Cruising with 7mth old - Ask Me!

[zia100]

Hello,

Just got back from a 7 day cruise (Carnival Glory) with my 7mth DS to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Belize & Nassau. We did do some shore excursions. If anyone has any questions etc, ask away.

[nattie]

I am thinking about Carnival Glory for DS's first cruise. I am assuming that at this age (he will be about 8 mo) you have to stay with them in the cabin when they turn in at night. What was your experience?

[crusinmama06]

I am thinking about Carnival Glory for DS's first cruise. I am assuming that at this age (he will be about 8 mo) you have to stay with them in the cabin when they turn in at night. What was your experience?

 

Sorry I am not the OP, but PLEASE do not leave your infant alone in the cabin. :( If you are asking if Carnival has in cabin sitting, then unfortunatly they don't.

 

Hey Zia - what did you do in Belize with the baby? That port was a tough one for me since everything is really based around alot of adventurous (and adult) type activities.

[zia100]

Yes, someone stayed with the baby when he went down for the night. I had a fantastic stroller (Chicco) which was a little bit more than an umbrella stroller. I can't express the importance of having s compact stroller that can recline so they can sleep in it. Also, I had a 'sun blocker'. It was white and teh fabric had UVA/ UVA protection in the fibers as well as acted as an insect repellent. I put that over the stroller - as it was fabic with elastic ends (line a fitted sheet), I was able to completely ocver the stroller - so the baby wasn't distracted by lights etc when he was sleeping. I also used it alot for our ports as it got REALLY hot and in Costa Maya, the bugs & dragon flys were huge. And DS didn't get anything on him - he's too young for insect repellent

 

Belize was the only place where i 'Cheated' and had my MIL stay on the ship and look after DS while the rest of our group when ATV'ing. In hind sight, I coudl have brought DS with us to the excursion and played tag team doing the ATV with our party so someone was at the rest area looking after him.

 

Also, I didn't know this until I met someone else on the ship but baby sitting is available for under 2 - but you have to drop them off at camp carnival and pick them up. I think they charge $6 an hour. But if you just need someone to keep an eye on them while the baby sleeps, its not bad. I didn't use the service - never had the need to as I wasn't up for seeing shows - except for the magician (baby fell asleep during the show).

 

Let me know if you have any other questions. personally, as I was preparing for our trip, someone was kind enough to open a thread much like this one. It was very valuable to me. So feel free to ask away. I'd love to help :)

[crusinmama06]

Zia that is EXACTLY what we did in Belize, the ATV adventure and left the kids onboard. :)

[nattie]

Sorry I am not the OP, but PLEASE do not leave your infant alone in the cabin. :( If you are asking if Carnival has in cabin sitting, then unfortunatly they don't.

 

Hey Zia - what did you do in Belize with the baby? That port was a tough one for me since everything is really based around alot of adventurous (and adult) type activities.

 

OMG I didn't realize my post could be read this way!:eek: My apologies. Didn't mean that. What I was trying to ask was:

a) In cabin babysitting or

b) I heard Carnival allows you to drop off your sleeping child in their daycare after 8pm (may be?)

Basically I was trying to find out what Zia did at night, just stayed in cabin or what?

 

Thank you for clarifying and sorry for poor English

[nattie]

 

Also, I didn't know this until I met someone else on the ship but baby sitting is available for under 2 - but you have to drop them off at camp carnival and pick them up. I think they charge $6 an hour. But if you just need someone to keep an eye on them while the baby sleeps, its not bad. I didn't use the service - never had the need to as I wasn't up for seeing shows - except for the magician (baby fell asleep during the show).

 

 

thank you, that is exactly what I was trying to find out

[pittsbcruiser]

Hi Zia, I am trying to prepare for a family cruise in June going to Eastern Caribbean. My grand daughter will be 7 months old, we will be flying so we are trying to figure out what items are a must to bring. Did you use the ships crib or pack n play? What do we do with bringing a car seat and using it at ports or do we avoid transportation that would require one (meaning water taxi or just walking)? Lastly did you use a blow up bath tub?

[crusinmama06]

OMG I didn't realize my post could be read this way!:eek: My apologies. Didn't mean that. What I was trying to ask was:

a) In cabin babysitting or

b) I heard Carnival allows you to drop off your sleeping child in their daycare after 8pm (may be?)

