• START HERE!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

1+1+1=1 logo

Never planned to homeschool, now wouldn't trade it for the world

  • 1+1+1=1 logo
  • HOME
  • Homeschool Curriculum Reviews
  • CURRICULUM BY 1+1+1=1
    • COUNTRY BY COUNTRY
    • ANIMAL ABCS
    • TOT SCHOOL PRINTABLES
    • KINDERGARTEN @ HOME
    • KINDERGARTEN LITERATURE UNITS
    • YOU CAN READ SIGHT WORDS
    • YOU CAN READ WORD FAMILIES
    • RAISING ROCK STARS PRESCHOOL
    • RAISING ROCK STARS KINDERGARTEN
    • RAISING LIL’ ROCK STARS THROUGH THE BIBLE A-Z
  • FREE PRINTABLES
    • MONTESSORI
    • READ FOR A REASON
    • THEME BASED
    • JUST COLOR!
    • CALENDAR CONNECTIONS
    • ALPHABET
    • NUMBERS
    • SCIENCE
  • START HERE!

Cruising with Young Kids ~ Tips and Tricks

Cruising with Young Kids

It is true – we have been on quite a few cruises, and we realize what an amazing blessing this is.  We could never afford to do this on our own and are spoiled by grandparents.  Recently real life friends asked me for advice about cruising with tots, and I figured they probably weren’t the only ones with questions!  Because of our cruising experience, I thought I would share some things I have learned along the way for those of you who might be thinking of taking a cruise in the future, with young kids. It really is a great experience and way more affordable for us homeschoolers who can easily go during the off season.  All of our cruises have been purposely planned {by my mom} during the absolute cheapest times of the year {usually Feb-Mar}.

We have cruised multiple times {with young kids and without}, but with the young kids we have been on Royal Caribbean {once ~ Freedom of the Seas} and Holland America {more than once ~ Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, Eurodam}.  The youngest we have taken a child cruising with us was age 1 {Ladybug}.

Our favorite…

Holland America for sure!  Here’s why…

  • Holland America ships are smaller ships with less to do.  This may seem like a bad thing with kids, but we personally think it is a great thing.  The Royal Caribbean ship was so big {we weren’t even on their biggest one!} and had so much to do {rock climbing, putt putt, ice skating, etc.} we felt like we were always trying to fit in something else. It was honestly exhausting!
  • HEATED POOL…need I say more?  Oh yeah and it has a glass “ceiling” that closes if it rains or is chilly!  The pool wasn’t huge and is “deep” even at the shallow end, but this didn’t bother us-the heat made up for it! Royal’s pool was freezing and it was chilly the week we went so we were in the pool very little. Sure they had an awesome kiddie pool and spray park but my kids were shaking and blue because they were so cold!
  • The service…amazing!  Although Royal Caribbean had awesome service too, Holland America steps it up a notch.  Honestly it is just in the genuine kindness you feel from just about everyone on board.
  • The food…awesome!  Again, Royal had great food too, but Holland America steps it up, especially with their breakfast/lunch buffet options.
  • HAL Kids Program…wonderful!  It begins for age 3 and goes up.  Each night, we had a late dinner seating {8pm} but HAL opened at 7pm, so the boys could just eat at the buffet {Lido deck} and head up to their club. Other ships have amazing kids’ programs too.  Be sure you know ages, most are potty trained 3 years old and up only.

But, you might not be like us!

Many people would disagree with us for choosing an “older people” ship as our favorite with young kids, but we like to relax, not be so busy.  If you enjoy constant activity, have lot of energy, love crowds and tons of kids, I definitely recommend choosing Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival, Disney or one of the more kid activity based ships.

 

Packing Tips…

Cruising with a Tot

  • clothespins {to hang up wet suits everywhere!}
  • power strip {there are usually only 1-2 outlets and taking things in and out is a pain}
  • DVDs {check beforehand, all of our rooms had DVD players in room, if not-bring a small one}
  • noise machine, the hallways get loud
  • night light
  • wet bag {or plastic store bags, to tote wet items}
  • lanyard/hole punch {to use for your key cards, wear them as necklaces}
  • bandaids
  • more sunscreen than you would ever think you’d need, oh and sunscreen chapstick!
  • hats for everyone, swim shirts too-the sun at sea is brutal
  • wind breakers/sweatshirts
  • blow up ducky pool {many rooms have showers only, and if you have a kid who only takes baths, you don’t want the fight in a tiny cruise ship bathroom}
  • umbrella stroller {yup, even for kids a bit too old for one} We brought one on a whim when Ladybug was almost 4 and used it at every port and are so glad we brought it at the last minute.
  • baby carrier {Ergo recommended} for non-walking babies. We used this a LOT when Ladybug was 1.
  • small toys {Littlest Pet Shops, play doh, cars, squinkies, crayons, coloring books, etc.} They are easy to pack and bring to dinner to occupy kids when the wait is long.
  • small purse for little girls, or bag for boys {to carry those tiny toys you brought}.  We brought a tiny bag with tiny toys to dinner on the nights when she came with us and it helped tremendously for multiple course meals!  iPads/iPhones aren’t a bad distraction either!

