Taking a cruise with your baby or toddler? Are you wondering what to pack? Packing for a cruise with a baby is a challenge for sure! You will want to pack light, but not too light! If you are lucky enough to get to your cruise ship without flying, you will not have any restrictions on the number of bags you can bring. But do you really want to deal with a lot of extra luggage? Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring the items you need! Remember though, cruise cabins are typically smaller than hotel rooms. If you bring too much, your stateroom will feel very cramped and crowded. Be selective and only bring what you will absolutely use. Below are our recommendations for the top essential travel baby supplies for your next family vacation at sea. This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click and buy that I may make a commission, at no cost to you. Please see my disclosure policy for details. Protect littles one’s ears while traveling. Some venues onboard can be load. There are sizes for children, babies and toddlers. Heading to a beach destination? A good beach blanket is essential. This one comes with sand anchors and storage pockets too! A good carry on bag is essential. We love to use this one, it has spinner wheels and is easy to maneuver. When boarding the ship, be sure to pack swimsuits, sunscreen, all medicines, valuables and your boarding document including passports in it! If your are flying to the port, it also fits under the seat! Water shoes are an absolute must have item for the entire! Protect everyones feet from rocks, shells, coral, hot sand, etc. Many cruise lines do not have self-service laundry. Kids are messy! Be prepared to do some laundry in your cabin. You can hang a shower curtain from the ceiling using these hooks to create a privacy curtain or use them to hang hats, jackets, blankets extra. Walls and ceilings in ship cabins are magnetic! They are available in lots of fun colors too. This is genius! A refillable roll-on container for sun screen…..why didn’t I think of that? When it comes to strollers, the smaller and lighter the better. If your usual stroller is bulky, you might want to invest in a smaller, more maneuverable umbrella stroller. These take up much less room in your cabin and can also fit under the bed when not in use. Cabin corridors are also narrow and some areas can be crowded. This lightweight stroller weighs just 13 pounds, has four reclining positions, a large seat area and a large storage basket plus anti-shock front wheels and lockable rear wheels Air tags are a must these days. Luggage gets delayed or lost…know where your belongs are! They are also a very good way to find your stroller if it gets moved while traveling….very useful in places like Disney, other amusement parks, malls, etc.! We use a detachable air tag case on the inside of all our luggage. That way we know it won’t get removed or lost. Set your kids up for success on your travel to the ship with this awesome travel tray. It pops up and sits right across their lap, giving them plenty of storage space, a place to draw that won’t damage anything and a handy place to store their tablet for easy viewing. Believe me…you want to use a luggage tag holder on your luggage. After many sailings with torn off or destroyed tags and bags going missing, we finally invested on these and use them every cruise. These are for Celebrity and Royal Caribbean: These are for Carnival: And these work with Princess luggage tags: Excursions are easier when you don’t have to worry about a stroller. This wrap keeps baby close and comfy. Cruise lines have a limited number of pack & plays onboard for passenger use. Ships do not provide padding or sheets. We recommend adding a travel one to your packing list. This way, you know your child has a safe and comfortable place to sleep. A portable white noise sound machine creates a soothing environment for your little one. Your little one is going to need changing at some point! Be prepared with this portable changing pad. It comes with handy storage pockets and is waterproof. Diaper bags have come a long way! Dad won’t mind carrying this leather baby diaper bag backpack and it comes with stroller straps too! Diaper bags can be smelly. These odor eliminators work great….smell really good too. There are several different scents to choose from. Most cruise cabins do not have a bath tub and the sinks are very small. An inflatable tub can be very useful! Can be used pool side for some splash time too! A first aid kit is a 100% necessity! Visits to the ships doctor can be expensive and time consuming. Best to be prepared for the bumps and scrapes that are bound to happen. Of course you will want to buy things in port for your friends, family, little one. Many stores are not providing free bags with purchase in an effort to reduce waste. We take reusable grocery bags. Feeding time can be an adventure. Sippy cups, travel bottles, snack cups and baby spoons are very helpful! Lightweight bottles Portable bottle warmer Insulated water bottles for babies and toddlers. Baby spoons Of course, you will need diapers and clothes! Bring at least two clothing changes per day plus sleeping wear. Baby swimsuits and hats to protect those eyes are also important! For the dress up nights onboard, bring something fun for your little one to wear! Diapers onboard are expensive. If not driving to the port, stop at a store and stock up prior to boarding! Get some swim diapers too but be sure to check with your cruise line to see if they are allowed in the pool. If not, ask if they haveContinueContinue reading “Essential Packing Tips for Cruising with Young Children”
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Cruise Packing 101 – what not to forget!
