Is Royal Caribbean The Key Worth it for Families

About The Key

While I was looking online at the add-ons to book, I saw that there was a sale for the "VIP passes" for their Key Program was only $5/person/day more than the Wi-Fi. So, for this sale for our cruise, we could get the Voom Wi-Fi for $20/person/day or The Key for $25/person/day, and The Key included Voom Wi-Fi + priority boarding the ship and exclusive lunch on embarkation day, priority departure at tender ports, exclusive times for ship activities, reserved seating for shows, and a priority breakfast and flexible disembarkation time. For us, the boarding and departure upgrades were worth the extra $5/day for us because we were traveling with our 21-month old daughter. 

The Key embarkation process

On embarkation day, it was nice having a special line to go to since we were traveling with a toddler. We got through security SO FAST on embarkation day! There were 2 The Key lines reserved to go through security, but you're not limited to only those lines so you can go through the shortest line. When we got there a little after 11am, we were the only people going through The Key lines. While the Carnival Galveston port took almost an hour from walking in to getting on the ship, Royal Caribbean Galveston port took us less than 10 minutes, and that was with a diaper change stop. 

They also let you leave your carry-on luggage before lunch, and they'll drop off your carry-on to your room for you. We brought 2 bottles of wine and some other items that couldn't be checked, but were heavy so it was nice to drop them off right after we got on the ship. Our carry on bag was already in our room by the time our room was ready around 1:30pm, even though our checked luggage wasn't delivered until around 4pm. They gave us special The Key luggage tags that had our room number on it so we didn't need to use the boarding luggage tags, but I had added those as well just in case.

You're given The Key luggage tags after embarkation for your drop-off bags

Another perk that I liked was getting the lunch from their specialty dining steakhouse restaurant, Chops Grille, on the first day. Usually on embarkation day, everyone heads up to the pool deck to walk around and explore or claim a chair and start chilling, and then everyone eventually heads to the Windjammer buffet to get lunch. This can make both of these areas very packed and make it hard to find a seat. Since we had a reserved lunch in the main dining room, we didn't have to fight other guests to get a table and eat. They didn't have a kid menu, so the waiter just brought us mac and cheese which was just buttered noodles covered with 2 slices of cheese and some fries. My husband and I got the burgers and they were just okay, which I was surprised because usually steakhouses have great burgers. 

The Key reservations

On the ship, we really liked having reserved times for the activities on sea days. Ryan is an Eagle Scout, so he was excited to hit the rock-climbing wall without having to wait in a really long line. When he went to rock climb, he was the only person for the first 15 minutes, and then 1 other girl came and they had the whole area to themselves. He was able to walk right up and fill out the waivers without any wait and was able to climb the wall as many times as he wanted without a wait. We had a similar experience with the Flow Rider, there was no line for filing out the waivers and he was one of 3 people doing the Flow Rider so he was able to go as many times as he wanted with only a few minute wait between runs. 

 

Reservations for activities were for Sea Days

Rock Wall was all to ourselves during The Key times

We didn't do the reserved time at the ice rink, but we did take advantage of reserved seating for the ice show. I really liked our seats and thought it was a great view. The only down side is that they open the reserved seating area to everyone at 10 minutes until showtime, so you have to get there early to take advantage of the reserved seats (they recommend 15 minutes before showtime). I feel like the seating was empty enough at 15 minutes before showtime that we probably could've gotten the same seats anyways just from being early, which kind of defeats the purpose of reserved seating if people who don't have The Key can show up after you and sit in your same section. 

The Key tender ports

Unfortunately for us, we didn't have any tender ports, so we didn't get priority departure on port days. Your ship can either park and let you off at a cruise pier, if the water near the coast is deep enough, and then you just go down to a lower level and walk right off the ship and down the pier to the port; or, if the water near the coast is not deep enough, then the ship will dock in the water near the port and they'll have a boat tender you over to the pier. I'm not sure why you only get priority departure on tender days, but it would have been nice to get it at each port stop. 

The Key disembarkation process

On disembarkation day, again it was nice having specialty treatment. We were given The Key disembarkation luggage tags, and were able to leave the ship at any time without a reservation as early as 8am. Our bags were also in a The Key waiting area, and there weren't many other bags so we could find ours very quickly. 

