A few questions about our first cruise with a baby

[matymil]

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! :)

[horsegal]

Our son was 15 months when we took him. 

 

We brought an umbrella type stroller but it is a taller one (tall husband and kids) and it reclines so he could nap in port (and for diaper changes!). I also brought the carrier and did use it at the airport and getting on/off the ship and in port if needed. 

 

We did any time so we didn't have to worry about rushing if we were running late. We just did a private table for our group. 

 

We used a pack n play but we never co slept at home (he has always needed his own space to settle down!) I also used magnetic hooks to hang a curtain around it.  He is the type of kid that will not go to sleep if he could see us...

 

We thought about using the night owls but it didn't start till 10 and we kept him on his normal schedule as much as possible.  We took turns going out during nap time and bedtime. 

 

I packed 3 outfits per day plus a few extra (he had lots of diaper accidents and a dairy allergy that didn't help). I didn't want to do laundry on vacation and their clothes don't take up much space at that age anyways!

 

If you didn't know no pools on ships for babies (must be fully potty trained,  no swim diapers allowed). Bring plenty of diapers,  wipes, and baby meds (the ship will not have any). It will be a different cruise but you will have so much fun! Ignore the ones that will say leave the baby at home, we did leave our boys behind on the last one (Hawaii) and there were times I wished they were with us and can't wait to take them on one.

 

[matymil]

41 minutes ago, horsegal said:

Our son was 15 months when we took him. 

 

We brought an umbrella type stroller but it is a taller one (tall husband and kids) and it reclines so he could nap in port (and for diaper changes!). I also brought the carrier and did use it at the airport and getting on/off the ship and in port if needed. 

 

We did any time so we didn't have to worry about rushing if we were running late. We just did a private table for our group. 

 

We used a pack n play but we never co slept at home (he has always needed his own space to settle down!) I also used magnetic hooks to hang a curtain around it.  He is the type of kid that will not go to sleep if he could see us...

 

We thought about using the night owls but it didn't start till 10 and we kept him on his normal schedule as much as possible.  We took turns going out during nap time and bedtime. 

 

I packed 3 outfits per day plus a few extra (he had lots of diaper accidents and a dairy allergy that didn't help). I didn't want to do laundry on vacation and their clothes don't take up much space at that age anyways!

 

If you didn't know no pools on ships for babies (must be fully potty trained,  no swim diapers allowed). Bring plenty of diapers,  wipes, and baby meds (the ship will not have any). It will be a different cruise but you will have so much fun! Ignore the ones that will say leave the baby at home, we did leave our boys behind on the last one (Hawaii) and there were times I wished they were with us and can't wait to take them on one.

 

Thanks for all the helpful info. The magnetic strip thing is a good idea. We don't co sleep either but as of right now he needs to be rocked to sleep every night. We did know about the baby rule in the pool but they are allowed in the splash area with the swim diapers though right?

[Tapi]

5 hours ago, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before...

 

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! 🙂

- We brought an umbrella stroller

 

- Anytime dining for the flexibility, always requested a table just for us.

 

- Baby slept in cruise line provided  pack and play.

 

- Didn't use the babysitting service (Useless. Hours too limited).

 

- We used the laundry service but we are Platinum, so we got it for free. We also planned on purchasing extra diapers and baby needs when we arrived in Key West. 
 

As a side note, if having a little time to yourself is important and you’d like to use the children’s facilities during the day, and also if using the pools or water zones is important to you as well, I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you look at cruise lines that provide children’s programs that start at an earlier age, and that have pools that accept children in diapers. Carnival doesn’t offer either so it will limit your ability to use any of those facilities.

 

We took two cruises the same year when our son was 13 and 15 months old, one on Carnival and one on Royal Caribbean. The difference in our enjoyment was like night and day. A huge reason for that difference was because on Royal, they have the Royal Babies and Toddlers Program so we could take our son to the kids club for a few hours every day. When you’re with a baby 24 hours a day, taking a break was extremely valuable and helped us keep our sanity. They also have a pool and splash zone specifically for babies and toddlers still in diapers. They also had a toy lending program so we could bring new toys to our stateroom every day. They also offered a large open play area where our son could freely play while we supervised him. These things made us enjoy our Cruise MUCH more. On Carnival we didn’t have any of that and we were going bonkers at times. 
 

