Cruising With 1 Year Old

[Cruiser_89]

Good morning everybody. I am a new member to this forum. I was a longtime lurker in the late 2000's however I never joined and it's been 5 or 6 years since I've lurked. I figure now is a good time to join as I am looking for advice for an upcoming cruise. So I am not new to cruising...I have about 12 cruises under my belt however my upcoming cruise on the Magic is going to be a first of sorts for me. So my wife and I haven't cruised in a few years...we have been busy building a life together, starting a family...yada yada yada. Well we now have a 6 Month old son and have booked the Magic on January 14th. Our little guy will turn 13 months old on the cruise...and as I'm intimating...we've made the decision to bring him with us. It's been a while since we have last cruised and we both need a week at sea. So that brings me to my question...for everybody that has cruised before with babies and small toddlers...do you have any advice or words of wisdom for a couple experienced cruisers looking to take a 13 month old on his first cruise?

 

We understand that we won't be able to do everything we want and the daily routine of taking care of the little guy doesn't go away however despite that I'm hoping we can have a good time. It will certainly be a new experience!

 

I welcome any advice and all opinions. Thanks!

[crusin'mom]

I am cruising next week with my little one on the Magic. She turns 15 months on the day we board. So after we get back I'd be glad to let you know how it went and any tips I may have.

[Cruiser_89]

Thank you so much...I'd really appreciate that. We booked the deluxe oceanview with the extra half bath...figured with the tub it was well worth the money.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Je Souhaite]

Good morning everybody. I am a new member to this forum. I was a longtime lurker in the late 2000's however I never joined and it's been 5 or 6 years since I've lurked. I figure now is a good time to join as I am looking for advice for an upcoming cruise. So I am not new to cruising...I have about 12 cruises under my belt however my upcoming cruise on the Magic is going to be a first of sorts for me. So my wife and I haven't cruised in a few years...we have been busy building a life together, starting a family...yada yada yada. Well we now have a 6 Month old son and have booked the Magic on January 14th. Our little guy will turn 13 months old on the cruise...and as I'm intimating...we've made the decision to bring him with us. It's been a while since we have last cruised and we both need a week at sea. So that brings me to my question...for everybody that has cruised before with babies and small toddlers...do you have any advice or words of wisdom for a couple experienced cruisers looking to take a 13 month old on his first cruise?

 

We understand that we won't be able to do everything we want and the daily routine of taking care of the little guy doesn't go away however despite that I'm hoping we can have a good time. It will certainly be a new experience!

 

I welcome any advice and all opinions. Thanks!

 

We made the mistake of leaving our little one home on our first cruise after she entered our lives. We were MISERABLE the whole time, and couldn't wait to get off the ship. So ignore anyone who may say to leave him home, citing "they won't remember a thing". The thinking is wrong. It would be THE TWO OF YOU that would be missing those memories.

 

We altered our previous cruising life when we took her on the next, and every subsequent cruise. We got a balcony room so that when she went down, we were right outside.

 

You don't really need a bath, but if you're so inclined, just bring a blow up thing he can bath in. We just washed her down with the removable shower head. We had a tub when we cruised in the suites and never used them as one.

 

And we went about our cruise pretty much as normal, even the shows. Eating was fun, as we got to sample different things off both menus.

The staff was attentive, and played to her at all encounters.

 

All such happy memories. She's off to college next month <sniff sniff>

Edited June 30, 2016 by Je Souhaite

[crusin'mom]

We made the mistake of leaving our little one home on our first cruise after she entered our lives. We were MISERABLE the whole time, and couldn't wait to get off the ship. So ignore anyone who may say to leave him home, citing "they won't remember a thing". The thinking is wrong. It would be THE TWO OF YOU that would be missing those memories.

 

We altered our previous cruising life when we took her on the next, and every subsequent cruise. We got a balcony room so that when she went down, we were right outside.

 

You don't really need a bath, but if your so inclined, just bring a blow up thing they can bath in. We just washed her down with the removable shower head.

 

And we went about our cruise pretty much as normal, even the shows. Eating was fun, as we got to sample differnet things off both menus.

The staff was attentive, and played to her at all encounters.

