Vacationing with a 1 year old?

[SiValleySteph]

I'm in desperate need of a vacation! :p

I'd like to plan something for the fall when DS will just be 1 year old. Who has vacationed with their approx 1 year old? Can you please share where you went and how it went? :cool:

We (DH & I) have talked about taking a pretty serious vacation like maybe to Europe or Brazil, but I'm worried that might be too much with the baby at this age. I'm thinking it might just be easier to go with the standard Hawaii or Mexico vacation.

We're not afraid of travel - we did take our son to China at 3-1/2 months - but at the same time I want us to enjoy ourselves! I'm also worried that he doesn't do that well with time changes and may be cranky with a large time zone difference.

[linda_loo]

We haven't gone on any serious vacations... but we would if we could afford them.

I will say that when we were pg, we hesitated to travel, because we were worried about it being hard to be pg and travelling. Then, when we had one child, it was harder and we hesitated to travel. Then, we had another child and realized - - - it's not getting any easier and we should go where we want, when we can. IOW, I'm saying that if you find a place where children are welcome, go for it. Brazil may be tough now, but if you are planning to have more kids, it's only going to be twice (or 3 times) as hard (until, of course, they are significantly older).

We took our 3 year old and 18 month old to Disney World in the spring, and it was challenging as expected, but lots of fun. Everything else we have done have been trips to NYC or short trips.

[Orange]

We took our daughter to Switzerland last summer when she was 1 - she actually had her birthday while we were there. It was a work trip for DH and vacation for DD and I, so it wasn't a typical family vacation. It was great, though. The time difference was a bit tough the first day, but she adjusted quickly. We took an overnight flight so we were all exhausted when we got there. We were picked up at the aiport by friends and went straight to a restaurant for lunch. DD threw up in the restaurant - I think it was just too much for her after being up almost all night. THat night, she wouldn't go to sleep until it was 8pm Eastern time, which was 2am in Zurich. We were staying in a house with friends and we were worried she would keep everyone awake, so we ended up putting her in the stroller and going out walking at 1am until she fell asleep. The next morning we made her get up at 10 and she was pretty much set after that. I think the key is going with the mindset that you're on vacation with a one year old so you need to relax your schedule to account for naps, etc. We took as little baby gear as possible - we bought baby food, milk, diapers while we were there.

Have fun!

[mom_to_zoe]

We have found that they best way to vacation with our toddler is to rent a house or condo somewhere for a week or so. Hotels are tough unless you get a suite because the baby needs somewhere to nap and he or she goes to bed so much earlier than we do. If you have one room, it makes it almost impossible. So that is why we like to rent a house or condo. Baby has his or her own room for sleeping and we have room to hang out as adults. Plus, having a kitchen is a huge plus with a little one.

We actually tend to vacation with family. That way, there is lots of extra hands for child care and usually they offer to babysit for at least one night! Another trick we would do consider is traveling with another family. The kids have playmates and you can trade off babysitting at night.

HTH!

[Orange]

Oh yeah, ITA with mom_to_zoe on having extra rooms! On that trip to Swizerland we didn't have that but we always try to and it makes a huge difference! I also always make sure that we have a fridge in the room, that way we can store our own milk and some yogurts, cheese or whatever for snacks or first thing in the morning.

[chandy]

We just took a cruise last month with DD, who was 11 months at the time. We had a wonderful time! My parents also came along to help with the baby. Having them was very nice, and allowed us to do some things we wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. I was never worried about the vacation. My baby is a very go-with-the-flow kind of gal, so I knew she'd handle it with no problems. I just think it's important to go into the vacation with a different set of expectations than you would have without a baby. But vacationing with a baby can be so much fun!

[Renrel]

Another recommendation on a place with and extra room. That makes a ton of difference in how easy/enjoyable the vacation will be. Also think about the fact that you child may be mobile by fall, if she is not already, so a space that is easier to babyproof is also better. No open air rooms in the tropics, no homes with stairs that can't be blocked off, no private dipping pools without fences unless you trust yourselves to have a hand or eye on you child 150% of the time. It is so easy to turn away for a moment to ask a question of your spouse and have you mobile baby tumble into the pool.

If you can't afford an extra room some people have recommended getting a place with a balcony, that way you have a pleasant place to hang when the baby goes to sleep at night. I did one weekend in a one room motel and sitting outside the door while the baby slept from 6pm on was not much fun.