      A few other things to think about when planning…

    Potty Trained?

Many cruise ships have a potty-trained only rule about their pools.  This means no swim diapers of any sort. Be prepared if you aren’t going on a ship with kiddie pools {no Holland America ships had kiddie pools}. I have heard people bring small blow up pools to let babies sit in on deck.

Sleep Arrangements

All cruises we have been on provided a pack and play free of charge and we used that, be sure to ask, I am not sure all cruise lines provide one.  When Ladybug was almost 4 she slept in the loft bed for the first time, with a nice pillow border we created.  She LOVED it!

Floaties

Bring your own blow up rings/floaty devices, even for your older kids.  They are fun and every child wants one, we regretted the year we only brought one for Ladybug and not the boys.  Last year was much more peaceful, we brought 4 {in case one popped}. Also-goggles, swim socks/shoes for young tots {decks can be slippery}, swim shirts, hats {our favorite}, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.

You Don’t Have to Get Off the Boat!

Some of our favorite times are when we stay on the ship when others get off at a port!  We have a few ports we don’t care for {with kids} and we love to enjoy the empty pool. Once our kids are older this may change, but while we have a young one, some ports just aren’t worth the trouble of lugging them all around, especially if you’ve already seen it once.

Balcony or Not?

We have only sailed with a balcony one time, the others have mostly been the cheapest inside staterooms, and once we had a window.  We got the balcony this past time and although it was nice, I don’t think I would pay extra for it, since we didn’t use it nearly as much as I thought we might. Some would disagree, but I vote for saving money!

Room Service Breakfast

It took a few cruises for us to figure out what a gem this service was to us.  You see, I am not a morning person and neither is Ladybug. Having to get dressed and look decent just to go get breakfast was a bummer to us.  Cruises offer free 24 hour room service, just fill out the card and hang it on the door with the time you want it delivered.  This also made sure we didn’t oversleep and miss the day!

Tot Food and Drinks

If you have a younger tot still using a sippy cup, be sure to bring a stash of disposable sippy cups and a small bottle of dish soap. I just rinsed them out all week long in our sink and we always had a cup of water, juice or milk in the little room fridge for her. Also, we would snag tot snacks for her to keep in the room too {yogurt, cereal, crackers, bananas}, all from the buffet or from room service.

 

Have you cruised with young kids?  Any advice to add to my list?

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin5
5 Shares

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes Tagged with: Behind the Scenes

Newer Post
Tot School Gathering Place ~ week 30
Older Post
Following her lead…

Primary Sidebar

oneplusone300x150
ABC Crafts for Uppercase Letters-300x250

Recent Posts

10th Grade Mid-Year Homeschool Curriculum Changes

Free Easter Printables for Kids – I Spy

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Kindergarten Literature Unit

Bear Wants More – Free Printable Collection

Free Spring Printables for Kids – I Spy

Bear Wants More Kindergarten Literature Unit

Footer

1plus1plus1

What a day! We moved @kyler_hinson into college to What a day! We moved @kyler_hinson into college today at @greenvilleuniv! Such a fun new chapter beginning for him! He moved out here a couple of weeks ago to train with his gymnastics team so I got my crying out then. I’m purely excited for him today!!! 

So thankful for this awesome school, everything about today was just perfect! We are all so happy with his choice and future here. 🧡🧡🧡
Kyler leaves tomorrow to head to @greenvilleuniv t Kyler leaves tomorrow to head to @greenvilleuniv to begin his NCAA gymnastics journey with @gupanthersmgym and I am beyond excited for him, although it is bittersweet, of course. 

His amazing coach for the past 10 years has been such a constant in Kyler’s life and it’s hard to imagine him not having by a daily place in Kyler’s life. 

His gym had a little surprise goodbye party for him and one of the awesome gym moms made the sweetest video filled with memories of Kyler’s gymnastics journey. The love for him  from our gym family just blows me away. We have been so blessed to be surrounded by many families and teammates through the years who have been amazing. He truly has had a home away from home for the past 10 years.

