cruisecastle Posted April 20, 2006 #51 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Advice: don't cruise with an infant. As you undoubtedly know, they are a lot of work, and require a whole bunch of specialty items. You'll be carting and lugging and wearing yourself out on your vacation just to have a baby with you, and who won't get a thing out of it. And that's not even begining to consider whether or not you're going to insist on strollering the tyke and barging into other passengers and banging their shins instead of carrying the baby in the tight confines of an ocean liner... yes, a ship is big, but there's a lot of people on it. This is a ridiculous lie just ignore it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanieTX Posted April 20, 2006 #52 Share Posted April 20, 2006 My baby will be 10 months old when we cruise and I am more worried about how some people will treat us just because we have an infant with us than how he acts. I think it will be a good experience though. He started camping when he was only 3 weeks old and I would never dream of going on any vacation without him. He may not be old enough to remember it but we will remember and have pictures to show him. I just hope he is as crazy about cruising as we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom1977 Posted April 20, 2006 #53 Share Posted April 20, 2006 My baby will be 10 months old when we cruise and I am more worried about how some people will treat us just because we have an infant with us than how he acts. I think it will be a good experience though. He started camping when he was only 3 weeks old and I would never dream of going on any vacation without him. He may not be old enough to remember it but we will remember and have pictures to show him. I just hope he is as crazy about cruising as we are. Stefanie, how people treat you usually depends partially on how you treat them. There have been parents who hit others in the heels with strollers, insists they get on the elevator first because they "have a stroller", even though others have been waiting longer. There are parents who insist Bobby's swim diaper will protect everyone from the stool that is bulging under them and balks if you suggest they take little Bobby out of the adult only hot tub. I won't even go into parents that leave diapers in public areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJRottie Posted April 20, 2006 #54 Share Posted April 20, 2006 We are leaving on the 30th on the Destiny and are taking our 10 month old son. I'm paying for this vacation not everyone else on the ship, Ha Ha. But I will respect everyone, my son is a very good, happy baby. Of course when he's hungry or tired he can get cranky, that's normal, right? If I can put up with other people smoking then they can put up with my adorable son!:p Looking forward to a great time, getting very, very anxious. Debbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halos Posted April 20, 2006 #55 Share Posted April 20, 2006 This is a ridiculous lie just ignore it huh?? How is any of that a lie?? It seems to be factual to me. Taking your child out your front door requires a LOT of gear. No one here has mentioned that you may want to bring a car seat with you (that you may or most likely may not be able to use because cars/buses and taxis in most of these ports don't have seat belts) for excursions. I KNOW all you parents of infants/toddlers wouldn't stick your child in a car without one, right??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmgaritty Posted April 20, 2006 #56 Share Posted April 20, 2006 No one here has mentioned that you may want to bring a car seat with you (that you may or most likely may not be able to use because cars/buses and taxis in most of these ports don't have seat belts) for excursions. I KNOW all you parents of infants/toddlers wouldn't stick your child in a car without one, right??? Actually, Halos, most ports in the Caribbean require car seats. I always travel with a car seat and use it. Most vans/taxis have them, once in a while you may have to wait for a second taxi/van to have working seat belts. It is doable, and I have never been in a car/van without buckling in my daughter in a carseat. We have been to 10 islands and Mexico with her. I think the parents that don't travel with car seats are lazy. They probably hold their children on their laps on the plane - O it's too expensive to buy a seat - but they can pay for a cruise!? Anyway, have a great day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanie821 Posted April 20, 2006 #57 Share Posted April 20, 2006 I would take this on a family-by-family basis. My nephew has been an ideal traveler since he was five months old and his mama brought him from Japan to America. He would have been great on a cruise at that age - everyone got a smile and a giggle from him. Had I been cruising at that point, I would have loved to take him along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1tonysmom Posted April 20, 2006 #58 Share Posted April 20, 2006 We are taking a cruise with a baby, does anybody has any recomendation or experience with taking an infant on a cruise? Hi Danny. Don't let others on this board dissuade you from cruising with an infant. While it requires some planning, it can be done and a great time can be had by all. My DD, 4 has been cruising since she was 9 months old. My first suggestion is to pack a large cardboard box with all the consumables you may need on the cruise---diapers, wipes, babyfood, formula (if you are bottlefeeding), etc. Make sure you have enough diapers and wipes, as you cannot