Why Disney Cruises Aren't For Us

This time last year B and I had to opportunity to join his grandparents for a one-week cruise on the Disney Wonder.  It left me feeling, well, disappointed. But, before you think I’m a spoil-sport, let me explain…

First, I’ve got to tell you I’m a big fan of Disney.  I love Walt Disney World, I love the Magic Kingdom (really, who doesn’t?), Animal Kingdom and Epcot Center.  The Norway pavilion at Epcot led to my decades-old dream of visiting Norway, and no matter how many times I go through the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom, I still get a thrill out of being joined by a ghost in our ‘Doom Buggy.’  I’ve delighted in the wonderful buffet (and service!) at Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, enjoyed the light-hearted luau at the Polynesian Resort.  And, I’ve purchased my fair share of Goofy-shaped gummies, Mickey-shaped pasta, t-shirts and Disney toys. So, not surprisingly, my expectations were a bit high…

Of all the cruises we’ve done, I felt this one was actually the LEAST kid-friendly and a big let-down.  Here’s why:

• The food.  In a word, yuck. It’s not exactly news that Disney Cruises aren’t known for the quality of food. There were occasional exceptions (like the wonderful Mickey-shaped waffles!), but the quality of most meals left something to be desired and dinner options were surprisingly limited.  If we didn’t want to do dinner in one of the dining rooms, the only other option was to eat hot dogs or pizza.  Unlike most other cruise lines, there is no come-and-go-as-you-like buffet option for those days when baby is fussy, when the kids are sleepy and jet lagged or when you just don’t feel like dressing smartly for the dining rooms. While food on the kid’s menu was especially poor (think greasy and heavily processed), on the plus side, the entree was always served with well-prepared fresh vegetables.

• The Navigator, the ship’s news was always delivered well after 10 pm, long after we would be asleep and therefore of little use in planning for the day ahead.  While this didn’t matter much for sea days, it would have been nice to learn of the logistical details of some of the ports a bit earlier than having to rush through it while getting ready to get off the ship.

• The cabin bathroom.  There is no question, the split bathroom is handy.  However, neither of the doors would fully open, making entering and exiting awkward, wasting a lot of space and obviously making the toilet room more challenging to clean properly.  Given that a large number of passengers are toilet training kids, the toilet had a less-than-ideal smell.

• The Kid’s Club.  Don’t get me wrong, Disney’s two kid centers - the Oceaneer’s Club and Oceaneer’s Lab are great - lots of different activities and a fun play structure for the younger set.  What made the kid centers less than ideal however were long lines to check in each morning and the huge bracelets kids have to wear to keep track of them on board.  I am not exaggerating when I say they are huge, uncomfortable and poorly thought-out.  It was ridiculously huge on B’s small wrist and he was screaming for it to come off after just a few hours.  The clubs also accommodate so many kids, it felt a bit more like crowd control than a place where kids had much personal interaction with the staff.  B is pretty easy going but he literally hated going there.

• The noise.  I know… we were on a cruise ship full of kids and extra noise is to be expected.  But we were awakened almost every night by kids laughing, screaming and running through the hallways well after midnight.

• The staff.  Let me premise this with the exceptions:  Our waiter, assistant waiter and cabin attendant were wonderfully friendly and helpful.  Unfortunately I found the rest of the cast members less so.  Many crew members seemed downright disinterested and many did not know the ship well enough to even point the direction to the dining room.  I got the distinct impression the ship had just done a large switchover of staff but don’t know if this was actually the case.

• The Pixar Party – the cruise’s signature event, and a party B was really looking forward to – was moved from its regular 7:30 pm time to 10:15 pm, to allow an adult comedian to perform in the earlier time slot. With the 3-hour time difference from home, this was like having the party at 1:15 in the morning.   B was asleep well before the party even started.  Booting the Pixar Party from ‘prime time’ in favor of an adult show was perplexing to say the least.

