Most bags don’t arrive in your room until later that night, so you should make sure that you pack some things like diapers and bottles in your hand luggage so that you can have them with you at all times. There are some cruise lines that offer nurseries, and you can drop your kid off in a group daycare type of setting. We know you’ve got your hands full with your little one and probably don’t have much time (or energy) to trawl the internet looking for a family cruise ship. Cruising with a baby can be an amazing experience for the whole family.
Do's and Don'ts for Cruising With a Baby
Royal Caribbean Kids Sail Free 2024-2026 Dates & Tips - Royal Caribbean Blog
Royal Caribbean Kids Sail Free 2024-2026 Dates & Tips.
Posted: Tue, 05 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
However, in the end, cruising with your baby can be a rewarding and relaxing experience for everyone. Whether your infant or toddler can go with you depends entirely on the nature of the activity. Keep in mind that you may need a car seat for your child if the excursion involves riding in a vehicle. You will have to pay for babysitting by the hour, usually using your onboard account card.
Taking a Cruise with a Baby: What You NEED to Know
Most cruise lines offer cabins that are baby-friendly – they may come equipped with cribs or high chairs, or even a separate sleeping area for the little one. Whether it's group playtime in a nursery or an in-cabin sitter, it's worth the splurge (and messing with bedtime a bit) to get a night out. If you're going with an in-cabin sitter, check the qualifications of the childcare provider (they're not always youth staff), and realize availability isn't guaranteed.
Babies & Toddlers cruise deals
Instead, we researched our own independent tour options in every port of call. Bike-and-brew tours are off-limits, as are wine tastings, rigorous hikes, and even some city tours that have restrictions on mobility (the stroller) or minimum age requirements. You need to make sure that your baby has enough rest so that they aren’t cranky all the time. If they are cranky, then chances are likely that the parents will be cranky as well. When you’re packing, you should make sure that you make a list of all the things you will need for your baby. Just like you would make sure you have all your documentation and passport, you should also bring some documentation for your baby.
Cons of Taking a Cruise with a Baby
Also avoid cruises without child-friendly activities or areas, as these may not provide enough entertainment and engagement for your little ones. Ocean cruises, on the other hand, are set up to handle and entertain all ages. These cruises make taking children onboard much more appealing, with multiple swimming pools, climbing walls, educational and fun “camps” for kids, and kid menus. Parents of small babies and toddlers will have more choices in accommodations, use of baby equipment, and even in some cases, baby food on an ocean cruise. Older toddlers can sleep on pullout sofas (make sure one is available in your cabin before booking) or in a bed or rollaway cot, but cruise ships will not provide bed rails. Some parents bring sleeping bags and make "nests" on the floor for older babies who are too big for cribs but have trouble with regular beds.
Pack a Couple of New Toys for the Trip
The connecting staterooms are perfect for larger families who prefer to be close, but not too close. Upgrade to one of the exclusive enclave rooms for your own concierge and 24-hour butler. Packing with a new baby can be overwhelming, but that's another good reason to upgrade.
Best Royal Caribbean ships for kids by age - Cruise Blog
Best Royal Caribbean ships for kids by age.
Posted: Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Some cruise lines will offer to watch your child in your cabin, but most of the kids have to be over a year old to qualify for the program. Some cruise lines provide travel cribs free of charge, so you may want to check with them first. If your cruise line doesn’t offer a travel crib, you may need to bring yours along. You can also bring your own stroller as well if you would like, however some ships have strollers available for rent or loan.
Cruising with a Baby While Onboard
Should something happen and you need to fly back home, a passport is vital. If your kid is used to taking baths, then they (and you) need to be prepared for the showers in the cabin. The showers come with a detachable spray handle, and are pretty small.
Cruising with a Baby: What to Know From Someone Who’s Done It
While several years ago, young parents struggled to find cruise accommodations that could fit a crib, or ships equipped with playgrounds or kids’ pools, times have surely changed. Nowadays, the major cruise lines try to cater to all demographics. This includes everyone from young adults and vegetarians and vegans to luxury travelers, from foodies to families with young children. If you’re one of the millions of people with a toddler running around at home, you might be interested in the following baby and toddler friendly cruises.
Still, there are many factors to consider before booking your next cruise vacation for your family. From the best kind of stateroom to the excursions you’ll want to sign up for, here is everything you need to know about taking a toddler on a cruise. For these reasons, maybe you’re hesitant to book a cruise with a toddler. The truth is, taking a toddler on a cruise is easier and more fun than you might expect. In fact, after sailing with your young one for the first time, we won’t be surprised if you start making a family cruise a yearly tradition. Additionally, Norwegian also offers a Late Night/Port Play service, which allows you to drop off your kid(s) before you go out for a romantic evening in a port town.
For some, taking a cruise with their baby may seem like a bad idea at first glance. For others, it’s a no-brainer; they love traveling with their child. Granted, there are many things to consider given traveling age restrictions and all the stuff needed to travel successfully with an infant or toddler. Now that you’re on the ship, baby in tow, you want everyone to have a fun time and enjoy all the ship has to offer. All cruise lines do offer pick-up/drop-off laundry services for a fee.
It’s also good practice to travel with a list of your baby’s medications and contact information for your pediatrician in case of an emergency. One thing to note is that your room may have a shockingly low number of outlets. Oddly enough, our mini-suite only had two outlets in the whole room, plus one in the bathroom. Meanwhile, my parents had four outlets in their balcony room (plus one in the bathroom).
If we had to drive once we landed, we arranged for a car seat with our car rental company. Onboard the ships, you can include your child's age when you buy tickets on the site, and the age will indicate to Royal Caribbean that they'll need a crib. However, you should call in that request just to be safe or ask as soon as you get onboard to have the crib delivered to the room. Taking a baby on a cruise is one of the best ways to travel with your little one. You don't have to pack and unpack every few days, and there's no need to worry about the logistics of driving to your destination or traffic. Onboard, the friendly cruise ship staff take care of the details so you don't have to.
We’d always book excursions that started right after breakfast (8am–9am) and ended right around noon (naptime). For instance, we found out (too late) that Princess had complimentary changing facilities at the Camp Discovery center stockpiled with diapers and wipes. Knowing this beforehand would have saved precious luggage space. In-room babysitting is provided by the ship's crew on an availability basis. You will need to go to Guest Services during your cruise and inquire about availability. I've had good luck with getting a baby sitter but keep in mind it's on a first-come, first served basis and there are limited baby sitters.
If you haven’t booked a cruise yet, you can search for family-friendly cruises based on amenities like babysitting, children’s center, kiddie pool, and more here. When you cruise with Norwegian, you can choose the size room that best suits your family size. A balcony cabin will come in handy when you want to enjoy the ocean views while the baby is napping. Multi-family staterooms can hold up to eight, so you can bring along the grandparents for some new baby bonding (and maybe talk them into babysitting for a night). That way we didn’t have to shell out a lot of money for an excursion while we might be tending to a sleeping baby or having to stop and feed him.
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