9 Reasons not to take a baby on a cruise...breathe as you read....

[Prinycesa07]

My daughter may not have remembered her first cruise when she was 10 months old but i can tell you that we did! Seeing her playing in the ocean and laughing and how happy she was is an amazing memory that we have. And i cant wait to go again in a few months when shes almost 3 and my son will be 17 months. No, they may not remember it when they get older but its not a waste of money AT ALL to me. We are creating family memories and that is worth every penny to us.

[PattyW]

 

Biggest problem with starting them too young though, is that they get jaded about it all. My kids are not interested in a lot of things because we "already did that". I realized a little late that if they get/do EVERYTHING, there is nothing left to wish for, except what is out of reach. It's just my opinion on it and my experience with my own little darlings. Not all kids/families can function happily in the same way. I can tell you my kids love cruising NOW, but they actually got tired of it for a while. They're 12, 14, and 16.

 

 

I do feel that my kids may end up this way; or possibly that I just feel that way. I've already heard - "St. Thomas . . . again?". And our last cruise had an H2O zone and now I feel like I can't dip too far in ship size or else the kids will be bored. There's a pretty cool itinerary on the Jewel for their 2014 Spring Break trip out of San Juan, but I'd hate to spend $5,000 on a cruise and have an iota of pouting about a lack of Johnny Rockets, H2O zone or ice rink. Maybe they wouldn't but it's a definite possibility.

[AngAndBoys]

I am always in awe of parents with several kids. Just one is plenty for me to handle, so whenever I see large families I take my hat off (figuratively, lol) to you. A good friend (also a mom of three boys close in age, bless her) has a plaque in the kitchen that says "Mothers of boys work from son up to son down." Hee. I've always loved that...

 

Just out of curiosity, do you feel like you could have gone on any sort of vacation when your boys were young, or would it not have mattered where you went - they just were.not.ready.to.go? I didn't like the article because it seemed like she was targeting cruising as the Most Awful Traveling Experience Ever, when I really got the sense that she wouldn't have traveled well where ever/however they went.

 

I think a lot of it has to do with the mom's personality. I tend to stress. Like I said, I really like cruising with my kids NOW, but it was one giant stress fest when they were young. For me. I think a more easy going personality mom would do better with it. I have friends like that, who are getting everything done and never seem even slightly perturbed. It's just not me...and probably not the blogger's either. While some of the moms in here are enjoying the experience of seeing their little one's reaction to a dolphin, I'm wondering if the damn thing bites!

 

I took my kids lots of places when they were little, mostly by myself since my husband couldn't get off work. The most foolish was probably taking them all to sea world when the oldest was 5. I'm alone, got a baby in the stoller, a 3 year old, and a 5 year old. They want to ride rides. I can't leave the baby to go on the rides with the others, don't want them to go alone. Unhappy kids, unhappy mom. Then it rained. Welcome to my world. Haha!

 

I'm not sorry I took them places. I just see now that it would have been maybe more enjoyable for all of us if I'd waited a little longer. I definitely have a lot of stories to tell the grandkids!

[crusinmama06]

Angandboys- I think if YOU wrote the article it would have been more well received. You are one funny mom ;)

 

And yes, I see your point, if I would have had three boys close in age I may have been singing a different tune. My youngest counts as three and she keeps me hopping!

 

And yes she has become jaded with each cruise asking if the next one comes with a butler (um, no!).

 

I've enjoyed reading your side of things. No flames from me.

[GOLDENBONNY]

I agree with most parts .I took my DD 1 year old and we did not liked it. It would be easyer to us and more fun for baby to go resort vacation. When she was 2 it was much better and 3 was perfect )))

[NJfoodie]

I think my issue with the article is that it was clearly biased - nothing in it was a surprise, and I've said similar to parents considering cruising w/ an infant. But rather than saying you don't want to take your baby, I'm more likely to say have realistic expectations about vacationing with your baby. That applies to any sort of vacation, land or sea. It just didn't sound like the author's own expectations were realistic. Every parent knows their kid best - whether the child can be flexible, whether the child can handle new settings, and whether the child has special needs to accomodate. Every child is different. As a parent, you know whether or not you can travel with your child at whatever age, and what form of travel will be best for your family.

