'. May I ask how you did with the baby food? Did they purée things for you? How did you sterilise bottles? Did you not need a car seat for vehicles? Ummmmmmm there are probably a million other questions! What medications did you take for just incase?

 

Really appreciate any help!

Thanks

X

[camara381]

Hello,

We are hoping to hook a cruise and our baby will be 8 months. Jewel of the seas Scandinavia an Russia. Slighlty panicky after reading '9 reasons to not cruise with baby'. May I ask how you did with the baby food? Did they purée things for you? How did you sterilise bottles? Did you not need a car seat for vehicles? Ummmmmmm there are probably a million other questions! What medications did you take for just incase?

 

Really appreciate any help!

Thanks

X

 

Hi there, I have not read that article but I am sure I could argue everypoint. There is no reason not to travel with you baby. You will come across people that just simply dislike children. I say if you want to travel with your child do it. My oldest is 15 and evern though he does not remember his first trip he looks at the pictures and loves it. He loves to tell everyone stories about his trips, how he took his first steps in greece. Sorry I just get so frustrated when people say dont travel with your baby as if they are a burden. I tell anyone that asks about our trip that I think the baby enjoyed the cruise more than anyone else.

 

Anyway...

 

please feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like. Everyone was so wonderful with me when i had questions. We packed 1 entire suitcase for the baby, packed with diapers, food, formula, bottles, toys, and clothes. By the time we came back it was only half full.

 

Baby food - We took baby food with us. At the time he was on stage 2 foods, we took enough fruits, veggies, cereal, formula, baby mum mum crackers for 12 days. We also brought him his own spoon and bowl.

 

Sterilization - we use the Platex disposible bottles, so we only had to sterilize the nipples and nipple rings. Medela makes sterilization bags that you fill with items add 2 oz of water and microwave for a minute and a half. We took enough nipples so we only had to sterilize once a day. We would wash them in the cabin sink with very hot water and place them in the bag and at breakfast and the waiter would take care of it.

 

Meds - our baby was teething so we took Orajel, tylenol, Gripe water (for colics and gas) and dimetapp (our doctor suggested we give him .4 mL 30 mins before flight take off). We also took sunscreen and cortizone in case of an insect bite.

 

We did not need a car seat. Most of the time we traveled by train or bus. the times we took a taxi, we sat him in he seat and buckled him up with the lap strap. Didn't have any issues.

[CocaCola19]

I was planning on transfering the formula to zip lock bags, probably would look a bit suspicious? white powder in plastic bags!!! :eek:

 

If you are using formula at 6 months then you will be going through a tub (22 oz) about every 4-5 days. No need for the zip lock bags, you will need 2 tubs.

[CocaCola19]

There is not a microwave on the cruise ship to sterilize bottles, and at 6 months you shouldn't need to sterilize bottles unless baby has immune problems. I hear the tap is really hot or you can get hot water from the buffet or room service. Bring dish soap and a little tupperware container to wash bottles. We also use Playtex drop ins. I'lll know more in 50 days when I cruise with my then (9) month old.

 

Ask your MD before you pre-medicate your baby for anything. Most do NOT recommend unless it is for shots. I've been on 5 planes with my 7 month old. I always brought an apple juice box to "guarantee" that she would swallow when ascending and descending. I just put a few drops in her mouth with the straw a few times a minute. I couldn't always time her bottles with take off and landing and she doesn't always want her pacifier so this worked great for us.

[Clydesmom7865]

Hi there, I have not read that article but I am sure I could argue everypoint. There is no reason not to travel with you baby. You will come across people that just simply dislike children. I say if you want to travel with your child do it.

 

Sorry I just get so frustrated when people say dont travel with your baby as if they are a burden.

 

No it isn't that many people dislike children but that many parents TODAY believe their child is perfect and can do no wrong and therefore don't supervise them. What we dislike are their parents. These undisciplined unruly screaming brats destroy any nice environment when their clueless parents think their behavior is "cute" and that everyone should enjoy it.

 

Second offense is when the parents believe that on a cruise "everyone else" is supervising their child but don't dare to correct them. They don't want to be responsible but don't want anyone else to take it either. It isn't other passenger's job to watch the kids.

 

Third offense: if the child/baby is cranky LEAVE the restaurant or show. I can't tell you how many meals, movies, plays were ruined by parents who were completely unconcerned that the child was WAY past bed time, tired, bored, and cranky and that no one else was interested in listening to them scream while the parents linger through dinner or catch the last act ignoring the loudly protesting child.

 

Fourth offense: ignoring sanitary laws and taking the little poop machine into the pool or hot tub in a diaper anyway. Eventually the baby has the inevitable accident shutting down the amenities to everyone else while the ship complies with sanitation laws. "My darling baby would NEVER mess in their diaper. They KNOW they are in the pool!" Part B of this offense: ignoring the adults only area so that the little prince or princess can stay with Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa all the time anyway. There is a reason they provide those areas respect it.

 

Last: I have read all the stories on here about waiters and crew parading these kids around the ship like little prizes and really don't see the cute in it. Why should I have to wait longer for services or have your runny nosed baby sneeze/cough on my food because the wait staff thinks its "cute" to hold your baby while they do their job?

