Family Cruising
Cruise port in Nassau, Bahamas
Let’s be real—family vacations are often just parenting in a new zip code, with more sand in your shoes and fewer snacks you actually packed yourself. But cruising? Cruising is my loophole. It’s the magical place where my kids disappear into supervised kids’ clubs (now that they’re older), someone else makes the beds and the meals, and I can sip a piña colada at 2 pm without judgment (ok, let’s be real here…I can sip on a Bloody Mary at 10am). It’s like a floating hotel that moves while I do nothing. I get to relax, the kids are entertained, and no one is asking me what’s for dinner because it’s whatever they want—plus dessert. Twice. Honestly, if I could live on a cruise ship year-round, I’d consider it. Salt air, soft serve, no cleaning, and no dishes? Count me in.
I’ve been a cruiser long before having kids. Now, this isn’t a plug for Norwegian Cruise Line, but they are by far my favorite cruise line, kids or no kids. I have nothing negative to say about any others, nothing at all. But once I tried Norwegian back in 2008, I have never gone back to any others. I travelled with my exes (just two!), with family, with friends….who ever I could convince to cruise with me, it was on. As a childless woman, I enjoyed the drinks, clubs and lounges, casino, pool decks, Broadway-themed shows, food, and last but not least, the ports. I usually closed down the casino each night and got out of bed each morning when I was hungry. Cruising as a mom is totally different but 100% still worth it!
Cruising with Babies and Toddlers
Now I’m being completely honest here…when I became pregnant with my older daughter, I definitely googled the age at which she was allowed to cruise. Most cruise lines allow babies at 6 months, with the exception of certain itineraries. That was good enough for me! My older daughter went on her first cruise the day after she turned 6 months, which happened to coincide with a Thanksgiving Cruise. While at this age I knew she wouldn’t remember anything, it was all about me and the memories I have of her on that cruise with me.
My younger daughter went the same route…she was on shortly after turning 6 months old. As babies, there’s not much they can do. I didn’t feel comfortable putting them in any sort of childcare until they were older, but I’ve had friends who’ve used it as soon as it was available. They all have had great experiences. Most cruise lines offer areas where parents are allowed to bring their young children and play alongside them. This allows them to interact with other babies their own age and move around freely in a clean, enclosed environment.
As a cautious, but not overly-cautious parent, I was fine playing with my kids in the kiddie splash area by the pool. At 6 months, they enjoyed being splashed with water and sitting in the inch-deep pool area. Since they weren’t on too many solid foods yet, the restaurants weren’t anything special for them. I fed my kids yogurt, cereal, and sweet potatoes for most of each cruise. I made sure to grab extra cereal at breakfast so that we had enough for them to snack on throughout the day. Since the staff is always so wonderful, someone made sweet potatoes appear anytime I asked. Little things like this have happened countless times over the years, which is a big part of the reason why I rate Norwegian Cruise Line so highly.
In port, I always brought a stroller. We walked around the port, took bus rides, and went to the beach. If I travelled during the summer, I was always sure to bring my baby tent that folded up nicely and easily fit in my luggage. Otherwise, a sun hat and sunscreen were sufficient enough as long as the babies stayed hydrated. If you are breastfeeding, be sure to stay extra hydrated as well! On the ship, I made sure to bring my stroller everywhere too. I wanted a quick and easy place for them to take a nap, and perhaps begin their nighttime routine. My kids have always been well behaved (thankfully), so with a toy or two, they would entertain themselves in the stroller for hours or even fall asleep for the night.
But like I said stated earlier, cruising with babies at such a young age is not for everyone. If you do not have help, you are limited to what you can do. I was ok with that, as the experience was more for me and getting to enjoy my kids on my own happy place. And since we cruise pretty often, each time we have cruised, my kids have remembered something that was stored in the back of their memory from a prior cruise.
