Cruising with infant logistics

[soozles]

My husband and I are taking our will be 8 month old on a celebrity cruise in August. At the time we booked it, it seemed like a great idea. We can drive to the port so we can take as much as we need, and the ship is docked for 3 days in Bermuda, so less stress about getting back by a certain time. But now I’m starting to get scared. I tend to be more of an early riser than my husband. Before baby, I’d get up, get breakfast while my husband slept. He often just goes straight to lunch because he prefers lunch food. But how do I take the baby to breakfast by myself? If I take him to the buffet how do I negotiate a stroller and holding a plate at the same time? I’m almost afraid of taking him to the dining room because I’ve read so many negative things about people’s thoughts on baby’s in a cruise. 

 

At the ports of call how do we carry all the stuff for the whole day? We have an umbrella stroller that does have a basket underneath, but it’s not going to hold everything that I’m picturing we would need. Are we basically going to be pack mules as we walk around Bermuda? 

 

I was reading about people that put up a shower curtain using magnetic hooks around the crib to make the space darker for the baby... does that actually work? 

[Essiesmom]

Don't be afraid of the MDR, it  will be the easiest for breakfast.  They will dote on your baby, provide a highchair...You won't have to juggle anything.  But the buffet is not impossible...  As soon as someone sees you might need assistance, they will be at your elbow, holding your plate/platter (no trays, just big plates), following you around as you choose what you want, then helping you find a table.  My sister has essential tremors, and she finds they are right there to help, before she can make a full circuit to find out what she really wants...  EM

[slvrdlphn8]

Do you currently use a baby carrier? (Ergo? Tula?)  Thats been huge for us.  Wear the baby and then carry your bags or grab your food at the buffet.

 

As for in port, if the baby is in the stroller (or babywear), you could each wear backpacks (if you need more than one backpack).  Luckily you are in port for 3 days so if the first day you fail to bring stuff or overpack, you can try again the next day! But yes, gone are the days where you head out with your sunhat, towel, and book.  And thats okay! But it is a change! 

 

Have fun!

[Itchy&Scratchy]

You can always baby wear. My ErgoBaby was a life saver (I got it for $57 at zulily.com).

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Do read through this board for more tips and tricks. It's all been done before. :)

[kitkat343]

People don’t mind children in the mdr.  People mind screaming or misbehaving children in the mdr.  You can always go to the mdr, order your food and get out immediately if your kid melts down (or preemptively order your food, and walk around and then come back when it’s ready).  Your kid might calm down on a walk, or else then you can try the buffett.  I visit buffets weekly with my kids (I’m a college professor and go to a university dining hall) because it’s a great way to get my kids to try new foods without my wanting to kill them because I cooked and they decided they hate everything.  My youngest is 6 months, so I know I can fairly easily carry one plate and push a stroller.  If you can get a cup holder on your infant stroller that’s better. I also have a diaper bag to slip fruit and yogurt into so I don’t have to carry them.  And you should take fruit, yoghurt and cereal boxes with you back to the room from breakfast one so you always have a snack on hand in your room immediately.  The sealed cereal boxes can come off the ship on excursions so the baby has a snack there.  We didn’t sail until my kids were 2, but they were still in diapers and we just needed one large diaper bag of stuff on excursions. (Sunscreen,  water, diapers, wipes, cereal boxes, small lightweight toy and change of clothes).  If your bag is too big to fit under the stroller get a mommy hook (or google mommy hook and bring a picture of it to Home Depot since they sell those hooks for less than half the price) so your diaper bag can hang off your stroller no matter what it’s size.  You’ll also be able to hang any additional bags with souvenirs there.  

[chinita415]

We took baby girl to Cuba at 8 months and came back from Mexico a few weeks ago. She's now 17 months. You got this. We wore her on the first trip and stroller on the recent one. I had the Summer infant 3D stroller the first trip and splurged on the GB Pockit Plus recently. Totally worth it. 

 

I put in my 2 cents in that Alaska with 16 months old thread linked about. Let me know if you have more questions. We traveled a lot before baby and she hasn't slowed us down. Hawaii at 6 weeks. Japan at 3 months. Cuba at 8 months. Singapore/Malaysia at 13 months. And recent Mexican cruise.

 

I saw this recently. 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/living-abroad-motherhood_l_5cd57c94e4b054da4e87d1a6

 

>>“The big idea in the U.S. is that everyone talks about how you have a kid, and your entire world revolves around said child,” she said. “In France, the mentality ― at least in Paris ― is, ‘I decided to have a kid and now they will mold into my lifestyle.’”<<

 

I guess we are more Parisians than Americans then.

 

 

[chinita415]

I used to be a pack mule but much better now. I have a gallon zip lock bag with a few diapers and a smaller sandwich bag with wipes. I have a coverall (good for nursing cover, high chair cover) that I use to put baby on to change. 

