Cruising with Toddlers
Your Ultimate Guide with Tips, Tricks, and Packing Lists
Photo Courtesy: The Image Group
Have you been wishing you could take a cruise but putting it off until your toddler is older? Are you afraid a cruise would be a disaster during the terrible twos or three-nager stages?
Well, I dared to take multiple cruises with toddlers, and they were some of the most amazing vacations for both the kids and the adults! Waiting for kids to be older is wasting the time you have now which you will never get back.
Instilling the love of travel and adventure from a young age is truly a gift to your children. Plus, YOU deserve a vacation from your day-to-day hustle.
I’ve been cruising since 2000 and worked on the Disney Cruise Line ships for five years. I have gained a lot of cruise insight over two decades that I would love to share with you. In this post, I am going to explain why cruising with toddlers is an awesome vacation choice and give you tips for making your trip easier and more enjoyable.
Related: Flying with Toddlers,
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Get the toddler cruising details in my YouTube video above!
Freedom to Cruise Whenever
The toddler years are a great time to travel a lot and take advantage of not being bound by school and activity schedules. Never again will you have this much freedom in choosing when to cruise!
Now that the kids are all in school, I desperately miss the ability to vacation in April, early May, and September. Avoiding cruising during school breaks will not only be less crowded but less expensive too. You can often qualify for “Kids Sail Free” specials during these off-peak times. Check out CruiseDirect for great deals!
Oceans of Possibilities
Cruises offer so many opportunities for both kids and adults to have amazing experiences. I loved cruising with toddlers because there were always things to do to keep us entertained, but we weren’t overwhelmed. A cruise has less stimulation for children than a theme park, and there isn’t as much rush to see and do everything in a short time. This means fewer tantrums!
This is a list of some of the awesome cruise activities for toddlers that we liked:
Splash pad/pool
Carousel
Carousel onboard the Allure of the Seas, Photo Courtesy: The Image Group
Face-painting
Balloon animals
Toddler play areas
Character visits
Photo Courtesy: The Image Group
Beach time
Kids club activities
Parades
Dance parties
Deck parties
Ice Skating/Water/Stage Shows
Your toddlers may even guest star in the ice show!
Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Naps
I’m glad I took advantage of the short window of time when toddlers take daily naps! Having a napper meant I had self-care time in the afternoon to lounge at the adult pool, go to the fitness center, read a book on the balcony, or shop onboard while my daughter napped with grandma.
Embark day always made nap time a little tricky because as soon as they were asleep, it would be time to leave the stateroom for the lifeboat drill. I’ve carried a sleeping toddler to many safety drills praying the ship’s terrifyingly loud alarm wouldn’t jar her awake and induce a wailing tantrum.
Luckily, since the Pandemic, cruise lines have transitioned to virtual drills that you can watch in your stateroom or even on your phone while waiting to board the ship. That’s one area that improved because of COVID!
Don’t forget Travel Insurance! You never know when insurance will save you a lot of money!
Creating a Routine
When you cruise at least 6-7 days, you can maintain a routine for your toddler. A daily routine is much easier to achieve on a cruise than a theme park vacation or a trip visiting a lot of different attractions. Even though you are visiting several different ports during the cruise, you can still establish consistent wake-up and bed times, meal times, activity times, and nap times. Toddlers thrive on routine, and meltdowns will be less likely to happen when you get into a daily pattern.
Kids’ Clubs
As I mentioned in my list above, the Kids’ Clubs on cruises can really improve your cruise experience. They offer activities, playtime, crafts, and will also provide meals. I utilized the Kids’ Clubs for dinnertime, so the adults could enjoy a quiet, uninterrupted meal. This was a God-send during the toddler years!
Before you book your cruise, first, ensure that the ship has a Kids’ Club or a Nursery if your toddler wears diapers. Family-oriented cruise lines like Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, NCL, and Carnival typically have the most options.
Cruise lines targeting an older demographic like Princess Cruises and Holland America or a more “sophisticated” clientele like Celebrity Cruises tend to not have venues for babies and toddlers. Offerings will vary ship to ship even within the same cruise line, so I recommend confirming that the ship you are considering has what you need.
The Nursery charges per hour. Check if time blocks can be booked in advance online in your cruise reservation.
A great resource for new and experienced cruisers is Cruise Critic with reviews, ship details, and cruise bargains.
