checklist for baby?

[Yellowlily]

anyone have one?? going on cruise w/ my 6 mo. can't wait!! tell me about babyfood suggestions for ship, please. We have a balcony & early dinner, btw. Plan on taking our regular stroller too, as we've seen it been done. I also formula feed and bought cheap bottles for the purpose of the cruise. Any suggestions or packing lists would be great!!! :)

[mnmmom]

I'm not sure which cruise line you are taking, but Princess will accept requests for baby food. I think that other lines do as well. Although, I am not sure how specific the request can be (ie: type of food, how many jars, etc.) I am still planning on packing some of my DS's favorite snack items.

I am working on my packing list for our cruise with an 18 month old. I plan on bringing the following items (but it's not done yet):

laundry detergent and softener (CB has machines on board)
umbrella stroller
play house and crawling tube that collapse down from Target
inflatable pool
inflatable beach balls
box of diapers with luggage label stuck on it
first aid kit (with tylenol, pedia care, motrin, bandaids, etc)
mesh toy container that collapses down from IKEA
UV protection shirts from Target
plenty of hats (I know we'll lose some along the way)
sunscreen
sun glasses (Target has some that velcro behind his head)
swim diapers
aqua socks for at the beach
"throw-away" toys from Goodwill and Dollar Store (things that I can leave behind to make room for souveniers)

Hope this helps!
Paige

[brandypants]

When we cruised with our 6 mo daughter, I brought a ton of bottles and a travel size bottle of dish soap and my bottle brush. It was a pain, but I kept in mind that washing out bottles was better on a ship than at home! I set up a little drying section with the rooms towels on the desk.Remember lots of diapers...they are outrageous in the shop there! For a couple of weeks before we left I kept track of how many diapers I used a day and then packed extra. We had 1 diaper left on the flight home!!!! I pretty much brought every medicine possible and used none, thank god. We didn't notice that she was bothered at all my motion sickness...in fact she slept really well! We got an inside room for the darkness.

[brandypants]

Almost forgot... check with the cruise line, but most won't let a child in the pool with swim diapers..they have to be toilet trained to use the pool.

[miksilver]

Here is my packing list from my cruise with my 6 1/2 month old DD:

Baby birth certificate
Travel pack of Clorox wipes
diapers
baby wipes (one travel size for her diaper bag and one full size refill for the room)
diaper cream
small blow up baby bath
little swimmers
disposable bibs
baby food (Gerber makes plastic containers – I took those)
Infant cereal portioned out
formula (one large can + travel packs and 4 cans pre-mixed for excursions)
Disposable baby spoons
Disposable small plastic containers (to use for mixing cereal)
all infant medicines (Infant Tylenol, Neosporin (for severe diaper rash due to heat), infant thermometer, gas relief drops)
dish soap (in a small plastic container)
bottle washer
bottles (4 – 2 small, 2 large)
toys (some new for the cruise)
umbrella stroller
disposable changing pads/cloths
baby lotion, small travel size
baby blanket
baby sunglasses
diaper bag
baby sunscreen
ziplock baggies for snacks
hand sanitizer
baby clothes

I took way too many clothes for her last cruise. We'll be cruising again when she is 14 months and I'll be packing fewer clothes and a baby flotation device for any pool (off of the ship, of course) and calm ocean swimming.

Hope this helps! Have a wonderful time cruising with your little one!

[cruisintoddler]

anyone have one?? going on cruise w/ my 6 mo. can't wait!! tell me about babyfood suggestions for ship, please. We have a balcony & early dinner, btw. Plan on taking our regular stroller too, as we've seen it been done. I also formula feed and bought cheap bottles for the purpose of the cruise. Any suggestions or packing lists would be great!!! :)

What cruiseline and what ship? What itinerary? Then we can be more specific with our advice.

Call the cruiseline to arrange for you "crib" - likely folding playpen type - If they are all already reserved you will have to take your own. See what they can do about food. My only concern would be that your request does not get met in error. You should take some basics of your own (formula and cereal) at least so if they forget to load baby food for you, you can get by, and just have the kitchen puree fruits and veggies for you.
We sailed Princess - they DO NOT sell diapers.

Lots of folks mention the baby blow up pools - my only concern with those is that the US Dept of Health regs. say kids can't go in the pools unless toilet trained due to feces contamination - if your child has an accident in the baby blow up pool, where do you dump the water? Some ships have a specific pool where swim diapers are allowed - I think Disney does but I'm not sure about the rest. We are madly trying to train our ds before our April cruise Princess cruise !!!:rolleyes:

Enjoy!!

[Kerry's Girls]

You're going to have a great time. I sailed Princess with my one year old twins last month and I can't imagine any easier way to travel with a baby (or babies in my case). I just checked through two boxes of diapers with luggage tags taped on rather than packing diapers in suitcases. You do NOT want to run out of diapers.

Since I wasn't flying - we just drove to the port - I brought their bouncy chairs, which I was really glad to have. They took their naps in them, or could sit and play or vibrate while I got dressed, etc. Since these can be inexpensive, it might be worth it for you if you're flying to buy a new one in the box so you can pack it and then assemble it on-board.

