Family Cruise Recap & Cruising with a Toddler Tips
I am so excited to share a BLOG POST on our summer vacation trip we took with Royal Caribbean in June, and all the tips and tricks that made cruising with a toddler a breeze. You can check out our VLOGS by clicking on the Video Titles below.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN FAMILY VLOG
FAMILY CRUISING TIPS VLOG
We took a 7 night cruise to the Eastern Caribbean and stopped at Perfect Day at CocoCay!
EARLY BOARDING
EARLY BOARDING— YOU PAID FOR THE WEEK—MIGHT AS WELL START ENJOYING IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN!
We actually weren’t planning on getting on the ship as early as we did. But it actually worked out really well, and it’s something we would repeat. We ended up getting to the Dock around 11:30ish and basically walked right through all the check points, and security.
You could get into your room around 1:00/13:00. So we had some time to kill. But we went straight up to the Windjammer and got a nice lunch, and relaxed with our other family members (Jon’s whole extended family was on this trip).
Jon was also able to get on the FLOW-RIDER as soon as it opened. He got to enjoy it for almost a full hour with him as the only person in line, which was definitely a perk in getting on the boat early.
If you are planning on FLOW-RIDING at all- it was also nice because you had to pass a “test” on the boogie boarding Flowrider to be able to do the STAND UP one. This allowed us to knock that out, and not wait in a super long line later in the day or the next morning when everyone would be on the boat.
Royal Caribbean App
So we stumbled upon this when we were on the boat. Jon and his family use to use walkie-talkies to communicate to each other across the ship when he was in 6th grade. No Smart Phones.
But this time we used the Royal Caribbean International App!
We had about 30 people spread all across the boat with Jon’s family.
We also didn’t want to pay for the wifi.
So the ROYAL CARIBBEAN APP is a great alternative & FREE!
It allows you to communicate with other people on the boat. You can make different groups as well to communicate with.
On top of communication it also gave you a whole itinerary for each day. It gave you a list of all the events that evening, and excursions options at the stops along the way. You could also make dinner reservations at the ship restaurants. VERY HANDY!
STROLLER
Okay y’all this was the one item I was very specific about. Jon almost convinced me we didn’t need it. But it was a LIFE-SAVER. If you have a TODDLER, or a little kid, BRING THE STROLLER.
But I knew I didn’t want just a normal $15 umbrella stroller. It needed to be functional, and something we could use again, and again in our travels, and everyday life. (We only had a Thule Running Stroller up until then)
We went with the SUMMER 3DLITE CONVENIENCE STROLLER.
A few reasons:
Durability, Weight (13lbs), Function (has a great basket underneath), Big Shade Cover, and easy to carry, and collapse. This one also RECLINES unlike other umbrella strollers (good for potential naps during the day).
WE USED IT EVERYDAY! YOU WALK A LOT on the ship—and sometimes it’s quicker than waiting on an elevator. It was also good to “contain” Kai when we were taking turns FLOW-RIDING, she could watch and be in a comfortable seat. Another huge plus was having it on the PORT DAYS, for getting around town, and on/off the ship.
If you are going back and forth - BRING ONE!
It also comes in a few different colors as well. You can check it out below.
Magnetic Wall Hooks
We got this idea from our sister in law. THANK YOU Jacquelyn :)
You don’t have a lot of room in your cabin on the ship (where you sleep)so this is a great way to use your WALL SPACE!
Yeap! That’s right! Your walls are magnetic. We used an assortment of Big/Small magnet hooks to hang our bathing suits, clothes, bags, and other items. If you watch our VLOGS you can see those in action. It helps maximize your already small space.
Shoe Organizer
Another tip passed on. The SHOE ORGANIZER! Doesn’t take up any room in your suitcase. But the possibilities are endless. Especially with kiddo gear!
We brought the SHOE ORGANIZER to hangup on our wardrobe door. I used it to store things higher off the ground from Kai.
But I also put her sunscreen, bottles, diapers, my sunglasses, etc. in it. Just another great way to use the space in your room for extra storage. It also keeps everything nice and organized, instead of digging around each day, wondering where our cruises passes wandered off too, thanks to Kai.
SWIM DIAPERS & WATER BOTTLE
This is for all you RAD PARENTS OUT THERE!
So we actually don’t use Swim Diapers at all with Kai. One of my favorite brands of swim diapers is I PLAY BABY.
But for this trip we knew we would be changing her multiple times a day, and it was convenient to just throw into the trash and not carry a wet swim diaper around.
It was great when we stopped at Perfect Day at Coco Cay (my favorite stop, and Royal Caribbean’s private island stop in the Bahamas) Before we got back on the boat, we could rinse Kai off, throw away the swim diaper, and have her all cleaned up and dry before making our way back to the boat.
