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What is the baby policy on Royal Caribbean cruises?

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.



Royal Caribbean has a very specific policy regarding infants: babies must be at least 6 months old on the day of sailing for most itineraries. For "trans-ocean" routes (such as Transatlantic, Transpacific, and Hawaii cruises) or those with three or more consecutive days at sea, the minimum age increases to 12 months. Expectant mothers are permitted to sail only if they have not yet entered their 24th week of pregnancy at any time during the cruise. Onboard, Royal Caribbean offers a "Royal Babies & Tots" nursery for children aged 6 to 36 months, which is one of the few places in the cruise industry that provides supervised childcare for very young infants; however, this is a paid service (typically around $6–$8 per hour) and requires a separate booking. It is also important to note that infants are only allowed in the pools if they are completely toilet-trained; for hygiene reasons, "swim diapers" are strictly prohibited in all main pools and hot tubs, although some ships have a dedicated "Splashaway Cafe" or splash pad for babies in diapers.

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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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Kids sail free is a limited time promotional offer that allows for guests 12 or younger to receive a free cruise fare. This offer is only available during active dates. To secure a Kids Sail Free promotion on a reservation, all applicable names and dates of birth must be given when making a reservation.

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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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Please note that hospital Birth Certificates (baby feet Birth Certificates), as well as photocopies or images of any required travel documents are not accepted for boarding. For sailings departing from U.S. homeports, an official US state-issued Birth Certificate is also accepted.

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You can bring baby food and formula While Royal Caribbean has rules about soft drinks and alcohol you can or cannot bring onboard, baby food and formula is unregulated, so bring as much as you can.

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Royal Caribbean Royal Caribbean's teen activities regularly run late at night until 1 a.m. -- and even later for older teens. But with the exception of these activities and spaces, on most 2022 Royal Caribbean sailings, ships have set a curfew of 1 a.m. for all cruise passengers 17 and under.

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No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

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While cruise ships are confined areas, they are large and full of safety hazards. Despite this, kids are generally allowed to roam freely, and can check themselves in and out of organized programs.

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