Have your or would you cruise with a baby?

[cruizinwithkids]

If you are looking to experience a "cruise" with dinners, shows, gambling, shore excursions a baby put a damper on the vacation.

 

If you are looking to spend time with your baby while someone else does the cleaning, cooking, etc., I think a cruise is great. The joy of a baby without the stress of chores.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

I have cruised with 40 year old babies before.

[lil buddy]

I don't think the issue is taking babies/children on vacation,

it is Cruise specific.

A cabin on a ship is way too small a space IMHO for all

the "stuff" that you have to bring.

Family vacations are wonderful and no one is arguing against

that.

[WinnieinWA]

No way in Hell would I travel with a baby or any other child under 6 years old but that's just my opinion and I answered the question so no bashing for opinions.:p

 

Happy sails. :)

[lil buddy]

One other PS

Every parent says that thier children are well behaved and

seasoned travelers.....if that's so, then why are there so many

screaming children.:D

Seldom do you hear a parent, honest enough to say that

their children were badly behaved.

[Cosmopolitan]

We took EVERY vacation with our children until our youngest started college.

 

I wouldn't change those memories for anything. Even if our children do not remember all of the vacations.

As long as you go knowing that it is a "family" vacation and work around your childrens' schedules, you will have a great time and so will they.

 

You will have plenty of time AFTER they grow-up to vacation alone.

Relax and enjoy your family vacation ;)

I LOVE seeing the little ones on the ship:)

[Cosmopolitan]

I have cruised with 40 year old babies before.

 

NO KIDDING:eek:

[MikeNJ1109]

One other PS

Every parent says that thier children are well behaved and

seasoned travelers.....if that's so, then why are there so many

screaming children.:D

Seldom do you hear a parent, honest enough to say that

their children were badly behaved.

 

"...it that's so, then why are there so many screaming children."

 

Because that is the nature of the age? Or are you referring to the adults?

 

Frankly, in all my cruises, I have found the majority of children to be more "adult" then the majority of "adults" on the trip.

 

Michael

[katyjeka]

We've vacationed with our children from a very early age. A cruise is an easy vacation with a little one. Yes, not all kids are well behaved, but some are very good travelers. I guess the same stands for adults. We've seen some that should not be permitted to travel anywhere, let alone a cruise. We've gotten so used to people's comments about traveling with such a small baby, that we just smile and say, "if ony you could be so lucky, have a nice vacation." If you want to take a trip with your "family" skip over to the family board. You'll pick up some great pointers that will make for an even more enjoyable trip. Janice

[fgarriel]

One other PS

Every parent says that thier children are well behaved and

seasoned travelers.....if that's so, then why are there so many

screaming children.:D

Seldom do you hear a parent, honest enough to say that

their children were badly behaved.

 

I admit I'm biased towards my kid, but I'm also pretty responsible about not ruining other people's vacations. Any running, kicking, screaming, crying, etc. is handled immediately. If we can't "fix" it in 30 seconds or less, we leave what we're doing and find something that works for everyone.

 

I don't want to encourage my kid to think that whining = getting their way, but sometimes you need to consider the people around you.

[ColoradoSmiles]

I have traveled extensively with my child (now 4) and have always enjoyed my vacations. I think if you set realistic expectations, you will have a great time.

 

Tips:

• Invest in a good umbrella stroller. We had the Chico Caddy with the wind/rainfly. It is small, light, easy to open, rugged, comfortable, and has storage. We used it to cart our son everywhere...to the beach, to dinner, around town, etc. Best of all, it reclines so baby can nod off when tired. On many nights, this afforded mom and dad a glass of wine under the stars.
  
• Shift your schedule. We always rose early, ate early, and then went to bed early. No waiting in lines, no disturbing couples without children, etc.
  
• Commit to family activities. We would enjoy waterplay or on-the-go sightseeing activities by day with our child, and then play pool or sit and listen to a band at night. When our son nodded off, we would enjoy a romantic evening on our room's porch sipping some wine. No dancing, no casinos, no shows, but a perfectly wonderful way to spend some time catching up with friends, your partner, or just yourself.

I think a cruise is totally doable if you have the right spirit. With small children, I am also a big fan of the mexico all-inclusives (especially smaller resorts). They afford you luxurious vacations with all the amenities at a great price.