• The production shows are well done but they really aren’t targeted to young kids.  Mickey rarely made an appearance and the Toy Story show, while visually splendid, had a distinct focus on the scarier elements.  B’s grandparents and I enjoyed the highly polished shows, but B (who really should have been the audience for the show) did not.

• The onboard elevators were very small.  This made getting using a stroller particularly awkward as only one would fit in the elevator at one time.  This issue was particularly frustrating to passengers on board using wheelchairs.  While we had the option of collapsing the stroller and walking up or down several flights of stairs, this is not an option for everyone.

• Long lines for absolutely everything: At the breakfast and lunch buffets, to get our table at dinner each night, to meet the characters, to get off the ship, to get back on the ship, to meet Disney characters, to speak to guest services, to check into the Oceaneer’s Club… 

• The muster drill was chaotic and disorganized.  Again, I wonder if the ship had recently undergone a large-scale employee turnover, but whatever the reason, I was left feeling uneasy about the ability of staff to deal with any emergencies that might arise.

• Dinner times.  I can’t really put this on Disney but there was a decidedly different air from other cruises we’ve been on. With so many kids at neighboring tables using the cutlery as a table toy, it hardly allowed for a relaxing family meal.  Adding to that, I felt uncomfortable watching parents ask their servers to cut up their children’s food for them.  And, this happened a lot.

While there were a number of factors which dampened our Disney cruise experience, here is what Disney did great:

• The Disney Wonder isn’t one of their newer ships but it was well-maintained, many areas had been recently renovated and the ship (with the exception of our bathroom) was spotlessly clean.

• Bathtubs in every cabin.  Cute, kid-sized bathtubs meant this was one cruise where I could leave our inflatable tub at home.

• Our cabin was roomy and it had LOTS of storage space.  B had his own pull-out bed divided from the rest of the cabin by a well-placed curtain.  The cabin also had a childproof balcony safety latch, something that is frequently lacking in many other cruise line cabins.  Another bonus was the refrigerator, which rather of being stocked with loads of additional-cost items, was left completely empty so we had lots of room to keep B’s milk and other snacks.

• Wi-Fi, while typically expensive, was strong throughout the ship, including in our cabin.

• Wonderful retail shops with some really cute merchandise – great for mementos of our Alaska cruise, and for taking home as souvenirs for all the cousins.

• 5 words: Mickey Mouse ice cream bars.  Need I say more?

Our Disney Cruise wasn’t all bad – we absolutely loved Alaska, but I don’t think we’ll cruise with Disney again.  I can’t I help but think the money would have been better spent at a Walt Disney Resort hotel instead.  Every cruise line has its strengths and weaknesses and Disney’s cruises will work very well for a lot of people.  It just didn’t work for us.

Have you been on a Disney Cruise?  What was YOUR experience?

Read more:

Cruising with a baby
Getting away from crowds and your stereotypical cruise vacation 

Reasons not to take baby on a cruise? No way!

Why cruises are awesome for multigenerational travel

Cruising on Oasis of the Seas with a baby

Cruising the Norwegian Coast with a 2 year old

Getting away from crowds... and your stereotypical cruise activities

Since B was born, we’ve admittedly done a lot of cruises, something we wouldn’t have thought about doing pre-baby.  For folks who have never been on a cruise, there are some common preconceived ideas about what they are about.  Though we’ve been on many cruises, we’ve never attended an art auction, gone gambling in the casino, jockeyed for a lounge chair next to the pool, learned how to make a folded towel animal, entered a belly flop contest or gone late-night dancing.  We don’t pay extra to eat at specialty restaurants, buy duty-free items or spend money in the shops.  We rarely even take advantage of the kid’s centers.  Frankly, we are usually just too busy.

So what DO we do?

Enjoy Off-Hours Outdoor Fun

I’m not a fan of crowds so we generally steer clear of the crammed swimming pools, the loud music and the sizzling sunbathers during the busiest daytime hours.  But before 10 am, and after 5 pm, we usually have the pools, basketball court, shuffleboard, mini-golf and other outdoor venues all to ourselves - and get to enjoy them when the sun’s rays are less intense.  These outdoor activities are usually open 24 hours and since B is an early riser, by the time most folks roll out of bed, we’ve already had hours of family fun.  Some of our favorite after-dinner activities are to play a few rounds of mini golf or have a swim in the moonlight - something we rarely, if ever, have the opportunity to do at home.

