Cruising with a baby- Under a year old

[Dee79]

What are your opinions on bringing a baby on a 7 day cruise? The babe would be anywhere from 5-7 months. There is no option of leaving him/her home.

 

My DH and I are planning on getting pregnant soon if we aren't already. Our plan was to take a 7 day cruise out of Charleston next year for our 30th and 40th birthdays.

 

We aren't very adventurous people and I'm sure we could have a better time without our child there but I refuse to leave a baby home with a family member for that long a time.

 

This trip is not set in stone, just looking for opinions of THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT.

 

Thanks!

[OnTheBrink]

We went for 7 days when John was 8 months and Emma was 4 years. It wasn't the most relaxing trip, but it was loads of fun! It was kind of hard that John wanted to crawl everywhere, but I wasn't about to let him crawl around in public areas like that. We got to hang out in the children's area with him and let him crawl around there, which didn't freak me out nearly as much.

 

Until that cruise, he was basically exclusively breastfed. (We had offered him bits of fruit at about 7 months, but he wasn't interested.) ON that cruise, he became our little eating machine! The fact that fresh fruit was available all the time thrilled him! He hasn't stopped eating since!

 

We're getting ready to go on a 10 day cruise next month. My husband was just talking about how glad he is that we don't have to pack diapers this time. That is true! Just plan on taking an extra suitcase full of diapers and wipes. As you empty it out, you can fill it with souveniers and such.

 

You'll have fun!

 

Oh - and I don't blame you for taking your baby! I'd never leave a baby that age either! As a matter of fact, I wouldn't want to leave my nearly 7 year old that long!

[Dee79]

Thanks for the response! I posted this question on a regular board and got completely bombarded with rude responses lol but some came to my defense. I learned my lesson.

 

I'm very happy I found this board! I think I read every baby related response there was earlier today so I appreciate any feedback I can get.

[OnTheBrink]

Oh, I just saw your signature line! I am so sorry about the taxes. We had that happen last year. It made our overall monthly mortgage payment jump 60%. Ouch! I'm glad you can go on your trip now, though!

[bigpuma]

We cruised with our 22 month son and my BIL and SIL brought their 6 month old son. We also brought MIL and FIL who were able to give us a couple of nights free. It can definitely be done it is just not as relaxing of a vacation. I encourage you to bring family along who can help out. :)

[cherylandtk]

Hi Dee, I just had to come over here and make sure you found this forum after that incredibly nasty 'welcome' over on the Cruise Question board. JEEESH..what rotten, cranky folks. I would much rather sit next to a baby on board than anyone with that mean-spirited old snotty attitude.

 

We took a family cruise with a 9 MO--I really echo the sentiment to see if you can convince a trusted friend, sister, in-laws, whatever, to come with you just so you and DH can steal a few moments to yourselves out on deck or in the spa or wherever. Otherwise you are on duty 24/7, which is fine at home but can be hard to handle when you have paid a bundle for a cruise and then cannot take advantage of all the things a cruise ship offers.

 

The other thing you might want to think about is waiting until the baby is little older until you book (or at least make final payment), just so you know if they are the sleep-through-anything type or the colicky-don't-sleep-for-two-years type and how they handle travel.

[kitty9]

Thanks for the response! I posted this question on a regular board and got completely bombarded with rude responses lol but some came to my defense. I learned my lesson.

 

I'm very happy I found this board! I think I read every baby related response there was earlier today so I appreciate any feedback I can get.

 

 

I'm sorry, but you were not "bombarded" with rude responses on the other board. There was ONE out of line person who was rude, saying to tell him when you were cruising so he could avoid it, but that was the ONLY rude response you received on that thread. The only other questionable one was from someone responding to a post other than yours, so it wasn't directed at your question at all. Actually, after that rude post, everyone defended you and admonished the rude poster. Sometimes, people will read into things and think for whatever reason they will say people are being mean, but that certainly was not the case on that thread, with the exception of that one person.