If you can bring any help with you concider it. Whether it is your parents, your nanny or a teenage cousin who you would trust to help with the baby while you are still near by. An extra set of hands and eyes can make things so much easier.

[SiValleySteph]

Thank you so much for all the tips and replies! I never even thought about things like getting a seperate room for the baby to sleep, getting a fridge and babyproofing the room and all that. Definitely things to consider! Now I am thinking that maybe we should see if my parents want to vacation with us... um, I'm not sure how DH will take that! :p

We haven't made any plans yet, just talk, but now I think that we should really just go for it and decide on a vacation. I think we are just nervous about how it would go with our son. Our last trip (just to So Cal) went pretty well - I had him doing laps (crawling) in the hallway of the hotel to and from the ice machine to burn off some energy. :D

[Renrel]

Remind your DH that if the grandparents are there, in a seperate room, you and he get to actual spend time alone. If your parents are anything like mine they may even let you leave the baby in their room one night so you can sleep in at least one day of your vacation. While it is not the same as time away I really enjoy visiting my parents or my inlaws these days (not that I didn't before but it is a special treat now) since there are all these extra hands and eyes to keep Gabe occupied. It is a real vacation for me in the way the three of us going away together is not. Last summer for my 40th b-day my folks took a motel room in the same resort area that they sent me and my DH to for a weekend away. They kept Gabe all weekend but if they needed me I was a half hour away. We actually ran into each other by accident one day. Gabe was great and I pumped up a ton of fresh breast milk being away from him for 2 full days.

[jewamese]

Hey Stephanie!
We just got back from Hawaii with Taya. She did great! And, if T can do it, any baby can. :p
ITA on the separate room. We didn't get a 2br, but we got a 1br condo. We'd put her down, and hang out in the other room & watch tv or whatever. Fridge is a must, too.

As for travelling on the plane, I'd pack a "bag o' tricks." Yunno, distractions. We had a DVD player for the plane trip. That was the key! Snacks, drinks, books, stickers, cellphone, gameboy, and everything Hello Kitty (Taya is obsessed with HK) really helped.

[carolc]

We have found that they best way to vacation with our toddler is to rent a house or condo somewhere for a week or so.

Big DITTO on this. That is my ideal kind of vacation with a kiddo. I really hate being stuck in a dark hotel room tiptoeing around a sleeping toddler.

[cc8]

BUMP!

DH and I are considering taking a trip to Maui in Dec. DD would be just shy of 16 months. The farthest we've taken her so far is literally only a 40 minute car trip.

DH is worried that the trip would be more work/stress in dealing with DD than anything remotely vacation-like. HELP! How bad could it be?

(DD has never been on a plane; we live in CA so the flight wouldn't be *too* long).

[Toonces]

It really depends on her temperament and whether she's going through any developmental milestones or teething at the time - that can throw everything off.

We've traveled quite a bit with DD - from 3.5 months old through almost 2 years old. I wouldn't say it's easy and there are things that make the vacation not so relaxing (fighting naps and bedtime), but for the most part we've had enjoyable trips. Our DD didn't do well at all on an airplane ride when she was really little and we haven't attempted one since. When your DD is 16 months old I'd just suggest have plenty of things to keep her entertained on the flight, esp if she's walking by then - she'll probably want to be up, down and all over the place; again, it depends on her temperament.

Have a fun trip if you decide to go!

[cc8]

Thanks catgirl! Bumping for more ideas.

[kimthebride]

cc8
My only concern about that trip is the time difference. How much is it between CA & HA - is it 2 hours? I find anything over an hour can be annoying unless you have someone with you to babysit or a really flexible kid.
We thought about taking our DS from NJ to AZ around 16 months. But the thought of dealing with shifting DS's naps, meals & bedtime just for 1 week OR going with his usual routine (which in AZ would mean up at 3am, bfast at 4am, lunch at 9am, dinner at 2pm, etc) seemed not quite worth going it alone just the 3 of us.
Mind you, I do hope it works for you since Maui is wonderful, and so very family friendly!

As for flying, check out the Master Travel Thread for lots of tips!

[SiValleySteph]

Hey cc8,

We did go on a trip then when DS was 14 months old. We went to Oahu. For our DS, we wanted more of the bustle of Oahu vs other Hawaiian islands. He likes action. In fact, we just went again last month for his 2nd birthday. That time we took the grandparents. :D

On that first trip it went really well. With the 3 hour time difference, he went to bed pretty early. We even went out to dinner serveral times with him sleeping in the stroller. We just got one hotel room and it was fine. We had a porta-crib in there, as well, but DS just ended up sleeping with us because it was easier. It was really nice to be able to go out with him in the stroller later on.

