Taking Baby on Star to Alaska - Tips??

[gdisney]

Hey folks -

 

I've been reading some good threads with advice on taking babies on cruises. Beyond the more obvious ones like 'don't bring a jogging stroller' and 'pack lots of diapers and wipes' and so on, I'm wondering if anyone has any tips specifically in regards to experiences on the Star Princess and/or going to Alaska on a Princess cruise with a baby. Some specifics for us:

 

• We've been on several cruises before, including this same itinerary, which is an 11-day round trip from San Francisco
  
• This will be our first cruise with a child; our son will be 8 months at time of sailing
  
• Our son is generally not fussy at all - we take him to restaurants and ball games and to our places of work and so forth all the time without incident
  
• We have booked a balcony room on Deck 11 (Baja)
  
• Our travel agent got a crib reserved for our stateroom already
  
• My wife's parents are also on on this cruise, so they will (gladly) help with babysitting
  

[sept10dsm]

One thing we noticed when cruising a few years ago with a child in diapers is that there were no changing tables in public restrooms. You will be going back to the cabin for that each time. We had no problems with traveling with a 16 month old. He also was very good natured.

[shredie]

I'm planning on taking my daughter and her baby (9 mo) in the fall, and the one thing I'm wondering about is the whole tender/stroller/baby/ on and off situation. Anyone have experience with that? (OP, thanks for starting this thread!)

[sept10dsm]

You may want to post this in the family section as well.

[giselleacttwo]

The best tip I've received on CC for traveling with a baby on Princess is to have the Pack N Play (they don't offer cribs, just PNP's) set up in the closet area. Then you can get magnetic hooks and a dark shower curtain to hang so the baby can have their own bedroom "space", which is especially invaluable during nap time and after the baby has gone to bed but before you are ready to. We were able to keep our lights on, enjoy the balcony, watch TV (lower volume) etc. without having to worry about waking them up.

 

As for tenders and strollers, you will need to take the baby out of the stroller and carry the stroller on board the tender.

 

Ditto the no changing tables. We've never seen one on a Princess ship.

 

We've also brought grandparents on board to cruise with us and help with baby care and it was a wonderful experience.

 

The stroller we brought on board was the First Years Jet, which is just a slightly fancier version of a standard umbrella stroller. It still reclines some, but wasn't too difficult to maneuver around the ship. I wouldn't go any bigger than that, it is difficult to get a stroller through the hallways when housekeeping carts are present and a larger one would have been impossible without them moving the cart for us.

 

We took our (then 9 month old) son to formal night dressed in a little vest and tie and the crew treated him like a rock star. It was also a great chance for a family picture. I know not everyone loves the formal shipboard photos, but to us they are worth every penny, especially while the kids are little.

 

When we cruised with our 9 month old (ten years ago!) they also offered a variety of baby food at no extra charge. It has been so long since we've cruised with a young baby we haven't done it since, but they may still do that. I don't believe the offer formula, and definitely not diapers, but we received a large selection of Gerber baby foods for him.

[gdisney]

 

When we cruised with our 9 month old (ten years ago!) they also offered a variety of baby food at no extra charge. It has been so long since we've cruised with a young baby we haven't done it since, but they may still do that. I don't believe the offer formula, and definitely not diapers, but we received a large selection of Gerber baby foods for him.

 

Is that something you requested when in the DR, or do you mean you had room service in the room, or something else?? I've read that you can ask for something pureed when you go to the DR, but I've been wondering about what the food options are for a baby.

[giselleacttwo]

Is that something you requested when in the DR, or do you mean you had room service in the room, or something else?? I've read that you can ask for something pureed when you go to the DR, but I've been wondering about what the food options are for a baby.

 

It was something that had to be requested in advance, I believe through "special services" or some such department. I'd imagine they are the same folks that you advise of other special dietary requirements like allergies. You didn't get to pick what they provided, they just delivered a large selection of various jarred baby foods on the first day of the cruise. We brought our own baby "silverware" and bibs. I know they make disposable varieties of both but we just brought along a bit of dish soap and washed our own in the cabin.

