Cruising with 9 month old - Help!!!

Hi everyone! We're thinking about booking a 14 night Caribbean cruise through HAL in December. Husband and I will be going with our son who will be 9 months and my parents (mom is super helpful with baby.) I have a ton of questions I'm really hoping you all can help with. We've cruised a ton but never with a child!

1. Are we nuts?!? Lol... Seriously wondering if 14 days is just crazy with a 9 month old.

2. Overall, are cruise ships (HAL in particular) accommodating with babies? Will my son be allowed in main dining room, etc?

3. Should we bring pack and play for sleeping in room?

4. Should we bring car seat for cabs for any excursions we would want to do? We live in LA and trip is RT out of Ft. Lauderdale so we may need car seat for airport travel...

5. Is it true that baby gear flies for free??

6. Any advice on cleaning bottles and baby food supplies on board?

7. Any brilliant words of wisdom? I'm very excited and also a bit scared. Any tips are sooooo appreciated!!!! Thank you!!!!!

1. You're not nuts. It is a long time, but probably easier at that age than once he is a bit older/mobile. It won't be the same experience you've had before, but you will have the opportunity to have some great family memories.

2. I'm not sure about HAL specifically, but most ships are accommodating. Everyone is allowed in the main dining room, buffet, etc. You might find restrictions for specialty dining (ex. On RCCL kids under 12 aren't allowed in specialty restaurants after a certain time) and some entertainment.

3. Cruise lines usually provide pack n plays. You may want to bring your own sheets since they take almost no space & I've read that they usually just put a regular folded up sheet on.

4. It depends on what you plan to do in port. I'd take it if you plan to use taxis. We didn't plan to use any transportation other than a water taxi so we didn't take ours. If you take cruiseline airport transfers you will be in a motor coach so you couldn't use it there.

5. That all depends on the gear & the airline. Strollers can be checked at the door of the plane & they will be brought up to you when you arrive (no cost).

Take some favorite toys/blankies, stay flexible and take anything you might need for baby on board with you (diapers, baby food if needed--some just mash soft food onboard, baby medicines, etc).

Good suggestions from PP. We took my son on a 7 night Carnival cruise when he was 8 months old. For a stroller, we brought the travel system that the car seat snaps into. Both parts were gate checked for free and that way we had the car seat just in case. We ended up not needing it in any ports, but I'm glad we at least had the option and when he fell asleep right before dinner we just carried the car seat into the MDR and he could sleep.

I brought dish soap and a bottle brush with us and just washed bottles and food containers in the room. I wish i had brought a portable drying rack because the bathroom is small and the bottles took up a lot of space!

We used the ships portable crib and it wasn't an issue with sheets. We brought along our baby monitor so that we could hang out on the balcony while my son napped. You can't hear if the door is closed otherwise. Monitor worked great!

The other great suggestion i found on here was to bring a small inflatable pool. We used it as a bathtub as well as filling it up on the balcony and letting him splash around since they are too young for the ship pools . He loved it!!!

Have fun!! We had an awesome time cruising with our little one.

Hi everyone! We're thinking about booking a 14 night Caribbean cruise through HAL in December. Husband and I will be going with our son who will be 9 months and my parents (mom is super helpful with baby.) I have a ton of questions I'm really hoping you all can help with. We've cruised a ton but never with a child!

 

1. Are we nuts?!? Lol... Seriously wondering if 14 days is just crazy with a 9 month old.

 

2. Overall, are cruise ships (HAL in particular) accommodating with babies? Will my son be allowed in main dining room, etc?

 

3. Should we bring pack and play for sleeping in room?

 

4. Should we bring car seat for cabs for any excursions we would want to do? We live in LA and trip is RT out of Ft. Lauderdale so we may need car seat for airport travel...

 

5. Is it true that baby gear flies for free??

 

6. Any advice on cleaning bottles and baby food supplies on board?

 

7. Any brilliant words of wisdom? I'm very excited and also a bit scared. Any tips are sooooo appreciated!!!! Thank you!!!!!

