What does everybody think is the appropriate age to take a baby cruising?

[heatherandfred]

DH and I welcomed our little one to the world recently. Already thinking about out next cruise. We were supposed to be on the Quantum of the Seas this December...alas,,,E prevented that from occurring ;). So, we are thinking, when we can go, but not sure when or how he would fare. How old was your little one when they first cruised? Did they sleep soundly? Seasickness? I'm glad to finally join this forum.

We are not tied to any specific lines and can take any one..but not an "old folks" ship ;). We love activities and going crazy and meeting new people. So throw your suggestions out there people!!

 

 

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[Prinycesa07]

Well first congrats!!!

 

I think it totally depends on the person. On most lines you can start sailing when they're 6 months. I took my daughter at 10 months. She did fine, no sickness, slept fine. I cruised when my son was 18 months & I found 10 months a lot easier. She was content to sit in her stroller and people watch. He wanted to run everywhere & climb everything like a chicken without its head ;) I don't know that I'd do 18 months again but I would do 10 ;)

 

Ps. We liked Norwegian better than Carnival for the under 2s as they had a room with toys & activities for the little ones open all day while carnival had nothing like that & we had to find an empty lounge to let him run around in.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Prinycesa07

[flhokie]

Most lines allow babies to cruise at 6 months (a few allow younger). For certain itineraries (exotic, long times at sea) some lines require them to be 1 year old. If Quantum sailing in December is Caribbean baby would be old enough to sail.

 

We sailed with DD at 2, but would have done it much younger if we had the chance to go.

 

I loved RCCL for the under 3! We sailed on Allure. They had a big playroom with mats and toys, the nursery and some programs you could take them to for babies & tots. Also, they are one of the few that have any type of pool/water area for diapered ones (larger ships). The nursery was wonderful and priced very reasonably.

 

DD loved the water shows, character breakfast, carousel, etc. She slept very soundly and sea sickness wasn't any issue at all.

 

A lot of the decision comes down to what type of vacation you're looking for. Cruising with a little one is definitely very different than it was before (scheduling days around naps, eating, planning for a lot more before & during the cruise, etc) but to us was still fun and relaxing.

[cb at sea]

At any age they are allowed ...under 2 or so, and they really don't care WHERE they are, as long as mom and dad are there! When they are little, you are cruising for yourselves...not for the child!

 

Most children don't start with motion issues until they are out of the toddler stage....they are rockin' and rollin' all on there own...the ship's motion won't be noticed!

Edited March 23, 2014 by cb at sea

[LissyTx]

We are taking our DD at the end of May / beginning of June on the Oasis of the Seas - and she will be 7.5 months at the time.

 

She's not taking well to the disposable bottles - I hope I can get her there! If not, how did others manage cleaning bottles in your bathroom? Any tips?

 

Also, any product tips for bathing? I don't imagine the shower working for her.

 

Thanks!

Melissa

[Prinycesa07]

We brought a bottle brush and little bottle of dish soap and washed our bottles in the sink every night. For the bath a lot of people recommend the blow up yellow duck tubs. We just laid towels on the floor of the shower or held her while we showered together. Good luck!

[092306]

We cruised with our son at 11 months, 14 months, 2 and 3. Younger is easier so I would say take your little one when under a year. We loved the cruises at 11 months, 14 months and 3 years. We wished we skipped the one at 2 years old. That one was tough!

 

As for bottles, we brought a bottle brush and dish washing soap in a travel bottle. We put them on a disposable changing pad to dry and it worked out fine.

[icem86]

In 2007 we took our 3 month old son on a 7 day cruise. We only went because it was a celebration for my mother in-law's birthday and the in-laws paid for the whole family to come. We had fun and it was a good time but would have been more relaxing without a child that young. He slept well and was well behaved in the MDR. But we did almost nothing in the ports, just too much hassle transferring him and all his stuff on bus or taxi, etc..

[c-cruise]

We took our daughter on her first cruise at 5 months. Probably the easiest cruise we have done with our kids. We found it far easier to take an infant vs. say a 2yr old! Wish we had skipped a couple years of cruising after that and resumed when they were old enough to use the kids clubs more extensively.

 

You mentioned not wanting an "old folks" ship, but that is honestly exactly the type of cruise you are going to get with an infant. You are going to be so limited by nap times, feeding times, bed times, etc. that you are not going to be able to "go crazy" and do all the usual cruise activities you might be used to. Our oldest is 7 and we are still wondering when we will get back to the style of cruising we were used to pre-kids. ;)

 

We did Holland America on the first cruise with our 5 month old and it was perfect. The whole ship was basically full of grandparents! Having a baby onboard was a bit of a novelty and we got more help, service, and attention than on any cruise since. YMMV, but that was our experience.

[kitkat343]

Would you be willing to leave your child in a nursery? Newer or refurbished Royal caribbean ships (including the Quantum) have nurseries for under 3, and so do all Disney ships. Princess also allows children under 3 to go to the kid zone under adult supervision. I took a two year old on Princess without drop off daycare, and if I had another child I would only sail on RCL or Disney until the second child turned 3. I don't regret the trip I took with my 2 year old, as it was the Panama Canal and he really enjoyed seeing the canal and exploring Cartagena, but I think it would be much easier with a nursery.

 

Your decision to cruise also really depends on your individual child - some children are sound sleepers, and not thrown off their routine by traveling. Also, some children thrive more on routine and others prefer to be out exploring. The latter child is more likely to enjoy a cruise.

[sailinglisa]

I think a lot also depends on the personality of the baby. If your baby is calm and sweet, sleeps well, handles changes to their routine well and doesn't cry a lot, then that is great. But if your baby is one for a strict routine and when it is broken they get agitated, if they are not good sleepers, if they are cryers, then cruising may not be the best option for you or the baby.