 

I see cruises as a great option for little ones because it's very much self-contained. I plan for my child still needing naps during the day, and an early bedtime. I'm not the parent that says DS needs a nap at 10:45 every day in a crib, but I do acknowledge that if he doesn't nap at some point in the day, he and we will be miserable by dinnertime. We work around it. We pick itineraries that give us more flexibility, or where we won't be heartbroken should we have to stay onboard in port. We get a romo w/ a balcony. I expect to need to bring more stuff so we don't fly, and I know I'll be washing bottles and sippies. We'd also be happy to do a land-based resort vacation with similar amenities. What I don't care for, as much as others have recommended this for traveling w/ a baby, is renting a condo. While the extra space is nice, I'm still cooking, cleaning, and have to figure out what's for dinner, and pack up the baby into the car seat to go anywhere, etc.

 

We just spent last week w/ our 3 yr old, and w/ friends who have a 7 month old. All of us enjoyed the trip. Will the little ones remember it? Well apparently, my 3 yr old is asking to get back on the ship, and there are hundreds of photos and a few videos of both kids exploring their new surroundings. And the parents all enjoyed the pampering of having meals prepared, cabin cleaned, so that our only responsibility was to take care of our little ones.

 

I'm not diehard that every vacation needs to be a family vacation - there are times when DH and I need time away too to recharge. There is however, no reason a cruise can't be a family vacation with a baby.

[ElsieToo]

I'm not sorry I took them places. I just see now that it would have been maybe more enjoyable for all of us if I'd waited a little longer. I definitely have a lot of stories to tell the grandkids!

 

Glad it all worked out in the end, even if it took a while to get there. Just think - you can enjoy your vacations so much more now, knowing how much better they are then they have been in the past. :D

[AngAndBoys]

Angandboys- I think if YOU wrote the article it would have been more well received. You are one funny mom ;)

 

And yes, I see your point, if I would have had three boys close in age I may have been singing a different tune. My youngest counts as three and she keeps me hopping!

 

And yes she has become jaded with each cruise asking if the next one comes with a butler (um, no!).

 

I've enjoyed reading your side of things. No flames from me.

 

Thank you! I was kind of scared to admit that my every moment of motherhood hasn't been all bliss and happiness! I thought y'all might kick me out of the Mom's Club! I understand about your youngest. That's what happened to me. My other 2 are just boys. They are rough and tough and tear stuff up. My youngest is a whole new phenomena. I am only exaggerating slightly when I say I didn't get to take a shower for 2 years after he started walking. He was BUSY.

[AngAndBoys]

Glad it all worked out in the end, even if it took a while to get there. Just think - you can enjoy your vacations so much more now, knowing how much better they are then they have been in the past. :D

 

I do! I do! They are my little men now! I really do LIKE my kids and enjoy time with them, now that I don't have to worry (too much) about them wreaking havoc on the ship.

 

I've kind of learned over the years that today's miserable moment is tomorrow's really funny story.

[sparky-elpaso]

I do! I do! They are my little men now! I really do LIKE my kids and enjoy time with them, now that I don't have to worry (too much) about them wreaking havoc on the ship.

 

I've kind of learned over the years that today's miserable moment is tomorrow's really funny story.

 

I saw an interview with an author and one comment she made was absolutely true. You love your child / children but there will be days when you don't LIKE them very much - and that's perfectly normal and it doesn't make you a bad Mom. My sons are 18 months apart and when they were small they definitely were a handful (they're in their late 30's now).

[Prinycesa07]

I saw an interview with an author and one comment she made was absolutely true. You love your child / children but there will be days when you don't LIKE them very much - and that's perfectly normal and it doesn't make you a bad Mom. My sons are 18 months apart and when they were small they definitely were a handful (they're in their late 30's now).

 

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

[sparky-elpaso]

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

 

Once you get past the Terrible Two's. :D Actually, my two were usually pretty good. With both being boys they tended to be interested in the same things, etc. and had each other to play with. I was lucky though - my brother is 10 years younger than me so I babysat for him in high school so I was used to the "boy" mentality. I told my kids that there was no way they could surprise me because my brother had already tried getting away with whatever they were thinking of.

[bus man]

Everyone's case is different, all kids are different. We save up 12-16 months to take our yearly vacation. [. . .] We just could not see spending money saved up all year to bring a child 0-5 years of age. I don't think the child learns and retains things a cruise can offer prior to 5? Just seems like dumping $$$ out the window to me?

 

But do YOU retain the memory? To me it's not a waste of money because *I* still have that memory of my daughters swimming with dolphins at age 2. And swimming with sting rays by the time they were 3. Them squealing because there were whales off of our balcony on the way to Canada when they were 4. And manatees swimming freely off of our Aft balcony one morning when they were 5.