[CruisinMomOf2]

With my first child I left him at home for our first vaca as mom & dad. I regretted it the entire week. From then on, it was family time. Cruises are easier than most vacations with kids, but it does take a little knowledge. Also, don't ruin it for the rest of us with babies by letting yours "cry it out" in the dining room. If your baby is fussy, leave! There are plenty of other places to eat. Here is what worked for us...

 

We love the balcony cabins, so we always booked (and still do) a balcony cabin and then one inside directly across the hall. We have always taken a "vacation nanny" with us. You might be saying "OMG- that is TOO expensive!" but an inside cabin for two is often on sale- and usually cheaper than driving to Kentucky to drop off the rugrat at grandmas. Simply find someone you like- an aunt, teenage girl you trust, friend of the pastor, whoever- and bring her/him along with the understanding that you are paying for the cruise in exchange for nanny services. No drinks included. When you go to dinner or out on scuba diving excursions, you have a nanny to watch the baby. When the baby naps, the nanny gets to spend the afternoon out on your balcony with the baby monitor... that is why you want it across the hall- the monitor will work just fine! After you turn it (we always were in bed before the hard-core party-ing), the nanny can turn on her end of the monitor on the way out to dance with the other young & singles and you can sleep while listening in on the baby.

 

During the day, you get to spend time with your baby! Take her everywhere! My kids are now 6 & 10 and have been on over a dozen cruises, to the "other" coast several times, to Europe (they especially liked hiking in Scotland), and my 10 yr old is planning a Nicaragua trip in May- with grandparents. They can travel in cars, boats, trains, RVs, and bicycles. All without annoying the people around them because we keep in mind what I said at the beginning of this post. If your baby is fussing- leave. If you don't think you can deprive yourself of Lobster Night due to a crabby baby- take a nanny.

 

And whatever you do, DON"T feed the baby off the children's menu. She can get chicken nuggets at home. Now is the chance to offer cream of asparagus soup and some kinda crazy souffle. It's free, so if she doesn't like it, no biggy, but babies will eat some crazy stuff. Make life an adventure!

 

-Melanie

[Bennett'sCruise]

Just had this experience. DH and I were in a separate stateroom. Son, DIL and 13-mo old granddaughter were in an AB (2 bedroom) suite down the hall. This was a 12-day Baltics cruise. We are all from the US ... so long travel times to and from.

Noro was rampant on our cruise and it was impossible to keep baby from getting it. You can only do so much to keep her off the floor, hands out of the mouth, from touching everything in site. Parents are both in the medical profession, knew the risks and took all the appropriate precautions ... but she got it anyway.

The crew/staff could not have been better throughout to wee-one. We had Cagney's for breakfast and lunch, which was wonderful; but most dinners were taken in the stateroom ... kind of a drag on parents.

DH and I were there for babysitting, but granddaughter did not want her parents out of her site ... different surroundings, different schedule, etc.

Rick Steves' says the worst age for a baby to travel is between 1 & 3 yrs. of age. Before 1-okay ... after 3-okay.

[clandt]

It is a hard decision. One we faced when our son was 9 months we chose to leave him home with grandma and grandpa. I can't imagine we could of done our zipline with an infant in tow. I also think you need to feel out your cruise line of choice. We have mainly sailed on Princess and that board over there is NOT very small child friendly. Everyone will have different opinions but you need to decide what you want to do on the cruise and how your child can play into that.

[dragonfly08]

I might have cruised with my oldest at that age...she was a great sleeper and would nap anywhere. The cabin might have been tight, but since she was otherwise adaptable I could have lived with it.

 

My youngest will be two this week and I *still* wouldn't cruise with her. She can't sleep in the same room as another person, she wakes up frequently, and naptime has to be "just so" otherwise she won't sleep and she's a wreck by mid-afternoon. She's well used to restaurants, travelling to visit family (including sleeping in Pack n' plays at other homes/hotels) but a cruise just wouldn't be a good idea for her given the tight quarters, possible noise, and schedule disruptions.

[preg]

I have just booked for next year and i have 1yr old and a 5yr old. I dont see why a cruise would be any different to a holiday anywhere else. However we do go for a family holiday and expect to be together most of the time, it will be great having someone else cooking and bringing us drinks!

