Babies first cruise?!?

[Byron_1978]

We took a Norwegian Fjords cruise on Eclipse last year, when our son was 1,5 years old.

 

We had no problems with him. It was a cruise with exceptional memories.

The staff loved him so much. Our waiter wanted to show him off to her colleagues the last evening.

 

To be honest, we did take my parents along as well so that we could at least have some time off. We took advantage of that for like an hour every other day.

We had dinner in the MDR every night (except for the one night we went to Tuscan Grill) in second seating. Never had a problem with him. He was quiet, he enjoyed his food every evening...he also loved going to the shows.

 

This year, we took him on MSC. He was now 2,5 years old.

We didn't take my parents or anybody else along this time.

The experience was a lot easier now than last year.

Although his nature didn't allow for long dinners in the MDR anymore, we could always keep him calm with an iPad and some kids movies.

People from tables nearby approached us during the cruise to compliment us on his behaviour etc...was always nice to hear.

Even though there was a place where we could have him entertained by staff for free, we choose not to do this.

One thing he insisted on doing every day was going to the show. Every day he would wake up and say: 'tonight we will go to the show'.

 

Next year, when he'll be 3 year old, we will go on Reflection.

We hope there will be a kids club as it will be a longer cruise and not in a school holiday period. We hope we can again go to the MDR.

If he acts up, we will take him out of the venue. We don't want to disturb other cruisers. But on the other hand, we want to keep cruising ourselves.

 

So basically, take someone along to let you have some moments of down time. You will need it. Especially at that age.

[CapeCodCruiser]

...As for the numerous no baby's in pool comments, when a baby pees in the pool they have no idea what their doing. But let's not kid ourselves what excuse does do the adults have when they pee in the pool?

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It's not the wee that is the problem. Diapers in pool can become "fecal tea bag" - that is the problem.

[the_dylaness]

I have cruised with my (then) 8 month old.

 

If you decide to do this, I am going to STRONGLY suggest you do it on a ship that has nursery capabilities--- Disney, or some of the RCCL ships. (Note, the RCCL ships will sometimes state they have a Royal Babies & Tots Program--- that is not what you want you want the Royal Babies & Tots NURSERY where you can actually drop off your baby, for a fee.)

I am not suggesting that you must put your baby in the nursery for hours on end every day, but you may end up being very grateful when you can do so and grab an easy bite to eat, see a show, or maybe just take a long shower and a nap.

 

I do not know if any X pools have splash parks for swim-diapered children, but I doubt it. This is also a feature which you will want and can be found on Disney and RCCL.

[florisdekort]

Bringing a baby on board has zero to do with what's nice, fun or healthy for that matter for the baby. It only serves the parents' selfish desire to cruise. Having spent 7 nights in a cabin next to a couple with a baby that cried continuously from 11 pm to 5 am every single night, I have little patience for this selfishness.

Edited September 30, 2016 by florisdekort

[frannie12]

We did a Disney cruise with our family including our 9 month old grandson. It was fine. Yes there were times that he was in the nursery(there is a fee) but Disney also has a water area..(Nemos reef) for younger children..like a spray area and he loved it! We also had a 3 and 5 year old with us.....was it different with a 9 month old...yes but quite enjoyable. If you have family make it a family vacation and maybe with a little help it can be very enjoyable! We have priceless memories and what was going to be a once in a lifetime trip......well we went 2 and a half years later and all kids couldn't wait to go again! Our little one was still too young to go in the kids club but he loved to go to the nursery...lots of things there for little ones!! So I would say....Go for it!! But try a cruise for families...not sure about Celebrity and we also have done Celebrity but without kids.

[wwcruisers]

I love it, all the baby haters.

 

As for the numerous no baby's in pool comments, when a baby pees in the pool they have no idea what their doing. But let's not kid ourselves what excuse does do the adults have when they pee in the pool?

 

 

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We would never disrespect others relaxing cruisers, if our baby cries which she does sometimes as babies do, we will remove her from the venue until they are ready to go back.

 

 

 

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:confused: Not sure how someone qualifies as a "baby hater" for suggesting that:

-- X does not allow non-toileted trained children in the pools/hot tubs;

-- there are cruise lines (RC for one) who do have pool/splash zones for infants (and other services, like baby-sitting).

 

If I were paying big bucks to take my family on a cruise, I would simply want to choose a line with all of the amenities that my family members needed. I love X, but, if I were cruising with an infant, they would not be my first choice.

 

BTW -- I do applaud your responsible approach to removing a crying baby from a public place -- especially a dining venue. We were on Millennium a few years ago, and frequently saw a young couple with a baby around 6 mos old. At dinner, if the baby started fussing, Dad would usually scoop her up and take her out for a few minutes -- allowing Mom to finish her meal. I thought that was very sweet and considerate. :)

[jsf]

My parents never took me on a cruise when I was young, and I never took my children on a cruise when they were young. I guess I'm saying why the need to take an infant?