We also had a really nice time on the beach. DS really enjoyed it. It was a pretty relaxing vacation, really. Yes, it's tiring to be watching DS 24-7, but it is at home too. It was definitely worth it!

[cc8]

Great feedback kimthebride & SiValleySteph!!

I didn't quite think through what the time difference would do to DD's napping/sleeping (we are in CA). But I can't imagine that the time shift would screw up her napping *that* extremely. Perhaps I am being naive. Or I am thinking hopefully.

Stephanie, that is great that you've had such wonderful experiences travelling with your DS. I thought of asking my parents to come along but if they did, I don't think it would be as relaxing for DH. Even if I could convince DH otherwise (and I bet I could!) I just found out that my mom will be travelling internationally in Dec and it would just be too much to ask her to come with us too.

[kimthebride]

I didn't quite think through what the time difference would do to DD's napping/sleeping (we are in CA). But I can't imagine that the time shift would screw up her napping *that* extremely. Perhaps I am being naive. Or I am thinking hopefully.

Nothing wrong with optimism! ;) Also keep in mind, I am pregnant with #2 right now, and the lack of energy and a very active toddler makes me just less excited about the prospect of dealing with a cranky kid on a 2-hour routine change.

I do a 1-hour time change all the time when visiting the IL's, and just keep him on his routine because 1 hour earlier isn't a big deal to me (lunch at 11 instead of 12, etc).

As for travel itself, I find this is the age for DC to have their own seat on the plane, and strap them in with a carseat. Restraint can be a good thing. :D

[Bloomwood]

I don't have a 1 yo, so feel free to ignore me :D

We are planning a trip to Maui this winter with our DD who will be 7 mos old. We're also in CA, so 3 hour time change. My feeling on the whole travel with an infant thing is just do it. I know that if I overthink or overstress, I'll paralyze myself with indecision. I'm going to read the tips I can find, but at the end of the day I am just going to take the trip, have a great time and maybe learn some lessons for next time!

Of course, I did research enough to find this sitting service (http://www.thenannyconnection.com/faq.htm) in Maui and this service for toys etc. (http://www.babysaway.com/index.html) while traveling. Both referred by my local mothers' club. And, we have reserved a one bedroom so she can sleep in one room while we hang out in the other room.

Part of my bravery comes from a friend who has shlepped two kids by herself to Europe and the Caribbean a couple of times. (I think part of her success was flying 1st ;))

[KellyM]

We took DD overseas twice when she was around 1 (once when she was 11 months than a month later) and she really had no problems adjusting to the time change. Granted, she is an easy going kid but I think kids are able to adjust to the different time zones better than we are!

For long flights - Benadryl works like a charm...(unless your kid is one of the ones where it has the opposit effect)

[BeachBum]

We took DS to Italy when he was 13 mo, in Oct of 2006. He was great on the flight. I credit that to him having his own seat and flying at night.
The time change really wacked him out. The first few nights he woke up in the middle of the night wanting to play. That was really hard on DH and me.
The other hard parts were spending more time than usual in the car and in the carseat. In our normal day, he doesnt do much of either. He was mad quite a bit that he was "trapped".

Even with the hard parts I mentioned, I'm glad we went. We were really nervous about the trip, b/c it was a lot of money and just for fun (as opposed to visiting family).

If anyone wants more info about what worked for us, don't hesitate to PM me. I'm not so great at checking back in here :)

[maryanne]

bump for me!

we are heading to mexico with a nine month old in march.my biggest concerns are the dealing with secirity, babyproofing the room, and dealing with a baby in the sun.

She was a sheltered newborn during her first few months, so this whole sun and water thing is new to me.

any and all hints are appreciated! TIA:D

[meatpie]

I'm also wondering what people packed. Our son will be 13 months when we go to France (from Los Angeles) and I've thought about using a service that ships diapers, toys, etc. to hotels, apartments.

Anyway...any travel, packing tips?

[SiValleySteph]

I don't ship anything when we travel.

Diapers, wipes, I take my own along. With domestic travel, you can buy there, but for international, I think it's easiest to bring all you need since you are used to the brands.

