cruise pregnant or with infant

[mrsklamc]

Actually, there are 2 posters here...OP has asked about her pregnant DD and it sounds like the poster is cruising and trying to reschedule to early pregnancy or with newborn.

Another poster has asked a question about her niece who may be somewhere between 24 and 30 weeks pregnant at the time of the cruise. However, that poster is not cruising with the woman, just concerned.

Wishing you best of luck with the rest of your pregnancy! May your little one arrive safe and well, uneventfully despite whatever concerns have arisen up til now!

Thank you- However, both of your quotes in the post above mine are the same person, who at one point says 'our' cruise and then says she is not going- I assume she just misspoke (typed.)

As for 24-30 weeks, it is the same net effect- baby is potentially viable on land, but not at all on a cruise ship; and the extremely low odds mean nothing when you are the one they happen to.

 

[travelgirl06]

We just got back from the Dream and I am 20 weeks with our second little one. I really enjoyed cruising while pregnant - lots of food, relaxing, and we could drop DD in the nursery for some adult time. It was nice to be able to indulge my midnight soup craving with room service . I would not want to cruise much later than this, just due to wanting nearby access to medical facilities in case it's needed (DD was a preemie and once we get to the point of viability I want to have a NICU nearby in case we need it).

We did a "end-of-maternity-leave" vacation to Key West when DD was 2 months old, which was also a lot of fun. I am fairly relaxed about travelling with her though and willing to have a flexible schedule as needed. We're currently contemplating what we want to do when the next one is born as our first trip. We're big believers in incorporating our kids into our lifestyle (as appropriate), but we also know that every baby is different, so we'll see

 

[DL1957]

Thanks to all I even confused myself! She will be 27 weeks, her mom my sister told me 30 but I found out after the first comment it was 27. We were suppose to go but had to cancel several weeks ago due to work. We are going in December on the "new" Magic!

 

[BAIC03]

Travelgirl06-- do you mind if I PM you? I will be in a similar situation and I would like your opinion on how I should plan for this trip. Thanks!

 

[LACruise]

I cruised at 20 weeks pregnant as well. I was having a normal pregnancy and my doctor confirmed that it should be no problem and provided a note for Disney. Disney knew I was pregnant and the waiters in the MDR bent over backwards (not that they don't already) to make sure I had anything special I might want. If I had been having a difficult pregnancy I wouldn't have done it, but with my doctor's consent, I felt comfortable doing so. I would have the person who is pregnant talk it over with their doctor because everyone has different risk factors. I have also cruised with an infant. It was much easier cruising pregnant than cruising with an infant IMO, but that could just have been my kids.

 

[MomsOf2boys]

My first pregnancy was picture perfect and I delivered a perfect little 8lb bundle of joy 2 weeks late. My 2nd pregnancy started just the same and while traveling (by land, not air) at 29 weeks my water broke. It was very scary and had I been hospitalized in another state for the duration, it would have been horrible.

Made it home and delivered at 32 weeks. A short NICU stay and my little 3.6lb boy came home. You never know. Rules can change your world in this matter.

 

[LILRERE]

Question my niece just learned she is expecting and will be 30 weeks for our cruise and still plans to go. How do they know they are over 24 weeks? I don't think she should go and just curious how would DCL knows.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I am not sure how true this is but I read a article about a lady that tried to cruise past the 24 weeks the cruise line did not let her board and told her she had to have a doctors note stating her due date. She later tried to sue the company for a full refund but since her due date was pass the 24 weeks and she did sign the contract she did not get her full refund nor did she get to cruise. It was not Disney but I cruised RC with a cousin who was 22 weeks and she asked before hand how they would know and they told her to bring a doctor's note and they can ask for it so be prepared!

As for the original poster I would rather cruise pregnant! I was sick with both kiddos but traveling was do-able the second trimester. The number one reason I would not want to travel with infant too much to pack (diapers, wipes, lots of back up outfits for accidents, bibs, blankets, bottles, pacis, pumps, nursing covers, strollers, car seats, wipe warmer, sterilizer, cribs, the kitchen sink!) !

 

[Coconut8473]

We just sailed on the Dream two weeks ago (4 night Bahamas cruise, with one sea day), and I was just at 23 weeks (so, "Disney legal" if you will.) We had a wonderful and time and I was very fortunate to be feeling great the entire trip. Furthermore, nobody ever "checked" to verify how far along I was (and I'm definitely "showing" a lot more than I was with my son at this same stage!)