[caribill]

It was something that had to be requested in advance, I believe through "special services" or some such department.

 

From the Princess web site:

 

In addition, kosher meals and baby food are available upon advance written request. Any other special diet requests must be authorized in advance by the Princess corporate office.

 

 

You or your travel agent must advise Princess in writing of any special diet, allergies or medical needs. Requests must be received no later than 35 days prior to departure for cruises to Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal and Coastal Getaways. For all other cruises, requests must be received no later than 65 days prior to departure. Once onboard, please check with the Maitre D' to confirm your request.

[StLouisCruisers]

I just noticed on my cruise personalizer that you can request high chairs and baby food on the Passenger Check-In tab. Click that tab then click on Medical and Dietary Requests. Seems like you give them an email address for the baby food request and they contact you.

 

Good luck!

[runnerodb83]

Hey folks -

 

I've been reading some good threads with advice on taking babies on cruises. Beyond the more obvious ones like 'don't bring a jogging stroller' and 'pack lots of diapers and wipes' and so on, I'm wondering if anyone has any tips specifically in regards to experiences on the Star Princess and/or going to Alaska on a Princess cruise with a baby. Some specifics for us:

 

• We've been on several cruises before, including this same itinerary, which is an 11-day round trip from San Francisco
  
• This will be our first cruise with a child; our son will be 8 months at time of sailing
  
• Our son is generally not fussy at all - we take him to restaurants and ball games and to our places of work and so forth all the time without incident
  
• We have booked a balcony room on Deck 11 (Baja)
  
• Our travel agent got a crib reserved for our stateroom already
  
• My wife's parents are also on on this cruise, so they will (gladly) help with babysitting
  

 

We've taken our daughter on 3 cruises now, when she was 8months we went to Alaska (on Golden, sister to Star) and it was great, the best one of the 3 so far. Pak and Play in the closet is a must. It fits better in the closets of the non minisuite rooms, for some reason minisuites closet isnt as deep. Bring a sheet or blanket or two for them to sit and roll around on the floor in your room or elsewhere. Remember, there are laundrettes on all decks, so bring some quarters and detergent for spills and such. Naps are a good time to do laundry.

 

Yes they will puree, but they do it in large quantities, better to order the babyfood through princess/travel agent and use that. You can also order rice cereal.

 

Not sure where your cabin is but ours was on deck 5 so we were able to make good use of intl cafe for that reason.

 

A good stroller is great. Ours really enjoyed walking around the decks in the stroller, particularly deck 7 where its covered and protected from elements. Deck 14 is also good but requires strolling through the buffet.

 

We were upset we had to purchase a room with upper berths to accomodate our baby who was sleeping in a crib, however ask the steward to lower a berth and put your luggage, stroller, clothes, diapers, etc out on it to help with storage. The steward will also store your luggage if you ask.

 

The other two cruises we took she was 13 months and 17 months, and walking...so that makes it a bit more challenging. One was on the star, and it was great. Travelling with babies is challening getting there, but once you are onboard, its a pretty good way to go. Just understand beforehand that the "cruising life" will be different with a baby, not worse, just different, and you'll have a great time.

[Pam in CA]

We were upset we had to purchase a room with upper berths to accomodate our baby who was sleeping in a crib, however ask the steward to lower a berth and put your luggage, stroller, clothes, diapers, etc out on it to help with storage.

Yes, you have to book a cabin rated for three people. The reason is that 1 berth = 1 lifeboat space. The cruise line cannot book a passenger for which there's no lifeboat space. Bookings for all passengers are lifeboat capacity controlled.

[gdisney]

I just noticed on my cruise personalizer that you can request high chairs and baby food on the Passenger Check-In tab. Click that tab then click on Medical and Dietary Requests. Seems like you give them an email address for the baby food request and they contact you.

 

Good luck!

 

I just saw that last night! So I put the requests in; it says on the food that they will respond within 10 days.