[Host Faith]

We brought a bottle brush and little bottle of dish soap and washed our bottles in the sink every night. For the bath a lot of people recommend the blow up yellow duck tubs. We just laid towels on the floor of the shower or held her while we showered together. Good luck!

 

We did the exact same thing, both systems worked well!

 

To the OP- congratulations!!! We sailed the Liberty of the Seas with our 10-month old on January. I did a full photo review, the link is in my signature. He's a "go with the flow" type of baby, so traveling with him was much easier than we anticipated. We brought grandma with us, so she was able to watch him overnight once so we could be alone and get some sleep.

 

We had a great time, and are booked for the Quantum next April. Our little guy will be with us again. Cruising with a baby is definitely a different kind of vacation, but if you plan well and manage your expectations, everyone can have a great time.

[Waterloomarc]

We took our DD in January when she was 7 months. We leaving again in 2 weeks and she'll be 10 months then. So my answer is early ;)

 

We had a blast. The staff fell all over themselves for her, crew we had never seen would come up to us and talk to her by name. I had heard that the staff enjoy seeng babies but had my doubts. But, on our sailing at least, it was really true. We're lucky in that so far she's a really easy going baby. Will eat anything and sleep anywhere anytime.

 

Re bottles we just washed them in the sink and laid them out to dry on a towel. We also only brought 3 and just rotated more. I also strongly suggest premixed formula rather than the powder tubs. This was our biggest concern when we left since we (well my wife!) had just finished weaning a week or so before the cruise.

 

I would definitely do it again at that age. I'm a little more nervous about this one at 10 months now that she's mobile and has discovered her "outdoor" voice ;)

 

 

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[Lerin]

Took his first at 6 months and 1 day :)

Wonderful experience, probably our best family cruise. He's been on 4 others since then, but actually did best when he was still a baby and not an active toddler/pre-schooler.

He's done Carnival, Celebrity and RC. We liked them all. At 6 months he slept in his stroller a lot which was nice as it allowed us to still enjoy the shows and other activities.

[MamaWals]

We took our son at 6 1/2 months old recently and it was great. You're a bit limited on what you can do for shore excursions but if your baby is laid back and you have family or friends along to give you an occasional break it can be great! You do have to pack heavy though :)

 

We brought a bottle brush, dish drying mat, and some dawn to wash the bottles. No problems. We had a bathtub to use so we didn't need to bring a blow up tub but that's what we would have done if we hadn't had the tub to use.

[JordanLovesCruisin]

Packing to go this weekend with our 7 month old!

[heatherandfred]

Wow! As usual CC people come through. Little E is 2 months now. We are looking at a 2 day cruise to nowhere for his birthday next January (just a trial to get his cruise toesies wet). I'm sure by that time he'll be sleeping thru the night. DH and I were booked on the Quantum, but I cancelled when I found out I was pregnant. The quantum will have to wait. So many choices to make. I'd love to get a cruise where we can get the 3rd pax discount or kid goes for free discount. In terms of "old folks" ship, I was referring to a line that caters to more mature folks, with not necessarily a lot of kids on board. I'm sure E's personality will come thru which will determine his cruising style. I'm sure he will love the rocking motion of the boat.

 

 

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[heatherandfred]

Well first congrats!!!

 

I think it totally depends on the person. On most lines you can start sailing when they're 6 months. I took my daughter at 10 months. She did fine, no sickness, slept fine. I cruised when my son was 18 months & I found 10 months a lot easier. She was content to sit in her stroller and people watch. He wanted to run everywhere & climb everything like a chicken without its head ;) I don't know that I'd do 18 months again but I would do 10 ;)

 

Ps. We liked Norwegian better than Carnival for the under 2s as they had a room with toys & activities for the little ones open all day while carnival had nothing like that & we had to find an empty lounge to let him run around in.

 

 

Thank you. We are happy ;)

We haven't been on NCL since DH first cruise in 2008. He loved it. I will keep that in mind for the boy.

 

 

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[heatherandfred]

We did the exact same thing, both systems worked well!

 

To the OP- congratulations!!! We sailed the Liberty of the Seas with our 10-month old on January. I did a full photo review, the link is in my signature. He's a "go with the flow" type of baby, so traveling with him was much easier than we anticipated. We brought grandma with us, so she was able to watch him overnight once so we could be alone and get some sleep.

 

We had a great time, and are booked for the Quantum next April. Our little guy will be with us again. Cruising with a baby is definitely a different kind of vacation, but if you plan well and manage your expectations, everyone can have a great time.

 

 

Thanks Faith. I'm starting to get that itch for cruising again. Last one we took was for our baby moon. So it will start up next year!! Have fun on the Quantum! We are a "go with the flow" kind of family. We take nothing seriously on vacation.

 

 

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[liljay6915]

We took our little guy the day he turned three months old. It was a much more laid back cruise then we had done in the past seeing as I had a newborn to tend to but everyone was amazing. It was wonderful to have no worries other than my little guy!

 

 

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[Brandy1229]

This thread has made me feel so much better! In a month, we are taking our 3.5 year old and our baby will turn 6 months the day before the cruise! She never sleeps but hey, rather deal with that on a cruise than at home! lol

[bean24]

We took my son the first time when he was 10 months old. He has been on 4 in his 4 years, one tip bring powdered Pedialyte, in case of stomach challenges.

 

 

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[Muumuu]

What lines allow infants under 6 months to cruise?

[c-cruise]

What lines allow infants under 6 months to cruise?

 

Disney is pretty much the only one anymore (12 weeks). Maybe MSC, but not sure. I've read they have no minimum age, but I have never really checked into it.

[OCruisers]

The appropriate age is when the cruise line will allow it and when the parents wish make the adjustments of cruising with an infant. :)

LuLu