Traveling with Infants

[barbface1]

Anyone ever cruise with an infant. We have booked the Crown for my sons first bday......any tips?

[cherylandtk]

You will find lots of supportive folks, and many on-ongoing threads and tips for your question here at the special interest "Family Cruising" forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

Not that your question isn't valid here, but 'infants' tends to be a topic that seems to generate much controversy on the main boards. Right up there with the jeans and smoking questions.

[AngryKing]

Hey! Infants are people too!

 

Sorry if the cranky old people get mad because my kid is crying at the dinner table. Chances are, they crap their pants just as much as my kid does. LOL.

[bplazo]

I think that you old person comment remark is rude. I am sure that everyone with a child has had an experience with a child crying at a dinner table, I know that I have. The considerate action is to take your child out of the room until they have settled down. If not, there is always room service.

 

Not everyone enjoys hearing someone elses child crying while trying to have a nice dinner.

[bjboothman]

Sorry if the cranky old people get mad because my kid is crying at the dinner table. Chances are, they crap their pants just as much as my kid does. LOL.

 

Yeah, it's all about you. :rolleyes:

[rebeccalouise]

If you have already booked then you are looking to hear the everything will be fine.

I think that traveling with a toddler will be difficult. A one year old is hell on wheels.

I have two sons and the worst cruise I ever had was when my son was 13 months old. Even with in- cabin sitting (on Celebrity) at night.

He was too young to go in the swimming pool. He was too young to go to the kids club. I went with my parents and they babysat and took up some of the slack for me but all I did was run after my son. This is a bad age to travel.

I personally would wait until you child is three.

[avasmom]

Anyone ever cruise with an infant. We have booked the Crown for my sons first bday......any tips?

If you have already booked then you are looking to hear the everything will be fine.

I think that traveling with a toddler will be difficult. A one year old is hell on wheels.

I have two sons and the worst cruise I ever had was when my son was 13 months old. Even with in- cabin sitting (on Celebrity) at night.

He was too young to go in the swimming pool. He was too young to go to the kids club. I went with my parents and they babysat and took up some of the slack for me but all I did was run after my son. This is a bad age to travel.

I personally would wait until you child is three.

 

We will be cruising with our 15 month old next week and are quite excited. Yes, it will be our first cruise since she was born, and I know it will be a lot of work to cruise with her, but I know it will be worth it. I DO understand fellow pax get upset when kids are cranky, but I plan to do my VERY best in keeping her under control and removing her from dining rooms if she starts crying. I would not want to disturb other peoples dining experience. We may get room service often!! I personally don't think you should have to wait until they are 3, but that is just my opinion. I know you will enjoy the cruise whatever you decide...but I do know that ours will be a very different cruise experience than when my hubby and I went before we had kids!!!

[Cruising with Kids]

Anyone ever cruise with an infant. We have booked the Crown for my sons first bday......any tips?

 

Ours turned one last month and our 11 yr old daughter is along also. I dont think I would come without them. We will also be on the 27th Crown. The only drawback I forsee is limited options for port excursions. I might just have to settle for playing with my wonderful kids on a beautiful beach.. rats...:)

[barbface1]

well....you dont have to be rude.....i asked for tips.....i have cruised many times.....this will just be the first time with a baby.....i understand that people dont like to hear a baby cry.....i take my son the restaurants all the time....when he cries I pick him up and leave the room.....

[rebeccalouise]

This question comes up now and then on these boards and I know people take offense if you say that traveling with a toddler is a bad idea.

Yes, it can be done. I have personally traveled with a 3 month old and 6 month old- both of these cruises went fine. I had extended family that pitched in and in-cabin sitting at night so that I could partake in the fine dining.

With two successful cruises under my belt I didn't think traveling with a 13 month would be a problem. It wasn't a problem for him. He had a blast. It wasn't a problem for the other passengers- they thought he was cute as a button.

The problem was this: The beauty of a cruise is that the whole family can have fun. In my case, my entourage had fun. I didn't. My husband and I took turns staying in the cabin at nap time. We took turns going to the hot tubs and pool. We took turns going out at night and I just didn't enjoy it. The ship was fine, that wasn't the problem.

It wasn't a horrible cruise- just hard work for me and I didn't cruise again until my son was three. Since that time, we have been on six- all have been great!

[Cruising with Kids]

Looking forward to seeing another happy baby on board Barb. For the previous baby travelers.. what ARE the rules about infants in the pools? Even with waterproof diapers and a swimsuit I am not allowed to hold him in ANY of the pools?

[stoneharborlady]

Looking forward to seeing another happy baby on board Barb. For the previous baby travelers.. what ARE the rules about infants in the pools? Even with waterproof diapers and a swimsuit I am not allowed to hold him in ANY of the pools?

