Taking a Royal Caribbean cruise is a great family vacation for all ages, including infants.  The key to a successful cruise with an infant is to be prepared and find the right sailing for your family.

How old does my infant need to be to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise?

Royal Caribbean requires infants be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise to be able to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise. 

For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises, your infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

In addition, any cruise that has 3 or more days consecutive at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise.

Any children younger than the infant policy will be denied boarding.

Does Royal Caribbean charge infants a cruise fare?

Yes, infants are charged a cruise fare, just like everyone else onboard.

If your infant is the third or fourth passenger, they will usually pay a reduced rate.

Does my infant need a passport?

Ideally you will travel with a passport for your infant because it greatly simplifies the process of traveling by airplane, should an unexpected event occur that causes your family to miss the cruise ship.

United States citizens can travel with a birth certificate in lieu of a passport, but having a passport has tremendous benefits and most travel professionals advise investing in a passport when traveling overseas.

For non-United States residents, you will need a valid passport and in some cases, a visa.

What to look for in a ship

Royal Caribbean has 23 ships in its fleet and each ship offers something different, so it is important to research what each ship has in terms of facilities for your infant and which facilities you absolutely need and which you do not.

Pools

Select Royal Caribbean ships have an infant pool known as the Baby Splash Zone, where children who wear a swim diaper can go into.  Ordinarily, children that wear diapers are prohibited from going into pools onboard the ship, but some of the newer cruise ships now offer an infant pool.

If your cruise has a few sea days, having access to an infant pool can be important, whereas if you are taking a port intensive itinerary, it may not be a factor.

There are Baby Splash Zones on Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

Nursery

On many Royal Caribbean ships is the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery, where parents can drop off infants and toddlers who are too young for the Adventure Ocean program.

The Royal Babies and Tots Nursery is for children between the age of 6 and 36 months old. For a small charge per hour ($8 per hour at the time of this blog post), your child will be supervised by trained professionals.

Keep in mind that the nursery has limited space, so you will want to go there on your first day to reserve times.

Most Royal Caribbean ships now offer a nursery but you should verify the ship you are sailing on does in fact have one.

Stateroom

Picking the perfect stateroom is always a big part of the decision to book a cruise, but when you add an infant into the mix, it adds another layer of complexity.

Royal Caribbean will provide a crib for your child to sleep free of charge, but you will want to also consider the stateroom size and how much space the crib will take up as well as there being enough space for your child to crawl around in.

Keep in mind most staterooms that are not suites will not have a bath tub, so when it comes to bath time, your child will either have to be okay with a shower or you should consider packing an inflatable tub.

You should also look for staterooms that have a room-dividing curtain or wall so that when your infant is sleeping, you can still have the lights on or watch television or read.

Dreamworks Experience

Select Royal Caribbean ships offer the DreamWorks Experience, where there are DreamWorks characters to meet, such as Shrek, Alex the lion, the penguins, Fiona and more.

There are also DreamWorks activities onboard, such as DreamWorks character breakfast, parades, movies in your stateroom and more.

Bring plenty of supplies

One important aspect of planning for a cruise with an infant is having plenty of everything.  

Infants can go through wipes, diapers, formula and even clothing faster than you can anticipate, so it is important to have as much extra as possible, especially since you cannot go to the store to get more supplies on a cruise ship.

Estimate how much supplies your infant will go through for the duration of your cruise and then pad that number by 25% to give yourself some cushion. 

A good tip is to purchase the supplies close to the port instead of paying the airlines for extra baggage or cramming more stuff in your car for the ride to the port.  If you rent a car, stop by a pharmacy near the port.  If you are taking a taxi, negotiate a stop into the fare.

Royal Caribbean does offer a program called Babies On The Go, which is a partnership with Huggies and Gerber to provide supplies on your ship.  If transporting a lot of diapers, baby food and other supplies is not feasible, consider ordering supplies in advance that will be delivered to your stateroom upon your arrival.

Stroller or no stroller?

Yes, you should bring a stroller but leave the jogging stroller at home because it will just take up too much space in your stateroom.

Consider bringing instead an umbrella stroller or even just a baby carrier.  They may not be that useful onboard the ship but when you go to ports, having a means of transporting your infant other than you carrying them will be quite helpful.

In-room babysitting

If your Royal Caribbean ship does not have a nursery or your child does not want to go, there is in-room babysitting as another option.

