First Time Cruiser Traveling w/ 1 Year Old

[plaidtink]

Hey there!

 

I'm a first time cruiser and I'll be going on the Monarch of the Seas to Mexico on May 28-June 1st. I'll be traveling w/ my family and my 1 year old son (total of 7 people).

 

I've read most of the articles but would love to know any tips or tricks you might have for a first-time cruiser or for RCI.

 

Thanks so much!!

[roadnut]

With a ONE year old???? eck! I would seriously see if there's anyone that can watch him for a few days at home. You're going to have to carry him around the boat (stollers are not going to go over well), and you'll be very limited in what you can and can't do. A lot of people are going to look very negatively on a crying baby in the dining room also (or anywhere else you take him, for that matter).

 

Also consider the outdoors...I don't think your child will like the strong sun you'll be encountering. And there can be a number of loud noises that he may not be too fond of (bands playing, kids screaming, etc)

 

Don't get me wrong...I like kids and all. But I don't think a 1 year old will make for a fun cruise vacation for mother or child.

[plaidtink]

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately there is no one to watch him if we wanted to leave him behind. We are all traveling together. There will be 6 adults so we can switch off so that's a plus.

 

I'm very lucky because he's a very active infant. He prefers noise to silence. Doesn't even sleep if it's too quiet. We've taken him pretty much everywhere (including theme parks and fairs) since he was two weeks old.

 

As of right now I'm still trying to straighten out our seating times for dinner because they have all 6 adults at the late seating and ONLY the baby at the early one.

[ckrobyn]

With a ONE year old???? eck! I would seriously see if there's anyone that can watch him for a few days at home. You're going to have to carry him around the boat (stollers are not going to go over well), and you'll be very limited in what you can and can't do. A lot of people are going to look very negatively on a crying baby in the dining room also (or anywhere else you take him, for that matter).

 

Also consider the outdoors...I don't think your child will like the strong sun you'll be encountering. And there can be a number of loud noises that he may not be too fond of (bands playing, kids screaming, etc)

 

Don't get me wrong...I like kids and all. But I don't think a 1 year old will make for a fun cruise vacation for mother or child.

 

 

A first time cruiser with questions....

Don't you think you were a little to harsh? :confused:

[roadnut]

A first time cruiser with questions....

Don't you think you were a little to harsh? :confused:

 

I wasn't trying to be...I was only trying to point out some of the downfalls of travelling with a one year old, especially on a cruise.

 

I was also trying to point out some of the reactions that fellow cruisers may give to seeing a child. All babies are different...some you don't even realize are there...some the entire dining hall will know are there!!! Again, not trying or intending to be harsh; just pointing out reality of life on a cruiseship.

[marci22]

My sister traveled with her 1 year old recently on Navigator and she had a great time. The crew paid extra attention to the baby! :)

[DonnaK]

We traveled with my niece when she was only 9 months old, and it was nothing like the above poster described. Not one passenger responded negatively, in fact, she was fussed over and delighted everyone around us. The baby adapted as babies do, and while we didn't have the freedom we would if we were traveling without a baby, we adapted too and shared a wonderful time together. Just have a go with the flow attitude - it surely beats being home with the baby anyday - and ignore the sourpusses who say you should leave your baby at home or wait till he/she is older before you cruise. Life doesn't stop when you have young children, and they are part of the family and should be included in family vacations.

[plaidtink]

Thanks Donna!

[Rich&Natalia]

I wasn't trying to be...I was only trying to point out some of the downfalls of travelling with a one year old, especially on a cruise.

 

I was also trying to point out some of the reactions that fellow cruisers may give to seeing a child. All babies are different...some you don't even realize are there...some the entire dining hall will know are there!!! Again, not trying or intending to be harsh; just pointing out reality of life on a cruiseship.

 

I'm wondering if this is based on experience or conjecture. I didn't find this to be the case at all cruising with our daughter last year (she was about 7 months old at the time.)

 

Plaidtink - Definitely bring a stroller - not a big one but the smallest umbrella stroller that your son will be comfortable in. You'll find it easier to maneuver on the ship as well as on shore excursions. Also, our daughter loved the shows that included singing and dancing. See if your son will enjoy it. Enjoy your cruise.

 

-Rich

[powelweb]

Hi there,

 

Yes, definitely bring umbrella stroller-much easier to use and to store in your cabin.

