Any tips for traveling with one year old kid?

[jalam007]

Hi, we are bringing our baby to NCL Hawaii cruise this November. And our daughter will be 13 month-old by then. This is our first time travel with her both by plane and cruise. Can anyone gives us some tips or share their experience about traveling with a one year old? There are few questions that we have.

1. Do they allow one year old kid in the formal dinner?

2. When going for the island tour, do they have car seat for you, or you have to bring your own?

3. Do they provide a small bed for the one year old in the room?

Thank you so much for your help! :confused: :confused:

[Toyz711]

on NCL there are no formal dinners...only "dress up is you want" dinners.

yes, kids are allowed...

if you haven't yet, be sure to go over to the family boards:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

[Des1996]

We just got back from the Dawn with our 15 month old. We had a wonderful time! NCL is great with the kids. Your child will be treated like royalty.

 

NCL does provide either a crib or pack n play in your room. Just be sure to specify what one you want when you book your cruise (if you've already booked, be sure to contact your TA or NCL, if you booked direct, to let them know you will need one in your room & which one you want). It will be in your room upon embarkation.

 

You can also get a high chair for your room (if you should want to take any meals in your room).

 

The best advice I can give when travelling is to give yourself enough time & be patient.

[sunrise&set]

We just got back from the Dawn with our 15 month old. We had a wonderful time! NCL is great with the kids. Your child will be treated like royalty.

 

NCL does provide either a crib or pack n play in your room. Just be sure to specify what one you want when you book your cruise (if you've already booked, be sure to contact your TA or NCL, if you booked direct, to let them know you will need one in your room & which one you want). It will be in your room upon embarkation.

 

You can also get a high chair for your room (if you should want to take any meals in your room).

 

The best advice I can give when travelling is to give yourself enough time & be patient.

 

Do you know what size the crib is? My son will be 13 months and he's very big for his age. Just wondering if he'll fit in the crib. I have to call NCL to make sure that's noted on our reservation.

 

Also, with the high chair in the room... did you ask for that in advance or after boarding? We're in an AE penthouse suite and would love to have a highchair in the room. Thanks!

 

Oops... just noticed you responded to my question in another post! Thanks again! I don't know what I'd do without CC!

[KerCar]

We just got back from the Dawn with our 15 month old. We had a wonderful time! NCL is great with the kids. Your child will be treated like royalty.

 

My DD was 15 months on her first cruise and I agree with you 100%!

 

To the OP:

 

Here is a link from a great thread on the Family Board called "Tips for Cruising with Kids" http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=687689

 

Lots of great info!

[Des1996]

Not sure about the crib size & we had a pack n play. We were given the option when we booked directly through NCL for either a crib or a pack n play. We also had the high chair reserved when we booked our cruise.

 

We had an AB penthouse & the high chair was not in our room on embarkation. We just asked our room steward right away for one & he brought it within 1/2 hour. It was so nice to have the high chair in our room. I didn't think we would use it very much, but we did.

 

The biggest obstacle is not overpacking. ;)

 

The take n toss sippy cups, silverware, etc. are awesome for traveling with. I took a pack of the take n toss sippy cups (they now have them in spill proof) that way we could just toss them when the cruise was over. We also took some dish detergent with us in a small container & a bottle brush to wash out sippy cups.

[jalam007]

Thank you for the tips and links. Have anybody done any land tour with an infant?

[msescada]

We started with our oldest at 9 mos on the Norway. Took him via ship tour on bus to beach. brought stroller, not car seat. held him, stroller went under bus. worked fine. Have done many ship tours over the years with him (he's almost 13 now) and with his little brother (just 3 now). Truthfully, for big tour places, like Rome, Florence, we did a private tour with minivan and guide because all day on a tour with 50 others would have been a disaster given our kids' personalities. But when we have done a ship's tour with the little ones, it generally worked out okay. Just pick them right. They have to be kid friendly places, with something for the kids to do. So a bus tour of port on the way to the beach is just about perfect. A tour with a few stops is good too because it gives the kid a chance to run around and be as loud as he/she wants. Bring all you need, especially water. Hardest part is carrying all the stuff for the little one. Our worst tour was private tour in Florence because the kids' daddy wanted to spend so much time at the Uffizzi and the rest of us couldn't wait to leave. I know, we're just uncultured! But the then 18 month old couldn't stay in his stroller any longer. So it really is the choice of place and activity that makes a difference, rather than the mode of transportation.

