How young is too young?

[chelle74]

You should take Chelle's advice and switch to breastfeeding then.

 

It does a body good! ;)

[Ninjachyck]

Personally, I'd rather listen to a crying infant than someone complaining endlessly about [perceived] crappy service, lousy food, poor entertainment, bad casino payouts, etc. I'd rather deal with a few rowdy kids than I would with adults pushing, picking their noses, or sampling food with their fingers in the buffet line.

 

Adults like to complain about poor behavior of kids on cruises... but I've definitely seen MORE poor behavior from the adults.

 

This is SO true! I agree 100%. ;)

[ccartman2]

I'd be more concerned about some of the 70- and 80-somethings that cruise becoming seriously ill than a 6-month old. And if the baby is breastfed, I honestly wouldn't be concerned at all. My now 3-year old was nursed for 2+ years and has been sick enough to go to the doctor exactly 2 times in his life. Once for pink-eye and once for a yeast diaper rash. I'm not saying ALL breastfed babies escape illness like that, but by 6 months you can pretty much tell how strong your child's immune system is.

 

As an aside, I was b*#*!ed out at Target by a complete stranger for taking my son out when he was 3 weeks old. He was in a sling, which discourages pretty much everyone from just coming up and touching him (except, of course, those people with no sense of personal space boundaries), and we lived in a major metropolitan area with multiple children's hospitals, so if he HAD caught a nasty bug in that 30 minutes we were there, specialized healthcare was readily available. Some people will just argue with anyone about anything.

 

I think most (not ALL, but most) of the people who speak out against taking an infant (or toddler... or 8 year old...) on a cruise, even the cruiselines allow it, are more concerned about the *potential* for some aspect of their vacation to be disrupted or inconvenienced by their presence than they are about the health and welfare of the child.

 

Personally, I'd rather listen to a crying infant than someone complaining endlessly about [perceived] crappy service, lousy food, poor entertainment, bad casino payouts, etc. I'd rather deal with a few rowdy kids than I would with adults pushing, picking their noses, or sampling food with their fingers in the buffet line.

 

Adults like to complain about poor behavior of kids on cruises... but I've definitely seen MORE poor behavior from the adults.

 

I couldn't agree with you more about the breast feeding. My wife breastfeed our daughter for a year and she has been very healthy (knock on wood). Kudos to you for making it two, as it is a very tough thing to do.

[chelle74]

I couldn't agree with you more about the breast feeding. My wife breastfeed our daughter for a year and she has been very healthy (knock on wood). Kudos to you for making it two, as it is a very tough thing to do.

 

Thanks! My kudos to your wife as well. Unfortunately, in the US, it's kinda tough to make it past even a couple of months. A year is fantastic!!

[hazeleyez3]

I think most (not ALL, but most) of the people who speak out against taking an infant (or toddler... or 8 year old...) on a cruise, even the cruiselines allow it, are more concerned about the *potential* for some aspect of their vacation to be disrupted or inconvenienced by their presence than they are about the health and welfare of the child.

 

Personally, I'd rather listen to a crying infant than someone complaining endlessly about [perceived] crappy service, lousy food, poor entertainment, bad casino payouts, etc. I'd rather deal with a few rowdy kids than I would with adults pushing, picking their noses, or sampling food with their fingers in the buffet line.

 

Adults like to complain about poor behavior of kids on cruises... but I've definitely seen MORE poor behavior from the adults.

 

I agree that adults are more concerned about kids "ruining" their vacation. I am one, however, that would prefer to hear an adult complain.

 

Hearing an infant cry on and on or act out while their parents simply ignore it baffles me. I think my favorite was a 2 hr plane ride sitting directly in front of two children. One cried the entire time and the parent did nothing --- no rocking, didn't try to see if he needed his diaper changed, didn't see if he was hungry...just ignored it and talked with another adult. The second one kicked my chair the entire time and kept putting his fingers between my seat and my husband's seat...and then proceeded to pull my hair. The parent acknowledged the child's actions, apologized to me several times but never even told the boy to stop it.

 

Like I said before, the parents that will control or even attempt to control their kids are quite different than those who don't.

 

 

...and let the bashing begin.

[CeleBrat]

We cruised with DS when he was 4 months, on Disney, long before the 6-month rule came out. Had a nice time. Yes, we didn't get to stay out late, or go dancing, etc. But, we had a balcony cabin, and spent a LOVELY time away from the confines of our diaper-formula-baby to-strewn home. AAAAHHH....

 

The crew doted on him the whole time we were on onboard.

 

DS is now 9 (next week) and has just been on his 12th cruise.

 

So there!

 

CeleBrat

[Rowan555]

Thanks! My kudos to your wife as well. Unfortunately, in the US, it's kinda tough to make it past even a couple of months. A year is fantastic!!

