Booked first cruise with new baby April 20th! Can't wait!

[gagirl2006]

Hi everyone!

 

I booked our first cruise since having our baby for April 20th on the Holiday. It is the closest port to us and a good price so we thought we'd try it out. I'm a little nervous about taking the baby but he'll be 7 months then and we already have such a good time with him so I know it will just get better!

 

I will definitely be glued to these boards!!

[lgionet]

We are leaving Sunday and DS just turned 7 months yesterday. I'm a little nervous too but very excited. I can't wait. I'll post a review when I get home !

Gotta go pack !

[gagirl2006]

I would love to read your review! Thanks!! I hope you have a great time and that everything goes smoothly!!

[OnTheBrink]

How fun! On our first cruise, my son was eight months. It wasn't as relaxing as being able to send him to the kids club, but it was fun! The passengers and crew were wonderful! He tried all kinds of new foods and just generally enjoyed being around all those happy people!

 

Here are pictures:

http://www.familymoses.net/cruisepictures.htm

[rebeccalouise]

Have a great time. My son was 7 months old on one of our cruises and it worked out great. He was learning to crawl and we would take him to one of the empty lounges during the day- have a few drinks and feed him goldfish from the bar! It was really relaxing and we were with another couple that had a 10 mionth old- so was very fun.

[gagirl2006]

How fun! On our first cruise, my son was eight months. It wasn't as relaxing as being able to send him to the kids club, but it was fun! The passengers and crew were wonderful! He tried all kinds of new foods and just generally enjoyed being around all those happy people!

 

Here are pictures:

http://www.familymoses.net/cruisepictures.htm

Thanks! That is great to hear!

[gagirl2006]

Have a great time. My son was 7 months old on one of our cruises and it worked out great. He was learning to crawl and we would take him to one of the empty lounges during the day- have a few drinks and feed him goldfish from the bar! It was really relaxing and we were with another couple that had a 10 mionth old- so was very fun.

Thanks for your reply! We're very excited about going!

[awaldo]

We're going in a month with our 6 month old. We took our 4 year old when she was 10 months, and that was great, but we're interested to see how it works out with our 6 month old. I'll post any pros/cons we discover.

[gagirl2006]

We're going in a month with our 6 month old. We took our 4 year old when she was 10 months, and that was great, but we're interested to see how it works out with our 6 month old. I'll post any pros/cons we discover.

Thanks! I can't wait to hear! Where are y'all going and on what ship?

[awaldo]

Thanks! I can't wait to hear! Where are y'all going and on what ship?

RCCL Freedom of the Seas, Western Carib, including private island, caymans, ocho rios, and cozumel, w/ 2 sea days, on first, one last. Our 4 YO was on sippy cups and standing/assisted walking, so far 6 mo hasn't even crawled and of course is on bottles, so had to refigure all the packing we did last time...

[gagirl2006]

RCCL Freedom of the Seas, Western Carib, including private island, caymans, ocho rios, and cozumel, w/ 2 sea days, on first, one last. Our 4 YO was on sippy cups and standing/assisted walking, so far 6 mo hasn't even crawled and of course is on bottles, so had to refigure all the packing we did last time...

Are you taking a blow up tub to use? What are y'all doing in Cozumel? We're going to Cozumel and Calica. Will you be taking bottled water or using the water on the ship?

[gagirl2006]

Also I'm researching now what to do about taking a carseat. What is your plan?

[awaldo]

Are you taking a blow up tub to use? What are y'all doing in Cozumel? We're going to Cozumel and Calica. Will you be taking bottled water or using the water on the ship?

Well, we're still in negotiations with that. Wife is practicing showering with her, which is what we did before, but the jury is still out on that. Otherwise, a blow up tub I guess is what everyone else recommends. We've been using Nursery Water all along, but the plan now is to use purchased bottled water and those tubes of Enfamil powder so we don't need the can. On our previous cruises, they would deliver bottled water to our room (usually along with a few beers...) from the bar, so that worked well. In Cozumel, we're going to Chakanaab because the oldest wants to see the dolphins, so we'll just hang out on the beach there while DW and her do that.

[awaldo]

Also I'm researching now what to do about taking a carseat. What is your plan?

Alright, so I'm prepared to be crowned the worst parent ever, but when we've been on our past cruises, we just held on. We're never like that home, but I know my parents raised us like that and we survived, so we just held on and prayed...

