Cruising With an Infant: What Parents Should Know

Make it a memorable family getaway by bringing your infant on your next cruise. Royal Caribbean family-focused amenities will allow you to all have a relaxing trip at sea, complete with nap time.

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. On board, the friendly cruise ship staff take care of the details so you don't have to. Here are my top 10 mom-tested tips for a cruise with an infant.

Key Takeaways: Tips for Cruising With an Infant

● Packing for the plane: Bring extra diapers, diaper cream, a pacifier, snacks, prepped bottles and a change of clothes in your carry-on.

● Pack for comforts: Remember to pack soft toys, blankets, changing pads and sun-friendly essentials.

● Spread out the essentials: You never know when luggage might go missing on a flight. Pack baby’s gear across a few different bags so you always have formula, diapers and a change of clothes at hand.

● Keep baby happy on the plane: To avoid ear aches, have a bottle at the ready to feed Baby when the plane takes off and again when it lands.

● Consider big items: A baby carrier and an umbrella stroller will keep you mobile with your baby.

● Plan around washing: To facilitate washing clothes and bottles on board, bring a small amount of laundry and dish detergent.

● Choose infant-friendly cruises: Destinations like the Royal Caribbean private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, offer quiet beaches and a lot of convenience for getting around.

● Give yourself a break: The Royal Caribbean babysitting program for infants and toddlers is ideal for when you need some time alone.

● Engage in family time: Watch a kid-friendly movie with the family, take a stroll in the ocean breeze or cool off at Baby Splash.

● Check for ‘kids sail free’ promotions: Look out for the Royal Caribbean promotion where kids under 12 can sail free. It’s a great way to save and enjoy more on your baby cruise.

● Explore our cruises to start planning your family vacation.

What To Know Before You Go

There are a few important things to know before you book or set out on your cruise with an infant. First, you can bring baby food and snacks on board. For fresh food, you can ask at the Main Dining Room for vegetable and fruit purees, or solid foods like mashed potatoes.

Can Babies Go on Cruises?

The Royal Caribbean infant policy states that to cruise, your baby needs to be at least six months old from the first day of your sailing. On trans-Pacific, trans-Atlantic and certain other routes, there is a minimum age limit of 12 months. Cruising is a convenient way to vacation with Baby — and take advantage of Royal Caribbean babysitting to find moments for yourself. So, if you have a baby less than six months old, it’s worth the wait.

Tips for Cruising With a Infant

1. Items for Babies on Board

You'll likely get on a plane to get to your family vacation's starting point before you sail off into the sunset. When you're taking your baby, that means planning how much you need to carry with you and how you'll do it. Let's focus on the basics you'll need at all times for the baby.

During the flight, I always travel with extra diapers (you never know when you'll have what some lovingly refer to as a "blow-out" en route to your ship's first port of call), wet wipes with a flip top, diaper cream, a pacifier, food and snacks, prepped bottles and a change of clothes (also needed in case of a blow-out) in my carry-on luggage. Those items have saved our collective bacon more than a few times.

2. Pack for Comforts

Other baby essentials for the trip include sunblock, any medications for Baby, bibs, a portable changing pad (that you can use on board), extra bottles, formula or breast milk (the TSA allows this on board), shoes or sandals, swimwear, sun hats, toiletries, feeding bowls and spoons for each day of your family vacation.

I'd also recommend a favorite stuffed toy, blanket and white-noise-maker. You can buy small items on board, or even at shore, but bringing the essentials can help you save a little more for the fun activities.

3. Spread Out the Essentials

My baby girl was pretty particular about which kind of baby formula she consumed. Keeping some in resealable baggies in various carry-on luggage and suitcases was a lifesaver when two of our three suitcases were lost en route to Panama. Having the right formula on hand meant I could feed her when we landed without having to run around looking for the right brand while dealing with jet lag and a hungry baby.

Luckily, we also spread our clothes across all three bags, so we all still had something to wear after we arrived. I packed a few extra diapers and spread those across the suitcases, too.

