Baby on Board, Etc.

We are considering a family cruise, which would include a baby that is about 8 months old. We are trying to figure out if taking a baby on a cruise is worth the fuss. How is cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide cribs - if so, do you need a bigger cabin? Are there "special" cabins for people who are cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide baby food, diapers, formula, etc.? If not, we will need to bring a lot of things on board. Are there baby sitting services available (both during the day and in the evening)? Please advise of your experiences of bringing a baby on board. What age does a child have to be before they can participate in the ship's children's program?

I can answer some of your questions. There are no "special" cabins. The cruise line can provide baby food, don't know about diapers. There is no babysitting service at all, you are on your own. The cruise line will provide a play and go type crib but you must reserve one in advance. For diapers I think you might have to bring your own but you can certainly ask customer service about all of these questions.

Well, as a Grandma who just babysat my 8 month old grandson last night, I have to say, he didn't sleep well in a strange environment [ yours might do well with the ship gently rocking] and he wants to crawl everywhere and get into everything. 8 months certainly isn't the age to put them somewhere and they just sit and entertain themselves. I think 8 months would be a hard age to travel with and that is just the personal experience with my 8 month old grandson. I can't wait to take him on his first cruise, but it won't be for a couple of years.

We are considering a family cruise, which would include a baby that is about 8 months old. We are trying to figure out if taking a baby on a cruise is worth the fuss. How is cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide cribs - if so, do you need a bigger cabin? Are there "special" cabins for people who are cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide baby food, diapers, formula, etc.? If not, we will need to bring a lot of things on board. Are there baby sitting services available (both during the day and in the evening)? Please advise of your experiences of bringing a baby on board. What age does a child have to be before they can participate in the ship's children's program?

I have never cruised with a baby but from what I can remember just going to Grandma's for the day was a pain. Car seat, pack and play diapers, baby food ect.... ect....... I wish I had a dime for every time I had to return some place because my wife left her handbag behind because she thought the diaper bag was it. That being said, enjoy them while they are young because teens are no bargain. Looking back the terrible two’s were not so terrible.

I can tell you that you have to be at least 3yrs old to participate in the Princess children’s program. Disney Cruise line has a 3 month to 3yrs children’s group.

You might want to check out the Family Boards here on cruise critic, they know the real deal on travelling with infants. I do know that Princess does NOT provide babysitting or diapers. Some lines do have baby sitting.

I have travelled on cruises where people brought infants, and except for look at the cute baby never really noticed them. Babies in general at home or on vacation require a lot of stuff. The parents should be used to that.

There are some cruise lines that do provide babysitting services onboard for the younger babies, Princess does not though. Children must be 3 years old and totally potty trained before they are allowed to be left in the child care center.

So, traveling with a baby on Princess will mean the parents/grandparents will have to be with the baby 24/7 for the entire cruise.

I agree, the family board would have more information on this subject.

Best of luck on whichever cruise line you choose. ;)

I have a different take on this.

Traveling or vacation anywhere with an 8M old is a hassle. Unless you want to stop vacationing because you have an infant, I believe cruising provides the easiest vacation for parents with a young baby.

Here are some tips to make cruising with an infant fun:

1. Have a laid back attitude. As long as the baby is fed and has a safe place to sleep, he/she will be happy.

2. Take a narrow stroller (easier to get through the corridors with service carts parked on one side of the corridor) that reclines fully. Baby will nap in his/her stroller. So train your baby to like his/her stroller before the cruise begins. We had a Combi stroller that reclined fully. My sister took a Peg Perego and that was too wide to manoeuver through the corridors with service carts around.

3. Princess has self-service laundry facility, so it's easy to do laundry. Just bring your own baby detergent and quarters and you won't have to worry about baby laundry.

4. Princess provides baby food--mostly Gerber's brand baby food. You need to ask your TA to specify what flavor your baby likes to eat. I met a mom with a 6M old on our last cruise and she simply packed a case of Earth's Best baby food and slap a luggage tag on it and it was delivered onto her room. But she's local, so if you pick a cruise that you need to fly into the embarkation city, you will need to find a local grocery store to stock up on baby food, unless you want to pack a case of baby food in your luggage.