purchase these onboard. I ran out of wipes, but fortunately, my sister was cruising with us and I was able to borrow some until we made it to our next port. We checked this box with our luggage and at the end of the cruise threw the box away, as we had used up most everything. What was left, we put in our suitcase. I didn't have to deal with the whole bottle thing, as I was breastfeeding. I tried to make sure she was fed before we went to dinner. I always carried a receiving blanket to cover up with in case I needed to feed outside the cabin. At no time did I ever resort to going to a bathroom to feed her (how would you like to eat your dinner in the bathroom). I was just discreet and never had anyone even give me a sideways glance. (To be honest, someone would have to be looking awful hard to even tell most of the time.) We took her to most of the shows, but would leave if she was getting fussy and nursing didn't quiet her down. We didn't even bother with the kiddie pool, just took her to the beach while in port and she had a great time. We even did the dolphin encounter in Cozumel, which she loved. We also tried to make sure she napped every afternoon before dinner, so she would be pleasant throughout the evening. Also, we kept her on a fairly consistant bedtime, so her schedule would not be too disrupted. Hope this advice helps. For us, cruising just would not be the same without her. Joanne :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted April 20, 2006 #59 Share Posted April 20, 2006 This is a ridiculous lie just ignore it Let's face it. There is a lot of extra stuff to take for an infant, and it is certainly as much work as it is at home if not more. True, the baby probably won't get a darn thing out of it, but the parents will and that is what matters, as long as they are aware that it is hard waork to take an infant on any vacation. Anyone who has been there and done that will know that this is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvgreys Posted April 20, 2006 #60 Share Posted April 20, 2006 If you read the recent Mercury review under Celebrity, you will read that...YOU need to bring your own formula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
destinydog Posted April 21, 2006 #61 Share Posted April 21, 2006 last year we took a cruise on the miracle with our 1.5 year old and our friedns took thier two year old.it was amazing, the kids enjoyed it as much as we did..the carnival staff catered to them, the waitstaff took them at dinner and walked around with them while we ate...the camp carnival staff watched them several nights after 10 pm while we went out...overall the experience was terrific, i wiouldnt change it for the world.... the carnival staff treated them better then the adult guests and we tipped them very well because of this and also wrote several letters to carnival in regards to this. we planned our excursions accordingly, and the kids were able to visit all the islands and swim in various oceans....and regardless of what some of you on here say....swimmy diapers are fine for the pool...they are alot more sanitary then most of the people i saw in the pool...no need to debate this you have your opinions i have mine...lets not turn this into some sort of internet debate, because we know thats just a waste of all of our time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Luv Crusin Posted April 21, 2006 #62 Share Posted April 21, 2006 ...and regardless of what some of you on here say....swimmy diapers are fine for the pool...they are alot more sanitary then most of the people i saw in the pool...no need to debate this you have your opinions i have mine...lets not turn this into some sort of internet debate, because we know thats just a waste of all of our time. It is NOT an opinion nor does it need to be debated......from Carnival's website: Use of the Pools: Due to United States Public Health (USPH) Regulations, we do not allow children in diapers or those not toilet-trained in the pools. Lifeguards are not on duty. Use of the pools by guests under 13 without adult supervision is prohibited. http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Age_Restrictions_on_Board.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ehpride Posted April 21, 2006 #63 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I don't remember seeing many babies, which must be a good thing because that meant they weren't disruptive. I think as long as you're considerate of other passengers, some people would love to see a baby on a cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StaySea Posted April 21, 2006 #64 Share Posted April 21, 2006 arpiemom..... Kep with me only 2 wks to go....can't wait to fill you in....ignore the naysayers.....we are a family and we deserve to cruise like a family...others should consider adults only cruise if kids bother them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanieTX Posted April 21, 2006 #65 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Well, I promise not to hit anyone with my stroller or rush the elevator with it. I'm a pretty passive person anyway. I also follow the rules. I certainly wouldn't put him in a non-chlorinated pool, yuck! I've been through a bought of rotavirus and I don't ever want to deal with that again! We have plenty of opportunities to swim in other places. I know I will have to pack more for him, but since we camp quite a bit, I'm used to packing extra for him. I'll just have to leave some of my shoes and extra outfits at home :o) Joanne, thanks for sharing your experience with your 9 month old. Did anyone say anything rude to