What is your best advice for cruising with babies?

We are taking our 3 children (all 2 and under) on the NCL Epic cruise at the end of August. I am open to suggestions on how to make this a really enjoyable experience. We are traveling with extended family, so we will have help.

We are bringing two travel cribs (Phil and Ted's) for my 1-year old twins. I have not figured out what my 2 year old will sleep on yet since he is still in a crib at home. We have a family mini-suite (I think).

We are also bringing our city mini double and single, although I am not sure the double will fit in the hallways of the cruise ship.

I have never cruised with children and I have never been on NCL.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

At the risk of getting flamed, the thought of have 3 babies under 2 still in diapers on a cruise does not sound like an vacation.

As an example, figure out how many diapers and how much baby food you will have to bring. The cruise line usually will not have either.

I feel you will be spending most of your time tending to their needs and not being able to enjoy shore excursions, dinners, or shows.

My suggestion is to wait until they are old enough to be in a children's program so you and your spouse have some time to yourselves.

I realize that this may not seem like a vacation to many people and appreciate/respect that opinion. However my husband and I are looking forward to time playing with our kids and exploring other countries. We love being with our kids and while we realize it will be a lot of work, we think it could also be fun. We may live to regret this decision, but we have already booked our trip and have no intentions of changing that plan.

I am really interested in advice from other people that have traveled with babies on things that they did that worked or did not work and things that they wished they had done differently. Thanks!

I have taken mine as a 10 month old and 2 1/2 year old. As a 10 month old it was on the NCL Spirit, when he was 2 1/2 it was on the Carnival Magic. I am just being honest with you, it is difficult. This is my second go round as a mother, I didn't start cruising with my older two until they were 10/12 and of course that was much easier.

But back to your original question....I love my child more than life itself and both times I had this idea in my mind of what my vacation would be like and it wasn't that way either time. There will be fun times but not much relaxing time. The time I craved with my husband was rarely there and we "had help" too (both sets of grandparents). At times it was frustrating to see the Grandparents relaxing and having their freedom to do whatever when we could not. I certainly don't begrudge them that, but it is still hard to be surrounded by that when it isn't an option for yourself. At 2 1/2 he was old enough to go to the kids club but refused to go....if they don't come happy the kids club doesn't try to help you get them in there.

Right now we have a cruise planned for October 2013 and as of right now it is planned for my husband and I only...we are hoping his parents will watch our son for the 5 days for us. I know I will miss him but I really need some time alone. We may be faced with the decision to take my 3 year old if my in laws can't watch him and that is ok too. We will have fun, but I will be mentally prepared this time and won't set any expectations.

I am not trying to discourage you from taking your children, not everyone has the option to leave them home. I am only trying to be honest with you.

Make sure you calculate diapers, formula, snacks, wipes, etc. The ship does not have most of the things you will need. You can get boxes of cereal to carry around from the buffet.

Good luck :)

We are taking our 3 children (all 2 and under) on the NCL Epic cruise at the end of August. I am open to suggestions on how to make this a really enjoyable experience. We are traveling with extended family, so we will have help.

 

We are bringing two travel cribs (Phil and Ted's) for my 1-year old twins. I have not figured out what my 2 year old will sleep on yet since he is still in a crib at home. We have a family mini-suite (I think).

 

We are also bringing our city mini double and single, although I am not sure the double will fit in the hallways of the cruise ship.

 

I have never cruised with children and I have never been on NCL.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

Kudos to you and your hubby for managing such a handful :) I only have one child so am not much of help in the department of handling multiples. But I would also consider bring two carriers with you. You and your husband (or other family) can carry the twins while your 2 yr old is in the stroller while on the ship. This would at least free up your hands while on the ship if the double stroller is too wide for the hallways.

Also pack up supplies (like diapers, wipes, and food) in boxes and just put the room tag on the box so you can cut down on the number of bags you have to manage. I plan on doing this since Im traveling alone with my one yr old and so I hope this makes things a bit easier for me.

I think a cruise will be a wonderful time for you all though and when you return I would love to hear how it all went :)

That's a good suggestion about the carriers. We are planning on bringing two. Fortunately, all three kids will be on table food and regular milk. We are doing 10 days in France before the cruise, so I am bringing a ton of diapers, wipes, and diaper cream. I also plan on bringing a bunch of food pouches for on the go. But, hopefully I will not need a bunch of purees.