[Seago2]

Your baby won't be allowed in any pools- I know some people have brough inflatable baby pools to use!

[whistlerwinter]

Our son who is now three and half has been on three cruises. We started when he was nine months. We have been on both NCL and HAL. We have always taken our son into the formal restaurants and he has been a huge hit dressed in his bow ties and dinner jackets.

 

For the first two cruises we had a pack and play delivered to out cabin. The second time our son used it he was 21 months old and was about 35 inches tall. He has always been very tall for his age and he had no problems. This last time he slept in the pull out bed, we had a mini suite.

 

Kids that are not potty trained are not supposed to be in any of the pools even with swim diapers. That being said, the cruise we just got off there were several children in the pool that were not potty trained and the staff never said anything. I know when my son was 21 months old we took him into the kid's pool on the Star with a swim diaper.

 

For the excursions children under two are free. We did a city tour in Puerto Vallarta when he was 21 months and he just sat on our lap on the bus, this past trip we bought a booster seat to take with us, but we ended up not using it, he just sat on our laps in the taxis while in Mexico.

 

We have always had a great time travelling with our son and have found cruising to be easy with a young child.

 

As I think one other person said, do take a sports bottle or some other larger beverage container so that you can store milk in your cabin, sometimes it took longer to get the milk from room service then my son wanted to wait, so it was nice to always have a supply on hand. We also did this with apple juice as it is not as easy to come by after breakfast is over.

[whistlerwinter]

Our son who is now three and half has been on three cruises. We started when he was nine months. We have been on both NCL and HAL. We have always taken our son into the formal restaurants and he has been a huge hit dressed in his bow ties and dinner jackets.

 

For the first two cruises we had a pack and play delivered to out cabin. The second time our son used it he was 21 months old and was about 35 inches tall. He has always been very tall for his age and he had no problems. This last time he slept in the pull out bed, we had a mini suite.

 

Kids that are not potty trained are not supposed to be in any of the pools even with swim diapers. That being said, the cruise we just got off there were several children in the pool that were not potty trained and the staff never said anything. I know when my son was 21 months old we took him into the kid's pool on the Star with a swim diaper.

 

For the excursions children under two are free. We did a city tour in Puerto Vallarta when he was 21 months and he just sat on our lap on the bus, this past trip we bought a booster seat to take with us, but we ended up not using it, he just sat on our laps in the taxis while in Mexico.

 

We have always had a great time travelling with our son and have found cruising to be easy with a young child.

 

As I think one other person said, do take a sports bottle or some other larger beverage container so that you can store milk in your cabin, sometimes it took longer to get the milk from room service then my son wanted to wait, so it was nice to always have a supply on hand. We also did this with apple juice as it is not as easy to come by after breakfast is over.

[plante]

You might not like to hear it, but a cruise is no place for a 13 month old. I know a lot of couples who feel they must take their children everywhere, but ask yourself, "will my child really enjoy the cruise." Easy solution: get a babysitter for a week or wait until your child is a little owner & can truly enjoy a cruise.

[plante]

You might not like to hear it, but a cruise is no place for a 13 month old. I know a lot of couples who feel they must take their children everywhere, but ask yourself, "will my child really enjoy the cruise." Easy solution: get a babysitter for a week or wait until your child is a little older & can truly enjoy a cruise.

[KerCar]

You might not like to hear it, but a cruise is no place for a 13 month old. I know a lot of couples who feel they must take their children everywhere, but ask yourself, "will my child really enjoy the cruise." Easy solution: get a babysitter for a week or wait until your child is a little older & can truly enjoy a cruise.

 

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you 100%:D My DD was 15 months on her first cruise and she had a blast. I've got 275 pictures to prove it! DH and I tried the whole "leave the baby at home" thing on our Celebrity cruise to Bermuda and it just was not the same as the incredible family cruise we had on the Spirit. DH and I still manage to get away by ourselves, but when we sail NCL, we bring the kids and LOVE it:D NCL offers Time for Tots specifically designed for the under 2 crowd so IMO an NCL cruise is the PERFECT place for a 13 month old.