All that said, however, not sure I would do it again so far into pregnancy, simply because as soon as we boarded, I suddenly had some fear and reservations in the back of my mind that weren't there during our trip planning process. I've been lucky to have had a healthy pregnancy thus far with no causes for alarm, and was indeed within the "allowable" threshold for sailing. So in theory, we had no issues and were all clear to sail... but part of me couldn't shake that "what if??" feeling once we boarded (for all of the reasons some of the prior posters have mentioned.) Something about being so far from home and a proper NICU was a little scary once we actually set sail.

Again, thankfully, all went well and we have some wonderful memories (and fun maternity pictures), but just a little food for thought and something to consider!

 

[Keggy]

I cruised at around 12 weeks and I was fine but I was just really tired all the time. It was nice to relax.

I would never risk it. Cruising with an infant was fine - we had fun and it was a great cruise for our new family.

 

[jahber]

I just cruised in my first trimester (found out the day before we left for vacation), and it was mostly fine. With my first two, I had mild morning sickness/queasiness. With this one, it's the same so far. But on the ship I really noticed all the rocking (even when others didn't) and the queasiness messed with my appetite in the evenings. We finally had to tell our server it was morning (night) sickness, because I couldn't eat anything with meat or almost any kind of spices--and you know how concerned they are that you enjoy your food. One night I had mashed potatoes, one night I had new potatoes, and one night the goat cheese and potato Napoleon. All of which my server was more than happy to retrieve for me. I ended up ordering room service later at night every night so I could eat without all the food smells in the MDR!

I was early on, so I participated in hiking excursions, etc. I even attended two mixology classes, which thrilled my friends who got to drink my drinks

Now we have a translatalntic cruise planned for when the LO is 4 months. So I guess I'll report back in a year and let you know which I preferred!

 

[MommaB]

Question my niece just learned she is expecting and will be 30 weeks for our cruise and still plans to go. How do they know they are over 24 weeks? I don't think she should go and just curious how would DCL knows.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

She won't be allowed to board without a doctor's note certifying how far along she is. All pregnancies need the documentation and at 30 weeks there will be no slipping by unnoticed!

 

[MommaB]

OP- I've taken a cruise babymoon with each of my pregnancies and they've been my favorite trips by far! Like others mentioned you have no shortage of edible treats, the rocking of the boat made for the more restful sleep of my whole pregnancy, I loved myself in a bathing suit and soaking up as much sun as I could. It was so relaxing and the perfect vacation to take (safely) pregnant!
Taking the trip with a young infant sounds exhausting in comparison. : So much more to coordinate and fret over!

 

[EvaSue]

She won't be allowed to board without a doctor's note certifying how far along she is. All pregnancies need the documentation and at 30 weeks there will be no slipping by unnoticed!

This is not true, no documentation is required, I'm about to cruise pregnant myself, and I made 100% positive I knew what all the policies were beforehand. I'm bringing a note anyhow, because I am a worry-wart, but it is not required. Everyone who boards is under an agreement that nobody is past the appointed date. It's a contractural honor system.

 

[cheer25mom]

This is not true, no documentation is required, I'm about to cruise pregnant myself, and I made 100% positive I knew what all the policies were beforehand. I'm bringing a note anyhow, because I am a worry-wart, but it is not required. Everyone who boards is under an agreement that nobody is past the appointed date. It's a contractural honor system.

I witnessed Disney ask a lady for documentation, so they can and do ask. She was in line in front of me and met the requirment, but her doctor had to fax something to the terminal before she could board.

 

[EvaSue]

This may have been true in the past, but not now. I've called and talked to multiple CMs as well as concierge staff. Although to be fair, I have no idea how recently the current policy was put in place, because I only started making these calls a couple months ago. Again, I'm bringing my documentation, because goodness knows I don't want to be caught off guard, but every reliable shore-side source I've encountered in the last 2 months has said the same thing.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I witnessed Disney ask a lady for documentation, so they can and do ask. She was in line in front of me and met the requirment, but her doctor had to fax something to the terminal before she could board.