Embarkation for The Key is whenever you want

Disembarkation can include a lot of waiting around, so many people head up to the Windjammer buffet to eat while they kill time. Just like embarkation day, this makes finding a place to sit down difficult. With the key, we had a private breakfast so we weren't fighting to get a table. The food was definitely elevated, I had crab cakes benedict and my husband had steak and eggs. What was great was that right after we left breakfast they pointed us to The Key exit and then we had our own much shorter disembarkation line. From the time we left breakfast until the time we were through the terminal and had our luggage was only about 10 minutes. I really appreciated this having a toddler who can't stand in long lines. 

We thought the * would indicate an upcharge on items, but it was just warning you about consuming raw or undercooked food. No extra price for the steak or crab benedict

Is The Key Worth It?

Overall, for only $50 extra (we didn't have to purchase The Key for my daughter because she's a toddler, but you must buy it for everyone in the room 6 and older) it was definitely worth it. If there hadn't been a sale and the price was much more than the Wi-Fi package we were going to get anyways, then I don't know if I would recommend it, depending on the price. If there's not a sale going on when you go to check on it, put your cruise info into Royal Price Tracker and it can notify you when the price drops. I think if they did The Key specialty disembarkation on port days as well and maybe like one complimentary drink then it could be a must-do purchase. 

Travel Guide | Hotel Emporio in Cancun, Mexico

For our 3rd anniversary, Ryan and I decided to visit an all-inclusive. We went on a cruise for our first anniversary/babymoon, and went on a cruise for our second anniversary with our infant daughter, and contemplated going on another cruise for this anniversary. What changed our minds was that we decided to go just the two of us, and I haven't been able to just relax and drink on an anniversary trip since I was pregnant for our first anniversary and taking care of a baby for our second anniversary. Drink packages can really add up on a cruise, and sometimes on a cruise you are at a port for less time than you want and feel rushed away. An all inclusive just seemed like the better option where we could forget about our parenting responsibilities and just spend the day having drunk naps at the beach.  

Why we chose Hotel Emporio

Once we had decided to go on a long weekend getaway to an all inclusive, we knew Cancun would be the obvious choice. Cancun is just a 2 hour flight from Houston, and we enjoyed it the last two times we went. Although we're still wanting to get back to Moon Palace, we wanted somewhere a little more affordable this time. And although Panama Jack was affordable, there's just so many resorts that we didn't want to repeat the same one twice yet. 

So I just started searched online through Expedia and Trip Advisor and came across Hotel Emporio. It seemed like a great fit for us because it wasn't crazy expensive, yet still had good reviews. We were able to use our Chase Sapphire card points to book our hotel and our Southwest card miles to book our flights, making the trip basically free for us.

Since we decided to go without our daughter, all I felt comfortable doing was a long weekend because it was the first time we had both been away from her overnight. We ended up flying out early Friday and flying back Sunday afternoon, which was a great trip, but maybe one day too short. 

A pro tip I learned when I studied abroad is that most hotels will actually allow you to arrive to the hotel prior to the check-in time. Your room won't be ready yet as the last occupants are either still there or they just left and the room hasn't been cleaned yet, but the front desk will likely store your luggage until your room is ready. They likely will still give you your wrist bands when you get there and allow you to start enjoying the hotel while you wait for your room to be ready. 

Hotel Emporio Cancun Review

I'll be honest, this resort didn't really impress me much at the start, but it grew on me as we stayed. The lobby is one of the tiniest lobbies I've been to, and it was a crowded and slow process to get checked in. However, I did notice that there were a LOT of pilots and flight attendants checking in both on the day we got there and the day we left, so it seems to be really popular for flight crews.

One thing that I did like about the check-in process was that your resort wristband also had an RFID chip in it, which acted as your room key & could be scanned at the bar or restaurant to show you had the all-inclusive package. I love not having to carry around a room key and always knowing I have my room key on me, even if I'm just in a bikini. I hope more places start to adopt this technology, because it's the easiest customer experience. 

This resort had the option for food & drinks included, breakfast included only, or pay-as-you-go. I'm not a big fan of resorts having different packages with all-inclusive or not. It goes faster when you're trying to get a drink in the bar because no one is having to sign a receipt, we're all just grabbing a drink & leaving a tip & moving on. I also don't like it because it can be very hard to tell what is included in the all-inclusive and what is an extra (like certain restaurants or drinks). 

The hotel reminded me of Europe because there are LOTS of stairs to utilize the resort. The main level had the lobby, kid's pool, adult & kid's pool, and pool bar/buffet. The level above the main level had the buffet. The level below the main level had the kid's splash pad, adult's-only infinity pool & bar, the gaming bar, and a restaurant. Then there was another set of stairs to an adult's-only oversized hot tub. Then the level below the adult's-only pool was the beach. It was very confusing to know we're you're going and a lot of things seemed to be hidden, so it's worth it to spend a day just wandering around the resort to find out where's what. But, that being said, all the steps did help to really space things out. The toddler splash area is its own area, the kid's pool is a completely different area, and the adult's-only was its own area. 

