Vacation with a baby
 

Anybody ever taken a baby on a cruise or vacation?? Comments or advice?? <BR>

We waited until our son was in kindergarten to take a real vacation. We needed an adult night out so were able to hire a babysitter from the staff. We were lucky and our son was older because I didn't plan ahead.My second mistake was thinking a child could keep up with adults or be on a different schedule. Make sure you have plenty of familiar food/formula,bottles,diapers etc so if your away from your room you won't go thru problems with cranky child. Keep your pace slow, make sure you have plenty of sunscreen (we forgot the tops of his ears the first day). Make sure shady spots are available on the beach, things like that. I know you need a vacation, but babies don't...make sure it's casual/slow pace so you can relax with baby. <BR>

Make sure you check with the resort or cruiseline first. Many have restrictions on the age of children traveling (for example some cruise lines prohibit infants < 18 months, some resorts <2 years). Also be prepared - many adults traveling without kids aren't going to be crazy about your child disturbing their gourmet dinner, tour excursion, poolside nap, etc, because they are traveling to get away from kids, particularly in upscale lines and resorts. I for one have had the ambience of several EXPENSIVE meals ruined by the presence of an infant/small child at the next table who isn't interested in fancy food, is eating too late, who wants to pull the china off the table, who doesn't think Mom and Dad's idea of good time is so good, etc. If you MUST travel with small kids, pick a resort or cruiseline that caters to kids and take the previous person's post seriously. For example Disney Cruise Lines or Boscobel Beach resort in Jamaica both are specifically geared to families and you won't or shouldn't have adults around who are traveling to avoid kids.

Ellen, <BR> <BR>I now have a daughter who is 16 months old. We are very active people and our life was not going to come to a complete halt just because we had a baby. She loves playing on the beach as much as we love soaking up the sun. Your vacations are definately DIFFERENT. We took her to England when she was 1. Luckily the flight left Phoenix at 9:00 p.m. and she slept for 95% of the flight, the only exception was taking off and landing. We stayed in B&B's and took her monitor with us. When she fell asleep we locked up the room and went downstairs, most of which had a pub where we could get a quiet meal and a drink. This may not be as much of an option here in the states. This year we are taking her to Hawaii. Fortunately for us, our in-laws are in England and they are coming out to go with us to Hawaii so we have always had a sitter. I agree with the other persons post though, if you don't have someone to watch for your child find a resort that caters to children and has sitters. Before we knew our in-laws were coming with us to Hawaii, we checked out lots of places in the Carribean. There is even one called FDR in Jamaica that assigns you a nanny for your entire stay. For my own piece of mind I don't think I would have selected a resort that didn't offer some kind of a sitting service. It wouldn't have been any kind of a vacation for me! You can email me if you want any specifics on the places we checked out. A lot depends on how old your child(ren) are. Even the Disney cruise didn't accept children in the "kids program" unless they were 3. A lot of them don't (I think this is due to the potty training issue). Carnival cruise was the only cruise line that had activities for 2 year olds. There is a club med that has a nursery for infants. Just use common sense, don't expect to go anywhere fancy, and TRY to arrange flight times around their naps!

My husband and I too decided not to let our traveling lives come to a halt just because we have children. We flew to the carribean x2 with a 1 1/2 year old, and by the time she was 3 she had flown x5. Not bragging just pointing out that we love to travel and have done so successfully with the one, and have since flown with the 3yr. old and our 5 mo. old. She's a fussy baby, but we even managed with her. Though it is true they're not interested in the same things you are necessisarily, and you can't have a rigid schedule or eat where you have to wait a while for your meal. If you want to relax with a drink in your room, stay somewhere that has balconies or patios with good views, fridges, and buy a 6 pack or bottle of wine, put in fridge, have a drink together on balcony when baby is asleep. If you fly take pacifier, bottle or breast for baby to suck on during landings especially. I nurse mine & she doesn't like a pacifier normally, but used it on the plane, in the rental car. I had good luck when traveling with the 2 putting my baby in a front carrier - make sure it's a good one that doesn't break your back. Allow your baby time to lay on the bed/crib/floor & stretch out & wiggle for a while when possible. Don't be afraid, just plan ahead. I personally was surprised how nice people were on the plane, in restaurants, hotels, etc. Those who were traveling childless were attracted to my children because they missed theirs!