First - 9 month olds cannot go on all cruises. If there are 3 or more consecutive days at sea, the minimum age to sail is 12 months. Cruise ships are not equipped to handle medical emergencies for little ones. They must be close enough to shore to transfer your little one if they become seriously ill. Make sure your 14 day cruise doesn't have 3 or more sea days in a row on its itinerary.

Not nuts in general, but although HAL is my favourite cruise line, I'd choose a different one for sailing with a 9 month old. There are no activities that a 9 month old could join in on HAL. On Royal Caribbean and Disney, there are things like nurseries, baby splash zones, even a carousel. Although some cruise lines (I think HAL might be one of them) have in cabin babysitting, children must be 12 months or older. Also, be aware that except for the baby splash zones on some Royal Caribbean ships, infants are not allowed in the pools. Some ships will allow you to order baby food, but I'd take my own food just in case. It used to be that ships would puree food for babies, but after some cross-contamination issues, they have mostly stopped that.

Here's Cruise Critic's article on sailing with a baby. It's not exhaustive, but it's a start http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1473

The one thing that HAL cruises have that would be useful if sailing with a baby is the $7/day/cabin unlimited laundry package.

Thank you all so much for your replies!!! And Boulders, that is so interesting to know about the consecutive sea day rule. We had been considering a Hawaii cruise RT out of LA, which would not be allowed based on this so very good to know. (And I'm not sure I'd want to be stuck on a ship heaven forbid of some emergency!) You guys are so helpful!!!!

Thank you all so much for your replies!!! And Boulders, that is so interesting to know about the consecutive sea day rule. We had been considering a Hawaii cruise RT out of LA, which would not be allowed based on this so very good to know. (And I'm not sure I'd want to be stuck on a ship heaven forbid of some emergency!) You guys are so helpful!!!!

We did that cruise with Princess when my girls were 4 years old. One of mine has health issues, but because we'd visited the on-board doctor a few times on previous cruises, I felt secure in doing the ocean crossing (along with extra insurance in case of medical evacuation). I'm pretty fearless, but with a baby, I probably would choose a cruise that sticks closer to land - though I'd have no problem doing a long cruise with a baby. Since they like schedules, a cruise works well.

Best,

Mia

Just make sure that you book your child as a guest. Cruises are NOT like airplanes where the under 2's travel for free. Your 9 month old will in all likelihood be charged the 3rd passenger in a cabin rate. Gratuities will also be charged for him at the same rate as adult passengers.

Following along to read others advice as well -- we're planning a cruise with our then ~10 month old and both sets of his grandparents. Fortunately my husband doesn't think I'm crazy that I started planning baby's first cruise before I was pregnant... But he's due the first of March and I'm eyeing a 7 day western carib. itinerary on NCL for early Jan 2015!

A few thoughts...

You could look into Panama Canal transit - not sure if they have those out of LA or not, but this might reduce air travel to one flight.

I would look into a suite or one bedroom cabin. Space is great with little ones, and having a separate bedroom to let him sleep is great. Connecting rooms would work too.

I agree with considering other lines - RCI has nurseries, the Royal promenade, splash zone, and toy lending. It might offer more options of things to do than HAL.

9 month olds don't give a fig where they are...if you're happy and relaxed, so will they be. No worries.

On EVERY cruiseline, babies/kids are more than welcome in the dining room! No worries!

All cruiselines will provide a crib or P&P...don't bring one! Do bring a stroller!

There are excursions you can take on buses...no carseats required, since there are no seatbelts. Many folks will bring the carseat, just in case they need it....stick it in the corner of your cabin.

If you need to clean baby stuff, bring a small dishwashing detergent....breast feeding is so much easier...doesn't require any equipment or sterilization at all!

There is no reason to be scared! You will do on the ship the same things you do at home....no worries! You have a family now...so a "family vacation", it is!

