Taking a Baby on a Cruise - Yikes!

We just took a 7-day cruise last month (my first cruise). It was with Royal Caribbean, though, not Princess, but I'm sure some things will be the same.

About the cruise ship water--you can drink the water from the faucet in your room. They provide glasses for that purpose. So I assume it would be fine for formula also. I would suggest bringing a few water bottles that you could refill for use at the port stops. (The water bottles available for purchase on board are expensive.)

About giving baby a bath--the bathroom sink was much too tiny for that, and the shower was extremely small (no possibility of filling the bottom like a tub), but it did have a hand-held showerhead that you could take down. So you can either 1) try showering with the baby in your arms (daddy can help) or 2)have the baby sit on the shower floor while you soap him and rinse him (but you'd probably want your bathing suit on and not your regular clothes).

About laundry--The regular laundry service was expensive, but our cruise offered a mid-week special--fill the bag with clothes (certain types of items, like t-shirts and undies) and get the whole bag washed for $20. But with baby clothes being so small, you might just bring lots of extra clothes and just save up your own laundry to do later. I wish I had brought extra shirts for my daughter--she's 5 but still seemed to dirty 2 shirts each day...

About food and diapers--I didn't need these, so I'm not sure. But you might look up information on your port cities and see if there is a store nearby so you only have to bring part of the supplies and restock partway through the cruise. It turned out that our stop in Puerto Vallarta was walking distance to a grocery store and a Walmart.
Or call up your cruise line and ask if they have baby food/diapers available on board. Or take a bag dedicated to diapers/food--at least you know you won't have to lug it all home again. :) Oh, and remember to bring along any baby medicines (like Tylenol) that you might possibly need--I had to search an airport once for infant Tylenol, and that was not fun.

Hope you enjoy the cruise!

2 moms found this helpful

Have you contacted the cruise line's customer service? They will be able to tell you what services are provided and make recommendations for what you should bring. You might also be able to ship a box of baby things ahead and have it waiting for you on the ship when you arrive.

Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi E.,

I recommend you call the cruise line directly as they are all different. However, I'll let you know that we went on a cruise last year with our two young children, along with several families that all had babies. There were tons of laundry rooms on the ship. Also at 10 months your baby should be ready for some of the fruit, etc at the buffet. Some of the stores did sell diapers I believe. And you can check with the childcare center as I believe that many of the cruise lines do offer babysitting even for infants. I had never really left my children with others before, but checked it out and gave it a try. They loved it and I was able to get some adult time. Hope that helped. Have fun!

Great stuff from other commenters, just a couple of thoughts:
- The tap water is absolutely safe to drink. But as always, only run the cold water.
- Princess ships generally have showers rather than tubs, and unfortunately the shower heads are usually affixed to the wall. Your best bet may be to sit on the floor of the shower with your son and use a washcloth.
- Princess doesn't allow a 10 month olds in the pool. Only a very few ships (Disney and a couple of the largest RCI ships) have kids' pools with the extra filtration needed to safely accommodate kids who aren't potty trained.

Have a great trip!

If you need to bring jarred food - we did because we wanted organic and certain types - you can put them in a stack (we did a stack per day) and wrap with one layer of the big-bubble wrap secured up the length with packing tape and on the ends with twist ties. You can place a grocery order with the local Whole Foods and have a family member pick up your items to be wrapped and packed in your hard-sided suitcase before getting on the ship. Diapers make good cushioning for the jars too. Powdered laundry soap can be pre-measured and put into those formula dispensers if you think you'll be doing multiple loads. Baby cereal can be pre-measured in those dispensers too. Use the ship's dishes and utensils whenever possible but be sure to bring some Tupperware or those reusable/tossable toddler containers and utensils for you outings. Bring a dish brush with the soap loaded into the handle so you can do the dishes in your room and bring a large lingerie net bag and a hanger to use as your "drying rack". Bumkins makes reusable lightweight bibs that can be wiped clean and air dry quickly - we loved the one with the long sleeves for saving on multiple wardrobe changes. If the ship is providing a portacrib you might want to bring your own packNplay linens - including a waterproof pad... so you aren't scrambling for a re-make in the middle of the night due to diaper failure. Worst case scenario just have a small waterproof pad so you can put it on top of the wet spot and get your little one back to sleep quickly. I carried my son in a sling at 13mos through the airport while pushing the stroller full of our carry-ons... the sling and the hip hammock were my two best resources for kiddo transport when I needed my hands free or the streets were too bumpy to push a stroller in Mexico. For small-folding strollers I love our combi... it's lightweight and has a fantastic recline and sunshade and even has a small basket as well as a cup holder for me :)

