DCL and Babies

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are officially to begin trying to conceive as soon as I finish my last pack of BC he gets a blood test result back (probably in about two weeks). We've been taking about one Disney vacation a year for the last several years (WDW, DLR, DCL, or a Disney Beach Resort). We've always said that once we have a baby, we would switch to cruising and Disney Beach Resorts until they're three or so, since we want them to be able to at least have faint memories of their first trip to the parks and be able to ride a good bit. Anyways, as we now get closer to realistically getting to that point, I wanted to ask others who have cruised with a baby (let's say about a year old- I know they have to be at least six months to cruise with DCL)- what have your experiences been? I know obviously they won't remember anything, but did you find cruising to be a pleasant with an infant? Did you use the nursery services at all- and would you recommend them? Anything else I should know about cruising with a baby?

Thank you so much!

 

[MissMet]

Congrats on this exciting time! Just remember that it can take a lot longer than you think to get pregnant. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen in your ideal timing. Just have fun.

I cruised DCL Fantasy with my one year old son. I am now about to go on another DCL cruise in April with my then 2.5 year old son & 1 year old daughter. I have also cruised pregnant twice, one babymoon & the other when my son was 1 year old.

I LOVE DCL with babies. They have the best options for babies. I'll start with the negative first.

No pools for the babies, but that's on ANY cruise ship. However, DCL offers splash areas on all 4 ships for diaper wearing guests. Fantasy & Dream's splash areas are far superior- bigger & offer a lot more but allow older kids in too. On the Magic & Wonder the splash area is smaller & doesn't have much but only allows under 3. That's it. That's my only negative.

Now the positives & my experiences.

The nursery. It's awesome! Use it for sure! We book the nursery for each evening during dinner time so my husband & I can enjoy dinner and they can enjoy playing. We either order them room service & feed them while we get ready or we send them with food. (We prefer late seating so they're not in there during dinner time) We also book it so we can go do fun excusions that are far from baby friendly. The staff in the nursery are incredible. They are so great with the kids and make you feel so at ease. They will do whatever you want. Feed them, change diapers, play with them, put them down for a nap, or even change them into pajamas and put them to "bed" (in the nursery cribs). They contact you through the wave phone provided in your cabin to let you know how your little one is doing. They're fantastic! We were even surprised with an envelope of printed pictures of our little guy with some of the characters during story times during the week. We had no idea he was meeting characters- and in such a fun way! They feed them snacks like animal crackers, bananas, yogurt, and milk. Also, around 5:30pm dinner is served. Or you can send them with your own food for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks...

DCL also has special events for little ones like a baby crawling race, open times for parents to play with their kids in the nursery, dance parties with Disney Jr. characters and other play times with the cruise director's staff.

The waiters are amazing with them. They'll purée foods for them. Cut up their food for you. Cut up YOUR food for YOU. And some even help to feed them. Amazing.

Your room steward provides you with anything you could need for your room. Play pens, guard rails, diaper genies, bottle warmers & sterilizers. And they take care of it all...closing up the playpen during the day (if you want), emptying the diaper genie...etc. awesome! Also bathtubs!! Only ships with bathtubs. So great!

As for excursions. We either put them in the nursery & go do something adventurous without them or we do dayrooms or daypasses at hotels so they can enjoy a pool(!) and the beach and we still have all the comforts needed.

Castaway Cay has free wagons for the beach. The ship lends strollers for your entire cruise for free ($200 refundable security deposit).

I'll be posting a baby specific trip report when I return home in May since I searched the Internet relentlessly looking for any baby specific info I could get before our first cruise with our little one.

We travel a lot- our son's first trip was when he was 3 months old and by far, the most relaxed travel we've had since having him (and our daughter) was our cruise. Also, Disney World is great with little ones! The baby care centers are incredible and best of all, they're completely free until 3 years old. They won't remember it but picture & videos will help & they enjoy it so much! We're going two days before my son turns 3 & he's still totally free even though he'll be three during most of our trip since he will be two when we check in & that's how they do it. His first trip was to Universal at 3 months old and he went to Disney at 1 & 2. My daughter's first Disney trip was at 6 months old. The younger they are the easier they are to travel with (while they're in diapers. It's much easier when they are older & out of diapers, no nap times, etc, but with babies, the younger the better!). Then add that they're free! For us, it totally makes sense to travel just like we did before they arrived.

Good luck!

