First of all, congrats on making the big decision to take your little bestie on a cruise. They will have a blast. The crew will spoil them and there are so many things that just light up their little faces. It is so worth it. They may not remember it, but you will! 

Ziplock bags- take snacks off the buffet (muffins, cereal, fruit, cookies, etc) to have on hand all the time, especially on shore. 

Fill up a bigger container of juice in the morning to use throughout the day. Most cruise lines only serve juice in the mornings. You can use an insulated bottle, or keep it in your fridge.

If your little one still drinks milk, stock up on that each morning at breakfast and put it in the fridge in your stateroom. (try to only get enough for that day, sometimes the fridges don’t seem very cold, and it might be safer to get new ones every day)

Bring a sippy cup up to the dining area with you for every meal unless you want your toddler holding an 8 ounce open cup of orange juice by themselves. 

For bigger kids, you can just bring straws. Cruise ship dining does not have straws easily available. They are only at bars, and sometimes not even there. Sometimes they only have edible straws, and you can imagine how that works with a toddler.

Disposable bibs. I don’t like changing my kids’ clothes 5 times per day, and she won’t keep a napkin tucked in. 

Bring small spoons or silverware if they like to feed themselves. 

Bring any snacks that your child is particular about like crackers and fruit snacks. There’s plenty to eat, but it may not be the specific foods your toddler wants.

High chairs and boosters are available in the buffet and dining rooms – just ask

Bring enough diapers. Believe it or not, the ship stores do not stock diapers. You may be able to get some on a port day, but on a sea day your best bet will be begging another mom to give you one, (which most will happily do). Also bring doggy bags so the diapers don’t stink up your room. 

Once the kids are old enough (2 or 3 depending on the cruiseline) the kids’ camps are great! Even if they are too young to go alone, they have times when little ones are allowed to go in and play with parent supervision!

You can go to arcade and pretend to play the games and your toddler won’t know the difference! 

You can request a crib for your room. It takes up a lot of space, but it is sometimes nice to not have them in bed with you.

A hanging shoe organizer helps with clutter in your room. Everything has a place that is not on the small countertop. 

Bring a small umbrella stroller, they don’t fit in the cabins well, but it is worth it for when your little one doesn’t want to walk. Add a stroller fan if you’re feeling extra frisky.

Bring cruise ducks to hide. If you aren’t familiar with that, see my other post!

Choose shore excursions that are appropriate for your kiddo. My toddler has the best time when there are animals, or swimming of some sort. Walking in the heat all day or snorkeling on a boat tour may not be the best option. 

Although children in diapers can’t swim on the ship, you still need swim diapers for port days!

Carnival provides life jackets for kids at the pool, and they really aren’t terrible. But if you have room, it is nice to bring your own, especially for smaller kids. Other cruiselines don’t have lifejackets on board that I’m aware of.

If you have room, small pool toys (like sand toys) are really fun. 

Busy book or tablet for the formal dining room.

Many people say to bring a small inflatable pool or collapsible bin on the pool deck with you (unpotty trained kids aren’t allowed in the pool) but that didn’t work for us. It rarely made it up on the pool deck with us, and was more of a hassle than anything. By the second day we gave up on it. You can also use it in the shower to make a bathtub. 

Planning the rest of your trip? Read our first cruise tips for booking, cabins, and packing.