No baby monitors allowed?

[Mary Gilson]

Hi friends!

In February my family and I will be taking our first royal Caribbean cruise! My husband and I have a 2 year old son. I just read on royals website that baby monitors are not allowed on board. We got a balcony room so that we could relax out there together at night since the baby goes to bed early. My plan was to bring the baby monitor so we could still keep tabs on him while out on the balcony without having to keep the door open.

does anyone have any suggestions? Are there apps that don’t use WiFi that we could download? Or do you think the rooms are small Enough that we would hear him crying while out on the balcony?

thanks for any help!

[Matt]

I believe the issue is with traditional baby monitors that use radio waves and that can be an issue with the cruise ship's communications and systems and whatnot

[jbrinkm]

Yeah, that's a dilemma because you don't want the AC cutting off in the room if it's really warm out. I think you would probably hear if the baby gets loud, but not if he/she is just starting to cry. Also depending on how windy it is outside. And you hate for them to get so worked up that it's hard to get back to sleep. I feel like the balcony doors did block a lot of noise from the staterooms. 

The only thing I can think of is walkie-talkies? I know people bring them on board to communicate (but never seems to work out well). Unless they've eliminated those also. You'd just have to leave the one in the "talk" position permanently that you leave in the room. It would use battery.

You're not planning to get Internet? If you had a plan that allowed 2 devices, you could leave a cell phone on in the room and one out on the balcony, connected by wifi calling. As long as the Internet works in your cabin and doesn't drop out. 

Hopefully some other parents of little ones can chime in on what they did.

[Atlantix2000]

I agree that baby monitors using radio waves would suffer the same fate as walkie-talkies - too much metal in the walls, ceilings, and floors mean they aren't going to work well.  In theory, a Wi-Fi based baby monitor would work just fine.  However, I suspect they also want to discourage/prevent parents from leaving sleeping infants/toddlers alone in the room while they wander the ship.

If your intention is just to hear your child from your balcony, I suspect you don't need to do anything other than open the door once in awhile to check on them.  Unless you've got a big suite, you're not going to be more than a few feet from your child.  The rooms aren't that big!

[smokeybandit]

Just get some walkie talkies and tape the transmit button down.

[fireclan]

Is this your first baby? You'll probably hear every peep even on the balcony. I generally didn't start ignoring mine until the third or fourth came along...

[teddy]

30 minutes ago, fireclan said:

Is this your first baby? You'll probably hear every peep even on the balcony. I generally didn't start ignoring mine until the third or fourth came along...

Exactly

[DJsMrs]

Or - if you have two cell phones and are on ship's internet - just open a facetime and let it run.   Mute the phone in the room so he can't hear you - but you can hear his sqwaks, if any.   But - having travelled with little kids - you'll hear them if they're crying.  Especially a 2 year old.

[Pooch]

Can’t you just see him from on the balcony?

[twangster]

Get Voom wifi plans for both phones.  Engage airplane mode.  Place a wifi, whatsapp, messenger or some other call between the two phones and leave them on speaker phone with the balcony phone muted.  

Basically turn two phones in a baby monitor, just mute the phone on the balcony so you don't wake the baby.

[AlmondFarmer]

I put the “sleeping off the adventure” sign on my door and tell my kids that Santa is watching. 
 

works 60% of the time, all the time.

[ScottD]

7 hours ago, twangster said:

Get Voom wifi plans for both phones.  Engage airplane mode.  Place a wifi, whatsapp, messenger or some other call between the two phones and leave them on speaker phone with the balcony phone muted.  

Basically turn two phones in a baby monitor, just mute the phone on the balcony so you don't wake the baby.

They also have "security cam" apps. One phone acts as the camera, will only click on at motion or sound and transmit a notification and video right to the other phone. 

[Bounce]

I realize this is a few months old now but I was just looking at the prohibited item list and I do not see baby monitor on it.  Is this an update? or have I just missed it.

Thanks.

[smokeybandit]

Interesting. They've removed baby monitors and the caveat about alcohol purchased in port being stored until the end of the cruise (I'm sure that rule hasn't changed though)

 

They also removed:

Exceptions can be made for the following sporting goods; however, the item must be stored in the guest’s stateroom and cannot be used onboard.

• Baseball Bats, Hockey Sticks, Cricket Bats, and Golf clubs
• Skateboards, Surfboards, and Bicycles

Prohibited items at the US Virgin Islands

• For itineraries visiting the US Virgin islands, please note that sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate are banned from use in port, as they are known to cause damage to reef systems. Sunscreen that meets these requirements is available onboard for purchase.

[CruiseMsclDad]

Its easy buy some cheap Blink indoor/outdoor cameras, those should work, you might  though have to pay for a separate device fee so It can always bee connected to your phone.

[Fuzzywuzzy]

On 1/24/2023 at 1:40 PM, smokeybandit said:

Just get some walkie talkies and tape the transmit button down.

A rubber band works just as well,but doesn't leave sticky behind.

[CruisingNewb]

Wait. I don't get it.  The 2 year old will be in the room sleeping right?  You will be on the balcony with the door shut right?  You will presumably be facing the ocean right?  Did you not develop the inevitable "eyes in the back of your head" yet?  I got mine when my first child turned 6 months old.  My wife got hers immediately after first child was born.  

[ScottD]

Yes..from everything I've read and heard, they are no longer prohibited 

[Matt]

It looks like it has been updated. Enjoy all those baby monitors

[michelle82]

@Mary GilsonI'm just enquiring to see what you did on holidays with your child. Did you bring a monitor or try something else? We are doing a 14 night cruise and have adjoining rooms with grandparents which we plan to use for nap time so we can watch tv or talk while the little man sleeps. We had planned on bringing a standard baby monitor not a wifi one and the price of the internet for 4 people in a room for 2 wks is too expensive so it isn't an option 

[smokeybandit]

On 8/18/2023 at 7:07 AM, Matt said:

It looks like it has been updated. Enjoy all those baby monitors

And now they're "bad" again

 

Baby monitors are not allowed to be used onboard our vessels as their radio signal could interfere with ship communication and/or navigation systems.