The view from the adult's only hot tub

The all-ages pool has hammock and a entertainment coordinator who runs games like cornhole

The kid's pool had a pirate ship slide

The toddler are had 2 water tables and lots of sprinklers

The staff was iffy on service. I asked our room attendant for an extra water bottle and she said no, the front desk gave my husband a hard time about towel cards (which was a weird process itself), and we spent our whole time during the days either on the beach or in the adult's-only hot tub, and only once at each location did a server come to take a drink order. But, the staff at the bars and the staff helping with luggage and waiting for our ride were fantastic. 

The rooms at Hotel Emporio 

We reserved a "suite deluxe sea front" room, Room 902L. It was a nice room, but I don't know if I would call it a suite deluxe. It had a bathroom with a large shower and separate tub, a king size bed, a couch, and a balcony that overlooked the resort mainly, but if you looked up you could see the ocean. Usually, we love to order room service for breakfast and enjoy it on our balcony, but this resort charged $20 for room service. This wasn't worth it to me, but the buffet was a trek from our room, making it unrealistic to go grab something from the buffet and bring it back to enjoy in our room. 

The room itself was a really nice, standard hotel room. It was clearly renovated recently, the bed was really comfortable, and the AC worked really well. There were two closets, one for hanging clothes and one that I think was intended to store your luggage. It had a table that you could not move, so I think that was supposed to be an upgraded version of a luggage rack.

Unlike other all-inclusive resorts we stayed at, this one didn't keep any snacks in the room or beer/soda in the fridge. We got 2 water bottles by the mini fridge and 1 water bottle in the bathroom. We did not realize on the first day that the water bottles would be so hard to come by, so we accidentally drank all our water down at the beach and then both woke up parched in the middle of the night that first night. Like I mentioned earlier, on Day 2 I just so happened to run up to the room while it was being made up and the room attendant wouldn't give me a spare water. I'm so glad I brought a stainless steel water bottle that I could have the bartenders fill up with drinking water, because we would've been rationing water without it. 

Eating at Hotel Emporio

While we waiting for our room on Day 1, we headed straight out of the lobby and to the pool bar and buffet. The bar gave us great drinks fast, and it was easy to find a seat at the buffet. That buffet is right in between the kids-focused pool and the all-ages pool, so it makes sense that the only options were hamburger, hotdog, chicken fingers, or tacos. And I mean only options. The hamburger and hot dog buns were definitely above what you'd get at a sonic, but the meat wasn't great. At first we thought this was the only buffet option, and I was starting to panic that we had chosen the wrong resort if that was our only option. 

Luckily, my husband asked around and found out about the roof-top real buffet that you get to by walking through the pool buffet and up the stairs. It was great! The views were amazing and they had a lot of choices and a lot of freshly cooked food, some even made-to-order. The one downside was that we ordered a beer and glass of wine when we sat down, and we were almost through our meal by the time our drinks came. Then, our waiter mentioned something to us about how we'd have to sign something for our drinks so we waited and waited and he never came back, so we just left. I'm assuming maybe it's because he first didn't realize we were all-inclusive but then realized we had already pre-paid for our drinks? Not sure, which is why I don't love these hybrid resorts where not everyone is all-inclusive. We had dinner at this buffet the first night and breakfast here the next two days. 

For our one full day, I went ahead and ate lunch at the roof-top buffet by myself while my husband took a beach nap. After he woke up, he was headed up to the breakfast buffet and noticed there was a restaurant right by the adults-only pool and checked it out. He said the pizza was amazing and it was a really great restaurant. I was bummed we weren't staying long enough for another lunch and already had dinner plans, so I never got to try it. 

On our first night, my husband discovered the Italian restaurant, Bacoli Trattoria, tucked behind the lobby. It was fully booked for that Friday night, but he was able to get us a 7:00pm reservation for the next night. When we got there at our reservation, the hostess asked us if we were celebrating anything special, and we told her that it was our 3rd anniversary. Then she sat us down at the table right behind the hostess stand, where we were so close I could have high-fived her, even though there were less than half of the other tables occupied. I understand that people make reservations and then get busy (or drunk) and don't show up, but it was annoying that we were sat right there in a half-empty room, especially after we had just told them it was a special occasion. Although we've been given a free glass of champagne one night on our last two anniversaries, I don't expect this everywhere we go. But still, it was weird that they took the time to ask if we were celebrating anything and then seemed to not care a bit that we actually were. Other than that, the food was actually pretty good. I'm glad we had the all-inclusive package so we could order multiple appetizers to try out the food. One warning though, the bruschetta had a ton of chopped olives hidden under the cheese. I've never had bruschetta with olives, so I was caught off guard on that one. 