[falken]

Kids that are not potty trained are not supposed to be in any of the pools even with swim diapers. That being said, the cruise we just got off there were several children in the pool that were not potty trained and the staff never said anything. I know when my son was 21 months old we took him into the kid's pool on the Star with a swim diaper.

 

You admit you know fecally incontinent individuals should not be in the pool, but took your 21 month old son anyway?

That is pretty much the same as knowing you have the Norovirus but heading over to the buffet to sneeze on all the food.

 

Very small amounts of fecal matter will destroy the free chlorine in the pool very quickly, not only do you then have the spread of disease from the fecal matter itself but now the entire pool is much more open to the spreading of all sorts of bacteria and viruses. Swim diapers do not prevent this, they simply hold up better when submerged in water.

 

They didn't just invent these regulations to try and make sure your child didn't have any fun. The safety of your child and every other person to enter that pool is placed at a much higher level of danger than needed.

 

I don't care if you are 6 months, 14 years, or 82 years old. If you can not hold your bowels and bladder on your own you have no business in a public swimming pool.

[mitsybella]

how often do they change the water in the pools on NCL. The last cruise we took with them we did not see the pools being emptied at all and by the end of the week they smelled like a sewer, when we were on Carnival the pools were emptied each night. This being said I would not go in the pools or let my children in the pools anyway diapers or not.

[silkhair1]

Bring enough diapers and wipes as they are very expensive on the ship. My youngest was 2 when he did his first cruise and he got to go to the kids club. Made it a lot easier. Everyone (except nasty passengers) have been so nice to my kids, They are well behaved though.

 

I think family vacations are a good thing and they can never start too early. There is not enough family time now a days. Have a fun time. Oh yes, I forgot. I brought a bottle of laundry detergent and washed a lot of shirts in the sink and hung them up to dry (balcony). We were on the Star that did not have a laundry.

[Mich1121]

You might not like to hear it, but a cruise is no place for a 13 month old. I know a lot of couples who feel they must take their children everywhere, but ask yourself, "will my child really enjoy the cruise." Easy solution: get a babysitter for a week or wait until your child is a little older & can truly enjoy a cruise.

 

Are you kidding me??? Yeah, a child would be better for a week without his or her parents. You will enjoy the cruise even more with your child there. You must be someone who doesn't like children. A cruise is a great place for a baby. Lots to see which will occupy their busy little minds.

[BeachBumMama]

Hi, we are bringing our baby to NCL Hawaii cruise this November. And our daughter will be 13 month-old by then. This is our first time travel with her both by plane and cruise. Can anyone gives us some tips or share their experience about traveling with a one year old? There are few questions that we have.

 

1. Do they allow one year old kid in the formal dinner?

2. When going for the island tour, do they have car seat for you, or you have to bring your own?

3. Do they provide a small bed for the one year old in the room?

 

Thank you so much for your help! :confused: :confused:

Here is a quote of what the OP was asking. This is to refresh you as I don't think you read it properly.

 

You might not like to hear it, but a cruise is no place for a 13 month old. I know a lot of couples who feel they must take their children everywhere, but ask yourself, "will my child really enjoy the cruise." Easy solution: get a babysitter for a week or wait until your child is a little owner & can truly enjoy a cruise.

Here is your reply.

 

 

The OP was asking for tips on bringing a child, not whether she should bring the child or not. Hmmmm:confused: , I'm trying to find where you were asked for your opinion and I can't seem to find it. If I missed something, feel free to correct me. But even the title of the thread asked for 'tips', so why you came in to give your 'opinion' on their choice, I don't know.

 

To the OP, you'll have a wonderful time. The cruise lines make it so family friendly. My kids are older, but had some friends recently who traveled with a toddler and they said their biggest mistake was overpacking. Have a great time.:)

[bill turcotte]

when our girls were 14 months they went on thier 1st ship. They had a good time . It was still a lot of work on us . Watching a baby is hard at home or on a ship . But it was great for me just to be in a different place .

