Boarding with an 8 month old

[vettecruiser1]

I'm a little worried about getting on and off the ship at the end of the cruise with the little guy. Getting on the ship I'm not that worried about unless the it looks like it might take a couple of hours to get on the ship. People love to bash families with babies going on a cruise and would hate to stand in line and take some verbal assaults before the cruise even begins. Plus we do try to be mindful of the people around us and we don't want our little one to put them in a bad mood.

 

We spent our last cruise when the wife was 5 months pregnant just watch and talking to the people with babies how it was going it they loved it. Said it was easier with this age group then the 1 to 2 1/2 year olds. But we forgot to ask about getting on and off the ship.

 

Of course that brings be to my other concern. Getting off at the end. We have always done carry-lite program and dealt with the mass of people that go that route. Well we will not be doing that this time. Is there a way to get off with the wheel chair passangers if there is such a time or should we just wait until the last color is called?

 

People that have sailed with this age group you comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Baxter]

We recently sailed with our little one and had no issues. My husband carried her in the Baby Bjorn so his hands were free for managing luggage. We boarded at just the right time -- we were able to walk right on rather than stand and wait. As for disembarkation, we waited on the Lido deck until our number was called. Our daughter loves the carrier, and she gets so much attention that I don't recall her making a peep.

[sas80]

If you are bringing the stroller along, use it to tote bags and put the baby into the front carrier. There is nothing like having BOTH hands/arms free in the airport and while getting on and off the ship!

 

Also, I see that you are in Dallas...If you are departing out of Galveston, and are driving to the port, have you considered bringing the excersaucer along? Your 8 month old might be "thru" with it already - but maybe not! We are also in Dallas and left out of Galveston when DS was 5.5 months old. Since we drove to the port we collapsed and brought the excersaucer with us - it was a bit of a pain in the arse to travel with but it paid off big time on the cruise! P.S. we removed and packed all removable toys and balanced it on top of the Graco when we were boarding.

 

We just got off the Rhapsody, again out of Galveston, last August. This time we brought the Leapfrog Learn N Groove table with us, along with some other, smaller, toys. DS LOVES the table!!! The legs come off to make it more manageable and it easily set up in the cabin.

 

I suggest that you consider purposefully getting to the ship after 1 pm. Both times we have departed out of Galveston we drove from Dallas and, because of that, we didn't get to the pier until after 1. It pays to board later because the HUGE lines were gone!

 

Last but not least, be sure to pack a few meals/bottles for the car, so baby will have food in their tummy and not be cranky because of hunger, and DONT FORGET THE CHEERIOS!!! :D

[sas80]

Oh, and, if you are sailing on RCCL, if you call RCCL directly and ask for special services. You can ask special serivices to fax the ship and alert them that you have a special need, to have food pureed. Once on board, you can arrange to have food pureed and delivered to your cabin 3 times a day, even on port days (just let them know it is okay to come in your room after they have knocked and gotten no response)

 

We arranged to have 1 protein and 1 fruit (breakfast) or veggie (lunch/dinner) delivered at 7:30, 11:30 and 5:30, every day.

 

Carnival will probably also do this for you if you call them ahead of time.

 

Don't forget that the windjammer (buffet area) will have cheerios and yogurt and fruit for baby too.

[vettecruiser1]

New to the baby thing. We did a lot of research on the last cruise, just watching parents with babies. They probably thought me the wife were stalkers but since she was pregnant I think they figured it out. I did not even think about the food that is a good idea. Right now he is only eating cereral and milk. But I guess in a couple of months his menu will have increased quite a bit. I wish we were going on a RCCL ship but even with a balcony the Conquest was $1000 cheapier, plus we have already seen the Voyager. I hope when RCCL brings a ship back to Texas year round the the prices get competitive again.