[singlegrandma2]

We cruised the first time 32 years ago when my son was turning one. We did not sail on Celebrity... we used Royal, Carnival, and Norwegian. He always did great. Lucky had a sweet disposition so he was the darling of most all our cruises. Since we traveled with him consistently, he knew to sit quietly during long dinners and colored or whatever was in at that time. He learned at a young age to be able to play like crazy in the kids area, but also to sit and speak with adults. I would definitely take your baby... but probably not Celebrity. Not because your baby, but possibly he won't be welcomed by other guests. I personally would enjoy a few kids on board.

[cheeseheads4ever]

Totally agree with the posters on here. . Norovirus would scare me and really a little child that young just wants to eat sleep and you know what.

She's too young to remember anything but you would as parents. I personally think too young. Like posters say maybe try Disney. More kiddie oriented.

Plus Celebrity caters to an older crowd where Disney caters to family's with children.

Congrats on your new addition.

[ldock]

Wow, I'm sorry for all the comments saying to leave baby at home.

- my advice. Make sure u have a good stroller with good wheels, like a jogger, this will b beneficial In ports.

- I'm not sure celebrities policies with babies, but one thing that is important in my opinion. ( and sister in law, who recently sailed with little one) is to make sure swim diapers are allowed in at least one of the pools, after researching we found that only 2 cruise lines allowed this, one was RCCL, and I can't remember other, but when she is crying because she wants to play in water, and she's not allowed, that can b very frustrating, so please double check. I would do some research as done ships have really great baby pools and play areas as well, some kids camps have designated time slots for mom and me time with babies. When my girls were young we only cruised carnival and ncl, but that was few years back.

- if another family member is joining you, this would be great, as they can share in some of the care.

- get balcony if u can, so you can put the little one to bed, and sit on balcony.

- another suggestion for nap time, which some on here will freak out about., but I will share it anyway... get a good video baby monitor, you set it on playpen/ crib, it videos her while she sleeps, and u can run out and grab a coffee, etc, and watch/ hear her/ him entire time.

- since bsbies cost, yet can't participate in activities, eat little, etc. I suggest if u find a deal where kids cruise free this is the perfect time to use it.,currently msc is running that promo. ( FYI: the divina is s beautiful ship)

[EGG]

Lots of good reasons to leave baby at home.

 

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[awhcruiser]

Please stay on Azamara

Bringing a baby on board has zero to do with what's nice, fun or healthy for that matter for the baby. It only serves the parents' selfish desire to cruise. Having spent 7 nights in a cabin next to a couple with a baby that cried continuously from 11 pm to 5 am every single night, I have little patience for this selfishness.[/QUOTE]

[sound_guy0918]

This is your vacation and you have every right to take your infant as the other flamers who responded have to drag their grumpy selves aboard. A commercial cruise ship is a public place, and although you asked for opinions (and got an earful) don't let anyone tell you that you can't.

 

That being said, many of the comments are valid. There will be no activities specific for your DD. The pools will be closed to her. Babysitting is probably not an option. You may have to retreat to your cabin in the middle of dinner, spoiling the meal for at least two of you.

 

You've been on X. You know the ambiance. If you want to bring her along, DO IT.

 

 

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[davekathy]

Bringing a baby on board has zero to do with what's nice, fun or healthy for that matter for the baby. It only serves the parents' selfish desire to cruise. Having spent 7 nights in a cabin next to a couple with a baby that cried continuously from 11 pm to 5 am every single night, I have little patience for this selfishness.

 

What a nightmare that would have been!

[sawyer_boy]

This is your vacation and you have every right to take your infant as the other flamers who responded have to drag their grumpy selves aboard. A commercial cruise ship is a public place, and although you asked for opinions (and got an earful) don't let anyone tell you that you can't.

 

That being said, many of the comments are valid. There will be no activities specific for your DD. The pools will be closed to her. Babysitting is probably not an option. You may have to retreat to your cabin in the middle of dinner, spoiling the meal for at least two of you.

 

You've been on X. You know the ambiance. If you want to bring her along, DO IT.

 

 

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Great to see a comment supporting babies on board. Yes we have sailed X ships the majority of the time.

 

I guess I should ad th

Edited October 2, 2016 by sawyer_boy

[LMaxwell]

We've taken our baby on multiple cruises. It is a family friendly and easy vacation.

 

True your baby can not participate in scheduled children activities, but typically the play room will have blocks of time during the day where parents can bring and stay/play with baby in there.

 

Also during the day many of the lounges are not being used for activities and these are great places for a baby to crawl around and work off their energy.

