Tips for cruising with babies

[jjflipt]

I have a 12 month old and 2.5 year old. Any tips for cruising with babies?

 

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[Harooni]

yeah, dont cruise with babies. :p

[Mary521]

Cruising in a couple weeks with our 6 mo old, and can't wait! I found some helpful info in the family section on CC. Also ignore those who are rude on here, everyone is welcome!

 

 

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[cruisegirl06]

If your ship has a nursery utilize it for some adult time - one of the highlights of our last cruise was an afternoon on the private island while our daughter played in the nursery.

 

Do check out the family board for lots of tips. Pack plenty of diapers, packaged snacks that you know your kids will eat, and extra clothes for everyone. We also bring along a bunch of cheap toys (think: mcdonalds toys, dollar store) for distribution at dinner when the toddler gets antsy. Diapered children are not allowed in the pool, so we generally avoided the pool deck with DD and hung out on the other decks. We also got a tiny blow up pool that we put out on the balcony one day and put a little water in so she could splash around.

[champagne123]

I also have to agree with the blow up....You more than likely have a cabin with just a shower....so the blow up, you can fill in the shower to bathe your children.:o

[Rufferto]

Diapered children are not allowed in the pool

The staff is strict about enforcing this rule, however the Oasis class ships have a small splash pool meant for swim diapered babies.

 

Adventure Ocean will only accomodate children who are 3+ and are fully toilet trained. Denpending on when you plan to go, your 2.5 year old may be old enough to attend.

[jjflipt]

Can my room helper person blow up my duck for me? Do they do that? Im goimg to being a small pool to take to the pool with us. The smallest one I can find for my baby to splash around in. Is that ok.

 

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[spookwife]

Can my room helper person blow up my duck for me? Do they do that? Im goimg to being a small pool to take to the pool with us. The smallest one I can find for my baby to splash around in. Is that ok.

 

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do not count on it.. you will have to manually blow it up on your own, they are VERY busy all day long with little 'extra' time. there is nothing like a pump you could ask for or use unless you bring a manual one yourself.

[Xina143]

I don't think anyone is being rude, when they say thing twice about cruising with young children.

 

AS the mother of five boys, I can tell you after going on a few cruises-SO glad we waited!

 

I'm not kidding when I say that on each of our cruises, everyone I saw with an infant or young toddler looked frazzled.

 

Space is a premium in many places, and for some reason they would bring HUGE travel strollers-they hit people, the stroller got stuck, couldn't maneuver well at some points in the MDR, etc.

 

One woman-and this is her fault-didn't know that young children couldn't be left in Camp Carnival, they can't go on many of the excurions, etc.

 

I think if you adjust your expectations you will be fine, for us, since I had never cruised before (my husband did when he was younger, but never with a family) I wasn't sure I wanted to be confined like that with young children.

 

From what I saw though-bring diapers! One mother I talked to ran out, and what they charged her on the ship was CRAZY! And bring an umbrella stroller, or better yet a comfortable carrier for the baby.

[Host Faith]

We had a blast cruising with our baby boy! It certainly is a different type of vacation than cruising as a couple, but it's still a lot of fun. It's nice to have the time to focus on your little one without having to cook or clean. Great memories (and awesome photos) are made when cruising with your baby.

 

I have a complete photo review here, full of tips and photos. I hope this is helpful to you :): Baby's First Cruise! My Liberty Photo Review #2

[jjflipt]

I certainty dont habe huge expectations of rest. Lol. I dont plan on using the kid care places. My kids are too young. I take care of my kids all day at home. Now ill be doing it on a ship and ill habe my husbands help. Whoop. We are just trying to find any tips to help make it easier and a bit more relaxing. We have movies for dinner time for our 2 year old.

 

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[Jenjer]

I found the best way to pack for little ones is to put outfits in zip lock bags. With everything they will need all together. So you do not have to go searching thru your room looking for the matching pants or hair bow ect.

 

Pack 2x as many diapers as you think you will need, not something you want to go with out. :-)

 

 

Small umbrella stroller much easier than big bulky one.

 

Get a umbrella to attach for extra sun protection. We also used a small clip on battery operated fan.

 

We pack a pop up hamper to keep all the dirty clothing in one place.

 

If your kids love cheerios I would grab a few extra boxes in the morning off the buffet to give them later in the day.

 

When you travel with little ones its truly home on the road. I have never regretted traveling with my kids.

[jjflipt]

Thank you.

 

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[jjflipt]

I really appreciate the tips and encouragement! Thanks so much.

[Jen731]

OP, which ship will you be on? Look through the compasses ahead of time. I found a lot of family events that I think my 3 year old will really enjoy on the Oasis.

 

My biggest tip is to not skip naps or regular bedtimes. You might get away with it for a day or two, but you and your children will be much, much happier if they are well rested. It will mean you spend extra time in the room, so bring yourself some entertainment. Even better - if you can swing a balcony, use that time to enjoy the fresh air and ocean!

 

Consider hiring the ship babysitters one night to enjoy some adult time on the ship.

 

Find an area of the ship where they can run/crawl safely to let off steam. Jogging track (if it's not busy) or an empty lounge not in use. Kids need some time to be kids and it can be difficult when there are so many people and less freedom around. The physical activity is so important and those tiny cruise ship rooms don't allow much room to roam.

 

Bring lots of ziplocks, they can be used for any number of things. Grab snacks from the buffet, carry crayons or small toys to the dining room, etc.

 

Hope that helps!!

[spookwife]

We have movies for dinner time for our 2 year old.

 

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unless the kids will be wearing earplugs DO NOT DO THIS. no one wants to hear 'Frozen' in the MDR. same with viodeo games or any other app that creates noise

[jjflipt]

Oh yes, we have ear phones

 

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