I like the idea of grabbing cereal boxes from the cruise for port excursions. Cereal is always a great snack for the kids.

I definitely realize that this will be work and will not be a posh, relaxing trip. The kids are too young to be left at the kids club, but I think we can go and play with them there. We should be able to do the activities, also.

I would love to hear how Epic is for small kids? How is the staff?

You need to re-think this!!!!

Not the kids - the stroller :)

Unless you have staff at home doing the cooking and cleaning, of course this will be a vacation. I do suggest you beg, borrow or steal a tandem stroller though rather than the city mini. You need to be able to contain all the kids and the side-by-side will not work on the ship. I have taken most every kind of double stroller on a ship, and the tandem is by far the easiest - though I'm sure you'll love the City Mini in port and during your pre-cruise.

I also suggest you bring your own supply of assorted sealed snacks on board since they'll get tired of cereal. The key to great port days is a constant supply of different snacks/treats to give them when they're hungry/crabby so you're not constantly stopping to buy something.

If you do a search of this board, you'll find lots of tips for cruising with babies and toddlers. Disposable bibs was a big help for me, and scented trash bags for the diapers.

I heard "you're crazy" before most of my vacations since having twins. I travel alone with them and we did their first cruise at 13 months, their first Europe trip at 2 and Egypt at 5. The early years have their positives for travel - you never have to rush to find a potty! My only regret is that we didn't do even more before they started school - now we're so restricted with when we can travel. A cruise is a great way to go with little ones.

Have a great time!

Best,

Mia

You need to re-think this!!!!

 

Not the kids - the stroller :)

 

Unless you have staff at home doing the cooking and cleaning' date=' of course this will be a vacation. I do suggest you beg, borrow or steal a tandem stroller though rather than the city mini. You need to be able to contain all the kids and the side-by-side will not work on the ship. I have taken most every kind of double stroller on a ship, and the tandem is by far the easiest - though I'm sure you'll love the City Mini in port and during your pre-cruise.

 

I also suggest you bring your own supply of assorted sealed snacks on board since they'll get tired of cereal. The key to great port days is a constant supply of different snacks/treats to give them when they're hungry/crabby so you're not constantly stopping to buy something.

 

If you do a search of this board, you'll find lots of tips for cruising with babies and toddlers. Disposable bibs was a big help for me, and scented trash bags for the diapers.

 

I heard "you're crazy" before most of my vacations since having twins. I travel alone with them and we did their first cruise at 13 months, their first Europe trip at 2 and Egypt at 5. The early years have their positives for travel - you never have to rush to find a potty! My only regret is that we didn't do even more before they started school - now we're so restricted with when we can travel. A cruise is a great way to go with little ones.

 

Have a great time!

 

Best,

Mia[/quote']

 

Thanks Mia! I really appreciate your feedback. I will definitely add disposable bibs and scented trash bags to my packing list. I already plan on bringing a bunch of snacks. We will have a car in France, so I expect that I will run to a store there and pick up more for the cruise.

 

I do have the City Select, but I am hesitant to bring that with all of the pieces. I feel like it might be more hassle than it is worth. You mention that I will appreciate the City Mini outside of on the boat, and that is kinda what I have been thinking. Do you think the boat hallway is reason enough to really switch strollers? Our cabin is near an elevator bay, so I am not sure how many hallways I will really need to go down. I imagine most of the decks are wide enough for the stroller, right?

Thanks Mia! I really appreciate your feedback. I will definitely add disposable bibs and scented trash bags to my packing list. I already plan on bringing a bunch of snacks. We will have a car in France, so I expect that I will run to a store there and pick up more for the cruise.

 

I do have the City Select, but I am hesitant to bring that with all of the pieces. I feel like it might be more hassle than it is worth. You mention that I will appreciate the City Mini outside of on the boat, and that is kinda what I have been thinking. Do you think the boat hallway is reason enough to really switch strollers? Our cabin is near an elevator bay, so I am not sure how many hallways I will really need to go down. I imagine most of the decks are wide enough for the stroller, right?

I agree I wouldn't bring something complicated, but anything wider than a wheelchair is pretty impossible. On a ship, it's not about being out on deck, it's getting on/off elevators and navigating through the public spaces which are usually fairly narrow and the layout and aisles are set up to allow the width of a wheelchair and that's about it. A sturdy tandem would serve you on the ship and on shore (I had a Graco Duoglider that saw a lot of the world before we finally outgrew it). We did take a Maclaren side-by-side on a European cruise, but my girls were 5 then and didn't use it on board at all - just an umbrella stroller for my daughter who still needed it.