5. Princess provides a crib for the baby. Inside cabins are small, but you can your room steward to put 2 single beds together and then push the beds against one wall. That will give you more room to put the crib in the room. The drawback would be to loose the use of the 2 side tables and the 1 of the lamps attached to them.

6. You can bring along an inflatable mini pool for your baby to play along side the adults in the big pool. But that's a hassle. It will be easier to find a hotel pool or the beach at one of the ports for the baby to have some water fun.

7. Limitation to the amount of excursions you can do. What we did was to do research ahead of time and we did our own city excursions. We either find a family-friendly beach or a local hotel with a nice pool to hang out OR walked around the city on our own. The babies are great in strollers. When they get tired, they just fall asleep in their stroller. My sister did an Alaska cruise with a 6M old. They found a backpack fitted with a baby seat. They took the baby everywhere.

8. The Princess kids' club are available to kids 3 and over. Even at 3, a lot of kids without preschool experience would have a hard time going to the kids club. So unless you are traveling with other family members (to help a bit with babysitting), you will need to take turns enjoying the ship and babysit the baby. There are great movies you can watch from your cabin's TV. I remember when my kids were very young, I actually enjoyed their nap time. I get to watch a movie in its entirety while they napped. When your baby is 8M old, it basically mean that you haven't had an alone time for awhile, not to mention watching a movie.

9. Diapers--none of the cruiseline offer diapers. What you would do is to put diapers in a box and slap on a cruise luggage tag and bring it on as a piece of luggage. So if you have chosen a cruise that you will need to fly in on embarkation day, you need to find a local drug store or grocery store near the cruise terminal and stock up on diapers. Bring lots of extra plastic bags on board to dispose of your baby's dirty diapers in your cabin's garbage cans. As for the number of diapers you need to bring on board, you need to count up how many diapers your baby uses in a day. Let's say if he/she uses 6 diapers a day, add 2 diapers for insurance, so you would pack 7 x 8 = 56 diapers for your cruise. If you count the pre-cruise and post cruise travel, you need to add 1 diaper per hour of pre-cruise or post cruise travel.

10. If you have a crawling baby, just line the floor of your cabin with clean bed sheets. Just ask your cabin steward to give you extra flat sheets. Some parents pack portable playpens. This is a great idea because parents can bring the playpen into the pool area and the parents and take turns going in the pool for a swim while the baby sleeps and plays in the playpen.

11. We took our babies into the dining room for formal dining. It's usually their bed time, so they would sleep in their strollers while the adults ate. But as soon as the babies cry or get noisy, we would leave the dining room and go back to your room. On Sapphire Princess, if you order room service during dinner hours, they will deliver whatever on the menu to your room via room service. Or you can get a plate from the buffet and eat in your room.

I was so afraid to take my baby anywhere because of the hassle factor. So we did a 1 day trip to a Disney Resort when my daughter was 9M old and we didn't do any flying until she was 15M old. We did our first cruise when my youngest was 20M old. Looking back, I could have easily done a cruise with my oldest before she was one. Now that my kids are 8 and 10, I wish I had done more cruises when they were younger. It's the easiest way to travel when the hotel moves with you. You only had to unpack and pack once the entire duration of your cruise.

It's hard for new parents to see this, but babies under 1 are the easiest to travel with. Just have an open mind and a relaxed attitude. Babies don't need that many equipment for them to thrive. If you are breastfeeding, the food situation will be even easier.

Leave me messages if you have any questions.

I have a different take on this.

Excellent! I've learned a lot from your post. We don't currently have children but in the future if/when we do I always wondered when it would be OK to take them on a cruise.

The one question I do have - how does much Princess charge for infants?

Excellent! I've learned a lot from your post. We don't currently have children but in the future if/when we do I always wondered when it would be OK to take them on a cruise.

 

The one question I do have - how does much Princess charge for infants?

On Princess infants pay the full fare of what it costs for the third passenger in a stateroom. On the cruise I am book on the third and fourth passenger was $50 more each than the first two passengers. It was less expensive to book 2 staterooms.

Excellent! I've learned a lot from your post. We don't currently have children but in the future if/when we do I always wondered when it would be OK to take them on a cruise.

 

The one question I do have - how does much Princess charge for infants?

