Infant on cruise...what do I need to know? No flaming please

[miami]

[i found on the Celebrity ship, the rails were quite far apart and we had a harness to use up on deck - not particularly great, but from a safety point of view priceless as she does like to walk everywhere, but is very fast!]

 

I have heard all about kids are not dogs and should be on leashes but I would rather see a parent using a harness than frantically running around looking for their lost child.

[crusinmama06]

I think you have heard all of the tips so far. My kids both started cruising at 7 months....my oldest is on her way to complete her 4th cruise and she is only 6. My youngest her 3rd at the ripe old age of 2.5 ;)

 

--I took baby food in the plastic stacking containers (Gerber makes them in plastic)

 

--I did not use a bottle warmer because my kids adjusted instantly to cold bottles. But if you would like to bring one they have battery powered and plug in ones at Wal-Mart.

 

--They usually have pack n plays on the ships.

 

--Use a lightweight TRAVEL umbrella stroller. I have a jeep lightweight that I use for traveling. It cost about $24.99 online from Amazon...really reasonable.

 

--If the baby is still small enough to fit, bring the infant carrier car seat. It is easier to sleep on the plane and in the dining room if the baby is comfortable.

 

--The pools are so darn cold on the ships that my kids don't want to get in them anyway. The baby will have more fun on the beach playing in the sand anyway.

 

--When I travel without my husband I DO take a notarized letter from him saying he is allowing me to take our children out of the country. I haven't been asked to show it, but it is recomended to take one.

 

--And I agree about the boxes of cereal. Every morning when we ate breakfast we would take 2 extra boxes of cereal (and a couple of cartons of milk) to use later for snacks.

 

--Bring LONG sleeves and long pants for the ship. I always bring too many cute little dresses and then I get on board and realize how cold air conditioning can really be. My girls always need to be switched into pants and long sleeves and sometimes sweaters by the nighttime cause it is so cool on the ships.

 

--Also, I agree about the baby getting the flu shot. I do that every year for my youngest.

 

Have a great cruise!:D

[PattyW]

9 months! That's a super age to travel with a baby. Generally (never say never) they aren't walking yet (maybe only just crawling) so they don't mind being in the stroller and will pretty much stay put when you put them down on a blanket.

 

I think you've gotten great advice. Here's a couple of things I haven't seen mentioned:

 

1) I don't know about NCL, but Princess supplies baby food. You make a special request about 1-2 weeks before your cruise and they will make sure to have it for you (but don't be picky; just like the Coke cans, the baby food often was foreign - ours looked like the words were in Italian)

 

2) Little ones may be banned from swimming in the pools, but they aren't banned from swimming at the beach, so don't forget some swim diapers and suits for port

 

3) If the baby is crawling, most of the lounges are empty during the day unless there is an organized activity going on. Those empty lounges are great places for babies to crawl/cruise in a stress free manner.

 

4) Be ready nice and early for formal night so that you don't have to wait in a long line to have your picture taken.

 

5) Although not environmentally friendly, bring as many disposable products as you can - it just simplifies things. Examples would be disposable bibs, baby food spoons, bottles with the plastic liners, etc; and

 

6) If you are flying to the port, think about renting a car or taking a taxi to a real grocery store before embarking. You can load up on diapers, wipes and other needs without using your luggage allowance for the flight.

[Onessa]

If your baby is accustomed to it - a pack (front pack for little ones, backpack style for older ones) is great! Our DD loved hers (she started in at 3 days old - she was a bit colici and wanted to be held from 6:30-9:00pm every night - a front pack gave me my arms!)

 

We traveled all over with her with them. She particularly liked the backpack since she was then the same height as an adult.

 

Good luck! And somewhat contrary to a previous poster who indicated that she knew her kids "wouldn't remember" any of their trips - I think that while the child may not remember the specifics, they child will benefit from the time spent with the security and love of their parents.

[Kerry's Girls]

Cruise ships are not made for some of these strollers. I had even seen a couple of families trying to load them onto the tenders....made for a good laugh from the rest of the boat!

 

Sorry, this isn't accurate. My husband used to cruise in a wheelchair, and happily, ships - and tenders - are arranged to accomodate them. Now I must cruise with my "humvee" stroller since I cruise alone with our twin toddlers. I have had no problem with elevators or tenders - as long as we wait our turn. I do choose a room as close to the elevators as possible to avoid having to negotiate long cabin corridors.