 

We brought an umbrella stroller that reclines (this is important) as it is much easier to get around than the full size stroller. When our baby was tired out we just reclined and put on a light blanket and he was out for a nap. If you have access to a quiet outdoor deck (think lifeboat deck) the wind and waves will put a baby right to sleep.

 

We did not stay up late at night, but we did go to a few of the main shows and the baby would just sleep in the stroller. In the MDR we did ask for sped up service and skipped dessert and never had an issue, usually out under an hour and baby never made a squeak.

 

For in the cabin we brought an inflatable bathtub. perfect size for bathroom floor. Did not deflate it, just stood it up in the shower when not in use. Once we brought the bathtub out on deck and found a corner out of the way near floor drains. Staff insisted on bringing buckets of water, baby splashed for 10 minutes and then we poured directly into the floor drain.

 

You will no doubt find many, many baby haters on here. They will tell you to stay home or try to scare you away. But a cruise is super easy with a baby. No packing up the car and deciding where to go eat. No schlepping stuff all over the place. No worries about needing a change or nap, you are never more than 5 minutes from your cabin.

 

However many diapers you think you need, or however much formula (if you use formula) bring DOUBLE because if you run low you will have difficulty stocking up on those items.

 

Our two experiences so far have been excellent and we are going again in 2 months. The ages of cruising with our child has been 10 months, 14 months, and the upcoming one he will be 22 months. I'm excited for our fun family vacation.

 

Only once in our trips has someone actively come up to us and engaged us out of the blue by being a total jerk about the baby. We overcame this by inviting the wife to come join us so long as she excluded her whiny husband. That put an end to that. Would not trade the photos and memories for anything. Just try to be aware if baby is fussy. We didn't let our baby ruin dinners or a show by being fussy. If he was cranky we left, or took turns taking him out to soothe him. Most of the time it isn't the baby that is the issue, it is an oblivious parent who isn't tending to the child. So long as you stay aware of what is going on and how it may impact others you will have NO problem.

Edited October 2, 2016 by LMaxwell

[Team]

Hello Do yourself favor and stay home and watch the travel channel, I know plenty for parents like to show off the new sprout but a cruise ship is not the place not for a child that age .

Get grandma to take the child and you and hubby get on board..

 

Sorry taking a one year old child on vacation sounds crazy to me but it's a free country. Whatever you decide have fun

[bitob]

Take a vacation as a couple and enjoy your time together. Find a babysitter for the infant

 

I do not understand why people think they should take a baby anywhere they go regardless of the appropriateness of the venue

 

Not good for the parents, baby or fellow cruisers

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

 

I do not understand

 

They want to take a family vacation. Now you understand.

[keithm]

Hello All,

 

We are experienced cruisers and have been on Celebrity quite a few times. Our daughter was born in March and we are considering taking her on her first cruise. We are currently thinking about either the Reflection or the Silhouette on Dec. 3rd or 4th.

 

My question is this. Has anyone done a Celebrity Cruise with a young baby? Is there stuff to do? I know she is too young for the youth centers, but I'm wondering if there are any other activities that she would enjoy.

 

Any tips or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Unfortunately there won't be much for a infant at that age to do. You'll be pretty much providing all the infant's entertainment. I've seen a few babies that age on the cruises we've done. I've not seen big time crying & things that would upset other pax. I do feel you do have to be careful about Noro & issues like that, perhaps.

[LMaxwell]

I might suggest trying the MSC Divina.

 

1. Kids are Free. Just pay taxes and port charges.

 

2. The kids room is open for parents to use at certain hours with babies, and the outdoor play area is open for parents with babies to use 24 hours a day

 

3. Multiple character interactions scheduled throughout the day

 

4. Kids menu is not the standard chicken nugget/french fry type food, good chance to try new things.

 

5. Traditional dining times means traditional show times; song and dance shows each night are only 30-45 minutes, not "too much" for a baby

 

6. Child center and library both have sign out features for toys and books so you can take to use throughout the cruise.

 

7. MSC have a fantastic status match program, so if you have perks on Celebrity you'll get perks on MSC. Nice touch.

 

8. There was a family friendly movie shown on deck every evening.

 

9. Multiple kids programming channels on TV.

 

I have no doubt you could book a balcony on Divina for 3 for less $$ than an interior on Celebrity for 3. Just an option.

Edited October 2, 2016 by LMaxwell

[MommaBear55]

Hello All,

 

We are experienced cruisers and have been on Celebrity quite a few times. Our daughter was born in March and we are considering taking her on her first cruise. We are currently thinking about either the Reflection or the Silhouette on Dec. 3rd or 4th.

 

My question is this. Has anyone done a Celebrity Cruise with a young baby? Is there stuff to do? I know she is too young for the youth centers, but I'm wondering if there are any other activities that she would enjoy.