 

Perhaps what you thought as rude was people just giving you their honest opinions of what you'll encounter when cruising with a very young infant. I was one who pointed out that you need to check the personality of your baby to see if he/she will be able to handle the change in schedule. And I also pointed out the reality of a crying infant who does not sleep though the night. Opinions such as those, which you asked for, are not rude, but only intended to indicate what you MIGHT expect when taking an infant on a cruise.

[crusinmama06]

I'm sorry, but you were not "bombarded" with rude responses on the other board. There was ONE out of line person who was rude, saying to tell him when you were cruising so he could avoid it, but that was the ONLY rude response you received on that thread. Actually, after that rude post, everyone defended you and admonished the rude poster. Sometimes, people will read into things and think for whatever reason will say people are being mean, but that certainly was not the case on that thread, with the exception of that one person.

 

Perhaps what you thought as rude was people just giving you their honest opinions of what you'll encounter when cruising with a very young infant. I was one who pointed out that you need to check the personality of your baby to see if he/she will be able to handle the change in schedule. And I also pointed out the reality of a crying infant who does not sleep though the night. Opinions such as those, which you asked for, are not rude, but only intended to indicate what you MIGHT expect when taking an infant on a cruise.

 

Kitty sorry but the tone of that thread is the same as I see on many kid threads on the main boards with the same usual list of characters responding. I could have predicted what one of those posters was going to say word for word because she makes the same comment on every child thread. :rolleyes:

 

You don't see it as rude. I see it as predictable and not very helpful.

 

Saying things like "make sure you are taking a healthy child"...doesn't really matter because in reality, the child can be perfectly healthy and things STILL happen. My 8 month old child seized and stopped breathing on a cruise ship. She was 100% healthy when we boarded. She never spent one second in the nursery around other kids. I am a germaphobe who religiously makes sure to wash hands before touching the children. I breastfed her to keep her immunity up. Yet she STILL picked something up on the ship, got sick and seized.

 

The doctors were able to handle her medically (better than the doctors at Port Canaveral Hospital with no bedside manner)

 

So how about some advice from the thousands of parents who did take infants and had no problems. My case and the case of the mother you know about is a RARE circumstance.

 

And although that happened to us, I would never try to discourage a family from bringing their infant. The only thing I would discourage is to try to stay away from cold/flu season when taking a very young child on a cruise. That cruise was a Feb cruise and it seemed like everyone onboard was hacking/coughing.

[karatemom2]

Michele I agree completely. I have seen it over and over again on the main boards. Not all negative comments are as in your face as the one poster. Many are couched in seemingly kinder rhetoric, but the message is the same - Stay Home! That is why I always refer Moms over here because I don't expect them to get slammed, but get constructive advice and support which they usually do.

[kitty9]

Michele, we can respectfully agree to disagree on this. My perception of rude and yours is obviously different. For me, it would be the one poster who basically said don't cruise with me. When a new poster comes on board, and a new parent for that matter comes and asks questions pertaining to what they can expect, it's not rude to bring up things that a new parent might not understand, such as how a change in schedule and in colicky infant can be a big hassle. Yes, you have a point about the child that stopped breathing, and if you insist and others insist, I won't ever bring that up again, but I don't feel it's out of line to inform a new parent and new cruiser about situations they may not realize as fact. I'm a very long time poster here, and I've never told a parent not to bring a child on a cruise. I could give a rat's behind what any parent does, because it doesn't affect my cruise whatsoever. But when a parent specifically asks what they can expect when they want to bring an infant on a cruise, it does no good just to paint a sunshine and roses picture and then have them experience something completely different. It's a disservice to the parent. Just because someone points out what a parent could face in terms of cruising with an infant, doesn't mean they are telling that parent not to cruise. And I don't believe these comments are "couched" to get the parent not to cruise. It's just a dose of some reality.

[MommaOML]

I took my DS, age 6.5 months, on his first cruise last January. We booked last-minute, simply because we were looking for a bargain. I'm quite convinced he is the world's most easy-going kid, so that makes things a lot easier. If I had a colicky, inconsolable baby who was prone to fits of crying for no discernable reason, I'm sure we wouldn't have taken him.

