FAQs!

I have yet to do this and our first will be in November on our next cruise. I’ll be bringing lots of extras for people to take! Decorating is a fun way to celebrate a special occasion or that you are part of a group sailing. The cool part is that cabin doors are and walls are metal so you can put up magnets or clips and hang what you like without doing damage.

*Please note to always consult the individual cruise line you are traveling for their rules and policies.

You certainly don’t have to bring your own food onboard however, we have always brought at least a bag of snacks with us that would include items such as goldfish, crackers, apple sauce pouches and fruit snacks. These are helpful when they are getting a little hungry before dinner they will have an apple sauce as well as being helpful to have some with you when you are in port. There really aren’t many ‘snack’ like foods available onboard unless you want to pay the $10 for a small individual can of Pringles in the gift shop. Sometimes you’ll find bagged chips during lunch and if so grab a few to hold onto and also the individual cereal boxes (don’t have them usually they will have them with room service in the am) snag some extras if you can for the room. We have found the cheerios to be helpful when the kids are hungry!

When it comes to beverages when the kids were under 3 I would bring some milk in small containers with me and this was allowable by the cruise line. We’ve also brought on some small water bottles and small soda’s in case of upset stomach. The only beverages we bring now are wine. Many lines allow one bottle of wine per/person per/cabin. So for us we make sure to take advantage it’s FREE. TIP: bring on screw tops and just ask for ice bucket when you get to your cabin and chill the whites or leave the reds at room temp.

If you plan to visit quite a few beaches then YES and especially to keep the kids entertained. We have gotten small packages of them from the dollar tree and will just leave them behind or toss on our last day in port. They don’t have toys when you get to the beaches for building or playing in the sand so even brining just a small shovel may entertain your little ones for quite some time! We’ve also brought our own inflatable raft before and saved $20! It may not seem like much but it doesn’t take up a ton of space and if money is a concern better to save where you can.

On cruises up to 6 nights there will be one formal evening, seven to 11 nights will offer two formal evenings and those with 12 or more typically will have three formal evenings. On formal evenings it is requested that the dress code in the dining rooms be cocktail or formal attire. In the heyday of cruising women and men dressed to the nines. So formal I would recommend at the very least a nice dress for women and shirt and tie for men. Kids a pretty dress for the young ladies and nice pants with a collared shirt for the young men. You can also go formal with black tie or even cocktail attire. It really is so wonderful to see everyone dressed up!  Please note there are rules to adhere to when in the dining rooms so make sure to check. While shorts may be acceptable on some lines in the dining room for dinner they are not allowed on others and you will be asked to change before being let in. The only exception to this I’ve seen is on the first evening as some rooms may not have received their luggage in time.

I do recommend bringing smart devices with you to keep the kids entertained at certain times. We use them mostly in the room while we are all getting ready for the evening and at breakfast and/or dinner time. We have traveled with iPhones (our old iPhones that we wiped old content) and iPads. We are planning to try brining a tablet from the library on our next one and will let you know how that goes. They are amazing and come pre-loaded with games and books and require no wifi.

With our tablets and iPhones once we cleaned them of old content we preloaded with apps that were age appropriate and didn’t require WiFi! It will cost a pretty penny if you choose to have that as an option. In addition with services such as Netflix you are able to download movies and shows so we’ve updated that each time we travel with a selection of both to keep them entertained. We are also Disney Movie Club members and will download directly to our iPad a few options. Electronic devices are helpful to keep the kids entertained and its just one way to do so and we would recommend.

This is completely optional and for many years we cruised without our own gear. However, the more you cruise the more worthwhile you may find this investment. On our last adventure though as a gift to my husband and daughter I bought us all snorkel gear. We were headed out on a longer journey visiting at least 4 beaches and we love to snorkel but weren’t planning to do excursions. We knew that renting on the islands is usually anywhere from $15-20 for the time we were there. The gear I purchased cost $39 and so by using it 3 times we had well made up the cost and saved money. The gear came in easy little tote bag that included the fins, mask and snorkel. Check out our Setting Sale page for more information.

The ships all have life jackets by the pool area for all ages (remember there are rules on the ages for swimming in the pool). The water wings though would be for your excursions. Not all water is tame and it’s best to be safe than sorry. So if you don’t have a seasoned swimmer then bring either water wings or floaties.

Only if your child is fully potty trained and NOT using a swim diaper or diaper are they allowed in the pools and this is pretty straight forward across the board on all lines. The only exception would be the rules posted near splash pad type areas that may allow swim diapers (Disney is one example that allows this). So, one way around this is to bring your own inflatable baby pool on deck. You can easily fill it with just a little bit of water from the main pool and let your little one splash around or better yet play while you lounge. (I’ve also seen parents bring the pack and play from their room and set it up outside with toys—ingenious and wish I had thought of that when they were little.)

There is a lot of information and confusion out there on what is and isn’t needed to travel via cruise. My recommendation is to get your passports. Is isn’t cheap to get passports for even a family of four like we are however, I think it’s important to have them. We did use a birth certificate for our little little when she first cruised and at age 4 finally got her a passport.

To get onboard your ship you will need the proper travel documentation and when filling out the online check in process you’ll need to have these documents available and again when you board. Let’s say you miss your ship sailing and have to catch up to it in a foreign port, well you know what? You’ll need a passport for that type of travel. A birth certificate won’t do.

Europe and Transatlantic Cruises will require passport and make sure they are valid for at least six months past the end of the trip. To visit Cuba (as it’s a newer port) you will need your passport and other travel documents, such as visa’s (some may be purchased through the cruise line) and travel affidavits. These cost additional monies so it’s important to view those policies with the cruise line and it’s for kids as well. Take this into account when booking travel.

Cruises that start and end in a US port now follow the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative ) and are able to use WHTI-Compliant Documents to show proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID.

Simplest way to travel with the least amount of hassle? Passports

Information on obtaining Passports: (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html)

ps: make sure your legal names are all matching on all documents. That can lead to issues and if you are bringing a child with you as a guest make sure you have the proper forms!