Cruising with Baby

[MomIn04]

Can anyone tell me what your experiences have been cruising with a baby. I'm taking my baby (he'll be 19 months old) on a cruise in February. I've cruised many times in the past with my husband and family, but this will be the first time taking my child. Can anyone give me suggestions of what to bring, or request on the ship? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to ruin other passengers cruising experience, so I don't plan on taking my son to the dinners, he'll be watched by my in-laws, who will eat second seating. He's a relatively happy baby, so I don't see many problems really, but I do want to be prepared, thanks!!

[Crowsie]

I have not cruised with children so I have no personal experience, but instead a recommendation.

 

Pop over to the Disney Cruise Line section and ask your question. Although you may not get Princess specific hints, I bet you'll get tons of "cruising with kids hints" in general!

[GloriaF]

One thing you should be aware of is that children in diapers, even swim diapers, are not allowed in the pools.

 

You should be fine since you are traveling with grandparents who will help out.

[dosi]

If your child is still in diapers bring a whole big bunch. The diapers available in other countries are not the same quality we can get here.

 

Bring lots of snacky foods like teddie grahams, gold fish, juice boxes etc. I always pack the "breakable" foods in tupperward containers so I don't end up with teddie crumbs instead.

 

Try to stay on schedule as much as possible. We have travelled quite a bit with our little boy since he was 6 months old. I found that if we kept to his regular dining and rest schedule EVERYONE was happier!!!

 

I don't know where you are going, but if it is the Caribbean plan on lots of beach days that you arrange yourself. We love to go to a local beach or beach club by cab. That way, when we have had our fill or get too hot we are free to go back to the ship when WE want to and not when the excursion people say it is okay.

 

Also if you are doing the Carib bring a bucket, shovel and plastic dump truck. I fill our bucket with our swim suits and other stuff so it doesn't take up a lot of room in our suitcase. I have a small mesh laundry bag with handles that we use for the beach. We also bring a backpack with snacks in it.

[MomIn04]

I guess I should have added that we'll be doing the 15 cruise from LA to Hawaii. I did that cruise two years ago and it was fantastically relaxing. Lots to do for adults, nothing much I remember for kids. In fact, I was probably one of the youngest people on that cruise, and i was 28!!! I have done a Disney cruise in the past, and there was so much to do on the ship for kids, but thanks to the person who suggested that I post on the Disney Board :)

 

I'm more looking for suggestions as to what to bring to keep my kid busy. 5 days at sea is a lot, and I also don't want to forget something and suffer. I will have a laptop with DVD player and movies. Lots of snacks, some toys etc. I have a feeling we'll be in the room a lot, so I want to keep him busy. Luckily after 5 sea days, we'll be in Hawaii for 5 days, then again at sea for 5.

 

The cruise ship we're on is the Island Princess. Does anyone know if they have 24 hour laundry on this ship, and is it on every floor? Also, does anyone know if you can request a microwave in the rooms?

 

Thanks again!!

[ggcruiser]

Hey mommma, we're planning the same cruise 2-5-06! When are you going?

 

We also have a 19 mo. old (dob 4-14-04) and this is his 3rd cruise (I was pg for his 1st, Mexico - he was 15 months for the 2nd, Alaska). We had a lot of fun and I have several recommendations for you:

 

1) Fill a suitcase with all his favorite toys so he feels at home on the cabin.

 

2) Bring any foods you can't get on the ship (organic baby yogurt, his fav. cookie/cracker).

 

3) Bring an inflatable baby tub if you've just got a shower in your room and he doesn't like showers.

 

4) If you have a portable music player (iPod) to play the music he likes to go to sleep to, that will make him feel at home.

 

5) Bring your smallest, lightest (umbrella type) stroller as the doorway to the cabin is very narrow and there's not a lot of room when you get inside.

 

6) There's a place for kids that your son can go, you just have to play there with him (at 3 you can leave him there).

 

As for meals, feel free to take your kid to the dining rooms at mealtime, the staff are very helpful in keeping a kid entertained when he's had enough of sitting at the table. We were surprised at how long or son would sit happily eating watermelon or avocado, then pasta (usually about 45 min. max). A lot of the crew haven't seen there kids in many months and are happy to carry them around the dining room while you enjoy your meal. We never had a single person complain about our son, but he never yelled, or cried either (he's pretty mellow).

 

That's what I can think of now - feel free to ask more Q's and I'll check back :) I hope we're on the same ship!