There isn't a special rate for babies and children. You can ask your TA about getting a third passenger rate. Tips will be the same as any adult, but IMO, the crew will be earning their tip. We have never removed or reduced a tip for our child.

I have a different take on this.

 

Traveling or vacation anywhere with an 8M old is a hassle. Unless you want to stop vacationing because you have an infant, I believe cruising provides the easiest vacation for parents with a young baby.

 

Here are some tips to make cruising with an infant fun:

1. Have a laid back attitude. As long as the baby is fed and has a safe place to sleep, he/she will be happy.

 

2. Take a narrow stroller (easier to get through the corridors with service carts parked on one side of the corridor) that reclines fully. Baby will nap in his/her stroller. So train your baby to like his/her stroller before the cruise begins. We had a Combi stroller that reclined fully. My sister took a Peg Perego and that was too wide to manoeuver through the corridors with service carts around.

 

3. Princess has self-service laundry facility, so it's easy to do laundry. Just bring your own baby detergent and quarters and you won't have to worry about baby laundry.

 

4. Princess provides baby food--mostly Gerber's brand baby food. You need to ask your TA to specify what flavor your baby likes to eat. I met a mom with a 6M old on our last cruise and she simply packed a case of Earth's Best baby food and slap a luggage tag on it and it was delivered onto her room. But she's local, so if you pick a cruise that you need to fly into the embarkation city, you will need to find a local grocery store to stock up on baby food, unless you want to pack a case of baby food in your luggage.

 

5. Princess provides a crib for the baby. Inside cabins are small, but you can your room steward to put 2 single beds together and then push the beds against one wall. That will give you more room to put the crib in the room. The drawback would be to loose the use of the 2 side tables and the 1 of the lamps attached to them.

 

6. You can bring along an inflatable mini pool for your baby to play along side the adults in the big pool. But that's a hassle. It will be easier to find a hotel pool or the beach at one of the ports for the baby to have some water fun.

 

7. Limitation to the amount of excursions you can do. What we did was to do research ahead of time and we did our own city excursions. We either find a family-friendly beach or a local hotel with a nice pool to hang out OR walked around the city on our own. The babies are great in strollers. When they get tired, they just fall asleep in their stroller. My sister did an Alaska cruise with a 6M old. They found a backpack fitted with a baby seat. They took the baby everywhere.

 

8. The Princess kids' club are available to kids 3 and over. Even at 3, a lot of kids without preschool experience would have a hard time going to the kids club. So unless you are traveling with other family members (to help a bit with babysitting), you will need to take turns enjoying the ship and babysit the baby. There are great movies you can watch from your cabin's TV. I remember when my kids were very young, I actually enjoyed their nap time. I get to watch a movie in its entirety while they napped. When your baby is 8M old, it basically mean that you haven't had an alone time for awhile, not to mention watching a movie.

 

9. Diapers--none of the cruiseline offer diapers. What you would do is to put diapers in a box and slap on a cruise luggage tag and bring it on as a piece of luggage. So if you have chosen a cruise that you will need to fly in on embarkation day, you need to find a local drug store or grocery store near the cruise terminal and stock up on diapers. Bring lots of extra plastic bags on board to dispose of your baby's dirty diapers in your cabin's garbage cans. As for the number of diapers you need to bring on board, you need to count up how many diapers your baby uses in a day. Let's say if he/she uses 6 diapers a day, add 2 diapers for insurance, so you would pack 7 x 8 = 56 diapers for your cruise. If you count the pre-cruise and post cruise travel, you need to add 1 diaper per hour of pre-cruise or post cruise travel.

 

10. If you have a crawling baby, just line the floor of your cabin with clean bed sheets. Just ask your cabin steward to give you extra flat sheets. Some parents pack portable playpens. This is a great idea because parents can bring the playpen into the pool area and the parents and take turns going in the pool for a swim while the baby sleeps and plays in the playpen.

 

11. We took our babies into the dining room for formal dining. It's usually their bed time, so they would sleep in their strollers while the adults ate. But as soon as the babies cry or get noisy, we would leave the dining room and go back to your room. On Sapphire Princess, if you order room service during dinner hours, they will deliver whatever on the menu to your room via room service. Or you can get a plate from the buffet and eat in your room.

 

I was so afraid to take my baby anywhere because of the hassle factor. So we did a 1 day trip to a Disney Resort when my daughter was 9M old and we didn't do any flying until she was 15M old. We did our first cruise when my youngest was 20M old. Looking back, I could have easily done a cruise with my oldest before she was one. Now that my kids are 8 and 10, I wish I had done more cruises when they were younger. It's the easiest way to travel when the hotel moves with you. You only had to unpack and pack once the entire duration of your cruise.

 

It's hard for new parents to see this, but babies under 1 are the easiest to travel with. Just have an open mind and a relaxed attitude. Babies don't need that many equipment for them to thrive. If you are breastfeeding, the food situation will be even easier.

 

Leave me messages if you have any questions.

Excellent info. It does take quite a bit of planning to take an infant or toddler on any vacation. We just did day trips (within 300 miles) with our child until we took her on her first cruise at 23 months. My hubby had been hesitant, but things went very smoothly. We did make it a three-day cruise, and then made the rest of the week a land stay in a hotel in San Diego.

We drove to our disembarkation port, so we jammed things into every available inch of our car (then as now, we stick with sedans). We took an umbrella stroller and a portable pack n' play. The waiter did bring a high chair and milk for her sippy cup. She was just starting potty training so needed to bring all those supplies, as I was not about to trust the cruiseline (that was Carnival, but wouldn't trust any of them) to have exactly what we needed. I definitely wasn't interested in any in-cabin sitting as I wouldn't be able to check out the person ahead of time. Group sitting would be different, but she was still a month young for Camp Carnival. So she stayed with us the whole time. Some cruiselines will allow you to take your child to the youngest kids' room as long as a parent stays too.

As for diapers and pullups, talk to your cabin steward. They will tell you where to put the soiled ones.

And it goes without saying, if you take your child to the dining room and he starts fussing, at least one parent should take him out ASAP. Same thing if you go to the production shows (for toddlers...we took ours and sat in back just in case, but she loved the show. She had already been to Blues Clues Live so this was just the same to her but without her being able to yell out a clue).

Princess doesn't have a full menu for room service unless you're in a suite. But if you're skipping going to the dining room, one of you can stay with baby in the cabin while the other goes to the Horizon Court and makes up a tray (ask your cabin steward for the tray -- they do have them and you want to be able to bring up all the food at one time).

My DGD was 6 months old on her first cruise. My DGS was 1 and on his 5th birthday it will be his 5th cruise. Cruising with kids is no more difficult then traveling anywhere with them. Good advise above. Yes, it is very crowded with the crib up. My DD was in a balcony room and it was tight, a mini suite works better. It was actually more difficult when my DGS was 3 YO, he was more fussy in the dining room. If you don't mind taking all the stuff for going away for a weekend, its easy. You can take the baby into the kids section as long as you remain with them.

Our room steward made up the crib every morning and did turn down service every night. It was very cute. I would suggest you bring your own sheets and special blanket though.

If you have infants or children under 3 (not eligible for going to kids clubs), try to avoid going on school holiday periods (peak sailings). When school is out, it's likely cruise prices go up. If you cruise during off-peak seasons, most cruiseline will offer a discount price for 3rd and 4th passengers sharing the same cabin as the first 2 passengers. During peak sailing seasons, 3rd and 4th passengers pay the same amount as 1st and 2nd passengers, so you might as well get 2 side-by-side cabins to give you more space. However, if you have small children, getting an extra room won't really benefit you because most likely the infant/small children will stay with both parents in one room, leaving the 2nd room empty.

We met a couple with 2 small children (6M and 2YO) at our last cruise (xmas cruise) and they had to book 2 cabins because 1) 4-person cabins were sold out and 2) children cost the same as adults.

So my advice to parents with non-school age children is to cruise when most kids are in school and the cruise prices are at the lowest.

I had forgotten to add something important to my list of things mentioned in the previous post.

12. Remember to bring sanitizing wipes/alcohol wipes to wipe down the high chairs (arm rest, tray, back) provided by the cruiseline. This will prevent the spread of diseases common in children because you just never know the health status of the child who sat in the high chair before your child sat in it.

13. Princess will allow children under 3 to play in the kids' zone under the supervision of the children's parents. I know kids club in Carnival and RCL did not allow that. Check with NCL to confirm whether they accept children as old as 2 to participate in its kids club program.

14. When the child is old enough to like watching TV, bring a portable DVD player to the dining room. Play your child's favorite show while you order your food OR while you wait for your food to come OR while you finish your dinner. You'll be surprised to see how well-behaved your child is during dinner.

One reason for the 3rd and 4th passenger rate being higher than the first two in the stateroom. Many times the first two passengers have received a significant discount on their price, whether a special promo from Princess or through a discount Travel Agent booking. This discount is only good for the first two passengers in the stateroom. The 3rd and 4th passenger rate normally remains the same, so in fact, it appears they are charging a higher rate for the other two added to the stateroom as they rarely discount that 3rd and 4th passenger rate.

Click here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

Just curious....are you taking the baby because you have absolutely no one at home that you trust to watch your baby? Or....are you taking the baby because you would miss him/her so very much that you probably wouldn't even go if you couldn't take your baby?

Just reading all of that planning made me want to take a nap. But like the other poster said, that is status quo when you travel--cruise or otherwise.

I do not want to start WWIII here, but I will ask this....is your baby still in the stages where they wake up all through the night (or day) and cry for periods of time? The walls are very thin in most cruiseships and if you can hear conversations in the next room, then imagine hearing a baby wail at 3:00 a.m. The bad thing is that if you were in a hotel, someone could request to be moveed (people do this all the time when they are next to kids in hotels...sorry, but it is true)...but that will not be an option if you are on a cruiseship.

And I've heard it many times before....kids really don't have a great time on vacation when they are that young....they like to be around familiar things...familiar bed...familiar toys...familiar scenery...and can be very uncomfortable in a new setting. You may remember it as the most exhausting "vacation" you've ever taken.

As stated though, if you are taking your baby because you just can't stand the thought of being without him/her, then you'll just have to make it work. But if you have someone you love and trust your baby with at home, maybe the downtime with your spouse just might have you two reconnecting on a very intimate level that you probably just haven't had much time to devote to because baby always comes first. Plus give you a really needed rest so you can return home and pick up strong again. I don't think women give themselves permission to take a break and end up getting so overwhelmed....they need to be more selfish so that they have something left to give everyone else around them.

Tough decision....but it looks like you are doing your home work and getting great advice in the event you decide to.

Dawn

 

14. When the child is old enough to like watching TV, bring a portable DVD player to the dining room. Play your child's favorite show while you order your food OR while you wait for your food to come OR while you finish your dinner. You'll be surprised to see how well-behaved your child is during dinner.

Can't say that I would enjoy this if I were seated at an adjoining table:eek:

My DD took the wonderful GS on a cruise when he was 6 months old and she is planning a cruise (9 days) for May when he is 15 months. As she says -- the baby will be with you forever and might as well get started early. No other vacation is as easy as a cruise (pack once, no driving, have room to rest etc.) and there is no vacation from children but at least cooking cleaning and entertainment is provided.

I took 2 children ages almost 2 and almost 4 cross country from Md. to CA for husband to work a summer then drove back home to Md. It worked. Young and adventuresome. The next year we flew to Italy for 3 months and lived like Italians in an apartment in Florence. Again it worked though it should not because we spoke no Italian. Maybe this is why the then 2 yo and now the Mom thinks Why Not instead of Oh I couldn't. Our children have been all over the world and now our grandchildren are traveling. It is truly a blessing.

We have a 4 and 6 year old and have been cruising with them since my 6 year old was 9 mo old. It is a wonderful vacation. For those who do not think it is a good idea, probably don't have children or have not thought that they could handle bringing them. It is so much fun....alot of work to prepare...yes, but well worth the effort! We took our last two cruises on Princess and the childrens program was amazing. My two still talk about the Ruby and want to know when they can go back! It is actually easier when they are younger. We ate in the dining room every night while they were younger and if they acted up, we took them out for a bit. The wait staff loves children. They remembered what they liked and had it at the table before we arrived! We had a stroller that converted into a car seat...it was called the sit and stroll. It was perfect for cruising. You could keep you child in the seat and not have to get them in and out all the time. Perfect for cabs in the caribbean. Cruising is a wonderful vacation for everyone. We cruised before and after children and still think it is the best vacation there is!