 

Anyway, our first cruise was a 5 day, and we had a blast. I would encourage it in a heartbeat. You might run into some nay-sayers who will say "S/he won't even remember this vacation!" Yeah, but I will. I will forever cherish having a nap with him on the beach in Cozumel, chilling in the shade pool-side on Lido, or how absolutely adorable he looked all dressed up for formal night. Everyone we saw, from the Red Hat Ladies (who were having some sort of convention on ship) to the staff just went goo-goo over him.

 

Yeah, you have to take lots of stuff ... diapers, wipes, clothes. Maybe food if they're on solids by then. Bottles/sippy cups, etc etc. Well, no matter where you vacation with a child, you are going to have to bring that stuff!

 

Be sure to check with your cruise line so that baby is old enough to be on-board. If you're breastfeeding, that makes life a lot easier. If baby is right around that 6 month mark, I wouldn't push for starting solids earlier, because that greatly complicates your feeding requirements on ship.

 

If you can bring along a family member, that would make it easier for you to be able to take in some of the nightlife. Or, you'll need to become comfortable with leaving baby with the on-ship sitters. I wasn't able to do that on our last cruise (exclusively BF baby who wouldn't take a bottle), but this cruise, we sure will!!

[crusinmama06]

Michele, we can respectfully agree to disagree on this. My perception of rude and yours is obviously different.

 

Well since Dee wrote "just looking for opinions of THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT"

 

I just think it speaks volumes when she receives advice from those who have NOT.

[wanderingfool]

What are your opinions on bringing a baby on a 7 day cruise? The babe would be anywhere from 5-7 months. There is no option of leaving him/her home.

 

My DH and I are planning on getting pregnant soon if we aren't already. Our plan was to take a 7 day cruise out of Charleston next year for our 30th and 40th birthdays.

 

We aren't very adventurous people and I'm sure we could have a better time without our child there but I refuse to leave a baby home with a family member for that long a time.

 

This trip is not set in stone, just looking for opinions of THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT.

 

Thanks!

 

We have taken our son on two cruises so far; when he was 6 months old and then again when he was 9 months old. The first trip was a 9 day Alaska repositioning cruise and the second one was a 7 day Eastern Caribbean. It was just me, my husband and son traveling together and we had a great time.

 

The great thing about a cruise vacation with a baby is that you get to see several different places without packing up every night and driving (or flying) somewhere new. The staff typically will dote on the very littlest passengers (often because they miss their own children) and even if you don't have a babysitter/grandparent/etc. there is still someone making your meals, cleaning your room, etc. Room service, even if it is basic sandwiches and sodas, is a wonderful indulgence - I certainly don't have coffee brought to me every morning when I am at home!

 

Our son really loved seeing all the different people and especially all the new accents and terms of endearment from other cultures. I think as long as you remain "go with the flow" and aren't opposed to "missing out" on some of the activities then you will have a great trip.

[bmgaritty]

Hi Dee, I just had to come over here and make sure you found this forum after that incredibly nasty 'welcome' over on the Cruise Question board. JEEESH..what rotten, cranky folks. I would much rather sit next to a baby on board than anyone with that mean-spirited old snotty attitude.

 

quote]

 

I really have to ask - what kind of attitude are you presenting here??

[bmgaritty]

What are your opinions on bringing a baby on a 7 day cruise? The babe would be anywhere from 5-7 months. There is no option of leaving him/her home.

 

My DH and I are planning on getting pregnant soon if we aren't already. Our plan was to take a 7 day cruise out of Charleston next year for our 30th and 40th birthdays.

 

We aren't very adventurous people and I'm sure we could have a better time without our child there but I refuse to leave a baby home with a family member for that long a time.

 

This trip is not set in stone, just looking for opinions of THOSE WHO HAVE DONE IT.

 

Thanks!

 

I would wait until you find out the demeanor of your baby. Some travel well, others do not. You may have an infant that is colicky and cries from 3 - 9 every night or is a happy go with the flow, I can sleep anywhere baby.