[gagirl2006]

Well, we're still in negotiations with that. Wife is practicing showering with her, which is what we did before, but the jury is still out on that. Otherwise, a blow up tub I guess is what everyone else recommends. We've been using Nursery Water all along, but the plan now is to use purchased bottled water and those tubes of Enfamil powder so we don't need the can. On our previous cruises, they would deliver bottled water to our room (usually along with a few beers...) from the bar, so that worked well. In Cozumel, we're going to Chakanaab because the oldest wants to see the dolphins, so we'll just hang out on the beach there while DW and her do that.

Thanks for you reply! I'm afraid baby will be too slippery to do the shower thing! How is it working for your wife? We're going on Carnival so since he won't be able to use pools we're planning on taking blow up tub to use on deck for him to splash around in.

 

What about carseat?

[gagirl2006]

Alright, so I'm prepared to be crowned the worst parent ever, but when we've been on our past cruises, we just held on. We're never like that home, but I know my parents raised us like that and we survived, so we just held on and prayed...

You're safe with me! No crowns here for you! So they're not required there?

[awaldo]

She's only just now trying it. It's definitely harder than it was with the 10 MO she said. As for the carseats, they wouldn't care if you dangled your kid out the window by the leg as long as you had the cash to pay when you got there.

[gagirl2006]

That's what I figured.

[awaldo]

It's pretty much what you've experienced before, just with a baby. We learned to really not plan much and figure you're on "borrowed time". Even though your schedule may be perfect at home, which ours was, you can imagine how everything gets turned upside down. We basicall threw out all the "baby rules" as far as times between feedings, nap times, etc. and really just had to do what she wanted when she wanted then to avoid any problems, which we never had then. So that sometimes meant early bedtimes and cocktails for breakfast, but oh well! We looked at it this way...we were still on a cruise, which beats the heck out of the snow here!

[jonathansburden]

We're sailing in a month with our son who will be 7mo, I'll probably post a detailed review when I get back. As far as the shower, have you tried an aqua tot? I have one for my son that he LOVES. It's basically a front carrier made to go swimming with, we used it in the lake near our house last summer and we'll probably be bringing it next month! Best of luck!!

 

Nancy, I loved your pictures!

[gagirl2006]

Nancy,

I loved your pics too! The one of your children sleeping together is so adorable!!

[OnTheBrink]

Nancy,

I loved your pics too! The one of your children sleeping together is so adorable!!

 

Thanks - that's one of my all time favorites!

 

For the shower: We did bring a small blow up pool and put it in the shower. We also used it at the big pool and on our balcony. But we also figured out that he was perfectly happy to just sit on the floor of the shower with the shower "raining" on him. Turns out that babies are much easier than we think they are!

[awaldo]

I think we're going to take the inflatable tub. The mommy-baby shower seems risky at her age.

[RENMama]

I think we're going to take the inflatable tub. The mommy-baby shower seems risky at her age.

 

Weve showered with all 3 of our kiddos and never dropped them. I dont find it hard at all to keep a good grip on them even when they are little. Sometimes I bend my leg and rest them on it for a bit.

Try it at home the week before you go.

[Julienatul]

We sailed with our DD for the first time when she was 7 months. We brought the blow up tub, worked great in the shower and we even took it up on the lido deck and put it between our lounge chairs in the shade and used it dry as a playpen with toys in it. It worked great since she was just able to sit up on her own. We brought the gerber plastic baby food and a can of formula. We used ship water (the lido deck filtered one) to fill her bottles. We would feed her in our room in the stroller. We had late seating and we would do her bedtime routine and put her to sleep reclined in the stroller with a towel over the canopy. She slept through dinner every night next to us in her stroller which gave mommy and daddy some free time. We brought the car seat but only used it in one port where there were seat belts. We just took it easy and walked around in port or went to the beach or a restaurant. We tried to keep to her schedule fo feeding and naps. It was a great vacation, so good that we sailed again at 12mo, 19mo, 24mo and 27mo. 7mo was by far one of the easiest since she was not really mobile yet, then it gets a bit tougher. Its nothing like sailing pre-kids but in my opinion is one of the easiest vacations since everything is right there and you have someone waiting on you 24/7

 

enjoy

 

Julie