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Help! Im traveling with a 10 month old baby


BlueMoon74

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Hi everyone, I need help ASAP. We are just 3 weeks away from our sailing date - YES!!! so happy and exited about it but we are traveling with our (should I say fabulous and beautiful) baby girl, which will turn 10 months on the cruise.

 

We are taking a 24 day journey. One of my main concerns are diapers. I know this might sound almost as a joke for most people but the fact that I have to carry loads of diapers is freaking me out. On average she uses about 10 diapers a day if not more, and don't forget that I also need baby wipes, desitine and other baby related necessities. Baby food I was able to buy though HAL and should be delivered to our stateroom when we get there (great service from HAL). Formula, Its another concern, as its also bulky and she loves her Similac for spit ups.

 

Does any one knows if diapers and/or formula can be easily found on the ports of the Mediterranean?. Im sure that there are tons of souvenirs stores in all of the ports but as I have never traveled to any of the ports we're going Im clueless if I can find Pampers there. I know in Argentina (last year when she was just 3 months), I had a horrible time finding diapers and I could never find her formula and I was in Buenos Aires the capital city. They just don't sell them everywhere and there are no CVS or Wallgreens around.

 

Wiill I be able to find diapers easily or would we have to go out of our way to buy some. If I do decide to take a month supply Im looking into an entire suitcase full of them. Any advise on this or traveling with the baby will be more than appreciated it.

 

Thanks for reading and happy cruising!

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I'm not sure, but at 10 months I'm thinking ten diapers a day might be a bit overkill. Are you sure it's ten for an average day, or are we talking worst case scenario kinda day? If your baby uses five diapers a day for six days, and ten on the seventh, that's an average of 5.71 diapers a day. So I'd take six diapers for each day (count each day of the trip). You should end up with a small, but manageable surplus of diapers.

 

I'm assuming you have to fly to catch the cruise? If so, check how much luggage you can take. If it's international, you might get two checked bags per person (or rather, per ticket...if baby is sitting in your lap, then baby doesn't get her own two free checked bags). I'm pretty sure you could just show up with a box of diapers and slap a luggage tag on it (but don't quote me on that...I know you can do that for the cruise ship, but haven't tried on a plane).

 

And also, many places call diapers "nappies", so if you get a blank stare when asking for diapers, try asking for nappies.

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You should be able to buy Pampers at supermarkets in the various Med ports. They do have babies there too you know! I've often seen Pampers and other brands when I've been there. Remember though the packaging probably won't be in English, but it will still say 'Pampers'.

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I see you are sailing from Barcelona. Are you going in a day early? (I hope so). If you are, ask at your hotel where you can buy diapers. You definitely can resupply in Venice...There is a Coop market near Piazzale Roma where you should be able to get what you need. EM

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Have you thought of the old fashion cloth diapers? That's all we had when my boys were babies. If you had a dozen or so you could stick them in the wash every day - if your ship has self laundry. Maybe take some as back up. You'd need big safty pins and 'rubber' pants. You could try these before you leave.

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Write up a couple of index cards with pictures from magazines of diapers and formula. That way, no matter what the language, you can show the card at the store to be guided to the shelf.

 

We had our luggage lost on the way to Paris, after an unplanned stop in Amsterdam thanks to US Airways... Don't trust your luggage to get there on the same plane as you!!! :o

 

You could also call your hotel and talk to them about local stores to pick up supplies. If they can, have them pick up your preference and have it waiting at the desk for you.

 

Please be aware that formula is COMPLETELY different in Europe. That is one thing I would ship to the ship from my house because of your stated preference. Be sure to include dish soap so you can wash bottles... if your kid is still using bottles! You said 18 months, so he could be transitioned to solid food + whole milk in a cup. My kid wouldn't allow me to eat in peace, so she got bits and pieces of my food from the get go to gnaw on.

