Cruising With a Baby

[MammaWhoLovesToCruise]

Hi there! My hubby and I have a substantial cruise credit amount (given to us by corporate since we had an exceptionally horrendous honeymoon experience in 2016) that expires in March 2019. We have sailed NCL prior to our honeymoon and LOVED it, so we are hopeful for a positive experience this time around.

 

So, we got married and just a little bit of time passed...and now we have our family of 3! Our baby boy will be 1 in October. We are considering redeeming our cruise credits for the week before Thanksgiving: 11/11-11/18. Our little boy will be about 13.5 months old at that time.

 

We will be bringing a portable crib (pack n play) and will need enough space to set up, so we will be booking a balcony. (Think that will be sufficient? What about upgrading for low cost to a Haven?!?!? :cool:)

 

We have never cruised with a baby before and are feeling super nervous about it. Would love to hear from those of you who have sailed with little ones about how it went, how you managed, and any advice you'd like to offer. Any chance of our little one getting sea sick (I get motion sickness and it is managed by dramamine)--he does not get carsick. TIA for all the help!

[Medtech2]

I don’t have first hand experience but I see this is your first post....Welcome!

 

There is a forum about family cruising which may give you more advice than here since cruising with a baby occurs across all lines.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

[MammaWhoLovesToCruise]

Thank you so much! I will post there instead :)

[negn]

They will supply a pack n play but may want to bring your own sheet for it. I know you can order disposable diapers from NCL , less to pack. Don’t know how the price compares to buying . If your baby is eating regular food you can probably find things he will eat. You may want to pack some of those yougart/fruit/vegetable to go packs to supplement. Not sure if they provide jars of baby food . Pack n play will fit in balcony room though you may need to rearrange some things. Enjoy and take plenty of pictures !

[Vacationdreamer<><]

My first cruise was with out first child at 12.75 months. Our second cruise was 13 years later with baby number 6 being 15 months old. Both cruises were wonderful.

 

For my first, though he was eating a lot of table foods, but we still brought a bunch of baby foods. For the next experience she ate all ship food.

 

We did bring a small stroller (and even did when youngest was then 3 on the next family cruise) as they were very valuable on excursions. At other times I remember sitting outside on different decks with said baby just chilling in the stroller. It’s an excellent vacation for kids.

 

All six of our kids are excellent travelers. They’ve been all over N America.

 

Just consider it is going to be more of a laid back trip than a high-energy party trip.

 

Two of our baby-on-board cruises were DCL & one NCL. We loved both and are doing NCL again in May. (Youngest will be six by then. [emoji26])

 

 

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[BostonGal35]

also think about bathing needs....a haven room will give you a bathtub if that's needed.

[Takoyaki]

Lots of good points here so far,

-They will provide a pack and play, our daughter slept fine every night but 1 (rough waters and a bit of a cold) and even then it wasn't bad.

-Unless your son is potty trained there are no pools he can go in. We sat our daughter on the edge of the hot tub and let her put her feet in but that was it.

-If you want to easily bathe your son a suite/have would be a good decision as they have a bathtub.

-There will be plenty of food options for him if he is on solids, fruits, veggies, grilled cheese, eggs and the sort.

-Pack more than enough diapers as they are very expensive on the ship and limited brands etc.

-pack any and all childrens meds just to be safe, they don't take much room and you'll be glad you have it if the need arises (Motrin, Tylenol, allergy etc)

-If you use formula you can get a special exemption for your luggage to bring bottled water, we brought 2 gallons.

-there is a nice play area with toys and such for younger kids but you must be with him at all times, child care starts at 3 years old

-bring favorite books and toys but don't go crazy, between exploring and the play room there should be plenty of activities to keep you all busy

 

 

When we cruised with our 6mo daughter we splurged on a suite. having the priority on and off, as well as the option for meals in room if she was napping or asleep for the night was absolutely a must for us at that age.

[MammaWhoLovesToCruise]

Oh wow! These are all so helpful! Thanks so much. Any thoughts on how to get the Haven at a very discounted price?

[zitsky]

Oh wow! These are all so helpful! Thanks so much. Any thoughts on how to get the Haven at a very discounted price?

 

You might want to post a separate thread about your Haven question. It might get lost here. Also, maybe do a search for "Haven upgrade". I am not sure what you will find but there are quite a few discussions about Haven.

[DipBrat]

I don't think babies usually get sea sick. (there is a big psychological factor).

Room with a bathtub is essential otherwise you could bring a foldable one. This is what we bring: https://www.stokke.com/en-ca/328803.html

If you say what ship and itinerary you are looking at

They get really dirty on a cruise and showering off a baby is really not very fun for anyone.

I always bring some snacks and those squeeze pack babyfood packs as they are good for on the go feeding but it's always easy to find something to mash in the buffet. I prefer to do it myself so haven't asked in MDR for this service. Usually only go there with a baby if they are sleeping in a stroller or already fed.

[nhtravels]

We did a family cruise last year with 4 cabins, one having our DD and our 18 month old grandson. One of things she found helpful was a small blow up "duck pool" that they used on their balcony for bathing/splashing.