Go Star-Gazing

We live in Toronto, and light pollution often foils our attempts at star-gazing.  Sure, we could drive out of town, but by the time the sun sets in summer, B is asleep - and in winter when the sun sets earlier, it’s not much fun to sit outside in the cold for long.  Cruising in the Caribbean and other places where the sun sets earlier, and where the skies are dark and clear, allows us to grab a cool drink, relax on a lounge chair and watch the stars - and still get to bed on time.  The Night Sky app on my tablet makes this activity extra fun!

Get Crafty

If we are spending a day at sea, we skip the crowds by taking in a movie or planting ourselves at a quiet table to read books about our destinations, play cards, build Lego creations or do crafts.  We never travel anywhere without a small container of Lego and a bag stuffed with craft supplies like beads, pipe cleaners, pencil crayons, a glue stick, small sheets of paper, coloring pages and stickers.  By the end of the cruise, our cabin looks like an art gallery!  Most cruise ships have lots of quiet, common area spaces to enjoy some relaxing family time if you don’t feel like hanging around in your cabin.

Say “Cheese!”

Most cruises have formal nights.  We don’t get too dressy… In these days of all the luggage surcharges, who has room to pack a ball gown?  But we do dress smartly and the photographers and backdrops set up around ship allow us to easily and inexpensively get a new family portrait or playful shot of B - without having to pay a sitting fee or stick to a pre-arranged appointment, when B will inevitably be in a bad mood.

Enjoy the Entertainment

Have you ever taken your child to see a live show, then had to leave early because he or she was fussy and/or uninterested?  Many cruise lines offer everything from full production shows, live music, magicians, ice shows, aerial acrobatics to movie screenings by the pool.  But since they are included in the cruise fare, you can come and go as you wish (obviously as long as you aren’t disturbing others) when the little ones get fidgety or need to use the washroom.

On a recent cruise, B found the showing of Disney's Frozen a bit too scary, so we just left and went and did something else.  No parking hassles, no pricey tickets gone to waste and no arm-and-a-leg investment for snacks.  This same cruise also had a spectacular 15-minute aerial acrobatic show in the centrum area based on the Jack and the Beanstalk tale, which was just the right length of time to catch just before dinner.

I enjoy cruising with B because it offers a relaxing holiday with very little planning and work required on my part (hurray!), and there are so many things we can do together as a family.  All on the way to our next interesting destination...

How do YOU spend your time cruising?

Read more:

Cruising with a baby

Reasons not to take baby on a cruise? No way!

Why cruises are awesome for multigenerational travel

Cruising on Oasis of the Seas with a baby

Hurtigruten with a 2-year old

Still our favorite travel stroller... The UPPAbaby G-LUXE

A year ago, I wrote about our favorite travel stroller, the UPPAbaby G-LUXE stroller we bought when B was just over a year old.  Three years later, our G-Luxe is still going strong!

Here's why I love it:

It is durable and reliable - Our G-LUXE has been gate-checked on three dozen flights, bounced over miles and miles of cobblestones at the Acropolis, Ephesus and Pompeii, bumped along the wild trails of Komodo, been folded up and unfolded hundreds of times and it works as well today as the first day we had it. Over the last three years, it has taken a real beating and it still keeps going!

Easy to clean - The fabric is easy to wipe clean and the latest model has a removable cover that can go in the washing machine.

Comfortable - It reclines almost all of the way back so it is easy for B to sleep in if we are waiting to board a late-night flight or wandering around during nap time.  The foot rest is adjustable and the sun canopy effectively keeps the sun out of B's eyes.

Lots of storage space - The large mesh basket below the seat is big enough to store pretty much everything we need along the way.

Functional - It is fast and easy to open and shut.  And it STANDS easily when folded!