Wow sounds like a fun trip. Ok first things first. Call the cruise line and ask them the following questions: 1. Do you have a laundry service? 2. Do you have portable cribs? 3. Do you sell diapers and baby food for sale on board the ship? 4. What accomidations do you have for a family with a 10mo. old baby?
Ok now as far as the bath goes just put a towell at the bottom of the bathtub when you give him a bath and that should be fine, you can even take a bath with him or a shower.
When you get the answer to your questions about the laundry then you will know how many clothes to pack. Not sure if you are going to a warm climate or not so that will determine the bulkiness of your clothing. If you are not going to leave the ship alot then maybe putting the baby in a baby pack that you wear instead of a stroller. If they supply a portable crib then you won't need a pack n play. Now as far as what he will need for the actual cruise pack it all in one suitcase. That way it is confined in one package. Roll clothes to save space. Just pack what he will need for the flight in the diaper bag. His clothes, food, formula, diapers, wipes, shoes,socks, bottles, favorite blanket can all go in one lg. suitcase since he will probably have more stuff than you will. Make a list and check it off as you pack. If you can condense it all down to a suitcase it will save alot of space, instead of having it is many different smaller bags. Anyway good luck and have fun!

Don't overwhelm yourself. I recently went through something similar and found it all turned out OK. Tackle it in manageable tasks. You will definitley need to dedicate one standard size suit case for just the baby. So, if you are on an airline that only allows one per paying seat, I recommend paying for the extra suite case. It is worth it.

Make a list of the things you must have, like formula, diapers, wipes. Then, determine how much you really use in a week. 1 - 2 large cans of formula?; about 6 - 8 diapers a day, which translates to one of the 4 packs that you get in a Costco case, and put about 6 - 8 in the diaper bag, which is a days worth;1 big pack of wipes. Again, remember you will pack a days worth in the diaper bag for the travel.

Pack 3 bottles and a small bottle brush with you and wash them daily. Take one already prepared in the diaper bag (that is the 4th bottle to help with the rotation). Take a small dish soap w/you, and a small bin that fits in the suit case, so you can wash comfortably.

Pack disposable bibs, so you don't have to wash. Target, Walmart, Babies R Us carry them. Use the cruise ship towels, so you don't have to pack. They will give you as many as you need.

Activities, take 1 - 3 favorite books, a couple of small age approriate cars/toys, and take him to the pool. Definitely take a stroller and stoll him around the ship every day. He will enjoy the people watching.

Go online and tour the ship you are going to be on. They you can see a 360 view of a similar room to the one you will have. This will give you an idea of space.

Food, I recommend buying the premixed Gerber cereals and a few jar foods. By 10 months, many babies are already on table food. So, you can start introducing him to the wonders of real food. Have him eat real toast, tiny bites of apples and bananas and cooked veggies. Protein can be cut in pea size pieces he can mash. This will help you in feeding him and not having to travel with too much jar food. By 10 months he should be able to eat most table foods (no honey until 1 yr old). Don't forget to pack the spoons...

As for bathing the baby, Daddy can shower with him. Have Daddy hold him, while you soap your son down and shampoo his hair.