 

Have a great time!

 

Best,

Mia

[Cruisin' Chick]

If your child is into Cheerios, don't assume your cruiseline stocks it. I know that Princess uses Kelloggs cereal. I don't know about NCL but when my girl was on her first couple of cruises (on Carnival), I brought a container of Cheerios and a bunch of juice boxes. Also bring along a travel size bottle of dish detergent for washing sippy cups, bottles, etc.

 

I also recommend padding in time for a grocery store trip if you're flying to your departure port. Bring the minimum of diapers, etc. for your flight and then stock up at a store.

 

We used an umbrella stroller for our girl when she was 23 months as she was able to fall asleep in any position. It had a place for the diaper bag, etc. I think more and more restrooms on cruiseships do have changing tables...even men's restrooms.

 

One thing that really irks me is when parents changed their kids in public areas on chairs, tables, etc. I always took our girl to a restroom, even if I have to put her changing pad on the floor to change her. Just be considerate of the other passengers -- and if someone complains, they probably complain about everything!

[tnebell]

You guys have all provided such excellent advice! My dh and I will be departing on our first cruise with our lil guy next month and while I have travelled alone with our ds so I know much of what to expect I've still been wary about our upcoming cruise. Many of your suggestions totally made me and my dh go "Whoa! That's right! Good idea!" Thanks guys!:)

[HappyChick]

We traveled w/our then 18 month old son and have an upcoming cruise w/him (he is now 3 y/o) and his 9 month old brother.

 

--balcony cabin. Makes nap time enjoyable for the parent/caregiver. Our son also enjoyed having breakfast out there and watching the ship come into port.

--bring a blow up pool for baths, if needed. This time we have a mini-suite on Princess, which has a bath tub.

--our 18 month old didn't like the stroller, so we didn't bring it. He walked or rode on Daddy's shoulders in port. This time, we are bringing a Baby Bjorn for our 9 month old. He much prefers it to a stroller too. Obviously, this depends on the baby.

--for shore excursions, go to the beach. Our son loved it and when he got tired, could nap on a towel/lounge chair in the shade.

--bring plenty of formula, bottles, diapers, soap to clean the bottles, wipes, and hand santizer.

--our son would not sit still for the whole dinner in the traditional dining room. Luckily, one of his grandfathers didn't like it either. So, they usually went to the buffet every night and were very happy w/that.

--on that first trip, we were on Carnival...the kids club had "Under Two Time" on sea days from 12-2pm. We could stay in there and play w/our son, and he really enjoyed that time.

--depending on the child, take them to the shows or musical acts. Our son loves music and really enjoyed watching a show (until he fell asleep) or anyone playing music or singing.

--Princess provides baby food to your room (you must request in advance).

--request a crib in advance.

--bring a favorite toy.

 

Our son loved it.....I don't know for sure how much he remembers, but he still talks about it, and can't wait to go on our next trip.

[aqhacruiser]

Looking to book the NCL Spirit, Feb 24th and take my wife, her sister and the baby. The baby will be 9 months. What advice do we need for passports, bedding, etc...

Please...no "don't take the baby responses please".

 

The only advise I would offer is to be sure the baby has all the proper shots required for traveling to your destination. Some ports suggest or require specific vaccinations. Also be sure to buy insurance for your cruise just in case the baby gets sick with a cold or something right before the cruise and you'd have to cancel. Have a wonderful cruise!:)

[3GR8Sons]

If you have to take a plane to your cruise bring a pacifier, or bottle on the plane with you. Make sure the baby sucks on the pacifier or bottle during takeoff and landing. It keeps their little ears clear.

 

We have travelled with our kids from the time they were 2 months old. Our upcoming cruise is their second. Have fun!!!!!

[stbmom]

Looking to book the NCL Spirit, Feb 24th and take my wife, her sister and the baby. The baby will be 9 months. What advice do we need for passports, bedding, etc...

Please...no "don't take the baby responses please".

 

We just got back with our 13 month old and have a great time (except for minor issues that were RCCL related). My advice - fly down the night before! We shipped a box to the hotel we were staying at that had everything we wouldn't be bringing back. We got disposable everything!

