Would you take your 7 month old on a cruise

[Gingee]

Since the original poster has not responded maybe the decision has been made.

 

Personally those cabins are too small if the baby cries a lot.

 

The parent may start crying and the people on the other sides may start complaining:)

 

Just have to know your child.

[FLSteve11]

Just have to know your child.

 

I think that's the main thing. If you have a generally well behaved baby then by all means bring them. If you have an especially fussy baby, colicky, etc, than I wouldn't.

[Paul65]

I think that's the main thing. If you have a generally well behaved baby then by all means bring them. If you have an especially fussy baby, colicky, etc, than I wouldn't.

 

Easier said than done to "know your child", when they are only months old. You might know what they're like today, but that could change quite a bit in a month or two.

[jdbmga]

No, I wouldn't

[Panda3]

The original poster never came back, did he? I hope the responses were able to help you!

 

My final answer on this is do what's best for the child, not what is best for you. If you keep that in mind, you will be able to feel good about your decision. :-)

[stowite]

Nope,

 

The distance from a pediatrician and hospital would concern me. Even healthy kids can get very ill very fast. I would also prefer to avoid a trip that was focused upon lots of sun for ones that little to minimize the need for sunscreen.

[vaka08]

We took our daughter on her first cruise at 10 months. We were happy we did. She has been on several now and as a toddler (she is 2.5) she cruises with ease since it is familiar. 7 months is not 10 but another thought is that traveling with an infant is easier than 1 on the go. It may be a good warm up for the years to come. All the lines seem to be substantially accomodating to young kids.

 

All parents and kids are unique. I would consider reposting specific questions or concerns so you do not simply get opinions without any reasoning behind them.

There is also a family board on here you may want to check out. Welcome to the world of a cruising parent !

[MrsPete]

Honestly, no, I would not take a seven month old.

 

Babies and toddlers thrive when they're in their own spaces with their own, predictable routines. So many things would just be more work: Either a long drive or a plane trip, the baby crying in a crowded area, no where to go after you've put the baby down to sleep, the need to pack diapers and food. I don't think it wouldn't be much of a vacation for you.

 

We didn't take vacations when our kids were small -- partly because we prioritized starting their college funds, partly because it was just easier to stay home with small kids. In retrospect, we're not sorry. We had their college educations "saved" about the time they started school, and we took them on LOTS of trips once they were old enough to enjoy/appreciate them!

[RI_Cruiser]

Don't listen to the nay sayers...we did and it was wonderful. We all had a good time.

 

Some ship have daycare and we used them for our 8 month old for naps and time to ourselves and loved the time with him even more.

 

Some ships will even deliver the diapers and food...we used this service3 also and had no issues.

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/onboard-delivery/gifts/diaper-bag/

[carnivalcruizer2605]

No way. A cruise is no place for a baby.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[LeesSummitCruiser1]

So which of your cruises was that? Curious, since most of the major cruise lines require infants to be at least 6 months old to be eligible to sail.

 

I know RCI changed sometime after 2004, because my daughter went on a cruise in September when she was born in May. I think it was 2005 or 6 when they established a minimum age. Don't know what lawsuit caused it.:mad:

[DnA2010]

Have very much enjoyed reading all the opinions of this thread.

Currently pregnant and due first week of Sept. We have been considering a spring break vacation while I am off on maternity leave, with a cruise being one of the options we are considering. Ours will be 7ish months around that time, so this is very applicable.

 

Thank you all for your responses.

[topnole]

Hi,

 

Me and my wife plan to take our daughter on a cruise this summer. She will be 7 months at the time we take the cruise.

 

I've gotten mixed reactions from friends and family. Do you guys think shes to young to go on a cruise? I'm not worried about the amount we have to pay for 3rd passenger. I'm more worried about safety and heath.

 

Thanks

Stan

 

You have one life to live. Do you really want to wait years to go with your child? We just took our 6 month old. Still a nice get away. Totally different than before but we didn't view it as a health or safety issue (unless you are worried about zika and future kids). We had a lot of fun with her and so did all the workers and passengers. I am not a parade guy and never watched one once before but I sure enjoyed it with her this last trip. So that is the type of thing that was different for me. Ours sleeps through the night and is a relatively easy baby. If you like to cruise why wait years. Just take her and realize you won't be out at night much but can still enjoy things in a different way. It is all personal choice but if you love spending time with your baby and couldn't imagine going several days without her, how else will you ever get to travel? If you can travel with other family that would be great. I'm glad we did it and now we know we will continue to travel with her which in the end I think will make her a more well rounded child.

[lalalemon]

Those of you saying no, is that because it wouldn't be fun for the baby? Or because you wouldn't want a baby ruining your cruise?!

 

We are taking out little girl on a cruise for our honeymoon in September, she will turn 11 months whilst we are on holiday. I really hope our fellow passengers won't be cross that we're bringing her with us, but I couldn't imagine going away for a fortnight without her, and also we will be making some fabulous family memories!

 

She is a 'good' baby, has slept all night from 9 weeks old, can sleep in the pushchair on the go. Is very happy and doesn't cry unless she's starving or tired. Eats anything and everything.Loves people and is a real charmer.

