Our collection of helpful resources for planning your best cruise with baby or toddler. Essential information you need to plan your fun family cruise!
Resources For Planning Your Best Cruise With Baby
Going on a cruise with a baby or toddler can be a fun and easy vacation for the entire family.
Nevertheless, parents often get nervous when considering going on a cruise with their baby or toddler for the first time. Some of it stems from natural parenting fears about the unknown and unknown risks. Some of it stems from the inevitable chorus of naysayers whispering in the background. But armed with essential information for planning a family cruise with a baby or toddler, you can sail forward with confidence towards a fun family cruise that includes your entire family.
On this page, we have gathered all of our best content that focuses on different issues that arise when planning a cruise with a baby. We’ve got you covered from every angle! With these resources, you should be able to plan a fabulous cruise for that your entire family will enjoy.
I. This Is What You Really Need To Know When Cruising With A Baby.
This guide starts from the premise that you can absolutely cruise with a baby and have a wonderful time, and it sets out the information you need to do it. First, we take a look at the common objections that typically pop up when folks talk about taking a baby on a cruise. And, we explain why most parents should dismiss them.
We then cover the factors you should consider when selecting a cruise ship. And show how choosing the right cruise ship will help you plan the best family cruise with a baby.
And finally, we discuss what items you will need to pack, and what you should leave behind.
Following the simple tips set out in this post will help make the process of planning a cruise with your baby or toddler easier. And, it will will make the trip itself more fun for everyone!
If you find yourself receiving lots of negative feedback about going on a cruise with your baby, either from your friends and family or third-party commentators, consider responding with one of the reasons below. 
5 Reasons To Reject Hostility To Taking Babies On Cruises
II. Choosing And Planning The Best Family Cruise For Your Baby
Check out the following posts for help selecting a specific cruise for your family:
Absolutely The Best Family Cruise Ships For Toddlers
Given the dozens of great cruise ships catering to families today that offer great cruises for kids, you can easily get overwhelmed with deciding which one will be the best fit for your family. We have surveyed the most popular ships and determined which ones have the best features for families sailing with babies and toddlers.
Read this post to learn what are the best family cruise ships for infants and toddlers offered by the best cruise lines. And, discover which ones are the best fit for your family.
Finding The Best Cruises With Childcare For Babies Now
If you’re looking for a truly baby-friendly cruise, then you should seek out cruises with childcare for babies. The ideal family cruise provides opportunities for every member of the family to have fun, including the ones under age 3.
Most large cruise ships offer an array of activities and facilities throughout the cruise that appeal to a wide range of youngsters. But very few offer services targeted to infants and toddlers. Here’s a rundown on the ones that do. One key challenge with cruising with a baby is identifying ships that have cruise childcare and play options for babies and toddlers.
When evaluating options, you should distinguish between options that require a parent or caregiver to stay, and options that allow parents to drop off their kids.
Scope of program. You should also consider when a particular cruise offers childcare. Cruises with childcare have a variety of programming hours. Some offer a few hours a day. Others may offer full day and evening care.
Babies On Cruises Need Food Too!
Most cruise lines charge for babies. But, even though families may pay full fare to take their babies on cruises, that fare does not necessarily guarantee that appropriate food will be made available.
When it comes to feeding infants, the cruise lines take many different approaches. Some cruise lines do not carry any baby food at all. Other cruise lines will not provide you with it, but will provide you the opportunity to purchase baby food — either in the on-board shops or through an advance order system.
We also review options to consider if you are cruising on a line that does not offer baby food or formula of any kind.
How To Actually Cruise With Swim Diapers
If you have a toddler who is not completely potty-trained, you are probably worried about your swimming options on a cruise ship. And, if you aren’t, you should be! All major cruise ships offer fun water activities that appeal to kids. But, most of them will not allow babies or toddlers in swim diapers to participate.
This post first explains why swim diapers would even be an issue because it’s not immediately obvious to everyone that wearing swim diapers could be a problem. You probably have no problem playing in your local pool with kids in swim diapers. So why should a cruise ship be any different?
We also explain how the existence of splash parks and spray zones can confuse the issue. Some parents mistakenly believe that if a ship has a designated splash area then it must be safe for all toddlers to use, even ones still in diapers. But, this is not necessarily the case.
Find out the policies and practices for all of the major cruise lines. And, learn some tips on what to do if you’re sailing on a ship that doesn’t permit swim diapers.
III. What To Take When Going On A Cruise With Babies & Toddlers
Some tips on getting ready for your actual cruise and what to pack:
9 Best Packing Tips For Cruising With A Baby
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. These strategic packing tips for cruising with a baby will make your whole packing process easier while making sure you have everything you need for a fun cruise.
IV. Staying Safe When Going On A Cruise With A Baby
How To Improve Cabin Safety On Family Cruise With A Baby
If you are planning to take a family cruise with a mobile infant or toddler, you will likely be interested in some basic childproofing for your cabin. This does not have to be an elaborate operation. We have set out a few simple steps that will help improve the overall cabin safety for your babies and toddlers. And, most of these don’t involve potentially packing anything extra.
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