Babysitting will cost you more than the nursery ($19 per hour, last we checked) but it allows your child to remain in your stateroom while being supervised by Royal Caribbean crew members.

The key to getting a babysitter is you need to speak with Guest Services about getting one.  At that point, they will ask what day and time you would like the babysitter and then Guest Services will see if there are any crew members willing to assist.

In-room babysitting is not a regular service, so what happens is crew members volunteer to take a shift if they have time and are willing.  

I've had good luck with getting a baby sitter but keep in mind it's on a first-come, first served basis and there are limited baby sitters.

Can I get milk for my infant?

There will always be somewhere onboard to get milk during your Royal Caribbean cruise.  During meal hours, the Windjammer is often the simplest way to get a carton or two of milk.  

There is almost always whole milk available, as well as low fat (2%) milk.

When all else fails, room service can provide milk and deliver it to your stateroom 24 hours a day. Keep in mind that a late night service charge of $3.95 applies if you order very late.

You can also "stock pile" milk in your stateroom mini-fridge.  Ask your stateroom attendant to empty the mini-fridge and then you can always grab extra cartons of milk to store in there for later.

Dinner

You are more than welcome to bring your infant to the main dining room for dinner each evening.  

Royal Caribbean will provide high chairs for infants and there is even a special kids menu, if your child is old enough to eat solid foods.

How do I wash bottles and clothing?

You should be able to wash bottles in the stateroom bathroom sink.  Be sure to bring the proper supplies to clean bottles.

For cleaning your infants clothing, you have two options.  First, you can use the sink to wash clothing.  You can bring onboard single use detergent powder packets that you can hand wash in the sink and then air dry in your shower or balcony.

If you need to clean a lot of clothes, Royal Caribbean offers dry cleaning services for a fee per item.  For a better value, look for the "fill a bag" laundry deal that is often available for a flat fee.

Don't ignore naps

This probably falls under basic parenting, but just because you are on a cruise does not mean you should forget about nap time.

In my experience, the closer you can keep kids to their nap schedule, the better time overall everyone will have.  The nurseries have cribs for napping but often going back to your stateroom is the best idea for a nap.

On embarkation day, your stateroom may not be ready until later in the day (usually around 1pm), so be prepared how to handle a nap if your room is not available.  Some good ideas are to delay arrival to the ship until the afternoon or try for a nap in the stroller.

Have you taken an infant on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Share your tips in the comments below!

Happy New Year! Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 22 is available for downloading where we look at going on a Royal Caribbean cruise with kids

Family cruising is as popular as ever so this week Matt looks at what Royal Caribbean offers for families that want to cruise with kids, young and old.  There's a lot of options in terms of programs and activities, staterooms and dining options.  

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 22. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

Having an infant is a pretty big adjustment to anyone's life but it doesn't mean you can't take a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.  In fact, going on a Royal Caribbean cruise with an infant is a great way to take a meaningful vacation with your new bundle of joy.

In recent years, Royal Caribbean has really changed how they accomodate very young kids with new facilities and activities just for them.  Having brought my own toddler onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise a few times, I can tell you it's very doable but it always helps to be prepared.

Is your infant old enough to cruise?

It is important to note that Royal Caribbean requires infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise. For transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected cruises, your infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise.

Bring lots of supplies

Any parent can tell you there is no such thing as too many diapers or enough formula.  On a cruise, the same rule holds true so bringing enough diapers, wipes, formula, and other baby-centric items is critical because buying these items onboard is limited and in port you may have difficulties in finding the brand you prefer.

A few weeks before your cruise, start getting a sense of how many diapers, wipes, formula your child goes through in an average week.  That will give you a ballpark idea of what you need to pack and then probably add another 25% to give yourself some room.

Babies 2 Go!

Royal Caribbean offers a program called "Babies 2 Go!", where parents can pre-order Huggies diapers, wipes, and cream, as well as organic Gerber baby food to their room both before and throughout their cruise. 

I haven't used this program personally as bring ample supplies yourself is likely the most cost-effective solution, but it is good to know this program is available.

You can purchase the packages by calling (800) 722-5443 in the U.S. or Canada.

Flying? Be prepared for air pressure

Just like adults, if you are taking an airplane to your cruise, the air pressure change during takeoff and landing can cause pain in your toddlers ears.  Unlike adults, they don't know the basic strategies to alleviate the pain.

We've often found bringing a bottle is the perfect solution.  Ideally, try to withold food prior to your flight from when you arrive at the airport until you get on the plane.  Once seated on your plane and the plane begins taxing to the runway, give your child a bottle and let him/her eat through takeoff until you reach at least 10,000 feet.