[Suzi-G-]

Not sure I have any great advice beyond what's already been said. We haven't cruised yet but will be doing the 11 day cruise tour southbound from Whittier in July with our sons and DH's extended family. (We're a large group, including other kids aged 10, 10, 12 & 18). DS1 is 4.5 years old, DS2 will be 9 months. I'm bringing our Chicco Liteway stroller as well as a carrier/sling so DH or I can wear him. The thought of packing for all of us is giving me nightmares, though honestly the 4 year old is harder than the baby!

 

The Alaska cruise tour answer book states that children must have carseats to ride on buses (Alaska carseat law is different than my home state where buses are exempt). So, you may need to bring your carseat with you. I'm planning to bring laundry supplies and do laundry as well as dish soap for his bottles/cups/spoons/etc.

 

Too bad we're not on the same cruise. :)

 

ETA: Here's the link for the answer book that mentions carseats: http://www.princess.com/learn/faq_answer/cruisetours/cruisetours_alaska.jsp

Edited June 12, 2014 by Suzi-G-

[gdisney]

Didn't know buses in Alaska required carseats...good to know. The only bus we might take is the blue bus to Mendenhall in Juneau; not sure if that law applies as it's a private tour company and not a city bus. Will have to research that...

 

And thanks everyone for the tips and insights!

[peacelovemickey]

This doesn't specifically say buses need car seats, can anyone confirm this?

 

 

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[gdisney]

I just noticed on my cruise personalizer that you can request high chairs and baby food on the Passenger Check-In tab. Click that tab then click on Medical and Dietary Requests. Seems like you give them an email address for the baby food request and they contact you.

 

Just got a reply back on the baby food - basically they email you a form letter with a place for you to notate whether you want stage 1 or 2 foods, and then you specify how many jars each of veggies/fruits/dinners/desserts. The letter reads like this:

 

We have received correspondence requesting baby food and are pleased to advise we will be able to accommodate your needs.

 

We offer Stage 1 and Stage 2 baby food. Stage 1 is available in the 2.5 oz. size and Stage 2 in the 4.0 oz. size. We also provide baby juices in 4 oz. size bottles and rice cereal in 8 oz. size boxes. Kindly note that for all ships sailing in and around North America and Europe, the brand supplier is Gerber. For all ships sailing in and around Australia and New Zealand, the preferred and supplied brand is Heinz. All foods come in an assortment and the selections are made onboard.

 

You may request certain flavors and/or advise us if the child is allergic or dislikes any flavors, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to get that specific flavor.

 

Whole milk is readily provided onboard; however, lactose-free, rice or soy milk must be ordered in advance. These types of milks are not available in flavors.

 

We can also puree food for the child; this must be requested onboard and can only be accommodated in the main dining rooms. For older children, we do offer a regular children’s menu onboard.

[runnerodb83]

Just got a reply back on the baby food - basically they email you a form letter with a place for you to notate whether you want stage 1 or 2 foods, and then you specify how many jars each of veggies/fruits/dinners/desserts. The letter reads like this:

 

We have received correspondence requesting baby food and are pleased to advise we will be able to accommodate your needs.

 

We offer Stage 1 and Stage 2 baby food. Stage 1 is available in the 2.5 oz. size and Stage 2 in the 4.0 oz. size. We also provide baby juices in 4 oz. size bottles and rice cereal in 8 oz. size boxes. Kindly note that for all ships sailing in and around North America and Europe, the brand supplier is Gerber. For all ships sailing in and around Australia and New Zealand, the preferred and supplied brand is Heinz. All foods come in an assortment and the selections are made onboard.

 

You may request certain flavors and/or advise us if the child is allergic or dislikes any flavors, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to get that specific flavor.

 

Whole milk is readily provided onboard; however, lactose-free, rice or soy milk must be ordered in advance. These types of milks are not available in flavors.

 

We can also puree food for the child; this must be requested onboard and can only be accommodated in the main dining rooms. For older children, we do offer a regular children’s menu onboard.

