Hope you're having a good week so far! As promised, here are some tips and lessons learned from our cruise last month. When we told people we were going on a cruise this summer, so many asked if the Grandparents were going to be watching Corey while we were away. They all seemed surprised when we said that we were taking Corey with us. To me it was a no brainer to bring him along...I couldn't wait to go on a vacation with my kiddo! We had a blast and I would redo that week with him all over again, but my husband and I joked the entire week that vacationing with a baby was just parenting in a prettier location, haha! It was definitely A LOT more work and we learned quite a bit along the way. Here are some tips for cruising with a baby. (I'm sure many of these can be applied to traveling with a baby in general.) If you have any "traveling with baby" tips please share!
1. Pick your own stateroom on the ship
I can't stress this one enough! My husband and I booked our cruise somewhat last minute on one of those vacation deal sites. We got a great deal, BUT unfortunately we didn't have the option to pick our own stateroom. We left it to chance, and ended up being in the back of the ship, which was nice....but it was located right above one of the lounges. Each night the lounge would blare the music so loud, the base would vibrate our pillows. Poor kiddo did not sleep well that entire week. We called guest services multiple times to see if they could turn the base down, but each time their response was the same - that it was a priority to entertain guests. So, lesson #1 we learned, always pick your stateroom, especially if bringing any kiddos along.
2. Check-in as many bags as you can when you arrive
My husband and I probably looked like a comedy as we were checking-in and boarding the ship. We were carrying so much crap - stuff that we could have easily packed in our luggage, but didn't for some reason. We each had multiple bags - I think I was carrying my beach bag, my pump, our beach umbrella, my hat (which kept falling off), and another carry-on bag. The hubs had Corey, the hiking backpack, and some more bags. Why we didn't check-in more bags? I have no idea. It would have been a lot easier being hands free with the kiddo versus carrying all that stuff.
3. If budget allows, book a stateroom with a balcony
This is one thing we did right, haha! We initially booked an inside stateroom, but after my husband and I got to thinking, we realized that putting kiddo to bed early would leave us just sitting in our dark stateroom. We ended up switching to a balcony, which I highly recommend if cruising with a baby. There were several nights when we put kiddo to bed and the hubs and I sat out on our balcony talking and enjoying a beverage or two ;)
4. Kids menu lacks healthy options, recommend ordering an actual entree for the babe
This one is obviously personal preference and up to parents' discretion, but on the first night we ordered the chicken fingers from the kid's menu. I was actually disappointed in the selection of foods on the kid's menu. They didn't have any healthy options, so we decided to order an actual entree for Corey each night, which was much better! We mostly picked the baked chicken breast with a side of steamed veggies or the filet and steamed veggies. We didn't feel guilty getting him a filet, since it was already paid for ;)
5. Notify the cruise ahead of time about bringing a baby
Since we booked our cruise through one of those deal sites (Vacations To Go), we called the cruise line to let them know that we were bringing a baby with us. We just wanted to confirm with them and to see if they would be providing a crib, which they did! It was nice not having to bring the pack 'n play. We did bring our own sheets though.
6. Pack a first aid kit for the beach
In case there were any accidents, we packed a small first aid kit in our Kelty baby carrier. Luckily we never had to use it!
7. Bring baby's birth certificate
You don't need to get a passport for the little one - you just need to bring a copy of your baby's birth certificate. You'll need this when you check-in.
8. Check with your pediatrician if any vaccines are required
Before we left for our cruise, I checked with our pediatrician to see if Corey would need to get any vaccines for our cruise. Since we were only traveling to Bermuda he did not require any, but some vaccines may be suggested if visiting other port of calls. I'd double check with your pediatrician.
9. Double check your own packing list
I was so worried about packing for Corey and making sure he had everything he would need for an entire week that I really didn't pack well for myself. I packed plenty of swimsuits and clothes for dinner, BUT I definitely didn't pack enough undies and bras for me. Luckily I lived in my suits most of the time ;)
10. Bring all the usual baby necessities + extras
This one is obvious, but make sure you bring all the usual necessities (plus extras!) that you use at home. I kept jotting down and making lists of the things I was using at home just to make sure I wouldn't forget to pack anything for the kiddo. Below are some items we packed that I would definitely pack again for another cruise with a baby. Cute baby hat? Check! Found this cute lobster (or crab) hat at Target and snatched it up for the cruise. For the beach, we brought this cute umbrella. The hubs even commented that this was a good buy ;) If you're going to do any beach hiking, I highly recommend a Kelty Baby Carrier. We brought ours with us every time we left the ship. The backpack diaper bag is a must! It's much easier than hauling around a big beach bag. As for pumping, I use the Medela Pump in Style and love it, and definitely made sure to bring it on the cruise so I could enjoy a drink here and there. And I also picked up these Medela quick clean wipes. I used these to clean my pump and accessories while on the cruise. And the beach trip wouldn't be complete for kiddo without a cute shark towel! Hopefully this was helpful! xo
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