Don't let it stop you. I took many vacations before I had kids and I couldn't bear leaving them for a week, so I take them with. The vacation is not as relaxing with kids, but I have a family now and we all go together. My kids are 1 and 4 and we are planning a trip to Key West this winter. I've taken them to Jamaica several times, HIRE a NANNY. Young children needs to be watched every minute. It's no vacation if you can't sit still for a minute! In Jamaica there was only the beach for entertainment and if the sea is rough, there won't be much else to do. My kids travel well, we bring a ton of stuff, new toys, new books, to entertain them on the plane. The older they get the easier it will be. Take lots of pictures, since they won't remember the experience.

Though this wasn't my original post, I read these comments with GREAT interest. My wife and I love traveling and are expecting our first baby in Sept. We plan to continue to travel. Have friends who leave their babies at home..but we really want to spend time with the little one even tho we know it will make our vacation *less relaxing* We are planning a long weekend in Florida when she is 6-7 months and a week in Maui (plus another in CA to visit her auntie) when she is 10 months. Glad to hear others have done it. Was beginning to think it was impossible!

Traveling with a baby should be no problem at all, especially if it is just one child! Just be realistic in your expectations of yourselves and your child. Beach rentals worked great for us at that stage as did a condo in the mountains. Time to relax when the child is napping...(You can also consider, if your budget allows, taking along a mother's helper. In general. though, you'll manage nicely without any help at all.) It's much easier with a baby on vacation than the usual hectic weekend grind that you'll get used to.

Glad to see these suggestions. I now have two grandchildren and am planning a Christmas vacation. last year we went to Club Med in Eluthra twice once when the baby was 6mo and we all baby-sat and once when he was a year old. fabulous facilities for little ones including high chairs, baby food and everyone knows its a family resort. <BR>Query What about other all inclusive resorts? We now have another little one who will be six mo old in Dec.

We took our 6 month old on vacation to Disney World. We were very pleased at the accomodations. They have child care if needed, but what really impressed me were the parks themselves. They offer strollers for a minimal fee, or you can bring your own. They also have "baby stations" in each park. There are changing rooms, and even nursing rooms which are dimly lit with rocking chairs! They also sell formula, diapers and other baby supplies right there. Practically the only rides you can't go on are the roller coaster rides, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain and the Tea cups, which leaves so much to see. They let you park your stroller outside each ride. We never had any problem with anyone walking away with ours. Another idea is to take a baby seat/carrier with you to strap onto one of their strollers. That way, you can take the carrier into the restaurants when you eat. <BR>

<BR>Thank you for all of your encouraging words and stories it's nice to know other people like to travel with their children...

I have another question about vacationing with a baby. We are planning a trip to Maui next July with a 9 month old. (she's due in just a couple months!) Has anyone out there done this? How did the baby handle it? When we have been in Maui in the past we have noticed a LOT of babies so we are sure the island is really baby friendly. Planning to stay at the Hyatt or the Four Seasons Wailea. Any experiences? Thanks in advance

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Just moving this to the top..to see if i can get some info. thanks.

My daughter and I went to FDR in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, last May (the resort that provides full-time nannies mentioned in one of the previous posts). The nannies are not full-time; you pay a babysitting fee to have them past a certain hour in the afternoon. Some of the equipment was in a bit of disrepair, but all in all we had a good time. BUT my daughter was 15! Even though I am a mother who loves to travel, I have to agree that I can be very irritated by parents who travel with small children if they do not adjust their activities to suit their children's needs (i.e., taking a small child to an expensive restaurant). That is what makes the difference between parents whose children are delightful and those whose children are annoying -- whether traveling or at home -- your life is changed forever by parenthood, so if you can't plan a trip to suit the NEEDS of a child vs. your WANTS, you shouldn't do it. If you want more info on FDR, I'd be happy to supply it.

