Is a cruise a good idea with a baby?

And in fact, a cruise vacation is one of the best trips you can take with a small child. No matter where you go on the ship, you are only a few minutes from your room. That makes it perfect for midday naps, means you don't have to carry around a ton of baby supplies, and there is plenty to see and do without going far.



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Your baby may start cruising anywhere from 8 to 12 months. Encourage cruising by clearing a safe path for your baby around the couch or coffee table. The more space they have to move around and the more support they have while doing it, the better.

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Cruises make ideal babymoons. There's food everywhere, including room service for those late-night cravings. Plus they make planning easy; the cruise ship serves as hotel, restaurant, entertainment venue, spa and transportation. You can do as little or much as you want, and there's a doctor onboard ... just in case.

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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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You will want some kind of stroller or baby carrier for taking your child around the cruise ship and in port. Some cruise lines, like Carnival, have rentals available; MSC offers loaners. You will need to store strollers in your cabin, so we recommend bringing a small umbrella stroller, rather than a large baby jogger.

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However, balconies on Carnival ships are solid Plexiglas (so there are no gaps for little ones to try to squeeze through) and by law are all over 42 inches tall, making falls extremely unlikely.

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Is falling off a cruise ship easy? No. Cruise ships have railings — usually about chest height on the average person — on all open deck areas and cabin balconies. They are placed intentionally to ensure passenger safety.

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But, if you can splurge, balcony staterooms on a cruise ship are awesome. If your kids are still in the napping phase, you can relax on your balcony while your kids are napping. Balconies give you extra living space and make your stateroom feel larger. On sea days, the upper decks are crowded.

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Taking a baby on a cruise is one of the best ways to travel with your little one. You don't have to pack and unpack every few days, and there's no need to worry about the logistics of driving to your destination or traffic. Onboard, the friendly cruise ship staff take care of the details so you don't have to.

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Yes, you can bring your baby with you on your cruise vacation. With the exception of some adults-only ships, most cruise lines allow you to cruise with a baby who's 6 months or older. On certain itineraries -- usually exotic cruises and long ocean crossings -- the minimum age for kids is one year or older.

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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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Cruising to/from a foreign homeport: Any time your embarkation or debarkation port is in a foreign country, all cruisers (kids and adults) need to carry valid passports.

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Does Royal Caribbean Charge For Infants? Royal Caribbean charges the standard cruise fare for babies – there is no discounted Royal Caribbean infant price. However, if your baby is the third or fourth passenger in a cabin, you will often pay a reduced rate for them.

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