Cruising with a 1 year old.....

[PatricenPete]

Hello all! I am a new user here, but a total Disney fanatic. My DH and I take a minimum of one trip a year (usually 2, 3 if we are really lucky!)

We are expecting out first baby in just 8 short weeks - HOORAY and were planning on booking a cruise package for October of 2005.

Is there anything that we should expect a 1 year old to NOT be able to do on the ships? Would he be able to use the pools if he had on a diaper?

 

[mickeyboat]

Unfortunately, the pools are restricted to potty-trained children - no diapers or even swim diapers allowed. One ear of the MIckey Pool is set up like a little shallow splash area. Your baby can enjoy that area.

Denae

 

[kellyb2000]

I'm don't want to discourage you in any way but maybe just give you a little heads up - we went on the the 4-day when my son was 9-months-old....he hasn't been the same since! Pre-cruise, we never had a problem with him sleeping in his own bed, during the cruise he would not sleep in the pack-n-play they give you so he ended up sleeping with us. Ever since then, he's in the bed with us every night. It was during the cruise that he became attached to his blanket. He wouldn't take his naps. I think he was scared he would miss something and he couldn't get used to the idea of our whole family (13 of us) being there together all the time. It seriously reminded me of the days he had colic. Yes, it could very well be "just us" but it has made me reconsider traveling (for something so fast paced, as a cruise) with a baby. I'm sorry if I sound negative to your post!!!


edited to add: I really don't want to scare you off - I just re-read that you're "new" and the cruise is great fun, just a different type of fun with a little one!

 

[lillygator]

We cruised in May and our daughter was 18 months...she had a blast. She could go in the Mickey ear and that was quite a challenge to keep her in there. There was nothing she cou;d't really do. She went all over the place. She slept in a bed with rails and did fine. She went to Flounders on several occasions and loved it.

We will be cruising again 12/05 she will be 3 and will go to the Kids club....we will also have another baby by then who will be around 11 months old. We have no qualms about taking them both....

this past cruise we had a porthole cat 9 room, which was fine. For the next cruise we booked a balcony - I thought with two children we may need it!

We have been on several vacations with our daughter, Key West for a week when she was 9 months, Disney several times and we have never had any issues after any trips.

Go for it - you'll have a great time. Just go with no expectations and you'll be pleasently suprised!

 

[PatricenPete]

No worries! You didn't scare me off! I went to Disney for the first time at 1 and have gone at least once a year every year since, so it's definitely a tradition that we wanted to start with our son.

The cruise aspect of the trip is still up in the air, we just wanted to get an idea of what he would and wouldn't be able to do.

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[gassmandy]

Hi! We took our dd on a 7 day Disney cruise in Nov. 2003 (when she was 7 1/2 months). Because I was paranoid from day 1 of her life about SIDS, I slept w/ her until she was 9 1/2 months old--when I read a great book by a dr. and "taught" her to sleep alone. That being said--obviously she slept w/ us on the cruise. So we didn't have the problem Kelly had w/ the pack n play.

HOWEVER-- I can understand what she's getting at because when my dd turned 1 this April---we spent 2 nights at WDW. We requested a pack n play and when it was bed time I put her in it and she would have nothing to do w/ it (at home--she knows crib means bed and typically her pack n play was used outside for us to "contain" her in while we did yard work). Since I had slept w/ her for 9 1/2 months and now no longer did---I knew I loved the fact that she slept alone!! We had to resort to letting her fall asleep in my arms (about an hour later than normal--which I felt wasn't bad considering all the stimulation from being at Disney) and then I put her in the pack n play. It was only 2 nights--so she didn't get off track and took us only one night back home of reinforcing her sleep routine.

With that said--it is up to you--I would totally do it again knowing that after the trip/cruise I'll have to "re-train" her ---which is fine for us.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!

 

[HooKooDooKu]

We took our 1yo on a cruise last year (specifically 18months).

The issues we faced were that DS still needed 2 naps per day and was just starting to learn to feed himself.

So each day began with everyone waking up, getting our selves ready to face the day and head to breakfast. Soon after breakfast was over it was time for the morning nap. Once the moring nap was over, we would head to lunch. Again, soon after lunch, it was time for the afternoon nap. So we spent lots of time in our cabin (not a big deal, they're pretty good sized with movies playing all day) and our days didn't really begin until 3:00 o'clock.

So the moral of this story is you should consider a cabin with a veranda so that you can spend some time outside reading a book while baby sleeps.

 

[bill kellum]

we took a six month old,with no unusual problems.he is now four and has been on seven cruises and two europe twice.he is well traveled and enjoys the adventure.