 

We sailed with my DD when she was 13 months, and it went pretty well. Find out in Windjammer where they keep the high chairs on the first day, and your dining room staff will also have one waiting at your table after the first night- at least that was our experience.

 

The other thing that helped at dinner was to bring a few small toys for her to play with during dinner, and the dinir room staff also made sure that we had some bread and fruit at the table waiting for us.

 

There was one night when she started getting fussy, so I left the dining room with her. Then a few nights, she was starting to get board right around dessert, so DH took her back to our cabin while I stayed with my aunt and cousin who were traveling with us to have dessert, and then bring him something back to the cabin.

 

It does get easier as they grow, but it is possible to sail with an infant and have fun.

 

happy sailing,

Wendy

[plaidtink]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

I just bought an umbrella stroller so that works out great!

[JJ2sail]

We were on Monarch for Easter weekend. There were over 700 kids onboard! Half of that were kids under 10. We were travelling with our teenage boys. We had two cabins because they are so small, but I noticed the family across the hall from us travelling with a baby and I thought OH NO, we were going to hear crying babies all weekend. But we did not hear a thing! I think the only problem I noticed was, that they had brought a pack and play portable crib, and there was just no where to put in in the small cabins, so I don't know how they managed, but the baby seemed happy whenever we saw him. We saw a few over tired cranky toddlers, and even my teenage boys get cranky, so don't worry, have a good time!

[plaidtink]

I was debating about the Pack & Play. Thanks for the tip!

[MariTenor1]

We have cruised with our son since he was 9 months old (he just completed his 8th cruise at the ripe old age of 4!) and I would have to disagree with everything roadnut said!

 

Yes, you are of course limited to what you can do with a small child but it never prevented us from having a great time.

 

By all means, bring a stroller. However, with that said, don't bring the big stroller that you probably got when your child was born. We bought a travel size stroller for our trips. It has the hard back that reclines (umbrella strollers aren't good for the little one's backs) and also a small storage basket and shade cover. People had no trouble passing in the hallways with the stroller.

 

Yes, it is hot and sunscreen is a must. We also purchased a small battery operated fan that clipped to the stroller....portable air conditioning!

 

The "crib" will be a pack 'n play. I would suggest bringing your own pack 'n play size fitted sheet. They will wrap a flat sheet around the mattress, but that never seems to stay put. Bring a few favorite comfort toys for your child.

 

With having a large group of family/friends with you, I doubt your child will be bored. I know my son had a great time checking everything out.

 

As others have posted, the crew with spoil him. Although high chairs are available in the dining room and windjammer, if your child is to the point of a sippy cup, bring your own. They have nothing of that sort.

 

If I can be of further help, let me know....either here or e-mail (screen name at aol)

 

Have a great cruise!

[Rich&Natalia]

Couple more things that I remember:

 

Not sure exactly how old your son is, but we used those veggie puffs to squeeze an extra 10-15 out at dinnertime when our daughter started getting bored.

 

We brought our own pack-n-play. I think it helped our daughter sleep. If you call the cruiseline early enough, they will reserve one for you.

 

We also brought a little baby pool. I'm not sure about the Monarch, but the ship we were on didn't have kiddie pools. It cost just several dollars and work great at the pool as well as on your balcony.

 

Check with your assistant maitre d' if you need or want special food for your son. If you want a fruit plate or some steamed veggies every night, they can take care of it.

 

One last thing. If any of the staff takes special interest in your son, ask about his/her family back home. You'll find that many of them have little ones at home whom they haven't seen in months. We ran into numerous staff members who would tell us about their child back home. And they seemed to genuinely enjoy the company of children.

 

Have fun.

 

-Rich

[JJ2sail]

Those are nice ideas, but unless they booked a junior suite, there is no balcony, and no room for a pack and play. I think I would just bring a little blow up mattress and put it on the floor and then it could be shoved under the bed during the day. The pools have a large shallow area all the way around them for wading.

[MariTenor1]

We had a pack 'n play in our oceanview room. We have also had DH sleep on the pullman and DS with me on a shorter cruise.

[cruzlover]

We are sailing with our grandchildren next weekend, 2 1/2 and 1 year old. I came across a great packing list for infants and toddlers. You can find the info here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=523864&highlight=travelingtot

 

Please ignore the negative comments and enjoy yourself. Like I told my DIL - no meals to prepare, no dishes to do, to beds to make, just play with the kids - how great is that!!!