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen in your ideal timing. Just have fun.

Thank you! You're absolutely right. I tend to be a 'go go go' kind of person, so it's important to sit back and enjoy the moment!

We were even surprised with an envelope of printed pictures of our little guy with some of the characters during story times during the week.

That is AMAZING!! I'm really relieved to hear that the nursery is so great!

We travel a lot- our son's first trip was when he was 3 months old and by far, the most relaxed travel we've had since having him (and our daughter) was our cruise.

I'm glad to hear you say this, because we also travel a lot and especially like cruising!

I'll be posting a baby specific trip report when I return home in May since I searched the Internet relentlessly looking for any baby specific info I could get before our first cruise with our little one.

I am definitely going to be following along!

They won't remember it but picture & videos will help & they enjoy it so much

Yes exactly! I totally agree!

Then add that they're free! For us, it totally makes sense to travel just like we did before they arrived.

This is how I've always felt too, because that's what my parents did with me. In my mom's words "Where we went, you went. What we did, you did." I believe the reason I love traveling so much today is because it's always been a part of my life.

Thank you so much for the very detailed answer! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions! Have a wonderful cruise and I look forward to your trip report!

 

[dektolia]

I cruised on Disney with a 5 month old (before the rule change) and again when he was 15 months. I thought the biggest advantage to a cruise vs. other types of vacations was that I didn't have to carry a diaper bag (unless I was dropping him off in the nursery). It was always a short walk back to the room so I just left all the baby related stuff there. This alone made the cruise better than the parks (which I've done twice with 2 year olds). I decided to skip the cruise the year I had a 2 (and 5) year old because I was thinking I'd want them to be able to go to the kids clubs together the next time we went, but when it got to be winter with no cruise in sight I regretted not doing the onboard booking and taking the 2 and 5 year old. We went to Disney world instead and it was much more stressful.

The biggest negative of cruising with really small children (other than having to pay for the nursery when there are free kids clubs for 3 and up) is that port adventures are really really limited for kids under 5, at least in the Caribbean. That being said, I enjoyed staying close to the ship for my first two cruises. We got a veranda so I could still be outside when the baby was napping or going to bed early, and on one cruise we had adjoining rooms so grown ups could stay up later in one room while the kids slept on the other side.

Another potential challenge - depending on how far in advance you book, you need to know the baby will meet the minimum age at the time of travel. I was able to book the cruise while pregnant with "baby" as passenger name, then update it to be the actual name before the paid in full date. Babies tend to show up whenever they want, so it's not like you can count on the due date - or even when you'll get pregnant (says the person who got pregnant right before her all inclusive resort vacation and then couldn't drink alcohol or do water sports or sleep in).

We were able to request high chairs, diaper genies, bed rails, and a pack and play. The umbrella stroller fit under the bed (though a sling was nice for walking around the ship). It ended up being a really relaxing vacation.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

(says the person who got pregnant right before her all inclusive resort vacation and then couldn't drink alcohol or do water sports or sleep in).

Oh no! : p You're right though, we will probably have to wait to book until after the baby actually gets here.

Thanks so much for all of the great info and advice- the diaper bag being left in the room ids an advantage I hadn't thought of.

 

[MissMet]

This is how I've always felt too, because that's what my parents did with me. In my mom's words "Where we went, you went. What we did, you did." I believe the reason I love traveling so much today is because it's always been a part of my life.

Thank you so much for the very detailed answer! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions! Have a wonderful cruise and I look forward to your trip report!

Sounds like my mom! By 5th grade I had been to 39 states & two countries...so kids definitely can adapt... and talk about a great childhood!

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

Sounds like my mom! By 5th grade I had been to 39 states & two countries...so kids definitely can adapt... and talk about a great childhood!

I SO agree! It makes for a great childhood!