 

There is a family cruising board on here you might care to check out, too. :)

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Please be aware that formula is COMPLETELY different in Europe. That is one thing I would ship to the ship from my house because of your stated preference. Be sure to include dish soap so you can wash bottles... if your kid is still using bottles! You said 18 months, so he could be transitioned to solid food + whole milk in a cup. My kid wouldn't allow me to eat in peace, so she got bits and pieces of my food from the get go to gnaw on.

 

There is a family cruising board on here you might care to check out, too. :)

 

FYI, the OP said her daughter would be 10 months old.

 

I second (or third?) the suggestion to check out the family cruising board. Lots of helpful advice to be found there, and the posters are decidedly more kid-friendly than some on the other boards can be. (Not to impugn anyone on this thread, all of whom have given sensible advice.)

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We assume that the OP is already aware of this fact, but for others we would warn that most cruise lines have minimum ages for cruising. Although most cruise lines allow infants as young as 6 months there are exceptions where 12 months old is the minimum age (especially if there is a transatlantic segment). There is also a minimum age applied to many cruise line excursions. As to diapers and baby stuff the OP will be able to find it in any Med port but it might involve some time and a taxi (to get to a supermarket).

 

Hank

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My daughter goes through 8 - 10 diapers a day. She is changed every 2 hours whether she needs it or not. planning for 5 diapers a day could be a disaster.. if children are left in wet or soiled pants, it is a breeding ground for bacteria and rashes..

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Have you thought of the old fashion cloth diapers? That's all we had when my boys were babies. If you had a dozen or so you could stick them in the wash every day - if your ship has self laundry. Maybe take some as back up. You'd need big safty pins and 'rubber' pants. You could try these before you leave.

 

While I am sure you mean well by suggesting cloth diapers, please don't suggest these for a cruise. Yuck! Everyone uses these machines. Who knows how well they are cleaned or the temp of the water, really. And, given that E coli and Noro are passed through stool. well, I'd hate to use the washers knowing that a baby's diapers have been washed there. Sorry, I strongly disagree. My field is public health, BTW.

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My daughter goes through 8 - 10 diapers a day. She is changed every 2 hours whether she needs it or not. planning for 5 diapers a day could be a disaster.. if children are left in wet or soiled pants, it is a breeding ground for bacteria and rashes..

 

Well, we don't/didn't change our kids when they didn't need it. No pee = no need to change (yes, a small amount might go undetected...regardless, poo = automatic change).

 

I don't remember exact numbers, but I DO remember averaging out several days, then taking just a bit more. Had most of a suitcase filled with diapers, and a few extra in a diaper bag. Was enough for a transatlantic + some (due to time spent driving to airport, then flight over, then drive back, etc.).

 

OH, something else the OP needs to remember. Odds are the diapers will be listed with kilogram weights, instead of pounds. And the sizes may not exactly correlate...so weigh your kid before you go, convert that to kg, and remember to look for nappies.

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Have you thought of the old fashion cloth diapers? That's all we had when my boys were babies. If you had a dozen or so you could stick them in the wash every day - if your ship has self laundry. Maybe take some as back up. You'd need big safty pins and 'rubber' pants. You could try these before you leave.

 

Point is irrelevant...OP appears to be on Nieuw Amsterdam, which does not have any self service laundries. EM

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DD lives in Rome. Her neighborhood supermarkets have extremely small baby areas with hardly any of our conviences. Pack it all! Couldn't find baby powder or cornstarch only talcum powder. Never saw any disposable baby wipes.

 

After packing it all and when using it up think of all the room you will have for souviners!:p

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Hi, maybe 10 diapers its a lot, maybe on average its like 7? I guess I have to really keep track of how many she is using these days. thanks for the info on "nappies" I had no clue...

I'm not sure, but at 10 months I'm thinking ten diapers a day might be a bit overkill. Are you sure it's ten for an average day, or are we talking worst case scenario kinda day? If your baby uses five diapers a day for six days, and ten on the seventh, that's an average of 5.71 diapers a day. So I'd take six diapers for each day (count each day of the trip). You should end up with a small, but manageable surplus of diapers.