Hope you have a wonderful first cruise with your baby. It can be challenging at times, but the memories are worth it! 

 

 

[Essiesmom]

7 hours ago, matymil said:

Thanks for all the helpful info. The magnetic strip thing is a good idea. We don't co sleep either but as of right now he needs to be rocked to sleep every night. We did know about the baby rule in the pool but they are allowed in the splash area with the swim diapers though right?

No, no swim diapers in the splash area.  You can't seat them in the wet areas.  The water is recirculated and not treated.  What I have seen on other lines is parents carrying the child around in the various spray features.  Unfortunately, you will see people disregarding the rules with no enforcement.  that does not mean it is okay.  And you will have people here saying they did it and noone said anything to them.  but that still does not make it okay.  EM

Edited November 8, 2019 by Essiesmom

[Tapi]

7 hours ago, matymil said:

 but they are allowed in the splash area with the swim diapers though right?

No. Your baby in diapers can’t go anywhere near any water feature. Think of a pooped diaper that gets sprayed wet. It can’t contain the poop. You’ll have runny poop going down your baby’s legs before you realize what’s going on. I’ve seen it happen. 

 

You dont want to be that parent, and you definitely don’t want to be the “party pooper” that ruins it for everybody else, pun TOTALLY intended. 😉

Edited November 8, 2019 by Tapi

[cb at sea]

You will definitely want a stroller.  If your child isn't in it, you can put whatever "stuff" you're carrying in it!    Something narrow, for narrow hallways is best!

 

Pick the time that most closely aligns with your normal dinnertime.  If you do traditional, you will most likely be seated with another family.  If you do MTD, you will be seated only with your own party.

 

They have P&P's....many bring their own sheets, tho.  I would not have gotten a good night's sleep with a child in bed with us!

 

If you're on a ship with self-laundry, you can certainly bring less.  Not all ships offer that option....no RCI or Celebrity ships have laundry for passengers to use.   ALL ships offer a "send out" laundry service, but it's pricey.

 

If you only have a shower in your cabin, a blow-up tub will come in handy for bath time.....most babies are not fond of showers!  It can also be used for "splashing" on the pool deck....a couple ice buckets of water will do the trick.  Empty into a floor or shower drain....not directly onto the deck or into a pool, tho!!!

[MistyRo76]

12 hours ago, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! 🙂

We cruised on Carnival when our daughter was 14 months and again at 3 years old. When she was 14 months here's what we did: 

 

Definitely get a sturdy umbrella stroller! We got the Summer Lite 3D and it was perfect. We took her everywhere with it including to dinner. Our wait team would store it out of the way nearby while we ate and she would sit in a highchair. After she ate, they would take the highchair and we'd lay her down in the stoller at the table and she would be fast asleep in no time (btw - we did late dining so it was perfect for getting her to sleep after). 

 

We were cruising with a large group, so we were all sat together. 

 

I assume you're on Carnival since this was posted originally in the Carnival forum. Carnival provided us a crib for the room. It was just fine! Don't worry about bringing a pack n play - just request the crib with your travel agent or PVP. If you have the opportunity to get a balcony - do it! We would hang out on the balcony while the little one was sleeping so we didn't disturb her. It worked out great! We also brought our video monitor so we could see/hear her while on the balcony. 

 

We packed a couple outfits for each day. It was fine and we had plenty of options for her. 

 

Other advise - Don't waste luggage space packing a whole bunch of diapers. Pack enough for a day or two. Then buy a large box at a store in your port city. We just affixed a Carnival luggage tag right to the box of diapers (which had a pack of swim diapers taped to it) and it was delivered right to our room. Made it so much easier! 

 

We didn't bring a car seat - we booked sedan service who could provide a car seat to get us from the airport to the hotel/port and back. 