Thanks @lisabethcooper for EVERYTHING you did. ❤️
My daddy left this earth to be with Jesus on July My daddy left this earth to be with Jesus on July 9. It has been a rough couple of weeks to say the least. It was a shocking end although he had been sick and was in the hospital. We fully expected to bring him home but septic shock stole that from us. 

The first photo is my final photo with him, taken on our cruise back in late May. The rest are a few favorites of mine from my childhood and another from a cruise.

Although things have calmed, nothing feels right. My momma lives close to us now (she is 6 miles from us) and soon will live in the house she and my dad were building in our backyard. Praise God we got them moved into their rental back in April, His timing is everything. We got to have our final cruise as a family right before daddy got really sick. On the night we lost him, we were all able to stand around him and pray together and share our hearts with him before his body was done. 

Oh how I wish he would be living in the house being built in my backyard and that we would have had the years we expected and hoped to have. I trust God’s timing while also being devastated. I miss him terribly.
Happy graduation to Kyler! So thankful my graduate Happy graduation to Kyler! So thankful my graduate chose a family cruise for his graduation celebration! He traded a party and family grad gifts to be able to take his lifelong best friend with our family! (That’s the “extra” kid you’ll see in our photos)

My parents generously took our family on @royalcaribbean Wonder of the Seas and it was incredible! We went to Coco Cay, Honduras, Costa Maya, and Cozumel.

Best part about family cruise is the laughter and time away together. It truly is unlike anything else and I’m so so grateful! I took hundreds of photos, narrowing it down to 10 was hard!
His final state championship meet! Still so hard t His final state championship meet! Still so hard to believe our boy is a senior and moving on to college gymnastics next year at Greenville University in Illinois. We couldn’t be more excited for him and the journey ahead while soaking in these final moments with him as he closes out his final season as a junior gymnast.

He is the NC state champion one final time and hit an all time high score at this meet. We have regionals next and then nationals, and then his junior gymnastics career is done!

#krashthegymnast
Merry Christmas! We enjoyed the past few days so v Merry Christmas! We enjoyed the past few days so very much. So much laughter and joy. Christmas with littles is fun but Christmas with bigs is a whole different joy I love these kids of mine! ❤️❤️❤️
It’s the beginning of an emotional year as a gym It’s the beginning of an emotional year as a gym mom. His final season as a junior athlete has begun with his first meet this weekend. He’s been doing the sport he loves since he was 6 and here we are starting the final year before he competes in college! He had a great first meet hitting 4/6 events and winning the all around and several events. I just love watching him, I’ll miss being able to go to all of his meets next year so I am soaking up the moments this year!

#krashthegymnast
Back together again! I’m so happy for these two! Back together again! I’m so happy for these two! My oldest son Paxton has not been able to have his dog Melody in the rental house he has been in due to issues with his roommate’s dogs. But he has a new rental home and Mel will be the only dog! He just picked her up and they are both so so happy! A day they have been waiting for for way too long. We adore Melody and don’t mind her being with us at all but the bond between these two is indescribable so we are happy they get to be together again! ❤️
Their annual trip to the mountains! I just love th Their annual trip to the mountains! I just love their tradition and love that it was enhanced by going with Pop Pop (my husband’s dad) in his RV this year! They sent me these great photos! 🍁🧡🍁
His final region 8 gymnastics camp. So many “las His final region 8 gymnastics camp. So many “lasts” occurring this year. Swipe to see his first region camp back in 2017! 

His final competition season begins in November!
We are a little over 2 weeks in with @studydotcom We are a little over 2 weeks in with @studydotcom and I wanted to share a small update. 

Click the link in my profile to read my blog post: Why We Chose Study.com for Homeschool. In that post I promised to be transparent and give updates along our journey. Consider this the first update! We switched courses for 9th grade science already! I originally had her in Physical Science and honestly it was too much, too fast - even I was a bit overwhelmed when I went in and did some of the lessons and quizzes. We have switched her to earth science for now. All other courses are going really well and both of my kids like the format. I LOVE the parent dashboard and how easy it is to keep up with them. 

I’m thankful so far because my life is busier now and my kids are older, having something they are independent with is so helpful for them and for me. We communicate often and I’m checking in and very involved but I don’t do the actual teaching. 

So, overall it’s going well so far. Stay tuned, I’ll continue to share!

#homeschoolhighschool 
#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed 
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschooladventures #affiliate #sponsored #studydotcom
I can’t believe my youngest child is entering th I can’t believe my youngest child is entering the high school years. We have made some changes and choices that are totally new to us! Click the link in my profile to read more!

