Am I crazy for wanting to take 1yr old?

[txvjc]

Hi all, this is my first post to the cruise thread so pardon me if this is a common question. Is it crazy to take a 1 year old on a Disney Cruise? We are thinking about booking a a 4 night cruise for next summer, but we're concerned about taking a 1 year old with us (well, really about 15month old by the time we go, she'll be born on 4/30 of this year). I'm sure some of you have taken kids this young, just curious if it was a good experience. Just FYI it will be me, DW, DD5(7@time of trip), and of course DD1

 

[sandiegosusie]

I have taken a 15 mo on a 4 day. We have also taken a 2 year-old and a 2.5 year-old. I have to say that as much as we love our daughters unless they can go to the clubs, it really will mean nothing to them. It is hard as it is to travel with children, but when they are younger it means less time for the parents to enjoy the cruise. Our youngest daughter hated the sand at Castaway Cay and she was needing a nap. I took her back to the ship for a nap, by the time she woke up, there was no time for me to get back to the beach.

Flounders is great to leave your kids, however, you are limited as to the amount of time you can leave them. Sometimes the hours were not available that we needed. Since you have to pay for Flounders it does eat into your travel budget a bit.

We are booked in 2009, our girls will be 8 and 4. Finally they will remember something about the cruise.

If it were me, I would have waited to take my daughters until they were old enough to enjoy the clubs. Just my experience, maybe someone else will have different to add...

 

[Sailingpartyof10]

I took my DD when she was 1 and my DS was 3, and we had a wonderful time. Of course, she doesn't remember it, but she had fun while there, and I thought it was a fantastic vacation for us all. For a stay-at-home mom, the luxury of room service, twice-daily room cleaning, having someone cook and clean up every single meal and snack, the attention of the servers in the dining room (they would help entertain the kids a bit as they worked), etc. was just amazing. DH and I traded off caring for the kids if one of us wanted to go to the spa or whatever, and it worked out fine. We did leave her at Flounders for a couple of dinners, including Palo, and that worked out well, too. We were able to add additional Flounders times during the week. Yes, you have to pay for it, but it was less expensive than any of our sitters at home, so we still felt like it was a great deal.

 

[lillygator]

we tooks our daughters at various ages, 10 months, 18 months, 22 months and they were fantastic....we had a great time, and for us, the younger they were the easier it was. Keep in mind we don't have to fly as we live in FL and both girls have been going to WDW and other places since they were a month old so they are used to being on the go. I would never dream of waiting until they could remember it (as they do remember it), we would like to be able to vacation while we can now, as opposed to putting it off. The girls are 3 and 5 now and we are taking them on the 15 night DCL repositioning cruise....can't wait!

 

[Epperbiker]

We'll take our son on his 5th Cruise this September. He'll be 4 years old. The first was a 3 day on the Wonder when he was 18 months. All have been terrific! We do, however have reasonable expectations and plan on spending almost all of our time together. We've been pleased just to steal away to Palo alone! He may not remember much, but he still grows and learns from the experience.

 

[Brucemcc]

Our daughter, (2 years old) has been on 2 eastern cruises, 1st at 11 months and her 2nd this past Feb.We all had a fantastic time and yes, she will not remember any of it but I personally would not vacation ever again without my children.The ship has all kinds of activities for everyone as does the ports of call, just a little harder to plan but with good preparation, your vacation is what you will make of it.This last Feb, we rented a car in St Maarten and toured the island, seen 3 different beaches, watched a plane land almost right on top of us, went shopping and had an amazing meal in Marigot, all with our daughter at our side.Most thought we were crazy to do a cruise with her at a young age until they all looked at our pictures, now we have 3 families booked with us for next Feb on another eastern, all have children under 4.It is what you make of it, my wife and I had the best vacation we can remember!Wouldnt hesitate to do it again

 

[KensJen]

I'm sure everyone has different opinions on this, I think it depends on YOUR one year old, kwim? If you think it would be reasonable and enjoyable for her...of course, it is hard to tell now, she isn't born yet. I'd go ahead and book it, you can change it later if you decide it will not work out. The price will only go up.

