Bringing a 1 year old baby onboard to Alaska in September 2021

[smokeybandit]

23 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

your 1 yr old should be OK, most of the passengers will be vaccinated. Besides, it's rare for little ones to get really sick from the virus. But if they test him, as required, and he tests positive, are you prepared for the protocols they will institute.

 

A vaccinated senior citizen has a higher chance of getting covid than an unvaccinated healthy 1 yr old

Edited May 27, 2021 by smokeybandit

[cruiselvr04]

We had a one year on our family cruise.  It helped that there were 8 adults to help take turns with him.

 

He slept in the stroller or on us at times.  He did get pretty crabby toward the end and even picked up a bug and a bit of a fever one day.  He did not go to the nursery.  In the evening I sometimes missed the shows so his parents could go and I read while he slept. 
 

Can it be done? Of course but so you aren’t disappointed you need to know it will not be a normal vacation.  Kids still get sick, fussy, don’t nap, cry in the dining room etc etc.  Please be kind to others who are vacation and remove him from the situation if he is unhappy.  Take a few of his favorite toys, plenty of diapers, wipes.  Be prepared to sit in your cabin at night if he doesn’t adjust well to being taken everywhere.  ( I recommend a minimum of a balcony but in Alaska it may be too nippy to escape to it while he sleeps.)  Jr. suites have a walk in closet that might fit a pack n play. ( I have not tried. ).  While I wouldn’t shut the door for ventilation it might provide a dark, quieter place to sleep.  Our kids used a fabric curtain around his pack and play to give him his own space to sleep and shut out some light. Read the family board for lots of ideas.  

Covid may make it even more tough with masks, testing etc.

 

Personally I’d leave the baby with grandma but if you want to try go for it.  Just be prepared and take things as they come.  We took our kids (4) on a big road trip every year.  It was a lot of work but some good memories are there and it exposed them to lots of new things.  In the end I was always glad we had gone but it had its moments of whining, tears and kid fighting.   Did I mention how much work it was?  Lol.  They all like to travel today.  ( Today I got a group text from them all asking when we are going cruising as a family again!) 

[Karma5]

Leave the child at home with someone you trust.............just to young...

and wherever smokeybandit got the misinformation from a vaccinated senior is not at greater risk........of Covid 

 

[Quince]

We did an Alaska cruise several years ago with a 9 month old.  If you are willing to not participate in many of the cruise activities, it is doable.  Luckily we had 3 grandparents in the group, so there were 5 adults who took turns staying in at night to sit with the baby. We also had weird meals in the dining room where one adult  would get his main course while everybody else got the starter.  As soon as he was done eating, he'd take the baby away because 30 minutes was the limit on good behavior.  You also have to figure out how you're going to approach excursions.  You either have to limit yourself to places you can walk with the stroller, or you use the car seat, then have to figure out where to store it while at the Museum or Lumberjack Show.  Also at 1 year old, they're just starting to walk, and want to practice everywhere.  So it will be harder to contain the child then it is now.  This is not to totally discourage you -- it is doable, but it won't be a relaxing vacation for you.

[emya]

First of all, I've read some people post that no kids are allowed, or that 100% vaccinated is required by CDC. Neither are true. I booked the Ovation on 8/20 for myself and my 8-year-old son. I did my research, and RCI is the only cruise line (so far) allowing unvaccinated kids under 12 in Alaska this summer. The cruise line will test them at the port. (I'm testing him as well before we fly out just in case.) At least 95% of the guests on board must be vaccinated. I think how they will handle this is to stop people from booking children under 12 if the threshold has been exceeded; at least, I read this about a Celebrity cruise. They allowed me to book with my child earlier this week.

 

Second, the last cruise I took, my son was 9 months old. We had been hoping to leave him with my sister for the week, but he refused to bottle feed, and I ended up bringing him. We had to cancel most excursions and plans and adjust our expectations. It was a Disney cruise, so they were well set up for babies, even having activities on board for them, such as a crawling competition and play time with toys and such. They would even puree a meal if you requested it. So we spent time hanging out and napping in the cabin together. For dinner, we would take him to the nursery, and enjoy 2-4 hours for dinner/show. He didn't love it at first, and because he refused a bottle, they'd call me whenever he cried so I could return to nurse him.

 

Overall, I'm really glad we still went. Babies can be intense to care for, but cruising made it easier than other forms of travel with a baby, IMO! We didn't get to explore the port cities or do excursions we had planned, though I understand leaving the baby at the nursery is a possibility (just not for my nursing-only baby).

 

As for COVID, I would think a cruise with 95% vaccinated passengers and 98-100% vaccinated crew with every unvaccinated child tested on boarding day is an extremely low risk situation and wouldn't hesitate long to consider it. I would recommend sufficient travel insurance to cover instances of illness before and after boarding to protect your investment. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by emya

[GlobalMethod]

On 5/27/2021 at 2:28 AM, mek said:

Since you asked - my opinion is no way would I take a 1 year old on a cruise right now.  Health risks aside - why happens if the ship gets delayed and doesn't return for two or three days - are you prepared to pack extra diapers, baby food, etc? What if you or your baby gets sick,(not necessarily covid, but something else?)

Early September in Alaska can be beautiful, but also cold and damp/rainy - it might not be great pushing a baby around in a stroller under those conditions.

Personally, I would wait until the baby is older, but I have a feeling your mind is already made up.

 

My wife has high education as a child psychologist and has worked as a subject matter expert on infants, toddlers and shool age children. As mek says above you should wait ... a 1 year old's immune system is not ready to handle most anything ... very dangerous.

[forgotmyCCname]

No, you should not take a one year old on this cruise.
 

We cruised with our 3 starting when the baby was 9 months and the twins 2 yrs. We always booked a suite for the space . But we never cruised during a pandemic . We had a great time and hopefully never had that look of "Agony" described earlier.

Ask your pediatrician. And bring 3 x what you think you will need in case you get quarantined because I think you are going to go... Diapers are pricey and sometimes non-existent on a ship.

( Personal opinion alert: as a medical professional - I would not take a one year old on a cruise with so many unknowns )

 

Edited May 28, 2021 by forgotmyCCname
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