5 Must Pack Items When Taking a Toddler on a Cruise

Dear Diary,

I definitely need a vacation after I pack a suitcase for my daughter. To be such a little person, her belongings take up a lot of space, and the packing process takes up a lot of time.  So when I decided to take her on a Norwegian cruise to Bermuda, I started to make a list of what had to come with us. I mean, it’s not life or death, but if I forgot some of things below, my vacation would quickly go down hill, and I would likely  jump overboard. As a first time mom, I’ve learned that I that I can’t wait until the eleventh hour to throw something into a bag and hit the road. I take that back–I waited to the last minute to pack my part of the suitcase.  Caitlynn’s clothes however were laid out and accessorized weeks in advance. Heck, she even wore the same dress Beyoncé’s baby rocked! While away, I discovered that there were five must pack items when taking a toddler on a cruise.

This is the most important item to pack, unless you plan on working off the midnight buffets and overindulgent desserts by toting your toddler around the Norwegian Breakaway—which is a town in itself. Although my daughter spent most of her time walking, or shall I say running around, the stroller came in handy when her little legs ran out of gas. Off the ship, the umbrella helped protect her from dangerous UV rays. When we cut it close spending every second we could at the bus.  The stroller was compact, lightweight and folded in seconds, unlike a travel system. Plus, it’s inexpensive, so if you leave it behind, you don’t have to beat yourself up.

Since we took the Megabus to and from Manhattan, we had to arrive early to the bus stop early.  It’s first come first serve seat selection, and we wanted to sit up top for a panoramic view. I entertained Caitlynn while my family waited in line by taking her on a little ride down the sidewalk. The pink motorcycle also kept her happy in the US Customs line.

Like American Express, my daughter doesn’t leave home without it—her Pillow Pet that is! Although she got a new Dora pillow Pet for the trip (Norwegian Breakaway has a Dora the Explorer morning story hour), she insisted on bringing her pink one—I think it’s a hippo. Whatever animal it is, it came to the rescue on several occasions, especially when Caitlynn cut up in the restaurant. Other guests probably wondered why my child was eating dinner at 8 p.m., but before they could whisper about her behavior and her climbing behind the curtain, Pillow Pet swooped in and put her to sleep in her chair.

I totally forgot to bring something to make sand castles, so I spent $5 on what I could have picked up at the dollar store. It wasn’t the highest quality, so I tossed it at the end of the trip. But it was money well-spent, since it kept Caitlynn busy for hours. We made a sandcastle with a moat, and then dug a baby pool.  Caitlynn jumped in, and my nephews filled it with water. The sand bucket also scored points with the little ladies—my nephew met a girl who he later asked to feed the birds with him.

Most cruise ships, like Norwegian Breakaway, require children to be potty trained to play in their pools, Caitlynn got a lot of wear out of Little Swimmers or Splashers at the beach where restrooms are few and far between. She was really excited about the fact that Dora and Diego decorated the pairs I purchased. But warning: The disposable swim diapers are not absorbent. If your child isn’t in the water, well, let’s just say the water will run through him!

Caitlynn suffers from eczema; something I thought went away until we went on vacation. The chlorinated pools and the hot summer sun caused her condition to flare up. Since I thought this may occur, I packed hats, sunglasses and lightweight clothing. I also picked up a jar of CeraVe Cream and an SPF 50 sunscreen.  Looking back, I do wish I packed some Aloe Vera—borrowed that off of my sister. I would also take a spray bottle to cool her down while walking on the island of Bermuda.

Hey DFTM Fam–What other items should you pack when taking a trip with a toddler?