Basically I was trying to find out what Zia did at night, just stayed in cabin or what?

 

Thank you for clarifying and sorry for poor English

 

No worries. :D I figured you didn't mean it that way but you wouldnt believe the number of parents around here who DO ask if you can leave a sleeping child in a cabin alone and then go out for the night. :eek:

 

So to answer your questions

1. In cabin sitting, not on Carnival.

 

2. Babysitting for Under 2's - yes you can do that at Camp Carnival. You can drop off a sleeping child. I can't remember if its as early as 8pm, I know Under 2's can go after 10pm.

[DaBoilerz]

I too am wondering about car seats...like going from the airport to the hotel. Then from the hotel to the ship...then from the ship to the beach (if you go to one that requires a taxi ride). I know I've hopped in vehicles for cab rides at ports that don't even have seat belts as an option...what do you do with your 6/7month old? Hold them or car seat them?

[A&Jfamily]

I too am wondering about car seats...like going from the airport to the hotel. Then from the hotel to the ship...then from the ship to the beach (if you go to one that requires a taxi ride). I know I've hopped in vehicles for cab rides at ports that don't even have seat belts as an option...what do you do with your 6/7month old? Hold them or car seat them?

 

You'll see lots of different views on this, but we have never brought a car seat on board with us. Just as if you use the shuttle from the airport to the hotel, you cannot set a car seat up as there are no seat belts.

 

We have cruised with my kids since they were 8 and 2.5 - and the youngest is still only 5, so requires a booster in the US. If we rent a car, then we rent a seat.

 

Personally, we have taken my youngest on all excursions but 1 (a 1 hour drive to Chachobeen ruins outside of Costa Maya). The few times we have taken a cab - Cozumel to Chankanaab for example - we either buckled him in or held him. Like you said, many of the vehicles don't even have seat belts.

 

My best advice for traveling with little ones is 1) get a balcony room - while the little one naps or turns in for the night, the parents can eat, read or just have some private time on the balcony and 2) do whatever makes you comfortable because it is a vacation for everyone.

[Sara&family]

Thanks for all the good info in this thread.

 

We are traveling on a 7 day cruise this coming week and are hoping to get an in room sitter each night after we get our son ready for bed, do you think they will have enough available to get us one every night, could we get the same sitter?

 

We're on Celebrity, I know they have in room child care, but I would hope we could at least get the same sitter each night. I expect she will mostly be sitting there in the room with a sleeping baby, but still, the same person would be nice. They don't let you book babysitting until you get on the ship.

 

Also what size rooms have you had, we have a sky suite which is only slightly larger than a veranda room, I imagine it's going to be tight with a crib and folded up stroller!

[bryanfamily]

Please help. Having last minute jitters about not taking our 7 month old on the inaugural sailing of the Oasis of the Seas. At first I thought I could leave her behind, but as a new mom, the thought is now unsettling. Any feedback and advice would be greatly appreciated. One of the major factors of course is costs (which is weighing heavily on my DH's pockets), but beyond that I we just learned that the Oasis has the fleets first Nursery (has anyone used RCL in cabin babysitting or nurseries on some of the other cruise lines)? Any tips for shows and excursions? We were hoping to do Megan's Bay in St. Thomas but other than that, we hope to enjoy the ship and some of the specialty restaurants.

 

How has your experience been with an infant?

 

Thanks!

[addie19]

My husband and I left our 5 month old son at home with my MIL for a week and a half to go on an alaskan cruise and tour seattle last year. The cost to take him would not have been worth it! Flights + plus cruise fare + stress of bringing all his travel items=no fun for us. I also wasn't interested in paying for him because he wouldn't have enjoyed it either, & 7 month olds just don't do much.

 

He did have a great time at my MIL's(as did she) and we had fun on our trip(though he was terribly missed!--I kept watching videos and looking at pictures of him that were stored on my camera!)

 

We are taking another cruise in January and he will be joining us(going to be 23 months when we sail). What a difference it will be--no need to take baby food/formula, highchairs and baby beds are provided on Carnival. Main baby items we will need are diapers and his stroller and possibly the car seat. And a big reason we've included him this time is that there seem to be quite a few excursions that young children can go on for free with a paying adult--plus my mom will be there to help babysit if needed.

 

Hope you have a great trip!