 

Any tips or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

 

We've taken our baby on multiple cruises. It is a family friendly and easy vacation.

 

True your baby can not participate in scheduled children activities, but typically the play room will have blocks of time during the day where parents can bring and stay/play with baby in there.

 

Also during the day many of the lounges are not being used for activities and these are great places for a baby to crawl around and work off their energy.

 

We brought an umbrella stroller that reclines (this is important) as it is much easier to get around than the full size stroller. When our baby was tired out we just reclined and put on a light blanket and he was out for a nap. If you have access to a quiet outdoor deck (think lifeboat deck) the wind and waves will put a baby right to sleep.

 

We did not stay up late at night, but we did go to a few of the main shows and the baby would just sleep in the stroller. In the MDR we did ask for sped up service and skipped dessert and never had an issue, usually out under an hour and baby never made a squeak.

 

For in the cabin we brought an inflatable bathtub. perfect size for bathroom floor. Did not deflate it, just stood it up in the shower when not in use. Once we brought the bathtub out on deck and found a corner out of the way near floor drains. Staff insisted on bringing buckets of water, baby splashed for 10 minutes and then we poured directly into the floor drain.

 

You will no doubt find many, many baby haters on here. They will tell you to stay home or try to scare you away. But a cruise is super easy with a baby. No packing up the car and deciding where to go eat. No schlepping stuff all over the place. No worries about needing a change or nap, you are never more than 5 minutes from your cabin.

 

However many diapers you think you need, or however much formula (if you use formula) bring DOUBLE because if you run low you will have difficulty stocking up on those items.

 

Our two experiences so far have been excellent and we are going again in 2 months. The ages of cruising with our child has been 10 months, 14 months, and the upcoming one he will be 22 months. I'm excited for our fun family vacation.

 

Only once in our trips has someone actively come up to us and engaged us out of the blue by being a total jerk about the baby. We overcame this by inviting the wife to come join us so long as she excluded her whiny husband. That put an end to that. Would not trade the photos and memories for anything. Just try to be aware if baby is fussy. We didn't let our baby ruin dinners or a show by being fussy. If he was cranky we left, or took turns taking him out to soothe him. Most of the time it isn't the baby that is the issue, it is an oblivious parent who isn't tending to the child. So long as you stay aware of what is going on and how it may impact others you will have NO problem.

 

Excellent answer...

 

As others have suggested, I would recommend you take your Celebrity loyalty level to a Royal Caribbean ship with a Royal Tots nursery and infant splash area. That way there are things that your daughter can do, you and your spouse can have some adult time should you chose to, you can get whatever loyalty perks and it will make for a happier trip. I am also a strong proponent of a balcony so you can enjoy the ocean, a good book and a glass of wine (my personal definition of heaven on earth!) while your daughter naps or goes to bed early.

Edited October 2, 2016 by MommaBear55

[bitob]

They want to take a family vacation. Now you understand.

 

 

There is no such thing as a "family vacation" with an infant. Infants don't "vacation"

They do the same thing wherever they are: sleep, eat, drool, cry, soil diapers

 

It becomes a "family vacation" when the child is old enough to know where he is and what he is doing

 

It's the parents who need the vacation.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

There is no such thing as a "family vacation" with an infant. Infants don't "vacation"

They do the same thing wherever they are: sleep, eat, drool, cry, soil diapers

 

It becomes a "family vacation" when the child is old enough to know where he is and what he is doing

 

It's the parents who need the vacation.

 

 

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Time I get to spend with my family away from work, and outside of the couple of hours per night I see them, is time well spent and highly valued. I am not trying to "escape" from my child. I'm going to be spending the next 6 out of 7 weeks in hotels, airports, in meetings, and living out of suitcases, with just enough time home to do my laundry and print out my next set of boarding passes. You better believe I am looking forward to our family vacation on a cruise ship after Thanksgiving and I offer no apologies to anyone for that.

 

You disagree, as is your right, but I won't tell OP to sit home or leave their child. I'll use my personal experiences to transfer some insight to them that I only hope they find helpful in enjoying their family time together. Inconsiderate parents can impact others enjoyment, just as any inconsiderate or boorish person can. I choose to believe OP is aware of what is going on around them and respectful of others, so I only briefly mention that, while putting more emphasis on the things that made these vacations a success and not a disaster.

Edited October 2, 2016 by LMaxwell

[ReneeFLL]

I know you said you have cruised on Celebrity a few times, but I thought I would share this thread that I came across.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2410093

 

I think you should probably pick a cruise line that is more for families with babies in mind. Would probably be easier on you as parents. What ever you do have fun and take lots of pictures as baby won't remember any of it.