 

My child is a great traveler, others in my experience are not. It's something you won't know until after the baby is born.

 

I have been on cruises (one in particular) where a child screamed all night in the next cabin every night. It was not fun. I tried to come back to the room to sleep in the afternoon - baby still screaming next door. I did talk to the mother during the cruise out on deck. She admitted to me (not knowing I was in the cabin next door) that her son was a crier and she was happy to have someone making her meals and making the beds. She had no concern regarding other passengers. She knew beforehand that her child was like this as the norm but still chose to cruise. She really didn't care that she would be ruining other peoples vacations. I think parents with this type of attituder ruin for the rest of us who try to be responsible parents.

 

Many people are giving you good advice on both boards - if you post in an open forum you need to expect all sorts of answers. It's a bit naive to not expect it.

 

Good Luck!

[cruisnmom3]

Hi-I took my first cruise with a 3 yo and an 8 month old. She did great! The hard parts were as others have mentioned-lugging around extra stuff (But we would have to do that for any vacation), and being stuck in the cabin at 8 or 9pm when they went to sleep. We actually had to sit in the hall so they would fall asleep b/c having us in there with them was a distraction, LOL! We actually had other families on either side of us and we spoke and crying wasn't an issue-we took pains to keep them quiet though-no CIO on this trip!!

 

Dinner was a bit difficult at times-getting an 8 month old to be still and quiet for a 2 hour long dinner can be a challenge, but we are used to going to restaurants and handled it much the same way, with distractions, walking around, and leaving or getting room service if we needed too. DH and I tag teamed the nightlife and midnight buffet. We also brought along some relatives who babysat and gave us some time out which I would highly recommend. I wasn't comfortable with group babysitting for an 8 month old-they stay awake pretty much.

 

The other thing is, you need fewer toys than you think-you can use the ones in camp carnival in the afternoon, and bring along a small kiddie pool so they can splash!

 

If you can cruise out of a port you can drive to that is helpful as well. We had a great time though-it was very relaxing-DH 'supervised naps' every day so I got 2 hours of alone time on the deck, and he and I picked out activities that we really wanted to do and switched off. It was our first cruise and we are now going on our third in 18 months so I'd say it went well!!

[sharktums]

We brought our 8 month old on the Grand Princess in December of 07, and will be bringing her on the Liberty of the Seas this December.

 

I agree with others that if you can bring any other family member for some help it will be nice, but it's definitely doable and you'll still have a good time if it's just you guys.

 

Also, bring a lot of sanitizer, wipes, etc. We couldn't stop our daughter from wanting to crawl and stand on stuff. I just tried to wipe everything down, then clean her off immediately before she put her hands in her mouth. She didn't get sick so that was a blessing!

[rn1302]

I have 5 children, one which is 16 months old. She has a great temperament and have yet to really hear her cry for any length of time. So far i have only traveled short distances with her and has been no problem. I also have two children who I could have NEVER NEVER taken on a week long vacation at such a young age. I don't think my husband and I would have survived. They are all a bit older now and thank goodness have outgrown it and are well behaved children. I would honestly recommend that you wait to see what type of personality the baby has and book your cruise later if possible. You can usually determine if they are going to be colicky around 3 or 4 weeks and you can really also tell what personality they have at about a month or so. From experience, not on cruise though, it is VERY difficult to travel with a fussy baby. It is a lot of work taking children on vacation regardless of how well behaved they are but I do love taking them wherever we go. Someday, they will be grown up and may not want to go anymore. Our friend and her daughter are going with us on our cruise and will be able to give my husband and I a break every now and then. I do recommend that you have a family member or friend come with you so that you and your husband can have some time alone together. Good luck! Let us know how it works out!

[Baxter]

Our daughter has 3 cruises behind her, and she's just short of 17 months. She sailed at 11 months, 14 months, and 16 months. She's a great little traveller. We wouldn't consider sailing without her. And I'm not one to leave her with family, so travelling without her is not an option (we sailed with grandparents, and an aunt on this last cruise, and we still didn't leave her with anyone). But my husband and I are very conscience about making sure each other has time to themselves. So I would still get my time to relax at the pool, and he would have his spin class and spa time. It worked out beautifully.