you or did you have any negative experiences with anyone just because you had a baby on the cruise? I won't have to worry about not being able to go to the casino because I don't like casinos anyway, they eat my money!! I will gladly sit on my balcony and play with my baby or read a book while he naps so DH can go to the casino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdood Posted April 21, 2006 #66 Share Posted April 21, 2006 ...swimmy diapers are fine for the pool...they are alot more sanitary then most of the people i saw in the pool...no need to debate this you have your opinions i have mine...lets not turn this into some sort of internet debate, because we know thats just a waste of all of our time. ...because you refuse to listen to the health department and facts, cause you want little bobo to play in the pool, what a clown... It is not a debate, it is a clinical fact, all the adults will be fine, your kid will probably be fine, but you could make another child severely ill, swim diapers do not hold it in... stop endangering others because you are ignorant:mad: Swim diapers may do a pretty good job of not letting solid feces out, but if a child has picked up E. coli, diarrhea is one of the symptons, and all of the children in the pool will be exposed, especially if there is no chlorination. Your baby might be perfectly healthy, but what about other people's babies? I would rather not risk the pool if I was taking a toddler on a cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannacruisemore Posted April 21, 2006 #67 Share Posted April 21, 2006 We as a large group (76 of us) sailed on the Conquest 4/05. My grandson was 6 months old. He was No problem. The stroller was a lifesaver. It helped cuz both sets of grandparents were along. My advise is to plan and pack everything you think you might need and a little more! No regrets at all. Happing cruisin:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orientodyssey Posted April 21, 2006 #68 Share Posted April 21, 2006 We took our 1 year old boy on a cruise to East Caribbean - he actually celebrated his 1st birthday and his 1st Christmas on board. It is true we had to prepare a lot of things - never brought such large suitcases for cruising before! ......but we had a GREAT time. To ensure a good holiday with an infant / baby, there are couple of things you need to observe & do: 1. Some baby never left house before and are always on strict schedule. This can be difficult if you sudden break the pattern. If you baby are used to traveling / changes and not being bothered by changing of enviorment, then take him on a cruise will be no problem. 2. Bring something that is familiar to him - his own bottles, toys, music, etc. So he is still surrounded by some thing he is familiar with. If he ever gets bored, he can play with his toys in the room. 3. Be prepare to sacrifice your own enjoyment of a cruise - enjoy it as a family outing - if you want a party / or relaxing experience, leave your baby at home, because he will need your constant attention. I can guarantee you that you will miss your normal activity on board the cruiser - but what you will get is a life long memory of a unique fmaily outing with the kid. For the kid - he might not remember the cruise when he grow up - but by meeting so many people on board, seeing different things, it will neverthless benefit his growing up..... it will be an experience for him too! 4. Book a larger cabin or suite - so you have more room to get around or you can have more enjoyment in your room because it is likely you will enjoy lots of time with him in the room on the cruising days...... 5. Be considerate & understanding. Understand that the other passengers on board are also enjoying their holiday and they have the right not to be disturbed. Usecommon sense here - if the baby is crying, don't take him to the library! As long as you exercise your courtesy and common sense, most passengers onboard will also return theirs. Believe or not, we had a very positive experience cruising the East Caribbean with our 1 year old kid. We were actully on the senior favord HAL ships! There are least amount of children. But every one were saying hi to us, greeting the kids. We took him to dinner at dinning room every night, dressed him up for the formal night. We also took him to the specialty restaurants (no policy on HAL for not allowing kids so we took him there) and enjoyed a wonderful experience (he did not eat, instead played a toy given to him by the waiter). We brought the kid to the dancing floor and the band / dancing crowd were all friendly...... the photographer took numerous pictures for him and posted.........we bump into dozens passengers telling us how cute those pictures were - of course eventually we spent a fortune buying most of them...... We never had one nagetive incident or attitude problem. We might just be lucky with a happy kid that always smiling and rarely cries...... but with RCCL's more colorful design and more family oriented cruise, I am sure you can only enjoy it better. The key is be considerate and be understanding. In any conditoin, put youself in other people's shoes before making judgement. Your corutesy will always be returend with kinder attitue, I am sure. In short, cruise with a baby is not a normal cruise. It is a truly family experience that are priceless to enjoy. But parents with baby onboard the ship also need to sacrifice a lot - well, as parents always do any where, any time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbbear Posted April 21, 2006 #69 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I