Holiday with an 8 month old

[Firsttimemumma25]

Hi there,

First time mum to be here looking for some advice. My daughter is due in Sep, and my grandad is taking my whole family on holiday next May for his birthday when she will be 8 months old. As kind as this is and as grateful as I am, no one else was involved in the planning of this holiday at all and he very abruptly booked a very fancy, luxurious cruise that is really only for adults. Obviously not what I would have picked for my baby's first holiday. Having looked at the boat, it is not child friendly in the slightest. There is a baby sitting service, but no actual children amenities or areas for her. I'm incredibly anxious about what I can do with her, how to deal with her fussing in such an environment, weaning and feeding etc. I am not used to this kind of high class holiday, and I have never taken a baby on holiday before. I've no idea what to expect. I'm worried I'll be in the cabin with her all day so that she doesn't disrupt the other passengers, and so that she can play with her toys in peace. Does anybody have any advice for this situation? How can I entertain her and keep her happy in such an unsuitable environment?

Thank you

I opened the thread and from the title was going to say nothing to worry about, it'll be fine. Our first holiday with DC1 was when he was 8 months and we had a great time.

Then I saw it was a cruise. That sounds much harder. Is it stopping in a lot of places where you can get off and see places? It'll be harder to entertain the baby stuck on a big boat. You don't need to be stuck in your cabin though. You can walk about, be in the pool etc.

As far as food goes we brought a few rice cakes for back up but otherwise he ate what we had. 8 months is a good time for them to be happy trying all sorts before they get fussy.

Tell him now that you’re very sorry but it’s not manageable with an 8mo.

My father paid for and decided on a family holiday when DS was a similar age. We ended up in the middle of nowhere, it was too hot, the pool had no shade, there was nothing else to do. It was such hard work for a week, and then we had to be grateful he had paid.

What cruise line and what ship?

I cruised with a baby when they were 7 months and it was fine. On sea days, you can walk around with them, take the buggy out on deck etc. On shore days, you just go out and about. Get a good baby carrier as that's sometimes easier than pushing a buggy around depending on what type of transfer you have to shore.
Feeding and weaning was no problem. If the ship offers a babysitting service, they will be expecting and will cater for babies. We did baby led weaning so I'd just pick some bits off my plate for baby. But if you choose to do purées instead, it'll be no hassle to take a load of pouches on board.

It might be easier with an 8 month old than a toddler. Do you really want to go?

Gosh there's a lot of negativity on this thread. It's a baby not a hand grenade.

OP firstly accept that your holiday will not be the same as the other passengers. But tbh that applies to any holidays going forwards.

At 8m DC will be sitting, starting solids and may not even be rolling. It's a lovely stage where they're interested in the word but unable to move that much.

A few tips:

• get a baby carrier sorted that you love for warm weather. This will be your god send. You might even be able to babywear for swanky evening dinners whilst she snoozes on you. Make sure DH likes it too.
• slim lightweight travel buggy, they come up cheap second hand on FB
• portables: buggy fan, breathable sun cover, noise machine
• check about room service, there's a good chance you won't make every evening meal, but you might find you're knackered and grateful for that.
• if the ship has a pool then take a tiny blow up pool, keep it by your lounger in the shade, with one or two basic water toys (cups, etc) she'll be delighted and not bothering anyone.

It's totally doable. Also you have family around, get them involved beforehand, can they not have an hour or so with the new family baby or he'll take shifts whilst you eat.

I think you'll be OK at 8 months. Much easier than toddler or pre-schooler. At that age, they can be entertained on your lap or on a mat/picnic rug on the floor. They might not even be crawling yet.

A cruise might actually be easier at this age than a city holiday as your room (and therefore changing mat, nappies, spare clothes and sink) are never far away. You won't have to have a huge backpack of essentials with you all the time.

In terms of kids amenities, I found play areas pretty useless at this age. I wasted money on soft play and DC wasn't that bothered. They'll just want to be with you.

In terms of crying and fussiness I think you might find the ocean is actually calming. And if you're breastfeeding, then giving her a boob be the answer to most grumbles 😅 So make sure you have a wardrobe that's breastfeeding friendly and that you feel comfortable doing so in public.

A final thought is, do you have to get off the boat at each stop? Might want to check. Staying on at ports would give you a chilled day on a quiet boat to roam and relax without having to worry about others.

And don't worry about disrupting other passengers. Cruises always have quiet spots here and there on deck. You won't want to be at a crowded bar anyway