 

[Scotch]

Boy, these posts regarding sleep issues are worrying us. Our baby is currently 4 1/2 months and he'll be 1 year and 1 1/2 months by the time we go on our first cruise. I'd hate for him to "unlearn" his good sleep habits! Of course between now and then we'll have taken him on three additonal vacations, so I guess we'll find out how he adapts to the excitment of travel and sleeping in new environments. Though he keeps changing on us so even if he takes to travelling fine now or at 8 months, that's no guarantee that he'll not have some of the problems described in the above posts at 13 1/2 months, right?

 

[debm]

I've had 4 kids and I just have to say it is what you want. I LOVE the fact that our kids sleep with us when they are infants. No worries that I hear a lot of others talk about. We love to travel and go to WDW etc. I don't have to worry about them not sleeping in a different room or place, or forgetting a much loved blanket or teddy or losing pacifiers, etc. All my babies want is Mom to fall asleep. Sure, some may say that is confining for me but I've raised 4 that way and now that youngest is 2 I am "moving on!" They are only young so long. Only you will know how your baby will react. Only you will be the parents of your child. I think the best advice is to follow your own instincts. Only read books to give you ideas--not to follow exactly. What two people are alike? I certainly don't need my husband to "train" me to have dinner ready at a certain time or only eat and drink at certain times of the day, etc. etc. I can't believe it when parents only feed their kids every 3-4 hours. I have a snack/drink at least every 2! And these are tiny babies we are talking about! I probably drink water at least once an hour! Sorry---enough said.

Please don't worry about other's experiences. You will worry too much and not enjoy the best part of the cruise: your child's introduction to Mickey and Disney! Our youngest has cruised 3 times in his first 2 years of life. Lucky boy! First one was at 12 1/2 weeks. It was easy and he did great. I think it is much easier when they are younger and just need diapers and mom's milk. I could do all sorts of activities on the ship while he just nursed and slept. It was much more challenging when he wanted to run down and get the Bingo balls once he was walking!

Enjoy your pregnancy and I hope you all get to cruise together!

 

[mdvasquez]

debm: AMEN sister. I am with you. Both my sisters have their babies on such tight schedules, feeding, naps, bedtime etc. When we cruised last October with them, my DS were miserable, due to the babies and their schedules. My 4th child will be 8 months when we cruise this Oct. and we are just going to play it by ear and "go with the flow".

They grow up so fast (my other children are 13, 14 and 17years old), just enjoy them when they are young and dont put so much pressure on schedules!!

Dena

 

[fcrouch]

our daughter has cruised at 8 weeks, 2 years and 4 years; and had long plane rides every year on other non-cruise vacations. (and I'd note that the only time in her life we went on a weekend trip without - that the first week we were back - was the only time she'd ever had a problem sleeping - none while we were gone and she stayed with her cousins - only when we came home - I think she waned us to know she was mad we didn't take her with us! but I digress.

We have been fortunate all the cruises have been smooth. This summer she loved the kids club, but she's 4now.

But I think travelling with small kids on a cruise is easier than other sorts of travelling because you unpack once and you're there. Esp. on Disney the littlest ones can use FLounders (not always available on other ships). On RCL when our daughter was 2 we hired a babysitter (who was a crew member - we hired her through the purser's desk) - she came every night for 2-3 hours - our daughter came down for dinner - ate and we took her back to the cabin and we enjoyed the remainder of our dinner and then went for an after dinner drink or lost some money in the casino. I know many people would not hire a total stranger as it were - and although the cruise line would deny liability - they certainly are going to check out who they let "hire" out to guests (and had we been uncomfortable with her with didn't have to keep her - and she told us that if she hadn't liked us she would not have come back! it was extra money for her but if the kids or family were unpleasant then she wasn't going to put herself through the trouble) (My niece for example would never have hired someone from the crew as she wouldn't have "known" them - well, we got to know our babysitter quite fast - you can learn alot, I think, in a 15 minute conversation - if you go on the basis the person isn't going to be a sociopathic liar!)).

Anyway, we would plan what we wanted to do....but know in the back of our heads that our daughter's temperment or hunger pangs or need for a nap might alter what we wanted to do. We've always felt her schedule should fit into ours as much as is possible (and obviously understanding babies need naps, extra feedings, etc.) so I think parents have to look to their own personalities first to determine if cruising with a toddler will be enjoyable. (We have friends who claim it takes them and their toddler son at least a week to recover from the time difference following a flight from the west coast to the mid-west - 2 hour difference - maybe it is true - but I just can't imagine it to be - needless to say - that trio would not do well on a cruise with their son as a toddler - it might involve time changes, meal times at different times, - they are on a very fixed schedule and cruises and vacations in general would be frustrating to them unless by some chance their schedule fit the cruise schedule.