This is all very amazing! I have four adult children, 30,28,25 and 23. They have traveled a great deal.....But, since I was a stay at home mom.....frankly how can you afford to take vacations with babies......we never had enough money. Just curious how many of you moms stay at home, because I am thinking you all must work, and then feel guilty to leave them at home when you are on a vacation.

I must respond to the previous post. I work full-time and have a seven month old baby. My husband and I fully plan to travel with her and without her. At the end of October we went to Florida for a week and the baby stayed behind with Grandma. Did we miss her? Of course. Did we feel guilty? Not at all. Needing a bit of time to ourselves does not make us bad parents. We are also going away in February without her. In April, she will take her first vacation with us. As for affording it, travel need not be extravagant. We budget well, save, and determine what is most important to us.

I totally agree with the above post by Ilisa. I work fulltime and have 2 children (11 months and 4). We travel once a year without the children. The rest of the year, we take the children with us. However, we have different kinds of vacations. My husband and I take flying vacations to Florida--too expensive to pay an airline ticket to Florida for the 4-year-old when she can't enjoy all the Disney World rides and won't even remember the experience! <BR> <BR>With the children, we go camping all over the place during the summer. We have a travel trailer and the kids have their toys and other things from home to keep them comfortable and entertained. They love the national parks we take them to, plus very healthy exercise for them. We go on short hikes that the 4-year-old can accomplish. She loves looking at all the things that nature has to offer, like pine cones, tidal pools, starfish, etc. <BR> <BR>We don't feel guilty leaving them because we spend so much time with the children. We leave them for approx. 7 days every year, and hand them over to the grandparents, who had waited all year to have them to themselves. The children also enjoy being spoiled by the grandparents. <BR> <BR> <BR>

We have travelled extensively with our baby (not yet 1 year old!) and have encountered few problems. We have tailored our travel, however, and no longer expect to be able to do everything. The pace definitely slows with an infant, and you can't reasonably expect the baby to be patient through lots of shopping or crowded places. You also have to give considerable thought to the accommodations - will you be 100% guaranteed a crib (or, alternatively, are you willing to have the baby in bed with you if there is no crib and/or the crib is not satisfactory?) You need to check that the hotel be in a position to provide assistance such as boiled water for mixing formula or to provide a non-slip mat for the bathtub - or, alternatively, you have to be willing to take along a hot pot and mat. You also need to consider practical questions, like what to do about a car seat? Many car companies in the US and Europe will rent you a car seat with the car, but not always. What will you do in a taxi? Do you have a good portable carriage? Will you have an adequate source to purchase baby food and diapers? Another important consideration: how to handle transport delays and weather changes. Also, think about babysitters - are you comfortable that you will find good babysitters via the hotel? If not, or if you are unsure about leaving the baby with a stranger (whether bonded or not) are you prepared to forgo fancy dinners out or time on your own? We've had a lot of successful travel (business and holiday) with our daughter, but we've given a lot of thought and planning for each trip which really paid off in the end.

I also forgot to mention a 100% indispensible item for babies (up to about 5 months ...), which is a good carrier, like a Baby Bjorn. It completely changes your ability to maneuver!

To prevent the baby from running down the deck and annoying other people (some of us do not delight in this as some of their parents do- nor do we think the kid is cute) retain the infant in a stroller or keep on a harness with a leash. Bring something to med the child to keep it quiet as to not annoy other people. Also, if you are going to change the baby, would you kindly refrain from doing it on the airplane's food tray or in open public. <BR>Better yet, keep the kid home or delay long trips until the infant is old enough to be safely left with others.I have seen people bring infants into casinos, bars and experience situations that a infant does not belong at. You will enjoy your vacation more without the snivelling brat anyway.