 

All such happy memories. She's off to college next month <sniff sniff>

 

I'm glad someone else sees things the same way I do. I never considered leaving my little one home. I want the memories that we will make together. And I would worry about her the whole time I was gone and not be able to enjoy myself. I think as long as you are flexible and understand that with a baby, you may have to alter some of your plans, that you can still have a great time!

[janm8144]

Our grandson went on his first cruise on his one year BD with the family. It was daddy's first also. I researched these boards for info & got a lot of useful info. We took a stroller that folded up like an umbrella but still reclined enough that he was able to take a nap in. This worked out well for off and on the ship. The crew loves little ones, so they make a fuss over them. He went to the dining room every nite & had his BD celebration with 1st chocolate cake, which was hilarious! Camp Carnival has certain times a parent can take child & play with them, check with them when you board, I forget when they do this. Our daughter acknowledged it was a much different cruise for her, but she still enjoyed it, son in law loved it & has been on board for more. Baby slept great, due to rocking of boat! They did do build a bear, although an older cousin did most of the building, but he enjoyed that activity. It was a great vacation, even tho he won't remember, the rest of us always will! So have fun, a cruise is what you make it!

[Freckle53]

My youngest had just turned 2 when we first cruised. We use a white noise machine in his room at home and made sure to bring that with us. If you don't use one at home, you might want to introduce it. As soon as we turned it on in our cabin and put the lights out, he would settle down knowing that familiar noise even though the surroundings were unfamiliar.

 

We stocked up on cartons of milk from Lido in the morning and kept them in our cabin fridge. If we needed more and they weren't out, we asked at the dessert station (where the milk was in the morning) and they were always happy to run back and get us some.

 

We mostly ate in the buffet as the dining room meals took too long for our little guy. It was a vacation for me not having to cook or cleanup for anyone, so buffet food was fine by me.

 

Our son did not like crib they provided, but easily slept between us in the bed. That even worked for naps (with the life saving white noise machine).

 

We spent a lot of time walking around the open air decks with him in the stroller just enjoying the view.

 

Have fun! I could never leave my young kids home (not that they would let me--heck it's a treat if I go grocery shopping alone) and love our family vacations.

[Micahs Grandad]

We took our one year old GS on a cruise with his parents and had an awe some time.

 

you will never get as much attention from the crew as when you bring a little one.

 

He wasnt quite walking yet but had an awesome time crawling around one of the lounges and jumping off a stage.

 

We all took turns babysitting see his mom and dad could enjoy the nightlife.

[moongal]

Maybe I'm just a crotchety old fart but I don't remember any of the family vacations I took when my kids were tots as being much fun. Lugging all that baby paraphernalia, crying tired babies who are off schedule, trying to fix formula bottle in hotel, diaper changes....it got to where by the time the last kid arrived I opted to just stay home till they were much older. I can't even imagine lugging all that stuff and a baby on a cruise ship. But to each his own. My kids were rather homebodies in that they really always much preferred to be at home. Maybe I just got defective non traveler kids. [emoji6]

[cruiseondude]

My youngest had just turned 2 when we first cruised. We use a white noise machine in his room at home and made sure to bring that with us. If you don't use one at home, you might want to introduce it. As soon as we turned it on in our cabin and put the lights out, he would settle down knowing that familiar noise even though the surroundings were unfamiliar.

 

We stocked up on cartons of milk from Lido in the morning and kept them in our cabin fridge. If we needed more and they weren't out, we asked at the dessert station (where the milk was in the morning) and they were always happy to run back and get us some.

 

We mostly ate in the buffet as the dining room meals took too long for our little guy. It was a vacation for me not having to cook or cleanup for anyone, so buffet food was fine by me.

 

Our son did not like crib they provided, but easily slept between us in the bed. That even worked for naps (with the life saving white noise machine).

 

We spent a lot of time walking around the open air decks with him in the stroller just enjoying the view.

 

Have fun! I could never leave my young kids home (not that they would let me--heck it's a treat if I go grocery shopping alone) and love our family vacations.

 

We went last year with our 2 yr old twin girls -- go with the flow is all I can say -- we did early dining - be prepared to walk him around. we watched the movies on the deck - they now need popcorn when ever they watch a movie ;-). I ordered 10-15 cartons of milk from room service - they had no issues with it - didn't blink an eye when I called down.

