4. Cruise ships aren t baby-proof. My active kid wanted to explore everything. Unfortunately, open r

Parents, you can thank me. I have taken my baby on a cruise so you don t have to. I have always said that family cruising is best when the kids are elementary school age and older, but I never had a chance to put that theory to the test. I recently found myself sitting in a darkened cabin on Rhapsody of the Seas, listening to my 1-year-old son breathe as he napped. While waiting for my mom to return (the two of us took Isaac on his first at-sea sojourn), I started thinking about reasons why you may not want to take your baby on a cruise.
Don t get me wrong cruising rent a car in los angeles with a baby is definitely doable, especially on the right ship with an accommodating kid. The staff on Rhapsody was extraordinarily friendly, making a point to say hi to my son and not getting upset about the messes he made. I have great photos of him in his tuxedo onesie rent a car in los angeles on formal night, and I ll always have the memories of celebrating his first birthday on his first Alaska cruise (complete with a cake smash in the main dining room). He enjoyed pushing our umbrella stroller around the pool deck and down the cabin hallways. But between you and me, I needed a serious vacation after this cruise.
1. Babies don t sail free. With the exception of a few lines that have standard kids-sail-free deals and occasional promotions, you have to pay the going third-person rate for a baby sharing a cabin with Mom and Dad. That can be a hefty sum for a trip baby is not going to remember.
2. You can t pack light. What with the stroller, the bag of baby food and snacks, the bottles, sippy cups, multiple outfits per day and toys, I could have used a Sherpa to get through the airport with all our gear. Had I brought the car seat, I don t think I would have been physically able to carry all the bags I needed to bring. For little people, babies don t travel light.
3. It s not a vacation for mom and dad. Some of the best parts of cruising are not cooking, rent a car in los angeles cleaning rent a car in los angeles or doing laundry for a week. On this cruise, I washed bottles and sippy cups at least once a day, spent a morning in port washing clothes, and brought my own food to the lido buffet for breakfast and lunch. Thank goodness, rent a car in los angeles I didn t have to wash all the linens we soiled or hose down the high chair after every meal.
4. Cruise ships aren t baby-proof. My active kid wanted to explore everything. Unfortunately, open railings on the pool deck, decorative rent a car in los angeles pebbles in the planters and high-traffic stairways don t make for the safest play places for babies rent a car in los angeles lacking self-preservation instincts. Unless your ship has a play area baby can access, there is really rent a car in los angeles nowhere on a ship that s a good place for baby to play. The cabin is your best bet.
5. Cribs make cabins even smaller. Thought your cabin was snug? Try sticking a full-size pack-and-play in the middle of it. Oh, and you have to squeeze the stroller in whatever free corner is left. (Tip: Leave the full-size rent a car in los angeles jogging stroller at home.) It makes co-sleeping look really appealing.
6. No nightlife for you. My kid goes to sleep at 7 p.m., which meant from that point on, someone had to be in the cabin with him. With only Grandma and me cruising with baby, one of us got to go out at night and the other person ended up asleep by 9 after sitting in a darkened room for hours. That s right with no dividing curtain on Rhapsody, we couldn t risk turning rent a car in los angeles on lights. Some ships have in-cabin baby-sitting (if you re willing to pay 20 bucks an hour) or a nursery where you can put baby down if he or she will go to sleep in a communal space and transfer easily back to the crib at midnight.
7. The cruise schedule doesn t always match baby s schedule. Embarkation day was a nightmare because my kid needs to nap, in a crib, at 10:45 a.m. sharp. rent a car in los angeles When I showed up, screaming child in hand, on our deck to beg entry into our cabin at 12:30 p.m. (they weren t officially open until 1), I discovered that our pack-and-play wouldn t arrive rent a car in los angeles until 4 p.m. There was no napping that day. If your baby isn t a stroller napper (mine isn t), embark/debark days and shore excursions may be difficult to manage. And, oh yeah, expect baby s sleeping and eating patterns and schedules to get messed up during the trip.
8. Babies can t use the pool. With the exception of certain ships with splash zones for the diaper rent a car in los angeles set (like some Royal Caribbean and Disney ships), kids can t use the pool unless they re toilet trained. That makes sea days in the Caribbean or Mexico less fun unless you plan on schlepping and filling an inflatable tub/pool.
rent a car in los angeles 9. Most cruise cabins don t have bathtubs. Book Disney or a suite for bathtub access otherwise baby better like sponge baths or showers. Mine discovered during his first sponge bath in the shower that he could remove the drain cover and reach inside the dark recesses of the drain. That was the end of the sponge bath, and I m not sure he ever got entirely clean while we were on Rhapsody. Again, consider the inflatable tub/pool. I regretted not bringing one.