Wondered how long it would take for the anti-child voices to appear, and 19 posts isn't bad. <BR> <BR>Now you are going to get people chiming in with Jim telling you to put the kid in the witch's oven and other people horrified that Jim would mention drugs, etc. <BR> <BR>But the breadth of your question -- "a cruise or vacation" -- is so broad, Ellen, that it has a whiff of trolling to it. Unless you are brand new to Fodor's (and if so, welcome, and sorry for the sour note), you can't possibly avoid knowing that travel with babies is a major red cape for forum bulls, bull-slingers, bull-fighters, and bullshot. <BR> <BR>The advice already posted here is very good -- frankly, I'd take it and run. But if you want anything further, why not be specific about where you think you might take your child and what you are most concerned about. <BR> <BR>

An earlier post recommended passing the children on to the grandparents as they have probably waited to have them to theirselves for a year. As a mother, now a grandmother, I do enjoy my children and grandchildren. But like many of my friends who are also grandparents, as much as I love the children, they are too much to handle for a week or more. We have raised our children and expect our children to raise theirs. Although many may not admit it, running after small child/children when you are advancing in years, is not such an easy thing to do. We are not free babysitters. In an emergency we may not be that fast or quick in reaching a child. If you can plan appropriate trips to bring them with you, do it. If they are that small think of other types of vacations or spend quality time on day trips. You have a very strong commitment to that child, it is not a dog to board or doll to throw in the closet. They are only small for a few short years anyway. Although I would not put it in his words, Jim is basically right. You need to be sensitive to other people and they may not enjoy the ramblings of an infant or the indulgences people extend their children on airplanes, cruise ships etc or adult activities. There are approaches to keeping them controlled in many situations and that is probably an important question for you to be asking. Would you want people smoking around your baby, gambling or spilling their alcohol on your child? Be responsible and mature or that infant may end up being a difficult child.

Ellen, I have been reading, with interest all this controversial feedback. As I have a small one as well it would be interesting to know what your thoughts/decisions are on this topic now. Would you kindly advise?

The minute that someone address the "reasonableness" of taking infants or children on vacations, they are accused of all kinds of deviant behaviors including "chid hating!" Frankly, the parents need to consider the needs of the child and how the change in routine/food/schedule/etc will impact on the child. Then there are those who don't give a thought what happens if the baby gets sick ... what do I do for medical treatment ... suppose something happens to YOU ... The trend to take "family" vacations and "dump" the child with strange sitters or at a "camp" with strangers whom they know nothing about astounds me. They also need to take into consideration the appropriateness of the choice of destination and how child-friendly the location is. A very big consideration, when on vacation, is that other adults may not appreciate the antics of Junior who screams thru a candlelit dinner, who is wheeled to the bar in a stroller, who chooses to build the sand castle under someone else's chair other than his parents and who has not a clue how to modulate his decilbles or tone and whines and whines when he does have all the comforts of home! You don't hear it, you don't see it - you are immune, it seems but it is annoying to others who want to relax and enjoy their space and time - just like you do! Children learn what they live and if they are not taught consideration for others, they don't know it! Frankly, I find it annoying that dodging strollers and darting children is becoming more hazardous than going thru mine fields. As to "Grandma," who is too old and tired to tend to the grandchildren for the short time her son or daughter and spouse go away to recharge their batteries, she is missing a wonderful opportunity to make some cherished times for and with her grandchildren. Of course, not all grandma's stay home and make gingerbread all day and have lives of their own but I hope she looks at spending time with the grandchildren more as a joy than a drudgery so that the parents can go away to "indulge" themselves. Sure it is exhausting, sure it is hard, but it is only for such a short time ... and the price is not too high for the wonderful time you can have together despite the work - and it is work! And be thankful for it! The parents have a responsibility to each other and if they take time each year and nuture their relationship knowing that Junior is well cared for by a loving warm family, what better message can they teach the children about family?