Cruising With Kids: 12 Tips for Smooth Sailing

Cruising with kids can be a great bonding experience that also has a unique set of challenges. Younger children need extra supervision during trips, while older kids and teenagers may want more independence. It’s certainly possible to build an itinerary that suits kids of all ages — with a little help.

Here, we’ll share 12 tips for cruising with kids that can make a big difference during your next trip. You’ll learn strategies to help you adapt to the unexpected and plan 10 steps ahead. 

Planning Tips

When it comes to cruising with kids, the 5 P’s of planning (Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance) become that much more essential. Keep the following tips in mind while you’re planning your next trip.

1. Double-Check the Cruise’s Age Limits

Cruise lines have general age limits to ensure the safety of all passengers, and these parameters vary depending on the extent of the trip. For example, babies younger than six months old may not be allowed on most commercial vessels. 

2. Pick Cruise Lines That Cater to Kids

Kid-friendly cruises offer a wealth of childcare services, such as nurseries for babies and toddlers and daycare for younger children. Kids club services are often part of standard cruise packages, while daycare might cost extra. Cruises may also have teen clubs where older kids can watch movies, play video games, and socialize. 

3. Book a Room With the Proper Amenities

All cruise cabins have bathrooms, but not all have bathtubs. It’s best to avoid shower-only rooms when you’re traveling with toddlers and infants. Family staterooms can sleep groups of five or more guests and usually have other amenities like extra TVs and sofas. 

Proactive thinking is a huge plus when you’re cruising with kids — and it can help keep the entire family safe throughout the trip.

Safety Tips

As a parent, keeping your children safe is a full-time job with no sick days or PTO, so you might appreciate the following cruise line safety tips. 

4. Bring a First Aid Kit

Modern cruise ships have fantastic health centers and medical staff, but they don’t have a facility that matches the scale or quality of a hospital. When you’re cruising with kids, bringing a first aid kit and basic medical supplies can help you quickly address minor injuries. Hydrogen peroxide, bandages, gauze, sunscreen and motion sickness medicine are must-haves. 

5. Use Sun Protection Items

A nasty sunburn can quickly dry up all the fun during a cruise. Cruise ships often provide complimentary sun protection products, though they might not be as potent or have as much SPF protection as those you can purchase from the store.

6. Stock Up on Over-the-Counter Medicine

First-time cruisers and younger children may be susceptible to motion sickness. Over-the-counter medicine can soothe symptoms like dizziness and nausea.

Most cruises for families service thousands of guests, so you may have to wait a long time to receive medical assistance. Bringing your own supplies can help keep your family safe. This also applies when tending to everyone’s nutritional needs.

Dining Tips

It’s important to ensure everyone has enough food when you’re cruising with kids. After all, little ones can have very picky food preferences.

7. Pack Nonperishable Snacks

Cruise ships have dining rooms, buffets and even convenience stores. However, your children might not be too keen on the available snacks. When possible, bring nonperishable snacks you know they’ll eat, like granola bars and beef jerky.

8. Learn Your Cruise’s Dining Schedule

Most cruises serve breakfast, lunch and dinner for set periods of time. Knowing when your vessel’s dining facilities open and close is vital to ensuring no one gets hangry! 

9. Bring Kid-Friendly Activities to the Dining Room

When wait times are long, kids can grow restless and irritable. Bringing simple activities like coloring books and crossword puzzles can keep children occupied as the vessel’s staff prepares your family’s meal.

Being flexible and having an open mind can reduce a lot of the inherent stress that comes from cruising with kids, improving every aspect of your cruising experience, from dining to scheduling and timing activities.

Time-Saving Tips

From obtaining travel insurance to choosing which items to pack or leave behind, you can save a lot of time before you even set foot on your vessel.

10. Purchase Passports for Everyone

Many cruise ships will let parents verify their children’s identities with birth certificates, but passports are always the quicker option. You can purchase passports for kids who are 16 years old or younger, but they will expire after five years. Kids between the ages of 17 to 18 must apply for passports with the Form DS-11.

11. Space Out Your Schedule

Overscheduling activities can result in a lot of wasted time — your family might spend more time scrambling around the vessel than enjoying the experience. Try only scheduling one or two big activities each day, and leave extra time to go with the flow.

12. Pack Your Essentials in a Carry-On Bag

Passengers are usually allowed to bring 2 carry-on bags when boarding a cruise, and each piece can’t exceed 50 pounds/22.6 kilograms. Smartphones, swimsuits, snacks and medical supplies are essential items to carry with you for quick and easy access.

When cruising with kids, try to embrace every part of the experience. Look at everything that does or doesn’t happen as an integral part of a story that you’ll look back on fondly.

AAA Travel provides peace of mind when you travel — before, during and after your cruise. We’ve teamed up with some of the industry’s best cruise lines to provide you with added amenities, AAA Vacations® 24/7 Member Care and Best Price Guarantee. Your next cruise vacation starts with AAA — your complete travel solution. 

Use AAA Travel to book your next cruise experience, and consider purchasing travel insurance for added peace of mind.