 

I echo the sentiments of those who say wait until you know the temperment. I am super-anal about not infringing on someone else's holiday. So when our daughter wakes at 3am, ready to play and refusing to go back to sleep, once of us will walk in a public area with her so as not to disturb the other passengers. If we suspected she would cry every night, for hours on end, we would not have travelled until that stopped.

 

I am the opposite of a germaphobe: she was exclusively breast-milk fed until 1 year for the immunity reasons, but I strongly encourage her to touch anything and everything without chasing her down with sanitizer. And she remains a healthy little one.

[2112]

We took a 5 day cruise last year with our 7 month old. Overall, it went great. He is pretty easy going and slept through most dinners. Although he was sleeping through the night at home, we was up a bit at night on the cruise. Not sure if it was the different environment or the different time zone. He wasn't crawling yet at the time, which makes things a bit easier. We would do it all over again without hesitation. To be honest, I am more worried about our May cruise with our now active 2 year old than I was last time when he was 7 months old.

[curlymom]

I literally JUST got back from cruising with my 4 1/2 mo daughter, and it was fabulous! Truly, the cruise was planned before she was...but everything worked out beautifully!

 

I was most nervous about flying, but she slept on take off and landing and was an angel during the flight. All of the staff on the ship were SUPER friendly, and I think a lot of the staff really enjoyed interacting with her because they all miss their own kids so much. We only went to one show, which she slept through, but that was fine with us (we sat in the back with the stroller nearby in case we needed to make a quick exit if she got fussy). We did 3 of the 4 ports of call, including two beaches.

 

I think two things come in handy when traveling with young children:

1. Having the right attitude. You can't assume that your trip will be like traveling before you had kids. We played everything by ear, had no set plans, and waited to see how she reacted to everything before we chose to take on an activity.

2. Lots of early planning. I worked really hard to have every imaginable thing that we would need (diapers, formula, bottled water, all the various medicines--none of which we needed!, etc...). All the hard work really paid off, though, because I wasn't worried or distracted by those things and I knew they were just a few feet away in our cabin.

 

In summary, traveling with a baby is lots of work, but it's fun time to be with your child, and if you choose the right boat and have the right attitude, it's completely worth it!

[Desertbelle]

Michele, we can respectfully agree to disagree on this. My perception of rude and yours is obviously different. For me, it would be the one poster who basically said don't cruise with me. When a new poster comes on board, and a new parent for that matter comes and asks questions pertaining to what they can expect, it's not rude to bring up things that a new parent might not understand, such as how a change in schedule and in colicky infant can be a big hassle. Yes, you have a point about the child that stopped breathing, and if you insist and others insist, I won't ever bring that up again, but I don't feel it's out of line to inform a new parent and new cruiser about situations they may not realize as fact. I'm a very long time poster here, and I've never told a parent not to bring a child on a cruise. I could give a rat's behind what any parent does, because it doesn't affect my cruise whatsoever. But when a parent specifically asks what they can expect when they want to bring an infant on a cruise, it does no good just to paint a sunshine and roses picture and then have them experience something completely different. It's a disservice to the parent. Just because someone points out what a parent could face in terms of cruising with an infant, doesn't mean they are telling that parent not to cruise. And I don't believe these comments are "couched" to get the parent not to cruise. It's just a dose of some reality.

 

I wonder Darcie, if you also give equal attention in warning people who ask a question about traveling with a elderly parent or with an adult who has a handicap of all the possible hazards of cruising?

 

Considering that the vast majority of medical evacuations and deaths on a cruise ship are elderly people who are cruising with heart problems, diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc., it would seem at least equally as important to point out to those cruisers all the possible problems that might come up.

