We just got back from a wonderful western Mediterranean cruise. Thankfully we were not cruising on Louis Cruises (the cruise ship that got hit by three "abnormally high" waves that broke windows in the front of the ship and killed two people. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of those who lost someone that night. The night people died on Louis Cruises the waves were really strong where we were too. Poor Caden was getting tossed around in his crib so we moved him to our bed. Most of our cruise was pretty smooth. The fact the waves got high enough to break windows of a cruise ship is very rare, cruising still is one of the safest and best ways to travel in our opinion. Plus it's cheaper in general and the food is really good!
We sailed for 9 days on the Norwegian Jade. My parents joined us in Barcelona and we spent two nights before and one night after the cruise exploring the city. Because we did so much I will write several blog posts over this coming week giving snippets of our trip. Most of the pictures I will post on Facebook. But you can see a few here and later this week I'll post links to some really cool photosynths that Collin is making.
This was Caden's first cruise and for an eight month old he did great! This was Collin and mine's third cruise. The past two cruises we only booked an ocean view but this time wanted to get a balcony so we could go somewhere and talk at night after Caden went to bed. After talking with my step-mother, Cathy, who is a cruise specialist, we decided to share a penthouse suite with my parents because we would have a lot more space than booking two balconies. Thanks Dad and Cathy for the suggestion! Our suite had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining area, and a living room. We also had a butler, something we've never had on a cruise ship before. I highly recommend getting a suite! The master bedroom and bathroom in which my parents so generously let us have for 8 of the 9 nights was very spacious! It fit Caden's crib nicely. From the shower you had a huge window looking out on the ocean, the same from the nice big bathtub. Our suite had a private balcony and four televisions! Crazy! We still do not allow Caden to watch TV. However, two of the TVs had DVD players and we could rent movies from our ship to watch for free. So most nights after putting Caden to bed, Collin and I watched a movie in the living room or sat and talked while my parents went to a show or other evening event. Our ship also had a tennis court and my dad and I played a set. Collin hit a few tennis balls with my dad and Caden enjoyed playing on the court and learning the game while we were waiting to get the tennis rackets.
A few other perks of our suite included breakfast and lunch in an exclusive dining room along with other people staying in suites. We had a butler like I mentioned before and we had VIP services. Which means we didn't have to wait long to get on and off the ship and you get discounts on some spa treatments. Collin bought me a spa package and I got a hot stone massage and a facial. Both were really nice. I was hoping the hot stone massage would have been better for the price. But both were very relaxing. Thanks Collin!
Our ship stopped at 5 ports (6 if you include Barcelona). We went to Casablanca and Agadir (Morocco), Malaga (Spain), Grand Canary Island, and Funchal (Portugal). We were not too impressed with Morocco but the other ports were really nice. Our favorites were Grand Canary and Funchal. It was a great 9 day/night cruise!
It was a little more challenging traveling with a baby. However, with the suite Caden had plenty of room to crawl around in our cabin so he wouldn't be crawling on the yucky floors of the ship. They may look clean but these people come from all over the world! Norwegian also had a Zoo for under 2. It was a play room with lots of toys and books for children under 2. Parents have to stay with their children but the play area was covered with mats and Caden really enjoyed going there. Once your kid is older than 2 there is childcare services available where you can leave your children and go on a date or take a shore excursion. This will be nice once Caden is a little older. Some cruise lines such as Disney and Royal Carribean offer babysitting starting at 6 months or 1 year.
We had to pack a lot of stuff. We brought diapers, wipes, and baby food from Germany. Caden has very sensitive skin and we couldn't risk having food allergies or reactions to baby food, wipes, and diapers from Spain. We also brought him a bag of toys and several of his favorite books. We took his stroller and infant car seat (since they fit together) and he thankfully got a seat on the airplane both ways. We bought an Ergo Baby which makes traveling in Europe a lot easier with a baby when visiting cities that are not stroller friendly. Collin, my dad, and I took turns carrying him when we didn't bring the stroller. He was able to take naps in his carrier which was nice.
Overall I would recommend cruising with a baby and older children. We are looking forward to going on another one. It should be easier once he is no longer eating baby food. He did try several new things while on the ship. I gave him grilled salmon several different times and he loved it. I also mashed a banana for him to feed himself and he drank out of a cup most of the time. He really did fantastic. The other cruisers and staff loved him. Plus it was nice for him to see and play with his grandparents.
Here are some pictures from the ship. I'll write about the ports we visited in the next blog entries.
Caden with his grandparents
Grand-Cathy and Caden in our suite on the ship
Caden looking at the rabbit towel animal, so cute!
Daddy and Caden hanging out on the balcony
Granddad and Caden on the tennis court
Collin took this picture of us while we were standing on our balcony, we were on deck 11
Caden playing in the Zoo under 2
This was such a good dessert we had to take a picture
This was just Collin's meal! He ordered this at the Mexican specialty restaurant and nobody was expecting this much food! See the meat hanging down?
We ate at one of the other specialty restaurants, the Italian one. The food on the ship was very good!
4 comments:
Did they have high chairs and baby bed on the cruise ship or did you have to provide those things? Also, did they charge for him as a regular person or was it cheaper?? We are considering this type of trip and so I am very curious! Thanks!! :) Looks like you had a fantastic time!
wow! looks like a great trip! I'm so glad that everything went well and that you guys enjoyed it! I can't wait to hear more/see more pics!
Emily, yes, they do have high chairs. Norwegian is very good about everyone sanitizing their hands before boarding the ship and going into a restaurant. We did however, bring wipe sanitizers to wipe down the high chairs and take with us and clean his toys when they fell on the floor. The staff on the ship sanitized the high chairs for us when we asked and told us they cleaned them down daily but you never know how often that is.
They also gave us a crib (a pack n' play). The cribs they had didn't have any sides, it was just a mattress on the ground.
We used the ship's napkins as a bib on board and bought disposible bibs to take with us when we were out. Feel free to ask me any other questions you may have. =)
I forgot to mention the cost. We only had to pay for taxes and port fees for Caden. I think most cruise lines only charge that until your child is 2. Then you pay the price for a third person in the cabin which is not as much as you pay for the two adults but not as cheap as the port fees and taxes. We think it's a great way to travel with a baby.
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