 

[jk and ek]

traveling with a baby is great! our kiddo has already been to 6 countries and probably at least 20 states so far. plus a few disney trips and two cruises. i'm a firm believer in theres no such thing as 'too young'.

the only part of the cruise with a very young child that was in the slightest bit stressful were a couple of dinners. on our first cruise, we were seated with a family who had very extreme dietary restrictions and for some reason the servers held off OUR food in order to serve the entire table at the same time. were on second dining and we didn't start to eat until past 10pm. it was excessive and not a typical occurrence. it was our first dinner on our first cruise and we didn't know what was typical....we for sure wouldn't allow something like that to happen again.

characters LOVE babies (when the babies are excited about them too, obviously)

we're due with #2 this summer and have our next cruise booked for when they will be around 10 months old also did the thing where they just put a generic reservation with "baby tba" as the name. it was easy enough.

castaway cay is great with a baby, btw. the bike rentals have baby seats available and the water is very mild and easy for a small child to play in.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

traveling with a baby is great! our kiddo has already been to 6 countries and probably at least 20 states so far. plus a few disney trips and two cruises. i'm a firm believer in theres no such thing as 'too young'.

the only part of the cruise with a very young child that was in the slightest bit stressful were a couple of dinners. on our first cruise, we were seated with a family who had very extreme dietary restrictions and for some reason the servers held off OUR food in order to serve the entire table at the same time. were on second dining and we didn't start to eat until past 10pm. it was excessive and not a typical occurrence. it was our first dinner on our first cruise and we didn't know what was typical....we for sure wouldn't allow something like that to happen again.

characters LOVE babies (when the babies are excited about them too, obviously)

we're due with #2 this summer and have our next cruise booked for when they will be around 10 months old also did the thing where they just put a generic reservation with "baby tba" as the name. it was easy enough.

castaway cay is great with a baby, btw. the bike rentals have baby seats available and the water is very mild and easy for a small child to play in.

Thank you so much! It's really encouraging to hear that so many people have had good experiences!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

They won't remember it but picture & videos will help & they enjoy it so much!

Great advice and experiences, and since I didn't cruise when my sons were that age, I don't have much to add, but did want ot share my experience on one part.

We took my sons to Hawaii when they were that age. They are teenagers now, and don't remember much about it other than pictures and the fact that they went, but I want to clarify. They DID remember many vivid details of the trip for YEARS after we went. They would tell us things from that trip that we hadn't told them, or didn't take pictures of, etc.

And these memories of that trip had a great impact on them as they were growing up.

So don't discount how much they WILL remember, and for how long, and the great benefits that will have, even if eventually they do forget.

But you are right, the pictures will last forever, and that is great too! Have a great trip!

 

[MissMet]

Great advice and experiences, and since I didn't cruise when my sons were that age, I don't have much to add, but did want ot share my experience on one part.

We took my sons to Hawaii when they were that age. They are teenagers now, and don't remember much about it other than pictures and the fact that they went, but I want to clarify. They DID remember many vivid details of the trip for YEARS after we went. They would tell us things from that trip that we hadn't told them, or didn't take pictures of, etc.

And these memories of that trip had a great impact on them as they were growing up.

So don't discount how much they WILL remember, and for how long, and the great benefits that will have, even if eventually they do forget.

But you are right, the pictures will last forever, and that is great too! Have a great trip!

Agree 100%.

My oldest is only 2 so we haven't seen this as much yet, but my husband & I are always shocked when he talks about our Disney World trip back in October. He talks about specific events & rides. I can't wait until his vocabulary is better to see the "fruit" of these trips more & more. Not to mention WE enjoyed watching them on the trip so much. Watching my son riding Small World singing along, taking my then 6 month old daughter for her first flirting session & pictures with Gaston. WE loved every minute...

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

WE enjoyed watching them on the trip so much.

Great point. Nothing better than watching your kids experience things on vacation, no matter what age they are.

As long as you are prepared for this to be a different type of vacation (because you have an infant now), I think you will have a great time. Plus, the amount of assistance for little ones on board (Nursery, CM's, Dinner servers who are so attentive, etc.) you might be so spoiled you can't take your little ones on any OTHER type of vacation.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

You all are getting me so excited to take a baby in vacationthat hasn't even been conceived yet!

 

[hanscarlet]

We cruised with a 26 month old and it was very easy but I couldn't imagine I would enjoy myself the same way at the parks with a young kid. I know that people do it and love it but just not for us. We got a pack and play and diaper genie so sleeping wasn't an issue. We did naps in the afternoon, I relaxed on the verandah when she was doing her nap. We couldn't use the clubs but opted not to do the nursery because we were just so busy, didn't find we needed it. But I have heard the nursery staff is excellent so it would be good for you to use just for a night away.

I didn't take her off the boat in Nassau but did have her on CC for a little bit. It was really hot so we did only stay outside for a little bit and then went back on the boat for shade... next time i would have planned better for CC to ensure I got an umbrella for assistance with shade.