 

They may not retain those memories but *I* will. And to me - they are PRICELESS!

 

Every experience shapes who our children become. Traveling has shaped who my children are becoming. And I am so glad I didn't wait for some predetermined number because my entire family would have missed out on so much.

 

I agree with both of the points made here. But I do think that each family's own situation plays a big part in the decision of whether or not to cruise when the kids are little. We don't get to cruise nearly as often as I would like, due to the expense; so the argument about not "wasting" money on a trip that the kids won't remember carries a lot of weight with me. Indeed, this was the main reason we chose not to cruise with the kids until our most recent trip, when they were 5.5 and 3.5 yo. We probably won't get to take more than two or three more cruises during their childhood, so I didn't want to "waste" one of our rare cruises when they were too young for it.

 

That said, I certainly see the argument about the parents creating memories for themselves, and the experiences being enriching for the kids of whatever age. I am in no way knocking people who choose to take young kids on cruises; but those of you who do, please try to be understanding towards those of us who, for whatever reason, don't see it as necessarily the best option for ourselves.

 

I've kind of learned over the years that today's miserable moment is tomorrow's really funny story.

 

Well said! :)

[Prinycesa07]

Once you get past the Terrible Two's. :D Actually, my two were usually pretty good. With both being boys they tended to be interested in the same things, etc. and had each other to play with. I was lucky though - my brother is 10 years younger than me so I babysat for him in high school so I was used to the "boy" mentality. I told my kids that there was no way they could surprise me because my brother had already tried getting away with whatever they were thinking of.

 

LOL! Okay, good to hear. It was really rough having him as a newborn when she was 16 months (especially becuase he had severe colic), but then it got a little easier but now its gotten worse with him climbing on everything and her 2 year old attitude/tantrums. Taking them both out somewhere is almost impossible because i cant chase both kids in different directions. I cant wait until they start playing together! Thanks for answering!

[ElsieToo]

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

 

I was always very upfront about the fact that I always loved my son, but I did.not.like.the.baby.stage. I was ALWAYS looking forward to the day when he could walk, talk, and think on his own. As such, I thought the first few years (until DS was about 3) were very rough. I was a SAHM until a few months ago, but there were many days when he was younger that I would find myself crying or so frustrated I felt like I was about to burst. But once he grew up a bit things became INFINITELY better. I'm at the point now where I just want to freeze time and live in these moments forever. I love, love, LOVE where we are right now; I can't imagine anything better.

 

Cheer up, Prinycesa, it will get better as they get older and are able to do more things for themselves and give you a bit of a break. And as my good friend once said "Keep your head up, and your booty shaking. It'll all be good in the end!"

[MommaOf3Princesses]

I think if you can take your child to the zoo for a day, or a museum, the fair or even a weekend trip and they behave then you can take them on vacation. Its all about knowing your kids and what they have been raised to tolerate. If overall you live a flexible and easy going life in general, then your kids should be able to adapt well to new experiences/surroundings. However if they are use to a strict schedule, diet and routine then its probably not a good idea to venture out too far from that normalcy.

I grew up traveling since infancy and now have 3 daughters of my own that have all travel since about 6 months old. They can remember highlights of trips and really look forward to the new experiences. My husband and I have great memories of them at all ages and stages doing new things! I love sharing with them my love of travel!

We do have limits like no longer than 3 hours of travel fly/drive at a time, travelling at time of day that makes most sense for us, etc. We would not expect our kids to sit at a 3 hour meal at home, so we dont on vacation either. Again its about ages and tolerance. It boils down to how a child is raise, what they are exposed to and at what age they are exposed to these things, and what they are use to.

I really dont like when others say 'taking kids on vacation is a waste of money'....makes me very upset because its extremely important to me. Being anywhere with my kids, enjoying our time as a family and making memories is well worth all the money in the world!

[scarlett81]

We would not expect our kids to sit at a 3 hour meal at home, so we dont on vacation either. Again its about ages and tolerance. It boils down to how a child is raise, what they are exposed to and at what age they are exposed to these things, and what they are use to.

 

Great point!

Its best to adjust your expectations. I am so surprised at how many people (only on this board) scoldingly asked me how I expect my 1 yo and 5 yo to sit through dinner in the MDR...