If your toddler wears swim diapers, confirm that your ship has a splash area/baby pool if you’re going on a warm weather cruise. Little ones in swim diapers are not allowed in any other pools. Avoid the disaster of telling your toddler that he or she can’t swim in any of the pools! Bring at least two swimsuits—they take forever to dry on the ship.
Food Selection
Cruises have an abundant variety of food. The staff will also go out of their way to accommodate picky toddlers. This is very helpful for kids with food aversions and feeding difficulties.
Cruise buffets on kid-friendly cruises also cater to kid palates with mini boxes of kid–approved cereals, chicken nuggets, and mac ‘n cheese. The buffet remains open most of the day and night, so there’s no fear of “missing out” on a meal if toddlers are napping.
Tips to Make Your Cruise Seamless
Itinerary
It is essential to choose a toddler-friendly itinerary. The majority of my cruises with toddlers were tropical destinations which are perfect. Beach destinations are easy with toddlers—bring some sand toys from Dollar Tree and you’re set!
Bargain Cha$ing Tourist Tip: When I fly into Fort Lauderdale for a cruise, I love to stay the night before at either Hyatt Place or Hyatt House. They are both very classy, comfortable hotels close to the cruise port with an impressive free breakfast. 
I have also cruised with toddlers on an Alaskan cruise. The ports of Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, and Icy Strait Point allow easy navigation with strollers with sightseeing and activities close to the docks.
Onboard the Disney Wonder in Alaska
You want to avoid itineraries that require a long bus ride to get to any of the sites. Look into where the cruise is actually docking versus where the attractions are.
For example, Mediterranean cruises will require at least an hour or longer bus ride to get to Rome which turns the day into an 11 or 12-hour adventure. The Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum are not particularly toddler-friendly. In addition, clean bathrooms can be hard to find.
Your best bet are ports where you can walk off the ship and find something to do within a short walking distance. Keep in mind, taxis in foreign ports will NOT have car seats.
Private Islands
Cruise lines’ private islands are great destinations with toddlers because amenities, meals, and attractions are all accessible without transportation. There’s also a greater sense of security (to me) when you’re at a destination that the cruise line owns.
Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian, and MSC are the cruise lines that dock at their private islands rather than ferry by tender boat. To me, being able to walk your stroller out to the island makes the trip more enjoyable than waiting to load up a tender boat back and forth.
I can attest that Disney’s Castaway Cay is as magical as it sounds! The gorgeous beaches of the Bahamas provide an unforgettable backdrop for an amazing family day.
I have not yet been to Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay (we couldn’t get in due to bad weather on two separate cruises), but it truly does look like a “perfect day” as Royal Caribbean promises. Guests have their choice of multiple pools, beaches, and a water park.
Bargain Cha$ing Tip: The water park on CocoCay has an extra charge. Children age 3 and under can enter free. Even if they don’t meet the height requirement for the thrilling water slides, they can use other amenities. This is helpful if older children and the rest of the family will be at the water park. 
Labadee, Haiti
I have been to Royal Caribbean’s private property in Haiti called Labadee several times. Although it doesn’t have all the amenities of CocoCay, my family really liked it. Unfortunately, due to political unrest and crime in Haiti, Labadee’s days as a Royal Caribbean cruise port may be numbered.
Stateroom
I agree with other cruise bloggers that a balcony stateroom is ideal with toddlers. A balcony makes the room feel bigger and provides a place to stow the stroller. It’s also a quiet place to enjoy the ocean breeze and views while toddlers nap.
Cruises offer a Pack ‘N Play for toddlers to sleep which worked fine for us during most of our toddler cruises. My daughter is tall, so she slept on the couch bed by two and a half. Not all staterooms have a fold-out couch—make sure you confirm this when you book your cruise.
Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean will also provide a diaper pail. (I’m not sure about other cruise lines)
Disney Cruise Line’s ships are unique because they have bathtubs in standard staterooms. Other cruise lines have a very small shower.
If your toddler isn’t accustomed to a shower, I recommend a shower hat that keeps water and shampoo out of their eyes. Alternatively, you can bring a small inflatable tub.
White noise always helped the kids fall asleep. There are multiple options of white noise apps that have free trials or you can bring this portable white noise machine that is a bestseller on Amazon.
Don’t forget your toddler’s favorite blankie or plush toy to help encourage sleep in an unfamiliar room.