This may have been true in the past, but not now. I've called and talked to multiple CMs as well as concierge staff. Although to be fair, I have no idea how recently the current policy was put in place, because I only started making these calls a couple months ago. Again, I'm bringing my documentation, because goodness knows I don't want to be caught off guard, but every reliable shore-side source I've encountered in the last 2 months has said the same thing.

According to the DCL site:

Q:
Can I sail if I am pregnant?

A:
Women who have entered their 24th week of pregnancy as of their embarkation date will be refused passage due to safety concerns. Neither a physician's medical statement nor a waiver of liability will be accepted. In addition, Disney Cruise Line cannot be held responsible or liable for any complications relating to pregnancy at any stage.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/planning-center/my-cruise-plans/faqs/health-safety/pregnancy/

I take that to mean it's pretty much up to the woman to be honest. And, if she tries not to be, and there are any problems (with either the woman or the baby) DCL has no responsibility.

 

[EvaSue]

Ding ding ding!! Precisely. Personally, I would not want to sail with a viable baby in tow for a number of reasons, but it is up to the woman to be honest and to act in the best interests of herself and her baby.

 

[oldshovelhead]

First, let me offer a hearty congratulations! In 2012 my DW and I took our DS , DD , and Son –in-law on a cruise on the Dream as a college graduation present for our DS and DD. They both graduated a few months apart. After booking the cruise our DD and Son-in-law broke the happy news to my DW and I. My heart was both glad and sad at the same time. While I certainly looked forward to becoming a Pop Pop, I’m a big kid at heart and love all things Disney. The thought of postponing the cruise was depressing. Once we figured out that she would be allowed to cruise by about two weeks, we were all relieved. While the crew does everything they can to meet all your needs, my DW and her very attentive husband were there for her as well. She certainly ate more than the rest of us…
Anyway…all was well, she was very happy…and so were the rest of us! The best part is that I now have a 14 month old grandson to spoil. I can’t wait to take him on our next family trip to WDW. That’s the reason we bought into the DVC so many years ago. The good times are just beginning…

 

[cheer25mom]

According to the DCL site:

Q:
Can I sail if I am pregnant?

A:
Women who have entered their 24th week of pregnancy as of their embarkation date will be refused passage due to safety concerns. Neither a physician's medical statement nor a waiver of liability will be accepted. In addition, Disney Cruise Line cannot be held responsible or liable for any complications relating to pregnancy at any stage.
https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/planning-center/my-cruise-plans/faqs/health-safety/pregnancy/

I take that to mean it's pretty much up to the woman to be honest. And, if she tries not to be, and there are any problems (with either the woman or the baby) DCL has no responsibility.

I read this to mean you cannot use a doctor's note to cruise BEYOND 24 weeks, not to prove that you are LESS than 24 weeks.In other words, beyond 24 weeks the doctor cannot write a note saying it is ok. I only know what I saw in Feb 2012, and the lady in front of me was NOT happy at being told she could not board. The end result was that she had to get the doctor's statement before they let her on.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

First, let me offer a hearty congratulations! In 2012 my DW and I took our DS , DD , and Son –in-law on a cruise on the Dream as a college graduation present for our DS and DD. They both graduated a few months apart. After booking the cruise our DD and Son-in-law broke the happy news to my DW and I. My heart was both glad and sad at the same time. While I certainly looked forward to becoming a Pop Pop, I’m a big kid at heart and love all things Disney. The thought of postponing the cruise was depressing. Once we figured out that she would be allowed to cruise by about two weeks, we were all relieved. While the crew does everything they can to meet all your needs, my DW and her very attentive husband were there for her as well. She certainly ate more than the rest of us…
Anyway…all was well, she was very happy…and so were the rest of us! The best part is that I now have a 14 month old grandson to spoil. I can’t wait to take him on our next family trip to WDW. That’s the reason we bought into the DVC so many years ago. The good times are just beginning…

Shhh! Don't tell my Dad. He is already on to us girls! Not one of us has any grandkids for him, and we've been married 10+, 11+ and 15 yrs!

When we surprised them at Disneyworld, and he was telling a lady on the monorail all about how his kids flew down out of the blue to surprise them, she asked "and so where is the rest of the family? Are the grandkids back in the room?" Oh no! "I don't have ANY grandkids!" rarrrarrrarr..