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhighschool
Missing two kids (working) but had a fun night out Missing two kids (working) but had a fun night out to eat with my parents to celebrate my husband’s birthday a  couple days early! Love my time with them! ❤️
Around this time last year I shared the first phot Around this time last year I shared the first photo. I was prepping @compassclassroom History. We ended up using American and Modernity and today I published my full review on my blog! Link in profile!

#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolfun #homeschoolkids #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures #homeschoolhistory #compassclassroom
I tried explain these friends to my daughter last I tried explain these friends to my daughter last night. It was hard to find words. 

They have been a huge part of our life since before having children, and we have walked through life together, even when they all lived here in NC and we lived in Philly for 11 years. We began as the “young married couples Sunday school class.” We have been back in NC for 8 years and although we live an hour from all of them, it’s still the same. We get together every month or so, and although we were missing a few last night, we are always thankful for everyone who can make it. 

Lili, being our youngest, doesn’t know them as well even though she has been around them on and off her whole life. She’s finally old enough to really get it and appreciate how much they mean to us. Last night as we drove the hour home we explained the long story of our deep friendship and how thankful we are. ❤️ 

Love y’all beyond words and missed those of you who weren’t there last night. ❤️
Our 8th grade year-end post is up on my blog (link Our 8th grade year-end post is up on my blog (link in profile). I definitely didn’t like all of our choices, but I loved most of them. 

Lili was pretty independent this year for homeschool, but we did a few subjects together: logic, government, writing. I loved the addition @compassclassroom for history and vocabulary. We always love @teachingtextbooks for math. @iew wins for writing and grammar with us. You’ll see in the post I didn’t like what I chose for science. She took another course from @theanimcourse and continues to love them. We loved the books we read for logic and government, see post for those!

#8thgradewithladybug #8thgradehomeschool #middleschoolhomeschool 
#homeschool #homeschoolers #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolingmama #homeschoolmom #homeschoollife  #homeschoolfamily #homeschooliscool  #homeschooldays #homeschoolblogger 
#homeschoolteacher #homeschoollookslikethis #homeeducation #homeeducator #howwehomeschool #homeed #homeschoollifestyle #thisishomeschool
#homeschoolcommunity #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschoolersofinstagram #homeschooled #homeschoolcollective #homeschoolideas #homeschoolinspiration #homeschooladventures
Athlete of the Year! Kyler’s end of year gymnast Athlete of the Year! Kyler’s end of year gymnastics awards ceremony was today and once again he received this award from his coach! It still means the world to me, knowing the bond these two share and how blessed we are to have him as Kyler’s coach. He’s been his coach since he was 8, and we enter their final year together in the fall. Time flies. 

#krashthegymnast
My parents took us on a cruise. It was amazing and My parents took us on a cruise. It was amazing and we are so thankful! Ten pictures barely sums it up, but Instagram won’t let me share a thousand. So here’s a tiny peek into our fun week.

Sailed on @royalcaribbean Harmony of the Seas and everything was outstanding except for the teen program - it sucked (compared to Carnival). But the rest was wonderful! We love cruises and the last one they took us on was in 2019, it was so fun to be back on a ship!
Silver medal at nationals on parallel bars in the Silver medal at nationals on parallel bars in the Junior Elite 17 year old division! So so proud of his fight! 

He had a fall on his first day(Thursday) of competition and sprained his thumb/hand and we weren’t even sure he could compete day two. He competed today and hit all 6 events! He pushed through and really focused on parallel bars since he was sitting in 6th after day one. Well, he did even better and pulled his placement to 2nd!! 

#krashthegymnast #region8mensgymnastics
Birthday dinner with the grands. Celebrating my Ap Birthday dinner with the grands. Celebrating my April/May babies! Pax is 21, Lili is 14, and Kyler will be 17 next week!
Follow on Instagram

Terms of Use & Copyright Info

The content (including photos) within this blog are not to be used without my permission. You ARE allowed to pin photos on Pinterest with a link back to the post. I appreciate pins!

I am honored when others post about my blog with links back to it, please leave a comment and link back to where you did this, I'd love to see your blog or website!

If you have questions about copyright in terms of my printables, please see a more detailed Terms of Use here!

Disclaimer & Privacy Policy

Some posts on this blog contain affiliate links.

1+1+1=1 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Occasionally I receive products in exchange for a review or giveaway post. These posts are always labeled as reviews and/or giveaways. I never feature a product we don't use and enjoy ourselves.

Any advertisers I feature as sponsors are also only companies I stand behind.

All opinions expressed on 1+1+1=1 are solely mine.

Please see our Privacy Policy here!

Copyright © 2025 · Darling theme by Restored 316

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT