Have your or would you cruise with a baby?

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

No, I wouldn't do it.

Here are some things to think about. First the room is small, too small for a pack n play, stroller, carseat, extra diapers, babyfood, junk, junk, junk!

Secondly, the pool area is really, really crowded on Sea Days. Its no place for a one year old that crawls or newly walking. He won't be allowed in the main pool because he isn't potty trained. The kiddie pool is tiny and will be over-run with 3,4,5 year olds.

Every single meal will be taking a baby to a restaurant, that gets really old. You could do room service but the menu is very limited and will be the same night after night.

You will miss a lot of the fun things because of having a baby that needs to sleep. The shows don't start before 8pm or so, you won't be taking a tired baby to the shows, instead at 8pm you will probably be sitting in your tiny room while your baby sleeps. The TV channels are limited and after you see the same ships re-runs you will go stir crazy from having to be in your room.

There is a lot of standing and waiting in line for things like getting on/off tenders on port days. Sometimes we have waited in line 45 minutes or more to board a tender boat. Then you wait on shore to tender back in. Tired, cranky babies waiting in line in the hot sun might not be so pleasant.

Personally I think with a baby there is no more enjoyable vacation than renting a condo on the beach. You swim in the pool (no one cares if the baby is in a swimmy diaper), you play at the beach and you come and go from your condo as you and the baby need. If you want to eat out you can but if you want to make a sandwich and put the baby to bed early you can do that to. I think you will be happier with a cruise when your baby is old enough to attend some activities with the Kids Club and fun age appropriate activities with other kids.

Yes, have done it with my kids at various ages including 6 months, 1, 2, and 3.

We like to bring grandparents along too!

No, I wouldn't do it.

 

Here are some things to think about. First the room is small, too small for a pack n play, stroller, carseat, extra diapers, babyfood, junk, junk, junk!

 

Secondly, the pool area is really, really crowded on Sea Days. Its no place for a one year old that crawls or newly walking. He won't be allowed in the main pool because he isn't potty trained. The kiddie pool is tiny and will be over-run with 3,4,5 year olds.

 

Every single meal will be taking a baby to a restaurant, that gets really old. You could do room service but the menu is very limited and will be the same night after night.

 

You will miss a lot of the fun things because of having a baby that needs to sleep. The shows don't start before 8pm or so, you won't be taking a tired baby to the shows, instead at 8pm you will probably be sitting in your tiny room while your baby sleeps. The TV channels are limited and after you see the same ships re-runs you will go stir crazy from having to be in your room.

 

There is a lot of standing and waiting in line for things like getting on/off tenders on port days. Sometimes we have waited in line 45 minutes or more to board a tender boat. Then you wait on shore to tender back in. Tired, cranky babies waiting in line in the hot sun might not be so pleasant.

 

Personally I think with a baby there is no more enjoyable vacation than renting a condo on the beach. You swim in the pool (no one cares if the baby is in a swimmy diaper), you play at the beach and you come and go from your condo as you and the baby need. If you want to eat out you can but if you want to make a sandwich and put the baby to bed early you can do that to. I think you will be happier with a cruise when your baby is old enough to attend some activities with the Kids Club and fun age appropriate activities with other kids.

I agree with you 100 %

vyhanek, that's the best expression of the cons of bringing a 1 year old. and coming from a married man, with no kids yet...i would hate to shell out money on a cruise and be limited to my cabin at night. or alternate with my spouse on who goes out for a drink or two.

clearly there are people that bring their babies and that's fine. but i shall speak selfishly and say...if i can't have fun on vacation, then my baby won't have fun...then we all won't have fun.

your condo example...bravo! that's where i would love to go to OBX and just get a beach house and totally relax! it might not be the caribbean...but it sure isn't crowded like the jersey shore.

Yes, have done it with my kids at various ages including 6 months, 1, 2, and 3.

 

We like to bring grandparents along too!

I have done the same thing years ago. I would not do it without the grandparents or another person that can watch the baby some of the time giving you adult time as well as baby time. Without that the discription by Vyhanek is your week on the ship.

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

No, I honestly would not. I waited until my kids were at least 3 years old to take them with us on cruises.:)

No, I wouldn't do it.

 

Here are some things to think about. First the room is small, too small for a pack n play, stroller, carseat, extra diapers, babyfood, junk, junk, junk!

 

Secondly, the pool area is really, really crowded on Sea Days. Its no place for a one year old that crawls or newly walking. He won't be allowed in the main pool because he isn't potty trained. The kiddie pool is tiny and will be over-run with 3,4,5 year olds.

 

Every single meal will be taking a baby to a restaurant, that gets really old. You could do room service but the menu is very limited and will be the same night after night.

 

You will miss a lot of the fun things because of having a baby that needs to sleep. The shows don't start before 8pm or so, you won't be taking a tired baby to the shows, instead at 8pm you will probably be sitting in your tiny room while your baby sleeps. The TV channels are limited and after you see the same ships re-runs you will go stir crazy from having to be in your room.

 

There is a lot of standing and waiting in line for things like getting on/off tenders on port days. Sometimes we have waited in line 45 minutes or more to board a tender boat. Then you wait on shore to tender back in. Tired, cranky babies waiting in line in the hot sun might not be so pleasant.

 

Personally I think with a baby there is no more enjoyable vacation than renting a condo on the beach. You swim in the pool (no one cares if the baby is in a swimmy diaper), you play at the beach and you come and go from your condo as you and the baby need. If you want to eat out you can but if you want to make a sandwich and put the baby to bed early you can do that to. I think you will be happier with a cruise when your baby is old enough to attend some activities with the Kids Club and fun age appropriate activities with other kids.

You are 100% dead-on with your opinion.

This would be NO VACATION for any parent OR grandparent (babysitter) as someone suggested.

Vyhanek hit the nail on the head.

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

We have done it previously with our daughter (in October 2007, when she was 15 months old), and Yes, definately, without a doubt we would do so again. She had a wonderful time, absolutely loved the experience, and the staff absolutely pampered her. Even if she *won't* remember the experience of the cruise, my wife and I will for the rest of our lives ... and we have beautiful family pictures to share.

Michael & Silke

I responded to you on the Carnival board as well...

We cruised with our 5 month old baby (on HAL) and it was a wonderful vacation!! All of the cons listed by the PP were simply not true!!! We had plenty of room for everything. The buffet was great for meals as well as room service (we skipped the dining room), we did excursions to the beaches and hubby and I each got some time in the casino and I went to the spa. We didn't bring any family members with us. It was easier to vaction than to be at home. Soemone is cooking and cleaning for you, just go and enjoy.

We are taking our baby who will be 16 months old on the Mex Riviera (11 night) in October and also a B2B (24 night) next Sept when he is 2 years old. I couldn't imagine an easier vacation than a cruise.

Staff will bend over backwards to help you, we also have great pictures and even better memories of our little man's first of many cruises.

Have fun, you only live once so enjoy!!

I wonder if any of the nay sayers have ever taken a baby on vacation?

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

Dupe Post...Sorry

I was faced with this dilema when booking my cruise for next Feb.

I am taking my cousin, who is just like a sister, and her daughter age 16. She has another child, he is 3 and I told her that I would bring her mother to Florida and she could take care of the little critter until we got back.

Pro- will not have to chase a 3 year old around the ship and can actually enjoy myself for the 4 days.

Con- having to drive 15 hours from Kentucky with an Aunt that drives you mad...

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

Hi Taryn and Sarah :)

We have been on two cruises with our granddaughter. The first time was a Caribbean Cruise on Holland America's Westerdam with my husband, our daughter, son in law, and granddaughter, when she was seven months old. The second time was a Carnival Cruise from NYC to Canada for a family reunion cruise (16 of us) a few weeks ago when she was sixteen months old.

Both were very positive experience, and the baby had a great time, but a few adjustments were necessary to make it that way.

When a baby wakes up at 5:30 AM and sees their parents in the same room they are not likely to just roll over and go back to sleep.

A baby who stays on a schedule that is similar to home, such as nap time, is more likely to be well behaved during the cruise.

It is hard to do shore excursions with a baby and it is better to explore ports on your own.

It is also advisable to book a larger cabin/suite than you might have for just two adults to insure there is adequate room for a pack and play and other baby equipment.

However, in spite of these adjustments, everyone involved enjoyed taking a cruise with our granddaughter :)

BTW, I noticed that you live in Rochester, NY. My husband and I lived in a suburb of Rochester from 1985 until 1996, when we were raising our daughter (mother of the baby).

I responded to you on the Carnival board as well...

We cruised with our 5 month old baby (on HAL) and it was a wonderful vacation!! All of the cons listed by the PP were simply not true!!! We had plenty of room for everything. The buffet was great for meals as well as room service (we skipped the dining room), we did excursions to the beaches and hubby and I each got some time in the casino and I went to the spa. We didn't bring any family members with us. It was easier to vaction than to be at home. Soemone is cooking and cleaning for you, just go and enjoy.

We are taking our baby who will be 16 months old on the Mex Riviera (11 night) in October and also a B2B (24 night) next Sept when he is 2 years old. I couldn't imagine an easier vacation than a cruise.

Staff will bend over backwards to help you, we also have great pictures and even better memories of our little man's first of many cruises.

 

Have fun, you only live once so enjoy!!

I wonder if any of the nay sayers have ever taken a baby on vacation?

We have, and didn't have to do things "in shifts". That's not a family vacation IMO.

Happy Cruising! :)

Vyhanek

Couldn't agree with you more.

Everytime, I see parents with infants on

cruises, I shake my head and wonder WHY??

Yes we have cruised with baby grandchildren,

because my son and DIL think it is a great way

to travel and we have gone to "keep the peace" but

it is not a fun time and to me it's a waste of money.

Go to a resort, where there are facilities that are

meant for babies and the majority of guests will be

in your same situation.

The baby will not remember any of it and your memories

will be much better, if you had a wonerful, relaxing time.

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

personally I would not. Our granddaughter just got back last night from a cruise. She and her hubby left thier 17 month old with grandma. Yes, as she said, she missed her terribly from time to time, and when she saw little ones she wondered if she should have taken her, but then she rembered all the things they could not do with a toddler in hand, or if they did them, would they be bothering others? Having a chance to spend time with hubby without baby was wonderful. Now, she will appreciate the time with toddler even more.

Nita

I'm bringing an almost-2-year-old on a cruise next week. I don't anticipate any difficulties, but I've already brought her to many places... some of which are more kid-friendly than others.

It's a total pain-in-the-neck, but if you've been bringing your kid to restaurants, on planes, on long car trips, and in hotels already, this shouldn't be anything new.

If you haven't brought your kid regularly to all these sorts of places, a ship in the ocean for a week might not be the place you want to get your hands-on training of such things.

*** EDIT - I should add that the cruise is to Canada & New England, so the pools probably won't be a big deal if we miss them.

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

You will have a wonderful time, beware of the anti baby and kids group, they are on all CC boards. Have a great time on NCL, we always do!

I wouldn't do it with a toddler. We travelled a lot when our kids were very young and often took them with us. However, we always either had babysitters arranged or took someone with us to babysit so we could have a nice meal or even just a walk alone. And we usually had fairly large hotel rooms or condos. It would be tight to manage in a cabin.

That said, the big advantage is that even with noroviruses and such, I believe a ship is a better option than a Caribbean or Mexican all-inclusive as far as health and safety. The food is going to be of higher quality and if your baby gets sick, you know there are decent medical facilities aboard.

Viv

I would say wait until at least 3 years old. For your sanity, comfort, and honestly, for your kids safety.

Only if it was my own................

I don't think you could pay me to cruise with a strange baby. ;)

I have a 1-year old, have your or would you cruise if you were me?

As someone who has ACTUALLY cruised with a baby twice, I have to chime in and tell you that cruises are a GREAT way to travel with your little one:) Obviously, it is not the same as traveling alone with your spouse but IMO just as enjoyable. We've had 2 great family cruises on the Spirit and are planning a 3rd on the Dawn.

Post your question on the family board if you'd like to get advice from the tons of moms and dad and grandparents who LOVE traveling with their children.

Not sure which ship you are considering but here's a link to my Spirit review from when my DD was 15 months:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=572026

No, I wouldn't do it.

 

Here are some things to think about. First the room is small, too small for a pack n play, stroller, carseat, extra diapers, babyfood, junk, junk, junk!

 

Secondly, the pool area is really, really crowded on Sea Days. Its no place for a one year old that crawls or newly walking. He won't be allowed in the main pool because he isn't potty trained. The kiddie pool is tiny and will be over-run with 3,4,5 year olds.