Amen! Thank you for writing this article! rent a car in los angeles And, another point of mention is that parents think that they can visit the youth center with their baby/child under 3 and stay there with their child to play. However, rent a car in los angeles most cruise lines won t even let parents access the kids facilities at all unless the child is 3 AND potty trained. VERY few ships have play areas for babies even with parent supervision. As a former Youth Staff for several years in my early 20 s I encourage parents to WAIT until their child is 3 AND potty trained for a family cruise. rent a car in los angeles Thank you again for the article!
You forgot one thing, assuming that you are thoughtful about others: the cabin walls are rather thin having a screaming baby next door will seriously interfere with the vacation of those in cabins around you possibly rent a car in los angeles including those across the hall or even down the hall depending on where/when your youngster starts how strong his lungs are. I would be mortified if my baby were keeping others from enjoying their hard earned vacations. My recommendation to traveling with baby: keep it to a minimum (grandma grandpa) until they reach the age of reason where you ( they) can show some consideration to those around you.
I totally disagree. I found the hardest part of cruising with a baby was just getting there. Once you are onboard, it is easy. I guess you didn t cruise Carnival. Their Camp Carnival is wonderful! Parents can enjoy play time, while the little one is safe and sound. My kids have been cruising since they were a few months old. Perhaps your kids aren t flexible and stick to a schedule .Just a word of advice .have them adapt to your lifestyle. You don t have to adapt to them
I disagree. Cruise lines are becoming much more baby friendly. Yes, your vacation rent a car in los angeles time may be spent doing more things to take care of your child and instead of attending a white hot party after hours you may be spending time on your balcony while baby sleeps It is still a cruise much rather be taking care of my baby on a cruise ship then anywhere else
We traveled on Voyager of the Seas in December 2011 with our 23 month old boy. He was a champ and a huge hit with many of the other passengers but we vowed never to cruise with one so young again. There is an activity center on board where an adult can play with their child but all of the staff supervised play areas are for three and up. Also the diaper was an issue. Not being able to take him in the pools while on board was understandable but disappointing. Otherwise it was a great vacation
Thank you! We were considering rent a car in los angeles bringing our son and daughter s family (children 1 and 3) on a family cruise. Postponing makes more sense until they (and mom and dad) can really enjoy it. I may be a grandparent but the thought of being the cabin babysitter on a cruise is not my idea of fun .
We did not cruise rent a car in los angeles with our kids until they were elementary aged. They traveled as babies, just not on a ship. My husband s parents insisted on a giant family cruise when his siblings children were babies. rent a car in los angeles It was horrible. They cried through every dinner in the main dining room, and my mother-in-law insisted they be at the table and stay. Our wait staff was not amused as well as the other diners around us. I felt so badly for those little ones being forced rent a car in los angeles into such a situation.
I LOVE cruising with my children. My son is 2 and has been on 5 cruises, starting from when he was 6 months. He loves it. I find it very easy. Also, the crew that I have had really enjoyed seeing a baby. Many of them had babies back home. They would give him a lot of extra attention, and he seemed to love it! I do have to pack extra stuff, but I don t mind that. I have a new baby who is 2 months. I can t wait until she is 6 months so we can cruise again.
After taking care of my dad for 6 weeks while he was in hospice, I needed a vacation away with my family which included our 13 month old DD, so that happened to be her first cruise. My DH had been laid off and was pitching to help with my dad, and I was working FT to support my family and burning the candle at both ends to spend time with Dad before he was gone while still trying to see my DD s first steps and what not. My mother had passed rent a car in los angeles a few years before and my inlaws are across the country, so this is what worked for us. DD was a great baby, and I needed a cruise where I could be pampered, and focus on my family. rent a car in los angeles We sailed with RCCL so it was a more family friendly line. We also had extended family come with us to help and booked an RFS for extra room, and were aware if she did get fuusy at dinner one night that it was time for her to leave, so DH would order dessert to go. Was a 9 night sailing rent a car in los angeles and a great experience, and she s now 8 with her 8th cruise coming up this summer.
I agree with this article, I have two,kids and would not dream of taking a young child under five or six on a cruise. It is very annoying to be in a room next to a screaming child, so if nothing else parents, think of others!!! It is also very annoying trying to get