I just got off Allure of the Seas with my 16-month old.

We brought our carseat; taxi dispatcher specifically asked us at FLL if we had one. We flew Southwest and carseats and strollers do not count against your 2 free bag allotment. We gate checked the stroller only; I saw other families gate check both carseat and stroller.

The room steward provided us with a Graco Pack-n-Play. I did bring my own fitted sheet per the advice found here. The carseat fit in the bottom of the closet and the umbrella stroller fit under the bed for storage.

We ate dinner every night in the MDR. There were plenty of high chairs in all the dining areas. By evening #2 our waiter had fruit, milk and mac-and-cheese ready as soon as we sat down for dinner. Everyone was very accommodating.

I was amazed (and relieved) at how easy it was cruising with a little one. It was so much fun!

Thanks to the wonderful advice on the Family Boards I brought enough of everything except the baby food pouches. Some evenings it was just easier to open up a pouch for a snack so I ran out rather quickly.

Best of luck to you! Your cruise with your baby will be fantastic!

My daughter turned 1 on her first cruise onboard the Eurodam. A little older than your baby, but still nursing. I am trying to think what she was eating then, that was 5 years ago!! I remember her sitting at the dinner table, so she may have been eating a little table food, but not much. We just came very prepared. We packed a lot of stuff to keep both of us comfortable. I felt more secure knowing I had everything I had at home.

We had a balcony cabin and had a pack n play that fit right in front of the balcony door. It was tight, but we could not afford a suite, so we made the best of it. There is something called the Coverplay that is like a slip cover for a play pen. If you lived nearby I could give you mine; I only used it once for that cruise!! The balcony was intentional. We knew that one of us would have to be with the baby during naps, so we still wanted to feel like we were on vacation and at least be able to see the water!!

As long as you are flexible you will be fine. You have your parents, so you will get a change to enjoy quite a bit. I did want to take her in the water, but no diapers in the pool as others said. It was not that big of a deal to us, but we are not big pool people and we knew the rules. Disney does have the nursery, but it does cost extra. RCCL has the mom and me time which was cool. I just did not enjoy the cruise experience as a whole on those ships. HAL is still my favorite with Celebrity coming a close second.

Hi everyone! We're thinking about booking a 14 night Caribbean cruise through HAL in December. Husband and I will be going with our son who will be 9 months and my parents (mom is super helpful with baby.) I have a ton of questions I'm really hoping you all can help with. We've cruised a ton but never with a child!

 

1. Are we nuts?!? Lol... Seriously wondering if 14 days is just crazy with a 9 month old.

 

2. Overall, are cruise ships (HAL in particular) accommodating with babies? Will my son be allowed in main dining room, etc?

 

3. Should we bring pack and play for sleeping in room?

 

4. Should we bring car seat for cabs for any excursions we would want to do? We live in LA and trip is RT out of Ft. Lauderdale so we may need car seat for airport travel...

 

5. Is it true that baby gear flies for free??

 

6. Any advice on cleaning bottles and baby food supplies on board?

 

7. Any brilliant words of wisdom? I'm very excited and also a bit scared. Any tips are sooooo appreciated!!!! Thank you!!!!!

We did a 5 day cruise on carnival with our 10 month old. While we had a lot of concerns (and our extended family had even more). The holiday was actually so easy and far exceeded our expectations.

1. Not nuts, but you may want to consider something shorter or plan for emergencies. If things don't work out and you need to fly home from a Caribbean island they'll require a passport for the baby for travel.

2. We took a Carnival Cruise and everyone loved our son, gave him lots of attention. He felt like a little star onboard and had an amazing time. we arranged with the head waiter for him to get food very fast in the main dining room. Cheerios were waiting for him every night. As an aside we are one of those families that said we'd never book a Carnival Cruise, as we did many upscale lines prior. Well we booked a Carnival Cruise and have nothing but fantastic things to say about the experience.