 

Every single meal will be taking a baby to a restaurant, that gets really old. You could do room service but the menu is very limited and will be the same night after night.

 

You will miss a lot of the fun things because of having a baby that needs to sleep. The shows don't start before 8pm or so, you won't be taking a tired baby to the shows, instead at 8pm you will probably be sitting in your tiny room while your baby sleeps. The TV channels are limited and after you see the same ships re-runs you will go stir crazy from having to be in your room.

 

There is a lot of standing and waiting in line for things like getting on/off tenders on port days. Sometimes we have waited in line 45 minutes or more to board a tender boat. Then you wait on shore to tender back in. Tired, cranky babies waiting in line in the hot sun might not be so pleasant.

 

Personally I think with a baby there is no more enjoyable vacation than renting a condo on the beach. You swim in the pool (no one cares if the baby is in a swimmy diaper), you play at the beach and you come and go from your condo as you and the baby need. If you want to eat out you can but if you want to make a sandwich and put the baby to bed early you can do that to. I think you will be happier with a cruise when your baby is old enough to attend some activities with the Kids Club and fun age appropriate activities with other kids.

While I can totally appreciate your opinion, I thought it might be helpful to the OP if I point out some of my solutions to the problems you have listed above. Like I said in my previous post I've done 2 successful family cruises with my young children and am always willing to offer advice to those who are considering it:)

1. Stuff~We had an inside cabin both trips with the kids and had plenty of room for the items we needed. NCL provided the crib (which could be folded and stored when not in use. Our small stroller fit in the closet just fine. Baby food was not necessary as my DD was eating table food at 1. I brought an over-the-door shoe holder for keeping all my baby items organized and in one place. Diapers and wipes are thrown away and by the end of the week, I had lots of room in my luggage for souveniers:D

2. Pool~DH and DS spent a lot of time at the pool while DD and I found lots of other things to do around the ship, including "Time for Tots" in the kid's crew facility. We spent most of our port time at the beach. The calm water of the Carribbean is such a nice change of pace from the NJ shore where we spend our summers. The kids LOVED the time at the beach:D On our last cruise we brought them to the Atlantis. They were mesmerized by aquarium!

3. Meals~Freestyle dining is perfect for families with children. We eat dinner together as a family every night at home so having to sit through dinner on the cruise ship was a breeze. We usually went to the DR right when it opened and was less crowded so we could get in and out within an hour. We always asked to be seated by the large groups (ie. the noisy section) just in case the kids got restless. Thankfully, they did really well both trips:D

4. Fun Stuff~ We did so much during the day that by night time DH and I would fight over who got to stay in with the kids! I love to read, so the nights I stayed in the cabin I would stay up and read my book. DS who was 4 on the first cruise loved going to the shows with either myself or my husband. He was amazed by all the colors and music.

5. Lines~ I would always bring something to keep DD busy on the lines. A small pack of Teddy Grahams usually did the trick!

Alternate plans: My in-laws have a place at the NJ shore where we spend a lot of our time every summer and fall. We LOVE the beach and having a place to stay but it's always nice to be able to go on a cruise with the kids and not have to worry about cooking and washing dishes and cleaning up, traffic etc.

I Have and DEFINATELY would do it again. A Family vacation is meant to be with your family. My kids have been on 2 cruises so far with another coming in December. Our first was Alaska when they were 7 mo and 1 1/2. It was great. I have never seen so many small kids and families on a cruise. We did not feel out of place at all. Our last one they were 2 and 3. They had a great time. In between the 2 cruises, we took them to Europe.... 14 hours on a plane. it was no problem. When we went, we had inside rooms. Had Plenty of room. I just recommend packing smart. We used backpacks instead of strollers. They lay flat and pack easy. We did not take a pack in play either. There are lots of other bedding options than that and that take up less or no space at all. Just remember in making your decision, some people prefer to be without there kids. We like to take them. They have been traveling since they were so small that now all you have to say is vacation and they are bringing out their suitcases. They behave well. We do try to keep them on their regular schedule as much as possible. My best tip - always have something they can eat with you. Go with a sence of humor and you'll have a great time. Kids are a lot of fun. Our thing is we work all day and are away from them, why do we want to take vacation without them. Good Luck, lets us know how you decide.