Cruises are meant to be relaxing, and with a little preplanning, you can definitley have a great time.

How exciting! I took a Princess Cruise last year and as I recall, there were no diapers or babyfood available - bring your own. I would say that it is safe to make the formula from the water on the ship - they have good water. As for laundry, you will have to send it out and it is a little costly. They charge per garment - I don't know how they would charge for small baby clothes. As for eating, you might find that there are enough different foods available that you can feed the baby soft foods from the buffet and not have to worry too much about baby food. Have a great time!

OK everyone has great advice... the only thing I didn't see is vacuum pack your diapers. If you have a vacuum sealer it smashes diapers super thin and you can pack a day's worth in each bag. My friend did this when she went to Albania and it worked great! Have a great time, and relax... you don't need as much stuff as you think!

I would pack a seperate suitcase for the baby. Put all the diapers (at least 10 per day) in the suitcase along with the clothes and a few favorite toys. If you have to fly, I'd pack a few new toys for the plane trip to help keep his interest for a bit. As far as making up the bottles, the ship is very accomodating when it comes to babies. You can call ahead to make sure a high chair will be available at your table when you arrive (and for the duration of the cruise) We always pack a suitcase with sodas and water for ourselves so you can do the same. That way you'll always have water available for the bottles. In the dinning room, they will bring you warm water every time if you ask so you can make the bottle up right there (or before you leave if it's not time for one yet) You can even get warm water all over the ship wherever they serve coffee. There's always a cafeteria/grill type of set up available 24/7 so you can get warm water there. You can do laundry on the ship and you can get quarters for the laundry from the pursers desk as well as laundry soap (in the gift shop) although I'd buy a few of the small travel boxes from the store and throw it in with the baby's stuff. Baths are a little tricky...you can use the sink in the bathroom or just put him in the shower with you or dad. Just remember you can have 2 bags per person so you should have no problem bringing along any extras you think you might need.
M.
a.k.a cruise-a-holic..lol

Ok, so I'm I little envious! :o)

You seem to have gotten a lot of good advice, but I didn't see anyone make the easiest of suggestions. Call the cruise line and they can tell you the exact services etc. that your ship will provide. Most have coin-op laundry rooms as well as a laundry service. They all have good quality water filtering systems so making formula is not a problem. Most have babysitting services in a big playroom with well trained care providers, so you can get a break whenever you want and your baby will be super happy with plenty of toys to play with. On our cruise we didn't pay any extra for this service. Most have large buffets and 24/7 food available that you can mash up for your little guy so you really shouldn't have to pack much in the way of food. Just make sure you don't introduce more than one new food each 3/4 days.
The main phone number for Princess is 1-800-774-6237, just call them up and ask. They will be happy to help and you will feel better having concrete answers.

Have fun!

Hi E., you are making it harder than what it is.

1. Diapers. The best thing to do is buy the diapers when you land at the LAX. Google to find either a Walmart or a Target in the area. That way when you buy a case of diapers or two, you won't have to worry about using them up as your baggage quota. And if you have any leftover you can pack whatever is left in your suitcase. Or, if you have relatives that live in the area, have them pick up what you need and you can meet them at the ship.

2. Formula. The cruise ships have bottle water which you can use for the formula. Once again when you go to Walmart or Target, buy the powder formula not the ready made formula. It is easier to pack and you don't have to worry about it spoiling once you open the container. Also you can put the powder formula in the bottle when you go on excursions or just sitting on the deck and add the water when you need it that way you are not carrying the container everywhere.

3. Baby Food. I know Gerbers have the baby food in plastic containers so you don't have worry about taking the glass baby food everywhere. If the baby is on solid food at 10 months you can always forget the baby food and let him have regular people food. Applesauce, mashed potatoes, beans that you smash, eggs, oatmeal, etc.