This is what we shipped:

Diapers

Wipes

Sippy Cups (you could ship bottles)

Baby food

Medicine (just in case stuff like Tylenol, Motrin, Triamedic)

Pack n Play sheets

Toys (we donated them to the ship when we left)

Disposable changing pads

Disposable bibs

Dish washing liquid

Wash cloths and hooded towels

A blow up bath tub (to put in the shower)

Gerber juice

Disopable spoons and forks

Disposable table covers

 

I think that is everything. We then just put the box in the cab and a porter got it out and it was delivered to our cabin. That way, we could concentrate on clothing and such for our luggage and didn't have to worry about baby items.

[Eskwire]

Just back from our cruise. I was so happy I remembered our ENTIRE medicine cabinet because DS needed Tylenol and cough medicine and my sister didn't bring for her kids and needed the cough medicine too. DS also has recurring ear infections and I got a prescription filled prior to sailing for antibiotic. GOOD THING...he got one on the cruise! And if you are bringing medicine don't forget to bring the necessary measuring devices to administer the medicine.

[2112]

I just got back from cruising on Carnival with a 7 month old. With all the above advise, I don't have too much to add. But, if you are going to the beach take a small packet of breakfast cereal with you to feed the fish. Our baby loved looking at all the bright fish swimming around. Also, Carnival did not provide baby food, but we did ask for mashed potatos and apple sauce with dinner (even if not on the menu they will make it for you). That let us cut down on the amount of food we had to bring. Also, bring some plastic bags for dirty diapers so they don't stink up your cabin. Don't forget to bring a small toy that doesn't make noise for the baby to play with in the dining room. Dinners take almost 2 hours and if the baby doesn't sleep he will need something to keep himself occupied. Finally, although you have to bring more stuff with a baby, be sure not to overpack as cabins on ships are small. Have fun! Passports will be required for everyone, including infants, after January 7, 2007!

[Kerry's Girls]

Passports will be required for everyone, including infants, after January 7, 2007!

 

Thankfully, for cruises it's been pushed to 2008, and for air travel the requirement starts on 1/23/07. This is from the U.S. government website (though it's better to travel with one anyway, I just don't want anyone to panic and think they must have a passport all the sudden):

 

Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.

As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

 

My girls and I are doing a cruise to Mexico in a few weeks with certified birth certificates because I didn't want to have to count on their passports being processed in time.

 

Thanks for all the great info everyone!

 

Best,

Mia

[HappyChick]

But, if you are going to the beach take a small packet of breakfast cereal with you to feed the fish. Our baby loved looking at all the bright fish swimming around. !

 

2112:

 

That is a great tip!!! I will definitely remember that for our upcoming cruise. Thanks!

 

Lisa

[Will_Travel_4_food]

One suggestion, recruit as many family members that you can to come on the same cruise, but if you're like me don't get cabins next to each other. It just makes for more possible baby sitters if needed. ;)

 

Balcony cabin is a must, don't think of anything less. Plus if you can make sure nothing around (or below) your cabin will be noisey during baby's sleeping time. We had a cabin (on Carnival) that was above the slot machines, fortunately P-nut is like me and sleeps through most everything. One note, though we had noise below us I did open the closet and bathroom doors and that did muffle the sound.

 

Flight:

Shameless plug alert... OK I'm from Minneapolis, here is the base for Suncountry air. so I only mention this in case you have a similar situation. Suncountry now offers first class up grades. For about $75 each way you can get upgraded to first class. All I got to say is bigger seats for infant on lap flights. Unfortunately I found Suncountry's flights from MSP to MCO and back were the only routes that they used their older charter jets for. Thus no first class. :(

 

Pre-cruise:

Arrive at least 1 day early. Pack only what you will need to get to port city. Purchase any items you could not pack for the flight. For us we just made a 15 minute stop at a Walgreens to pick up diapers and wipes for our 5 month old.

 

Airport to port city:

We flew into Orlando for Port Canaverel and rented a limo, that way we could make our stop(s). Plus it's more flexible for flight times.

 

During cruise:

ok our P-nut was 5 months, we used a "big" stroller, it was also one that had the carseat combo (from Graco). It was the best thing to have with us. OK all of our stops were docked so we didn't have to deal with tendering, but I still don't see how that would be a big deal since they do have to accomadate for wheelchair pax as well. This stroller does also fold up so as to take very little space. As a side note don't store anything on the balcony, if you were even thinking of that, not that I did or anything :eek:. The stroller did "just barely" fit through our cabin door. At the worst we would have needed to fold it up before entering our room, but 1, we were near an elevator, 2, it takes like <15 seconds to fold the stroller, which I can almost to with one hand.