 

This is off topic for this thread, obviously, but I had to comment on this. I don't think it's "tough" to do in the US if it's something that's important to you - I nursed my son for 2 years and my daughter for 3.5 years, they both weaned on their own. Many of my friends also nursed for well over a year or two. Oh, and despite nursing for so long, my son is sick quite frequently - my daughter is healthy as a horse.

[LA Lady]

We just started cruising last year, and wish we had done it years earlier. However, both cruises we left the boys(now 19, 15, and 12) at home with my parents. We needed this time alone, especially after 20 years! We are taking them next summer, along with 15-20 other family members. IF we had started cruising earlier, when the boys were younger, I would have had NO problem bringing them once they were out of diapers and bottles. That's just too much work..FOR ME. I couldn't really relax on vacation until they were about 4. And we wouldn't have brought my parents along to sit in the room and watch them. When I got pregnant 20 years ago, my mom told me that she had raised her 3 girls, but she wasn't going to raise my kids. LOL She said she would babysit anytime I needed her, and she has been wonderful with that. But I just couldn't expect them to pay all that money and sit and watch my kids. Besides, they are way too active for that. Just MY OPINION!:D

[trock]

This is off topic for this thread, obviously, but I had to comment on this. I don't think it's "tough" to do in the US if it's something that's important to you - I nursed my son for 2 years and my daughter for 3.5 years, they both weaned on their own. Many of my friends also nursed for well over a year or two. Oh, and despite nursing for so long, my son is sick quite frequently - my daughter is healthy as a horse.

 

Hey RO

 

sooo off topic.. Did you get your clove ship?

[Rowan555]

Hey RO

 

sooo off topic.. Did you get your clove ship?

 

Yep! I think it was $50 shipped for 2 cartons. Not bad...not bad at all. I'm just really curious as to whether we can still order from overseas once the "ban" goes into effect.

[trock]

Yep! I think it was $50 shipped for 2 cartons. Not bad...not bad at all. I'm just really curious as to whether we can still order from overseas once the "ban" goes into effect.

I am still waiting for mine.. but i only ordered it a week ago

I dont think it will be a problem.. ;)

 

and yes.. it was very reasonable! I paid $11 for one pack!:eek:

[Kurbanfan]

and yes.. It was very reasonable! i paid $11 for one pack!:eek:

 

holy smokes!!! :d

[mek]

While I don't care if people take young children on cruises, I try to avoid the times when there will be tons of kids on board. Having said that, we have taken all of our grandkids on cruises, but I personally wouldn't do it with anyone under 10 or over 14.

[Mack2]

I agree that adults are more concerned about kids "ruining" their vacation. I am one, however, that would prefer to hear an adult complain.

 

Hearing an infant cry on and on or act out while their parents simply ignore it baffles me. I think my favorite was a 2 hr plane ride sitting directly in front of two children. One cried the entire time and the parent did nothing --- no rocking, didn't try to see if he needed his diaper changed, didn't see if he was hungry...just ignored it and talked with another adult. The second one kicked my chair the entire time and kept putting his fingers between my seat and my husband's seat...and then proceeded to pull my hair. The parent acknowledged the child's actions, apologized to me several times but never even told the boy to stop it.

 

Like I said before, the parents that will control or even attempt to control their kids are quite different than those who don't.

 

 

...and let the bashing begin.

 

 

That's one thing... I have to admit.... Some parents need a good beating (not the kids).

 

I like to think my kids are well behaved and well-traveled.

They can have their moments, but for the most part, we can take them to the shows, the shops, the pools, etc. without fear that "people will be looking at us".

 

There are always other folks around... everywhere... where you kinda see the kids getting out of control, and the parents are either oblivious, or condoning their kids' behavior.

It's insane.

It's a job for SuperNanny... have one of those ladies set those parents straight... if your kid is under 10, and out of control... the parents need a beating, for sure.

:D

[donaldsc]

In August 2008, we took a family cruise. There were 10 of us: me, DH, my 3 sons (29, 26, 25), 2 DIL, and 1 of my son's GF. Also along were my 2 grandkids (19 months and 9 months).

 

We had an absolutle blast! We had adjoining rooms to help with the kids, but for the most part - they were no trouble at all. We all had time with and without the kids, even though there were too young for Camp Carnival.

 

I loved the time spent together, the fun of dressing up, the pictures, the dinners, walking around the ship, going onshore....it was all great. Will they remember this trip? No, but I will and the rest of the family will remember spending the week engaged in family fun.

 

We don't take them on every cruise, usually only about every other year. I am glad we did, and look forward to our next family cruise.

 

We do the same thing - in a rented house in a good location on land. We pick a place that is not too hard to drive to. The house costs $2000 - $3000 for 10 people. Most of us do not have to deal with airports. We can throw lots of stuff into our cars. Also, our son-in-law is a drop dead expert at barbequing (sp?) and he also brings a keg or so of wonderful home brew beer.