 

Your holiday is what you make it, but i would go for a better cabin, i have managed to get a free upgrade to a room with a double bed and double sofa bed (where the boys will sleep) with a private balcony. Expect to be out of your routine, but if your babe is anything like mine he will sleep anywhere just as long as he is with his mummy and daddy!!!:D

 

Enjoy your holiday

[McCutie]

We've cruised with our daughter when she was 8 months, 18 months and almost 3 yrs old and now we are booked in April with our son who will be 1 and our daughter, now 4.

We love it but we go for the best cabin we can afford (suites come in very handy for size, service, perks when traveling with kiddies) and we always bring the grandparents.

 

We went away for a week this past July to a resort in a condo and we found it harder and nowhere near as fun~....The grandparents came too : )

[coopersmommy]

I took my son on a cruise to Hawaii when he was 13 months old. Before the cruise, I was convinced that it was no different than a land vacation. I feel differently now. You really are very limited in what you do. You cannot go to shows, casino, etc. You really cannot enjoy the pool until your child is potty-trained (prohibited on ships) and meals are difficult. However, if you just want to relax in your cabin and lounge around the ship, it may be okay, but I would think about it. The crew really is wonderful with children though. By the time, my cruise was over, several crew members knew my son's name and would visit him often. So, there are good things and bad things.

[CanadianTwosome]

I absolutely would have taken my daughter on a cruise (if I could have) when she was 1! I absolutely would NOT have taken either of my nieces. My daughter was (and still is) really good natured and had a fairly long attention span, so we ate out fairly regularly when she was that age and easily made it through a basic one course restaurant meal. My one niece, on the other hand, was a screamer. It could happen at any moment - she'd go from gorgeous, blonde, blue eyed baby that strangers would stop and ogle... to mouth open, head back, fists clenched screaming. The other niece was a puker; I mean projectile vomiting in the freakiest sense. I have never before or since seen so much 'stuff' be shot with such force from such a small opening. :p She wasn't fussy about it, but there's just no way anyone could pack enough blankets, towels, extra clothes and wipes to keep up (or they'd live in the laundry room).

 

So, to me, it's all about the particular child, as well as what the parents want from the holiday. Back to my own, as I said, I wouldn't have hesitated, and I know I would have absolutely loved every second of it.

 

I thought this post was very well thought out and for many families and children, it surely fits their situation. I just wanted to address why it wouldn't have applied to us, though (only because if it didn't apply to us, there are certainly many other families whom it would not apply to as well):

 

No, I wouldn't do it.

 

Here are some things to think about. First the room is small, too small for a pack n play, stroller, carseat, extra diapers, babyfood, junk, junk, junk!

 

Secondly, the pool area is really, really crowded on Sea Days. Its no place for a one year old that crawls or newly walking. He won't be allowed in the main pool because he isn't potty trained. The kiddie pool is tiny and will be over-run with 3,4,5 year olds.

 

Every single meal will be taking a baby to a restaurant, that gets really old. You could do room service but the menu is very limited and will be the same night after night.

 

You will miss a lot of the fun things because of having a baby that needs to sleep. The shows don't start before 8pm or so, you won't be taking a tired baby to the shows, instead at 8pm you will probably be sitting in your tiny room while your baby sleeps. The TV channels are limited and after you see the same ships re-runs you will go stir crazy from having to be in your room.

 

There is a lot of standing and waiting in line for things like getting on/off tenders on port days. Sometimes we have waited in line 45 minutes or more to board a tender boat. Then you wait on shore to tender back in. Tired, cranky babies waiting in line in the hot sun might not be so pleasant.

 

Personally I think with a baby there is no more enjoyable vacation than renting a condo on the beach. You swim in the pool (no one cares if the baby is in a swimmy diaper), you play at the beach and you come and go from your condo as you and the baby need. If you want to eat out you can but if you want to make a sandwich and put the baby to bed early you can do that to. I think you will be happier with a cruise when your baby is old enough to attend some activities with the Kids Club and fun age appropriate activities with other kids.

