What if you have a baby on a cruise ship?

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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United States. U.S. law holds that natural persons born on foreign ships docked at U.S. ports or born within the limit of U.S. territorial waters are U.S. citizens.

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Officials say an expectant mother cruising onboard Royal Caribbean International's Jewel of the Seas visited the medical facility after experiencing discomfort. The medical team determined she was in active labor. The premature baby was successfully delivered aboard the Jewel.

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Therefore, if the child is born on a cruise ship over open ocean, that child is automatically a citizen of the country the parents are citizens of. In this case, the baby is an American citizen.

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May I board a Royal Caribbean ship if I am pregnant? Royal Caribbean International cannot accept guests who will be more than 23 weeks pregnant at any time during the cruise or CruiseTour.

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Luckily, all cruise ships have a medical facility onboard to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions. I've cruised a ton in my life and been really lucky with my health. I've heard horror stories of people getting sick, breaking arms or even needing to be evacuated to receive medical care.

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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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Babies and toddlers up to two years sail free on MSC Cruises, with kids aged two- to 11-years-old offered a reduced rate. On Cunard, infants up to 23 months travel free, while two- to 17-year-olds sail at a reduced rate, and Italian line Costa Cruises does not charge for infants under three.

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Other lines may charge the same as an adult fare, which is generally because babies create more work for ship staff (think cleanup), but do not create additional cruise line revenue by purchasing things onboard (such as cocktails, casino chips and shore excursions).

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Cruise fares are per person which includes children and infants. When traveling with two full fare guests, additional guests in the same stateroom pay a discounted cruise fare. Children less than 2 years of age are not required to extend gratuities.

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Popular rumor claims that people born on airplanes get free flights for life. Any truth in that? Sadly, it seems to be something of a myth. Very few airlines are known to have granted a newborn free flights for life.

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Cruise ship doctors work as independent contractors and may charge a basic hourly fee. There will be additional charges for medications and tests. All must be paid for at the time of service and will be billed to your shipboard spending account.

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Being airlifted off a cruise usually costs at least $20,000 and this can rise into the hundreds of thousands depending on location and other factors. This is one reason why taking out travel insurance with good medical cover is essential when cruising. Do not EVER cruise without travel insurance.

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Cruise ships do not have police. Instead, an onboard Security Director will oversee the ship's own dedicated security department, staffed by former federal, state and military law enforcement personnel from various countries.

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All guests are required to fill out a Public Health Questionnaire prior to arrival or at the pier attesting that they are not more than 23 weeks pregnant.

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However, as a matter of policy, most cruise lines don't count pregnancy as just cause for a refund or travel credit, so if you cancel after final payment, you will be accountable to your cruise line's cancellation policies and might not receive a full refund.

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All the major cruise lines have the same pregnancy policy: Guests are allowed to cruise through their 23rd week of pregnancy. If you will enter your 24th week before or any time during your cruise, you are not allowed to sail.

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