Lightweight - According to the manufacturer, it is the lightest reclining full-size umbrella stroller available in the U.S.  At only 11 lbs, it is easy to tote about when not in use with the convenient shoulder strap.

Compact - When folded, it is very compact and easily fits through airport x-ray scanners and in the smallest cruise cabin closet.

It retails on the manufacturer's website for $189.99 and I have found it is worth every penny.

What is your favorite travel stroller?

20 Things I've Learned Traveling with a Baby

This month marks the third anniversary of our travels with B.  As a nervous first-time parent, our first trip was to my parents’ house in Orlando, Florida when B was 3 1/2 months old.  Even though I would be staying at a house that was already pretty baby-equipped from my two nephews, I packed way too much stuff.  Hot and cranky seated on my lap, B spent a lot of time fussing and crying, making a just-under-3-hour flight seem like forever.  At our absolute low point, he spit up all over me when landing.  Seated in the bulkhead, I had no access to my wipes and had to wait soaked and humiliated to get to the gate while the male flight attendant looked at me with disdain.  I had read about the benefits of nursing while taking off and landing, but I had nursed him way too much.

That could have been my last flight with B.  At the time, traveling with a small baby seemed like an awful lot of work and an awful lot of trouble.  Over the next several months, the opportunity came up for us to take B to Florida again and to take a couple of cruises and what do you know?  Every trip became easier and more enjoyable!

Our travels definitely started out in earnest.  But B is now 3, and we have traveled with him to over 20 countries, traveling as close as the U.S. and as far-flung as India.  This winter, we will be traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia.  My husband and have spent lots of time traveling through Asia, and we can’t wait to do it with B!

20 Things I’ve Learned Traveling with B:

1.  Practice makes perfect!  The more you travel with a child, the easier it gets! As a first time parent, the thing I found more stressful than sleepless nights and midnight feedings, was trying to figure out all the gear.  So, prior to flying with my son for the first time, I practiced going through security in my living room - folding the stroller while holding my son and getting everything (including shoes and a small Ziploc with liquids) onto the x-ray belt with only one available hand.  Boy, am I glad I did as it made getting through security a breeze.  Each new trip has become easier because we’ve had so much practice with packing, flying and dealing with challenges we encounter along the way.

2.  Planning ahead can save a lot of trouble.  I’ve always been a planner and to me, planning a trip is half of the fun.  I usually ‘rough’ out a day-to-day calendar throughout our trip.  We don’t have to stick to it, but it can help get us started when we are feeling tired or jet-lagged.  Speaking of jet-lag…

3.  Jet-lag isn’t a big deal.  Kids often deal better with jet-lag than their parents.  We find traveling from east to west more challenging as it usually results in B waking up a lot earlier than we’d like.  But as long as we stick to our normal routine in our destination time zone, it doesn’t take more than a day or two to get into the swing of things.

4.  Get your child involved and excited about the destination.  Prior to traveling to Paris, I bought B the book “This is Paris” by Miraslav Vasek.  When we visited the Louvre, B was SO excited to see the Mona Lisa, as he had seen and read about her many times in his book.  Before we travel anywhere, B and I read and talk about some of the things we will see, eat and do there.  What kid wouldn’t be excited about an upcoming trip knowing they will have a chance to eat waffles in Belgium or ride an elephant in Cambodia?

5.  Slow down.  Prior to being parents, Mark and I covered a lot of ground trying to see and do as much as possible during our travels.  Traveling with B has made us slow down, spend more time in each place.  With a toddler, we often head off first to the local playground.  These playgrounds often turn out to be highlights of our trips – not only does B get to blow off steam, but we has the opportunity to meet local kids and we get to chat with fellow parents.  And when we can’t find a playground, we find a grassy park for B to run around.  Our O-Ball takes up no room in my backpack, and it turns any open space into an impromptu soccer pitch.

6.  Keep it simple.  Where possible, choose direct flights over connecting - each connection not required is one less connection that can be missed.  Do you really need to visit five European countries or would visiting just one or two let you savor the location and relax?

