My husband and I are considering a cruise vacation in May, when our daughter will be 15 months old. Does Disney provide cribs/highchairs etc.? What should we expect when traveling with a toddler? What about the sun that time of year? <BR><BR>Thanks,<BR>Michelle

The sun should be shining wonderfully during May.<BR> Maybe you could take your daughter for a test-run trip close to home---visit a park, take her to a restaurant, visit a relative over night etc. to give you an idea what it is like to travel with a toddler and what to expect from her.<BR> I am sure some books from the library could also give you an idea what to expect from a toddler when you interrrupt her regular routine, strange water, meeting many strangers, etc.<BR> What a great cruise line for the babe.<BR>Happy cruising!!

Go to www.cruisecritic.com<BR><BR>They have a Disney board over there with people who have experience with this. They will be able to give you more information.

Hi Michelle,<BR><BR>Yes Disney has cribs and highchairs along with all other cruise lines that cater to families.<BR><BR>The crew will bend over backwards to make your child's trip pleasant.<BR><BR>Paul

Your baby will never remember the cruise. Why not wait four years so she<BR>will appreciate it? Better yet, choose<BR>another adult-oriented cruise line and<BR>go yourselves. A cruise is supposed to<BR>be a vacation! We've been on two cruises and have seen a handful of babies along, and believe me, the parents did not look as though they were enjoying themselves! High chairs just get in the way in the busy, crowded<BR>dining room. Babies don't have the<BR>patience to sit quietly through shows.<BR>Leave the baby at home and you two enjoy<BR>a second honeymoon.

I couldn't agree more. Your baby will<BR>not appreciate, let alone remember, all<BR>the money you're spending on a cruise.<BR>She will just get in the way and ruin<BR>your vacation. A cruise should be<BR>relaxing and fun - not a time to change<BR>diapers and hear the same crying you<BR>hear at home. Dumb idea taking a baby<BR>on a cruise!

michelle, <BR>disney will have cribs and highchairs.. but remember that there is NO childrens programs and no group sitting for a child that young.. so if you do take your child on the cruise either be prepared to be with the child 24 hrs/day OR anticipate extra fees for babysitting services. But of all cruiselines disney would be my pick.. they even provide parents w/ pagers when they have your child to notify you if there is a need to come back for any reason.

There are two types of parents. Those that care about their children and want to be with them as much as possible when the children are young and those that could care less about their children, can not stand their whining and crying and try to dump them off to anyone who is willing to take them. These are the children that end up in special schools that have professionals to work with children with behavior problems.<BR><BR>Paul

Michelle, back to what Paul said, if you do want to leave your baby in day care on the cruise most of the time, why take her? Do yourselves a favor and go by yourself. You won't regret it.<BR>Most parents need a vacation FROM a one-year old, not WITH a one-year old.

Paul is not a parenting expert. Most parents want to have some private time without their little children. I isn't a very romantic time to spend a cruise with a 15 month old baby!<BR><BR>Leave the child with a family member, and go enjoy yourself. The child will not hold it against you, and you will have a great getaway!

Why don't some of you consider that perhaps Michelle doesn't have anyone to leave her daughter with? Not everyone has a willing and able relative to care for their child, nor might they feel comfortable leaving the baby with a paid sitter for an entire week!<BR><BR>Michelle, my sister took my nephew on a cruise at 15 months last year and they had a great time. Yes they had to be with the baby day and night, but it beat being home in the cold with the baby day and night!<BR><BR>Ignore the comments, go on the cruise now and in 4 years, or every year for that matter! Your daughter can go in the kiddie pool and play with the toys in the kids room if you are with her. You can also take her to Castaway Cay, Disneys private island and any other port you visit.<BR><BR>After all, it doesn't matter whether your daughter will appreciate the cruise, it's a matter of whether you and your husband will appreciate a nice family vacation, and I believe cruises are great family vacations. It's my childrens favorite.

If I read Michelle's question right, she never once asked about leaving her child with anyone. Why does everyone jump to the assumption that parents want to &quot;dump&quot; their child when they're on vacation?<BR><BR>If the &quot;they will never remember it&quot; theory is correct, why do we bother doing anything with our child until they are in elementary school? I'll bet Michelle's baby won't remember what she received for a Christmas present either, but &quot;Santa&quot; still probably put something under the tree. <BR><BR>Some people want to do things with their young children for the memories; not the child's but the parents'. Michelle, go over to www.disboards.com where they have a Disney cruise line forum and they will answer every one of your questions nicely and honestly. There is a huge niche of people that travel with young children and are loving every minute of it. I can't imagine anything nicer right now than sitting on a verandah sipping a glass of wine while the baby is snoozing in the cabin.

Michelle<BR><BR>Forget all the negative comments. After a battle with cancer my 15 year old passed away two years ago. I do not regret for a moment the traveling my wife, daughter, and I did starting with her as an infant. So what that she didn't remember. For the first year after she left us one of the things that kept us going were those memories. So for all you idiots that like to bash us parents for our &quot;load screaming brats&quot; I say live with it. I'll always have my memories.

As far as the baby remembering things, you can't compare getting a gift from Santa to spending a few thousand dollars<BR>on a cruise. Anyway, one-year olds are notoriously fussy about sleeping in their own beds and will probably be awake half the night crying, and forget about putting her in your bed to comfort her, those cruise ship beds are TINY. Trust me, the parents I saw on cruises with babies did not look happy and relaxed.

Hey Sherri, are you sure it wasn't YOU who was bothered by the babies and not the parents?<BR><BR>FYI, we've traveled with our kids from 11 weeks on and loved every minute of it (OK, not every minute, but pretty darn near most of it). MYOB. It's our thousands of dollars and if we want to spend it on a cruise or any other type of vacation it's our business, not yours.

I admit I was annoyed with the crying, then again so were other passengers, and the waiters. The cruise employees are required to put on a happy face, but it doesn't make their job easier having to get around high chairs. I know it's your money. All I'm saying is, a cruise is a great vacation for a couple or family with more self-sufficient kids. You will have much <BR>more freedom and be relaxed if the baby isn't along.

Aw, c'mon Sherri, the crew dotes on babies and the highchairs are no bother at all. Also, I have never seen a parent that did not remove a crying child from a dining room. It is no one's business whether they are having a good time or not. And who ever said that a couple traveling with a child even considers romance. <BR><BR>My condolences go to Happy Parent on the loss of her child. We too have fond memories or our toddlers on vacations. We have &quot;happy&quot; pictures that show off those memories.<BR><BR>Paul

you cannot put a small child with a diaper in any of the pools... ecoli.

We just returned from a cruise on the Horizon and we were unable to stop in Cayman because of rough waters. Many of the passengers were sick, but I felt especially sorry for the little ones. They looked miserable and there's not much you could do for them. I wouldn't bring one that young on a cruise.