[cruiseondude]

OH >>> Bring some diaper garbage bags -- the bathroom is small and can smell with the volume - but remember I had two - douoble the diapers, double the smell -- ** don't forget to bring the bottle cleaner -- ;-)

[Je Souhaite]

Maybe I'm just a crotchety old fart but I don't remember any of the family vacations I took when my kids were tots as being much fun. Lugging all that baby paraphernalia, crying tired babies who are off schedule, trying to fix formula bottle in hotel, diaper changes....it got to where by the time the last kid arrived I opted to just stay home till they were much older. I can't even imagine lugging all that stuff and a baby on a cruise ship. But to each his own. My kids were rather homebodies in that they really always much preferred to be at home. Maybe I just got defective non traveler kids. [emoji6]

 

See, I never considered any of that stuff to be a chore. It was just stuff I had to do as a parent, whether home out or on vacation.

 

It also helped that I had a very easy kid. If I had anything else, I might not have tried it.

[patchofheaven]

I will be following this thread for great tips - We are taking our 2 1/2 yr granddaughter, son and daughter in law on our next cruise in November. It will be DIL and granddaughter's 1st cruise. We are all looking forward to it. Eating in the dining room is the only thing that I can see that might be an issue, but we are practicing now - I definitely don't want her to disturb others around us who are trying to enjoy their meals.

[MistyRo76]

We took our DD on her first cruise last Oct. when she just over 14 months old. Not a chance I would've left her at home. :)

 

Some bits of advise:

Buy diapers in your port city if you can. I only packed enough for a couple of days when we left for Miami. We flew in the day prior and I went to a CVS near our hotel and bought enough regular and swim diapers for the rest of the trip. We taped all of the diaper packages together and put a luggage tag on them and checked them in with the porter at the pier. We didn't have to mess with taking up a bunch of luggage space with diapers and didn't have to lug them around! It was perfect.

 

We also brought an inflatable tub for our DD to take baths in. But we didn't even use it once. It was so much easier to just take her in the shower with me and then pass her off to the hubby when I was done with her. Wish I would have saved the luggage space and left the tub at home.

 

Invest in a good, sturdy umbrella stroller. We bought an Infant Summer 3D Lite and it was perfect. It was easy to manuever through the crowded cruise ship walkways. It fit fine through our cabin door and folded up easily and was able to be stored in a corner of the cabin. And it was great for walking around port. It reclined, has a canopy for shade and a basket underneath for storage.

 

We didn't bring a car seat. For getting around Miami, I set up private cars to take us from hotel to airport and ship to airport after the cruise. I found a company that could provide car seats. The couple of times we had to take a taxi in port, I held my LO on my lap.

 

Grab some milks and individual cereal boxes from the buffet every morning to keep in your cabin or throw in your beach bag. Great for a quick snack!

 

If you can, book a balcony. Great space to hang out when LO naps or while sleeping at night.

 

Kids cannot use the pools or splash parks if not potty trained (even if in swim diapers). And they aren't able to be left in Camp Carnival until they turn two. So that limits day time options a bit. We were lucky that we had other family who would help out so we could enjoy some pool time.

 

And most important - be ready to go with the flow! :)

 

Misty

[MistyRo76]

A couple other things I forgot to add :)

 

I worked to wean our LO off of bottles before the cruise. I started her on sippy cups and straws. That way we didn't have to pack bottles at all..and she was also off of all formula by age 1. We were able to just order milk or water for her. Kept a baby Camelback water bottle with us to stay hydrated during the day.

 

I also started working to get her down from 2 naps a day to just 1 nap a day by the time we cruised. It was a pretty easy transition for us. But I figured it would make our days more manageable if we only had to work in one nap time. My kiddo isn't one who typically just falls asleep anywhere...she only sleeps in her crib (unless she's super tired). It worked out pretty well. But she also seemed to adapt and napped where she could. We arrived in Aruba at 1PM which is her normal nap time. We tried to get in an earlier nap, to no avail. So we just headed off the ship to a beach. She ended up sleeping in my arms in the ocean for an hour. I just waded out to waist deep water and she slept with her head on my shoulder. It was great!