7.  Renting a condo can be WAY more fun and convenient than staying in a hotel.  When visiting Maui, most of our time was spent at our condo rental but we splurged for a few nights at a large resort.  At the resort, we had to walk a half mile just to get to our car, restaurant charges were extortionate ($8 for a half grapefruit?) and there was a large fee to use a shaded lounger at the kiddy pool.  At our condo, we had plenty of space, two bedrooms and a large garden where B could play right outside our lanai. We could prepare our own meals when we wanted to but had a variety of restaurants just a few minutes walk away. 

8.  Don’t expect traveling with a child to be the same as before you had kids.  Traveling with a young child, we do different things than we did before.  We spend more time visiting parks than night clubs and see even places we’ve been to before with a new set of eyes.  And although Mark and I would never have considered a cruise pre-baby, we’ve discovered that cruises can be a fun, low-hassle way to travel with kids.

9.  Make sure you have all the required documentation.  In addition to passports and any necessary visas, travel with kids may require additional documentation particularly if they are traveling with only one parent.  Read more: Traveling with a child who doesn't share your last name, Traveling as a solo parent

10.  Don’t restrict yourself to theme parks and other child-specific attractions.  In B’s travels, I am frequently surprised at how much he has enjoyed places which I wouldn’t think of necessarily visiting with a child.  In Amsterdam, B wasn’t interested in the paintings at the Van Gogh Museum, but what he did enjoy was our game of ‘I Spy’ where he was called upon to spot the man with the yellow hat, or to count the windmills in a painting.  As a toddler at the Panama Canal, B wasn’t interested in watching ships go through the locks, but the huge viewing area was a great place to play with his ball and to run around.  Using a bit of creativity can make almost any destination fun.

11.  Don’t mess with nap time.  We learned long ago that messing with B’s nap time can lead to disaster, so we plan our days to make sure we always incorporate nap time.  Sometimes this means a few hours of down time in our hotel room, giving us time to plan for the next day, or have a nap ourselves.  Thankfully B sleeps well in his stroller so when we want to do a bit of uninterrupted shopping or visit an obscure museum, we time our visits for when we know B will be asleep.

12.  Trade off with your partner if you are traveling with one.  Sure it is nice to do everything together as a family, but when traveling with babies and toddlers, this is not always possible.  On our recent bike and barge adventure in Europe, the weather wasn’t cooperating for the long days with B out in the bike trailer.  Mark and I ended up taking turns cycling for the day with the group, while the other enjoyed a day on board the barge with B.  And at times when B napped in the hotel room, we took turns exploring the area around our hotel.

13.  Busy kids are usually happy kids.  Aside from wipes and a change of clothes for B, the most important thing in my backpack is a pencil case full of crayons, small puzzles, stickers, pipe cleaners, small sheets of colored paper and other craft supplies.  This helps keep B occupied while we are waiting for our food at restaurants, and for flights and train rides.

14.  There is lots of travel gear and handy gadgets out there, but you can do without most of them.  Over the years, we’ve used a lot of travel gear but the things I almost always travel with include an inflatable bath tub (to keep up B’s bath routine on cruises and rooms without tubs), our stroller, our CARES harness and our Boba carrier for those times when a stroller just won’t do.  We also find a baby monitor handy for times when we plan to enjoy our terrace/balcony/other room after B has gone to bed.

15.  There are lots of other intrepid families and plenty of good advice available.  From families who have done their first road trip to Disney World to the intrepid family at Going Anyway, who are traveling the world with 5 kids in tow, there are plenty of people out there sharing valuable travel advice.

16.  Take the ‘haters’ with a grain of salt.  For every person who says you shouldn’t travel to this place or that or fly with a child, there are plenty of others who have already done it, and had a great time!  Prior to traveling to Paris with B, I had read a lot of articles about how unfriendly Paris is for kids but we found it to be the complete opposite! 

