Cruises

"Hi. I am surprised at the responses you got. We cruised to Bermuda last year w/ our DS who was then 14 months. We had a wonderful time! On the two sea days he was very happy exploring the ship. We are going to Alaska next year w/ our DS who will be almost three at the time and our DD who will be 14 months. We are really looking forward to it. We went on about eight cruises before having kids so we know this is the vacation for us."

Cruises

"We took a cruise this year with our 13-month old. It was on Holland America's Statendam, to Alaska. It was our first cruise ever. Here are some good and bad points.
* The ship was comparatively small, with a lot of older people. That worked in our favor, as all the staff knew us and our baby, and were very tolerant--as were the fellow passengers, who were mostly parents with grown kids and grandparents. This was probably the biggest plus. I can't say enough about how good the staff is. HAL's staff is Indonesian, and Indonesian men are culturally very baby-friendly (I have been told by people who have lived in Indonesia). The staff on our ship certainly was.
* HAL is said to have larger staterooms than other cruise lines. That said, the room are much smaller than a hotel room. It was okay for us, but might be harder if the kid is climbing and running. We had our steward take the spare chair and table out of the room to make more space. If your child co-sleeps, that would open a little more space because you wouldn't need a crib. (The crib supplied was a basic pack n' play.)
* HAL also supposedly has more open space than other cruiselines. It was easy to find space to let her toddle around during the day—we would go to the bar upstairs during the day, or the internet cafe, or even the theater.
* Cruise food is great for toddlers. You can order whatever, and if they won't eat it, just order something else. No need to feel guilty about the $8 spent on a kid's meal they won't eat. If she ends up eating your entree, you can ask for another. And food is available all day. The staff was very accomodating (e.g., bringing the fruit or cheese plate from the dessert menu at the start of the meal; bringing only the vegetables from a certain entree, etc.). The hard part about the dining room dinners (as opposed to the Lido buffet) was that she would not sit still for several courses. We went with family, and so someone would walk her around and let her play on the staircases or flirt with the fellow passengers between courses.
* It's very convenient to have everything right there. We typically took turns staying in the room with her for naptimes, and the other person could go to the casino, the gym, the library, a show, tea, etc. That said, someone has to stay in the room. HAL sort of has late-night baby-sitting (at the staff's availability) but we did not try to use that.
* We did not ever have to "tender" (take a little boat) to get to shore. This made it easier to get off the boat, and then back on for naptime. I would avoid anything where you have to "tender."
* They do not allow babies in the pools on any cruise ship. We went to Alaska, so I was not particularly interested in swimming. I have heard of people taking baby pools on deck on certain cruises, and letting their babies play in those.
* HAL does not have a kids program for kids under 3. (Not sure if anyone does.) They did allow us to go in the kids club to play with some of the toys and watch the big kids play (a hit with my daughter).
But the kid's club was frankly not that impressive. One of the cruise lines has a deal with Fisher Price where they have a bunch of FP toys there -- maybe RCL?
* We did not have to pay the ship fare for the baby, but we did have to pay taxes and port fees, which ended up being several hundred dollars.

In sum, I'd say you won't have as much fun as you would if you went without baby. But that's probably true for all vacations. It helps a lot if you go with friends or family, as then you can swap baby-watching duties and the other person has someone to hang out with. Also, our baby was just at the starting walking phase, and still happy to be carried or ride in her stroller. She is now 18 months and a huge wiggle worm, so I think it would be somewhat more difficult. The forums on the website cruisecritic.com has a ton of information about the various cruise lines, and I found it very helpful."

Cruises

"We did a Disney cruise when our daughter 17 months old. It was a very fun trip and all of the problems listed below were not an issue. Disney rooms are very large and there is room for a pack n play (which they will provide). They have a splash pool for swim diaper kids. Meals are structured with kids in mind and the high chairs are excellent. And of course the activities are also very kid oriented and they have a nursery with babysitting for the kids too young to be in the kids' camp program (4 & up I think)."