For those who do not think it is a good idea, probably don't have children or have not thought that they could handle bringing them.

Or....it just might be that the couple are working at their marriage and giving each other some real one on one alone/romantic time. It's like a bank....you have to make deposits as often as you withdraw or you'll go broke.

Taking your kids is a wonderful idea and that is great that you are able to...but there are all different reasons people do take their kids and why they work really hard to arrange some alone/romantic time to keep the fire ignited...keep the passion in the marriage.

So....while it could be that some don't do it because they fear they can't handle it (probably true), just know that there are so many other reasons couples take these cruises without their children. It's a choice...just make the best one for you. Some marriages are in such good shape with all the fire and passion the entire time the children are young through the time they fly the nest--others need more attention.

Whatever works....no judgment...just support for whatever anybody needs and only those couples know if they really need that one on one downtime that they can totally focus on one another and nothing else. Your marriage is probably so strong that this simply is not even an issue for you--and you are very lucky. Or perhaps your one on one time with your spouse is during another vacation other than cruising--whatever works....but there are tooooo many reasons to list why some parents opt to vacation with just the two of them (some couples don't even talk to each other at dinner without children present---forgot how to enjoy each other's company as best friends/lovers because they didn't make time for one another during the last 15 years)....it could be $$, it could be that they don't have a support system at home....it could be that they do have a fabulous support system at home....too many reasons to count.

Happy cruising....

Dawn

Just curious....are you taking the baby because you have absolutely no one at home that you trust to watch your baby? Or....are you taking the baby because you would miss him/her so very much that you probably wouldn't even go if you couldn't take your baby?

 

Just reading all of that planning made me want to take a nap. But like the other poster said, that is status quo when you travel--cruise or otherwise.

 

I do not want to start WWIII here, but I will ask this....is your baby still in the stages where they wake up all through the night (or day) and cry for periods of time? The walls are very thin in most cruiseships and if you can hear conversations in the next room, then imagine hearing a baby wail at 3:00 a.m. The bad thing is that if you were in a hotel, someone could request to be moveed (people do this all the time when they are next to kids in hotels...sorry, but it is true)...but that will not be an option if you are on a cruiseship.

 

And I've heard it many times before....kids really don't have a great time on vacation when they are that young....they like to be around familiar things...familiar bed...familiar toys...familiar scenery...and can be very uncomfortable in a new setting. You may remember it as the most exhausting "vacation" you've ever taken.

 

As stated though, if you are taking your baby because you just can't stand the thought of being without him/her, then you'll just have to make it work. But if you have someone you love and trust your baby with at home, maybe the downtime with your spouse just might have you two reconnecting on a very intimate level that you probably just haven't had much time to devote to because baby always comes first. Plus give you a really needed rest so you can return home and pick up strong again. I don't think women give themselves permission to take a break and end up getting so overwhelmed....they need to be more selfish so that they have something left to give everyone else around them.

 

Tough decision....but it looks like you are doing your home work and getting great advice in the event you decide to.

 

Dawn

Actually there are some people who don't have family members who can take care of kids. We were in that situation with parents who were in that elderly stage (only one of them is still alive at this time as we lost our MIL last November) and my sibling had a full time job so she wouldn't be able to take my girl for more than a few hours. Certainly we're not going to hire someone to baby sit for a week or so. I don't think we're alone in this situation.

My hubby did have the concern that our 23-month old would fuss. Turned out she didn't at all. It was one of those experiences for her that made her wide-eyed at all the goings on (she was that type of child). So no crying in the cabin or in the hotel room when we were extending our vacation. Of course, we kept a close eye on her to see if she was on the blink of needing a diaper or pullup change, food, nap, etc. When she was 3, she did have night terrors, but fortunately was okay on the cruise. When she had them in a hotel room, though, my hubby took her out for a walk at 3am until she stopped screaming bloody murder. Turned out no one heard us, as most everyone else staying in that building were college spring breakers who were partying on the beach. In fact, it was I who ended up calling the front desk to complain a little while later when some of those kids returned to their room and continued their party.

And the old debate about a small child not remembering a vacation there doesn't mean much. Any experience at that age helps build the neurons in the brain. And besides, there's photographs that you can show your child years later.