Make sure you have some sort of Water Bottle for your kiddo, you can just fill up at breakfast, lunch, etc. Being in a warmer climate, and being active, it’s important to keep them hydrated! :)
We really liked an insulated water bottle for Kai, because it kept the ice frozen longer.
fAN
So a FAN was one of our first items we knew we would definitely be bringing with us.
We’ve used this one since Kai was a baby as her sound machine. Partly because we also use it as a sound machine when we travel, so it got her use to it.
Besides having extra plugs on it for charging. The way we used it the most was DRYING SWIMSUITS!!
We didn’t even think about this. But the ships are pretty chilly, so unless you have a balcony, it’s hard to get things to dry, when you are going in out of pools, or the ocean during the day. NO ONE LIKES TRYING TO SQUEEZE BACK INTO A WET BATHING SUIT…ESPECIALLY A KIDDO ;)
We just carried it on the ship with us.
Pack and Play
Okay so I went back and forth on this one. Jon wasn’t completely convinced. But in the end we were both glad we brought our OWN Pack and Play. We just carried it on the ship when we boarded.
Here were our reasons:
-You can reserve one on the ship (usually tinier) but I had read a few stories where people ended up not being able to get one, because so many families needed one on the ship (Wasn’t going to risk that0
-GERMS & Cleanliness- I assume they clean them well, and put clean covers on them. But I still feel better about my kiddo in their own bed, and not where other kids have slept not knowing how “clean” it is.
-COMFORT- Kai is familiar with her pack and play, which allowed her to sleep at night, and take naps very well.
During the day we just put in on top of our “couch” in our room, and it was out of the way. You won’t be in your room for the majority of the time anyway.
Here’s one similar to ours GRACO PACK AND PLAY
If you have kids, or not…I hope some of those tips to bring where helpful! :)
Below are some of the other things we really enjoyed and a few other tips for Cruising….
-We LOVED PERFECT DAY at COCOCAY - if you have kiddos definitely get a cruise that stops there if you are going to the Eastern Caribbean. You do have to pay extra for the waterpark. But there are tons of things to enjoy that are all complementary.
-ICE SKATING SHOW- This was something we did on the last day at sea. We probably would have gone again! Super fun. The skaters where amazing. Kai LOVED IT!
-EARLY DINNER SEATING- If you have kiddos try to make sure you get the first dinner reservation (I think it’s at 6:00/5:30) It will work better for the kids schedule, but it allows you to go see some of the fun evening activities/ shows on the boat after dinner/or even just walk around and explore before bedtime.
-CARDHOLDER/LIGHT- to turn on the light in your room- you put your room card in this little slot. HACK: fold a piece of paper and put it in it, so you don’t have to put your card into it.
-KIDS/TODDLER AREA- On some of the Royal Caribbean Ships they have a FREE PLAY AREA you can bring your kids. You obviously need to be with them. But it was a nice air-conditioned place to bring Kai, for a break from the sun. (Harmony of the Seas had a great one, you can see it in our VLOG below)
-TIDE DETERGENT- We brought a small bottle to wash clothes in, instead of paying for laundry. Mainly Jon used it (HE RAN A LOT on the SHIP) for his workout clothes
-MAIN DINING ROOM- ORDER WHATEVER YOU WANT! Want two appetizers? ORDER IT! Enjoy the food! You’ve paid for it. When we went on our first cruise I thought you could only get one thing…FALSE.
-KIDS SNACKS- We packed a few snacks to bring onto the ship to keep in the room for Kai in our suitcase. (Goldfish) I also made sure to grab some milk cartons from the Windjammer in the morning, or some fruit (bananas) yogurt, to keep in our fridge in case she wanted a snack, or something to munch on first thing in the morning.
-FLOW RIDER for WOMEN- Please! Don’t try and wear a teeny-tiny two piece on that. Or people will be getting a free show. Just a heads up. haha I’ve had my embarrassing moments. I brought a sunshirt/ rash guard to throw on over my swimsuit when I was Flow-riding. or bring a cute, but functional sports bathing suit that is secure.
-MEDICAL ATTENTION- I had to go see the Doctor on our second day for the start of a UTI (just my luck). But I have to say I was super impressed/ I really liked the doctor! haha. Too bad their practice was on the Ship. But don’t forget they do have a medical floor, and doctors on board.
-BOOKING- We did not book during one of these sales for Royal Caribbean. But about twice a year they put out a booking deal where KIDS SAIL FREE! So keep that in mind :)
Hope this information was helpful, or entertaining !:) Some of these links are affiliate links. We will get a small commission if purchased from them. But I loved sharing this information and hope you found it helpful for your cruise planning. Let me know if you’d like to see more kid travel tips!