 

There is plenty of food on board for toddlers. We didn't pack a ton of extra snacks for her. In the mornings, we'd grab some extra fruit (bananas mostly) and small boxes of cherrios to keep in our cabin or beach bags in case she got hungry. We'd also order a sandwich or something for her to eat while we got ready for dinner since we had late dinner. At dinner, we'd ask for a fruit plate to come out right away (after the first night it was always waiting for her). This would give her something to munch on while we waited for our food. 

 

Be flexible! 

 

 

[matymil]

13 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

No, no swim diapers in the splash area.  You can't seat them in the wet areas.  The water is recirculated and not treated.  What I have seen on other lines is parents carrying the child around in the various spray features.  Unfortunately, you will see people disregarding the rules with no enforcement.  that does not mean it is okay.  And you will have people here saying they did it and noone said anything to them.  but that still does not make it okay.  EM

 

Thanks we def aren't that type of people, rules are rules for a reason. Ive been to splash areas with him before and we were able to hold him so if that's ok then that's what we'll send up doing. Thanks!

[matymil]

Thanks for all the great tips

 

[horsegal]

12 hours ago, MistyRo76 said:

We cruised on Carnival when our daughter was 14 months and again at 3 years old. When she was 14 months here's what we did: 

 

Definitely get a sturdy umbrella stroller! We got the Summer Lite 3D and it was perfect. We took her everywhere with it including to dinner. Our wait team would store it out of the way nearby while we ate and she would sit in a highchair. After she ate, they would take the highchair and we'd lay her down in the stoller at the table and she would be fast asleep in no time (btw - we did late dining so it was perfect for getting her to sleep after). 

 

We were cruising with a large group, so we were all sat together. 

 

I assume you're on Carnival since this was posted originally in the Carnival forum. Carnival provided us a crib for the room. It was just fine! Don't worry about bringing a pack n play - just request the crib with your travel agent or PVP. If you have the opportunity to get a balcony - do it! We would hang out on the balcony while the little one was sleeping so we didn't disturb her. It worked out great! We also brought our video monitor so we could see/hear her while on the balcony. 

 

We packed a couple outfits for each day. It was fine and we had plenty of options for her. 

 

Other advise - Don't waste luggage space packing a whole bunch of diapers. Pack enough for a day or two. Then buy a large box at a store in your port city. We just affixed a Carnival luggage tag right to the box of diapers (which had a pack of swim diapers taped to it) and it was delivered right to our room. Made it so much easier! 

 

We didn't bring a car seat - we booked sedan service who could provide a car seat to get us from the airport to the hotel/port and back. 

 

There is plenty of food on board for toddlers. We didn't pack a ton of extra snacks for her. In the mornings, we'd grab some extra fruit (bananas mostly) and small boxes of cherrios to keep in our cabin or beach bags in case she got hungry. We'd also order a sandwich or something for her to eat while we got ready for dinner since we had late dinner. At dinner, we'd ask for a fruit plate to come out right away (after the first night it was always waiting for her). This would give her something to munch on while we waited for our food. 

 

Be flexible! 

 

 

Just a heads up they do not have boxes of cereal anymore they switched to dispensers. You could bring zip lock baggies or prepackaged snacks for in port.

[matymil]

He does love cheerios

 

[mjkacmom]

8 hours ago, matymil said:

 

Thanks we def aren't that type of people, rules are rules for a reason. Ive been to splash areas with him before and we were able to hold him so if that's ok then that's what we'll send up doing. Thanks!

As someone else mentioned, on carnival it’s not okay to hold a diapered child in the splash area, only DCL and some RCCL ships are equipped for that.

[gingersvp]

My now 4 year old has been on 4 cruises, with her being about 20 months on the first one. 

 

We definitely brought an umbrella stroller (but a larger one with recline feature) and would walk her in the stroller during nap times until she fell asleep and then go grab a meal in peace and quiet. If your child will stroller nap, consider booking dinner times after bed time a few nights. We've had many a nice dinner with our daughter parked next to us, snoozing away.

 

On one cruise we did bring the car seat on the plane to use in port. It really wasn't necessary and was a pain to store. If you have any transportation needs, just book a shuttle or car service and skip the Uber/Lyft option. I also have 2 older kids and really needed a shuttle service to handle all the luggage plus the 5 of us.