Cruises

"I wanted to let you know that we did a family cruise in April of 2007 with our 2 kids. The cruise left Baltimore and it was 9 days to the Carribeans. I have to say that it was a really really bad experience. It was with Royal Carribean cruise. We had adjoining rooms because of nap issues and we figured that with the rooms being so small it would be a good idea. The problems were that we all got sea sick including my then 14 month old. She was so miserable for about 1/3 of the trip b/c of the boat rocking. We were able to drop my son off at the children's center (for those 3 and up) a couple of times. But there really wasn't that many stuff to do with the young ones like my daughter's age. We were on the ship 2 days each way to our destination. It just seemed really long. Because our kids went to sleep so early (around 8pm) a lot of the stuff were more geared towards the older crowd (w/o kids). We didn't participate in a lot of that. also, there wasn't that many different restaurants on board. So we tried to eat at the formal dining room but it was hard with 2 kids.

Dinner was just too long for them. We even went with our in laws. I think for the amount of money we spent, it was really really bad. But that's my take on it. Maybe when they are alittle older I would do it again with Disney. I heard that the kids have fun on those. But in general it was really hard b/c there just wasn't that many places to take the children while on board."

Cruises

"You are in luck--as I just got back from a cruise with a 1.5 year old with several friends with kids between 5 months and 2.5 years.

I'm really happy I did it and would do it again in a heartbeat--but it was a lot of work and there were a number of logistical problems.

How much you enjoy it will really depend on your expectations--we just knew that we weren't going to be having nights partying and going to all the shows b/c we were going to bed early with baby--and that is pretty much what all the families did--except one night when we had a "girls night out" and the dads stayed with the kids. I know some cruise lines say babysitting is available if you request far in advance--but we never even considered that.

Other issues:
1) unless you are splurging for a big room--you are going to have to
sleep with your baby b/c the regular rooms really don't have space for a crib or pack'nplay. Not a problem for us--since we co-sleep anyway, but other families weren't thrilled.

2) US REGULATIONS PROHIBIT SHIPS FROM ALLOWING NON-TOILET TRAINED KIDS IN POOLS. This was very disappointing for us. and the source of a number of tantrums when my son wanted to jump in the pool. IT meant we simply could not be in the pool area. However, there are some ships that have splash zones for babies. You might want to check into that.

3) Dinner can be a real challenge b/c they can take a LONG time to serve--often more time than our kids were willing to sit patiently (I was at a table with a one year old.) Doing the buffet is one option—or just being prepared with a lot of distractions.

4) Almost none of the high-chairs had straps to hold in the kid—and mine kept trying to climb out of his--although once I talked to the headwaiter about it she made sure we had seats with straps at our table.

In general, although family cruise lines are pretty family
friendly--they aren't all that prepared for babies and toddlers--but
there is still a LOT of fun to be had."

Cruises

"I have not done this, myself, since I am currently pregnant with baby #1, but a couple friends of mine brought exactly this idea up. They did a whole lot of research, and what they came up with was that although Cunard is slightly more expensive, they offered baby care services for babies starting at 1 year old. All the Disney/Carnival/Royal Carribean cruses required the children be 2-3 and potty trained before you could even use baby sitting services. While you obviously won't want to leave your kid in the nursery the entire time, having it available for an hour here or there might allow you and your husband at least the occasional dinner alone, or the ability to see a late-night show while your baby sleeps. My friends have not actually gone on the cruise yet, but are scheduled to in January. However, I thought I'd share what they learned as you look at options."

Cruises

"I would not do it with this age, having done it with an almost one year old.

First, my bias: I was never too into the idea of cruising. This was a no-choice trip with inlaws!

But: At this age, babies can't go in the pools. Dinner times on our ship were fixed, neither of which was a good fit with DD's schedule. That said, DD's schedule was shot to hell on the cruise: nightly waking at about midnight and because I didn't want her to cry - couldn't have her cry, given the proximity of neighbors - I breastfeed her back to sleep.....a habit to break once we got home (we had been long done with night feedings!). And UP for the day at about 4:30am. DH took her out to walk the decks and let me sleep until 6:30 when they would come back. With this age, you likely can't do any of the excursions; and you won't be able to use the ship babysitting service (too young).

