Cruising with Baby - Need Advice

[flhokie]

Definitely check out the family board. We sailed with DD when she was nearly 2 1/2 on Allure. She is our only child & we never thought once about leaving her home. The Fisher Price toy lending, the infant/toddler playroom & the nursery were wonderful! They have cribs in the nursery in case she needs to sleep & the staff was great. They also give you phones that work on the ship so they can contact you if needed (we were able to keep it for the week which made communication on the ship much easier).

 

I flew on several trips with DD between 5 & 9 months and found the Similac ready made bottles wonderful for travel (screw off the top & place nipple on). They are more expensive, but very convenient for travel (only used for travel or when out & about). Also, the Playtex drop-ins were great throughout her bottle year. The bags are sterile & you just toss after use. The first 6 weeks or so we sterilized nipples. Then only new ones for about 6 months. Washing with hot soapy water was enough after 6 weeks according to our pedi.

 

There should be quite a few soft foods available onboard, but you should probably also bring some packaged baby food.

 

Bring any infant medication even if she is perfectly healthy as you can't get it on board (Tylenol, Motrin, gas drops, nasal drops/spray, teething relief). Also, bring extra diapers & wipes (don't forget swim diapers if on a ship with an infant splash area).

 

Have a great time!

[Mom.to.2]

I appreciate all the replies - and there's definitely been more positive response than eye rolling suggesting I leave her at home. :)

 

Thanks to everyone and for mentioning the few posters and family boards I should check out.

 

(I've attached a picture of DD for anyone interested.)

 

-Melissa

 

awwwwwww!!!!!!!

[Algebralovr]

If you are formula feeding, please check with YOUR doctor about when to stop sterilizing bottles/nipples. For most children, after 3 months or so, kitchen clean is all that is needed, and you can just bring a bottle brush and some dish washing detergent along and clean in the bathroom sink. If baby is on solids, o,ease make sure to bring whatever you will need to feed, same with diapers, wipes, meds, etc.

 

We cruised for 9 nights in May with a friend who brought their baby. Their little one turned 6-months the day we sailed, so was the absolute minimum age to sail. This was on Celebrity. They really enjoyed the cruise, since they could leave the cooking and cleaning to someone else and focus on baby. We met them for dinner most nights, except on the nights they decided not to bother with the MDR. They loved it!

 

Enjoy the cruise!

[Sherlock43031]

I agree with this. 7-8 months old is much easier to take on vacation compared to a toddler 12-36 months. Take the baby & enjoy. It may be tough to do this again till she's 3 years old.

 

Regarding the sterilization of bottles, I believe you have to CLEAN the bottles at 7-8 months but not STERILIZE (boil) them at that point. My girls didn't take many bottles, but I can tell you I never sterilized my breasts prior to nursing :eek:

 

now that you bring it up.. the were several ladies on the Nov 3, SOS that would nurse the baby wherever they happened to be. I know one was from Brazil (the wife talked to her somewhere on board) and the other 2 that I saw didn't seem to be from the US either. on one seemed to notice or care except for one older US lady.

[CruiseAddict1982]

No eye rolling over here I'm just stating the facts and it's a fact that you can't do the same things with an infant while you're on a cruise. When my wife and I go cruising we do it to enjoy ourselves which every parent needs to do. We go on an adults only trip once a year and we deserve it. You're not a bad parent if you leave your kid at home or take them with you. It's a choice!

[EGG]

Cruising with a 7 month old like traveling with a 7 month old is not much of a vacation. If you go with the grandparents that is the biggest help possible.

 

You have chosen Oasis which I think (with Allure) is the best ship for little ones. There is so much sensory experience for everyone. Since you will be spending a lot of time walking back and forth across the ship, what better place to do this then Central Park, Boardwalk or the Royal Promenade. Oasis also has wonderful shows which are usually scheduled 3 times a cruise and sometimes one show is during the day. So you all will be able to take advantage and enjoy the shows by sharing baby sitting time. It is also helpful to have a balcony cabin so you can sit outside when the baby is sleeping and if you cannot afford an ocean balcony, Oasis has the Boardwalk and Central Park balcony cabins.

 

Be aware that most ships do not allow children who are not toilet trained in any of the pools or whirlpools. If I am wrong about this on Oasis, someone please correct me. I don't think they have bathtubs either, so I would check on the Cruising with Family boards to see what people do about bathing a small child.

 

If you have not already booked the baby, be aware that there is a third person in the room charge and you also pay gratuities. The baby is not free like at most hotels. I do not know if you need a room specifically designated for more than 2 people to add the baby.

 

Good luck and enjoy.

[flhokie]

Cruising with a 7 month old like traveling with a 7 month old is not much of a vacation. If you go with the grandparents that is the biggest help possible.

 

You have chosen Oasis which I think (with Allure) is the best ship for little ones. There is so much sensory experience for everyone. Since you will be spending a lot of time walking back and forth across the ship, what better place to do this then Central Park, Boardwalk or the Royal Promenade. Oasis also has wonderful shows which are usually scheduled 3 times a cruise and sometimes one show is during the day. So you all will be able to take advantage and enjoy the shows by sharing baby sitting time. It is also helpful to have a balcony cabin so you can sit outside when the baby is sleeping and if you cannot afford an ocean balcony, Oasis has the Boardwalk and Central Park balcony cabins.