 

The only ships I've seen a toddler splash area that allows swim diapers is the Oasis class on Royal. My last sailing on Carnival there were toddlers in swim diapers in the splash area and they attendants were not enforcing the rules. Yuck! If your kid likes water I recommend doing beach/pool related excursions on port days so they can get their water play done. We particularly liked the private island options on multiple cruises because she could swim at the beach and our drink packages worked. We have also done a day pass to an all inclusive which was worthwhile.

 

I packed 2 outfits per day, toddler clothes are small and don't take up that much space.

 

Until the last cruise, we ordered a pack & play delivered to our room. She sometimes slept in it and sometimes just climbed into bed with us. On our last cruise, she was 3 and slept in her own bed which was wonderful. Her crib was always in our bedroom at home, so sharing the space didn't bother us a ton.

 

I've attempted in room babysitting on Royal - with that you pay the staff member directly in cash. Unfortunately, they cruise line forgot and we had some issues. I'd planned to just have them come after she fell asleep, but that wound up being a no go. While my toddler happily attends preschool/daycare we have not had great luck with her staying at any kid's club or babysitting service. She just won't stay with someone she doesn't know. So if your kid is strong willed or opinionated about new people, be prepared for the paid sitting to maybe work or maybe not. My oldest is now 17 and we just arrange for him to help us out one or two nights, but 2 of those 4 cruises he wasn't with us. Alternatively, you could consider asking the grandparents to also cruise.

 

For dining, we always were seated by ourselves. I think we could request to sit with others but dining with toddlers is unpredictable and it was nice not having to worry about others at our own table. The staff will go out of their way to entertain your toddler. I've even had servers cut up food for me or my kids to help out. Many of them have kids at home that they miss and they positively dote on babies and small children.

 

Have fun! I love cruising with my kids. We aren't booked on another cruise until next November, but we're really looking forward to it. My kiddos will be 18, 14 and 5 by then.

[kasi1979]

DD just turned 5 and is going on her 7th Cruise in february.

When she was a baby WE had a pack n play from the cruiseline, took an umbrella stroller that reclined as well as a carrier and did mytime dining, sharing with others. It worked quite well but I had to leave early twice as dd got cranky.

We changed our routine and are nowadays cruising on Getman cruiselines, as DD does not speak english yet and, lucky me, she loves Kids Club. The first Cruise she attended club I ended up with lots of unplanned time for myself which took some getting used to.

We always do laundry on board or sent clothes out to be cleaned, so that I do not have a ton of laundry once we come back home and we do not need as much luggage.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by kasi1979
Spelling due to auto correct

[fatcat04]

On 11/7/2019 at 11:19 PM, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! 🙂

Yes to the stroller. I took a carrier but didn't use it.

Early set dining, dd milk and fruit were at the table almost immediately as the wait staff were expecting us and after the first night knew our preferences. With a baby I will always do early set dining.

Pack n Play provided by the ship. I took 2 extra padded pack n play sheets. 

No baby sitting but we had grandmas and big brother (teenager and excellent baby sitter) along.

We bought ships laundry package, unlimited for $7 a day per cabin. This is mom's vacation too!!

2 threads. One is mine, last February we took our 16 month daughter on her first cruise. I did a min review and listed out some of the gear we used.

 

 

Here is a more recent thread with great advice and tips. 

 

Enjoy your little one and your cruise!!!

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by fatcat04

[Mapleleafforever]

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! 🙂

 

Sounds a lot like us.....we cruised quite a lot the past few years and then bam, baby came along. That didn't stop us from cruising though. Our daughter was 15 months on our Harmony cruise this past February and she loved it!! 

 

1. We brought an umbrella stroller but didn't use it much....only while walking around San Juan pretty much.

2. We did the Windjammer pretty much every meal except the 3 dinners we had at Jamie's.....they're super toddler friendly in there and even made special toddler meals.

