Cruising with a newborn?

[lillygator]

Has anyone done this? I am expecting in early September and would like to take the first cruise we can when the baby is old enough.

What was the youngest you took your baby on a cruise and how was it? We will also have our 2 yr old!!
Am I crazy!

 

[jilljill]

Babies must be a minimum of 12 weeks old to cruise on DCL.

 

[kcashner]

You'd be dragging along diapers for 2, paying for babysitting for 2 in Flounders (if you could get as much of it as you want), etc. Personally, I'd wait till at least one of the children was 3 and potty trained....much less to haul, less sitter cost, and more fun for child.

Alternatively, leave the kids with grandma and cruise with husband. I can't see that you'd get much of a vacation caring for 2 kids who were too young for the programming.

 

[dis4me]

I cruised with our son when he was 6 mos old.He loved it. The boat lulld him to sleep at night. He loved the characters and he got lots of attention from everyone. My older dds enjoyed seeing the baby's reaction to all the different things also.
I would wait until the baby can sit up though since if you don't want to drop them in Flounder's( which I didn't) for dinner , they can sit in the highchair.
BTW we enjoyed it so much we took him back when he was 1 and 1/2 and he really enjoyed that trip also.

 

[klineyqueen]

Our baby is 7 months old and we are cruising for a week leaving on Saturday. Many people have asked if we were taking the baby. My response "He is to little to stay home alone." Others have said we are crazy. I just smile and agree!!!!!!!
I will let you know how it goes!
Their are 10 of us going...so it will make it easier. Maybe you have parents or friends who would be fun to take with you. I won't be able to tell you about flounders because I don't plan on using that facility. Go fo it!!!

 

[MHopkins2]

Another alternative would be to take only the older child (some "special time" might be awesome after they've suddenly stopped being "the baby"), leaving the infant with Grandma. Of course, this requires willing and able participation from Grandma and won't work if you're breast-feeding.

 

[KarenP99]

We are cruising 2/1 with our 8 month old & 2 year old.

We don't have any intention of using daycare, it's a vacation for family time. We've cruised dcl 2x pre kids, and this will be the 2nd post kids cruise.

If it were the ONE AND ONLY cruise you were to take, I'd wait, but if you intend on doing it more go ahead when it's an infant...you only live once & can't take it with you!

Karen

 

[lillygator]

Well I think we are going to wait until Dec 2005 so Samantha will be 3 and the baby will be 1.

For now we may go on a short cruise in April or May....

 

[justcruisin]

DS was just 2 when we took our first cruise. It was great! We used Founders a couple of nights during dinner and a bit afterwards (we were on a 4 night cruise).

If you can get a balcony I would recommend it ... you can order room service for dinner, cocktails on the balcony during nap time. DS slept some in his stroller during the day. You can catch up on your reading while watching the ocean pass by!

It was a wonderful vacation.... We choose DCL specifically because of the childcare for the under 3 crowd. You can always cruise again when your child is older, but I don't see ANY reason to put it off.

 

[deebs]

we went with our 12 week old son and our 2 1/2 year old dd in October.
We had a wonderful time. My son still hasn't slept as good as he did on that trip.

Previous to that we went when my dd was 7 months. We're cruising again in May and the kids will be 3 and 10 months. I think cruising is wonderful for all ages. I have never regretted traveling with the little ones

 

[disneydeb]

were going with 41/2 month old and i dont think it will be a big problem while pregnant we asked every mother we could find of babies of all different ages how they liked it and they all said the same thing the babies loved it it wasnt a hassle and just do it, as for me mother in law offered to watch baby , but i could never leave the babie and go out of country without him or be gone all those days without hom i think that would ruin a vacation more,!!!!