17.  How to pack lean and mean.  After many trips and flights, we have learned the difference between what we really need to pack and what we’d like to pack.  With all the baggage charges airlines are charging extra for these days, I’ve figured out how to pack all of B’s stuff and all of my stuff together in one small suitcase - and still have some room for souvenirs.

18.  Be self-sufficient when flying.  Sure, many airlines offer special kids meals but more often than not, your child will get some soggy rendition of chicken nuggets and fries, if they get anything at all.  We learned long ago to bring our own food, snacks and drinks on board.  Most airlines no longer carry enough milk to refill a sippy cup, so if your child is partial to milk, bring your own on board.  Similarly, don’t rely on having a seat back entertainment system.  Not all airlines have them and even when they do, sometimes they just don’t work.

19.  Just because they won't remember, doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.  While B probably won’t remember all the details from his travels as a baby, he is still learning an awful lot along the way.  He does remember a lot though, but more importantly, he is learning about other countries and experiencing new cultures, foods and experiences.

20.  Just do it!

What has travel with your own children taught you?

Reasons not to take a baby on a cruise? No way!

A recent article on Cruise Critic “9 Reasons Not to Take a Baby on a Cruise” has me frankly irked.  We’ve had the opportunity to do five cruises with B, the first when he was just 7 months old.  Cruising is a great way to travel with a baby and here are my responses to the writer’s negative comments:

1. "Babies don’t sail free. With the exception of a few lines that have standard kids-sail-free deals and occasional promotions, you have to pay the going third-person rate for a baby sharing a cabin with Mom and Dad. That can be a hefty sum for a trip baby is not going to remember. "

Well no, they don’t, and I’m curious why the author feels they should.  They may not eat much in the dining room, but there are port charges and taxes regardless of age.  And as the author mentions later in her article, there are linens to change and high chairs to clean after meals.  From diapers to baby gear to school supplies, we all know there are added costs when you have a child.  The cost for an additional traveler will be one of those.

2. "You can’t pack light. What with the stroller, the bag of baby food and snacks, the bottles, sippy cups, multiple outfits per day and toys, I could have used a Sherpa to get through the airport with all our gear. Had I brought the car seat, I don’t think I would have been physically able to carry all the bags I needed to bring. For little people, babies don’t travel light. "

The more you travel with a baby, the better you get at packing.  Luckily more cruise lines now will enable you to pre-order baby food, diapers and other supplies for delivery directly to your cabin for the start of your cruise.  They obviously come at a hefty cost, but they can be still less expensive than the cost of overweight baggage with your airline, and can be handy if you simply don’t have the room to pack them.  On our cruise on the Oasis, we popped into a store on the way to the port and picked up this handy and inexpensive bouncy chair to bring on board.  It was really helpful to have a place to seat B while I had a shower or while we hung out and relaxed on our balcony.

3. "It’s not a vacation for mom and dad. Some of the best parts of cruising are not cooking, cleaning or doing laundry for a week. On this cruise, I washed bottles and sippy cups at least once a day, spent a morning in port washing clothes, and brought my own food to the lido buffet for breakfast and lunch. Thank goodness, I didn’t have to wash all the linens we soiled or hose down the high chair after every meal. "

This brings me back to point #1.  If cruise staff have to wash soiled linens and hose down the high chair after every meal, why would someone expect a baby to travel for free?  Washing sippy cups and doing laundry must be done whether you are at home or not.  I’d much rather be sippy cups or washing B’s clothes in the sink on a cruise, knowing when I’m done, we get to explore a new destination!

4. "Cruise ships aren’t baby-proof. My active kid wanted to explore everything. Unfortunately, open railings on the pool deck, decorative pebbles in the planters and high-traffic stairways don’t make for the safest play places for babies lacking self-preservation instincts. Unless your ship has a play area baby can access, there is really nowhere on a ship that’s a good place for baby to play. The cabin is your best bet. "

There are MANY safe places to play on a cruise ship.  Babies don’t have to have a playground to have fun and most cruise ships have play rooms.  I always carry an assortment of age-appropriate travel toys.  On foul-weather sea days, we found a comfy corner in a lounge and enjoy some play time.  And who would let a baby play on the stairs?  At cruise ship stops, we often head first for the nearest playground.  We may not get to see all the sights in port, but we DO get to meet local kids and fellow parents and our son gets to burn off energy.