On Princess they let the swim diapers into the "splash pool" in the kids area if the ship has one. As for a blow up pool - I used mine for baths in the cabin, but if you wanted to use it for a private pool, even if there were an "accident" I'd think you could just carry the little pool to the restroom. Those pools are also good if you're going to the beach to use without any water as a play area out of the sand (of course, not allowing your baby too get much sun though).

No problem with a full size stroller. I had a full size front back and never had difficulty because there is always room for a wheelchair to get through in most areas. I did book my cabin right near the elevators so I wouldn't have to worry about the narrow corridors though - there is plenty of room, but sometimes a housekeeping cart makes it awkward.

Also, I'm not sure I saw mentioned - some air freshener for when diapers get icky and the little scented trash bags for diapers will make it much more pleasant in the cabin.
Bring extras of anything you can't get on board - bottles, nipples, etc. I looked on the ports of call boards here for the location of any stores in the ports we were going to and was able to find a Sam's Club within walking distance - which was nice to know ahead of time in case I became desperate for something while we were away.

Have a great time!
- Mia

[cruisingbug]

Good thread - thanks for the lists mnmmom and miksilver - we're taking our then 11-month-old in October and as first time parents but long time cruisers we're glad to get any info.

Do you all think we should request baby food for an 11 month old? Or will she be eating enough "table food" by then - she'll still be (hopefully) nursing also.

[I&MsMom]

Just a couple of additional thoughts...

This may be obvious for you when you pack your strollers (wasn't for me) - consider a bug net and/or rain cover for it.

I always travel (planes, embarkation day, etc.) with the little one in an overnight diaper. I use huggies overnights, and think they are absolutely amazing. Absent an obvious need for a change, it is good for a really long time with no diaper failure.

I echo the other mom who said bring every conceivable over the counter medication you can imagine. We were once in Italy with our 11 month old with a serious cough and congestion, DH's cousin is a pediatrician, so we had best available advice on what to purchase OTC, but was not prepared for the fact that they administer their medicine by spoons and not droppers, and they flavor them entirely differently, and DS refused to take it. Finally rigged up something with a straw, but not optimum! Since then, I bring the entire shooting match with me. I bring things on vacation they've never had at home (think children's Benadryl). It's the old, if you have it you won't need it, but the minute you assume you won't need it, you'll get nailed! Several years later, with an infant and 5 year old, I traveled with 2 sets of pretty much everything! Peace of mind was worth it. Now DD is 3 and DS 7, so we're back to one set!!

On the note of medication, I think it is Gerbers that now makes packets of what is essentially a powdered (and portable) form of the electrolyte replacement fluids on the market - just add water. Previous to the last few months I always had to order it from our pharmacy - it's OTC but they didn't regularly stock it - as Kaolectrylete (or some such - sorry can't remember exactly.) Now, I've seen it in CVS, Duane Reade and the like in apple and fruit punch flavors. I would never consider traveling with small children in foreign countries without it. Obviously, check with your dr about use with infants...

One last medical note: I always bring a traditional thermometer with us, as that is the only benchmark my dr recognizes, and assume this is so for a legitimate reason. The first time I got held up going through airport security because of it, I truly had no idea what was causing the concern (maybe I'm just dense). It took forever to narrow it down to the one cosmetic bag holding the thermometer. Just beware if you have an issue, try that as the first cause!!

Anyway, kudos for getting out there with your little ones! Enjoy! Happy sailing!!

[TrinChick]

We took dd on a Caribbean cruise at 10 months, and we had a great time. I definitely overpacked, though. Things I didn't use:

Inflatable pool
Sand toys (anything can be a toy at that age!)
Kids Beach chair (what was I thinking?!)
About half the clothes I packed for her

In addition to many of the items listed by previous posters, there are a few things I couldn't have done without:

RayShade canopy extender for the stroller
Clothes pins (great for hanging up wet bathing suits, clipping shut curtains for nap)
Tupperware baby spoon set with carry case
Lots of books

I had planned to use the inflatable pool as a bathtub in the room, but I ended up just using the removable shower head for her baths/showers. She didn't really care for it, but it was quick and easy, and I guess it's never too early to learn that you can't always get what you want!

As for food, she was largely eating table food (we asked them to serve her dinner before ours so that I could eat my meal while it was hot), and we would take a couple of boxes of Cheerios from the breakfast buffet every day for her snacks.

Have a great time!

[babycruise]

:p Cruisingbug,
You asked about table vs baby food...
We will be cruising with our daughter on 3/18; she will be just turning 10 months. We will bring some baby foods for convenience, but she is also doing great with table foods. Here are some table food ideas that will probably be available on the ship:
bananas
canned fruits (peaches, pears, etc.)
cottage cheese
all types of breads (smash little chunks)
plain pastas
green beans
potatoes (she loves sweet potatoes, but I'm sure reg. or mashed would be fine as well)
cooked carrots
many other options i'm sure!