 

Yes, bring a copy of the email you send to them and maybe call and confirm a week or two before. On our Alaska cruise we had a card in our room that we had to give to our steward so he could go get the food. On our Mexico cruise we had nothing but our daughter was pretty good with solid foods that we were eating so we never pushed the issue.

 

Bring some small food from home just in case, and in alaska there are regular grocery stores where you can find the same food. One thing I would recommend is to bring a stash of ziplock bags and/or small tupperwares. This enabled us to pack snacks from the buffet for our daughter, kids eat more frequently than adults do, even on a cruise. Also, you migth want to bring a little sponge and bottle of soap to wash the containers and or bottles. The nice thing abotu the bathrooms is with the fan running all the time, it dries the bottles pretty quickly.

[giselleacttwo]

Great info on the baby food! We may be sailing with one next year. Nice to hear they still do it. Back when we took a baby the cruise personalizer wasn't even a thing yet. Sounds like they make it easy.

 

 

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[StLouisCruisers]

Since they charge for the child as a 3rd person, yes, they should provide baby food and juices for them. I'm glad to see they don't expect you to bring a suitcase full of baby food jars!

 

By the way, your baby will be treated like a queen/king on the ship. The staff loves babies!

[gdisney]

Since they charge for the child as a 3rd person, yes, they should provide baby food and juices for them. I'm glad to see they don't expect you to bring a suitcase full of baby food jars!

 

By the way, your baby will be treated like a queen/king on the ship. The staff loves babies!

 

Yeah, it does bug me a little that you have to pay a full adult fare for the infant. And since you have to book a triple, and there aren't as many of those, they often cost more as well. In our case, at the time we booked, my wife and I were each $250 more because it had to be a triple cabin. But good to hear he'll be treated like a king!

Edited June 13, 2014 by gdisney

[sassyredhat]

We just sailed with our 11 month old granddaughter, although on another cruise line.

On this line we were able to order diapers and wipes from the 'bon voyage' section. We brought our own food, but she decided she no longer wanted baby food---she had no teeth at 11 mo----.

 

We brought a small travel stroller--with a shade cover--. It was no problem using it throughout the ship or on the tenders.

 

The one thing that we discovered was that she got tired of being held. She wasn't walking then. Our ship had a dedicated baby playroom which was cleaned and had thick mats on the floor. That was a saving thing for us.

 

We also discovered that dinner in the dining room was just too much for her. After the 2nd meal, we ate in the buffet.

 

I know this isn't line or Alaska specific, but it did surprise us a bit that we didn't anticipate the things that bothered her.

 

Pat

[gdisney]

I guess it can be hard to anticipate with any kid. Good thing there's lots of options on a ship. I know on some lines you can pre-order diapers, which certainly makes an ease on packing. I've seen others who just tape a luggage tag on a diaper box and check it. On Princess' baby food request letter, they made a point of mentioning things they don't provide, which was:

 

• Formula (of any kind)

• Baby wipes

• Stage 3 and/or specific brand names of baby food i.e. Tender Harvest, organic, Earth’s Best, Lil Entrees, graduates, baby snacks, finger foods, etc.

• Infant basins

• Strollers

• Car seats

• Diapers

[giselleacttwo]

A couple of things I failed to mention:

 

You've been on Princess before, so you know you won't have a bathtub below a mini-suite. For us, it wasn't a big deal to take our little guy into the shower on a cruise because he was used to it at home. (We didn't have a tub back then) You may want to bring a small blow up bath tub to bathe him in.

 

While they don't offer drop in care for under 3, they will allow you to go into the kids club with your child and play with the toys there if you wish. He's still pretty young for that, so it may not appeal, but know that it's an option.

[shredie]

We just sailed with our 11 month old granddaughter, although on another cruise line.

 

Pat, was it just you and the baby? No parents?

[gdisney]

Thanks giselle - we'll definitely check out the kids club when it's not busy and see if he likes playing in there. And yep, we got an inflatable tub that was recommend elsewhere here on the forums. :)