 

p.s. I don't think you can get a microwave in your cabin and yes there's 24 laundry and I believe it's on every floor.

[MomIn04]

This is so cool, we'll be on the same trip 02-05-06!!! I'm really excited to hear there will be another baby on board!! I'd love to chat some more with you. I really appreciate the information you've given me so far, great advice by the way!! Contact me if you want via e-mail at Mommain04@aol.com

 

I'll look forward to hearing from you!!

[land lover]

Bring several small blow up toys.....and wrap them up, give one to your son each day....this can be his special toy to carry with him for the day....easy to pack...I am also a big believer in latex balloons hours can be spent just watching and batting balloons in hotel rooms, cabins etc.... of course parent supervision is advised..........Have a great time...

[merela]

Check out the family cruising board for more information about cruising with a toddler. Do a search on "toddler" or "baby" or "packing":

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=49

 

As parents of small children, the greatest thing about Princess ships is that they have on-board self-service laundry. It's convenient and you don't have to pack clothes for 7 days. We all know you will need luggage spaces for other essentials.

 

I packed diapers and wipes because I don't want to spend my time at each port of call looking for places to buy diapers. If your child normally use 6 diapers a day, allocate 2 extra diapers per day. If you are flying into port, allow 1 diapers per hour of travel plus 2 diapers. Have a backpack with 2 extra change of clothes when you go onshore.

 

I would bring an umbrella stroller or a stroller that your son will sleep/nap in. Make sure the stroller is not too wide. I had an old Combi Convenience stroller and it was the perfect width, but my sister had a Peg Perego and a Graco stroller and they were too wide to manuver down the hall without having to push the service cart away. I would bring an umbrella stroller that can recline and with a hood.

 

Get extra cartons of milk, bagels, fruits your child likes, jars of yogurt, boxes of cereal (only Kellogg's brand) at breakfast buffet before 11am and store these items in your room (fridge), so your 19M old can snack throughout the day. Unless your child is picky about a certain snack, you don't really have to bring anything on board. Do bring a special treat for your child when he is throwing a fit (you just never know when). Bring many sippy cups and you can ask for apple juice at the Horizon Court during breakfast hours or anytime you dine in the dining rooms and fill up the sippy cups and store them in your fridge. This will save you $$ on room service or pay for juices at bars.

 

Bring handsanitizer or sanitizing wipes so you can wipe down the highchair and tray before you put your child in that chair.

 

I think a good medicine bag with a variety of medicine will be good to have. I like to pack baby Tylenol, Benedryl (for possible allergies), something for cough and running nose, something for Diarhea, lots of bandaids, and Bactroban (anti-biotic oinments) for cuts. I also have Hydrocortizone cream for bug bites, just in case. I think if your child is so sick that none of the drugs mentioned above can alleviate the symptoms, then you'll have to see the ship's doctor.

 

 

 

If you have young children, then make sure you have early seating at dinner if you decide to eat in the dining room. We have always eaten our dinners in the dining room with our young children, but we prefer PC dining because we want the flexibility of not having to eat at a set time in case the kids are still napping.

 

Bring crayons or paper or whatever you think your child will like doing while the adults order from the menu (if you decide to eat in the dining room). Since the kids usually finish before adults finish their entree, I'll suggest that you bring a portable DVD player and play his favorite cartoon or program while you finish the rest of your meal. That portable player has been great for all our travels. But if your child doesn't like to watch TV, then bring a surprise toy for him to play or draw.

 

Althoug Princess' Kids Club do not allow kids under 3, you can take your child up to the kids zone and play there.

 

I generally like to have a cabin between the midship and the AFT elevators (closer to the AFT elevators) of the ship because the kids' club uses the AFT elevators and the Horizon Court (24hour buffet) is accessible using AFT and the midship elevators. If you have a forward cabin, you will be walking quite a bit on the ship. This is not so convenient if you have to use a stroller or hold your son a lot.

 

Unless you are travelling with grandparents, it is likely that you and your SO will have to take turns going to shows because your son is likely to nap during the day. But luckily, there are lots of in-room movies that you can watch while the baby naps.

 

Children have good moments and bad moments. I usually remove my children from public areas as soon as I see bad behavior coming on. For 19M olds, they usually behave badly when they are tired, so try to stick to their regular schedules as much as you can while you are on the ship.

 

I think there is a lot written about cruising with children already, so if you have specific questions, please post on the Family Cruising board.

 

I think cruising is the best way to travel for people with small children.