3. Co-sleep

4. No, but only because my parents came with us in an adjoining balcony room. 

5. Just packed a whole bunch of clothes for the toddler....they don't take up much room in the luggage

6. You'll have a blast!!! Quite a lot of the staff have kids that they've left behind so they'll all be super friendly and accommodating. 

 

We booked our next cruise on the ship for February 2020 and we just had to add our now 3 month old to the reservation.....she was quite the surprise lol. So in Feb 2020 we'll have a 27 month old and a 6 month old on board. 

[OzCanuck]

Our son just turned 8 and also just finished his 15th cruise. We started when he was 15 months old.  
 

All this advice Is great but I think the most important thing to remember is just to set your expectations appropriately. It was a joy for us from the beginning, seeing him discover new things, good (beaches, water) and bad (licking the hand rail in the elevator). 
 

Remember at this age you are really just duplicating the home routine only on a cruise ship. We used the MDR when it made sense, the buffet when it didn’t. Always used a pack and play until he was too big. Never considered baby sitting, just went with the flow of his routine. It was fine. We did have the luxury of having cabins with bathtubs so didn’t have to worry about bath time. 
 

I honestly look back at some of those early cruises as amazing memories. Even with all the detritus you need to bring with you at that age. I know he’ll never remember the early ones but that’s not the point right?

[matymil]

Thanks guys. Im writing all these tips down much appreciated 

 

[matymil]

On 11/11/2019 at 7:32 AM, OzCanuck said:

Our son just turned 8 and also just finished his 15th cruise. We started when he was 15 months old.  
 

All this advice Is great but I think the most important thing to remember is just to set your expectations appropriately. It was a joy for us from the beginning, seeing him discover new things, good (beaches, water) and bad (licking the hand rail in the elevator). 
 

Remember at this age you are really just duplicating the home routine only on a cruise ship. We used the MDR when it made sense, the buffet when it didn’t. Always used a pack and play until he was too big. Never considered baby sitting, just went with the flow of his routine. It was fine. We did have the luxury of having cabins with bathtubs so didn’t have to worry about bath time. 
 

I honestly look back at some of those early cruises as amazing memories. Even with all the detritus you need to bring with you at that age. I know he’ll never remember the early ones but that’s not the point right?

He wont remember it but there sure as heck will be tons of pictures to look back on when hes older. Yeah we were debating the carnival pack and play but my wife got this small roll up cot thing that is super low to the crowd that is very easy to travel with so we are going to try that. 

[matymil]

On 11/10/2019 at 10:13 AM, fatcat04 said:

Yes to the stroller. I took a carrier but didn't use it.

Early set dining, dd milk and fruit were at the table almost immediately as the wait staff were expecting us and after the first night knew our preferences. With a baby I will always do early set dining.

Pack n Play provided by the ship. I took 2 extra padded pack n play sheets. 

No baby sitting but we had grandmas and big brother (teenager and excellent baby sitter) along.

We bought ships laundry package, unlimited for $7 a day per cabin. This is mom's vacation too!!

2 threads. One is mine, last February we took our 16 month daughter on her first cruise. I did a min review and listed out some of the gear we used.

 

 

Here is a more recent thread with great advice and tips. 

 

Enjoy your little one and your cruise!!!

 

We've never done the laundry service. If we only need it once do we only pay for one day or is it like the drink package where you have to pay everyday? TIA 

[fatcat04]

1 hour ago, matymil said:

We've never done the laundry service. If we only need it once do we only pay for one day or is it like the drink package where you have to pay everyday? TIA 

On HAL you can also do it by the bag. I think it is $20 for a full bag and you can get quite a bit in there.

[bamelin]

On ‎11‎/‎8‎/‎2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! :)

 

I see a few other threads were linked including mine which I posted last week.  Great advice in all of them -- my kid will be 16 months too.   I highly recommend a travel stroller -- Purchased the Mountain Nano which I think is going to be great.  Other recommendations include the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 or the Babyzen Yoyo+ (although this last one is crazy pricey).  All 3 of these strollers should fit in the carry on compartment of the plane which is huge -- damage can occur if you check your stroller.  The Babyzen Yoyo + fits in even the smallest of compartments and for many parents replaces their larger strollers completely.  We already had a huge SUV style Graco stroller so we went with the Mountain Buggy Nano we got on sale -- got it for a great price and it will get lots of use as our secondary travel stroller when we cruise and likely get use in the spring and summer at home too.