Both of my children cruised as one year olds, and had a great time. On our most recent cruise (2 weeks ago, lol) my DS was 4 and DD was 2, and it was so fun. I think it is so magical at that age, they really believe it is Mickey they are meeting, ya know? And it is a nice family vacation for us, there is so much to do without a ton of work or planning on our part, meals are included and will be served just a deck away, and no cleaning for mom. Gotta love it! DH and I also get a little bit of alone time, which doesn't happen on land vacations. My DS loves the club and DD has enjoyed Flounders. We usually only take her in the evening (after dinner) and she will fall asleep there. Yes, it is $6 an hour, but well worth it (and much less than we pay for a sitter at home!)DH and I will have a meal in Palo and also go to the spa, but other than that we are all together.

There's plenty to do for the young ones, you just have to work around their schedule. Try to keep the regular nap time and bedtime, and usually they are happy. We just have different expectations, we sort of chill out a lot and go with the flow. The kids are too young for all of the excursions, so we often stay on the ship and play at Nassau. The splash area for the babies is perfect (on the Wonder), my DD could have stayed in there all day. She enjoyed lunch up on deck 9, looking out over the water. Last year, she was almost 14 months when she sailed, and it was the same. The littlest things would be fun for her. Walking around the ship and looking out the windows, riding the elevator and seeing the big mural of Ariel, having ice cream with lots of sprinkles...LOL. She also enjoyed the shows, there's lots of singing and special effects (although she would sometimes fall asleep before they were over).

I would much rather take a one year old on a cruise than go to WDW. BTDT, not fun. But a cruise can be enjoyable for the whole family. I wouldn't NOT go on a cruise just because my child will not remember it. Maybe if it was going to be a once in a lifetime vacation...then I'd wait until age 4 or so. But if you are just looking for a good family vacation for next year, I think a cruise would be great. We have vacationed with our kids since they were small babies. They might not remember it all, but I do. And I have some fun family pictures and videos to share with them later. I'm not going to just stay home until they will remember things. Of course, any beach will just be a beach, they may not appreciate that it is Castaway Cay, or that they got there on a big boat...but they will have fun just the same. And your older son will have a blast, he will be a great age for it.

So, this is getting a bit long. I'd say that it is worth the extra effort it takes to travel with a young one. If you have any specific questions, especially when it gets closer, this is the place to ask.

 

[CobraKai]

April 13th will be our first cruise ever, and we considered going without our 12-month old — but quickly realized that we would miss him the whole time we were there. And now we can't wait for all of us to cruise next month, we have already set up our Flounder's time to coincide with our Palo dinner, spa reservations, and on-shore excursions (and we selected excursions that he might enjoy as well, like the glass-bottom boat!).

It doesn't matter if THEY'LL remember it, because YOU will remember the amazing vacation you shared together. And when they're older, you can show them all the pictures and videos you took while you were there, together.

We're going to celebrate our 5-year anniversary and our son's first birthday on this cruise too, now that will be magical!

 

[crisi]

Your one year old and your cruise expectations. Will your one year old nap in a stroller while you sit in a lounge chair and enjoy the sea breeze, or will your one year old need to be put down for a quite nap in a darkened stateroom for three hours every day and if so, will you be ok with that. Will your one year old think that the non-potty trained splash areas are great, or will you have a constant screamer wanting to go into the big pool. Will you be fine with early evenings back in the room or paying for Flounders, or will you be in the room resenting that you didn't get to go dancing. Will your one year old sit through a hour and a half long meal, or will they need quick meals - and if they can't sit, will you be ok with eating up at the buffet or having pizza?

We elected not to cruise until our kids were potty trained and could make full use of the clubs and the pool - it was more expensive to wait, but the grown ups and the kids got to make full use of the ship - but that answer was right for us.

 

[Andromeda9mm]

I wouldn't ... I always regret taking little ones on vacation ... and this is always *after* I promise myself I won't do it ever again!

I have 5 kids, so maybe I'm jaded?