The crew wwas great . the kids club let the girls play in the kids room as long as we were thier . They like the shows for about 10mins ..to dance for about ten mins ect ..We were running from one time to the next but it worked . What they liked most of all was to run down the long hallways pasting all the state rooms .

 

Bring a blow up tub , so you can give a bath . We took all the stuff out of are mini fringe and filled it up with milk ..Our cabin guy cleaned all the bottles for us every night .He brought us more milk every night . He changed the trash with the daipers in it 3 times a day ..We did wrap them . He was great so we tipped him an extra $100 . We told him what we needed and would make our life easy and he figured a way to get it done . He took the beds out of the room so the pack and play would fit better . We got connecting rooms . He did 100 things he never had to do --Becuase we asked .

 

The kids clup set up a mini pool for the girls . So when they were done swimming we just empty the pool . We did the work of filling the pool and empting the pool .. and cleaning .

 

We never ate in the main dinning . we did speedy dinning in the buffets . We could not sit for 1hr and half with the girls .

[beachchick]

Are you kidding me??? Yeah, a child would be better for a week without his or her parents. You will enjoy the cruise even more with your child there. You must be someone who doesn't like children. A cruise is a great place for a baby. Lots to see which will occupy their busy little minds.

 

I think it's an entirely personal decision. You're right that none of us can tell another parent that it's somehow a bad idea to bring a very young child on a cruise. However, I have to disagree that it's always best for all parents to always bring them. It's entirely possible for parents of a 1-y/o (give or take) to want and need a break to regroup, refresh, and reconnec. It's entirely possible for the grandparents of that same child to crave a week or so of "alone time" with their new grandbaby. There's nothing, nothing at all, wrong with that.

 

Certainly it's not appropriate for any of us to tell other parents what to do, but it doesn't necessarily make someone not "like children" if they wouldn't bring infants on a cruise. We would not have brought our DD on a cruise when she was tiny, but that was our choice, and I definitely wouldn't try to tell another parent what to do.

 

beachchick

[4JustUs2]

We took my 20 month old daughter on cruise. It was a wonderful vacation! You can actually have a wonderful time with your child and not be stressed about having a meal made or the house picked up, as somebody else will be taking care you you. My best tip, bring an umbrella stroller and a harness. I would do it again in a second. She entertained all the elderly people on the cruise as they always enjoy babies. However, if we brought her to a meal with us we sat by ourselves, we were never seated with others with her during a meal. The crew always took excellent care of making sure she got a drink and a meal ASAP. The BEST family vacation by far!

[jalam007]

Thank you for all the tips from all of you. I think we will bring our 5 month old daughter to her first cruise trip in Nov this year. We also want to bring her onto the shore with us. Does anybody have experience going to the land/bus tour with a one year old? Do they allow baby on board? Do they charge extra for kids younger than two? We are still debating rather to join the tours from the shore excursions or just rent a car then drive around. Thank you for any suggestion! :) :)

[Lib0007]

We first cruised with our son when he was 11 months old. While it was not the most relaxing cruise we've ever been on, we enjoyed having him with us. He rec'd so much attention from the crew - you could tell alot of them must miss their kids and loved having a baby on board.

 

Every night when we went into the dining room (not NCL), the high chair was waiting for him. It was difficult getting him to go to sleep since we were all in one tiny room, so after dinner, we changed him into his pj's and took a long walk with him in the stroller until he would fall asleep. We wheeled the stroller into the back of the theatre a couple of times and watched the show and he never woke up.

 

The only thing we didn't enjoy was having to take turns going into the casino, or to do any of the activities so the other one could stay in the cabin with him. It would have been great to have a 3rd person with us . . . like a grandparent to help babysit.

 

Enjoy your cruise and the memories you will make cruising with your son.

[expoguide]

We took our DD when she was 12 months and we all had a great time - the staff loved her (Carnival). We met the head chef the first day onboard at lunch and he arranged for a speical meal for our daughter at each dinner - it was a great treat for her and allowed us to enjoy our meals so much more knowing that there was always going to be something for her to enjoy at dinner! We are taking her on the GEM this April when she will be 24 months and are looking forward to it.

 

You won't be able to do all the activities you would if your kid wasn't with you but you will still have a great time - just go with their flow (ie, don't make big plans) and you will be fine!