Bringing a Baby onboard

[LuckyZ]

What's the earliest age that people should consider bringing a baby on a cruise

[easyboy]

You will have more idea when you also post this on the Family Cruises board.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?49

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[LMaxwell]

Babies have to be at least 6 months to cruise, possibly older if there are multiple sea days (please verify). We took our son on his first cruise at 10 months old and enjoyed it. But we just took him on his 5th at 2.5 years old and it was SO MUCH easier in so many ways at this age because he can use the camp at no charge, he is walking, talking, etc...like a real human being! lol.

 

I'd go again with a 10 month old, but knowing the differences between the two ages I say it gets easier at age 2.

[Cricket63]

Speaking from experience...I would not bring a little one that still takes naps or goes to bed early!

We took our 13 month old grandson with us. Our days went as follows:

Up at 8, got dressed, went to breakfast, played/walked around/ate lunch. Around 1pm he was ready for his afternoon nap.

Back up at 4, played a little before dinner, went back to change for dinner and then off to the dining room. We would hang around on the Lido deck or where they had some music going on till around 8pm. Then off to get him ready for bath/bed. I tried keeping him up, but he was so use to his schedule. I think one night we made it till 9.

I enjoyed the sleep, but missed so much of the ship, entertainment, and ports. If he would have slept in the stroller, the cruise would have been better.

All in all, I had a good time, he had a great time, and my DH felt like he was on the cruise by himself.

[nycruise1]

We took older DD at 7 months and found it to be so easy that a few years later we took younger DD at 10 months. Just bring EVERYTHING you can think of. We had a whole suitcase just of baby supplies. We had jars of baby food, maybe even some formula for the 7 month old. The dining room was good with giving us vegetables and things like that but we wanted to be prepared. Ships are very easy because they are wheelchair accessible so we were able to roll the stroller everywhere. What made it easier is we left from a port less than an hour away so we didnt have to bother with planes and airports. Back then we did not have to worry about school vacations so we cruised during the school year and there were few kids aboard. My kids got alot of attention from other guests and they loved it. They also let us into the kids club and we played with the baby a bit. Might have been when it was closed as I recall.

 

Go for it!

[gtalum]

2 years old, so you can get a break by putting them in the kids club.

[cb at sea]

A child needs to be AT LEAST 6 mos....a year old on trans-ocean crossings. Aside from those rules, when you're a family, you travel as a family. There is no "right or wrong" age to take your kids on trips.

[maryred]

Each cruise line has a minimum age requirement and no poll of ours will change it simply because medical liability is involved.

Most cruise lines sailing a week or less with frequent ports of call will allow children 6 months and older to cruise, but will also caution the parents to seek their pediatrician's opinion before doing so if there is any question of health issues the infant might be experiencing. A last minute common childhood illness may derail the entire cruise for a family. (Also very compelling arguments for those with children to get cancel for any reason or pre-existing condition travel insurance.)

Some lines and sometimes specific itineraries will require achild be at least 1 year old. These are general trans-something crossings orcruises that are 15+ days. Again it has to do with the health environment thechild will be exposed to. And another thing to factor is the availability ofsuitable food and diapers a family is willing to carry as it could be a 4 daysto week before a port is reached to resupply.

Finial a few rarefied cruises do not allow children under 2 years old to sail on them, and when they do proof of certain immunizations might be required at check-in. These are generally grand or exotic journey cruises. There are still ports of call may require that certain unusual vaccines are certified for, like Yellow Fever or Malaria, even if not planning on stepping foot off the ship to visit there. Even more common ailments, like the flu or noro, can be spread ship-wide in 3 -5 days if patient zero is not honest from the start and is kept quarantined. Extremely uncomfortable for an adult, these viruses can be devastating to a young child which will only have"adult" medications available on board.

With that said back to the OP'squestion...

Once whatever minimum age required by the cruise line or itinerary is met then it is up to the parents or everyday guardians to decide.That decision should be based on each individual child in the family. One child might be ready to cruise at 6 months and a day old and others not until they start school and only when on a family oriented cruise.