[MomIn04]

Thank you Land Lover for the blow up toy suggestion and the balloon suggestion! My kid LOVES balloons, so this would be GREAT to bring with. I never thought to bring small blow up toys, but I will definitely look for some to bring with. They would be super easy to pack and bring!! Thanks!!

 

Thank you MERELA for all your helpful suggestions. I am very happy to know that I won't have to overpack so much for this cruise because of the 24 hour laundry. On my last Hawaiian cruise, the Laundry opened at 7am, and was only open until (I believe) 9pm. It was hard enough to pack for me and hubby, but now adding my son, I was a little more worried :)

 

We just returned from a 3 week Disney trip in November, so I knew to pack lots of diapers and wipes. But the convenience of actually being in Disney was that I could always run out to get more if needed. 5 sea days this time doesn't give me that convenience.

 

I never thought too much about what stroller to bring, but it makes sense to bring the more compact one. I do remember not havin TOO much room in the cabin. Great idea about stocking up at the Horizon court on milk, bagles, yogurt etc. I was worried about where I'd get milk etc, but now I do remember that they offer all that at the breakfast buffet.

 

Great tips on the medication. I'll be going for his 18 month check up on Dec. 27th, so I'll be sure to ask his Dr. what medications to bring. Tylenol, Motrin were on my list, but not the others!!! Bad momma!! LOL

 

Hubbie and I got the PC dining option. We've done so many cruises with set seating, that this time we were excited to try the PC for ourselves. We're lucky because my in-laws are going with us, and so are my husbands aunts and uncles, (about 10 total with baby). They love to eat at the late seating, and I knew this wouldn't be an option for us because of the baby. They can watch my son while we have a nice quiet dinner some nights. But I expect we'll take him with us to eat sometimes too. I too would remove him from a situation if he got fussy or crabby. I don't want to upset anyone elses cruising experience.

 

Basically, this trip was a bit of a surprise for us. My In-laws offered it to us last minute. We got in just in time. Hopefully we'll have a mini-suite, but I don't know what sort of room, or where it'll be yet. I'm excited to go again, but I remember from our last time that we were basically the youngest people on board. There was another couple on board with a child, and I remember some other older passengers commenting that "they should get that child out of here" etc.... I was pregnant at the time (Feb. 04) and didn't think I'd ever bring a toddler on a cruise!!! Look at me now!!

 

I'm very excited, and feel much much better and more prepared. Thanks to everyone for your comments, suggestions and links!! I really do appreciate it, and my hubby does too. Especially now that I'm less nervous about traveling across the ocean with my kid!! LOL

[kryos]

There was another couple on board with a child, and I remember some other older passengers commenting that "they should get that child out of here" etc.... I was pregnant at the time (Feb. 04) and didn't think I'd ever bring a toddler on a cruise!!! Look at me now!!

And if you hear anyone saying that about your baby, just tell them to go jump overboard. You're paying for that baby, and he has every bit as much right to enjoy the cruise as anyone else. Of course, as responsible parents, it is up to you to ensure that he doesn't overtly interfere with anyone else's enjoyment of their cruise ... taking him out of the dining room or show lounge if he starts to become cranky and act up ... and keeping him out of the pools ... but other than that, Princess and most other cruise lines welcome children and babies, and if you choose to bring yours and pay his fare (obviously someone is paying his fare) ... then I wouldn't worry one iota what other folks onboard think about it.

 

While I personally wouldn't choose to bring a child that young on a cruise ... my reasoning would be more of a selfish nature than a worry about what others would think. I would be afraid that having a baby with me would limit my enjoyment of the cruise. But if you're cruising with a big family crowd, then there will always be people to watch the baby if you wanted to catch a show or attend some sort of onboard event.

 

So, don't worry what others think. Just enjoy your cruise ... both you and your child.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[merela]

Thank you Land Lover for the blow up toy suggestion and the balloon suggestion! My kid LOVES balloons, so this would be GREAT to bring with. I never thought to bring small blow up toys, but I will definitely look for some to bring with. They would be super easy to pack and bring!! Thanks!!

Since you will never have access to the ship's pool facility because kids who are not potty-trained cannot get into the pool, one of the shore activities you can do is to find a hotel with pool facility or a beach area where your child can play in. Go to the Dollar Store or equivalent and get him some floaties, sand bucket and shovel. If your itinerary includes Princess Cays, he'll have tons of fun playing in the sand.