4. I have not been on the Princess Cruises but on the Carnival and Disney cruises I have not seen any bathtubs. You might have to use the sink in the bathroom. You can find some disposable washcloths to give the baby a daily sponge bath if the sinks are too small this will be Plan B.

5. Laundry on the ship. There is a charge for that, but if you go to Walmart or Target and see if they have travel laundry soap or purchase some travel containers and put the laundry soap in that and if you do that make sure you put that in a airline approved baggy and pack that in your suitcase that you check in. That way you won't have problems going through security. You will be washing clothes in the bathroom sink and there might be a clothesline in the shower. Like I mentioned earlier I have only been on the Carnival and the Disney Cruise Line.

Necessities, you can bring the stroller and carseat as free carryon as long as the baby is in his carseat on the plane. Each person is allowed two carryon. For the baby, it will be a diaper bag and a small suitcase (40 lb limit) that you put in the overhead bin. In that suitcase you can pack his tiny clothes, extra bottles with powder formula in it, baby food, bottled water (don't use the airplanes bottled water because it could be regular tap water), extra toys. Don't pack bulky toys because they take up too much room. You should know by now what is your son's favorite toy. Keep away from noise makers on the plane. Don't bring a bulky type diaper bag, find a backpack with lots of pockets and make sure you bring something to lay the baby on to change his diaper when you go on an excursion. The bathrooms on the ships have plenty of changing tables or you can always go back to your cabin to change the baby if you feel more comfortable doing it that way. If you child uses a pacifier, buy several of them, it is always best to be safe than sorry later. If you have two, buy 2 more and make sure you safety pin the pacifier on the baby clothes that way you don't lose them. You can buy the pacifier that has the attachement on them too.

When the plane is getting ready to take off, make sure you have a bottle ready. The air pressure of the plane can hurt the baby's ears and the sucking motion will keep his little ears popped.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and if I have the answers I will get back to you. If I don't hear from you. Have a fantastic time on the cruise.

One more thing, If you and your husband want to go out dancing one night, bribe a relative to take care of the baby for you, you should not have not problem in that area.

E.,
Instead of bringing a ton of baby food - bring some special stuff and bring a food mill so you can grind up the food they serve on the ship. They serve way too much food on cruises - lots of fruits too. You should be able to feed your baby easily, as long as you have a way to mash and puree. Bring the mill. Kidco makes a hand one or electric. they work great. I think ships have laundry service.

At 10 months I had started feeding my daughter table food smashed up. I'm sure with all the cooks and things on the ship you could ask for steamed veggies or fruit cut into tiny pieces.
I've never been on a cruise before, do they have baths or just showers? You could just bring a bathmat thing and get into the shower or bath with him.
Have fun!!!!
C.

I haven't cruised with my baby, but I have cruised before and I have traveled with my boy, so I'll give you what advice I can.

Make a list of everything you'll need, it makes things so much easier! Then, even your husband can help with the packing. :o)

Get a box of gallon-size Ziplocs and use them as a sort of "file system" for your suitcase. Then you won't have to scramble around for a onesie in a pinch. Also, bring several empty Ziplocs with you. They come in handy for wet/dirty clothes, extra food for snacks, dirty diapers when there is no garbage, etc.

Even if you're going to a warm climate, pack a sweater or extra blanket for the babe. Cruise ships can be very cold inside or if you happen to go out on deck at night while at sea.

If you plan to give your son people food while on the cruise, make sure it's not something he will/could be allergic to! The last thing you need is to spend a night in the ship's infirmary.

Have fun! This sounds like an awesome opportunity for you and your family. Make sure you update and tell us how it went!