 

We always book insides, and now we're two large adults and a child that is taller at 10 than many of the teachers in her school... it's like having three adults in the cabin, along with luggage and belongings for all of us. If we can fit comfortably now, I know we wouldn't have had a problem with a crib rather than an extra bunk. As for the 'junk', when we travelled with her at about 14 months, all of her toys and amusements fit in one small bag, and while diapers definitely take up space, her clothes took up a lot less than they do now! :p

 

I don't hang out at the pool now while it's packed with sunbathers, so I can't imagine I would have wanted to then when I had my sweet angel to play with. I wouldn't have wanted to expose her to too much sun anyway.

 

As I noted above, she was used to spending short meals in restaurants, so we just would have taken her out and made a point of extending our meals to see what she could handle. If a three course meal had been beyond her, we would have happily eaten at the buffet.

 

I doubt I would have missed anything. My husband and I are very different socializers; I'm much more gregarious than he is, so I would have probably spent a couple of evenings out, maybe on the pub crawls, and the rest of the time we would have just enjoyed being in a beautiful place with our baby. Neither of us is interested in the shows much either. She was also one that could sleep anywhere, too, so we easily could have relaxed on deck or elsewhere on the ship.

 

We haven't noticed any particularly long lines for anything on our last two cruises. We don't cruise in peak season and we never attempt to get on the first tender. With a baby along we likely wouldn't have booked any excursions, so there would be no rush and we would have been able to just wander down to the tender when the crowds were already through, and we likely wouldn't have spent all day in port, so the line for the return tender wouldn't be 'end of the day' long either.

 

Lastly, the condo vacation... BORING!!!!!!!!! Ugh. I can't say that enough!! I just can't imagine spending an entire vacation in ONE place doing the exact same thing every day!! I mean, sure, an ORLANDO condo I could go for... but a beach condo? I'd go insane!!! :p

 

As I said, I thought all of those points were well thought out; they just don't apply to my family, and I think that illustrates the most important point - no two kids are the same and no two families are the same.

 

I also have to say that my child was an absolute joy for me to be around, and still is. I actually started planning a trip for my husband and I a few years ago and realized that I wouldn't enjoy it without her along. We've also chosen against excursions that she can't come along on - not because they don't look fun, but because they wouldn't be as much fun with me constantly wondering what she was doing - and being worried that she would see something, do something, or discover something really special and I would miss it. The idea of going on a wonderful cruise vacation and leaving her behind at any age is unfathomable to me; I simply wouldn't be able to enjoy myself. I'm sure part of that stems from being taken on so many wonderful holidays (including cruises) when I was a child myself.

 

Sorry for the long post (although I'm sure when anyone sees my name they aren't surprised when it's loooooooong!:p ) I just think it's really important to make a decision like this based not on what other people think, but on your own situation and what your child is like. My best advice is to use all of the information people have given here to decide whether a cruise is going to be enjoyable for you (with your interests and expectations) and your baby (since you know her and we don't). :)

[LOWTYD]

Without even reading anyone's answers, I say NO, NAY, NEVER! Baby's don't belong on cruises, in resturants or movie theaters ( I should add airplanes!) I love kids, had my own but vacations are to get away from it all and, by al,l I include crying, screaming, chidlren. (OK, some are really cute and behave great and you just want to cuddle them. They are all not bad but when they are....watch out!) ). You can always take a sitter with you as an option to take the little one away if they get unruly, have to be fed or put to bed. This way you can enjoy your vacation and not worry about tending to a child 24 hours a day. That is not a vacation!

[alibubba]

We took a 20 month old to Alaska and had a wonderful time. There was nothing we missed out on. She saw all the shows. She ate in the restaurants. The waiters spoiled her like crazy, even carrying her when we would go to a buffet so we could get our food. In the restaurants they would bring her some food early, even though that was not necessary. Have pictures of her with her favorite waiter. If I had not taken many movies, she may have not remembered the trip, but she is going into high school and still remembers it. Having said that, if I was going on a cruise where I wanted to be on adult type excursions and couldn't do it because of the baby, I would chose a different type of trip and save for another cruise when the child is older.