 

As for the exersaucer he loves that thing it is kinda nasty how much he loves that thing, I'm constantly cleaning all the slobber off it. But I think he might be done with it by then. I just hope he is not crawling to much by then. But each baby is different, as the the Bjorn that is a must he loves it and I just wonder if he might be to big for by then. He is already 18 pounds

[sas80]

New to the baby thing. We did a lot of research on the last cruise, just watching parents with babies. They probably thought me the wife were stalkers but since she was pregnant I think they figured it out. I did not even think about the food that is a good idea. Right now he is only eating cereral and milk. But I guess in a couple of months his menu will have increased quite a bit. I wish we were going on a RCCL ship but even with a balcony the Conquest was $1000 cheapier, plus we have already seen the Voyager. I hope when RCCL brings a ship back to Texas year round the the prices get competitive again.

 

As for the exersaucer he loves that thing it is kinda nasty how much he loves that thing, I'm constantly cleaning all the slobber off it. But I think he might be done with it by then. I just hope he is not crawling to much by then. But each baby is different, as the the Bjorn that is a must he loves it and I just wonder if he might be to big for by then. He is already 18 pounds

 

Do yourself a huge favor and get a leapfrog learn and groove table. The legs come off so you can put it on the floor for him if he's not so steady when standing and leaning on things.

 

Like the excersaucer, the table will provide HOURS of entertainment!

 

You can find them on craigslist for half of what they are new - be sure to snatch one immediately tho, they tend to go quick!

[larronry]

I've got a big one to so I feel for you and the carrier. As for the crawling I don't think I've heard of a baby walking before 9 months. The age range for walking is 9 to 18 months. Average being about the year mark. Cruising could be a different story. But being a big baby then they tend to to those physical things late. Just a warning. Mine didn't start pulling himself up until just after he turned 1 and didn't start walking until one week before he turned 18 months.

 

As for the debarkation. I've been told that the last night of the cruise you can talk to them about the fact that you will be using your stroller to leave the ship and they will change your tag color and let you leave after the wheel chairs. Now this may vary from cruise line to cruise line.

 

My father will be picking us up and I don't want to make him get up early so I'm not going to rush to get off the ship.

[hooked-on-travel]

My friend's babies walked at 8 mos and 9 mos. Mine didn't walk regularly until 14 mos...so yes, there's a range.

 

I never knew we could get off when we wanted by playing the stroller card! We've only cruised once since DD's arrival (at 20 mos), but we just went with whatever. We drove to Galveston and only had to get to Dallas (the mid-point where we were spending the night with family) anyway, so we just took what we were given. What does "getting off after the wheel chairs" get you? Is it first, or nearly first, in line?

[crusinmama06]

I have always just loaded the kids up in the strollers. Attached any carryon stuff to the stroller. Head to breakfast and wait for our colors to be called.

 

The longest line we had was on Freedom of the Seas. Every other ship we literally just walked right off and right through customs with very little waiting time.

[Onessa]

. . . But each baby is different, as the the Bjorn that is a must he loves it and I just wonder if he might be to big for by then. He is already 18 pounds

 

By 8-months we had introduced DD to the back-pack carrier -- the one we had had an aluminum frame and padded straps. A friend of ours (a stay-at-home Dad) had used it for both his sons before bequething it to our DD. He managed to be able to put it on all himself - I never quite got up the nerve! But between DH and I we carried her on our backs in that thing until she was almost 4YO (and she was never a light kid!)

 

She loved it because she was at adult level. I loved it because the parent not wearing it could keep a better eye on her than stooping down over the stroller all the time. When not walking around with in on, the backpack had kind of a "kick stand" that you could use to prop it up -- good as an impromtu chair when she was younger .

 

I recycled the pacifier "leashes" to hold a few toys and to keep dibs on her hat.

[vettecruiser1]

What does "getting off after the wheel chairs" get you? Is it first, or nearly first, in line?