 

By all means travel with baby or children but have respect for the other passengers who are trying to enjoy their vacation too and may not think every cry, cough, sneeze, and fart is as adorable as you do, have the courtesy to remove a cranky or ill child from the area, and respect the rules and laws about where they are able to go.

 

It isn't about the age of the passenger but respect for others and today's self entitled parents and kids have pushed the limits too far.

[packyourpixiedust]

I'm glad to see that the above post was written by a mom, apparently Clyde's Mom. It was slightly harshly said, but I think she was right on... I do not have a child yet, but I am following this post because I intend to have one, and I attend to travel with him/her and I want tips. However, I agree that it is getting to be too often that I am paying a lot of my hard earned money to go out for a nice dinner, and there are children running around and crying and screaming. And it has become all around annoying. Others, have paid babysitters or left their kids at home, and too are forced to hear someone else's unruly child. I think it boils down to parents forget to bring things for their children to do, and they can tune out the screaming child, so they ignore it. Not always of course, there are still respectful children out there, but they are becoming rare... Its not like 25 years ago when I was a kid, and it was a rare treat to go out to eat. There were consequences if you were bad, the parent's left, you didnt get to go next time, etc. Today, there are no consequences...

 

Thanks to those parents who are reading this posting looking to make traveling with an infant easier. And thanks to those posting on here so I can learn how to cruise with my child when I have one :)

[ducklite]

No it isn't that many people dislike children but that many parents TODAY believe their child is perfect and can do no wrong and therefore don't supervise them. What we dislike are their parents. These undisciplined unruly screaming brats destroy any nice environment when their clueless parents think their behavior is "cute" and that everyone should enjoy it.

 

Second offense is when the parents believe that on a cruise "everyone else" is supervising their child but don't dare to correct them. They don't want to be responsible but don't want anyone else to take it either. It isn't other passenger's job to watch the kids.

 

Third offense: if the child/baby is cranky LEAVE the restaurant or show. I can't tell you how many meals, movies, plays were ruined by parents who were completely unconcerned that the child was WAY past bed time, tired, bored, and cranky and that no one else was interested in listening to them scream while the parents linger through dinner or catch the last act ignoring the loudly protesting child.

 

Fourth offense: ignoring sanitary laws and taking the little poop machine into the pool or hot tub in a diaper anyway. Eventually the baby has the inevitable accident shutting down the amenities to everyone else while the ship complies with sanitation laws. "My darling baby would NEVER mess in their diaper. They KNOW they are in the pool!" Part B of this offense: ignoring the adults only area so that the little prince or princess can stay with Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa all the time anyway. There is a reason they provide those areas respect it.

 

Last: I have read all the stories on here about waiters and crew parading these kids around the ship like little prizes and really don't see the cute in it. Why should I have to wait longer for services or have your runny nosed baby sneeze/cough on my food because the wait staff thinks its "cute" to hold your baby while they do their job?

 

By all means travel with baby or children but have respect for the other passengers who are trying to enjoy their vacation too and may not think every cry, cough, sneeze, and fart is as adorable as you do, have the courtesy to remove a cranky or ill child from the area, and respect the rules and laws about where they are able to go.

 

It isn't about the age of the passenger but respect for others and today's self entitled parents and kids have pushed the limits too far.

 

One of the best posts I have ever read!

[ducklite]

at 6 months you shouldn't need to sterilize bottles unless baby has immune problems.

 

In which case taking the kid around thousands of other people on a ship and into other countries where very few have the same hygiene standards that we do isn't very bright to begin with...

[Clydesmom7865]

Thanks to both LovesVaca and ducklite. I expected a WHOLE lot of backlash over that but the reality is it wasn't meant to be harsh but realistic. Which I guess sometimes reality is harsh.

 

There is tons of advice of how much to pack, what to pack, how to bring a pool since they can't swim, do you need a stroller/carseat etc. for babies but rarely if ever do I hear the advice to be prepared to dine in your room if the child is tired, cranky or already asleep. To not expect crew or other passengers to babysit or entertain. The most ridiculous threads are "at what age can they run loose" how about NEVER if you haven't bothered to raise them with any values. If you want "free range" kids then buy a farm. :D

 

I too grew up in the era where eating out was a treat (usually your birthday) and if you misbehaved it was going to be a cold day in H*ELL before you ever saw a restaurant again. I raised my daughter that way and she is raising her kids that way now. Manners and respect come first. I have NO problem with kids when they have both instilled in them. When they don't they are as welcome as head lice. In fact we went through a LONG period of no outings when my daughter was around 4 because she had a phase where she wanted to use very descriptive language for body parts, LOUDLY. Well, it was cute the first time but when I realized this could last a while she could stay home with a sitter. Last thing I needed was that being reinforced by others laughing at it. She outgrew it soon enough and we tried again.

 

Again, the problem isn't the kids (after all a crying tired baby can't crawl back to the cabin on their own and put themselves to bed) it is THE PARENTS.