Cruising with a baby

[jojo670]

We will be taking the Breakaway on February 15 with 11 people and an 8 month old baby.... I'm nervous about the islands and buses with a stroller, car seat etc... Does anyone have any advice/tips for me? I've only been on 1 cruise before, 20 years ago. :confused: I was told she can't go into the pool with a swim diaper?? Advice for the ship is greatly needed also..... Thank you all so much! I've already learned a great deal from everyone!!

[russianmom]

No swimming unless potty trained.

 

What are your plans for each stop? Port Canaveral you can rent a car with car seat or use yours. GSC is a tender ride to a private island so no car seat needed. Nassau you probably won't find any cars with seat belts to use your car seat. If you take a tour with a bigger bus you can technically hold your baby if you are comfortable doing that....

[luddite]

Make sure that you are comfortable with the ship's pediatrician.

Researching the Family Boards on Cruise Critic will be a good way to learn what cruising with a 8mo old is like.

[C Cruise Dude]

We will be taking the Breakaway on February 15 with 11 people and an 8 month old baby.... I'm nervous about the islands and buses with a stroller, car seat etc... Does anyone have any advice/tips for me? I've only been on 1 cruise before, 20 years ago. :confused: I was told she can't go into the pool with a swim diaper?? Advice for the ship is greatly needed also..... Thank you all so much! I've already learned a great deal from everyone!!

 

 

Try the Family Board: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

[CPT Trips]

make sure that you are comfortable with the ship's pediatrician.

 

lol!

[cb at sea]

There is no "pediatrician"...only the general ship's doctor.

 

Most cabins only have showers, so bring a blow up tub....you can use it on the pool deck for splashing, too! No swim diapers, or diapered people in the pools at all.

 

Bring any and everything "baby related"...diapers, wipes, ointments, meds.....the ship does NOT sell baby specific stuff. Ear drops, nose drops, fever reliever, etc...bring it!

Edited January 11, 2015 by cb at sea

[SissasMomE]

There is no "pediatrician"...only the general ship's doctor.

 

 

He said it tongue in cheek. Point is - there isn't one.

[SissasMomE]

so bring a blow up tub....you can use it on the pool deck for splashing, too!

 

There is no room on the pool deck for a blow up pool or tub!! :eek:

Edited January 11, 2015 by SissasMomE

[blindrid]

There is no room on the pool deck for a blow up pool or tub!! :eek:

 

Just back from Celebrity cruise. The pool attendants actually filled a collapsible baby pool for a little one. It didn't take more room than three loungers. Kid was perfectly happy and I was impressed that X had one, especially with their typically geriatric crowd.

Edited January 11, 2015 by blindrid

[SissasMomE]

Just back from Celebrity cruise. The pool attendants actually filled a collapsible baby pool for a little one.

 

I know some of them do that, but on the Away ships, there is no room for that. Maybe on one of the upper decks, but not near the pool. There is an area over by the kids splash pad, and it's shaded ... there just isn't a whole heck of a lot of room.

Edited January 11, 2015 by SissasMomE

[avcruz]

Bring any and everything "baby related"...diapers, wipes, ointments, meds.....the ship does NOT sell baby specific stuff. Ear drops, nose drops, fever reliever, etc...bring it!

 

 

Actually you can pre-purchase diapers through the Gift Orders dept. and they'll be waiting in your stateroom. I'm not sure what brand they are and I'm sure they are more expensive than if you brought your own, but it is one less thing to pack.

 

 

 

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[Sparkygirl]

There is no pediatrician onboard that is absolutely correct. The physicians are board certified in family practice. They are capable of treating and managing an infant or child, the challenge is the limited equipment available onboard for management of a young infant or child. The physicians also are not full time onboard the cruise ship, they typically rotate between the ship and then their full time practice somewhere else. The physician that treated my 3 year old daughter's head injury with total paralysis last year aboard the Breakaway until we could be medically evacuated from the ship was the most amazing physician I have ever met and I would trust him with our family's care again in a heartbeat. She has fully recovered and I attribute her recovery to his decisions onboard that were fully discussed with my husband and I regarding her care.

 

As others have stated finding a taxi with the appropriate seat belts for your car seat will be very difficult in Nassau. Also any busses will not have the seat belts needed for securing a carseat that basically if she is still in an infant carrier the only reason to bring it is that it doubles or is a part of the stroller/travel system. We found that up until around 18 months to 2 years we were better off wearing our daughter while traveling.

 

NCL will provide a pack n play in your room depending on your room type this can make it very tight, particularly on breakaway, depending on how the bed and sofa are configured.

[triptolemus]

Be sure to check into availability of toddler restraint kits. These kits come with a variety of shackles, tapes, straps, and buckles that allow you to secure the toddler in the cabin while out enjoying the ship. Be sure to check wih your TA/PCC soon as I understand there are a limited number of kits available on each ship.