 

Who needs to deal with an infant on a cruise if I have this option?

 

DON

[Kurbanfan]

We do the same thing - in a rented house in a good location on land. We pick a place that is not too hard to drive to. The house costs $2000 - $3000 for 10 people. Most of us do not have to deal with airports. We can throw lots of stuff into our cars. Also, our son-in-law is a drop dead expert at barbequing (sp?) and he also brings a keg or so of wonderful home brew beer.

 

Who needs to deal with an infant on a cruise if I have this option?

 

DON

 

LOL! This is what we did with our son growing up.........but at our vacation home on the river........fishing, boating, skiing, atv riding, barbecuing, drinks..........what more could a kid ask for.........and he started at 3 week old:D

I would have never put my kid on a airplane when he was little.......I know my child;)

[Littlegoo75]

We took our son on a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise with us in April. Yes, it was definitely more work then when we cruised before we had a baby, but we still had a good time. We did have help though because my in-laws also cruised with us (their own cabin thank goodness). It had been so long since we cruised that I just had to go on one, but it will be so much nicer once he's 2, so we can utilize Camp Carnival!

 

I am already looking into a cruise for next year, any day after May 8th- my son's 2nd birthday!

 

Good luck!

[dijid]

To the OP: Don't let all the naysayers scare you off. Once your child is old enough to sail, and you are comfortable with it, then I think you should go. DH and I loved to travel before we had kids and we have shared that love of travel with our family. If we had waited to vacation until the youngest was 3 or 4 as has been suggested, that would have been 8 years without a family vacation!

 

We went on a Disney cruise when the older kids were 2 & 10 months. Yes, we had to bring more "stuff" on board. Yes, there was some work involved. But someone brought me every meal. And made my bed and vacuumed for me. At the time we had the money for a balcony (and at the just past 9/11 timeframe it was very affordable) and it was heaven. We put the kids to bed and the two of us sat out there and enjoyed.

 

And for all those saying "Leave them with the grandparents" - Did you ever consider that not everyone has this luxury? Both DH and my parents had us young. And when we had our first kid - all 4 grandparents still worked full time. Do you think they wanted to use their vacation to watch our kids so we could vacation? (The answer was a definite NO.) And what about ailing grandparents or ones with a chronic disease? I won't even get into it as that's now the situation on DH's side of the family, while my parents continue to work.

[chelle74]

This is off topic for this thread, obviously, but I had to comment on this. I don't think it's "tough" to do in the US if it's something that's important to you - I nursed my son for 2 years and my daughter for 3.5 years, they both weaned on their own. Many of my friends also nursed for well over a year or two. Oh, and despite nursing for so long, my son is sick quite frequently - my daughter is healthy as a horse.

 

I think that's awesome. I should have qualified my "tough" comment... if you have a great support system and understand the benefits it's a breeze. Many women don't, and for them it is (sadly) difficult. I am actually still nursing my 3 year old at bedtime. Like I said, I know not ALL breastfed children have the same experience with never being sick, but I'm sure you would agree that they generally have better-equipped immune systems than those who aren't.

[donaldsc]

. Like I said, I know not ALL breastfed children have the same experience with never being sick, but I'm sure you would agree that they generally have better-equipped immune systems than those who aren't.

 

Unless you do a really good scientific study where you have identical paired populations except that one group is breast fed and one is not, the conclusion that breast fed babies have a better-equipped imune system is impossible to prove.

 

Does anyone know if such a study exists that has been peer reviewed and accepted. Otherwise, the statement is based on unproven data. It is even possible that breast fed babies may have an inferior immune system. We just do not know.

 

Don

[twinklen01]

Having grandparents along would likely make me change my mind about cruising with a child under 2. Then it wouldn't be nearly as difficult to get some time away from the kids.

my mil dd's gma will be at the dance clubs or on deck drinking beer so doesnt always work-lol!

[chelle74]

Unless you do a really good scientific study where you have identical paired populations except that one group is breast fed and one is not, the conclusion that breast fed babies have a better-equipped imune system is impossible to prove.

 

Does anyone know if such a study exists that has been peer reviewed and accepted. Otherwise, the statement is based on unproven data. It is even possible that breast fed babies may have an inferior immune system. We just do not know.

 

Don

 

Again (or still) OT, but breastfeeding is the biological norm. No other animals voluntarily feed their young replacement milk. Formula will always been inferior in every way to breast milk. Of course, formula companies will always fight to convince people otherwise... there is no money to be made from human milk.

 

Here is a link with some information about breast milk and the newborn immune system that you might find interesting:

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811094951.htm

 

I'd be happy to email you more info if you would like, but I'm not here to argue the benefits (immunological or other) of breastfeeding. There is just no legitimate argument against it.