Bringing your own pack n play?

[Daizy]

Has anyone considered bringing your own pack n play? We have a 4.5 year old who we're hoping to sleep on the couch turned around, and a 22 month old who will use a pack n play. I'm not really a germaphobe, but I know that pack n plays are hard to clean/sanitize! Anyone have experience with this? We're driving to the port, so bringing our own won't be much of a problem besides the hassle of another thing to carry. I definitely would rather not bring our own if we really don't need to, but I don't want to be sorry either if we get there and it's pretty gross looking. This is our first cruise with kids, so I'm wondering how clean (or dirty) you have found the ship's pack n plays to be, and if I'm crazy for considering bringing our own!

[flhokie]

We didn't use one for DD (used couch/floor), but I haven't heard any horror stories. You might want to check into getting a coverplay. It's a cover for pack n plays. That would be much easier to travel with & you could use it in hotels, etc.

[mdjohn5]

Not sure if this will help, but we have had two opposite experiences with Pack n Plays.

 

1) We did a Holland America cruise and had a pack n play reserved. It was waiting for us in the cabin, seemed clean, and was basically a non issue. I would note that they don't have fitted sheets for them...they just give you a twin size sheet to use.

 

2) We did a Royal Carribbean cruise and they could never produce one for us. We had it reserved and confirmed by our TA, but when we got on the ship they were befuddled by the request. The steward, the suite concieger, even the Hotel Manager had no idea what we wanted. We did talk to other parents on the ship who did get pack n plays, so I am not sure why they could never get one to us. Our son eneded up sleeping on the couch...and never wanted to back to his crib once we got home :)

 

If you are driving to the port and you have room in the car anyway, based on my experience, I would recommend you bring your own. If there are space issues and/or a giant pain to lug it around, I would roll the dice on the ship providing one.

[Daizy]

We didn't use one for DD (used couch/floor), but I haven't heard any horror stories. You might want to check into getting a coverplay. It's a cover for pack n plays. That would be much easier to travel with & you could use it in hotels, etc.

 

Thanks. I did just check them out - they're a bit more than I'd want to spend, and I'm hoping (fingers crossed) this will be our last trip really needing to use a pack n play, as she's almost two, and she's our last baby :)

[Daizy]

Not sure if this will help, but we have had two opposite experiences with Pack n Plays.

 

1) We did a Holland America cruise and had a pack n play reserved. It was waiting for us in the cabin, seemed clean, and was basically a non issue. I would note that they don't have fitted sheets for them...they just give you a twin size sheet to use.

 

2) We did a Royal Carribbean cruise and they could never produce one for us. We had it reserved and confirmed by our TA, but when we got on the ship they were befuddled by the request. The steward, the suite concieger, even the Hotel Manager had no idea what we wanted. We did talk to other parents on the ship who did get pack n plays, so I am not sure why they could never get one to us. Our son eneded up sleeping on the couch...and never wanted to back to his crib once we got home :)

 

If you are driving to the port and you have room in the car anyway, based on my experience, I would recommend you bring your own. If there are space issues and/or a giant pain to lug it around, I would roll the dice on the ship providing one.

 

It does help - thanks! I have asked our TA a zillion times about this pack n play, and she says we have one reserved. I hope it shows up! We're travelling with a group (but we're the only ones with kids!) so I could potentially have some extra hands to carry our pack n play too. I'm leaning toward bringing it just to be safe. We try hard to recreate our home setting/schedule while on vacation so we have as seemless transitions as possible, and I definitely think I want her contained in the pack n play. (I'll have to share your couch story with DH when he gripes about lugging our pack n play along :))

 

I've read about the twin sheets too - I think as long as it's folded under pretty well we shouldn't have an issue, so I wasn't thinking about bringing our own fitted sheets. She's mobile, so I wouldn't have as much of a concern as with a newborn not having snug fitting sheets. Anyone have anything I'm not thinking of regarding this?

[cb at sea]

The provided P&P will be fine....if (and that's a BIG IF) it's dirty, ask for it to be cleaned or get another! Your toddler will be touching tons of stuff that is dirtier than the P&P will be...

Some will bring their own sheets....I don't know how your clean them, if they get dirty, tho!

[c-cruise]

We've used pack n' plays on ships a half-dozen times and they have been in various conditions ranging from clean to filthy to completely broken. Based on our experiences if I was driving to the port I would bring my own.

 

I would bring your own fitted sheet (or two) as well. They usually just use a twin bed sheet and fold it around some blankets for extra padding. Never stayed tucked in very well so putting that fitted sheet around it helps.

[Daizy]

We've used pack n' plays on ships a half-dozen times and they have been in various conditions ranging from clean to filthy to completely broken. Based on our experiences if I was driving to the port I would bring my own.