 

We mainly plan on eating in the windjammer, we like the variety and that we can eat when we want. It's going to be fabulous for her to try lots of different foods.

 

We'll take her to the shows, she'll sleep in the pushchair if she's tired.

[Paul65]

Those of you saying no, is that because it wouldn't be fun for the baby? Or because you wouldn't want a baby ruining your cruise?!

 

I was one of those who said no, but it was really neither of the reasons you put forward. I just don't personally think that being somewhere in the middle of the ocean is the right choice with an infant. We had a "good" baby, too, but babies are unpredictable, and they can't really explain to you how their feeling. For that reason, and the relatively limited medical facilities on a ship, I would not have taken our son, when he was an infant.

 

Of course, more than likely, things would have been fine, but I prefered the security of knowing that we could get to our pediatric clinic or a hospital easily, if anything came up.

 

Only took our son to the emergency room once, while he was little, but it was because he was fine one moment and barely able to breathe the next. We thought he was choking on something, but turned out to be croup. Still amazed to this day at how sudden the onset of symptoms was, but if that happened while at sea, we would have really been (even more) panicked. But, like I said, that only happened once, so if we had taken him on a cruise, chances are nothing like that would have happened at the same time we were traveling. So I'm not condemning the idea of someone taking an infant on a cruise - just saying why it was not for us.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Paul65

[Reijo]

I think you have to consider your child. I would be very upset if I spent a lot of money on a cruise and had a family with a baby next door (or across the hall or a couple of doors down) that cried at night. The walls are very thin and it could be a problem. I would also be concerned about the baby getting sick shortly before you sail as they tend to get sick quickly.

 

That said, we have been on many cruises and seen babies, some very young, appearing to have a wonderful time. I don't recall EVER hearing crying, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. For some reason the children seem mesmerized at the lighting and everything going on.

 

My niece took her 8 month old on a Norwegian cruise and said it was wonderful.

 

You'll make the right decision for you. Just be aware of upset passengers if you have a crying baby.

[TheMastodon]

What would be a more egregious offense - crying baby every night or a balcony smoker?

[gerif]

What would be a more egregious offense - crying baby every night or a balcony smoker?

 

You can call security and stop the smoker. Not much they can do about the baby.

[gagirl7143]

Noi would not

[chenj78]

We took my oldest on her first cruise she was only 9 months. Overall, it worked out well and I would do it again. Take all of feedback you are getting from your original post (mostly NO's) with a grain of salt. YES or NO comes down to what type of traveler your child is. Is she squirmy or anxious? Does she run all over the place? Is she able to sit through a 90-minute dinner. Does she sleep well in places that are not her own room or crib? Does she deal well with crowds? Can she handle noise? We had a great time with my oldest. Grandma watched her a couple nights so Mommy and I could go out. They also offer a a service to watch the child in your room at an hourly rate. The cruise ship staff in general was awesome with her. My daughter liked eating yogurt at the time, and the MDR was always had yogurt ready for her even though it wasn't on the menu. They were also very helpful in storing any food items you bring with you and will have it ready at your table for meal times. The cruise we took was with Carnival and their equivalent of RCI's Kids Academy did a great job with her. She was always laughing and smiling while there. Having been on both RCI and Carnival, RCI does an even better job with the little ones. Like I said, it all comes down to your daughter. Be considerate to others too. If she cries a lot at night, then it's probably not a great idea. It worked out great for my oldest, but I probably would not have taken my youngest at that age. Either way, it's important and therapeutic for Mom and Dad to be able to go on vacation, so if you can make it happen, go for it! Good luck!

Edited May 19, 2016 by chenj78

[grandmarnnurse]

We have cruised with a baby before, and it worked out fine. We fed her before we went to dinner, and she often sat in high chair and was fine, or napped in stroller while we ate. We would go back to cabin after dinner to bathe her (in inflatable bath tub we bought online), put her in her PJs and back in stroller, while we went to shows, walked around ship, etc. we just did not go to bars. But I will add that she was our grandchild, and her mom was with us too, along with other family members, so if daughter wanted to do something with her adult siblings, we would go back to cabin with baby, or take over just walking around with her. (Her hubby was deployed to Iraq at the time)

I have noticed that right now NCL is offering a promotion where a 3rd guest in cabin will sail free, so that may be something for you to consider. And I hear that they will purée any food you want for a baby. We did not know that, and brought our own baby food.

Go for it, and enjoy!

[grandmarnnurse]

Let me add that Carnival (the line we cruised with baby) also had certain hours that they would babysit in their kids activity room during the day. That gave us all time to enjoy the sun, pool, and deck activities.

[TheMastodon]

You can call security and stop the smoker. Not much they can do about the baby.

 

Plenty of people on here would call security about a crying baby too.

[Virtopia]

I wouldn't. I don't think I'd take any child on a cruise under 2 years old.

[riclop]

Hi,

 

Me and my wife plan to take our daughter on a cruise this summer. She will be 7 months at the time we take the cruise.

 

I've gotten mixed reactions from friends and family. Do you guys think shes to young to go on a cruise? I'm not worried about the amount we have to pay for 3rd passenger. I'm more worried about safety and heath.

 

Thanks

Stan

 

NO , wait a little.