Two recommendations I will make regarding cruising with babies: bring plenty of diapers and bring plenty of formula. Diaper-wise, I think the ships now carry diapers and wipes in the gift shop. When my kids were younger, they definitely did not. I also was mostly breastfeeding when they were 6 months old, but if you’re not, or if your baby is partially on formula, or if you plan to drink and dump…bring formula! As far as I know, I don’t think the cruise lines carry formula on board. My nephew is the same age as my younger daughter and he wasn’t breastfed. We brought formula sticks with us which provided an easy way to carry the formula around the ship and onto the different ports we visited. If you bring formula onboard, the ship will also allow you to bring water too.
Cruising with Pre- and Grade School Kids
I wanna say cruising with kids—think ages 3 to 12—is honestly one of the best parenting hacks I’ve discovered. At this age, they’re old enough to be a little independent, but still young enough to think hanging out with you is cool (usually). Cruises offer the perfect mix of freedom and structure: they get age-appropriate adventure in kids' clubs, and you get some actual adult time. Everyone wins. Plus, the kids' programs on most cruise lines are top notch—we’re talking treasure hunts, science experiments, dance parties, even pajama movie nights—all supervised by staff who somehow have the energy of caffeinated unicorns. This is funny because prior to having my own kids, I constantly saw kids arguing with their parents or moping at the dinner table about how they wanted to go back to the kids’ club—and the parents bargaining with their children to eat dinner and then go back. Or watch a show with them, and then go back. Now, I can say I’ve experienced this first hand with my family. Too funny.
But if you or your kids are not into kids’ clubs, the ship itself is packed with family-friendly activities that make screen time lose its grip—water slides, mini golf, race cars, rock climbing walls, and all-you-can-eat soft serve. It’s like a floating theme park, but without the long lines and with way better food. Plus, whether it's snorkeling in the Caribbean or exploring a new port city, cruising with kids in this age range lets you make magical memories without the meltdown-inducing chaos of road trips or airports. It's the vacation that truly feels like one—for everyone.
I want to say 9 or 10 years old was the magic age for my kids—when I felt they were old enough to go up the water slides by themselves. When they were able to get their own food in the buffet by themselves. When I allowed them to order their own drinks (non-alcoholic slushies) by themselves at the bar. They became a little more independent at this age, and pretty much were able to do most things on their own (with me nearby).
Cruising with Teens
While I haven’t gotten to this point yet (my daughter just turned 13 and we have a cruise planned for August), I want to say this might be the most difficult age span for me as a mom. I’ve watched teens on ships as a non-parent and as a parent. The conclusion I’ve come to both times is that they can potentially be jerks. However, I am going to hope that my kids do not take that route.
With positive thinking, I wanna say cruising with teens might be one of the best ways to vacation together and survive it with your sanity intact. Teens crave independence, and cruise ships offer just enough freedom to let them roam while keeping things safe and contained (the idea still scares me). They can hang out at teen lounges (yes, they’re a thing and surprisingly cool), tan by the pool, or grab pizza or wings at midnight—without you having to drive them anywhere or hover awkwardly nearby. It's the rare kind of trip where they feel grown-up and you get a break from the “I’m bored” soundtrack.
What makes cruising especially great for teens is the sheer variety. One minute they’re zip-lining across the ship, the next they’re lounging by the pool, pretending not to enjoy family trivia night. Add in shore excursions—think snorkeling, kayaking, or exploring new cities—and suddenly you're making memories together without the eye rolls (okay, maybe just a few). And let’s be honest: it’s hard for them to sulk when there’s 24/7 food, no school, and free Wi-Fi (on most ships, anyway). ** Note: I do not plan on allowing my kids to use their cell phones on the ship. I never have in the past, and hope to stick by this. **
At the end of the day, cruising with teens offers the holy grail of family travel: time together when it counts, space apart when it doesn’t. You can relax knowing they're entertained and safe, and they get to feel just a little bit grown-up in a world built for fun.
The idea of allowing my daughter to move about the ship completely on her own really truly does scare me. Like I’ve mentioned before, I am not an overly-cautious, or super overprotective mom. I do allow her to go out with her friends where they roam endlessly around the parks in my city for hourssss. I do allow her to go to the mall with her friends. Even though I am a pro cruiser, this still worries me. I’m sure she and I will both enjoy her free time on our next cruise.