 

We always do late dining on cruises...and call me crazy, but we stuck with that on this one even though the LO usually goes to bed at 8PM. She did great! We had dinner in the main dining room each night. Some nights she stayed awake the whole time, others she fell asleep in her stroller. But somehow, it worked!

 

Misty

[LMaxwell]

Things that helped us out when we took our 10 month old.

 

Umbrella stroller that reclines; baby will sleep through a show no problem.

 

try to keep a scheduled nap tip during the day.

 

If dinner is too long for the baby ask them to speed up service and they will.

 

Go outside to the quieter exterior decks; great place to help a baby fall asleep (wind, sound of waves).

 

Empty lounges during the day are a great place for the baby to crawl/walk

 

Open family time in the kids club early in the morning and sometimes at night for parents to stay and play; they have a ton of toys up there.

 

Bring more diapers than you think you need.

 

They will puree any food you want, just ask, no problem.

 

If your baby is on formula bring double what you think you need!

[Cruiser_89]

Thank you everybody for all the tips and words of advice. We booked the deluxe oceanview stateroom so that way we have a bath tub for the little guy. We also have an umbrella stroller for getting around. MistyRo76- I was under the impression that strollers were not allowed in the dining room but it sounds like you brought yours...did you have any issues with dining room staff in regards to bringing your stroller into the dining room? We live local so we plan to have a suitcase of diapers that will serve as the suvioneer suitcase at the end of the trip. At 6 months were only at 1 hour long nap in the afternoon and a 30 minute power nap in the evenings so not worried too much about naps. I will also crash when he crashes throughout the day! The only thing I'm really concerned with is I don't want my night to be over when he goes down for the night at 10-1030 but I guess that's one of the sacrifices that will have to be made.

[LMaxwell]

Thank you everybody for all the tips and words of advice. We booked the deluxe oceanview stateroom so that way we have a bath tub for the little guy. We also have an umbrella stroller for getting around. MistyRo76- I was under the impression that strollers were not allowed in the dining room but it sounds like you brought yours...did you have any issues with dining room staff in regards to bringing your stroller into the dining room? We live local so we plan to have a suitcase of diapers that will serve as the suvioneer suitcase at the end of the trip. At 6 months were only at 1 hour long nap in the afternoon and a 30 minute power nap in the evenings so not worried too much about naps. I will also crash when he crashes throughout the day! The only thing I'm really concerned with is I don't want my night to be over when he goes down for the night at 10-1030 but I guess that's one of the sacrifices that will have to be made.

 

Umbrella strollers are pretty small, we brought ours to the MDR. Did not know you are not supposed to (is that a rule somewhere??). We then put the baby in a highchair and pushed the stroller out of the way. It was no issue at all.

 

The nice thing about oceanview rooms is they are pretty large, bigger than a balcony room, so you will still have plenty of room even with the crib in there.

 

That bathtub will be a lifesafer, I've made do with inflatable tubs on ships.

 

We didn't stay out super late, but a few nights til 11 or 12. He'd be asleep in the umbrella stroller with a light blanket. We didn't go to the nightclub or casino, not our thing anyway, but the main show, up for a snack, walking around, out on the deck for movies, none of it was a problem. Every kid is different but you'll figure out what works pretty fast.

[Cruiser_89]

Umbrella strollers are pretty small, we brought ours to the MDR. Did not know you are not supposed to (is that a rule somewhere??). We then put the baby in a highchair and pushed the stroller out of the way. It was no issue at all.

 

The nice thing about oceanview rooms is they are pretty large, bigger than a balcony room, so you will still have plenty of room even with the crib in there.

 

That bathtub will be a lifesafer, I've made do with inflatable tubs on ships.

 

We didn't stay out super late, but a few nights til 11 or 12. He'd be asleep in the umbrella stroller with a light blanket. We didn't go to the nightclub or casino, not our thing anyway, but the main show, up for a snack, walking around, out on the deck for movies, none of it was a problem. Every kid is different but you'll figure out what works pretty fast.

