Travel With An Infant

[ganana]

Would like to hear from people who have taken a one year old on a cruise. What would you say were the pros and cons?

[jerseygirl3]

I didn't do this personally, but my cousin came on my wedding cruise with her infant. While she and her husband had an "okay" time, she said it was exhausting. She had her mother with her to give her a break now and then, but still she and her husband didn't get to relax that much. I think if you have no choice in the matter, just make the best of it and realize it may not be the relaxing vacation it was before baby came along. Personally I preferred land-based vacations when my kids were little. Being cooped up in a small cabin wouldn't be my idea of relaxation. And the babies are not allowed in the pools (even wading pools) unless they are potty trained. We used to go to Marco Island when the kids were little (actually, we still do, but the kids are adults now). Had a condo on the beach and the kids could splash in the water, dig in the sand, and had plenty of room for them to move about in the condo. And we went to more casual places to eat so we didn't have to worry about leaving the dining room if the kids acted up. It was just a less stressful vacation for us than cruising seemed to be for my cousin with her baby.

[Guest rfrenchbaxter]

I agree wit Jerseygirl3, my experience with Toddlers on a cruise is not good! My Sis took hers and she was also very tired. Did not get to do much, and was in cabin a lot more than she wanted to be. Could not go swimming with baby. Baby got really upset and it was not a good thing! She could not enjoy any type of night life either. We did not want to be saddled down with a baby on vacation! She would never cruise with a small child again! I personally cannot see any pros what so ever except having them with you! My opinion, either take help with you, or wait until your little one got old enough to join in on the kids club!

Rfrenchbaxter

[stbmom]

WE are taking our son who will be one in December and are very excited. We travel with him quite a bit now - so we know what to expect. If you have never traveled with your child - it might be kind of hard I would imagine. But, we have lots of success with our son following these rules:

1. Keep on his schedule. He naps at 11:00 and is in bed by 7:00. Don't try to buck the schdedule and be aware of time changes. He does not acknowledge time zones so we must remember and stay with HIS biological schedule.

2. Don't overschedule. We plan one "big" activity for the day, then sort of relax and have fun for the rest of the day.

3. Be sensitive to overstimulation. Luckily - he has a lot of fun people watching and doesn't get scared in big crowds (we got home from an NFL a few hours ago and he had a blast - and we did too!).

4. Manage your expectations - you won't have a romantic honeymoon like getaway with your child. It will be a family vacation.

5. Plan accordingly. Dh and I are already planning to have dinner in our cabin most nights. Since ds will be sleep by 7:30 at the latest, we get to have a wonderful dinner on the balcony listening to the waves. We aren't planning on having a 2 hour dinner in the dining room - that is not going to happen. But we can still enjoy lobster from the dining room delivered via room service.

6. Pack accordingly. Pack early and check your list often. Make sure you have what you need. Disposable is the way to go - because your load will get lighter!

7. If your child LOVES something - make sure you have two!

8. Family is fun. My dh and I enjoy each others company. We don't need a lot of "external" things to make us happy or have a good time. So, spending some time in the cabin while ds sleeps won't be seen as a downer. We don't drink - so we won't miss spending long hours in the bar.

9. You are making memories! A lot of people say "your child won't remember". That is just a stupid comment. Your child may not remember you hugging and kissing them as a baby - but you still do it. You do it because it helps to shape who they are. You will be exposing your child to new and exciting things and shaping his future by traveling early. My son knows what a marraca is because he is exposed to them and enjoys playing with them. He also knows what a harmonica is because again - he is exposed to it and plays with them. He understands several words in Spanish and Manadrin - because he is exposed to both languages. He may not "remember" where he learned Mandarin, but that won't mean he doesn't remember how to say "Hello" in the language. That said, he also knows to throw his hands above his head when he hears the announcer say "Touch Down" - that is priceless!

[renata102]

just came back from the Enchantment of the Sea with my 1 yo son and 5 yo daughter. I am also pregnant with my third....

 

it was not as tough and he was pretty good. It depends on the temperment of your child. My child is okay in public (at that age at least). My daughter when she was younger was also laid back. Of course this was not a honeymoon type cruise. BUT, we did get babysitting services EVERNIGHT for 4 hours. That is where we let loose.

 

at the pool we took turns going in.... we also had other family with us and they took him a few times around the ship. I didn;t mind taking a nap with him as I am pregnant and enjoyed the quiet time.. We all did. In fact when we took our than 2 yo daughter on her first cruise (and I wan';t pregnant) we all enjoyed taking a quick nap. The thing I regret about that cruise, is that we did not get babysitting services. BOY , i do regreat that!

[VPIcruiser]

We had a great time with our 14 month DS on the Zenith to Bermuda on 9/2. It helped that my parents were with us. They watched him one afternoon for DH and I to go snorkeling.

The pros: being together as a family and seeing how DS got excited about the beach, ocean, music, aquarium and other things. We have wonderful photos and memories (even though he won’t remember it). Things worked out very well for us.

There were only a few cons. Mainly only the things that caused extra work for us. We worked very hard to make sure he was good at dinner. This meant we brought a lot of small toys with us to dinner and brought grapes from the buffet to give him while we waited for our food. Also, he ended up in bed with us 6 out of 7 nights because we were afraid to let me him make any noise for fear of disturbing any one else (at home he always sleeps in his crib).

We practiced giving him a shower at home since we knew we didn’t have a tub on the ship. We also make him stay in his highchair at meal times at home and in restaurants.

Since he couldn’t go in the pools, we took him to the empty public rooms on the ship so he could some extra exercise. This was fun for us also. He loved walking up and down the ramp into the show lounge. Any time there was music, he was happy. He especially like to watch the singers and “dance.”

We had a babysitter two nights. She was the ship’s librarian and she was very sweet. Two nights, my parents stayed in with him and the other nights my DH and I took turns staying with him. DH, my parents, and I also took turns staying with him at nap time. I think DH enjoyed getting a nap also.

This was not the most relaxing cruise we have taken, but things change once you have kids. Would be do it again? We would love to do it again! But will probably wait two years since we are expecting another baby in March.

[Kerry's Girls]

I went alone with TWO one-year olds (my twins were 13 months), and it was much more relaxing - and less expensive - than the resort vacation we took a month beforehand. It was the best week I've spent with my girls, so we're taking another in two weeks.

 

the Pros: Someone else is doing everything for you - the meal preparation, the cleaning, etc., so all you have to do is dress and play with the babies. When we wanted to go for a walk, all we had to do was leave the cabin - not get into car seats, etc. (A week without car seats was worth any price!) Having a mall, dining areas, kids play area, outdoor areas to play or walk in, all within a couple minutes of our cabin was wonderful - it's not a huge pain to schlep back to the room the way it is at a resort. Meals were fantastic because there was no stress of ordering and having to pay for a restaurant meal, only to have to leave suddenly if someone was fussy. Plus, the waiters would bring lots of little tastes of things - not something we could get in a restaurant.

 

the Con - Clearly, it's not a romantic vacation if you're traveling with your spouse

 

Even though I have to pay for both of my girls, cruising is still the best and most economical way to travel with them, for the same reason I think it is for adults - everything is included and everything is done for you. I don't plan to vacation with them any other way for quite a few years.

 

Best,

Mia