Babies and toddlers are small people bundles who often require lots of stuff to get through a typical day. One of the challenges of taking a cruise with a baby is figuring out how to accommodate all of that additional stuff without hauling a large steamer trunk onto the ship. Here are some tips on strategic packing when you cruise with a baby.
You can make your packing easier by arriving at your port city early and buying some basic items at a local store. (But you should do some research in advance to find out how far your preferred stores are from your hotel or the port.) You can easily purchase many bulky items like diapers and wipes before you board (at major U.S. port cities). This cuts down on your packing. It also save you on checked luggage. Since you will consume things like diapers, wipes and baby food on your trip, you shouldn’t have to worry about excess bags on your return trip.
If a pre-embarkation shopping trip does not mesh with your plans, then you should plan to pack everything that your baby or toddler will likely need on your trip. Make a list identifying things that you would be very sad not to have for 3 days, e.g., items such as diapers, wipes, formula, and preferred baby medication. You should not assume that you will have easy access to purchase necessary items that you forget or use up once you are onboard your ship. Although you can often find usual sundries on board – they may quickly run out of your preferred item. Also, you will not always be able to find what you want when you want at any given port.
When packing for a cruise with a baby, focus on packing these seven essential items to streamline your load. Read More …