Take my son (who is now grown and out on his own) at 6 months he would of been a dream to sail with, on a set schedule, tolerating mushed food well, loved sleeping in his carrier or carriage. In fact we used to eat out often with him and people were surprised to see how well he would sleep duringan 7 pm dinner. Fast forward to 10 months old, and teething starts in earnest. OMG even his grandparents most days couldn't wait for us to pick him up because the crying, screaming, and restlessness he would throw off. This went on periodically until 18 months old starting about a week before a new tooth erupted until a week after it was fully in. (All the pediatrician and dentist could say is that his facial nerves are very sensitive keep using numbz-it and baby Tylenol.) Even after that we were wary about even doing overnight trips,so no family vacations till we were sure he was well past that. By the time he was 3 we started traveling again beyond day trips, but those that have gone through the horrible 3's know how had it can be to keep up with a self-determined and fast child. So we kept the travels to places (public beaches, zoos,museums, short wildness experiences, train festivals) were we could easily getup and leave to show him the consequences of rude behavior, usually returning to our bungalow/cabin or rental home. He was about 5 before he ever stayed in a hotel or resort and went to any large attractions.

At 9 we let him "pick" the family vacation from a carefully selected list, surprisingly he wanted to go to Universal but asked if we could go on a boat too since we would be in FL. That 4 days on the Sovereign OS was his first cruise and was more interesting than the week worth of Orlando amusement parks in his eyes (we lived minutes from a 6 Flags, so we always had season passes). Besides camping to this day being on a ship is his favorite type of vacation.

[Saint Greg]

Neighbors had a baby on my last cruise. What a nightmare! There was crying, screaming, banging...all day...every day. Nothing in the middle of the night fortunately..but it started up around 7am. For the first time part of me was happy to get off of the ship after that experience. I vote for whatever age they stop doing that.

[gymbomb]

I took my son at 10 months and at a bit over 2, and I thought younger was easier. We will take my daughter in may when she is 9 months. But we love to travel and will take them at every age, we just might choose different itineraries at different ages.

 

 

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[Ashland]

2 years old, so you can get a break by putting them in the kids club.

On RCI many ships have a Nursery for 6-36 month old's...The Adventure Ocean (kid's club) starts at a minimum of age 3.

[Ashland]

What's the earliest age that people should consider bringing a baby on a cruise

I don't think there are any cruiseline's that allow newborns on board....You should have started your poll at 6 months of age.

[spookwife]

minimum age is 6 months./ 12 months if there are more than 2 consecutive sea days.

 

my personal opinion: when they are potty trained. at least by then you can drop them off in the kids clubs and get some alone time

 

before then, it isn't much of a vacation as the child will have to be with you 24/7 with zero break

[vburke86]

I just took my 2 year old (she turned 2 the last day of our cruise) and my 3 year old on their first cruise and it was so wonderful! Both girls absolutely loved it and keep asking when we get to go again (we booked another but haven't told them yet) and it was the first time I've gotten a break since becoming a mom... so I say do it!!

 

 

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[mjkacmom]

I say when they are 3 and potty trained, can enjoy the clubs, can use the pools, and are done napping.

[SpaceCowboy9]

to me, it doesn't matter what age -- as long as they can behave themselves (of course, this rule also applies to adults)

 

there's nothing worse than a banging spoon when you are trying to have dinner or a mountain of ice cream in the ice cream dispenser...

 

the only exception is if you were on a family reunion cruise - if it wasn't your choice.

[DirtyDawg]

What's the earliest age that people should consider bringing a baby on a cruise

 

What, no option for 21 year old?? :(

 

;)

[SpaceCowboy9]

What, no option for 21?? :(

 

;)

 

I was thinking the same thing!

[NMLady]

What's the earliest age that people should consider bringing a baby on a cruise

 

Other than newborn, who are not allowed by most cruise lines, you did not include 'less than 1 year old'. I think, depending on the child, that 8 months old, maybe even 6 months old, is fine for a 7 day cruise or shorter.

[CPT Trips]

2 years old, so you can get a break by putting them in the kids club.

 

Not every cruise line's Kid's Club accepts children as young as two. Cruisers with kids should not assume.

[LMaxwell]

Not every cruise line's Kid's Club accepts children as young as two. Cruisers with kids should not assume.

 

I think this thread originated on Carnival board and then was moved here.

[NMLady]

I think this thread originated on Carnival board and then was moved here.

 

Even if true, that person posted after it was moved here.

[Saint Greg]

Even if true, that person posted after it was moved here.

 

Definitely started on the carnival board. That's how I ended up here. I never post on this board.

[CPT Trips]

And where it originated, but didn't stay, matters because?

[CarrieAP]

12 months at the earliest.

 

The nurse side of me agrees with pediatric MD guidelines that babies be at least a year old before they cruise. Little ones need specialized care and equipment if they get sick or injured. Cruise line infirmaries can provide basic care but they are not pediatric specialists.

 

Babies have immature immune systems so can get very sick, very quickly. Land based vacations with access to qualified medical facilities is best for little ones.

 

To me it's not worth taking the risk.

 

 

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