 

Be aware that most ships do not allow children who are not toilet trained in any of the pools or whirlpools. If I am wrong about this on Oasis, someone please correct me. I don't think they have bathtubs either, so I would check on the Cruising with Family boards to see what people do about bathing a small child.

 

If you have not already booked the baby, be aware that there is a third person in the room charge and you also pay gratuities. The baby is not free like at most hotels. I do not know if you need a room specifically designated for more than 2 people to add the baby.

 

Good luck and enjoy.

 

Allure & Oasis have a small splash area for diapered children (only those in diapers & adults with them can enter). It's adjacent to the H2O Zone, separated by wall & plexiglass. There is shallow water & a sprayer. They only have tubs in junior suites or higher. Many people talk about taking an inflatable tub.

[CruiseAddict1982]

Kids that small have a short attention span. My wife and I found ourselves constantly changing activities and it was actually more work taking our child on the cruise. If it works for you that's great, but I'm going to wait until my 2 boys are older so they can enjoy it more.

[AandBmom]

I forgot one other suggestion which you're probably going to think is crazy.

 

We went to Mexico when our first born was 8 months old. He had just started sleeping through the night. In Mexico though he was up all night. He couldn't sleep in a room with us. He would wake up and want to nurse all night long. So around night number 5 of not sleeping I said to my husband, "we have to find him his own room to sleep in so we can all sleep". That's when I realized that the hotel crib fit in the shower stall. I know it's crazy but seriously this gave him his own space and out of sight was out of mind and he slept through the night.

 

So when we cruised with our 9mos old, we tried putting her crib in the shower on the cruise. This was on Carnival so it actually fit sort of sticking half out of the shower. We didn't close the door b/c it felt like we were sticking her in a closed up closet but because of the layout of the cabin just having her in there meant she couldn't see us in the cabin. We only did this in the day b/c at night she slept pretty well. In the day it was hard to keep our older kids quiet and she had trouble napping. Just something to consider especially if you don't have a balcony to hang out on and if you end up with a baby that just won't sleep if you're in eyesight.

[CruiseAddict1982]

I love my kids more than anything, but taking them on a cruise is just too much for us. Kids that young are unpredictable and if they're uncomfortable they'll let you know all day long. No thanks! Good luck to you though. We take our kids to a local beach. They only like the sand for a good 30-45 minutes then it's time to go lol

[Three Rings]

Aww, your daughter is a real cutie-pie! :D

 

You can bring a small inflatable pool to use as a "bathtub" in your shower. You can also use the pool on your balcony (if you have one) so she can have fun splashing to her heart's content.

 

I agree that at that age, most people don't bother sterilizing bottles or nipples. But if you want to get close to it, get hot water from the Windjammer or anyplace that serves tea. You can bring a thermos from home, fill it with the hot water, and soak the bottle nipples in it. You might even get hot enough water from room service.

 

When my kids were very young, we did a lot of road trips, and I made a special "first aid" kit with baby tylenol drops, a thermometer, something for upset tummy, etc. Never needed it, until the ONE time I forgot to pack it. I won't go into detail, but trust me, you do NOT want to forget to pack that stuff! Just in case though, before you leave on the cruise, check out ports of call and know how to get to the closest pharmacy or Walmart, etc.

 

Enjoy!

[Rala]

LissyTx (OP).....Pretty Baby!!!!!

 

Go now while she is still "portable". Our daughter and son-in-law took our GD on a cruise at 23 months and while she was very good, my daughter said never again at that age....and she had 3 grandparents and a husband onboard to help. As others have said, toddlers are alot of work! Hope your cruise is wonderful!:)

[LissyTx]

Thanks to everyone for the advice, it is much appreciated. Cruising is our favorite way to vacation and I hated to take a 2-3 year break. ;)

It sounds like 7.5 months might be better than once she's active / walking (i.e 12-18 months). Thank you as well for compliments on DD - I certainly think she is cute!

[bandith007]

The cruise line will provide a pack and play. You will have to clean all bottles ourself in he sink, but it's really not an issue. Go up the the kids center and rye will check out some toys for you k use during the trip. High chairs are easy to find in the restaurants and buffets and the crew will be more thank happy to help you with anything Because the kids remind them of home and they miss their children and will treat yours like a princess.

[tanzer22pilot]

Are you taking any precautions in case of Norovirius, which can be very dangerous for infants?

[Sunkissed Mommy]

I haven't read through the other responses because I have a 9 month old and we're preparing to go on a cruise with him in 4 days and have no time to read all the responses! (Grandma & her man-friend are coming along as well)

I'm not sure if your little one will be drinking pumped milk or formula at that point.
My son is now on formula and we chose to purchase the ready to feed 8-oz bottles with the screw on nipples. This way we don't have to worry about sanitizing his regular bottles, refrigeration of a large liquid tub, or mixing powder!! Babies take WAY more then 2 bottles (I did see that comment) my son takes 5 bottles a day, ever 3 or so hours!

If you'd like to keep in touch I can let you know what cruising with an infant is like in about a week and a half when I return!! Edited December 4, 2013 by smileyperry