 

Not sure where I originally heard about the strollershed not being allowed in the dining room however I'll call Carnival to find out from the horses mouth and let everybody know what they say. Our night activities sound lots like yours...no clubs or casinos but a comedy show for me and a production show for the wice. We can always split up for that to make logistics easier. Outdoor movies, eating, strolling around, eating some more etc. The extra half bath with tub in the oceanview was a no brainer for us and I'm sure it will be worth every penny.

[LMaxwell]

Sounds like you will be fine really. For us, personally, it was easier to go to the Main Dining Room for any meal where it was served (and SeaDay brunch is a DO NOT MISS!) because we could get the baby situated with some snack and sit and order off a menu; no juggling with the buffet or looking for tables, etc. Anything you need for your baby, milk, cereal, if you want them to try some new foods, just ask. Nothing will be a problem, but they aren't going to read minds.

 

I can't really think of an EASIER vacation with a baby. No driving around. You're not a half hour from your hotel room at nap time. No deciding where to eat or finding parking.

 

OH, forgot to mention, they have Dr. Seuss characters, Dr. Seuss parade, Towel Animal puppet theater, and one day in the morning they fill the pool deck with towel animals. All fun stuff to do with kids. We did not go to the Dr. Seuss breakfast bc heard a lot of bad reviews of the food and our baby was too young to get anything out of it, but one day we might do that too.

 

We even took the baby to Teatime (3Pm in the MDR on seadays) for berries and cream.

[Cruiser_89]

Sounds like you will be fine really. For us, personally, it was easier to go to the Main Dining Room for any meal where it was served (and SeaDay brunch is a DO NOT MISS!) because we could get the baby situated with some snack and sit and order off a menu; no juggling with the buffet or looking for tables, etc. Anything you need for your baby, milk, cereal, if you want them to try some new foods, just ask. Nothing will be a problem, but they aren't going to read minds.

 

I can't really think of an EASIER vacation with a baby. No driving around. You're not a half hour from your hotel room at nap time. No deciding where to eat or finding parking.

 

OH, forgot to mention, they have Dr. Seuss characters, Dr. Seuss parade, Towel Animal puppet theater, and one day in the morning they fill the pool deck with towel animals. All fun stuff to do with kids. We did not go to the Dr. Seuss breakfast bc heard a lot of bad reviews of the food and our baby was too young to get anything out of it, but one day we might do that too.

 

We even took the baby to Teatime (3Pm in the MDR on seadays) for berries and cream.

 

Thanks for all the info! I called Carnival and strollers are allowed in the dining room "...as long as they are not a nuisance to the other guests..."

[loubetti]

I just posted the following on another thread concerning babies on board. While it will upset some, have a read:

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Okay, I'm going to upset a lot of people with my opinion:

 

I would never bring a child on a ship who is not ambulatory and who does not have basic speaking / language comprehension ability. Crying in public or diapers in a pool do not concern me, but evacuation does.

 

Why?

 

The unthinkable, think of Costa Concordia, or a similar calamity that could strike the ship, and the need to evacuate quickly, sometimes not as you might imagine it during the muster drill.

 

How might you carry your baby if forced to climb down a "Jacobs" rope ladder down the side of the ship? You had best have a back harness to put your baby in. Never assume that you will always get into an assigned life boat. What if you have to enter the water before climbing on to a boat?

 

Yes the chances of this are very slim, but it is worthy of serious thought.

 

Otherwise, look up the names Titanic (obvious), Empress of Ireland, Morrow Castle, Andrea Doria, Prinsendam, Oceanos, Estonia, Sun Vista, Achille Lauro, and the list goes on and on. On some of these babies, not to mention entire families were lost. On some, all were saved, but to put a baby through that?

 

Never assume that in a calamitous situation that other passengers, many in a panic, or the crew will give you priority over others. Sad, but true.

 

Sorry to take a different tack on this, but I feel it should be mentioned.

__________________

[muffin83]

We have been on 8 cruises, 5 (6 if you count when she was in my belly) of which have been with our now 4 year old. Been cruising with her since she was 8 months. We are booked on another 1 in 21 days. We love cruising and after having my daughter we debated waiting til she was old but why should we wait. I have cruise with and without a Balcony and either is fine although we prefer a balcony.

 

 

I hate umbrella strollers, so bring a bigger 1, but Because the room is small keep in mind if you bring a big stroller it may not fit through the door and you may have trouble with hallway. We usually fold ours in the hall way.