3. Call HAL, they should have a pack and play or crib. If it is a pack and play and you have one at home give him some practice sleeping in it overnight at home so it's something he's used it. Our son did such good sleeping with the waves at sea.

4. Florida requires a car seat for travel, unless you book a motocoach. That said carseats are a real pain to lug around. The only excursions we did were to take the baby on a stroller tours of islands. He was more than happy with that and so were we. If you want to do an excursion it may be easier to leave him with grandma/grandpa. Also many excursions can be canceled 24 hours in advance so just check the rules and change plans if you want to.

5. Depends on the airline exact rules. Carseats are free, strollers under certain weights also free to gate check.

6. We brought soap and brush and used it to clean. You can also ask them to clean it for you in the MDR, they might do it!

7. See if you can get a connecting room with your parents. Then you have a place to hang out during naps. You could also consider a balcony, but while the ships moving it can be very windy out there.

Parents have different philosophies on kids and travel. Ours was happy baby, happy family. We kept ourselves very flexible based on his schedule/mood. Sure there were excursions/things we would have liked to also do but having a good spirited baby was our top priority.

We did a 5 day cruise on carnival with our 10 month old. While we had a lot of concerns (and our extended family had even more). The holiday was actually so easy and far exceeded our expectations.

 

1. Not nuts, but you may want to consider something shorter or plan for emergencies. If things don't work out and you need to fly home from a Caribbean island they'll require a passport for the baby for travel.

 

2. We took a Carnival Cruise and everyone loved our son, gave him lots of attention. He felt like a little star onboard and had an amazing time. we arranged with the head waiter for him to get food very fast in the main dining room. Cheerios were waiting for him every night. As an aside we are one of those families that said we'd never book a Carnival Cruise, as we did many upscale lines prior. Well we booked a Carnival Cruise and have nothing but fantastic things to say about the experience.

 

3. Call HAL, they should have a pack and play or crib. If it is a pack and play and you have one at home give him some practice sleeping in it overnight at home so it's something he's used it. Our son did such good sleeping with the waves at sea.

 

4. Florida requires a car seat for travel, unless you book a motocoach. That said carseats are a real pain to lug around. The only excursions we did were to take the baby on a stroller tours of islands. He was more than happy with that and so were we. If you want to do an excursion it may be easier to leave him with grandma/grandpa. Also many excursions can be canceled 24 hours in advance so just check the rules and change plans if you want to.

 

5. Depends on the airline exact rules. Carseats are free, strollers under certain weights also free to gate check.

 

6. We brought soap and brush and used it to clean. You can also ask them to clean it for you in the MDR, they might do it!

 

7. See if you can get a connecting room with your parents. Then you have a place to hang out during naps. You could also consider a balcony, but while the ships moving it can be very windy out there.

 

Parents have different philosophies on kids and travel. Ours was happy baby, happy family. We kept ourselves very flexible based on his schedule/mood. Sure there were excursions/things we would have liked to also do but having a good spirited baby was our top priority.

Sorry but I don't believe Florida requires a car seat if you're in a taxi..we were just told this from a taxi driver..said they had to be either belted in or sitting on your lap belted in.

1. Are we nuts?!? Lol... Seriously wondering if 14 days is just crazy with a 9 month old.

No, have a good time.

2. Overall, are cruise ships (HAL in particular) accommodating with babies? Will my son be allowed in main dining room, etc?

yes, and yes

3. Should we bring pack and play for sleeping in room?

They have cribs, but if you feel your child will do better with your own pnp then bring it.

4. Should we bring car seat for cabs for any excursions we would want to do? We live in LA and trip is RT out of Ft. Lauderdale so we may need car seat for airport travel...

Many of the transports will not be able to accommodate a car seat. This is quite the great debate here, you'll need to use your own judgement on if having your own car seat is worth it.