 

The NCL Escape has Guppies Nursery for up to 2 hours (and again 2 hours) for dinner "escape" for you and your husband too! I think it's the only ship to offer services for children under 2. That's why we chose the Escape when we booked last year.

 

As for the Haven, my cabin was the OS in the Haven (the balcony was amazing), so my family was able to come and use that big balcony and spend time in that. The rest of them were in regular balcony cabins. If you can Haven, it's wonderful!!!! (But hard to go back to regular when you cruise next time!!)

 

On a side note: Our first grandson was 10 weeks old when he went to Disney for a week, 8 months old when we went to Hawaii for 2 weeks and 18 months on a cruise. This summer we added 2 new grandbabies and we go back to Disney with a 10 week old, a 2 1/2 month old and a 2 year old. And now are booking a cruise to Alaska for 2020! If they start traveling young, it's what they know! And they will develop a love for it!

 

Enjoy!

[Takoyaki]

I don't think babies usually get sea sick. (there is a big psychological factor).

.

It actually has a lot to do with positioning too, it was explained to us that until they are upright walking they have a much different center of gravity and equilibrium since they are either crawling, or being carried. Pretty interesting stuff.

[rjm11]

my pediatrician told me that motion sickness doesn't usually kick in until age 4 or later. Don't know where he got that "fact", but that was what I was told. Nevertheless, benedryl also has anti-motion sick components (same as dramamine) and can be used in a pinch- but ask your pediatrician.

 

 

As for HAVEN- absolutely! You are going on an off week in terms of high time (not holiday, not winter yet) so you might get lucky. Here's why it's a good idea: 1) if you get a two room haven suite your son has his own space, with darkness, for napping and sleeping so that you don't have to have "lights out" when he does. Bring a baby monitor though. 2) related, you can order room service dinner from your butler (or any meal) which means you can enjoy a lovely "dinner for 2" with tablecloth and everything after the baby goes to bed. You can order this from any restaurant on board- main dining room (free) or specialty restaurant (you still pay the per person charge in that case). 3) the bathtub and added room that others mention is great too. ALSO, if you are considering one of the older ships suites are MUCH cheaper, and they have some that are "just suites" (without haven access)..... these allow you all of the above mentioned perks but are MUCH MUCH cheaper than haven rooms (you still get the 2 bedroom suites, butlers, priority embarkation/debarkation etc....everything except access to the small "haven" area). Ships with these suites are Star, Dawn, Pearl, Jewel, Jade, Gem.

[PelicanBill]

With bidding, Havens is almost always at least $1,000 more than a balcony. If it is out of reach, bring a sponge and use the sink for sponge baths.

A light folding stroller and a shoulder bag will be better for shore excursions involving buses.

If you are flying, try to get a flight without baggage fees so you can pack a baby bag of diapers, wipes, toys, and lots of clothes since laundry is expensive. Figure out how to provide shade to the baby.. a big bonnet perhaps. Baby sunscreen!

There is plenty of room in a balcony cabin for a pack n play crib.

[Homosassa]

Check with NCL or your travel agent. You may need to book a cabin with a three person capacity even though the baby will be in a pack and play. It involves lifeboat station and passenger capacity.

 

As far as showering, start shower training the baby now. Start by holding him in your arms under the shower spray. Have someone outside with a towel for the hand off.

 

Work up to doing a full washing while in the shower.

 

Having my daughter use to a shower was one of the best things I ever did before we started traveling with her and a shower was sometimes the only thing available.

[cruisinmeme]

A stroller is a must. Grandson was 22 months old first cruise. He had his parents and set grandparents but we used the stroller for those long walks.

[calidreamer]

Check with NCL or your travel agent. You may need to book a cabin with a three person capacity even though the baby will be in a pack and play. It involves lifeboat station and passenger capacity.

 

That's what I've been told - baby (ours 13 months at the time of cruising) have to pay full price as a 3rd person

[mdsgu]

We cruised with our son when he was 7 months old. It was pretty easy, even with an interior cabin. We had a foldable pack-n-play and a stroller. We also cruised after our second one came along when she was less than a year old. We had a whole suitcase with just formula, diapers, and bottles. No, they can't go in pools. Definitely take along at least enough snacks to entertain them because there are lines on the first day. If he is still on baby food, take his favorites. And don't sweat it -- it's not like cruising with just your significant other, but it's still fun and beats a day at the office!

[DipBrat]

That's what I've been told - baby (ours 13 months at the time of cruising) have to pay full price as a 3rd person

 

A baby always counts as a person on cruises. There is never a children sleep free in existing bedding rule like in many hotels. Many NCL sailings allow you to choose 3rd person free as a perk. How much this is costing you depends on what the other perks are worth to you. Some other lines offer kids sail free which is completely free. MSC all the time and RCL once every few months for a few days.

[Homosassa]

Some other lines offer kids sail free which is completely free. MSC all the time and RCL once every few months for a few days.

 

Children do not always sail free on MSC. It has been changed to being offered on only certain cruise dates and itineraries.