5. "Cribs make cabins even smaller. Thought your cabin was snug? Try sticking a full-size pack-and-play in the middle of it. Oh, and you have to squeeze the stroller in whatever free corner is left. (Tip: Leave the full-size jogging stroller at home.) It makes co-sleeping look really appealing. "

Ok, I'll agree with her on one point... leave your full-size jogging stroller at home.  We always cruise with a compact umbrella stroller, and store it in the closet or under the bed.  Sure, most cabins get pretty cramped with a pack-and-play set up, but thankfully they pack up quickly when not in use (hence the name), leaving you with more room to move about.  As B got older, we started co-sleeping, though we often do this when we travel and don't have multi-room accommodations.

6. "No nightlife for you. My kid goes to sleep at 7 p.m., which meant from that point on, someone had to be in the cabin with him. With only Grandma and me cruising with baby, one of us got to go out at night and the other person ended up asleep by 9 after sitting in a darkened room for hours. That’s right — with no dividing curtain on Rhapsody, we couldn’t risk turning on lights. Some ships have in-cabin baby-sitting (if you’re willing to pay 20 bucks an hour) or a nursery where you can put baby down — if he or she will go to sleep in a communal space and transfer easily back to the crib at midnight. "

Oh, boo hoo.  Many cruise cabins do not have curtains to divide the room, so we have always made a point of booking on cruise ships that DO have them.  But even when I’ve traveled with my son in a room without a curtain, I turn off the lights, and once he’s asleep, I pop in some ear buds and put on a movie on my DVD player.  Now that I’m a Mom, there are no shortage of movies I’d like to catch up on.  Or I’ve turned on the baby monitor, and gone out to the balcony to catch up on the book I’ve been wanting to read for months.  I frankly can’t imagine complaining about having some quiet me-time! 

7. "The cruise schedule doesn’t always match baby’s schedule. Embarkation day was a nightmare because my kid needs to nap, in a crib, at 10:45 a.m. sharp. When I showed up, screaming child in hand, on our deck to beg entry into our cabin at 12:30 p.m. (they weren’t officially open until 1), I discovered that our pack-and-play wouldn’t arrive until 4 p.m. There was no napping that day. If your baby isn’t a stroller napper (mine isn’t), embark/debark days and shore excursions may be difficult to manage. And, oh yeah, expect baby’s sleeping and eating patterns and schedules to get messed up during the trip. "

Conflicting schedules are certainly not cruise-specific.  The same issues would apply checking in to almost any hotel or resort, and 11 am check-out times won’t be conducive to this schedule either.  But cruises have so many dining and activity options, it is easy to go with baby’s schedule.  We always make sure to get the earliest dinner seating in the dining room.  And if he’s fussy that day, hey, we just go to the buffet restaurant or order food in to our cabin.  When B was very small, we often arrange private vehicles and guides (when we weren’t off exploring on our own).  We brought along his car seat so he would have his comfy place to sleep while we toured around, and if he cried, he didn’t disturb anyone but us.  On our visit to Iceland, at times when our son was asleep in the car, my husband and I would take turns leaving the car to check out the sights.  As my husband likes to say, “We’ll just adjust accordingly.”

8. "Babies can’t use the pool. With the exception of certain ships with splash zones for the diaper set (like some Royal Caribbean and Disney ships), kids can’t use the pool unless they’re toilet trained. That makes sea days in the Caribbean or Mexico less fun — unless you plan on schlepping and filling an inflatable tub/pool. "

I admit, this can be a bit of a drag, but surely you can find alternative things to do on those sea days.  Adjust accordingly!