For toys, stay small. Kids won't need that many toys on a vacation because you'll be out and about most of the time. I do like to bring a bag of books/toys for the plane and then for while we're there. When my son was your DD's age, he had a blast playing with the phone in the hotel room. I just unplugged it from the wall, so he wasn't calling everybody!

For packing, I like to seperate DS's clothes out in ziplocs, like pants, shirts, etc. Diapers in their own bag. A small ziploc for his toiletries inside my own toiletry bag.

If your child drinks formula, bring that. For toddler, if they have some favorite snacks, bring some of those. I don't usually bring too much in the way of food - just let DS find something to eat! Bring a couple sippy cups & a little container of dish soap for washing, if your DC uses sippies.

We're going to China this spring (not sure when yet) and I *may* bring along some milk boxes, PB & J, etc., since the food is so different than what we have here. DS is okay with Chinese food, but I'm unsure of how it will be for every meal!

So I guess my advice would be, try to prepare, but don't go overboard. :)

[meatpie]

So I guess my advice would be, try to prepare, but don't go overboard. :)

But I do overboard so well :D

Thanks for the advice. Dishwashing detergent - brilliant!!

[Ohana]

Do they still sell the disposable dishcloths impregnated with detergent? If so, those are great for travel. Keep them in a baggie in your diaper bag and you can wash cups, binkies, whatever on the go.

[meatpie]

Do they still sell the disposable dishcloths impregnated with detergent? If so, those are great for travel. Keep them in a baggie in your diaper bag and you can wash cups, binkies, whatever on the go.

That is also brilliant!!

[ellidew]

Where are good (not overly expensive) places to vacation with a 1 year old?

We plan to take a vacation this fall and our ds will be 1 in november so he'll either be just under or just over a year. I can't imagine going anywhere with him now but that's because he's colicky and screams for hours on end. Could you imagine the looks we'd get while on an airplane?! There's no way he'd survive a long driving vacation either so we're just going to wait unti the end of the year. I don't know where to take him though. I'd love to go somewhere with a swimming pool that allows babies in swim diapers. I really want him to have the pool experience.

What are some kid friendly areas to travel to? Dh and i have always traveled and we've been all over but we've never had to factor in a small child. Unless we go somewhere within a reasonable driving distance (from St. Louis) there's no way we'd be able to get dh's parents to go and my mom isn't someone i'd necessarily want to travel with ;) His mom refuses to fly and wont get on a cruise boat either... even a train is out. So we can fly and they can drive but it has to be within reason. It isn't totally necessary though.

It has to be somewhere warm, that's my only requirement. :D

I'm thinking we might just take a 5 day cruise out of new orleans or something. It's not a long drive and it's inexpensive. Has anyone cruised with a 1 year old?

[Renrel]

I don't have any specific recommendations, though there is a resort in Vermont, the name is something like Tyler ??that caters to families - all the rooms are suites they have daycare available for all ages, including infant (at a price), they keep baby food and the like on site. The plan I think is that the kids and parents seperate in the morning to do their own things and get together for family stuff in the afternoon.

But what I would say to look for is:

suites or some kind of room arrangement that allow your child to sleep while you are awake in the room. So much fun to have to sit in the dark without the tv on so that the baby can sleep.

Plan to only do one or two things a day.

Be prepared to change plans on a moments notice, go with this attitude in mind.

Remember nap schedules. You probably want any off site activies to be pretty near by, to allow you to return to the room for your child to nap. Though some kids can nap find in a stroller.

Remember that strollers don't usually fit very well in cute little resort town shops with narrow ailses.

Check that the resort allows swim diapers and that there is shade available. Babies don't sun bath!

Make sure you can get a little fridge in your room for milk, BM or formula as well as little kid snacks. A efficiency is even better- nice to have the option of eatting in when you have a kid to deal with. Both for bad moods and to not spend $15 for each box of cereal and cup of fruit.

Concider renting a Condo or other multi room place. The extra room to spread out is great when you have a kid with you.

Concider bringing a relative or nanny with you for some build in child care. It is nice to be able to go out as a couple while on vacation, but you may not trust the hotel to provide a worthly babysitter.

If you can't afford a suite or condo concider places with nice sized balconies, these can function as your second room when baby is sleeping.

[meatpie]

Our friends took their 4 month old TWINS on a 7-day caribbean cruise just recently. She said it was wonderful. She bought a UV tent for the times they laid out on deck so they could place the kids out of the sun. So I think this could be a possibility with you. Plus, she mentioned it was very well $$$.