Meredith in Utah

 

[lillygator]

Your one year old and your cruise expectations. Will your one year old nap in a stroller while you sit in a lounge chair and enjoy the sea breeze, or will your one year old need to be put down for a quite nap in a darkened stateroom for three hours every day and if so, will you be ok with that. Will your one year old think that the non-potty trained splash areas are great, or will you have a constant screamer wanting to go into the big pool. Will you be fine with early evenings back in the room or paying for Flounders, or will you be in the room resenting that you didn't get to go dancing. Will your one year old sit through a hour and a half long meal, or will they need quick meals - and if they can't sit, will you be ok with eating up at the buffet or having pizza?

We elected not to cruise until our kids were potty trained and could make full use of the clubs and the pool - it was more expensive to wait, but the grown ups and the kids got to make full use of the ship - but that answer was right for us.

wow, that makes it sound really scary! It kind of sounds as though there is no family compromise and everything revolves solely around the child/children.

We never really had any of those issues, I guess we are lucky our kids were go with the flow. The little one couldn't understand why she couldn't go in the Mickey pool but wasn't screaming about it. I think if the splash area was on the Magic it wouldn't have even come up as she would have loved that even more than the pool.

Dinners were fine, but I guess if your children are not used to dining out then it may be long for them. Flouders is great and at the end of the cruise they gave us a large envelope with photos (polaroids) of DD with various characters and even a pillowcase she scribbled on!

Naps, kind of came and went...we needed naps too! We don't live by a rigid routine on vacation and if one of us needs a nap fine, if not fine too!

 

[CobraKai]

It probably does depend on how you have raised your kids in the first place, as to whether or not they can nap outside a dark stateroom, can sit through an hour and half long dinner, enjoy the pool area provided to them, etc.

If this is your only vacation of the year (or years) and you are already concerned that you won't enjoy yourself by having to deal with your kids, then maybe you should consider going without them.

It is a family-oriented cruise line, and I think there are tons of opportunities to enjoy yourself in the company of your kids, and have some alone time if necessary. You have your whole life to vacation with just your spouse, but only a few years to enjoy a vacation with your kids while they're still kids.

I would recommend trying to be more laid back, go with the flow - so what if you don't get to have another bahama mama while lounging on the hammock, it won't be the end of the world! Have fun and enjoy life, all of it!

 

[Semi:]

Wow, Lillygator you seem to be getting in a twist. Crisi was right to say think of your child and parenting style. She wasn't being threatening or scary!

I'm just back from cruising with a 13 week old. The baby went along because we went for the older children's enjoyment. That said I was disappointed at times to miss shows and meals because my tiny one could not handle them and needed to be asleep in her crib.

If your child is ok with sleeping in the stroller and sitting in a high chair for a longer than usual dinner, then you will have a great cruise. If you are ok with changing your plans for the sake of the child's comfort then you will have a great cruise.

But if you will be sad you needed to be in the cabin instead of up on Deck10 for the fireworks, and the likes then wait a year or two and cruise then.

Everyone parents in a unique way, just as every child too is unique!

Congrats on the new baby!

 

[lillygator]

Wow, Lillygator you seem to be getting in a twist. Crisi was right to say think of your child and parenting style. She wasn't being threatening or scary!

I'm just back from cruising with a 13 week old. The baby went along because we went for the older children's enjoyment. That said I was disappointed at times to miss shows and meals because my tiny one could not handle them and needed to be asleep in her crib.

If your child is ok with sleeping in the stroller and sitting in a high chair for a longer than usual dinner, then you will have a great cruise. If you are ok with changing your plans for the sake of the child's comfort then you will have a great cruise.

But if you will be sad you needed to be in the cabin instead of up on Deck10 for the fireworks, and the likes then wait a year or two and cruise then.

Everyone parents in a unique way, just as every child too is unique!

Congrats on the new baby!

not getting into a twist at all (not sure anything sounded "twisty") it just sounded like a prison sentence rather than a vacation!

 

[Epperbiker]

not getting into a twist at all (not sure anything sounded "twisty") it just sounded like a prison sentence rather than a vacation!

I understood you perfectly. I guess we're especially blessed because it's never been that complicated for us.

[/IMG]

 

[ibela]

We went with dd at 17 months and her excitement was one of the major components that made our cruise so special to us. No she won't remember it but we took plenty of pictures and made a photobook that retells the vacation and we will always have our memories.