 

If not nursing, the single use formula powder sticks are great. A water bottle for me and formula mixing. Pouch puree food with the flow control valves. 

 

But I ALWAYS bring more diapers than I need. As we go through them, I make room for souvenirs. Did this for 2 weeks trips. Even though seems like a lot, worked out.

 

Also, I didn't know until that Cuba trip... babies in swim diapers not allowed on ship pool due to filters being different than land pool. We actually stayed 3 days in South Beach so we could swim in pool with her.

Edited May 22, 2019 by chinita415

[cb at sea]

The dining room is your FRIEND!  You will be served!  No  one will mind the baby....the staff will DOTE on your child!  No worries!  I'd avoid the buffet, simply because of the logistics of "self-serve"....not a fan with or without a child in tow!  Use that dining room!

 

[Kerry's Girls]

The dining room is your friend.  My first cruise alone with my twins, I was sitting in the buffet (I also feared my fellow passengers in the dining room) and a manager came up and insisted that I have the rest of my meals in the dining room because "mom's need to be served the most".  In the morning, put your baby in stroller, go to dining room.  All the cruises we did when my girls were in the stroller, I was seated alone so as not to bother others where the stroller could be parked against the wall or in a corner.  Meals were wonderful being served and just enjoying my babies.   

 

For ports, I always had a full size stroller with a bag on the handles, stuff in the basket and a backpack on.  Does your umbrella stroller have a sun shade?  You may want to bring a more full size one for comfort and convenience.  

 

Have a great cruise.  It's a great way to go with babies.

[soozles]

On 5/21/2019 at 11:28 AM, Itchy&Scratchy said:

You can always baby wear. My ErgoBaby was a life saver (I got it for $57 at zulily.com).

My son used to be very happy and content in the carrier. Now he gets restless in it and he wants to be free. But I keep trying. 

[soozles]

On 5/22/2019 at 4:45 PM, Kerry's Girls said:

 

 

For ports, I always had a full size stroller with a bag on the handles, stuff in the basket and a backpack on.  Does your umbrella stroller have a sun shade?  You may want to bring a more full size one for comfort and convenience.  

 

Have a great cruise.  It's a great way to go with babies.

Our umbrella stroller has a huge sun shade, which is a part of the reason we got it. Our full size stroller is just too big to comfortably take out in the ports. From what ive been reading, Bermuda buses only allow on umbrella strollers, and id rather not pay for cabs constantly. 

 

I am though feeling so much better about going on the cruise. We loved cruising before we got him, and we haven’t been on a vacation in ages. I’m glad I’m not going to be banned from the MDR, he’s generally a pretty content kid, so I hope he’ll be ok. We also just started solids at home but hopefully by that point he’ll be eating real food and not baby purées. 

[chinita415]

Our daughter was perfect in the MDR ay 8 months. By at 13 months, she wanted to be moving so we took turns. Agree MDR is the ideal place to be served. We just went to buffet some of the time because my MIL like seeing her food first.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

11 hours ago, soozles said:

We also just started solids at home but hopefully by that point he’ll be eating real food and not baby purées. 

there is nothing wrong with eating purees. :) Mine ate purees till about 18 months... He liked the texture. Hated stuff mashed with a fork.

[chinita415]

When my daughter was 8 months old, she ate some of her first real food on that first cruise. I brought puree foods. I had some pouches but also bought the cheaper containers and the reusable pouches. We never asked them to puree foods. We ordered her the soups and she ate some of the softer foods. Not on this cruise but a few months later when we went to Disneyland she LOVED the crawfish cake which is like crab cake in consistency. She is a little more picky now but still eats a lot of real food but also toddler favorites like pasta and she still likes the pouches for snacks sometimes. 

[ewespinme]

Babywearing was the best when we traveled with our 14 month old. We didn’t even bring a stroller - it totally gives you free hands, especially if you side or back wear. But as other folks said the crew (we were on celebrity) was super helpful and totally doted on him. My DH was sick the first two days of our trip and I did a lot alone with my son, it was just fine. One memorable meal he took my phone and the hand of the waitress, said “bye mommy” and left the restaurant. 

 

If you are not familiar with babywearing there are babywearing groups across the US who can help you figure it out. We really like tula (I think available at target now) and ring slings. 

 

You can do this!

[legaljen1969]

On ‎5‎/‎22‎/‎2019 at 4:45 PM, Kerry's Girls said:

..... insisted that I have the rest of my meals in the dining room because "mom's need to be served the most". 

 

I completely agree.  Mom's don't get nearly enough serving and pampering. This is a great time to let someone else help you.
I agree with others who have said people have problems with misbehaving children and ones who are running around.  But babies in general?  No problems in the MDR at all. 

On our first family cruise with my niece, when she was a little over a year old,  a lady walked in and took one look at my niece and rolled her eyes.  She whined for a few minutes about having to sit next to a table with a baby, until her husband got sick of her and asked my SIL if she had an extra pacifier he could use to stop her from whining.