 

The cruise line will provide a pack n play (just ask them to add it to your reservation).  We generally co sleep so will use the pack n play when we need somewhere to put him while we are all awake.  

 

For clothes I'd recommend just packing enough for the cruise -- while I DO plan on doing laundry that's because we will be away for 14 nights -- on a 7 night I'd just pack enough.  You could get the $50 unlimited laundry package or do 1 bag of laundry which I believe costs $20. (edit: I was assuming you were on a HAL ship -- you will have to look up all the various laundry options -- a lot of ships have laundromats but who really wants to do laundry on a cruise?)

 

Some of the best advice I got here is to bring doggy poopy bags, disposable bibs rather than ones I'd need to wash, oh and to bring a blow up tub for swimming on the balcony as well as bathtime at night.  There were a lot of things in those threads I hadn't thought of and it really helped me with envisioning what we need to pack. 

Edited November 13, 2019 by bamelin

[xitappers2bx]

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

This will be our 9th cruise coming up but 1st with our new baby. He's going to be 16 months at the time of sailing and just have a few questions for those that have sailed with babies before.

Did you use a stroller or carrier?

Stroller was much easier and less of a hassle.

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

Did you do a private or group table in the MDR? Also did you do the early or late dining?

We were with my parents, my older kiddo, my sister, my brother in law, and their then 19-month old, we had a big table for us all and did my time dining; we were able to actually be sitting down and eating before the crush for the early dining. It was great for the baby.

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

Did you have your baby sleep in the bed with you or have a pack n play? (or something similar)

Pack n' Play--so much safer, my nephew is a climber, and he would totally have never stayed on the bed.  Cabins also have to be baby proofed.

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

Did you use the nighttime baby sitting service?

We did not... but my sister and BIL had my parents and me to watch the baby sleep, and it was fine.  When my kiddo was little (4-5) we did the baby sitting service, and it was totally fine.

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

Did you pack new outfits for everyday or do laundry on the ship?

We packed woolite and washed anything we needed for the baby in the sink.  It was super easy and less drama than trying to do wash ourself.  We also packed a lot of baby clothes in everyone's suitcases' free space.

On 11/8/2019 at 12:19 AM, matymil said:

Any other advice or tips you would give to someone sailing with a baby for the first time? Thanks! 🙂

It's going to be a fun time, but it'll also be super tiring.  Try and keep a similar schedule.  I've been traveling internationally with my kiddo since she was very small, and even now at 15 we try and keep a similar wake/sleep cycle so we don't get cranky and miserable.  Always try and nap and sleep at the same time, and if not, just be patient.  Make those memories mama! 

[matymil]

9 hours ago, xitappers2bx said:

Stroller was much easier and less of a hassle.

We were with my parents, my older kiddo, my sister, my brother in law, and their then 19-month old, we had a big table for us all and did my time dining; we were able to actually be sitting down and eating before the crush for the early dining. It was great for the baby.

Pack n' Play--so much safer, my nephew is a climber, and he would totally have never stayed on the bed.  Cabins also have to be baby proofed.

We did not... but my sister and BIL had my parents and me to watch the baby sleep, and it was fine.  When my kiddo was little (4-5) we did the baby sitting service, and it was totally fine.

We packed woolite and washed anything we needed for the baby in the sink.  It was super easy and less drama than trying to do wash ourself.  We also packed a lot of baby clothes in everyone's suitcases' free space.

It's going to be a fun time, but it'll also be super tiring.  Try and keep a similar schedule.  I've been traveling internationally with my kiddo since she was very small, and even now at 15 we try and keep a similar wake/sleep cycle so we don't get cranky and miserable.  Always try and nap and sleep at the same time, and if not, just be patient.  Make those memories mama! 

The woolite is a good idea. I'll make sure to tell my wife about that. Thanks!