Bring a stroller

Onboard the cruise ship you may not necessarily find a need for a stroller and it definitely takes up room in your small stateroom, but having a stroller is worth it.  In and around ports of call, having a stroller makes everyone's life easier.

It's also smart to bring a stroller that reclines so your child can sleep in the stroller.  Making it easier for your child to nap is always a plus for parents and it allows you to keep doing what you had planned without being confined to the stareroom.

Pack 'n Plays are available in your room

Don't worry about bringing a Pack 'n Play, Royal Caribbean provides one for your child to sleep in, free of charge .

While the pack 'n play does come with a mattress, we've found it more comfortable for our child to take a comforter and fold it up to place on top of the mattress to act as a small mattress topper.  The difference was quickly evident in how much longer our daughter would stay asleep versus the mattress alone.

Make sure you or your travel agent reserve a Pack 'n Play in advance so it is waiting in your stateroom when you embark on the first day.

Royal Babies and Tots Nursery

The best place for your child for when you need or want a break is the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery.  It's not available on all Royal Caribbean ships yet, but if you are cruising with an infant, be sure to look for a cruise that features one.

The Royal Babies and Tots Nursery is for children between the age of 6 and 36 months old.  These faciltiies are made just for young ones and my daughter loved going here. In fact, we always had a hard time convincing her to leave.  For a small charge per hour, you can do what you want while your child is supervised by trained professionals.  

Dinner time alone is well worth paying for it because you can enjoy a meal in the main dining room or specialty restaurant without constantly dealing with your child becoming bored or making a mess.  

In-room babysitting

If the nursery isn't an option, you can always fall back on in-room babysitting.  It's far more expensive than the nursery but allowing your toddler to stay in your room may be a simpler and more ideal solution.

In-room babysitting is provided by the ship's crew on an availability basis.  You will need to go to Guest Services during your cruise and inquire about availability.  I've had good luck with getting a baby sitter but keep in mind it's on a first-come, first served basis and there are limited baby sitters.

At the time of this posting, in-room babysitting costs $19 per hour.

Group Play Time

On all Royal Caribbean ships, you will find Fisher-Price sponsored play time.  These events require parental supervision where lots of fun toys are available for kids to play with.

On some Royal Caribbean cruises, there was a room with set hours that allowed kids and their parents to play with the toys most of the day while other cruises had set times.  In both cases, a few luggage bags full of toys are brought for kids to play with.

This is a communal event, so other toddlers may be present and it's yet something else for toddlers to do onboard. 

Naps, naps, naps

While having your child nap in a stroller is always the best-case scenario, often times it doesn't work.  However it's very important for your sanity and your child's enjoyment to keep their nap schedule going.

On days when your ship is docked, getting back onboard for a nap while in port can be rather simple.  If your ship is tendered, you may need to hold off morning plans in port just because of the slow nature of tenders.

I've often fallen prey to the thought of "we can just power through their nap time" and what ends up happening is an afternoon filled with temper tantrums by child and parent alike.

Bring backup

If it's in the cards, bring grand-parents, friends, aunts, uncles and anyone else with you on your cruise that can lend a hand now and then.  

We all love our kids but getting a break is always welcome and it provides your loved ones with an opportunity to spend time with your child while you can do other things.

No diapers in the pool

Royal Caribbean prohibits any children that wear diapers (even swim diapers) in their pools.  The exception is the baby pool, which is available on a few ships such as Freedom of the Seas.  

This baby pool is about ankle deep on a baby and a few feet across.  Infants and toddlers I've seen in it love it, but that's the only allowed space for swimming.

Another alternative is to bring your own inflatable pool with you.  I've found a few inflatable travel pools that can accomodate an infant (diaper or not) that you can bring onboard.  This may be an alternative for toddlers sailing on Royal Caribbean ships that do not have a baby pool.

Washing infant clothing

It isn't a question of if your infant will soil their clothes, but how often they will.  Royal Caribbean provides laundry services to guests for a fee but you can wash infant clothing in your stateroom for a better price.

You can purchase single use detergent powder packets and wash a few baby clothes at a time in your sink.  Then air dry the clothes in your shower using the laundry line.  

So parents of teeny tots, what have been your best strategies for cruising on Royal Caribbean with a baby? What do you wish someone had told you when you first visited as a parent? Let us know in the comments below.