5 things I shouldn’t have packed for a cruise with a toddler

Written by Lisa Perkovic 

Portacot, pram, blankie, dummies, nappies, wipes, ball, books, snacks. So, so many snacks. There’s even a baby bow tie in our suitcase. If you’d seen us embarking the Anthem of the Seas in Sydney, you’d think we were doing a circumnavigation of Australia, not a nine-night jaunt to the South Pacific.

Who can blame me, though? I’ve got plenty of cruises under my belt, but this is the first with a walking, talking (and very demanding) toddler in tow. The spoiler is: we survived! We even had fun, too. But we definitely packed too much stuff. Here are five things you don’t need to pack for a cruise with a toddler.

Too many toys

At the last minute, I threw in a tote bag with a ball, a sticker book, a teddy, stacking cubes and a puzzle for good measure. It turns out Royal Caribbean really is a family-friendly cruise line, and I needn’t have bothered. The Anthem of the Seas has its very own free play area for toddlers. It’s open from 9am until 10pm, costs nothing and is packed with ride-on cars, sensory games, a slide, soft mats and balls (ie. much more exciting, new toys). Usually empty, we had the place to ourselves for at least an hour a day as my little guy pottered around in his new playroom. He did carry his toy dustpan and broom everywhere, proceeding to sweep underneath our table when we braved the restaurant for lunch, but hey, whatever floats his boat and allows me to eat my Caesar salad in peace. It was also a huge hit with the waitstaff!

All the snacks

I like to think my little boy has a fairly balanced diet, but the thought of travelling without an emergency stash of snacks still feels risky. So, naturally, we packed plenty of fruit pouches, oat bars and rice cakes.

While they came in handy for the occasional 5am wake-up call, most of them stayed tucked away in the wardrobe. The reality is that food is everywhere on a cruise ship, and Anthem of the Seas was no exception. From yoghurt and fresh watermelon at the Solarium Bistro when it opened at 6:30am, to a cheeky croissant from Windjammer Marketplace before it closed at 11am, and pulled pork sandwiches in the Main Dining Room, my toddler was never far from his next meal. In the end, he ate like a king, and we could have packed far fewer snacks.

What I’m glad I did pack was a Tupperware container to fill with fresh fruit. Ziplock bags were handy too, they got filled with bran muffins (sort of healthy, right?!). A kid’s bento-style lunch box would have been even better.

Fancy formal outfits

One of the joys of cruising is dressing up for dinner (if that’s your thing). So, naturally, I packed every white or pastel T-shirt my toddler owned (no daycare-stained dark clothes on this holiday, thank you very much), along with a few dress shirts, adorable overalls and, yes, a tiny bow tie. As it turned out, most of those outfits never saw the light of day.

That’s because I discovered what might be the best-kept secret of cruising with a toddler on Anthem of the Seas: the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery. Part of the Adventure Ocean program, it caters specifically to children aged six month to 36 months, with four, three-hour sessions available daily between 9am and 1am. Sessions can be booked one at a time on a first-come, first-served basis, with fees starting from USD$9 per hour.

You hand over your little one, collect a ship phone, and suddenly have up to three glorious hours to yourself. Whether that’s a long lunch, a quiet coffee, a spa treatment or simply sitting somewhere in peace, those precious hours quickly became far more valuable than any carefully planned dinner outfit.

So instead of wrestling my dinner date into a tiny bow tie and suspenders, I dropped him at the nursery and headed out for dinner myself. While he happily tucked into chicken tenders, I lingered over a generous charcuterie board and a hearty plate of lasagna at Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver. On another evening, we enjoyed a few magical hours at Wonderland, Royal Caribbean’s whimsical degustation-style dining experience, where cocktails arrive topped with fairy floss, entrées emerge beneath smoking glass domes and desserts resemble miniature forests of meringue mushrooms.

The chance to enjoy a specialty restaurant at my own pace, without cutting up someone else’s dinner, chasing a runaway toddler or worrying about a glass of wine ending up in my lap, felt like the ultimate holiday luxury.

Reusable pouches

We’re a pouch family. We try very hard not to be, but the tiny ruler of our household has a serious love affair with yoghurt pouches. In preparation for the cruise, I packed a couple of reusable pouches, fully intending to wash and refill them in the cabin sink. The dishwashing liquid and bottle brush proved useful for cleaning sippy cups and the occasional dropped dummy, but the reusable pouches never left the cupboard.

Instead, we became regulars at the Smoothie Bar, where the staff quickly got used to seeing us the moment the doors opened at 6am. One of the unexpected perks of an unlimited drinks package is that it includes juices and smoothies, which meant my toddler happily started each day with a strawberry smoothie in hand. Even better, he somehow developed a taste for my carrot and celery juice.

Hidden vegetables? On holiday? I’ll take that as a parenting win. The only thing I wish I had packed was a reusable straw. The paper versions didn’t stand much of a chance against an enthusiastic toddler.

Sunglasses

I bought the cutest baby sunglasses for our trip, imagining us strolling the deck in matching shades. That vision, unsurprisingly, never quite materialised. We did make it outside (to the pool and to see Gigi, the 10-metre-tall giraffe) but most of our time was spent indoors. Between bumper cars, laser tag, dodgeball, basketball, the arcade and table tennis, it’s easy to see why.

He couldn’t participate in any of it yet, but for a curious toddler, the lights, movement and especially the cars were a sensory feast.

So now that you’ve seen what I could have left behind, here are a few items I’m very glad I packed:

1. Sound machine with a night light
You don’t need to worry about bringing blackout blinds, cruise ship cabins are already very dark. In fact, they’re so dark I was grateful our portable sound machine also had a night light for those late-night moments of creeping around after my little guy had fallen asleep.

2. Portacot
Most cruise ships provide pack-and-play cots, which are fine in a pinch, but for more than a night, a proper portacot with a decent mattress makes a noticeable difference. Your little one will be far more comfortable and you’ll likely get better sleep as a result.

3. Water shoes
Non-toilet-trained toddlers aren’t allowed in cruise ship pools, but Anthem of the Seas has a dedicated splash zone that was perfect for my little guy to dip his feet in each day. It also became a surprisingly social spot; toddler parents gathered nearby, chatting about the meaning of life while keeping one eye on their kids.

The tiny water shoes I’d packed for the beach turned out to be essential, as the splash zone floor was slippery. I had a much more relaxed time when I wasn’t hovering over him every second, bracing for a fall with each step.

This article is a Holidays with Kids digital exclusive.

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