fully agree. Although I'm totally sympathethic to the fact that parents need vacation time too, as well as the fact that they can decide what, where and whether they wish to cruise, the plain and simple fact remains that a cruise vessel is NO PLACE for an infant--4 months old or not. Personally, I'd be totally happy if the lines banned any kids under the age of three or four YEARS. Quite candidly, these lovely tykes just tend to be disruptive and provide nothing but a negative experience for other passengers. Admittedly, there are a few parents who realize the problems that these kids cause and do indeed do something about it. On the other hand, they are few and far between.... Fully appreciate and respect OP's question, but the best advice is for her to leave jr. at home till he (she's) older. Much better for everyone concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
destinydog Posted April 21, 2006 #70 Share Posted April 21, 2006 does calling me names on an internet forum make you feel better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisecastle Posted April 21, 2006 #71 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I fully agree.Although I'm totally sympathethic to the fact that parents need vacation time too, as well as the fact that they can decide what, where and whether they wish to cruise, the plain and simple fact remains that a cruise vessel is NO PLACE for an infant--4 months old or not. Personally, I'd be totally happy if the lines banned any kids under the age of three or four YEARS. Quite candidly, these lovely tykes just tend to be disruptive and provide nothing but a negative experience for other passengers. Admittedly, there are a few parents who realize the problems that these kids cause and do indeed do something about it. On the other hand, they are few and far between.... Fully appreciate and respect OP's question, but the best advice is for her to leave jr. at home till he (she's) older. Much better for everyone concerned. Obviously you have no idea of what you speak. Maybe they should just ban people over 70 years of age afterall they face many of the same issues as infants and could quite possibly be dealing with the whole diaper pool issue themselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arf2005 Posted April 21, 2006 #72 Share Posted April 21, 2006 "Maybe they should just ban people over 70 years of age afterall they face many of the same issues as infants and could quite possibly be dealing with the whole diaper pool issue themselves." Good point! http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e80/mimi567/alex.jpg Memory of infant on cruise - PRICELESS! (My Alexandra) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfklutz Posted April 21, 2006 #73 Share Posted April 21, 2006 If swim diapers are not allowed in pools by Carnival - why do you think that doesn't apply to YOUR BABY? You have your opinion, I have mine, but mine is backed up by the CDC. Parents need to realize that they think their little darlings are MUCH more darling than the average person thinks. I sit in church every Sunday and watch the same child run up to the podium every single Sunday - and the parents - who "let" him slip out of the pew are just beaming with satisfaction as to how cute they think he is. Parents also often times are not aware the their children are distracting- they learn to tune much of it out. Go with your baby, have a great time - but don't expect everyone to think it is a fine idea. It is also not "proof" that you love your child more than someone who leaves them home. Take the baby, put him in the swimming pool with swim diapers, smuggle that booze onboard in that extra baby bottle - after all, he's TOO CUTE for rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L2J Posted April 21, 2006 #74 Share Posted April 21, 2006 If swim diapers are not allowed in pools by Carnival - why do you think that doesn't apply to YOUR BABY? You have your opinion, I have mine, but mine is backed up by the CDC. Parents need to realize that they think their little darlings are MUCH more darling than the average person thinks. I sit in church every Sunday and watch the same child run up to the podium every single Sunday - and the parents - who "let" him slip out of the pew are just beaming with satisfaction as to how cute they think he is. Parents also often times are not aware the their children are distracting- they learn to tune much of it out. Go with your baby, have a great time - but don't expect everyone to think it is a fine idea. It is also not "proof" that you love your child more than someone who leaves them home. Take the baby, put him in the swimming pool with swim diapers, smuggle that booze onboard in that extra baby bottle - after all, he's TOO CUTE for rules. That pretty much sums it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1tonysmom Posted April 21, 2006 #75 Share Posted April 21, 2006 If swim diapers are not allowed in pools by Carnival - why do you think that doesn't apply to YOUR BABY? You have your opinion, I have mine, but mine is backed up by the CDC. I have to agree with surfklutz on this one. Besides cruise ships, many local hotels restrict kids who are not potty trained from swimming pools based on health department regulations. Besides, would you really want your little one swimming in the pools after all the other "potty trained" people who have been drinking mass quantities of alcohol and never seem to need to get out to go to the bathroom? ;) Joanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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