Infants matter too !

[AidansMommy]

This post is being written by aidans dad :rolleyes:

 

My wife and I are planning on bringing our 4 month old son on the NOS and I was quite surprised how litttle we get from the ship in the way of accomidations. We are paying full 3rd person fare for him , which I would understand, if he was getting the same services as any paying customer. My main gripe is the fact that he is not provided baby formula. One of the main perks about cruising is that food and entertainment is complimentary. The kitchens will make food kosher and even pureed yet our child is not provided with something as simple as powdered formula. I feel that if my child is going to be charged as an adult then he should get the same services and considerations that any paying customer would get. Infants are people TOO!!!! :confused:

[kitty9]

I thought the cruise lines provided infant formula, but if they don't, perhaps the reason is because there's so many different types of formula, and if your child is allergic to one kind or another, the cruise lines don't want the possibility of a liability lawsuit if a child should become ill due to an allergic reaction to a specific infant formula. I know my cousin's baby is highly allergic to a certain kind of powdered formula, so she has to be careful.

[NancyB84]

We pay alot less for our kids. If you don't mind me asking, which cruise line are you cruising? We paid about 1800/each for the adults and 900/each for the kids....on our cruise we have booked for 2005. 50% less. I think I would gripe if I were paying the full fare for a baby eating formula but at 50% less????

[bmgaritty]

Aiden's Dad,

I wouldn't expect a cruise line to provide infant formula. There are so many kinds and varieties. I wouldn't want to change a baby mid-stream either. A new formula may make a child gassy, upset stomach etc.

In my travels with my baby, I brought powdered formula and mixed with bottled water. Enfamil had little tubes of formula (expensive) that I also brought along and threw in my backpack. I could make a bottle right on the beach without having to worry about refrigeration.

Your wife probably received a ton of formula samples in the mail and from her doctor. Don't throw them away. Save the can and put your powder in the it. Those little cans are great for traveling on the plane etc. You always have extra in your carryon in case you have a plane delay. I would pack the large can for the week in my checked luggage.

 

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[katondeck]

I agree I think there are too many types of formula to expect the cruise lines to provide. Although some people have said that Princess did provide formula.

 

We are going on NCL and just paying taxes and port fees for our will be 10 month old. I am nursing so I do not have to worry about formula. But I am planning on buying baby food, diapers and wipes in FL when we get there so I do not have to pack them and lug them on the plane. I would do the same thing for formula.

[merela]

Princess provide baby food--rice cereal and Gerber's stage 2 baby food. If you feed your child organic baby food, then you'll need to bring your own. We brought our own teething biscuits and baby's favorite snacks and juices. We don't expect the cruiseline to provide for the infant. Most cruiseline do provide a crib.

 

When you travel with a baby or a small child who is too young to participate in kids' program, you have to consider the cost of taking the child on a ship. The best deal is Norwegian cruiseline where kids under 2 only pays port charges and taxes. I think that's very fair!!! It's next best thing to having it FREE.

 

But we, the adults, prefer the food served on Princess, so we opt for Princess cruises which offer 3rd and 4th passenger rates for 4-people cabins. In lots of Princess' 7-day cruises, the 3rd and 4th passenger rates are $199+taxes or $299+taxes. So essentially, that's 50% of the 1st and 2nd passenger rates.

 

You do have to shop around for the best price when travelling with an infant.

 

My sister who has a 6M old gave up a Copenhagen cruise because the add-on airfare for her infant daughter is as much as an adult airfare where most infant airfare is only 10% of the adult fare. And if she had booked the airfare on her own, the adult airfare would have been much more than the add-on airfares offered by the cruiseline.

 

Anyways, I digressed.

 

My point is -- knowing that there is not much an infant can enjoy on a cruise, you have to find the right deal/price for your family.

 

 

Jennifer

[ccrs714]

I was also shocked at what little we get for our money. We paid 3rd person fare for our 10 month old who won't eat a thing they offer. . .etc. I feel they should provide baby food.

 

I did read something about pureed food and am looking into it

[bangzoom6877]

I have a 10 week old baby boy and we are taking him on a cruise next year when he is 15 months old. We opted not to go with my family this year on the Carnival Legend because he would have cost $900!! And he will only be 6 months old when they go. I think they should give formula also, but just be careful what kind. For example, you can tell them any dietary requirements you have within a certain time frame before the cruise. I think they should give you a certain amount of time to send in a note from the pediatrician or something like that, with the proper formula in writing. Of course, there is always a risk of them messing up and having the wrong one, so I would still pack it just in case, but at least if they get it right, you have it and can save the one you brought for after the cruise. Or if they get it wrong you write them a letter when you get home.

 

We opted for NCL next Spring because they only charge port and tax fees. I would have paid more for a 15-month-old because at least they can eat, but not for a 6-month-old. I think it is definitely fair to charge port charges and taxes. I actually called Carnival to see why they charge full price for an infant (if they are one of 2 in a cabin it is full 2nd passenger price as well!), and they said it is illegal not to charge full fare, a Coast Guard thing. I think they were lying and the real law is that you have to pay tax and port charges. That would make more sense to me. Why would the government care if the cruiseline makes money on the deal?

 

So I agree, formula should be provided. All meals are all you can eat for adults and older children, and included in the price unless it is a specialty restaurant. Babies ARE people too, and should benefit just the same. Let's face it...they charge because they can charge...cruises are so in demand that people are willing to pay full for an infant so they take advantage of the situation. It's just business. But we all suffer for it.

 

Bonnie

[shellie100]

By breastfeeding *I* get to eat the extra food, easily making up for the price of the infant, hehehehehehe!!!! ;)

 

Seriously, though, I wish that infants were free (besides port taxes, of course). I was told that the main reason that alot of lines charge for infants is that they can only have so many passengers on board. And the infant takes up a spot that would otherwise by taken up by someone spending money (drinking, gambling, etc.). The couple of cruise that I've booked, the 3rd person fare was only a couple hundred dollars over the port fees/taxes, so I wasn't too upset about paying that for a baby.