 

I would bring your own fitted sheet (or two) as well. They usually just use a twin bed sheet and fold it around some blankets for extra padding. Never stayed tucked in very well so putting that fitted sheet around it helps.

 

Thanks! That's what I was afraid of/needed to hear. And totally makes sense on why people bring their own sheets now, too :) I was also thinking about how we'd wash them if there were a diaper leak - but I guess it makes sense to bring two and if we happen to dirty them both, then we can make do with a twin sheet folded. Thanks again!

[leahlovescruising]

I don't want to start a new post so I hope you don't mind OP.

 

- For those who used a P&P, did you have to contact someone beforehand to let them know you;d need one and if so, who? Or can you just ask your room steward when you arrive?

 

Our son always starts in his crib but doesn't fail everynight as soon as I crawl into bed, he wakes up.:rolleyes:

[SadieN]

The provided P&P will be fine....if (and that's a BIG IF) it's dirty, ask for it to be cleaned or get another! Your toddler will be touching tons of stuff that is dirtier than the P&P will be...

 

Some will bring their own sheets....I don't know how your clean them, if they get dirty, tho!

 

 

Well, many ships have laundry rooms available for the sheets.

 

I'm sure the ship's laundry service can also wash them. Probably need to get special pricing for sheets.

[c-cruise]

I don't want to start a new post so I hope you don't mind OP.

 

- For those who used a P&P, did you have to contact someone beforehand to let them know you;d need one and if so, who? Or can you just ask your room steward when you arrive?

 

Our son always starts in his crib but doesn't fail everynight as soon as I crawl into bed, he wakes up.:rolleyes:

 

You should be able to request it through your travel agent and they will contact the cruise line and take care of it for you. Or, the cruise line should have a "ships services/ customer service" department which handles this sort of requests directly.

Edited April 30, 2014 by c-cruise

[MamaWals]

We brought out own pack n play. It was a last minute decision because I was also concerned about cleanliness and since we were driving and going to Disney World before (where we'd also need to use one) we just decided to throw it in the car. Thank goodness we did because the pack n play we had reserved through the cruise line (Norwegian) never actually appeared. Nor did the high chair that was supposed to be there.

 

I also brought a mamadoo pack n play mattress pad that I packed in our son's suitcase, a padded mini crib mattress pad, and a mini crib sheet. He slept 12-13 hours a night straight through so it was definitely worth it and I didn't worry about him getting sick from it.

 

When we got to the port we just took everything out and they checked our luggage right there at the curb so having extra stuff getting on the boat wasn't a problem. Getting off is a little trickier because they take most of your luggage the night before but like OP, we were travelling with a bunch of other adults so one of them took the pack n play, I took the little guy with his car seat/stroller/diaper bag, and hubby took our suitcase. Once we got through security a porter helped us take our luggage to the valet parking stand. A little more expensive using the porter and valet parking but it was definitely worth the convenience.

[bearette]

I have twins so to cut down on things to take I use theirs, but bring my own sheets as theirs are not fitted. The lines each have different types: the roller cribs and others actual pack n plays. My issue has always been two and an angry but polite phone call has gotten my second crib and some items moved. Just confirm you requested it with your travel agent and with your room steward as soon as you board so you do not have the issue the other had.

 

Sent from my KFTHWI using Forums mobile app

[keltpa]

Which cruise line? Carnival uses metal foldable mini-cribs with a waterproof cover over the mattress pad. The crib is completely washable and nothing is getting through to the mattress. They just use regular flat sheets over the mattress, so just ask your room steward for a spare and you will be OK if you have a leak through the night.

[queenL]

We travel with our own pack and play (+ sheets) too. It's just easier that way. I'm extremely picky about surfaces my kids come in contact with. After all (I travel with my own set of sheets). So I wouldn't feel comfortable rolling the dice on a pack and play.

Edited May 1, 2014 by queenL

[rm1247]

I've used the ship's pnp twice. The first time it was pristine and we had no issues. The second time (RCI), the first one they brought was filthy. My cabin steward acted like she had no idea why I thought it was dirty and tried to clean it for me and basically refused to replace it. I went down to the hotel manager and after a huge hassle, they finally replaced it. The new one was slightly cleaner. I had brought lysol and tried to clean it as best I could, and then covered it with the sheets I had brought. She never slept in a regular bed, so I didn't have any other options.

 

That was our worst cruise because the kids got the noro virus (and the baby got it first). Was it from the pnp? We'll never know, but I'll always regret not bringing our own pnp (and we even drove to the port!). I remember sitting there holding my terribly sick 15mo and feeling like the world's worst mother for not protecting her from that virus.

 

If at all possible, bring your own. The 2 dirty ones I was brought were dirty on the side mesh and areas that weren't covered by the sheet and not easily cleaned. Gross!!

Edited May 11, 2014 by rm1247