THE ULTIMATE
CRUISE PACKING LIST
A comprehensive guide for babies and toddlers, ages 0–5
Hi! I’m Sarah, and I am not going to tell you to pack light. I am also not going to hand you a list of 200 things and wish you luck. What I will tell you is that I have cruised with my 2 kids under 3, and I have learned exactly where the line is between prepared and overwhelmed.
This list reflects that line. Everything on it earned its spot through real sailings, something that made a hard moment easier, a sea day more manageable, or a bedtime routine feel a little more like home. Some of it is practical to the point of boring. Some of it is a splurge that I genuinely think is worth it. I will always tell you which is which.
Pack what works for your family. Skip what doesn't. But read the notes, because sometimes the thing that looks optional is the thing you'll wish you had at 11 pm in the middle of the ocean.
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Before You Pack
The Packing Math
Outfits
Days sailing + 1 extra per 3 days — halve it if you bring a wash bag
3 nights = 4 | 5 nights = 7 | 7 nights = 9
Swimwear
Always 2 — rashguard counts, swim dries fast
Pajamas
1 pair per 2 nights, minimum 2 — 3 nights = 2, 5 nights = 3, 7 nights = 4
Diapers
(Sailing nights + travel days) x 7 + 10–20% buffer — 7 nights + 2 travel days = 63–69 diapers
Pull-Ups
(Sailing nights + travel days) x 5 + 10–20% buffer — 7 nights + 2 travel days = 44–48 pull-ups
Pro tip
Split diapers across your diaper bag, carry-on, and checked bag. Ships sell diapers onboard but at a significant markup.
Sleep
The make-or-break category. Get this right and the whole trip shifts.
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Ship hallways are louder than you expect. Non-negotiable at any trip length.
Cruise cabin airflow is not great. A small magnetic fan clips right to the metal walls and makes a real difference for naps and bedtime.
Whatever your child sleeps in at home, bring it. Keeping the sleep routine as familiar as possible makes a real difference in an unfamiliar cabin.
Whether it's a lovey, a light blanket, or a stuffed animal -- bring whatever your child already sleeps with at home. Don't buy anything new for this one. The familiar scent and feel does serious work in an unfamiliar cabin. This is the item most parents forget and most regret leaving behind.
Every cruise line provides a different sleep space. Most (Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess) use a roughly 39" x 28" play yard with a thin firm pad. Disney sometimes provides a full-size crib depending on the ship. MSC varies by ship class. When in doubt, bring both sizes.
Cabin dependent -- you will need enough floor space to make this work. If your cabin is on the smaller side, check my Instagram for a hack using the cabin couch that works just as well.
Sun + Swim
You will spend a lot of time outside. Protect the small humans.
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Many Caribbean and Mexican ports require reef-safe sunscreen to enter the water. Mineral formulas cover you everywhere. Blue Lizard is what I use on my own kids.
Reapplying sunscreen on a wet, squirming toddler every 80 minutes is a special kind of impossible. UPF 50 swimwear cuts that frequency dramatically. Rashguards and full-coverage suits count -- if the skin is covered, it's protected.
Baby Girl
Baby Boy
Kids
A hat without a chin strap is just a hat your child throws into the ocean. Make sure yours has one.
Required if your child is not fully potty trained -- most cruise ship pools and splash pads will turn you away without one. Bring reusable. Rinse and reuse. 2 is enough for any trip length.
Hot pool decks, rocky beaches, and mystery textures in port. Water shoes handle all of it.
Even with great sunscreen and UPF swimwear, prolonged sun exposure shows up. Have this ready before you need it.
Feeding
The dining room is great, but not at every meal. Come prepared.
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One of the most practical things you can bring. Head to the buffet in the morning, grab cereal, fruit, or snacks, and you have food for the whole day without carrying a bag of groceries.
This kit is a game changer. It comes with food scissors, which you absolutely need on a cruise for cutting up food quickly at the table. Important: if you are flying to your cruise, the scissors must go in a checked bag -- they will not make it through TSA in a carry-on.
A more sustainable alternative to Ziploc bags. Great for grabbing extra snacks from the buffet, storing half-eaten items, or keeping port-day snacks organized.
Grab any snack pouches you already have and attach these to the top -- they make them resealable and kid-drinkable. If flying through TSA and bringing pouches in your carry-on, make sure they are 3.5 oz or less.
The ship has utensils but having a set sized for small hands makes mealtimes easier, especially at the pool or on excursions. Whatever you already have at home works fine.
Whatever toddler cup you already use at home is fine -- just make sure it's insulated since ship ice melts fast in the heat. Honest disclaimer on this one: it's not fully spill-proof, but it's the best I've used. Don't let it get dropped.