 

Even with sunscreen protection, the sun rays in some countries are extremely strong. I got some Hanes white t-shirts and just have my kids wear them over their swimwear/swim pants. It'll protect their shoulders and back on top of the sunscreen.

 

You can still have dinners with your in-laws and other family members even if they have late seating. As long as the baby is fed and not so tired, he may be able to survive the 8pm seating. But realistically, he is better off eating earlier and going to bed earlier. We have taken our kids and my sister's kids to dinners in the dining room every night. Many times (especially if we ate late, my youngest would fall asleep, either in a stroller or in my arms. If I didn't have a stroller, I would ask the waiter to find 2 chairs with side arms and put them together so my little one can sleep in it.

 

A table for 10 will be hard to come by, so if you have PC dining, make sure you make reservation for that table as soon as you board the ship. There are lots of discussion on PC dining and reservations in this forum already, so check out those threads. But if there are only 3 of you (or 6 or 8), ask for a table by the wall or window so your child can play on the floor by the wall/window and he won't be in the way of the waiters or other cruisers.

 

Shows are repeated 2 or 3 times so you and your in-laws can take your turns going to shows at night or doing activities during the day.

 

Take advantage of the formal portrait and have a photo of the entire family taken during formal nights. At $23 or $11 a photo (depending on size, if you buy it), they will take as many photos as they can, especially of your baby. If you don't plan to spend more than $100 on photos, don't let the photographer take so many photos of your baby because you will want every photo of him.

 

Bring ziploc bags and grocery store plastic bags with you. Ziploc bags are great for storing nik naks and the extra plastic bags will be good for poopy diapers. There are no garbage bags in the cabins, so out of courtesy for the cabin stewards, I usually tie up the dirty diapers before I throw it out in the garbage.

 

HTH.

[AWOL]

Our daughter (now 2) has been on 3 cruises and we leave Friday for a 20 day cruise with her. Most of the cruises we take her on have been long cruises. I second bringing a lot of ziplock bags for diapers (trust me neither you or the steward want to smell them all day or all night). Also, we brough smaller bags to put snacks in when we go on tour. If he's off the bottle, several sippy cups. Our daughter's pediatrician always prescribes an antibiotic for our daughter and puts on the prescription to dispense to us in the powdered form. The pharmacist then will give us some distilled water and if our daughter gets sick and needs the antibiotic you can mix it yourself. Our daughter also always wants her milk the second her eyes open. You can always call for room service, but this has never been faxst enough for her so we bring a small collapsable cooler. The steward keeps it iced and before we go to bed at night we go to the 24 hour buffet and get a carton of milk.

 

The most important thing we take is a wrist restraint. You can buy them at Toys-R-Us. Anytime we are on an open deck she has the restraint on her wrist so we can keep up with her. She is an explorer and is very fast. The first cruise we took her on after she was walking we were not on the ship for an hour and we found her trying to climb through the railings. That was enough of a wake up call. You will have some people comment, but I would rather have a leash on her than have her climb through the railings.

 

We have always taken her to the dining room and have never had a problem. The waiters spend a lot of time playing with her. I second the idea of the DVD (WITH HEADPHONES) which we also use on the airplane. We also bring small sticker books. She can spend an hour putting stickers on her legs.

[MomIn04]

One more question,,,anyone know if they have special menu's for children on the ships?? Or do they just order off the same menu as the adults? Thanks!!

[merela]

One more question,,,anyone know if they have special menu's for children on the ships?? Or do they just order off the same menu as the adults? Thanks!!

 

Here is Princess' Kids' menu that I posted last year, but it hasn't changed since then:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=79028

 

You can also order from the adult menu if you see an item that your child may like. Or, you can order something not on the menu. If you can describe it, they'll cook it for you. When my son was allergic to milk and eggs on his first cruise (he was 20M old then and he has since outgrown his food allergies), I asked for steamed rice and vegetables without butter and sauces, meat cooked a certain way, spaghetti in olive oil, or dishes on the menu without the sauces, etc...

 

Since my children have been on 4 Princess cruises, they remember what's on the Kids' menu. Their favorite is the alphabet soup. I usually order the alphabet soup, juices, and the simple sundae from the kids' menu for my kids at every dinner. The rest (including desserts), I order from the main menu. My kids are picky eaters, so they don't like every item on the kids' menu, but personally, I love the chicken fingers. If you like chicken fingers, you should order it. They make it from scratch using real chicken breasts.

[MomIn04]

Thank you for that link. It sounds like a yummie menu!! I might be ordering for myself from that menu LOL