Well, I didn't! No child of that age should be forced to sit through a 4 course meal, over a 2 hr period. We spoke to our m'd ahead of time and made sure our meals were an hour start to finish. One hour was reasonable for the kids to handle. We had a private table so it was no problem.

 

Would we have enjoyed leisurely sitting through a 2-3 hr meal?-sure, but we had a fine time with the way things were and it was fair to the kids.

 

Its all about what you expose them to. We did lots of eating out ahead of time at family friendly places, but still demanding quiet. I think this helped alot in teaching my 5 yo what was expected.

[Cjh1975]

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

 

It does get easier. My two are less than a year apart and their were times where I questioned my sanity. They are 7 & 8 now and they are best friends. It got easier around the time they were 4 & 5

[AngAndBoys]

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

 

Weeeellllllllll. You got a few more years of hell ahead of you but it DOES get better! I will take the teen years over the toddler years any day of the week.

 

Just remember, that which does not kill us makes us stronger!!

[scarlett81]

A little off topic but as a been there/done that mom, will it start getting easier soon?! My kids are 16 months apart and i feel like i'm going crazy on a daily basis. They are 1 & 2 now :(

 

omg, of course it gets better...you at one of the hardest points right now! :eek:

My mil always reminds me of something that helps: little kids-little problems. big kids-big problems. :)

It keeps all that in perspective.

[Prinycesa07]

Thank you to all of you! Seriously. It made me feel better! I'm a SAHM and with them every second of the day. By the end of the day i go crazy. I need to make more "me" time and time with friends. I'm glad to hear it gets better :)

[eskiemomo]

I skimmed the article and thought to myself, lady half the issues you describe would have been non-issues if you had sailed on a Disney ship with a baby.

 

Our toddler has already cruised twice already. I thought the article was rather misleading in not specifying that some of the issues the author ran into was because of the ship they chose.

 

in-room dividing curtains? babysitting for those under 3? bathtub in cabin? splash area for non-potty trained baby? self-service laundry? All those are available on a DCL ship (and a few others I don't know them all).

[Julienatul]

But do YOU retain the memory? To me it's not a waste of money because *I* still have that memory of my daughters swimming with dolphins at age 2. And swimming with sting rays by the time they were 3. Them squealing because there were whales off of our balcony on the way to Canada when they were 4. And manatees swimming freely off of our Aft balcony one morning when they were 5.

 

They may not retain those memories but *I* will. And to me - they are PRICELESS!

 

Every experience shapes who our children become. Traveling has shaped who my children are becoming. And I am so glad I didn't wait for some predetermined number because my entire family would have missed out on so much.

 

Well said!! I have so many firsts that happened on a cruise with both my kids and those memories are priceless. I will remember them forever and we have enough video and pictures that even if the kids "cant remember it" we can show them when they are grown. My DD first felt beach sand at 7months in Cozumel, her first taste of ice cream was onboard at 12 months, her first "dancing" with the calypso band at 18 months, her first talent show in camp carnival at 3 yrs old. Thise are memories that are etched in my heart forever and I smile just thinking of them. Dont get me wrong, I get stressed out and upset with my kids on a cruise too when they misbehave or get cranky etc, but I understand its part of childhood

and put it all in perspective. Any day on a cruise is better than a day at home/work.

[CocaCola19]

This article didn't make me mad..it made me laugh at the author. This person tried to come off as experienced, but it didn't work. I shook my head in a humorous manner when I read that her kid had to nap at 10:45, in a crib, in a dark room. I think this is just the tip of the iceburg of what she is expecting from her kids. She has conditioned her kid this way and no wonder she didn't enjoy her cruise..but she wouldn't enjoy any vacation. My baby is the opposite; sleeps just about anywhere, enjoys crowds and noise, and is flexible. I have no need for a night life while on the cruise- that is what the first 28 years of my life was for. I guess we will be having a great time in Alaska. 65 days to go.

[ata1976]

I think it is up to the child and how well the child travels. My son's first cruise was when he was 7 months and he did great and has been on several more since then. We coslept with him and he could sleep anywhere. He didnt like camp carnival at age 2 though, so we had to keep him with us. He has been on 6 cruises so far.

 

Now my daughter is a different story. She is a horrible traveler. She will only sleep in her crib. She was almost a yr on her first (and only:rolleyes:) cruise. We were in the cabin early just like the author of the article, so I can totally relate. And excursions caused a cranky baby because she wouldnt nap in a stroller or a excursion boat.