It was, in short, about the worst 5 days of my life, and certainly the worst non-vacation I have been on.

All that said, if you love cruising, and have an upper level suite where you have a separate living room so baby can go to bed while you remain awake in a lighted room (or someone is up with the early riser without having to get dressed and leave the cabin); and have more flexible dining options; and/or are on a line which is considerably more young child friendly (even Disney I think has a lot that kids need to be at least 2 for) go for it!"

Cruises

"Hi - we went on a Carnival cruise w/ our then one year old and while it was not ideal, it was not as bad as you would think. We had some family with us, though they did not help with the baby, it was nice because we could use their room while she was napping/sleeping (we took the monitor) so that we did not have to nap/sleep when she did. We just traded off who had to "monitor." It's not really that different from being at home, you just have less room and less stuff, which really isn't such a bad thing! We went on a Royal Caribbean cruise when she was about 18 months and had a slightly better time, mostly because she was a little older and could have fun at the pool (you are not supposed to take non-toilet trained kids in the pool, but there was a kiddie pool where no one was watching) and go sightseeing.

If you have any specific questions I am happy to answer them.

My advice is to go and have fun!!"

Cruises

"3 words - don't do it! we went on a cruise with our family when our son was one. he just learned to walk and was running everywhere. there is nothing kid friendly about a cruise ship...large marble staircases, pools, hard floors. if your child isn't walking yet it might be doable but i wouldn't do it again with a young child. also, the kids areas only take ages 3 and up so there were no child activities for the little ones. just my 2 cents but i would try something that won't be so hectic for you guys. also, keep in mind the rooms on ships are very small. We put our son to sleep by 9:00 and then, except for the nights my mother in law stayed with him, we had to hang out in a tiny room the rest of the night - not very fun."

Cruises

"My daughter is not a year yet, but when she was 8 months old, my mom and I took her on a Caribbean cruise. We got back at the end of October. It really was wonderful - you might miss out on some of the nightlife, but when your kiddo is getting up at 6 am every day, you might be ready to stay in. We took our vacation on Royal Caribbean (the ship was Mariner of the Seas). There is a children's playgroup that meets in the mornings - we went on the two days we were at sea. The all-day programs for kids starts with 3 year olds. I believe there is baby-sitting available for children over a year, but obviously I can't comment on that because my daughter was too young. The staff doted on the baby and, like most kids, she thrived on the attention and smiles. The waiter would arrive at our table each night with a highchair, several straws, cheerios and extra spoons (for playing). We always sat by a window because after she ate, the sills are the perfect height for standing and playing. I engineered a third nap late in the day, enabling her to be happy during our 6 pm dinner seating. My daughter woke up really early a couple of mornings and after some exploring, we found a lounge on the 14th floor where she could play and cruise. We watched a lot of sunrises that way.

We had to chose our off-shore excursions more carefully, not knowing what kind of a traveler the kiddo would be. We basically did beach, shopping, and an underwater boat tour of coral reefs and fish. I can attest that there are shady beaches in Labadee, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The pools on the ship all have signs stating that children who are not toilet trained cannot use the pools. However, this rule does not seem to be enforced. There were several shallow little "kiddie" pools and I put a swim suit with a built in diaper on my daughter and just got in - it was not an issue.

I dont' have any other week long vacations against which to compare the cruise, but I thought it was wonderful. My daughter's afternoon nap was more often than not on a lounge chair in the shade, but we always had the option of heading back to the ship for a nap. Take disposable bibs, an inflatable bathtub (most rooms have only a shower) a sun hat, umbrella stroller and lots of sunscreen."