 

That is not what we are trying to accomplish. I just know that in Texas when people are getting off the ship it is a mad house with people pushing and walking over people. At least that was the case on my last 3 cruises out of that port. I love the fact that it is close but they have horrible disembarkation procedures. Miami has this stuff running so much more smoothly, but I think it is because they have more Custom agents. Even though the lines don't bother me, patients is one of those traits that runs in my genes. I just worry the little guy might get moody and one of the things I have learned with this being my first child is once a baby gets angry nothing is going stop him from being upset.:eek:

[larronry]

I know when I sailed on Celebrity Century I debarked by standing in line for over an hour winding down a stairwell on the ship. Not to fun with a stroller. This is something I will get them to tell me this time on the Celebrity Millennium. The Caribbean Princess was the smoothest most amazing debarkation procedure I've ever experienced. The night before I asked if they could give me an idea of about what time my color would be called so that I could give and idea to my ride of when to pick me up and they glanced at a card and gave me a 1/2 hour range. Now my father waited away from the pickup area to get my phone call but they were right on the mark. And I could have used a stroller no problem and there were elevators available should I have needed it.

 

I have to tell you that no other cruise line was ever willing to answer that question including NCL where you were allowed to stay in your cabin but I felt so guilty because it was 11:00 and I still hadn't been called. Finally got my carry offs and sat near the exit doors. That was Miami I don't know what was going on with customs that day there.

 

Last time in Port Everglades I was somewhere in the Middle and it was pretty smooth. Never sailed out of Texas. If you are worried I would say either see about early debarkation or just relax and get off at the end. If you don't have a long drive and you don't have a plane to catch why rush off the ship. Your child might enjoy a little more freedom before the car ride anyway.

[Kerry's Girls]

Wheelchair passengers often get off last. But in any case, we're always just about last off the ship as well - I think it's easier throughout the trip to never be in a hurry. We have tons of snacks saved up, and there are plenty of spaces to be away from the crowds. A stroller makes it easy to carry one small bag we don't put out the night before, and then by the time we get off the ship, it's very easy to find our luggage!

 

Best,

Mia

[cruisinggrammie]

Hi,

 

I went last dec. with my friend, between the two of us we had a 8yr. and two 10 yr. olds. I might mention very active children. We waited until last call. They served lunch up on deck and we could eat and the children could run off some of their energy, before our 14 hour drive home. When we got off there were no lines and no problems with our luggage it was right there waiting for us.

When we got on we brought their game boys and gave them each a new game and it kept them busy, thank goodness because it took us 4 hours to get on. Our ship arrived late. Thank goodness for game boys and new games. We brought carrots and chex mix for the kids to snack on and bottle of water for each. This helped.

 

cruisinggrammie's daughter:)

[vettecruiser1]

Thanks for all the help! It's vacation and that alone is almost priceless. Having the little guy along will be just that much better. We have already decided that this is really not a cruise vacation but more a time when someone else get to do all the cleaning and cooking and we are just along for the ride. Not planning any excursions, just hanging out, maybe do a little shopping and go to the beach. Oh as my wife calls it heaven on Earth, the Caribbean in the winter, there is no better place. Now if we can just figure out a way to get someone to babysit so we can have one evening to go to the specialty dinning(sometimes the people you meet on these ships have responsible teenagers that want to earn a little money to spend before port). But hey if it doesn't happen that is cool

[sas80]

Thanks for all the help! It's vacation and that alone is almost priceless. Having the little guy along will be just that much better. We have already decided that this is really not a cruise vacation but more a time when someone else get to do all the cleaning and cooking and we are just along for the ride. Not planning any excursions, just hanging out, maybe do a little shopping and go to the beach. Oh as my wife calls it heaven on Earth, the Caribbean in the winter, there is no better place. Now if we can just figure out a way to get someone to babysit so we can have one evening to go to the specialty dinning(sometimes the people you meet on these ships have responsible teenagers that want to earn a little money to spend before port). But hey if it doesn't happen that is cool

 

Are you chatting with your meet & mingle board people?

 

The last cruise we went on I was chatting with a mom on the meet & mingle roll call board. We had all been chatting for awhile when I asked if anyone would volunteer to sit at dinner with us knowing that we had an 8 month old and that he might be with us, if we couldn't arrange babysitting - and arranging babysitting was a priority.

 

One of the people on the boards asked if I wanted her 13 year old daughter to babysit. Lynette said that her daughter was responsible, babysat at home, knew CPR and would love the extra cash.

 

It worked out great!

 

Maybe someone on your roll call board can help you?