You’ve booked your cruise, hotels, plane reservations….now what? First step is probably think about what to pack! A good packing list essential. Cruising is a travel experience where you want to be prepared with everything you need in advance. I’ve learned it’s easier to bring it from home than trying to find it in port. I have found these cruise accessories and travel gadgets to be really useful for space-saving and more! Below, I share some of the most useful things to bring on a cruise….from items that help with packing for a cruise to genius items that will organize your cruise cabin space. I will also include a few items you may not have thought of bringing, but really should be on in your suitcase! There’s a possibility you already have some of these things at home. You might be wondering if you need all the items on this list. You can pick and choose what you think you will need and use. Just remember, the items below are some of the most popular and well reviewed cruise essentials sold on Amazon. Many of these items are things that I bring and use on my own cruises. So let’s get started! This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click and buy, I may make a small commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon Prime Free Trial Amazon Prime comes with many benefits, including faster, free delivery, movies and TV shows (Prime TV) and even borrowing Kindle books. If you don’t already have Amazon Prime, you can sign up with a 30 day free trial. PASSPORT! and other important travel documents Keep these items in your carryon…you will need them to check in at the pier. I find a travel wallet to be very useful. This is another option….travel wallet RFID blocking card Thieves are everywhere. Simply place your credit/debit cards or any other RFID-enabled contactless Smart Cards near a RFID Blocking Card and you’re safe and ready to go. Suitcase with spinner wheels I have a weakness for new luggage, lol. Make sure it’s lightweight and has 4 spinner wheels. This makes it so that it’s easy to board your cruise ship and disembark….especially if you do self-disembarkation. Plus….who wants to drag a heavy bag around ship terminals or airports! My favorite brands currently are London Fog and TravelPro. Pro tip – If you have a neutral or common color suitcase, like black, blue or grey, make sure to add something colorful and unique so that it stands out and you can find it easily at the airport or cruise terminal. Carry on luggage I have been using an airline approved size carry on bag for several year now. There is plenty of room for extra shoes, a change of clothes, medicine, jewelry, electronics….all the things I don’t want to check with baggage handlers AND this one fits under the seat! If you need more storage, I love this tote bag from Lo & Sons. There is a zipper section on the bottom for shoes or items that might leak. Trying to minimize the amount of luggage you are taking? This convertible garment bag holds a TON of items and protects your nicer clothes from wrinkles. Comes in other colors and patters also. Cruise Line Luggage Tag Holders Protect your luggage with reusable holders. Nothing worse than having your luggage go missing! Plastic reusable luggage tags holders are so practical. If you get nothing else, buy luggage tag holders! Not only are they reasonably priced, but they can be reused again and again. After having tags accidentally torn off one time and our bags go missing, I purchased some. I will never cruise without them again! Below are Amazon links for several cruise lines. Celebrity MSC Carnival Norwegian Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Holland America Packing cubes I’m a packing cube convert. I’ve found even more ways to use packing cubes to keep organized on my cruise. My suitcase stays organized and when I unpack onboard, I just move them into the drawers or shelves. I recommend getting at least 2 packs in various sizes and in different colors. This way you can have cubes for each member of the family. I’ve recently started using compression packing cubes. Our last trip, my bag only weighed 38 pounds but was packed full because the clothing was bulky. These cubes decrease the bulk and give you more room. Luggage Locks Lock your luggage! We always lock ours when flying or boarding a ship. These luggage locks are designed to keep thieves out but still allow TSA to check bags when they’re going through security. And because the TSA can’t take their key out without relocking, you can be assured your luggage will stay locked . Lanyard and Keycard Holder Cruise lanyards are one of the most popular cruise essentials. If you want to stay hands free or keep organized, putting your cruise key card in a plastic water-proof lanyard is super practical both on the cruise and as you get off the ship at a cruise port. Pop Socket Card Wallet No need to carry a bag onboard! This pop socket wallet is a sleek and secure way to carry your seapass card along with your phone. Magnetically attaches to your phone. It has an attached phone grip, so you can avoid phone drops and kickstand your phone. Holds up to 3 cards and is RFID protected. Travel Binoculars Most cruise ships provide binoculars in your cabin but they aren’t very good. We like to bring a small, travel size pair. Travel Umbrella Most ships provide umbrellas but they tend to be large and difficult to carry. We always pack a compact umbrella, no matter where we are traveling. Ireland is famous for the occasional downpour. Hanging Toiletry Bag I have used a bathroom organizer for years. I keep it packed all the time except for a few items which I need everyday. This way, it is grab and go! This hanging bag comes in lotsContinueContinue reading “Cruise Packing 101 – what not to forget!”