Also, there is a Club Med family resort in FL that caters to families. We had friends that spent Christmas there and liked it.

Do Disney Cruises go out of NO?

Another idea might be Mexico. There area a ton of all-inclusives that are relatively inexpensive. Not sure about flights from St. Lou though. We looked into Mexico with our son and there were several options, we just decided to get crazy and are going to Europe. (So not inexpensive, btw. Had I known...)

[SiValleySteph]

Not to discount renrel's advice, as it is very well thought out. But I don't find some of those things that important to us when we are on vacation. DS would just stay up later than usual or sleep in the stroller and we were still able to eat dinner and whatever and then after he went to sleep we were either tired or watching a little TV at the end of the night. Oh, we can watch TV after he's asleep. He's been on a lot of vacations. :) You will know your DS's personality better (and yours!) closer to when you are going on vacation. I hope he grows out of his colic (that happens, right?) and you are able to have a pleasant vacation! We always just kind of play it by ear.

meatpie, I hear you on the not inexpensive vacation. We just bought $2800 worth of plane tickets for the 3 of us. Blah.

[ellidew]

We just bought $2800 worth of plane tickets for the 3 of us. Blah.

Holy Cow! I am wanting to spend about $1500 for the entire vacation! :)

[LexyLou]

Not to discount renrel's advice, as it is very well thought out. But I don't find some of those things that important to us when we are on vacation. DS would just stay up later than usual or sleep in the stroller and we were still able to eat dinner and whatever and then after he went to sleep we were either tired or watching a little TV at the end of the night. Oh, we can watch TV after he's asleep. He's been on a lot of vacations. :) You will know your DS's personality better (and yours!) closer to when you are going on vacation. I hope he grows out of his colic (that happens, right?) and you are able to have a pleasant vacation! We always just kind of play it by ear.



As you mention, I think it greatly depends on your DC's personality. All the things listed in Renrel's post are exactly the things that we look for when booking a vacation.

My DD will not sleep in a stroller (she's fallen asleep twice in her life since the age of 1 month in her stroller and only slept for 30 minutes and we had to keep moving).

She also will not sleep if she is in the same room as us with noise so a suite is the only way to go for us too.

Vacationing with an easy going kid is much easier and cheaper but for us suites, respecting naps as much as possible, etc. make the trip 100 times better.

[EJH]

We rented a condo last summer in Provincetown during family week .... we will always always go somewhere with a kitchen. It was perfect for us. We went to be around other two-mom; two-dad families, but even without that it was the PERFECT vacation. A 5-minute walk to down from the condo, right on the ocean...we made nearly every meal in the condo (dd was 11 months....the start of us not going to most restaurants ;) )....it was such a great deal cost wise for us, and 100% relaxing.

[SiValleySteph]

As you mention, I think it greatly depends on your DC's personality. All the things listed in Renrel's post are exactly the things that we look for when booking a vacation.

Oh yes, definitely! I hope no one thought I disagreed with renrel - just wanted to give an alternative viewpoint. That said, we're looking at a 3bed room condo for the upcoming vacation (DH's parents are going as well). :)

[Renrel]

As SiValley pointed out, alot will definately depend on your child's personality. Some kids need to be kept to a strict schedule others can go with the flow. Some will sleep with other people talking in the room or through the TV, others are so tuned in to any activity that they will not sleep if they even know you are in the room, regardless of whether you are doing anything. Some kids do fine in a nice resturant, others are scary to take to a family friendly place.

It will be easier if you can wait to make reservations and plans until your child is a bit older. When you know if they nap easily, can handle disruption of their schedule, sleep on the go or only in a crib. (I think that Weisblum commented in his book that stroller naps were not as good as stationary naps, so I used to make a point of trying to be home for nap time, but that was my parenting style. These days I am terrible about naps and on weekends DS often falls asleep in the car after a day of errands or at home after 3pm which means he wakes just before dinner. ) If you need to make your plans now I would suggest assuming you have a kid who needs his or her own room, or the closest you can afford to replicate that situation, just to be safe.