4. Keep Baby Happy on the Plane

Babies can't chew gum or yawn on command when your plane takes off and lands. When we traveled, we made sure to have a bottle ready so we could feed her when the plane was taking off and again when it was landing so she didn't get earaches.

If you time your flights right, you can change the baby's diaper before boarding, feed Baby upon takeoff and have them fall asleep for a nap while you fly. That happened to us exactly once and it was like winning the lottery. A sleeping baby is a happy baby, and the parents and fellow passengers are, too.

5. Consider Which Big Items You Need

It's easy to think you need to carry everything plus the kitchen sink when you travel with a baby, and some parents do. I never did, partly because I don't have a personal Sherpa to haul things and partly because I realized certain items just aren't essential.

Here are the only bulkier items that I consider must-haves:

● A baby carrier: When you dock at your destination, Baby is portable and can enjoy the sights with you.

● An umbrella stroller: Bring one that's compact, easy to maneuver in smaller streets or alleyways and can be covered with a light blanket to keep the sun out if the baby's dozing when you head to shore. You’ll need to store it in your room.

We always carried Baby on our laps during flights instead of bringing a car seat with us. Doing that meant we didn't need to pay for a ticket for her as well. If we had to drive once we landed, we arranged for a car seat with our car rental company. We also arranged cribs or pack-and-plays with our hotels.

On board 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 to be safe or ask as soon as you get on board to have the crib delivered to the room.

Your needs might be different than ours, so carefully consider how important these larger items are to you and your family:

● A car seat for the flight over.

● A pack-and-play for naps or overnight sleeping.

● A baby carrier.

● An umbrella stroller (plus rain cover — with seasonal travel, this is imperative).

● Your regular, more sturdy stroller (we didn't lug this along).

● ... and the list goes on.

6. Plan Around Washing

Some parents bring a little bottle of laundry detergent with them to wash Baby's clothing throughout the vacation. You can just wring it out, hang it and wait for it to dry.

If you'd rather enjoy the amenities on your ship and skip the washing, you can do that, too — washing, pressing and dry cleaning services are available on board most ships. You'll likely also find wash-and-fold specials on your voyage and a per-item laundry list if you just need one or two items cleaned.

Consider washing Baby’s bottles as well. I cut a kitchen sponge into segments, charge them up with some dish soap and pack them into zip-lock bags. I keep one in my carry-on, one with the stroller and a few extras in my check-in luggage — they’re portable, compact and allow you to clean virtually anywhere.

7. Seek Out Infant-Friendly Cruises and Perks

From infant to toddler and beyond, your child can have a good time onboard with the complimentary, award-winning Adventure Ocean® Youth Program. All youth team members have experience working with children as well as degrees in education, recreation or a related field. Children are grouped by age, so their interactive programs will be perfect for them.

When choosing your baby cruise itinerary, consider going to one of the Royal Caribbean private islands, like Perfect Day at CocoCay — you’ll find quiet beaches there, and everything’s designed to be super convenient.

8. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK

9. ENGAGE IN FAMILY TIME

If you're looking for something to do as a family, there are plenty of options. Each cruise ship features numerous swimming pools, some with infant-friendly cruise water features. The babies in swim diapers are all welcome to splash the day away at Baby Splash on certain ships.

Catch a kid-friendly movie in one of the theaters, head out for a walk with your baby and enjoy the ocean breeze or go on one of the shore excursions. You can set up camp on a beach and nap under a palm tree — and of course, there’s room service available if you need to stay in the room with your baby.

10. Remember That Kids Sail Free (Sometimes)

Find Your Baby Vacation Rhythm at Sea

With a little planning, you'll be ready to enjoy the comforts of a home base while exploring lots of fun options on land and at sea. Baby cruising can feel like a big chunk for new parents or first-timers to bite off. I promise, once you’re splashing around together under the sun with a happy bub, you’ll realize it’s all worth it.

Explore our cruises and bring along your little one the next time you decide to set sail.

RELATED ARTICLES