Pregnant and Cruising with toddler

[Kathleen]

If anyone has advice for preparing to go on a week long cruise with a 16 month baby and myself being 8 months pregnant. Normaly I would avoid traveling at such a late stage of pregnancy but we are celebrating my grandfather's 90th birthday; who lost his wife (my grandmother) this year.
I am wondering if there are things that I can pack or prep work to do before we leave.
Any advice would be very helpful!

Thank you,
Kathleen

HI Kathleen!! First, congratulations to your grandfather: God Bless him!!! Next, congratulations to you on the new baby! I love babies!!!! My sympathy re: the loss of your grandmother. I'm very sorry about that.

To your questions: first, do you have a letter from your doctor that says you may cruise?>??? Call the cruise line and verify that they will allow you to cruise at such a late stage of pregnancy....That would be the first thing to do....HAPPY SAILING!!!

[Kuki]

I think I have to agree with MizSuz here. Think you had best check with the cruise lines to see if you'll be allowed to cruise this late in your pregnancy.

I seem to recall that there are limitations. I'll have to double check this myself.... for information purposes I'm not pregnant, nor is Mrs Kuki <G>

[Kathleen]

I agree! Before we booked the tickets I asked the travel agent and then called the cruise lines. Royal Carribean said that if I have a doctors note it would be ok. Now that you say it again I will call and triple check. Could you imagine getting there and then they say "sorry you can't board?!".
Thanks!

Dear Kathleen:
I'm the family cruise editor here and just had my second child last year. I'm surprised that the cruise line says you can sail at this stage of your pregnancy. Therefore, it'd be a good idea to double check to make sure it's okay with a doctor's note.
My advice on what to bring is to try to get a hold of sea bands (you can buy them at drugstores at home or often the ship's stores sell them). They are wristbands which you put on if you are feeling quesy -- there are no side affects like dramamin since there aren't any drugs involved. They work wonders if you get some rough seas! Also, bring a big hat for shade and try to avoid the sun. I had a difficult pregnancy with my older daughter and laying out in the sun really caused me a lot of problems with pre-term contractions, etc. Also make sure you drink lots of water (I'm assuming you'll be in a warm weather place like the Caribbean) since you may get lots of feet swelling at that point in your pregnancy. (I know that I did!) Most of all, enjoy and relax -- life will be very busy very soon!
Congratulations and smooth sailing,
Luisa Frey Gaynor

Kathleen, my wife was given a letter by her doctor when she was seven months pregnant with my younger son. We traveled with our first born when he was about seventeen months years old and we had a blast. He loved the dinning room and the waiters who don't see their kids for months came up to play with him. One gent ran him up and down the dinning room with him. The staff was wonderful. That is the reason we cruise with the kids year after year now. Carnival was the only line four years back to have group baby sitting for kids under two. He loved it. Now we have to drag the kids out of the programs just to have dinner together. It's funny how much thinking has changed over the years about pregnant women. My wife doctor said it was fine for her to go snorkeling and she did.

I feel like I'm watching "Survivor"....I can't stand the suspense??? What did the cruise line say????? Can you go? Are you going???? I hope so!!!!! Fingers are crossed for you....

[Kathleen]

So far so good! We are going forward to have sun and fun in Mexico! I let you know how the trip went when we return...

Kathleen

[Kathleen]

Excellent advice! Thank you. I think the most intensive part will be keeping up with our daughter.
I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Kathleen

[Kathleen]

Thank you for the reassurance... you don't know how much your reply means to us traveling!
I am sure everything will go smootly and am looking forward to a wide varierty of food; which I am to lazy/busy to cook for myself lately.
Thank you again! It really means a lot to hear positive feedback about a pregnancy experience on a ship!

[Kathleen]

The cruise was a success!!! The weather was perfect and my daughter had a fabulous time. Flying from Boston to Fort Lauderdale was probably the toughest part of the entire trip (3 hours direct), and that wasn't too bad. The best was that we didn't have to haul around a car seat and there were lots of other toddlers on board. Every night at dinner our daughter would fall asleep in her stroller ( we were at 2nd seating) while we ate dinner till 11pm.
Some drawbacks were that there were not any organized activites for children under 3 years old and children that still wore diapers (EVEN SWIMMIES) were not allowed in the pool; but we made due by playing in the rinse off shower next to the pool.

As far as the pregnancy; nobody said a word about how "large" I was for being "7 months" (little white lie). I got lots of cheery smiles when I went to the desert table or attended the mid-night buffet. There were a couple days where food was not my friend and the waiters made every effort to get me something I could hold down.
We had a suite with a glass balconey and our daughter would spend much of the time explaning to us that there was "waaater Waaaater" and shouted at any "boooat" that passed by.
It was a wonderul trip!

We sailed on Celebrity in May and my wife was 26 weeks pregnant at the end of the 11-day voyage. We were told this was the limit as the line does not accept expecting mothers who have entered the third semester or 27 weeks. Given Celebrity is RCI owned, I'd double-check if I were you. NP

Glad to hear all went well. Now you'll have to read my articles on cruising with an infant so that you'll be ready to hit the seas once your baby is born!
Smooth sailing!
Luisa Frey Gaynor
Family Cruise Editor