What to do at Hotel Emporio

I think this category is where this resort really shines. Like I mentioned, there's a whole area dedicated to just babies/toddlers, a whole area dedicated to just kids, and a whole area dedicated to adults only. It seems to be equally as family-friendly as it is perfect for an adults-only trip. 

The adults only pools had day beds you could rent, but we spent most of our time down at the beach or up in the oversized hot tub. What was weird was that the adults-only infinity pool also had a hot tub, but the heater seemed to be broken on that. The pool was probably 75 degrees, which would be great on a hot day but too cold for an 80 degree day. If the pool was heated, we would have hung out there the whole time. The views were amazing and it had it's own swim-up bar. This was actually the bar we went to the most often, because it seemed to open earlier than the beach bar and it seemed to not be as packed since the cold pool was basically empty. 

The oversized hot tub on a different deck was great. It was huge so it didn't feel crowded and it was partially covered, so you could choose how shaded or not you wanted to be. It didn't have an actual bar to it, but staff was able to walk around the full hot tub to take drink orders (although I found they didn't come that often and took a while to bring back drinks, so I recommend just taking turns going down to the other bar for a drink). There was only 1 instance of kids getting in the pool, and although they were just sitting and talking, the staff did make them relocate soon after they got in, so it's nice that adults-only areas aren't run over by kids. 

In between the adults-only bar and the restaurant where my husband had lunch on our one full day, there was a little sports bar. We went there after dinner on our last night and it was a great find! It was a long room that had partial room dividers with foosball, ping pong, and pool sections. The last section was a bar area with tables and a DJ (who was much too loud for that small of an area) with a karaoke TV going so it was a group sing-a-long. After the sports bar, we wandered around and found a horizontal rock wall at the end of the infinity pool that my husband had fun climbing.  

 

The beach was great. They had a large area reserved with lots of chairs, umbrellas, daybeds, and chairs. The daybeds couldn't sit up, so it was a rush to make sure you got a chair that wasn't flat the whole time. And not every chair set had a table, so I was glad that my beach bag could serve as a table. There was a good sized beach bar that had swings while you waited for your drink. There also seemed to be jet skis that you could rent, but it wasn't clear if that was the resort renting them or if they just allowed a company to rent them out on their property. 

Overall thoughts on Hotel Emporio

I think this place could have grown on me if I had a few more days to explore what it had to offer, and if I went in the summertime where it was hot enough that a cool pool was welcomed so I could have enjoyed the massive infinity pool overlooking the ocean. The bar staff was great and the drinks were good. The food overall was pretty good. Although there were a LOT of stairs, I liked how things were spread out so that different age groups could enjoy the resort without other ages being right there. 

I just really wish they had given us more waters plus some beers and snacks in our room like other all inclusive resorts. This is the first all-inclusive I've stayed in out of 5 different resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean that didn't even include basic beer and potato chips in the room. It's just nice to have a late-night snack or a beer before the bars open. 

If there was a bachelorette trip or something that wanted to go here, I wouldn't be opposed. But for now, I think there's other options out there that are worth visiting first before I come back to Emporio. 

Our next trip

A month after booking this trip, my iPhone memories started showing me pictures of our daughter on our last cruise and I got mom guilt thinking about Ryan and I traveling without her. I just went on Royal Caribbean's website to see if there were any sales, and there was a kids sale free and 2nd passenger 60% off sale! That was all the convincing I needed, so our next trip will be a quick 5-night cruise to Mexico!

Cancun All Inclusive Packing List for 2024

For our anniversary this year, Ryan and I decided to go on our first child-free vacation. Since we were going without our daughter, I only was comfortable going for a long weekend. This worked out perfectly because we were able to use our Chase Sapphire card points to book our hotel and our Southwest card miles to book our flights, making the trip basically free for us! This is the same strategy we used to go to the Dominican Republic for free for our honeymoon!