 

Don't be pushy with the stroller, ok no pun intended. push the stroller, don't pull it. But don't try to go places with it that you shouldn't. Bring a Baby Bjorn for those places. Plus be ready to stop everywhere for fellow pax and crew to see your little one. Some of the crew said they love seeing infants, since there are not many on the ship.

 

One thing we didn't address enough pre-cruise was dinner, and how P-nut would be at the table, eventually we just had the stroller pulled up to the table to save space. Believe it or not it was less crowding to park the stroller up to the table, in the place of a chair, then to put her car seat on the chair. But we were also at a table with ample room around us.

 

Bed - We didn't bring our pack-n-play thinking we were going to use the ships. Unfortunately we found that the cabins were too small to have one in, that is if you like to walk in your cabin. For us we had the sleeper-sofa set up for a bed and then we asked for extra pillows and towels. We made a bumper like area on the bed for her to sleep. She didn't move much at that time so it worked perfectly. Even though we can't do that now, it was still the best thing then. Just use your imagination for your situations.

Island Hopping:

Our best time was when we rented a car in St. Maarten and did our own thing. We had the car seat, which is required, and the stroller just went into the trunk.

 

Overall:

Bring a stroller one not too big, but also not too small, and that can fold up. Also the stroller was great for the flight, you can leave the stroller at the flight deck and they will put it on the jet (underneath) and then have it ready for you when you get off. It was also nice to have so we were not really having to carry anything, as it was all on the stroller. Plus once our cruise was over the crew and customs practically escorted us through the customs process. I thought we'd be going through a long line and such, and I think we made it all the way through in 20 minutes from the time our deck was called to leave.

 

Also I have to say, bring a DVD player, and like us our p-nut loves Baby Einstein videos. Those are great videos to help little ones go to sleep when they are trying to fight off going to bed.

 

Have a great time and don't forget you're on vacation!

[Jenrose]

Baby Carriers

Skip the bjorn: go for a mei tai or wrap for two-shouldered long-wearing comfort . Ring slings and pouches are outstanding for small babies, for kids who can walk but want up and down all the time. Ring slings and wraps can easily double as harnesses up on the top deck.

For back carries with babies about 4 months and up (can be used up to 45-50 pounds if necessary, but most comfortable up through about 35 pounds):

Mei tais are particularly good, I prefer padded straps for back carries.

Brands: Kozy Carrier, Freehand, Babyhawk, Sachi are all superb on the back.

Wrap carriers also work well. Most people prefer woven wraps like Didymos, Storchenweige, Ellaroo or Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Breeze (very lightweight and cool) for back carries. But the Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretch is good for back carries as well as it is only stretchy in one direction. (Too much stretch would make the carrier sag.)

For front carries from newborn on up:

The mei tais and wraps listed above are all "fine" for front carries. But my favorite front carries are done with mei tais with wide, unpadded straps. Brands include: Maya Tie, Napsack, Have A Ball Baby. Note that the Napsack is one of the best front carriers ever for smaller babies. There are many brands out there, some are adjustable at the base for smaller babies. All are more comfortable than a bjorn for most parents.

 

For quick in and out, ring slings and pouches are hard to beat. Best to go with an unpadded or lightly padded ring sling with an open tail.

For cruising, there are two major factors to consider: Dressy indoor slings for on the ship, and cool, sun protective lightweight slings for off the ship.

 

Dressy: Sleeping Baby Productions silk. Sakura Bloom silk. Zolowear. The neat thing is that these silk slings are by and large machine washable, drop dead gorgeous and COMFORTABLE. Many people buy them for a wedding or formal event and then find they end up wearing them with jeans too because they're just so comfy and pretty. They also fold up to next to nothing.

Casual/cool: Maya Wrap's lightly padded sling is fabulously easy to use and comes in a wide variety of colors. The fabric is hand-woven in Guatmala and fair-trade. Solarveil slings can be gotten from a wide variety of manufacturers--they have the advantage of drying quickly, so one can wear them in the shower (solves the bath problem) or wading. There are a huge number of brands of cotton unpadded ring slings on the market, ultimately which you pick will probably boil down to fashion sensibilities.