I always thought of my son as pretty easy going but bedtime has always been challenging to us. It is 11:30 and he is still making noice in his room as I type. My post was mosty based on my memories of a three day weekend in a motel room where we were stuck hanging out on the stoop under a awning while it rained because DS would not fall asleep if we were in the room. And going to out to dinner one night, where he was doing just great until dinner arrived and then started screaming so that one of us had to walk around while the other ate alone at the table. (This was the first time I actually order a nice meal at this seafood resturant too. In past years I had always gone with something like fish and chips, so I was double annoyed not to be able to enjoy it. ) And not being able to stroll the harbor town type shops like we used to because it was too much of a pain to manover the stroller. It was not a vacation from hell, we still had fun, but lots of things came up that made us realize that we had to think out family vacations differently then we had couple vacations, even if it was just a weekend at a motel near the beach.

[meatpie]

This thread is making me so glad we are going to France with Jack. He is so easy going - sleeps most places, stroller, pack-n-play, etc. We have slept successfully in the same room with him (minus one trip to Cape Cod). Anyway...I've been worried about this vacation at times, but feel about about draggin my 13 month old to France!!!

[Ohana]

ellidew We went on a cruise when our DD#1 was 14 months old. Aside from food issues, it was a pretty easy trip. We were on NCL, and found that neither their dining rooms nor their buffets were particularly child friendly. They had Mardi Gras night one night and there was absolutely nothing appropriate for our daughter to eat! Poor thing ate chicken noodle soup every time we ate in the formal dining room.

Should you go the cruise route, I would recommend one of the freestyle type cruises where you don't have to eat at a certain place and time, and pack food that's baby friendly (though your baby may well still be eating mostly baby food. In that case NCL would have had baby foods on board for us, DD was just too old to be eating purees, kwim?).

Also, I would be very concientious about hygiene. NCL has filthy ships and we had to be very careful about washing hands and not touching anything in the public areas.

[Tracy]

DH and I are wanting to take DS on a cruise. He will probably be about 18 months. Our only concern is sleep. DS goes to bed pretty early. He won't sleep anywhere other than a crib or PNP. Those of you that have cruised with DC, how did you work around sleep schedules?

[Bloomwood]

Any tips for managing the long overseas flight?? We are going to Sweden via Frankfurt when DD is 15 mos old. So it'll be SFO - Frankfurt - Sweden. We leave SFO at 7 pm (good b/c it's DD bedtime) and arrive at 6p. Benadryl?? We're flying business class so we didn't buy her a seat.

We flew from HI to SFO in Jan and she didn't sleep for the entire plane ride...4 hours I think.

[Ohana]

Tracy When we took our cruise, my whole family went with us. My mom stayed in the cabin with DD several times so DH and I could go have dinner or whatever. Otherwise, one of us stayed in the cabin while DD was sleeping and the other would go to the shows or walk around. We might have ordered room service a couple of times and picnic'd as well.

Bloomwood My mom used to give us Benadyl when she flew with us on overseas flights. She took 4 of us all by herself!!! :eek: However, you should test out your DD's reaction to Benadryl beforehand, because it can cause hyperactivity in some children, including mine.

[SiValleySteph]

Bloomwood, Benadryl has the opposite effect on my son. Hyper city! Pesonally, I can't really get behind the benadryl for flying thing, but I know it works for a lot of people. But for sure, test it out first!!

Anyways, how good is your daughter at sleeping on your lap? That's the only thing I was worried about from your post. That's a lot of sleeping and a 15mo old is pretty big. Maybe bring a pillow along or something to make it comfortable for her? I guess in business class the seats are super big and recline, right? So more like a bed? Maybe it won't be too bad then. She could lie on your chest. I would probably put her in her PJs before getting on the flight and if she has a lovey or blanket she sleeps with, bring that on the plane too, to help her realize it's bed time. It will all be worth it anyways!

We're taking a 13 hour flight with DS soon and I'm not too worried. He's very good at sleeping in his carseat. I'm sure he'll sleep much better than I will! :D

[Tracy]

When we took our cruise, my whole family went with us. My mom stayed in the cabin with DD several times so DH and I could go have dinner or whatever. Otherwise, one of us stayed in the cabin while DD was sleeping and the other would go to the shows or walk around. We might have ordered room service a couple of times and picnic'd as well.


I think that my parents could easily be persuaded to go with us. DH and I figured that between the 4 of us, we could take turns staying with him. I guess my main concern is what does that person do in a small cabin when he goes to bed at 7:00? Any suggestions?

[Bloomwood]

Ohana - your mother was a braver woman than I!!!

Steph - thanks. She is a GREAT sleeper...in her crib. We debated 3 coach seats v. 2 business class. I'll be curious to see if we wish we'd done coach. I agree; it will be worth it regardless. Other passengers may disagree, but so be it. I will try out the Benadryl beforehand if we think we might want to go that route.