Good call on the cabin near the elevators though - since you said you already booked, I didn't mention that, but it saves a lot of time/effort with little ones.

Best,

Mia

Mia-

Did you ever use two cribs in one cabin?

Mia-

Did you ever use two cribs in one cabin?

No - since it's just me, they always just slept in the same bed with me when they were toddlers, so I have no experience with cribs on board. Sorry!

I have traveled with kids for awhile: one trip with an 18 month old, one trip with a three year old and a six month old, one trip with an almost five year old and a two year old; and soon will travel with three. It takes work. It is not a "sit on the beach" relaxing vacation, but it is fun. Check with the line to see if they have pack and plays, that made it so much easier. Diapers were a pain in the ass, but you have to take them. Your cruise line might also offer in cabin babysitting, which would let you get away for a bit. I have so many other pointers I could give you, but I don't know where to start. Feel free to email me and I can help you out as much as possible: lizcmatthews@gmail.com

I traveled with my 16 m old, and will be traveling with my now 3.5 y.o and 18m old. We had a blast and i'm sure we will this time as well. No, its not a completely relaxing vacation, but no vacation is when you have little kids and having someone to cook and clean for you makes it a vacation for me! Much easier than a beach house rental.

I second the disposable bags, we also wished we brought an inflatable bathtub b/c DS screamed during showers. We also used the disposable bibs. Another good thing to bring is bendy straws- the dining rooms didn't have kids cups, so we'd use a bendable straw for his drinks. We also brought disposable cups. Solo sells a pack of small solo cups/lids/bendy straws that work great. We get them at Target. I packed his clothes in large ziplocs so that outfits were together when I needed to grab them and go and wasn't having to dig through tons of stuff. I am taking my city mini also, I remember last time wishing that I had brought it.

You could look into babysitting one night, or having the family keep them for a night so you could get out alone. Have fun!

At the risk of getting flamed, the thought of have 3 babies under 2 still in diapers on a cruise does not sound like an vacation.

As an example, figure out how many diapers and how much baby food you will have to bring. The cruise line usually will not have either.

I feel you will be spending most of your time tending to their needs and not being able to enjoy shore excursions, dinners, or shows.

My suggestion is to wait until they are old enough to be in a children's program so you and your spouse have some time to yourselves.

Curious as to why you're even posting on the family forum. The OP is booked on a cruise for August - so what, you're suggesting they just cancel now? Some really solid advice there. Who are you to judge what sounds like a vacation for anyone either than yourself?

Personally having cruised three times now with our under-2 year old, I laud and applaud the OP for giving it a go! I would much rather be figuring out the logistics of serving the needs of the kids while floating around the Med than sitting at home dreaming of travel...

In terms of advice - I would be a bit worried about where you're going to store those strollers. We rarely use ours on the ship, but you might need to just based on having hands free. Having a cabin with a bathtub was very handy for us on each of our trips as well, as our little guy is not that keen on showers. We have always had the 2 BDRM on NCL, which is great for putting the kids down and then relaxing.

The under three zoo on NCL is OK, and I would certainly recommend taking all three kids as often as possible The older one will get something out of it, but the younger ones will be able to roam and stretch their legs, so to speak.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.....

See if you can get pack n plays on the ship (I believe NCL has them) instead of bringing your own cribs. You will have enough stuff to bring already.

Make sure to bring a small container of dish detergent and brush to clean out sippy cups/bottles. We had milk delivered via room service every other day so that we always had milk in the room.

Use the Under 2 zoo if you can and the ship may have parent/child activities for the little ones.

Bring an inflatable pool for the deck if your kids aren't potty trained.

You may want to rethink your room situation. Some rooms may hold 5 people but that is with kids sleeping on the upper berths. That is not appropriate for kids under 3. I don't know how you can fit 3 pack n plays in one room even in a mini suite. You may be better off with 2 connecting cabins. That way you will have more storage, enough room for 3 pack n plays and an extra bathroom. I would call NCL to find out about the crib situation because the last thing you want is to get there and be stuck with a bad sleeping situation.

This may be a dumb suggestion, so apologies in advance if so...have you considered buying inexpensive strollers when you get to France, and then leaving them there at the end of your trip? You could research options in advance and even though it would be an extra expense it might be worth it since you will have one or two fewer things to worry about on your flights.