[plaidtink]

Thanks for all the great advice everyone!

 

Cruzlover - thanks for that link!!

[JJ2sail]

We had a pack 'n play in our oceanview room. We have also had DH sleep on the pullman and DS with me on a shorter cruise.

 

 

You guys must be gymnists!;) :)

[It'sRC4ME]

Those are nice ideas, but unless they booked a junior suite, there is no balcony, and no room for a pack and play. I think I would just bring a little blow up mattress and put it on the floor and then it could be shoved under the bed during the day. The pools have a large shallow area all the way around them for wading.

 

There are plenty of balcony cabins that are not junior suites.

 

There will be room (it might be tight) for the pack and play according to the many, many posters on this board who have used them succesfully in all types of cabins.

 

 

CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT POTTY TRAINED ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE POOL, EVEN IN SWIM DIAPERS! JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A SHALLOW WADING AREA DOES NOT NOT NOT MEAN THAT DIAPERED BABIES CAN BE IN IT EVEN FOR WADING.

[vacationfool]

I do not think Roadnut meant to sound rude, but stating the facts. It will not be all fun for child and especially parents. There are limited things to do with children, and camp is usually for ages 2 and older. The sun is very hot and pools are crowded, and loud. The cruiseline do not allow children in diapers to be in the pool. The shows are busy and some are late, so this could interfere with bedtime/ schedules. Other things to consider, bring a sippy cup, and wet ones to cool off with. It is tough to have a good time with babies, as the tension can be overwhelming when one person really wants to do something and baby is tired or just cranky. Its suppose to be about relaxing..lol I have seen many babies onboard and I do not have a problem at all with them, crying or whatever..I have been a childcare center Director for 'too' many years...and Mom to 3, so believe me I am very used to noise and 'moods' of young children...but I have seen many, many parents argueing or just mad ..because one or the other wanted to have fun and not go to the room to naptime or whatever the issue was...so I think road nut was just implying, to be ready...and start working on how you guys will handle different situations. I am all about family, so I too, would take my children, but maybe plan another cruise with just you and hubby. ( maybe this cruise, you could have a family member set up to watch baby while you two go to the casino, show or just for a drink..this would have to help! ) lol Have fun! Take lots of pictures!

[roadnut]

If most others seem to have no problem with very young children, then I will withdraw any unintended criticism that I may have portrayed. Certainly I hope everyone has a great cruise.

 

As it may be obvious, I don't have any kids yet. When I do, I'll have to see how it all plays out. I don't see myself going on a cruise with young children, but I do see me taking them on hours-long drives...which is something most people will say is a bad idea.:eek:

[plaidtink]

If most others seem to have no problem with very young children, then I will withdraw any unintended criticism that I may have portrayed. Certainly I hope everyone has a great cruise.

 

As it may be obvious, I don't have any kids yet. When I do, I'll have to see how it all plays out. I don't see myself going on a cruise with young children, but I do see me taking them on hours-long drives...which is something most people will say is a bad idea.:eek:

 

No worries roadnut! I understood what you were trying to say.

 

We took our 6 month old on a 11 hour drive the day after Christmas and he slept almost the whole way. Wasn't as bad as I thought it might be so I would have no problem doing it again.

[K1226M]

We just got off the Navigator last week with our 18month old son. While we couldn't do everything he was fine we went by his scheldule. We did get a babysitter each night from 8-11 which was great, he never made it through a full dinner it was close to his bedtime and by the end of the day he was exhausted, since we had the sitter we would have been better off with the late seating but we were with a group of 20 and lots of other kids.

 

I would take him to dinner and he would eat, some nights I would get dinner too some I wouldn't by the end of the week out waiter would bring my meal right away since he knew I would be leaving. He would go to bed at 7 and the sitter would come at 8.

 

The sea days were hard, but in port he was fine we went to the beach or shopped and he loved it. I would recommend bringing a stroller you will need it. I used it on the ship sometimes and no on minded. All the staff loved DS and fussed over him. I heard no complaints from other passengers either. We did the aqua tots program but we could have missed it it was not great but it gave him time to play freely with other kids.

 

I brought our our Pack and Play and I'm glad we did, he was glad to be in his own bed rather than someplace weird. It worked fin we did have a balcony room and still had planty of room and never took the Pack and Play down.

 

Just know your childs limitations and don't push them. You will need to realize you won't be able to do all the things you want to but you can still have a great time.