5. Is it true that baby gear flies for free??

You can gate check carseats and strollers

6. Any advice on cleaning bottles and baby food supplies on board?

We're not germaphobic and sailed with a 6 month old. Didn't do anything more than a quick wash/rinse in the sink. Our child was and is very healthy.

7. Any brilliant words of wisdom? I'm very excited and also a bit scared. Any tips are sooooo appreciated!!!! Thank you!!!!!

You're going to have a great time. :)

Our best family memories are cruising with our child.

Sorry but I don't believe Florida requires a car seat if you're in a taxi..we were just told this from a taxi driver..said they had to be either belted in or sitting on your lap belted in.

If you do a quick web search you'll see many articles stating a car seat is required in Florida by law for children under 3. You may find a taxi driver that will take you without one, but I'd be wary of that. The motor coaches / buses however don't require them I believe.

The car seats are only an issue in the US coming and going to terminal ( most of the time). I didn't use them for my kids in any port, mostly because there wasn't a place to put one on the bus though they were in the room. Don't stores about the car seat until you have made planes for coming and going and in port. Then evaluate if it would be cheaper to rent one when needed or if you can't use one at all

The baby items depend on the airline most allow a stroller and car seat plus diaper bag per child, but some limit you to a stroller OR a car seat. No luggage unless an international flight.

I took a small bottle of dish soap to clean bottles/ sippy cups and their own spoons/bowls. The water is very hot so it worked fine. I just kept them out of the bathroom once cleaned on the side table. I also just used a wash cloth to was them and had it changed out to keep things sanitary.

Don't bring your own pack n play. The rooms are small and they use a smaller crib/ pack n play that works in the room better. If you are worried bring your own sheets which is what I do.

I took twins at nine months so you are as crazy as I am. The best advice is to take others with you so you have help. The key is to know it will be different then an adult only vacation. You have to adjust- don't expect your kid to. Let them Still have their naps and play time even if it means you miss something. You will all have a more enjoyable time because of it. Have a great time!

We took our 10 m/o on a 7 day HAL cruise and loved every minute of it. We had her stroller and car seat, which could be used together or separate. Then we didn't have to worry about transfers. We decided to go pretty low key. In most ports we just put her in the stroller and walked around town. One we rented a car and just took the car seat with us. At the airport, we gate checked the stroller and car seat, no problem. The stroller was handy on the ship as well, and we just put the car seat in the closet for most of the trip.

We never had a problem with her on the ship. The staff loved her and doted on her. They were actually disappointed the night we didn't bring her to the main dining room. She had a tough time sitting all through dinner so we would just take her for a little walk between courses. We made sure to have familiar snacks and foods, but she was willing to try new foods, she especially liked the chilled soups. At the Lido, there was always staff willing to help out.

Most HAL cabins have a tub and a shower, so no problem there. And don't worry too much about not going in the pool. At each port you have the option of swimming in the ocean. We mainly stayed away from the pool on sea days, and found quiet lounges for her to play in. (She was walking at 8 months). She loved the piano player, and did some dancing for him.

Have a case of diapers shipped ahead of time to your hotel and slap a room tag on it at the port.

Go and have fun! Relax! It's a great way to travel, even with little ones.

Sorry but I don't believe Florida requires a car seat if you're in a taxi..we were just told this from a taxi driver..said they had to be either belted in or sitting on your lap belted in.

Incorrect. Florida seat belt laws are here Particularly, this section

The cost for a seatbelt violation is $30. Below is a summary of the Florida seat belt law. For a child that is not properly restrained the violation is $60.

 

Summary of Mandatory Seat Belt Laws

Seat belt laws apply to all cars, pickup trucks, and vans operated on Florida roads.

All passengers in the front seat must wear a seat belt.

All passengers under 18 must wear a seat belt

 

Florida Child Restraint Requirements

Children 3 and younger must be secured in a federally approved child-restraint seat.

Children 4 through 5 must be secured by either a federally approved child restraint seat or safety belt.

The Driver is responsible for buckling up the child.