What I Bought for our All Inclusive Trip

I was so excited to find waterproof Uno cards for us to play on this trip! Ryan and I love playing card games together, but we don't get to do that often with a little toddler around. I found a travel Uno card case to pack them in so the cardboard box wouldn't get ruined in the suitcase. I went ahead and got a matching travel card case for our favorite Monopoly card game as well, because we take that on every trip we go on. 

Like I mentioned in my All Inclusive Favorites post, we like to bring stainless steel tumblers for drinks and a stainless steel water bottle for water. For this trip I got tumbler cleaning tablets to make cleaning them easier, and a collapsible cut stand to our cups air dry faster but folds flat to pack. 

Since we're planning on some rest and relaxation on our child-free trip, I went ahead and got us his and hers beach pillows with cooling inserts (I decided to leave the inserts at home). This is extra, but since we live near Galveston beach, I knew we could use these for more than this trip. These turned out to be our favorite item for the trip! It made laying down on the beach chair SO much more comfortable, and they packed up so small that I want to take them on every trip. 

Another thing I'm SOO glad I brought was a small Turkish beach towel. Our resort only let us check out 2 towels per day, so it was nice that I had an extra that I could use as a blanket in the mornings before it warmed up, and Ryan could use as a blanket to cover his legs when he napped so he wouldn't burn. We used this so much on this trip that I added another to my Amazon cart while we were on the beach so that next time we can each have one. 

Ryan already has a waterproof travel wallet, but we keep it in our "cruise bag" that has all of our cruising essentials in it and stays packed for our cruises. I got a 2nd wallet in a new color because it's so cheap, so now we don't have to unpack our cruise bag just for the travel wallet, and can keep one in our "all inclusive" bag for future trips. I needed my own "travel wallet," but didn't want an actual wallet. Instead, I found this cute tumbler fanny pack that can hold my phone, room key, and money. I really like that is has a zipper to keep my money safe, but also an outside pocket to keep my phone easily accessible. It's also waterproof material so I don't have to worry about using it when I'm dripping wet. 

What I Packed for our All Inclusive Trip

Checked luggage

Since we were flying Southwest and knew we'd get a free checked bag, we decided to check one bag and then each take a small personal item onto the plane so we could be hands free in the airport and take full-sized sunscreen in the checked bag. This was just a quick trip for just the two of us, so we could fit all of our clothes into a hanging closet organizer which took up one half of the suitcase. 

The other half of the suitcase had my travel toiletry bag, travel hair tools bag, our all-inclusive bag, my husband's toiletry bag, and our sunglass box packed with his and hers sunglasses.

Carry on bags

My husband brought a carry-on backpack that had his Airpods, an airplane phone mount, a solar phone charger, my Kindle and an iPad, plus his swimsuit and sandals and sunglasses for the beach.

I wore a crossbody that had each of our passports, my Airpods, my phone, and a phone charger. I loved having our passports right on me so I didn't have to go digging for them in my bag, but they were more secure than just being in my pocket. 

In my carry on, I had a wet bag with my swimsuit, coverup, and sunglasses, the Turkish towel, the beach pillows, towel bands, and a sunscreen stick. 

Beach bag

For my carry-on bag/beach bag, I brought a baby Bogg Bag and I loved it! This is my first vacation with my Bogg Bag, and the baby size was perfect for just the 2 of us at the beach. I got a phone pouch for the outside of the bag, and it was perfect for putting my phone away while still having quick and easy access to it while at the airport. I added two little carabiner clips to the outside of my bag so that we had an easy way to hold on to our sunglasses and could quickly access them without scrounging around in my bag. I clipped a small waterproof speaker onto one of the shoulder straps and quietly played music for just the two of us until the beach bar opened and turned on their sound system (it was also great for listening to music while getting ready in the room). I got a little beach-themed paci holder to hang off of the shoulder straps, and because it has straps on the inside of each side of the pouch, it held both mine and my husband's Airpods perfectly. 

I got a divider tray that kept my water bottle upright in the bag on travel days and converted it to a little table tray at the beach and 10/10 loved it. On our first day, we got to the beach in the late afternoon so of course all the beach chairs with tables were taken, and the only available seating was a lounge bed. I loved being able to use the tray in my bag as a table and have a place for our drinks to sit flat so we could lay down on the lounge bed and not have to hold on to our drinks. 

On the second day, we played Uno at the beach and since the tray has raised sides and is a few inches lowered into the bag, it was the perfect place to play our cards without worrying about them flying away. When we weren't playing Uno, it was just another table by our chairs to keep our little beach table from being overcrowded. Also, when it's horizontal as a tray, it completely hides all the stuff in your bag so it was a good place to stash things. 