 

 

I am afraid the rule is no babies in diapers (even waterproof) in any of the pools. I believe that this is not a ship proclaimed rule, but rather from the Center for Disease Control. (Correct me if Im wrong somebody) But on port days, they sure can swim at a nice beach! They probably will like that much better anyway.

Karen

[bubbadog]

i think you will have a great time,take lots of pictures,and buy the coffee card,little ones have alot of energy lol:))),just have fun and dont worry about the rest,and you can show the little one how to make sandcastles:))), have a great cruise:p

[Cruising with Kids]

Looking through this endless source of info called "cruise critic", i saw a lot of people posting that they actually brought along there own mini inflatable pools. Little blow up ones the toddler could splash in on deck. Any thoughts? Experiences?

[stoneharborlady]

Looking through this endless source of info called "cruise critic", i saw a lot of people posting that they actually brought along there own mini inflatable pools. Little blow up ones the toddler could splash in on deck. Any thoughts? Experiences?

 

Excellent idea, but not quite sure how you would fill it or empty it. I have heard of people putting a little pool on their own balcony.

Karen

[JLC@SD]

Hey! Infants are people too!

Chances are, they crap their pants just as much as my kid does. LOL.

"If you were a super hero, would you really fight for justice, or would you just go around kicking people's asses for no reason?"....AngryKing's Signature.....:)

[JLC@SD]

Looking forward to seeing another happy baby on board Barb. For the previous baby travelers.. what ARE the rules about infants in the pools? Even with waterproof diapers and a swimsuit I am not allowed to hold him in ANY of the pools?

I am AMAZED that you even have to ask.......if your child had an accident.......they have to sterilize the pool.......:mad:

[stoneharborlady]

I am AMAZED that you even have to ask.......if your child had an accident.......they have to sterilize the pool.......:mad:

 

 

Why would you be amazed? To be honest, before I joined Cruise Critic, and had never cruised, it never occured to me, and I bet many others too, that little ones were not permitted in the pools. Now that I know, I understand why, but not everyone is born knowing this rule.

Karen

[JLC@SD]

Why would you be amazed? To be honest, before I joined Cruise Critic, and had never cruised, it never occured to me, and I bet many others too, that little ones were not permitted in the pools. Now that I know, I understand why, but not everyone is born knowing this rule.

Karen

While raising my three kids....while they were still in diapers and not completely potty trained......it always occurred to me that I did not want to have to deal with a brown cloud around my child in front of all the other public pool users......common sense to most....:rolleyes: .....it occurred to me that an incident like that would close the pool....;)

[stoneharborlady]

While raising my three kids....while they were still in diapers and not completely potty trained......it always occurred to me that I did not want to have to deal with a brown cloud around my child in front of all the other public pool users......common sense to most....:rolleyes: .....it occurred to me that an incident like that would close the pool....;)

 

Yes, maybe it is just common sense, but not really something everyone just naturally thinks about. In my experience, many public pools on land allow infants in swim diapers, in county pools, private club pools, hotel pools. I guess I never thought beyond that, and it never occured to me that it would be any different on a ship.

[stoneharborlady]

I just re-read my own post, and you know, I think that is the reason many people with infants dont realise that little ones are not permitted to swim. I have never seen a public pool, or a hotel pool, with rules to say otherwise. Has anyone else ever seen posted rules at a hotel, or other public pool banning diapered babies? Just curious.

[rld513]

Hey! Infants are people too!

 

Sorry if the cranky old people get mad because my kid is crying at the dinner table. Chances are, they crap their pants just as much as my kid does. LOL.

 

....or NOT. :rolleyes:

[Cruising with Kids]

I have never seen it either Stoneharborlady, hence the question. However, I would find it perfectly reasonable to ban them from the larger public pools on a ship..but would also think it reasonable to HAVE a kids pool where they WOULD be allowed. I think its a little amusing that many assume that those kids in the bigger pools are being hygienic in there just because they arent wearing diapers.

[hstrybuf]

Looking through this endless source of info called "cruise critic", i saw a lot of people posting that they actually brought along there own mini inflatable pools. Little blow up ones the toddler could splash in on deck. Any thoughts? Experiences?

 

Little blow up pools while convenient for the child and his family are not really something they prepare for on these ships. Imagine if everyone with a toddler brought one and tried to put them out on deck. They'd be everywhere! A real nuisance! If you have a balcony you could put it there, but you couldn't empty it over the side so water would have to be moved one container at a time back to the bathroom. I suppose you could put it in the shower where it would be easy to fill and empty, but otherwise, I'd say leave it at home.

[AftbalconyCouple]

We have a few kids and they never seemed to be that interested in swimming when they were infants.