[Pink_Converse]

Tracy I've read that it's good to get a cabin w/ a balcony if you have a baby so you have a place to hang out while they sleep.

[Ohana]

Tracy Our DD could sleep through anything, so the person staying with her could watch TV or read (or sleep!). Maybe you can take a portable DVD player and watch movies? The DVD player might come in handy on the flights and such with your DS, too.

[Tracy]

Ohana You are very lucky that your DD will sleep through anything! That would make things much easier. The portable DVD player is a good idea. I'm thinking that we probably really should go with a cabin that has a balcony. I was trying to avoid that additional cost though.

[ginadc]

Tracy, we just came back from a 10-day cruise with our then 11-month-old daughter in January. We did a Royal Caribbean cruise--the plus with them is that they have in-cabin sitting for kids older than 6 months. It's $8 per hour for up to two kids. The sitters are from the housekeeping staff and are CPR-trained and so on. Ours was a wonderful woman from the Philippines named Henrietta, who has about a dozen nieces and nephews.

We would take DD with us to dinner (early seating, where she was fussed over like a princess by the wait staff) and then take her back to the cabin at about 7:30 for bedtime. Henrietta would be there to settle her down, and we would go out for a few hours to enjoy the ship (we also sailed with two friends, a couple with no kids), see a show, have a drink, etc. We told Henrietta to feel free to just lie back on the bed and watch TV or nap, since Annika was sleeping the whole time, but I don't think she did--she would always be sitting right next to the pack-n-play watching her vigilantly when we got back. One night, she was a little congested and Henrietta had her sleeping on her shoulder because she was so worried about her breathing! (And this was just a runny nose.)

(We did tip the sitter in cash on top of the ship's $8/hour fee to the room, because we figured she probably saw only half of that if she was lucky, but you're not required to do that.)

We couldn't have been happier with the whole experience. Annika was hugely popular on the ship and had a ball, we got to spend a lot of fun time together as a family and still could go out as adults and have some romantic time just the two of us. It was great!

[Tracy]

ginadc Thanks for the response. I'm glad that you had such a great cruising experience. I knew that a lot of cruise lines had programs for kids, but didn't know about in-cabin babysitting. That's great. I'm also happy to hear that you were able to successfully take your DD to dinner. I was thinking that the waitstaff would make such a big deal over DS that we'd be fine. I know that a lot of the crew really misses their own children.

[ginadc]

That's exactly what happened, Tracy. We had so many crew members get misty over their own kids who were near DD's age when they last saw them. They just swarmed around her! I forgot--this cruise was actually Celebrity, not RCCL, but they have pretty much the same policies for kids.

On both Celebrity and RCCL, if you let them know far enough in advance (45 days plus), they will provide either formula or baby food or Gerber Graduates. But the wait staff will also prepare whatever you want, pretty much--puree vegetables for you, bring big fruit plates cut up the way you want, and so on. We got big bowls of berries for Annika every night because she's a berry fiend.

Also, although kids younger than 3 can't go to the "Kids' Club" on their own--i.e., you can't leave them there to play while you do other things--you can take them there to play in designated areas. On our ship (Celebrity Constellation), we could play in the toddler room with DD, where they had a little ball tent and a lot of the same toddler toys she has at home--Baby Einstein benches, walking push toys, and so on. We didn't use it that much, but especially on sea days, it was nice to just be able to plop down with her in an environment she could freely roam in.

[Tracy]

ginadc Thanks for the information. It's great to know that they are so accommodating!

We booked our cruise this morning! I'm excited. My parents are going to go with us and we were able to get adjoining cabins with balconies. I think it is a great solution for dealing with DS early bedtime. I'm looking forward to it, but am a little nervous at the same time. As much anxiety that I have, I am really proud of myself for booking this trip. DH and I (mostly me) feel that we have spent the past year as slaves to DS schedule. We've really resisted doing much of anything that would make him miss a nap or keep him from getting to bed on time. This trip is a big step for us, but I've come to the realization that if I think that traveling with DS is going to be difficult, that it's not going to bed any easier when we have another baby (or two).

[meatpie]

Congrats!! Where are you going on the cruise? We're off to France from Los Angeles in March so we are nervous as well!!!

[Tracy]

Good luck with your trip to France! How long is the flight? You'll have to let us know how it goes.