I bet the crew will love having your kids on board! They really miss their own kids...

I second packing anything like diapers, wipes etc in a box. Then you don't have an empty bag to lug back home.

The under 2 zoo was okay. My DH and I had more fun playing than our son did. He just enjoyed having a big room to explore.

I wore my son in a carrier on the ship more than using the stroller. Of course, I only have one. I'm not really any help with more than one.

Stickers!! I haven't found a toddler that isn't mesmerized by stickers. They are great for flights and dinner distractions.

Bring a portable sound machine to cover any hallways noises. Bed, bath and Beyond has a great one that is small and only costs $16 with their coupon.

Practice showers ahead of time if your children are on the larger side. We brought an inflatable tub when he was 10 months old on his first cruise. He'll be 20 months on our next one. He's too big for the tub now, so I'm going to practice showers about a month ahead.

Pack snacks. They didn't have plain Cheerios boxes on NCL last year. They are our go to snack cereal. Luckily I brought a Tupperware container full. I also brought squeeze packets of applesauce for other snacks.

NCL does offer a pack n play. I was able to confirm it ahead of time.

Make sure to pack medicine approved by your ped. They will not have the infant/children version of Tylenol, ibuprofen or Benadryl in the ship. I also brought a thermometer.

Don't bother packing swimmers unless you are going to the beach at your ports. You can't use the pool onboard, so they are a waste of space.

The crew will fawn over your children. My son ate up all the attention he got. The crew miss their families, so they are super nice to babies. Have fun!

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There's a lot of good advice here. I agree that a cruise can be a great vacation with little ones, you just have to come with the right mindset.

We use our stroller heavily while traveling, especially around the ship. I would definitely recommend bringing a stroller that will be easy to use on ship, even if that means picking up a few cheap umbrella strollers in France. When my daughter was 6 mo I actually brought 2 strollers, a nice narrow one for on the ship and her snap and go that went with her carseat (to use in ports so we had the carseat). I also found my sling/front carrier to be very convenient.

With twins I'm sure you follow a routine at home, and I'd encourage you to do that on the ship too. We've found cruising great for the preschool set because of the security it offers - they have the same room, same staff, same dining every day regardless of where you travel. The staff is also very attentive and eager to help you find anything you need. I was worried about the availability of milk, but all I had to do was ask and I was quickly brought a carton.

I did find that it was easiest to go back to the room for diaper changes, so your close to the elevators room is an excellent choice. (And the scented plastic bags are a must have.)

You can also tag team with your husband (or other family) so that you each get some time to enjoy the ship. My dh likes to nap/read during the afternoons while the kids rest, which gives me some time to myself. You might even want to consider having one of you stay back in the room a few nights while the other enjoys dinner with the rest of your group. I love a relaxed meal, which just isn't possible while trying to feed and entertain little ones. The nights we all ate in the dining room one of us would usually leave early with my youngest daughters while the other stayed to enjoy coffee/dessert. It's nice to discuss those things ahead of time so you have a plan in place.

We're preparing to take my 2 year old on her third cruise in a few weeks. She's the youngest of my 4 and has become quite the seasoned traveler. We love traveling as a family and find cruising to be the best arrangement. Enjoy your cruise!!

(Oh, I should add that I second the idea of a 2 room arrangement, if it isn't too late to get it. When we were on NCL we had 2 connecting rooms for the 6 of us and the space was just right.)

If you have a room with a balcony, dry erase markers and/or the crayola window markers are a fun toy to bring.

My kids have a blast drawing on the plexiglass and I get to sit outside and read....I mean supervise....

When we did NCL they put a pack and play in our room and made it up with their sheets. Will the twins share or will you need two? Do you know if you have a sofa bed in the room? Our 2 1/2 year old slept great on the sofa bed, I brought his pillow case from home so he would know that was his bed. The other thing that helped is ordering room service for breakfast, if you order cereal it will come in the box and bananas were a life savor to have on hand.

I would definitely bring a stroller, it comes in handy not only on the ship but in port stops. I would bring a skinny one as the hallways are not very wide.

I packed all my formula in large ziplock bags in order to save packing space. I also packed smaller ones for around the ship and port stops. Initially I would make a bottle with the powder and when he was actually ready to drink it I would have a bottled water with me to fix it up.