Pre-measure formula into individual servings before you leave. The fewer steps you have at 3am the better.
The ship's hot water in the cabin can work in a pinch, but having a portable warmer means you are never hunting for a solution at 2am.
Not 100% necessary, but a genuine upgrade -- especially for formula. Ship water is generally safe, but this uses UV light to purify the water giving you extra peace of mind.
In my experience cruise ships always have high chairs available -- I have never had trouble getting one. That said, if you prefer your own or want the flexibility, here is a solid option.
Laundry & Cleanliness
One blowout. One sunscreen explosion. One dropped ice cream. You need a plan.
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One for dirty swimsuits. One for wet clothes. One for the truly catastrophic scenarios. You will use all of them on every sailing regardless of trip length.
Buffet mornings. Need I say more.
This is the single item that changes your entire packing math. Instead of packing an outfit for every single day, you pack half as many and wash every 3 nights. It takes about 3 minutes, uses barely any water, and means you are not checking a giant suitcase or overpaying for the ship's laundry service. I bring it on every sailing of 4 nights or more and it has never let me down.
The Scrubba needs something to work with. Detergent sheets are the only travel laundry format that makes sense -- no liquid to leak, no TSA issues, gentle enough for kids' clothes and sensitive skin.
If you have a balcony, this is a must. Hang washed items overnight and they are dry by morning. The ocean air does the work for you -- no dryer needed.
On-the-Go
Excursions, embarkation days, port days. You are moving. A lot.
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Your everyday stroller is probably too big for ship elevators, cobblestone ports, and gangways. A compact travel stroller is the right tool. If you are traveling with two kids, the double option is a game changer for long port days.
Tender ports, stroller-unfriendly beaches, and busy embarkation days all demand this. There will be a moment on every cruise where you need your hands free and the stroller is not an option.
Your diaper bag works perfectly fine for this. If you are looking for an upgrade, I am obsessed with the Ink and Barrel -- it is the bag I use for every trip and it fits everything without feeling like you are carrying a hiking pack.
Keeping track of passports, boarding passes, and sea pass cards for a whole family at embarkation is stressful. Having everything in one place makes the whole process significantly smoother.
Cruise cabin doors are magnetic and storage space is limited -- especially in inside and oceanview cabins. This organizer sticks right to the door and gives you a place for sunscreen, wipes, snacks, diapers, and all the small things that would otherwise take over every flat surface.
I have not personally used one but I can absolutely see how these would be incredible for cruising and excursions. Gangways, tender docks, and crowded port streets are exactly what these were designed for. No judgment on how we keep our kiddos safe.
Health + Wellness
Ships have medical centers. They charge cruise prices. Come stocked.
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Bring more than you think you need. The ship pharmacy will have it but at a significant markup -- and it may not be the formulation your child is used to.
Toddler + heat + not drinking enough water is a situation that happens faster than you expect on a cruise. Powder packets dissolve in any water bottle and do not require refrigeration. Toss a few in your day bag every port day.
Pool decks are slippery. Port cobblestones are unforgiving. A compact kit handles the scrapes, cuts, and minor situations that happen on every family vacation without a trip to the medical center.
Far easier than trying to spray repellent on a squirming toddler in a port. Stick them on clothing and you are covered. Essential for Caribbean and tropical itineraries.
Ships are clean but they are also shared spaces. Spray is easier than gel for small hands and fits in any day bag pocket.
Fast, accurate, and wearable -- so you can monitor a fever on a sleeping child in a dark cabin without waking them up. Worth every ounce of luggage space.
Ship-provided toiletries are not formulated for baby skin. Bring your own. This Honest bundle covers shampoo, body wash, and lotion in one.
Wind, sun, and salt air wrecks little lips fast. Apply before every pool session and every excursion. Easy to forget, impossible to ignore once they need it.
Entertainment & Play
The ship is the entertainment. This list is intentionally short.
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No loose pieces. No pieces rolling under the cabin door. Magnetic toys are the only travel toy logic that holds up at sea. Works on the cabin floor, the dining table, the pool deck -- anywhere.
A compact, endlessly replayable toy that works in the cabin, at the dining table, or on a sea day. Small enough to toss in your day bag.
Water-activated coloring. No mess, no markers left uncapped, no ink on the white ship linens. A travel miracle. Works at the pool too -- just dip and paint.
Balcony cabins only -- and one of the best kept secrets for cruising with babies and toddlers. A contained private splash space with an ocean view. Add the water blasters and you have an activity that will keep small kids happy for an entire sea day.