Do babies get motion sickness on cruises?

If your child is younger than 2 years, they may experience motion sickness but be unable to express how they feel. This is based on parent reports of children who are “fussy” on long trips. If you experience motion sickness, it increases the chances that your child will experience it.



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How Common is it to Get Sick on a Cruise? 15% of people have reported feeling seasick while onboard. In our experience we can add an other 10% of passengers that will suffer from other illness, such as colds, flu and hangovers.

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What to Know About Avoiding Sea Sickness. Sea sickness isn't often a problem for kids on big cruise ships, but you do have some options to treat and prevent motion sickness, whether it is in a boat, plane, or car.

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Respiratory Illnesses. Respiratory illnesses are the most common medical complaint on cruise ships.

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Cabin Choice The lower you are, and more towards the middle of the ship, you will not feel it as much. Cabins at the front and back of the ship tend to sway the most, so you want to avoid any rooms in these areas.

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Infants must be at least 6 months of age at the time of embarkation in order to sail. Children must be at least 12 months of age at the time of embarkation to sail on trans-ocean crossings and remote itineraries, where there are more than 2 consecutive sea days.

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For cruise lines and itineraries in more far-flung destinations, such as South America, Hawaii, and Europe, kids often need to be at least 12 months. Remember that a newborn's immune system needs time to develop, and travel provides many chances to come into contact with harmful viruses and bacteria.

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The U.S. Public Health Service requires that only children who are toilet trained are permitted to enter swimming pools and spas aboard cruise ships. Even if your child isn't toilet trained, he or she is welcome to enjoy the water play areas on board each ship while wearing a swim diaper.

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Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise and/or CruiseTour. HOWEVER: For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises and/or CruiseTours, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/CruiseTour.

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Minimum Age to Sail Babies must be six months old to cruise. For Atlantic and Pacific crossings, world cruise segments and many of the exotic itineraries, children must be at least one year old. Children younger than two who sail as the third or fourth passenger in a cabin generally cruise for free.

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Keep young children under close supervision at all times. The guardrails on most cruise ships are at least 42-inches high, which makes them a challenge for a young child to scale, but kids should definitely not climb them or sit on top. And it's a good idea to be careful any time you're near the edge of the ship.

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Why do Some Cruise Lines Charge the Same Rate for Babies as Adults? Though babies and toddlers clearly do not consume nearly as much food and drink, nor partake in the same activities as their parents, babies still create extra cleanup and housekeeping work that the ship's crew ultimately must take care of.

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If you are departing from a U.S. port and returning to the same U.S. port, passports are not required for U.S. citizens. All children 15 years of age or younger need only an original or copy of their state-issued birth certificate. They will not need any government-issued photo ID.

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Children aged 17 years and under will require a passport or Birth Certificate to travel or government issued photo ID. Children under 16 years of age, who do not have a passport or Photo ID, must have a copy of their birth certificate or their parents Medicare Card.

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As we mentioned, some passengers won't feel anything at sea, but for those who do, the good news is that seasickness usually only lasts a day or two. The effects tend to stop once the motion causing them does, or until we learn to adapt to the sensation.

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In 2023, a decade-high number of cruise ships have reported an unwelcome passenger on board: norovirus. Outbreaks of the stomach bug have surged on cruise ships this year, reaching the highest levels seen in 10 years.

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