[*Wink*]

Without even reading anyone's answers, I say NO, NAY, NEVER! Baby's don't belong on cruises, in resturants or movie theaters ( I should add airplanes!) I love kids, had my own but vacations are to get away from it all and, by al,l I include crying, screaming, chidlren. (OK, some are really cute and behave great and you just want to cuddle them. They are all not bad but when they are....watch out!) ). You can always take a sitter with you as an option to take the little one away if they get unruly, have to be fed or put to bed. This way you can enjoy your vacation and not worry about tending to a child 24 hours a day. That is not a vacation!

Ditto! I love that you had the cahoonas to say this, LT.. I was too chicken!

 

Bawk Bawk Bawk!

[AFAMILY]

The OP started this same thread on the Carnival boards a few minutes before starting this thread. There are alot of responses there as well with the majority of them advising against cruising with a baby so young.

 

Here's the link for anyone who cares to read it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=833403

 

Happy Cruising! :)

[CanadianTwosome]

Without even reading anyone's answers, I say NO, NAY, NEVER! Baby's don't belong on cruises, in resturants or movie theaters ( I should add airplanes!) I love kids, had my own but vacations are to get away from it all and, by al,l I include crying, screaming, chidlren. (OK, some are really cute and behave great and you just want to cuddle them. They are all not bad but when they are....watch out!) ). You can always take a sitter with you as an option to take the little one away if they get unruly, have to be fed or put to bed. This way you can enjoy your vacation and not worry about tending to a child 24 hours a day. That is not a vacation!

 

I couldn't disagree more!! Again, I think it's all about the parents and the child(ren). Tending to my child was NEVER something I wanted to get away from (okay, I admit I was happy to take turns changing diapers). I may have felt differently if she'd been colicky or moody, but she wasn't. I used to just sit quietly and stare at her - sometimes I still do. Being able to watch her enjoy things on our various travels has been incredible, including watching her wobbling beside a baby goat in a petting zoo when she was 14 months. Yes, that WAS a vacation - one in which the majority of our activities were centred around her. Now she's ten, and those days are long gone and will never be back... the memories I have of all the trips and other outings we were able to take with her at all ages are so much more precious to me than any I have of times without her.

 

I take vacations to get away from work and chores (and often cold weather!). I had a sociology professor once define 'work' as anything you would pay someone else to do for you if you could. I have never considered anything I've ever done with my daughter to be work, and I certainly never look forward to being away from her. I sometimes have to travel for work, and every time I see a child it makes me more homesick for her. A trip without her is the one I would call 'no vacation'. :)

[sacway]

Wow, opinions and experiences are all over the map. So back to OP, you don't say where you have you already taken your 1 yr. old. If you've never stayed in motels or pup tents, never driven or flown all day, rarely been gone more than overnight, then you have no way of knowing how your child and you will react to this type of vacation. Also, how conscious are you when your child's presence affects others, favorably or badly? And what do you do at those moments? Will your child willingly eat and enjoy a range of foods, or do you think you will need to bring "special" food?

 

We traveled extensively with our son, beginning with a three week train trip when he was 7 months old and three weeks in the UK when he was not quite 3 years old. We didn't cruise back then but if we had, we would have taken him (and would have removed him immediately from public areas if ever there was a problem).

 

Of all our trips, the "worst" was a camping trip when he was 18 months where the campground was so overused the "dirt" underfoot was a fine powder and he was unbearably filthy all weekend (didn't seem to bother him, but drove me wild). The "best" was when we toured parts of England and France for a couple of weeks when he was 7 years old. He did better visiting Stonehenge than his freezing cold and jet-lagged parents, and slept like a log on my cousin's tiny loveseat in his miniscule apartment for a weekend in Paris (about 300 square feet, it seemed, and we had 5 people staying there).

 

He did get ill once, and was hospitalized for two days. I don't think I would have been any happier if he were hospitalized for two days back home (and he was, the week after our return.) Are you prepared for this type of experience when you are away from home?

 

The parents who write with good stories have had similar experiences and know how they and their child(ren) respond. If you want to travel as a family, you can. Others who run into you with your child will either adore meeting your child or look aghast or be indifferent towards you. I don't think you should decide to not cruise because some people don't want to be near children. Some cruise lines tried "adult only" cruises but dropped them. So the lines expect children. If I don't want to be around kids when I'm cruising, then I need to pick a line and a time where there are few children on board, or none.