 

If you need something super compact that can tuck in a purse or small fanny sack, pouches are great. Hotslings are very popular, I also like Chic Papoose.

 

If you must have a pack with buckles, the Ergo and Patapum are both very sporty, and the ecobabies Becopack is super comfy with a really lovely fabric selection. My husband will wear it.

 

(fwiw... my background is doing carrier product reviews and product design--I've been doing it for 13 years and have reviewed over 100 different brands. I don't own a stroller. My dad keeps one at his house, a light umbrella stroller, but it's been used about 3 times. My younger daughter is 22 months old.)

 

On my upcoming cruise, mostly likely, I will have with me a silk Napsack, silk Kozy, Babyhawk, Sachi, and Freehand mei tai, one old-style Maya Wrap pouch, one homemade silk ring sling and one Sleeping Baby Productions ring sling, one Maya Wrap and one MamaBaby ring sling, one Gypsy Mama Bali Baby Stretch wrap, one Hoppediz woven wrap and a Beco. Even bringing 13 carriers, it will still take up less space than one "big"stroller. We may borrow an umbrella stroller for my father, but he can keep it in his room. ;)

Yes, I will likely use every carrier I bring.

[Jenrose]

For other travel friendly products I have:

Bed--Kidco Peapod is great. Stores tiny, pops up instantly, inflates quickly, very baby-proof but not parent-proof, and dd will sleep in it.

 

Eating--haven't found out yet if they have high chairs on the Zenith, but if they don't, we'll take a Fisher Price Healthy Care portable--folds smallish and *very* easy to clean--in restaurants when we've brought this in, they can just take it to a big sink and spray it off--takes less than 30 seconds to get the whole thing reasonably clean.

 

Solarveil: I didn't even use sunscreen on my last cruise, just wore a solarveil hooded button down shirt with plenty of room to move my arms and double layer at the shoulder. No burns. Okay, one burn, but it was at the tops of my thighs while I was snorkelling, and the shirt didn't cover that one spot. Wore the thing swimming and didn't burn at all. My baby has a poncho, and I have solarveil for everyone in the family to wear. I have sensitive skin and have gotten the equivalent of a chemical burn from sunscreens in the past (not sunburn, we're talking blistering itchy rash in places the sunscreen hit but the sun did not) so skipping sunscreen in the tropics without burning is a Big Deal. They make slings out of it too, and pouches, and mei tais.

 

I plan on bringing the baby to dinner every night--but she is a seasoned restaurant-goer and I know how she will behave. If she is disturbing, I"ll take her out--but I doubt it will be necessary as long as she's being fed.

 

We are travelling with a huge amount of family--that will also help. I am part of an online community with a lot of parents at our departing port, so instead of trying to fly with stroller, toys, etc. I'm borrowing them at the port.

[dougpeng]

I notice this thread is a little old. There is a newer one at http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=20303800

which talks about the infant food issue. In particular, I found that there were enough food choices at the buffet for infants that you can mash up that there is no need to bring baby food.

[seacrcsvz]

Salus Bijoux Baby Life Jacket (Mountainbaby.com; the most valuable thing you can spend $80 on prior to cruising) - the ONLY life jacket made for children under one year of age, and designed to help your baby stay afloat, when they are unable to hold up their own head, and given the reality that their bodies are different than an adult. We took one on our cruise with our infant son and asked permission from the captain to use it, even for emercencies/muster call. He looked it over, gave it his seal of approval, and it was a go. Transport Canada has given it two thumbs up, but by law no one can approve a PFR for children under 20 pounds. The bonus is that it is much easier to carry your child in than a standard life preserver, and they can't get out of it. The back is all mesh so they don't sweat, and you can rest assure you are safe. Use it for all your shore excursions as well. We even took our son in the pools with it.

[seacrcsvz]

SALUS BIJOUX BABY LIFE JACKET - the best $60 - 80 you can spend pre-cruise with a baby/toddler. Check out the website (Mountainbaby.com or Binnacle.com), I can't possibly do it justice. We took it on our cruise and asked the captain permission to use it for shore excursions, muster calls, etc. He took a look at it, looked at the info we had printed off and brought with us, and agreed immediately. He then copied down the website and said he was buying one for his grandson as soon as he got home, and was recommending his cruise line buy several to have for when infants travel - a small cruise line who probably only get one infant per sailing.