I brought an inflatable pool but never used it, at 10 months old I just gave him a good ol' sponge bath or I guess really a washcloth bath. At 2 1/2 we braved the shower.

If I think of anything else I will chime back in.

We are taking our 3 children (all 2 and under) on the NCL Epic cruise at the end of August. I am open to suggestions on how to make this a really enjoyable experience. We are traveling with extended family, so we will have help.

 

We are bringing two travel cribs (Phil and Ted's) for my 1-year old twins. I have not figured out what my 2 year old will sleep on yet since he is still in a crib at home. We have a family mini-suite (I think).

 

We are also bringing our city mini double and single, although I am not sure the double will fit in the hallways of the cruise ship.

 

I have never cruised with children and I have never been on NCL.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

We traveled with my son when he was 13 months and will be traveling with our son and daughter this fall when they will be 3 and 18 months. We will have no "help" or family coming with us, which is just fine. On a normal day, we don't have help.....and I consider the hundreds of crew members to be a HUGE help! First, they do all of the food shopping, cooking, and cleaning up :) Now that is a vacation if you ask me!! All I have to do is hang with my kids! Granted, there is nothing relaxing about that, but you already know that! haha. The quality time you will have as a family and the memories you will make will far surpasss any challenges you will face while cruising with the kiddos. and yes, it will be difficult at times, just like home. but it will also be awesome! we loved it and cannot wait to go again this fall.

I have pasted below a link to the quick summary/review I did when we returned from our cruise with our son. We were on Carnival and we only had one child, so some does not apply to you, but you may find a few tips! also, there are TONS of other reviews and threads on this board that will help you with packing lists and such. Tons of great tips that will make your cruise much easier. Good luck! and have a great time!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1520991

I think you are very BRAVE, taking three under two (but then, I find that in general, parents of twins are often above average in bravery)!! :) I hope you have a great vacation. There seem to be some really helpful tips here. We are taking our 2.5-year-old twins on their first cruise on the Carnival Glory mid-August... don't know if we'll be back in time to be helpful for you for your late-August cruise, but I'll try to report back on our experience and if we have any tips to share. (I admit, I am a little nervous as it will be our first cruise with the children and know it will be so different from past 'couple' cruises -- but I am also excited and hoping for the best!) I hope you will also report back on your experience when you are home!

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful tips!

Jenn

 

Make sure to pack medicine approved by your ped. They will not have the infant/children version of Tylenol, ibuprofen or Benadryl in the ship. I also brought a thermometer.

 

Excellent advice and sorry I didn't remember to mention it. The thermometer saved me the cost of an after-hours doctor visit on board once because I was able to tell the nurse on the phone what my child's temp/symptoms were and she assured me as long as it didn't get higher, we could see the doc in the morning. ebradley is correct that the shop on board will not have kids' medicines so you want to bring anything you might need - but rest assured the medical facility is equipped to handle little ones. We saw ships doctors a few times in the early years and they were without exception a) wonderful with kids and b) had the necessary medicine for ear infection, fever, etc. for about the cost of an urgent care visit at home.

Best,

Mia

Thanks so much for such great advice. We are bringing two porta cribs because I think they will be smaller than the large pack n plays that NCL will provide. Additionally, my kids will be used to them and we need them for other parts of our trip. They may or may not fit in our cabin- if they do not, we will figure something out.

We cannot get adjoining rooms. We tried when we booked, but NCL does not accomodate adjoining room requests if you get on the boat at Marseille. My parents will be in the room directly next door, so we will probably be able to keep a couple things in their room for storage (i.e., carseats.)

I would see if they could remove the sofa and maybe the little table in your room then. With the 2 portacribs and a pack n play, you won't have any room to even walk in your room.

I would call NCL to see if the room you have can accommodate what you are trying to do. I just don't want you to get there and find you have no room at all. Maybe one of the kids can sleep in your parent's room?

Thanks so much for such great advice. We are bringing two porta cribs because I think they will be smaller than the large pack n plays that NCL will provide. Additionally, my kids will be used to them and we need them for other parts of our trip. They may or may not fit in our cabin- if they do not, we will figure something out.

 

We cannot get adjoining rooms. We tried when we booked, but NCL does not accomodate adjoining room requests if you get on the boat at Marseille. My parents will be in the room directly next door, so we will probably be able to keep a couple things in their room for storage (i.e., carseats.)