 

keep track of how many diaper you use in a week or however long your cruise is, and bring that amount please an extra day.

 

bring everything you might need for the baby, (medicine, formula if you need it, wipes, ect.)

 

I also brought those Diaper trash bags in case of a poop diaper so the room didn't small. Some cruise lines offer Diaper genies but when my daughter was in diaper they didn't.

 

Most ships don't have a tub, if you child is not comfortable with showers, then you need a blow up tub.

 

During the day if the baby needs room to run around, find an empty room.

 

The kids club has times when you can take your child and stay with them while they play.

 

We like the main dinning room for dinner and have never had a problem with our little one but she is used to be eating out so its fine.

 

bring a small bottle of dish detergent and a sponge to wash any bottles or sippy cups.

 

Please feel free to message me with any questions

[MistyRo76]

I just posted the following on another thread concerning babies on board. While it will upset some, have a read:

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Okay, I'm going to upset a lot of people with my opinion:

 

I would never bring a child on a ship who is not ambulatory and who does not have basic speaking / language comprehension ability. Crying in public or diapers in a pool do not concern me, but evacuation does.

 

Why?

 

The unthinkable, think of Costa Concordia, or a similar calamity that could strike the ship, and the need to evacuate quickly, sometimes not as you might imagine it during the muster drill.

 

How might you carry your baby if forced to climb down a "Jacobs" rope ladder down the side of the ship? You had best have a back harness to put your baby in. Never assume that you will always get into an assigned life boat. What if you have to enter the water before climbing on to a boat?

 

Yes the chances of this are very slim, but it is worthy of serious thought.

 

Otherwise, look up the names Titanic (obvious), Empress of Ireland, Morrow Castle, Andrea Doria, Prinsendam, Oceanos, Estonia, Sun Vista, Achille Lauro, and the list goes on and on. On some of these babies, not to mention entire families were lost. On some, all were saved, but to put a baby through that?

 

Never assume that in a calamitous situation that other passengers, many in a panic, or the crew will give you priority over others. Sad, but true.

 

Sorry to take a different tack on this, but I feel it should be mentioned.

__________________

 

Cruiseline employees are trained in evacuation procedures including I would think how to safely evacuate any passengers who cannot assist in their own evacuations (babies, children, the elderly and the disabled). By your logic, people should also not take babies on airplanes, trains, or in a car for that matter. A tragic situation can happen anywhere at anytime. I'm not going to raise my child to have an unrational fear of the "what ifs" in life.

 

Misty

[muffin83]

I just posted the following on another thread concerning babies on board. While it will upset some, have a read:

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Okay, I'm going to upset a lot of people with my opinion:

 

I would never bring a child on a ship who is not ambulatory and who does not have basic speaking / language comprehension ability. Crying in public or diapers in a pool do not concern me, but evacuation does.

 

Why?

 

The unthinkable, think of Costa Concordia, or a similar calamity that could strike the ship, and the need to evacuate quickly, sometimes not as you might imagine it during the muster drill.

 

How might you carry your baby if forced to climb down a "Jacobs" rope ladder down the side of the ship? You had best have a back harness to put your baby in. Never assume that you will always get into an assigned life boat. What if you have to enter the water before climbing on to a boat?

 

Yes the chances of this are very slim, but it is worthy of serious thought.

 

Otherwise, look up the names Titanic (obvious), Empress of Ireland, Morrow Castle, Andrea Doria, Prinsendam, Oceanos, Estonia, Sun Vista, Achille Lauro, and the list goes on and on. On some of these babies, not to mention entire families were lost. On some, all were saved, but to put a baby through that?

 

Never assume that in a calamitous situation that other passengers, many in a panic, or the crew will give you priority over others. Sad, but true.

 

Sorry to take a different tack on this, but I feel it should be mentioned.

__________________

 

 

So I say to each it's own but I don't Vacation without my child. That is just was works best for my family. As for your feels about things. Should my child not fly in a plane because it could go down. Should I not put her in a car because there could be a car accident? If I stopped doing the things I love because of the what ifs in life (even with children) then whats the point of living. Not flaming or anything just my 2 cents.

Edited July 1, 2016 by muffin83