Did I take my daughter on a cruise before she was 2 years old? Yes. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.
When we planned our first cruise with our daughter, Olyvia, I was excited… and honestly, a little nervous. We were sailing aboard Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas on a 5-night cruise out of Port Canaveral.
I had never cruised with a toddler before, so I had a LOT of questions. What would we pack? Would she sleep? What would she eat? Would there be enough for her to do?
Looking back, I learned a lot. And since that first cruise, we have taken Olyvia on four cruises. She absolutely loves cruising, and we have found that it can be a fantastic family vacation.
Here are some of the things I learned along the way.
1. When Cruising With a Toddler, Overpack
Packing for a cruise with a toddler can feel overwhelming.
Toys. Clothes. Diapers. Snacks. Sippy cups. Sunscreen. Beach stuff. And then you have to account for everything you need for the flight to Florida, too!
My philosophy quickly became: it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I packed two outfits per day, plus a dress for dinner. With toddlers, you just never know when you’re going to need that second—or sometimes third—outfit.
Diapers
Don’t fill your suitcase with diapers!
We purchased a box of diapers after arriving in Florida and had them delivered/available before boarding the ship. We simply gave the box to the porters along with our luggage when we arrived at the port.
That saved a surprising amount of space in our luggage.
Toys
I brought a few toys specifically for the cruise, including Magna-Tiles and a magnetic farm playset.
The walls in our stateroom were magnetic, and Olyvia had a blast moving the pieces around the walls and playing with them.
And because these were new to her, they held her attention much better than toys she was already used to.
I also brought a few Little People figures and cars.
If you have a beach day planned, don’t forget a collapsible sand toy set. It takes up very little room and gives your toddler something to do once you get to the beach.
Snacks
If you have a picky eater, bring snacks!
Olyvia was—and still is—an extremely picky eater. I found it helpful to grab extra bananas, milk, and cereal at breakfast and put some in snack bags to have available later.
There are plenty of food options on a cruise, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your toddler will agree that any of them qualify as food. 😂
2. Stateroom Organization Is Your Friend
Cruise cabins aren’t exactly known for having tons of storage space.
With a toddler, keeping everything organized becomes even more important.
I brought:
– Magnetic hooks
– An over-the-door shoe organizer
– A collapsible laundry hamper
– Disposable bibs
– Disposable splat mats
– Extra sippy cups
– Supplies for cleaning the cups
I used the magnetic hooks to hang the shoe organizer on the wall and used the pockets to store things like diapers, clothing, medications, sunscreen, and other small items.
The pop-up hamper was another lifesaver. Instead of having dirty toddler clothes scattered around the cabin, we had one place to put them.
Anything that helped keep the tiny cabin organized was worth bringing!
3. Fly In the Day Before
We flew to Florida the day before our cruise.
We rented a car and stayed at a hotel near Port Canaveral.
For us, this was a huge help.
We were able to bring Olyvia’s car seat, and we could leave things in the rental car that we didn’t need to take onto the ship.
We had also planned a night at Disney after our cruise, so we packed our Disney items separately and left them in the car while we cruised.
That meant less stuff to haul onto the ship and less to worry about during the cruise.
And perhaps most importantly, flying in the day before meant we weren’t trying to get to the cruise port on the same day we were supposed to sail.
With a toddler, I wasn’t interested in adding that kind of stress to embarkation day!
4. Embarkation Day Is a Little Chaotic
We had a 10:30 a.m. boarding time, but our stateroom wasn’t going to be ready until after 1 p.m.
We brought a carry-on with everything we would need for those first few hours.
Our larger luggage—including that box of diapers—was handed over to the porters to be delivered to our stateroom.
We found some semi-shaded chairs on the pool deck, and Olyvia was able to walk around and play while we explored the ship.
Once our stateroom was ready, we went to register Olyvia for the infant room.
We knew we wanted her to spend a little time there on our two sea days, but we only wanted her there for about two hours at a time.
If you plan to use an infant/toddler program, don’t wait to register. These spaces can fill up quickly, so we went as soon as we were able to on embarkation day.
5. Make Sleep as Easy as Possible
Our room attendant provided a Pack ‘n Play for Olyvia.