Cruises

"My husband and I took our two kids on a cruise last December - our kids were 15 mo. and 4 at the time. It was fun but a LOT of work -- and most cruise ships, including the one we were on, do not have kids club programs for kids under 3. I believe some ships have in-room babysitting but we didn't look into that. All in all, we had a fun trip, but it's really hard to have a small room on a ship as your "home base" - hard to bring many toys with you, and sometimes hard to keep the kids occupied. We had fun in the port stops but there were a couple of at sea days that were really long for us. I will say that the waiters in the dining rooms were great to us -- they had great kids' meals, brought their stuff out fast, and were very nice - that was definitely a good experience. We will wait until our daughter is old enough for the kids camp, and then I think we'll probably go on a Disney cruise -- more for the kids to do. We were on Princess and weren't too impressed with what we saw of the kids club (we were able to go up there to play w/our kids - couldn't leave them there, but could play with the toys, etc. - and the facility wasn't so great). I think Disney would be much more fun for them, and certainly more kid-oriented.

Oh- also, at least on Princess, kids who aren't toilet trained aren't allowed in any of the pools, even w/swim diapers.

Hope that helps - it's definitely still a great vacation, you just might need a vacation afterwards!"

Cruises

"We just got back from Disney Cruise. This was an ideal vacation with kids. I have a 4 year old and 7 year old and the Oceaneers Club was phenomenal. My kids loved it. I noticed that they had a nursery but have no personal experience with it for your 23 month old.

We also have done a Club Med trip with kids again, some offer nursery and others don't. We did Punta Cana Dominican Republic. Again, my kids loved the kid club situation. Disney is far more expensive but higher quality as far as food. Rooms in club med are rustic but very clean. However, I wouldn't say that they are luxury. Foodwise, Club Med did exclusively buffets whereas Disney had buffets but also had seated meals. One plus for club med was that alcoholic drinks were included (which adds up quickly if you enjoy poolside cocktails or wine with dinner)."

Cruises

"I am a former DC mom who now lives in Saint Lucia... and as such am fairly familiar with the resorts down here. Let me suggest 2 that are great re: kids are Coconut Bay and Windjammer. Both of kids camps, babysitting services, etc. I would definitely recommend them. Personally, I think Windjammer is better (better beach and I have heard glowing recommendations about the children's programme there) but Coconut Bay has a waterslide which is a huge hit too.

You can't get here directly, but you can fly from DC to Miami and then Miami to the southern airport in Saint Lucia (UVF), which is near Coconut Bay. The alternative is DC to Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico to the smaller airport in the north (SLU) which is near Windjammer.

More on St. Lucia can be found at www.stlucia.org. Good luck with your vacation plans!"

Cruises

"We did a Royal Caribbean cruise this past summer, up to Alaska. Very kid-friendly. Our kids were 3, 12 and 14, respectively. The older kids had a great time with the kids' programs. The youngest didn't do the organized stuff, but also had lots of fun with the mini-golf and other kid-oriented activities."

Cruises

"The 23 month old will be too young for the kids club on a cruise. The youngest they tend to accept at ships' kids clubs is 3 years. I'm not 100% sure about disney cruises, but I'm pretty confident."

Cruises

"Fwiw, we took our first cruise with our kids last january. i was not impressed. maybe it was just that particular cruise line?

http://wrekehavoc.wordpress.com/2007/02/01/carnival-cruise-review-
from-a-family-perspective/

we have gone to club med sandpiper three times. much more family- friendly, though not terribly posh. but we didn't care, and we had a great time."

Cruises

"We are going to The Westin Lacaya in the Bahamas in January. I read great things about their Kids Club on the Internet. It is also rated one of the best resorts for kids. We have a 3 and 5 year old."

Cruises

"Just make sure the age requirements/what age they will take at the kids club. I know the cruise we went on the minimum age I think was 4ish (our twins were 10months when we went). This summer we went to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean and same thing we had to make sure they took infants on up. Most kids clubs are for older preschoolers+. The twins were 22months.

I haven't looked into Mexico, but in the Caribbean the Almond Resorts and Beaches take infant up. I know there are probably a few more.

And at a lot of them you can pay extra for a babysitter to come to your room, so even if they don't take the younger one at the kids club. Also a good option to be able to have dinner alone.

TripAdvisor.com is a great place to get reviews on different resorts."