We were initially hesitant to leave her at Flounders. After we did so the first time (Palo brunch) we couldn't believe we didn't reserve time sooner. Fortunately, they had availability and we began to bring her to the nursery after dinner (and sometimes the show depending on that evening's performance) so that we could go out while she slept. Also, one night I stayed in the room with her while he caught a movie. The following night he stayed in the room with her while I went out with my DIS friends.

We go out to dinner fairly often so she's used to lengthy meals in restaurants. Between courses my dh would often take her for a brief walk outside to see which characters were posing for pictures, then they'd come back and continue with the meal. From my memory, she was only difficult 1x during the week.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[crisi]

not getting into a twist at all (not sure anything sounded "twisty") it just sounded like a prison sentence rather than a vacation!

For some people traveling with their children is more of a prison sentence than a vacation. If you spend more time in your room than enjoying the ship and resent it - why would you spend the money on a cruise? Wait a few years - those toddler years don't last forever. If you will spend lots of time in your room, sitting on the veranda reading book after book perfectly content while your little one naps - that could be a great vacation. If you have a little one that will go with the flow, sleep anywhere, be content through dinner, etc. - go for it!

 

[cdndizzylizzy]

Just travelled with my SIL and BIL, and their 3 kids, the youngest being 10 months. I would say that my SIL and the 10-mo old did not have the greatest time. The little one really did not enjoy the long dinner, but travelling together as 2 families the rest of us were committed to having the dining room dinners, so he wasn't too happy sometimes by dessert. A few days in he caught a cold and then later in the week his tummy started to bother him and at one point he threw up - not too many seasick med options for a baby under 1 yo. Finally, he was JUST learning how to walk and therefore was MOST unhappy about spending any time in his stroller. But being so new to walking, walking on board the Magic wasn't the easiest either.

I think that a lot really depends on the size, makeup and goals of the travelling party, and the specific age and nature of the child. My nephew is regularly a happy-go-lucky child and very good-natured, but he was pretty unhappy by week's end.

I guess I am just trying to say that it's a bit more of a crapshoot with a young one, and you can't really reason with them the way you can with a preschooler or even a toddler. So I recommend you go into it with your eyes wide open in terms of potential downsides. Clearly some folks have had a wonderful time with young travellers, so it may be just wonderful for you too!

 

[DisneyCruiser2008]

I think it's all about expectations.... If you go knowing that you will need to go with the flow based on your child's needs, you can have a great time. We have traveled all over the place with our kids since they were less than a year old.... Hawaii twice, a cruise, Florida, long road trips, Disneyland. We always have a wonderful time. Is it as realxing as it would be without the kids? Definitely not... And we aren't able to always take advantage of some "adult" activities, but we go knowing that, so we are not disappointed. It's fun family time away from the demands of everyday "life" -- and now that the kids are a little older, they love looking at all of the pictures from our trip... I wouldn't wait... make your memories now -- time goes too fast.

 

[becka]

We took DD when she was 12 months old and had a great time. She loved it and had a great time. We took her again when she was 22 months old and it did not work out well for us. She was in her terrible twos phase already and we had many fits about all kinds of things. She didn't want to sit still for dinner and I had had so much trouble with her those last few days that I pretty much missed eating dinner those last two nights. She was too young to be in the pool or be in the club but she was old enough to know what she wasn't getting to do that big brother was doing. I also missed Disney Dreams due to a well timed fit she threw in our stateroom over her shoes . I didn't want to subject the rest of the ship to her little tantrums so I spent far more time in the room than I expected to.

It was just not a good vacation for her at that time. She was an easy baby and was a great young toddler up until about 6 weeks before our trip so we had no way of knowing what we would be dealing with. We swore we wouldn't do another cruise with a toddler that was not old enough for the clubs and potty trained. She will be 4 next January so we are going to try again this December and hope it goes better for us this time. Now we still had a good time part of the cruise but even going in with realistic expectations you can still have young kids surprise you.

Here she is at our last dinner before I took her back to the room:

We had to take the picture to remind ourselves in case we got the urge to cruise again before she turned 3.