Our first baby, his first cruise !!

So we sail on January 23rd on NCL Jade from Rome with our 6 month old son. We are going with a group of friends so we will have some support if necessary. DW is a nurse so not concerned from that point of view. :)

We've requested a travel cot (pack and play) and are bringing are own premade formula. We started tiny amounts of spoon feeding last week but are aware ships don't purée etc. we've bought a blowup bath and we know the laundry service can be expensive so will bring some travel wash just in case.

For those of you who have travelled with very small babies before, apart from clothes, an umbrella stroller, a papoose, some toys and diapers, is there anything else you think would make this all easier ? :confused:

So we sail on January 23rd on NCL Jade from Rome with our 6 month old son. We are going with a group of friends so we will have some support if necessary. DW is a nurse so not concerned from that point of view. :)

 

We've requested a travel cot (pack and play) and are bringing are own premade formula. We started tiny amounts of spoon feeding last week but are aware ships don't purée etc. we've bought a blowup bath and we know the laundry service can be expensive so will bring some travel wash just in case.

 

For those of you who have travelled with very small babies before, apart from clothes, an umbrella stroller, a papoose, some toys and diapers, is there anything else you think would make this all easier ? :confused:

You may want to consider taking a better stroller than an umbrella stroller since yours will only be six months old. Does he currently use an umbrella stroller? I would personally prefer one he could lay comfortably in for naps.

He has outgrown the flat bottomed pram so we will be bringing a collapsible stroller type pram (not as flimsy as an umbrella stroller). He goes down most days for 2 x 2 hour naps so we ill try to stick as much to that as possible. We've visited all the ports before apart from Istanbul so will be enjoying the ship as our holiday rather than the ports

You may want to bring a blanket to put on the floor for the baby to roll around on.

Also you may want to consider bringing your own pack n play sheet (just in case there is a reaction to the ship's detergent).

Sounds like you got all the basics covered, let us know how your trip goes!

Bring any baby medications that you might need, such as pain relievers for teething/fever. You won't find infant meds on board, so best to have them just in case!

I am traveling on Celebrity with a 9 month old and was told they would steam and puree anything for us so you may want to double check that. Also I have seen a lot of posts about a small inflatable tub. It can double as a bath and a pool. Your child will not be allowed in the pools.

Bring a bottle brush and a small bottle of dish soap to wash bottles in the sink

I am traveling on Celebrity with a 9 month old and was told they would steam and puree anything for us so you may want to double check that.

I agree, double check on the pureed food. Disney also does it.

NCL won't do it. Nor will RCI .Cant guarantee what was in the blenders before hand apparently.

Don't think it would be worth bringing a hand blender

Along the line of medications, if your LO doesn't have teeth yet (or at time of cruising) you might want to be sure you have medications for that in case a tooth decides to come in while you are at sea.

Seasoned pros at this stage ! He's currently getting his fifth ;)

This may sound silly but bring diaper bags (little plastic bags to put dirty diapers in). A dirty diaper will stink up a stateroom in no time flat. I learnt this lesson the hard way when DS was 3 months old on his first cruise. We came back to the stateroom one evening and had to leave to balcony door open for a good half hour before we could go in.

We took our daughter on her first cruise when she was 2 and she absolutely loved it. She asks to go back all the time now! :)

This may sound silly but bring diaper bags (little plastic bags to put dirty diapers in). A dirty diaper will stink up a stateroom in no time flat. I learnt this lesson the hard way when DS was 3 months old on his first cruise. We came back to the stateroom one evening and had to leave to balcony door open for a good half hour before we could go in.

Wouldn't leave home without them ;)

This may sound silly but bring diaper bags (little plastic bags to put dirty diapers in). A dirty diaper will stink up a stateroom in no time flat. I learnt this lesson the hard way when DS was 3 months old on his first cruise. We came back to the stateroom one evening and had to leave to balcony door open for a good half hour before we could go in.

i agree, the bags smell like baby powder and are awesome!

A flameless candle as a nightlight or you can down load nightlight apps for tablets and smart phone

Bring any baby medications that you might need, such as pain relievers for teething/fever. You won't find infant meds on board, so best to have them just in case!

Definately bring infant tylenol with you!!

We just got back from our first cruise with our 7 month old, here are some things that worked for us....

plastic shower curtain to put down on the floor for baby to play on, we bought a cheap one from the dollar store and threw it out at the end of the trip

definitely sheets for the crib, we just took large receiving blankets to put on top of the sheets they provided (to avoid skin reactions to the soap/bleach that they use as well as having baby sleep somewhere that smells like home so they are more comforted)

our daughter has little videos and a music cd that she loves, we loaded them on the ipad for her to watch and listen to

toys that you can attach to the stroller, we brought a few and changed them up every day so she had something different to play with

plastic placemat, the high chairs don't have trays so they are just pushed up against the table-- gives baby somewhere to play and a clean surface for them to use when eating-- I packed a small bag with all the things she would need for meals (placemat, bibs, spoons, sippy cup, wipes and snacks) that we could just grab and take with us on the way to eat

sponge and small bottle of dish soap

That's all I can think of right now, if I think of anything else I will come back and add it-- if you have any questions please feel free to ask ;)

More diapers than you think you'll need. Far more wipes than you think you'll need. Diaper rash cream. Trust me on this, we'd never had rash problems and packed an absurd number of diapers, but something about being out of his element made DS run through a LOT of diapers.