 

I know that I have never been warned that traveling with my elderly parents might keep me from having the same type of cruise that I would have if they weren't with me. My parents insist on eating earlier than I would prefer, and they get grumpy and cranky if things don't go the way they like, and they wander off and get lost sometimes, and I am always worried that they will get off the ship and not find their way back. They also insist that we play cards with them at night when we would rather be in the casino or at a show. Maybe we should inquire to Celebrty about parent-sitters in the evenings so we can be free to go out and have a good time!! We change a lot of things when we cruise with my parents.....and yet we still have a wonderful time.

 

The same applies when we have traveled with our grandchildren. For instance, when we were in Acapulco with our children and grandchildren we went to a water park for the day....certainly not something my husband and I would have done alone. But, we had a wonderful time.

 

My greatest regret is that my husband and I don't have the money to take my parents, all my children and my grandchildren on a cruise every year. How glorious would that be?? :D

 

I have seen it over and over again on Cruise Critic where a poster gets attacked for even mentioning that they are thinking of traveling while pregnant or with their babies and children...I think it's a shame that some people wish to be fear mongers instead of being helpful and supportive.

[DaisyGirl55]

You might run into some nay-sayers who will say "S/he won't even remember this vacation!" Yeah, but I will. I will forever cherish having a nap with him on the beach in Cozumel, chilling in the shade pool-side on Lido, or how absolutely adorable he looked all dressed up for formal night.

 

 

Michelle, Sue, and the rest of you guys who cruise with your little ones...all I can say is Rock On! Or maybe more to the point...Cruise On! :D

 

I am in the final planning stages of planning my second family cruise, and this time..my 2 grandbabies will be coming as well. Makenna will be 19 months, and Braden will be 9 months old...and I just cannot wait!

 

A week with my grown boys, with my beautiful daughters-in law, and with my 2 precious babies...sounds like paradise to me! I know that it will not be my typical cruise of staying in the casino all night...sipping a drink by the pool while reading a book...and other things I do when just my DH and I cruise together.

 

But oh what memories I will have! And how much sweeter they will be for having made them with my family!

[Dee79]

I wanted to say thank you to all for replying to my post. I truly appreciate the advice. I have to say the negative advice really wore me out and now I'm rethinking the idea of cruising with my baby if it did happen the way we plan.

But then again I get excited about cruising with my little one after seeing such positive replies as well!

 

I have time to think about it, no deposits down on the trip yet so I have time to change my mind!

 

As far as room size goes. We were looking at the Junior Suites. It's bigger than the others obviously but not as glamorous as most suites which is fine. We're just in it for the cruise experience!

 

I have visions of my lil one on the beach with an oversized sun hat and tons of lotion on and a bit of relaxation. All that can change at a drop of the hat which I'm FINE with and so anxious for. But then I look at the negative responses and it gets me down. DH is looking forward to cruising with our little one so we'll see what happens.

 

Keep the posts coming! I've read every single one of them.

[Mich1121]

I will be cruising in 3 1/2 weeks and my daughter will be almost 11 months old. She is crawling not walking yet. She is not a high demand baby and is always happy and smilies constantly. Everywhere we go people always stop and want to talk to her and she smiles and cracks up laughing. If she did not have this temperment I would maybe think differently but I know she will be fine on the cruise. I know the obvious-if she is crying remove her from a restaurant and stick to her nap schedule. And I know I have to pack a ton of stuff. I always do when traveling. I would recommend going with your gut and what you feel is the right thing to do. Some people are not child friendly and may give you a look but oh well. As a parent you know what will be best when the time comes. If you have a colicky baby-get travel insurance this way if you have to cancel you have the option to. My daughter also sleeps very well at night but also relatives of mine are in the surrounding cabins so I don't have to worry about the noise level (they already knew what they maybe signing up for-not that I intend on being loud but my kids do get up early and like to watch cartoons by 7am) and I have plenty of baby sitters if I need a break. I am not planning any excursions because with my little one it might be impossible but I knew that going into the cruise. I'm planning things on my daughters terms and what I think she can handle and what kind of mood she is in. I'm also bringing her to the doctors to get checked out several days before sailing to make sure she is in 100% perfect health. Just as an extra precaution.