 

I'm assuming you have to fly to catch the cruise? If so, check how much luggage you can take. If it's international, you might get two checked bags per person (or rather, per ticket...if baby is sitting in your lap, then baby doesn't get her own two free checked bags). I'm pretty sure you could just show up with a box of diapers and slap a luggage tag on it (but don't quote me on that...I know you can do that for the cruise ship, but haven't tried on a plane).

 

And also, many places call diapers "nappies", so if you get a blank stare when asking for diapers, try asking for nappies.

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Hi, yes Im sure people have babies in all the ports we're going my main concern is how close to the tourists attractions supermarkets and pharmacies might or not be. We will be taking shore excisions with HAL for the most part and Im not sure the driver will make a stop for me to get diapers. Thanks for taking time to read this and for trying to help.

 

 

You should be able to buy Pampers at supermarkets in the various Med ports. They do have babies there too you know! I've often seen Pampers and other brands when I've been there. Remember though the packaging probably won't be in English, but it will still say 'Pampers'.
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Thanks for the info, Yes our cruise starts in Barcelona and ends in Venice. Thats a great idea. I will add this info to our notes for the trip.

I see you are sailing from Barcelona. Are you going in a day early? (I hope so). If you are, ask at your hotel where you can buy diapers. You definitely can resupply in Venice...There is a Coop market near Piazzale Roma where you should be able to get what you need. EM
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That's odd.. why? do European moms prefer cloth diapers? I still remember wearing them... yes - I'm that old!!!! We were going to order them from HAL (They provide this service) but I tough it was a bit pricy at $1 a piece. That's about $168 for our trip... We ordered the baby food from HAL which was reasonable ($1.00 a portion) but the diapers was an overkill - I think

 

Be prepared for sticker shock. Disposable diapers are really expensive in Europe.
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Well I can't speak for the whole of Europe, but here in the UK disposable nappies are definitely what most mothers are choosing to use nowadays. Like a lot of things here, they are more expensive than in the US. My granddaughter is one year old and my daughter buys supermarket own brand ones for her. She says they're actually better than Pampers and cheaper too, but it would probably be sensible for you to stick to the ones you're used to if possible.

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Yes, I learned the hard way that formulas outside US are completely different. On a trip to Buenos Aires when she was 3 months old, the pressure on the airplane made the 2 cans of formula I took with me, to open. All of my clothing was a mess (formula is sticky) and it took hours and hours to clean it all. Still when I got home I had to trow away the suitcase. Worse part is that at 8:00pm at night I had to find a pharmacy and find her another formula. To my surprise she loved it sooooooo much I came back to US with a suitcase full of that formula. Then I had no choice but to give her the formula she still takes these days.

 

BTW my baby will turn 10 months on the cruise. She is eating a bit from my food but she adores her formula.

Also great suggestions... I will definitely email the hotel and see if they can get diapers or "nap pies" for me. I will take pics of everything. You know a lot about this... I guess you are a mom...

Thanks for the help!

 

We had our luggage lost on the way to Paris, after an unplanned stop in Amsterdam thanks to US Airways... Don't trust your luggage to get there on the same plane as you!!! :o

 

You could also call your hotel and talk to them about local stores to pick up supplies. If they can, have them pick up your preference and have it waiting at the desk for you.

 

Please be aware that formula is COMPLETELY different in Europe. That is one thing I would ship to the ship from my house because of your stated preference. Be sure to include dish soap so you can wash bottles... if your kid is still using bottles! You said 18 months, so he could be transitioned to solid food + whole milk in a cup. My kid wouldn't allow me to eat in peace, so she got bits and pieces of my food from the get go to gnaw on.

 

There is a family cruising board on here you might care to check out, too. :)

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