Hi E.,
I took my son on a cruise when he was 6 mos and it was fine. I was still breastfeeding and did not need to mix water with formula, however, they allow you to take water so you may want to bring your own safe bottled water. I know they sell some at baby stores that are sterilized. I tried to bring a kettle to boil water to clean bottles, pacifiers but that was a no-no. Had to leave it at port. Thank goodness the sink water in the bathroom was scalding hot and that is what I used. It doesn't sound so great but it was very handy. Otherwise, I have no idea where I would have gone to wash these items. It was even so hot, I heated the stored breast milk in a wine glass. Lots of improvision is needed. They had a crib we borrowed so I didn't have to bring the Play and Pack. Made our cabin VERY tight but, again, it was worth having the baby with me. We drove to port down south and I too, brought everything! It was way too much, he didn't need all the toys, diapers I brought. We bought wipes in Mexico which was fine. My ship had no baby food. You may ask for mashed food at the dining room. Otherwise, bring a masher yourself. We held the baby in our arms for showering with a towel wrapped around him for safety-was fine. There are laundry facilities on cruise ships, don't worry. Might even be better than over packing (since you are flying). I, again, brought way too much clothes for my son. I did bring a stroller which helped alot. It folded up and we put into closet when in room because we were very cramped. We had a lot of fun though. We were with family also which is always a great help. Have fun!!

I've travelled quite a bit w/ my son via planes, rental cars, vacation rentals, blah blah and he's not quite a year. The parephenalia is ridiculous, so I try to keep it to a minimum. I bought a Baby Cook or Baeba from Williams Sonoma to make his food. It steams and blends, so no need to bother w/ the store bought food. I would still bring a little. Check to see if the cruise has a buffet, b/c I'm sure you can get all kinds of fruits and veggies from it. Some cruises even have all tips included in one price, so you can order room service as much as you like. I'd just order up fresh fruit and veggies and some meat if you can. The Bumbo chair has also been helpful for feeding my son in. I also have the First year inflatable hi chair that straps onto chairs. That's been quite useful and easy to pack. Good luck!

Hi E.,

We cruised with all three of our children at all ages. We had a great time, and experience. Diapers we brought with us, but were able to purchase on our stops. As far as baby food goes, my children were spoiled by the chef's on board. They mashed everything for them. Sweet potatoes, carrots, peas....... you name it. The adults at our table were asking for it when it came to our table. They have great soups for them as well. At breakfast they have bananas you can mash up, and they have oatmeal for the babies as well. They were extremely generous with their time, and talents when it came to our children. Princess cruise lines was one of them as well. Give them a call, and bring back up with you. Also, in the breakfast buffets they have mini boxes of cereal (cherrios) that we took along with us off the ship as snacks for the kids. Have a great time!!

Been there. You're going to love it. It's the PERFECT age. We did 11 days with a 12 month old. You didn't say where you were going...we were in Hawaii and they have Walmart so diaper/formula runs were no trouble. Bring an umbrella stroller that folds up and hangs in the closet. Ask the cruise line ahead of time for a portacrib. Be prepared for it not to be set up in time but you'll eventually get it. Bring a little bag to take wipes, toys, cookies, etc. to the dining room. The dining staff will likely be wonderful assistance to you during dinner. Take fewer toys than you think you'll need. Nothing big...stackable cups worked really good for us and a few little toys we could fit in shoes and stuff. If you're going out of the country, bring all the diapers you expect you will need (8 per day to be safe). Plus water diapers if you plan to take the baby to the pool or beach. And sunscreen of course. Bring 2 Playtex bottles with a bunch of inserts and three nipples. A small amount of dish soap or be cool using shampoo. You will bathe your baby in the shower. You hold and your husband bathes or vice a versa. Careful b/c the baby is very slippery. Onboard laundry is very expensive. Very. Bring two tops for each bottom. Bring three light sleepers and a couple of receiving blankets. At breakfast each day, snag a box or two of cheerios or fruit loops. They will last all day. Also you may wish to bring something to snag juice and bring back to your room. Email me if you want more info. ____@____.com.

If it were me I would not go. Traveling with a little one is hard at best, but on a cruise would reall be difficult. Especially with all the problems the cruises have today,