Our cruise is going to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, and Costa Maya. No where too exciting, but we're looking forward to it!

[maryanne]

tracy- I am sure that you know this but you need a passport for mexico now :)

[Tracy]

That's what I thought too, but it turns out that you only need them at this point for air travel to Mexico. It will apply to cruise travel next year sometime.

[maryanne]

Cozumel doesn;t count as Mexico? That is really cool if there is an exeption for cruises -I am jealous, b/c I have wasted all day running around getting stuff for dd's passport ARRRRGH (but we are flying)

[Tracy]

Cozumel is in Mexico. If you were to fly from Cozumel to the US, you would need a passport. If you take a cruise there, you don't need a passport until sometime in 2008. That was how it was explained to me at least.

[BeachBum]

I'm also wondering what people packed. Our son will be 13 months when we go to France (from Los Angeles) and I've thought about using a service that ships diapers, toys, etc. to hotels, apartments.

Anyway...any travel, packing tips?

When we took DS to Italy we brought enough diapers for the flight and about 1 day. We thought it was fun to buy supplies :) They sold Pampers and Huggies as well as several other brands.
As for toys we took just a few things, mostly car type toys and a ball that we could inflate, 1 truck, and a few nesting cups (that could also be tub toys).
We like to pack light, so for the 3 of us we had 2 med suitcases and carryon school type backpacks. One of those backpacks worked as a diaper bag. I'm glad we didn't have too much crap.
We did bring familiar snacks (goldfish etc) and he ate a lot of fruit that we could grab at the hotel (bananas apples pears). We also packed cream of wheat packets (that only need hot water) but we never used them. We worried a little about DS eating on the plane.

ETA: more
DS went through more clothes than we thought. He couldn't re-wear anything because it always got messy with food. Shout wipes were a must. We bought a windbreaker jacket for him and it worked as a bib often. The nylon material was easy to wipe down. (He hates to wear a bib).
Although I imagine your hotels will have toiletries for you and DH don't forget to pack a "no tears" shampoo for DS.
We did use our Mai Tai carrier for DS--if you have a backpack carrier I suggest bringing it. We liked the MT because it folded easily into our stuff. We even used it to make a carrier for the carseat in the airport. DH wore the carseat and pulled the bags. I pushed the stroller and wore a backpack.

[meatpie]

BeachBum - This is incredible! Thank you. I never thought of Shout wipes. And using a carrier to strap the carseat to your Hus is so smart!!

Were you glad you brought your carseat? Anything else you can think of - send my way. We leave in a few weeks!

Tracy - The flight there is non-stop and 9 hours. It's overnight leavign at 7:30 p.m. and arriving at 2:30 p.m. in France. Jack typically goes to bed at 8:00 p.m. so the timing is good. Even if he doesn't sleep well it may help us transition to France time.

The flight back is a killer. Leaves early afternoon, non-stop for 13 HOURS :eek: Could be a disaster!!

[Pink_Converse]

I'm flying from Tx to Washington with DS (he will be 14 mo. old). I think it's a 2 hour flight, then we change planes and it's a couple of more hours. My Dad and Stepmom will be traveling with me. Do I really need to get him a seat if I have people with me to help hold him? It's almost $400 for his seat and I hate to pay that if I really don't need to. Also if you bring your carseat but don't have a seat do you just check it? I've never traveled by plane with a baby before.

I plan to review this thread but if anyone feels like answering I have a couple of more questions:

Did you bring some kind of portable/strap on highchair if you weren't planning on eating in restaurants everyday? What kind did you bring?

If you babywear did you still bring a stoller?

[Ohana]

Pink Converse You do not have to buy a seat, but it is safer. We traveled with our DD when she was 14 months and did not buy her a seat. Looking back, it would have been a lot easier if we had. She would not sleep on me and we had a heck of a flight, because she was exhausted.

However, you can not buy a seat and hope there's a seat open on the plane (we've done this before and been lucky). We take the carseat to the gate with us and ask the gate agent to reseat us next to an empty seat. If the seat is still empty at boarding time, we take the carseat on with us. If it's been taken, we gate check the carseat.

When we visited the IL's, we did not take a high chair of any kind. We fed DD on the floor or someone held her. It was no biggie.

I also sling DD and have only taken our stroller on a couple of trips (we have a sit n stroll that can be used as a carseat as well). It's helpful but not necessary by any means. It more often ends up carrying our junk than carrying DD.