9. "Most cruise cabins don’t have bathtubs. Book Disney or a suite for bathtub access — otherwise baby better like sponge baths or showers. Mine discovered during his first sponge bath in the shower that he could remove the drain cover and reach inside the dark recesses of the drain. That was the end of the sponge bath, and I’m not sure he ever got entirely clean while we were on Rhapsody. Again, consider the inflatable tub/pool. I regretted not bringing one."

B loves his bedtime bath, so we bring an inflatable tub.

Having a baby changes so many aspects of your life, it would be naive to believe the way you travel won’t change too.  But planning, practice and a little creativity will go a long way to making a cruise with a baby or toddler a wonderful experience for everyone.  Happy cruising baby!

Read why cruising with a baby is great!:

Cruising with a baby

Cruising on the Oasis of the Seas with a baby

Hurtigruten with a 2 year old

Bath time

They won't remember anyway

A change in KLM's car seat policy

An interesting change in KLM's on board car seat policy has been identified by Corinne at Have Baby Will Travel... You now have to make a reservation to bring your car seat on board.

 

On the plus side, hopefully this will alleviate some of the issues that arise when the passenger in front can't recline their seats!  But I can't help wonder if this is a veiled way to limit the number of infants and toddlers on board flights.

 

With all the griping about kids on planes, I wonder if other airlines will follow suit? 

 

Read about the changes to KLM's car seat policy

 

 

My Favorite Travel Stroller - The UPPAbaby G-LUXE

We bought our UPPAbaby G-LUXE stroller when B was just over a year old.  While we loved his Bugaboo Bee, it was far to heavy and cumbersome for airline travel and we were looking for something more compact for an upcoming trip to Hawaii.  The G-LUXE turned out to be so convenient, we never bothered to use our other stroller again.  Not only is it the perfect travel stroller, it is a great choice for everyday use.

Here's why I love it:

It is durable and reliable - Our G-LUXE has been gate-checked on over two dozen flights, bounced over miles and miles of cobblestones, been folded up and unfolded hundreds of times and it works as well today as the first day we had it.  Over the last two years, it has taken a real beating and it still keeps going!

Easy to clean - The fabric is easy to wipe clean and the latest model has a removable cover that can go in the washing machine.  We help it continues to stay clean by using an airport gate check bag when flying.

Comfortable - It reclines almost all of the way back so it is easy for B to sleep in if we are waiting to board a late-night flight or wandering around during nap time.  The foot rest is adjustable and the sun canopy effectively keeps the sun out of B's eyes.

Lots of storage space - The large mesh basket below the seat is big enough to store pretty much everything we need along the way.

Functional - It is fast and easy to open and shut.  And it STANDS easily when folded!

Lightweight - According to the manufacturer, it is the lightest reclinable full-size umbrella stroller available in the U.S.  At only 11 lbs, it is easy to tote about when not in use with the convenient shoulder strap.

Compact - When folded, it is very compact and easily fits through airport x-ray scanners and in the smallest cruise cabin closet.

It retails on the manufacturer's website for $189.99 and I have found it is worth every penny.

Do you have a favorite travel stroller?

The Panama Canal with a Toddler

The Panama Canal may not be the first place to come to mind when thinking of toddler-friendly attractions in Panama but it made for a fun and memorable family outing. On our visit to the Miraflores Locks, B enjoyed playing in the open space on the viewing deck while we got to view the ships going through the canal.

Tips for visiting the Miraflores Locks with a toddler:

• It's the kind of place you want to linger a while to watch the ships go through the locks.  All this waiting can be a test of a toddler's attention span, so be sure to bring along water, snacks and toys to keep kids entertained.  Mark and I brought along our favourite O Ball and took turns keeping B entertained while the other watched the ships going through the canal.
• Bring sunscreen!  There are no shaded areas on the viewing deck.  We were lucky to visit on an overcast day, but it would get pretty toasty there on a hot, sunny day.
• The Miraflores Restaurant in the Visitor's Center has a delicious buffet with a view.  There are plenty of kid-friendly foods and high chairs are available.  If you are considering eating there, be sure to make a reservation in advance or you may have a long wait for a table.