 

I don't have children, but I do understand from others that these kits are well worth the extra cost, which is minimal.

[bean24]

We took my son on his first cruise at 10 months, and also needed the physician. She was very helpful, stabilizing him and getting him to the hospital. One thing we always bring is powdered Pedialyte, check with your pedi since the label is for age 1& up.

 

 

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[ColinIllinois]

Be sure to check into availability of toddler restraint kits. These kits come with a variety of shackles, tapes, straps, and buckles that allow you to secure the toddler in the cabin while out enjoying the ship. Be sure to check wih your TA/PCC soon as I understand there are a limited number of kits available on each ship.

 

I don't have children, but I do understand from others that these kits are well worth the extra cost, which is minimal.

 

 

They are definitely worth the money. I ordered this on my last cruise.

 

[riddle]

I am grammy but we just did this with DD's family in November. Prepare to be flexible. Don't know your accomodations but think about what you will do while baby is sleeping, where you will put pack n play, etc. Will baby sleep with you in the room if you are not in a suite?

 

Bring pack n play sheets. Ship will only provide regular sheets. Bring plenty of clothes for applicable season as ship's laundry service is expensive and generally takes 2 days to get clothes back.

 

Strollers take up lots of room so keep that in mind when you decide what kind of stroller to bring.

 

Ours was 18 months and was a challenge at times. We became quite familiar with the small kids buffet area on the Gem. It worked out perfectly. He could not handle the long meal times.

 

I don't know how many adults you will have but if you can split up the child care and give everyone some 'adult only" time it really helps.

 

Our 3 year old granddaughter loved it and still asks when we are going to the big ship again. She became my little dining companion many nights when mom and dad took the toddler to the buffet. We enjoyed the main dining rooms together and the staff went out of their way to be friendly to her. The first night when she saw a strawberry on my desert plate and mentioned it they went back and prepared her a bowl of small slices of strawberries. From that night on she got her strawberries with her vanilla ice cream.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Actually you can pre-purchase diapers through the Gift Orders dept. and they'll be waiting in your stateroom. I'm not sure what brand they are and I'm sure they are more expensive than if you brought your own, but it is one less thing to pack.

 

 

 

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That is a great idea. Have more diapers on hand than you normally need for the week. Changes in Baby's diet and schedule, might effect his digestion. Just a thought.

[Barb Nahoumi]

The umbrella type strollers are best for the tight corridors and spaces of a cruise ship. The larger SUV carriages, might be hard to maneuver.

[gooch47]

I've seen the suggestion to use a kiddy blow up pool before, but where and how would you dump the water? In the big pool? A little counter productive, no?

[SissasMomE]

I've seen the suggestion to use a kiddy blow up pool before, but where and how would you dump the water? In the big pool? A little counter productive, no?

 

It's dumped down the shower drain on the pool deck.

[gooch47]

OK. Makes sense.

[SissasMomE]

OK. Makes sense.

 

At least, that's how they did it years ago. I have not seen this done in a long, long time (blow up pool / tub).

[Robynljt]

Hi!

 

I would also suggest getting the most comfortable accommodations for which you are able. My son became sick on a family cruise several years ago. The trip was a gift and we were in an inside cabin. The thought never crossed my mind that I would be confined to an inside cabin for the length of the cruise. Thankfully it was only 4 nights, but regardless of illness you will certainly have significant down time with an infant. I would want to be as comfortable as possible - even having a veranda to relax on during naps would be a lovely break!

Edited January 11, 2015 by Robynljt

[Vyhanek]

^^^Yes, hopefully you have a balcony cabin.

 

It will be difficult with an inside cabin and a sleeping baby. At least with a balcony cabin you could put the baby to sleep and sit on your balcony in the afternoon or evening.

In an inside cabin you will be tiptoeing around this tiny room with the pack n play taking up all your walking space, in the pitch dark.

 

Bringing the carseat will be nothing but a major hassle. First, it will take up a lot of space in your cabin. Then you will haul that carseat off the ship in the ports and find a taxi or van but it will have no seatbelts at all! Now you're lugging this huge carseat around the island!!

 

Honestly, your best bet on the islands is a front carrier. Don't even hassle with a stroller. When you get in the taxi's you strap yourself in with the baby in the front carrier and adopt the...."when in Rome" philosophy. You will be lucky if any of the transportation on the islands have any sort of seatbelt.

 

As far as the blow up baby pool, you can find really tiny ones. I'd bring it and see what you can do. Maybe you decide on day that you don't want to get off the ship in the ports.....(maybe since you won't be able to lug the carseat all over the island). The pool deck will be almost empty. You could easily blow up a little baby pool out there!

Edited January 11, 2015 by Vyhanek

[blindrid]

I know some of them do that, but on the Away ships, there is no room for that. Maybe on one of the upper decks, but not near the pool. There is an area over by the kids splash pad, and it's shaded ... there just isn't a whole heck of a lot of room.

 

Been on both. There is plenty of room.