We are considering a family cruise, which would include a baby that is about 8 months old. We are trying to figure out if taking a baby on a cruise is worth the fuss. How is cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide cribs - if so, do you need a bigger cabin? Are there "special" cabins for people who are cruising with a baby? Does the ship provide baby food, diapers, formula, etc.? If not, we will need to bring a lot of things on board. Are there baby sitting services available (both during the day and in the evening)? Please advise of your experiences of bringing a baby on board. What age does a child have to be before they can participate in the ship's children's program?

Not ALL cruise companies provide baby food. Why don't you try over on the family board. You'd probably get more indepth information.

You guys are allowed to take babies on board? I'm sailing from Australia to New Zealand on the Dawn Princess very soon, and they don't allow children under 1 years old onto the ship. Must be different rules for different ships or countries. I have an 8 month old, but she's staying with her grandparents (regardless of whether she's allowed on the ship or not.... this will be our only chance for a loooooong time to have some time for just the two of us.

Actually there are some people who don't have family members who can take care of kids. We were in that situation with parents who were in that elderly stage (only one of them is still alive at this time as we lost our MIL last November) and my sibling had a full time job so she wouldn't be able to take my girl for more than a few hours. Certainly we're not going to hire someone to baby sit for a week or so. I don't think we're alone in this situation.

Perhaps you missed the part where I acknowledged your situation in an earlier post:

----------------------------------------------

"...Or perhaps your one on one time with your spouse is during another vacation other than cruising--whatever works....but there are tooooo many reasons to list why some parents opt to vacation with just the two of them (some couples don't even talk to each other at dinner without children present---forgot how to enjoy each other's company as best friends/lovers because they didn't make time for one another during the last 15 years)....it could be $$' date=' [b']it could be that they don't have a support system at home[/b]....it could be that they do have a fabulous support system at home....too many reasons to count."

Happy cruising....

Dawn

We took our kids on a cruise when the first two were 6 months old and 20 months old. I did not think it was that fun at all. The baby was not the hard one,, it was the 20 month old,,he was all go go go,, and was not allowed in kids programs etc. Basically we just followed him around the ship all day.. Port days were better at least.

No in cabin sitting either. We could only afford an outside cabin, not a min suite, so were all on top of each other. Fun walking on Lego,, LOL

We left kids at home after that.. took them to Hawaii , Disneyland, and camping,, but did take then on another cruise last year.. of course then they were 10, 14, and 16, and alot more fun for sure.. LOL .

PS Yes, staff were very nice,, but of course my children were exceptionally adorable,, LOL

My DD took the wonderful GS on a cruise when he was 6 months old and she is planning a cruise (9 days) for May when he is 15 months. As she says -- the baby will be with you forever and might as well get started early. No other vacation is as easy as a cruise (pack once, no driving, have room to rest etc.) and there is no vacation from children but at least cooking cleaning and entertainment is provided.

 

I took 2 children ages almost 2 and almost 4 cross country from Md. to CA for husband to work a summer then drove back home to Md. It worked. Young and adventuresome. The next year we flew to Italy for 3 months and lived like Italians in an apartment in Florence. Again it worked though it should not because we spoke no Italian. Maybe this is why the then 2 yo and now the Mom thinks Why Not instead of Oh I couldn't. Our children have been all over the world and now our grandchildren are traveling. It is truly a blessing.

That is a lovely story!

I also have taken my son traveling with me from a very early age. He's now a HS senior and loves to travel -- last year we did 2 weeks in Japan on our own, this summer we are on the Ruby Princess Greek isles cruise with extra days pre-cruise in Paris and Venice, and post-cruise in Rome.

I sometimes read on these boards where parents of teens write that their children "wouldn't be interested" or "would be bored" sightseeing in Europe. I wonder if that isn't partially because the parents waited a little too late to get their kids interested. (Or maybe because the parents themselves are the ones that are afraid they'll be bored....:rolleyes:)

To the OP: don't let others discourage you from traveling with your children. They may not remember the early trips, but it sets a precedent for family travel and definitely gets them accustomed early to different places, food, culture, and situations. (Not to mention my son has pretty much been a whiz at history throughout his school years....)