We brought our own Pack ‘n Play sheets, which made me feel a little better about her sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.
I also purchased a Pack ‘n Play blackout cover.
That turned out to be one of my favorite purchases.
It gave Olyvia a dark little sleeping space where she could nap without us having to sit quietly in the cabin for two hours.
And if you’ve ever tried to entertain yourself in a dark cruise cabin while your toddler naps, you know exactly why this matters. 😂
6. Don’t Be Afraid to Plan Relaxing Port Days
Our cruise stopped at Castaway Cay, Labadee in Haiti, and Jamaica.
We didn’t feel like we needed to fill every port day with an excursion.
At Castaway Cay, we planned a simple beach day.
At Labadee, we rented a beach bed. It came with the beach bed, four lounge chairs, and two floating mats. We also had an attendant who kept our cooler stocked with ice and bottled water.
For us, it was perfect.
We could relax while Olyvia played, and we had a comfortable place for her to nap if she needed it.
In Jamaica, we booked an all-inclusive excursion. Because Olyvia was under 2, she was free, and our food and drinks were included.
Once we arrived, we also rented a cabana. Having a shady place with chairs and an attendant bringing us drinks made the day much more enjoyable with a toddler.
Traveling with a toddler doesn’t mean every day has to be an adventure. Sometimes the best excursion is a comfortable place to sit while your child takes a nap.
7. Sea Days Can Still Be Fun Without the Pool
This was something I hadn’t really thought about before the cruise.
Olyvia wasn’t potty trained, and there wasn’t a splash pad on our ship, so she couldn’t use the pool.
At first, I wondered how we would keep her entertained.
It turned out we didn’t have to worry.
There was an open-play, parent-supervised area with toys, slides, and crawling tunnels. It quickly became Olyvia’s favorite place on the ship.
Royal Caribbean also offered toy lending, where families could borrow bags of toys to use in their stateroom. The selections could include things like building blocks and cars.
We also used her time in the infant room on our two sea days to enjoy a little adult time.
We visited the casino, found a lounge chair, and simply relaxed.
Although I’ll admit… we definitely found ourselves watching the clock and wondering if it was time to go pick her up yet.
Because apparently, two hours of toddler-free relaxation isn’t nearly as relaxing when you’re sitting there thinking, Is she okay? Does she need me? What time is it? 😂
8. Bring the Little Things That Make Life Easier
Some of the things I packed weren’t particularly exciting, but they made our trip easier.
A few things I would recommend considering:
– Disposable bibs
– Disposable splat mats
– Magnetic hooks
– Collapsible laundry hamper
– Extra sippy cups
– Cleaning supplies for cups
– Favorite toddler snacks
– Familiar toys
– A few new toys
– Beach toys
– Pack ‘n Play sheets
– Blackout cover
– Small stroller
We brought a small stroller that collapsed easily and fit underneath the bed when we weren’t using it.
It was especially helpful when Olyvia was tired or when we were walking around the ship for longer periods of time.
So… Would I Cruise With a Toddler Again?
Absolutely.
Honestly, this vacation was so much easier than I anticipated.
Was it exactly the same as cruising before having a child? No.
Did we have to think about naps, snacks, diapers, bedtime, and what our toddler was going to do all day? Absolutely.
But we also got to experience a vacation together as a family, and we didn’t have to worry about cooking meals, cleaning up after meals, driving everywhere, or figuring out what we were going to do every single day.
And that was worth a lot.
Would I recommend cruising to every family with a toddler?
I think it depends.
Your family, your toddler, and the ship you choose all matter.
Some ships are going to be a better fit for families with very young children than others. You’ll also want to look closely at kids’ programming, splash areas, pool policies, dining options, stateroom configuration, and the ports you’re visiting.
But I don’t think having a toddler automatically means you have to put cruising on hold.
Since that first cruise aboard Mariner of the Seas, we’ve taken Olyvia on four cruises.
And she loves them.
More importantly, we love that cruising gives us a family vacation we can all enjoy.
That first cruise taught me that traveling with a toddler doesn’t have to be perfect to be fun.
Sometimes you just need more snacks, a few magnetic hooks, and a really good plan. ❤️
