CabinForFour-packing list....

[kfleming]

trying once again to reach CabinForFour to get her famous packing list! We will be cruising with a 13 month old and would love to hear from someone who has cruised at this age.

 

BTW, if you do read this I love your pictures! Thanks

[PattyW]

I cruised with an 11 month old last November. Would that help? If so, what would you like to know?

[serene56]

I think cabinforfour posted on the Royal board. You can look it up now since we have a good working search.

[CabinForFour]

We were out of town and had a very sick child, so I haven't checked the boards or my TravelingTot e-mail for over a week. I checked in briefly this morning to find that I had 14 requests for the list since the last time I checked that e-mail account. Usually I check it every day or two, but.... I'll send the list out to everyone who requested it either today or this evening. (If you don't get the list from my by Monday morning, please don't hesitate to e-mail me again.) So sorry for the delay, it has just been a little crazy around here. :)

Jamine

[kimanjo]

Hi. I don't know what Jamine has suggested but we have been travelling with our young one since her first cruise at 2 months (didn't have regfualtions back then about wee babies!). She's now almost 12 and a very good traveler--our longest trip ever was from Key West, Florida to Miami, Miami to San Fran, San Fran to Hong Kong, and then onto Singapore--this when she was 8. Whew! All that to go on an Asian cruise, but it was well worth it, we'd do it again in a heartbeat (if we had the $$).

Anyway, I carried my little girl in a sling, not the front pack kind for infants, but the big cloth kind that goes over one shoulder and balances on the opposite hip. These are for toddlers who weigh up to 40 pounds. She loved that sling and it really helped me...we (okay, I, being mom) carried her through two South American cruises in that sling--worked like a charm.

One thing I learned was to buy a package of baby wipes (the refill package), unseal it, and let it dry out completely, then reseal it (dried out)and put inside a ziplock bag. Then, when you get onto the cruise ship, re-wet the entire package of wipes.

Another thing I remember was to pick up a box of cereal in the a.m. at breakfast on ship (Cheerio's) and carry it with us in port. Always came in handy when nothing else was available. Of course, don't forget water bottle with something in it! They didn't have sport drinks back then in little packages ,but if you can manage, bring some Capri Sun SPORT pacakges in the carton, they are like Gatorade and help the little bodies rehydrate.

We used to live Key West where the sun is so strong, I remember some things we did to protect the kids. First, definitely buy some little tyke sunglasses. I was amazed to learn that cataracts which show up in old age are primarily due to overexposure of the eyes to the sun in the first 4 years of life! Also, "we" (moms) bought cheap white thin guaze, almost like cheesecloth, at th store, and we would cut big 45" or biggger squares, which we would use in a vairety of ways--hang over the front of the stroller as a sun shade while wheeling the baby, over the carseat to protect from glare, from a car as a shield, etc. It came in really handy! Don't forget a cap with a nice brim.

Watch out for prickly heat and yeast infections. On one trip I could see that our daughter had developed a very bad yeast infection in her diaper region (so much apple juice! and the heat)...so while in port in Martinique? St. Lucia? anyway, we went to a pharmacy and bought some antifungal medicine, nystatin (it is otc). After a couple of topical (on the skin) applications and watered down juice drinks, she was fine.

Good luck!

[sherryf]

Anyway, I carried my little girl in a sling, not the front pack kind for infants, but the big cloth kind that goes over one shoulder and balances on the opposite hip. These are for toddlers who weigh up to 40 pounds. She loved that sling and it really helped me...we (okay, I, being mom) carried her through two South American cruises in that sling--worked like a charm.

 

I also recommend a sling. I used them quite a bit when my kids were infants and toddlers. I carried my (then) 5 month old son in a sling all day at Disneyland once and it was the greatest thing. I could get on and off rides easily with him because my hands were free. He would fall asleep and stay asleep while we continued to have fun. I used my sling on my one cruise, to Alaska, for my (then) 2 year old daughter. We have a couple of great pictures of the kids and me in front of Mendenhall Glacier, with dd in the sling. :-)

 

Alas! My kids are all too big for the slings now, but I will pass them on to my sister who just had her first baby a month ago.

[kevinsmom]

i have seen these slings, but when my son was born last yr, i bought the reg baby carrier that goes on your front? are slings easy to use? can you really use it for a toddler? my son is 15 1/2 mos old he is just starting to walk but is not that confident. he still uses a combo of holding on/sometimes letting go and crawling. we are going next month on ncl dawn, i am wondering if i should get the sling. he is about 27 lbs, my neck and back kill me from carrying him all the time, does the sling help relieve stress on your back? just curious...thanks

[carin]

We have a 14-month old and are planning to bring our hip hammock for sure. We have a baby bjorn and a Kelty as well. We're planning to leave the bjorn at home and still questioning if we'll bring the kelty too. The Kelty is very bulky, but is great for setting sitting him in a restaurant or taking a break. We're going to Europe with some ports that will be stairs and cobblestone intensive so that is why we are bringing something for sure besides a stroller.

 

http://www.hiphammock.com/

[sherryf]

Slings are easy to use, but it does help if you can have someone show you how to use it. When worn properly, it distributes the weight so that you don't have strain on your back. I have a bad back (scoliosis) but uses a sling quite often with my younger two children (wish I'd had one with the first!) until they were about 2 years old. My kids were (and still are) lightweights, though. My daughter only weighed 21 lb when she turned 2. Weight-wise, I think I could have continued to carry them in the sling longer, but by about 2 years old they were walking well and wanted DOWN!

 

Sherry

[kevinsmom]

thanks for all the advice. i used the link for the hip hammock, it looks very interesting. i am debating whether or not to get it. my son is just starting to walk, but not very confident yet. but i am sure once he does he will not want to stay in the carrier. but i will def get one for my next :)

thanks