I think by 11 months your daughter will be sharing food off of your plate as well. We've just started with small pieces of meat for her too. My daughter is still nursing which makes packing so much easier!! Instead of bottles & soap & bottle brushes, just remember the breast pads & nursing bras!

I plan to write a review about sailing with baby when we return...

[cruisingbug]

Thanks babycruise!

[Jennifer823]

Thanks for posting this, there is a lot of great info here. :)

[Celebrity Bride]

Here's a couple of tips... I've cruised with my daughter at 4 months, 11 months and 13 months old.

- I packed my daughter's clothing in medium-sized ziplock bags, with 1 outfit per bag. Really helped in the mornings and when we wanted to just grab an extra outfit for the diaper bag. I marked that type of outfit on the outside of each bag (shorts/tanktop, pants/long sleeve, etc). Also helped so my husband actually put her in a matching outfit LOL.

- You can ask your head waiter to puree anything on the menu for your child, if your child isn't eating all solid foods yet. Worked out just right when my daughter was 11 months, as that was the only way she would eat her veggies.

- I took a clear (see through) back-pack for our diaper bag. This saved tons of time when we went through ship's security (especially when tendering, and the lines were long). Security wouldn't bother searching the clear bag (they just looked at the outside of it) so it was less time with a tired toddler.

- If you are concerned about heating bottles or baby food in your cabin, we packed a small bottler warmer. It was a little bulky, but worked out great. Also, pack some freezer packs to cool in your fridge or extra ziploc bags to put ice cubes in, to keep milk/juice/formula cool while out in a port.

- I brought onboard all of my own baby food, juice, formula and bottled water (to mix with formula powder). Most cruise lines will not have a problem with this, as long as you explain that it's for your child.


Hope that helps!


Jenn

[cruisingbug]

I'm going to ditto the Children's Benadryl that I&MsMom mentioned...as well as bee sting/mosquito bite-type medications. My 4 mo just got her first bee sting on Tuesday - our tease of a warm day. Her foot got very red, very hot, a little swollen, and she was crying terribly. It had been a couple of hours since our walk so I wasn't sure what was wrong - it was windy so she was in a fleece suit, only her face exposed but a bee got her on the foot anyway through the material, and I finally found the little white lump. I ended up driving her to the dr's - by the time she was seen, she was pretty much recovered. But next time I'll be ready with home remedies/meds. Nurse told me it's the SECOND sting where you find out if they're allergic though. :(

[besito20]

Great great thread!

Many of you made me think of things I hadn't thought about yet.

cruisinbug, Our DS will be turning 1yr old on November 17, 2006 and we will be cruising on October 29, 2006. So he will almost be 1. I think you stated in your earlier post that your DD will be cruising about the same age as our DS will be. Reading many of these posts is starting to make me anxious since we are first time parents and I guess I didn't realize how much stuff we will really need! :eek:

[cruisingbug]

Someone was asking for this so I'm bringing it to the top. Hey Besito20 - our babies have the same birthday!!! The most memorable Thursday of my life.

Re this list, I would add sticky travel placemats and insect repellent, and also I'm bringing my stick blender and a coffee mug (in case the cruise line's are too narrow) to be able to puree in the room. Also my breastpump and accessories.

We just went on a vacation last month so we (hopefully) will be able to streamline this time around. Altho DD surprised us today by taking her first steps - so she'll be more mobile than we expected!

[leighuf]

Does anyone have a fool-proof list for what medicines to bring (a 'just in case' list)? My son is 10 months old.

[sunrise&set]

I am so glad this list got bumped! Some wonderful ideas for what to bring. I'm not sure about all the meds, but here is what I am bringing for sure: Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and Saline drops. My DS has his 1 year appt in Feb and we cruise in March so I will ask his doctor what else she recommends.

From all the lists, the most valuable tip was putting the luggage tag on the box of diapers! I never would have thought of that! And it looks like I'll have to cut back what I pack for myself so we have plenty of room for DS's things! :D

One thing I'd like to add is a baby monitor if you have a balcony room. I figure I'll lounge out there while he naps and not sure I would hear him. Does anyone have experience with using one? Will it work or will there be too much interference?

[leighuf]

thanks... I'll let you know about the balcony and monitor. Our cruise leaves this weekend! Yippee!

[leighuf]

thanks... I'll let you know about the balcony and monitor. Our cruise leaves this weekend! Yippee!

[curlymom]

One more suggestion:
We're cruising with our soon-to-be 4 month old next month, and I got this tip:
A beach tent to nap under & keep the UV rays away. I got one on ebay for ~$40. I think it will be money well spent.

[Sharonlee912]

The are all great tips! My little grandbaby (9 months old) loves those little Motts For Tott's boxed apple juices. They are made from purified water and have less sugar. They are tiny with straws and could be frozen for excursions later. Even if they cannot suck from a straw yet, you can gently squeeze the box and it comes up the straw and they catch on!

[jam82]

I brought all our own baby food with our 11 month old. We just washed bottles every night. We have always bought the packets of formula on vacation. They are so easy. Ziplocks are a must!!

[leighuf]

haven't seen the 'packet' formula before. will look at walmart. thanks for the tips. :)