What to Wear in Cancun

Women's outfits

For the flight from Houston to Cancun, I wore a matching 2-peice spaghetti-strap set, my favorite water sandals, and a lightweight knit sweater. I was so comfortable and cozy on the plane, and after we landed I just threw my sweater in my carryon and felt great in the warm weather. Once we got to the resort, I changed into a bikini, coverup, and same sandals and wore those for the rest of the day. That night, I wore a maxi dress and espadrille heels.

  

For our one and only full day at the resort, I wore a two piece crop top and flowy pants set with my sandals to breakfast. After breakfast, I changed into a bikini, travel sun hat, same coverup, and water sandals and spent all day down at the beach. For dinner, I wore another maxi dress with the same espadrille heels. 

  

On our last day, I wore another matching 2-piece set for my travel outfit with my same sandals and knit sweater for the flight home. 

So, in total I packed 2 matching sets for travel outfits, 2 bikinis for daytime, 2 dresses for nighttime, 1 casual outfit for daytime, 1 swimsuit coverup, 1 sweater to layer with, 1 roll-up wide brim sunhat, 1 pair of waterproof sandals, 1 pair of heels, 1 strapless bra, and underwear. 

Men's Outfits

My husband packed essentially the same as me, but I don't have any additional photos of his outfits to model what he packed. For our flight there, he wore a Henley with shorts and tennis shoes, and then changed into a swimsuit and sandals at the hotel. For dinner, he wore the same shorts from our flight and a polo with his tennis shoes. 

For our full day there, he wore a swimsuit and short-sleeved UPF shirt with his sandals during the day, and the same shorts and tennis shoes plus another polo for dinner. We ate at a restaurant at the resort this night (rather than the buffet), and although they allowed him in wearing shorts, he did wish that he had pants to be a little dressier, so we ordered him some linen pants for vacation. 

Unfortunately for him, he didn't wear his UPF shirt into the hot tub, so his shoulders got burned by our last day. For the trip home, he wore a long-sleeved UPF shirt, the same shorts, and his tennis shoes. 

So, in total he packed 2 swimsuits, 2 UPF shirts (1 short-sleeved, 1 long-sleeved), 2 polos, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of tennis shoes, 1 pair of beach sandals, and underwear. 

Thoughts on our weekend getaway

It was a short trip, and we do wish we had one more full day at the beach, but we were happy to get back to our daughter. The nice thing about such a short trip was that we didn't need to pack much (and like I explained, a lot of this stays packed year-round), so there wasn't that much to unpack and we didn't have a ton of post-vacation laundry to get caught up on once we got home. What helped get us over the post-trip blues was that we actually have a 5-night cruise planned for next month, and we're brining our daughter along with us!

What To Do After Booking Your First Cruise

Depending on how early you booked your cruise, there can be several months between your booking date and your sailing date. It can feel like your cruise is forever away, yet there's plenty to-do's to keep you busy and excited as you countdown to embarkation day. Here's 10 things you can do while you wait!

Book Your Flight and Hotel for the Day Before the Cruise

If you're flying to your cruise port, you need to make sure you arrive at least the day you sail away. Cruise ships usually leave around 4pm, and if your flight is delayed or traffic is bad, then you will miss your ship. They do not wait for you, and they do not let you board last minute after the last boarding zone time. You also don't get a refund if your ship sails away without you. Because you'll be staying overnight, you'll need to book a hotel room too. 

Order a Passport

If you don't have a passport, or your passport will expire before the end of your trip, I recommend you get a valid passport for your cruise. While it is true that you technically don't need a passport if your cruise stops and starts in the U.S., and you could just use your birth certificate + ID to get on, any experienced cruiser will tell you it's worth it to get a passport. The cruise lines have ways to quickly scan your passport and verify all your information instantly, whereas with a birth certificate they have to check your information individually by hand. 

When we were getting off on the last day of our last cruise, if you had a passport then you literally just walked up to an iPad that scanned your face and you were good to go. It took less than a minute to get through security to get off the boat, so the passport line was moving very fast. On the other hand, the birth certificate line had only 2 people to check information, so that line was backed-up and it looked like it took about an hour to get through. 

Passports are good for 10 years for adults and 5 years for kids, so the cost and time it takes to get a passport pays off with how much time you can save over the years. Plus, then you'll have a passport and can do other international trips easily. 

Book Excursions

The mistake my family made on our first cruise was that we didn't even know excursions existed, and didn't know we should book them ahead of time. We learned about excursions on the first day, and by the time we went to the excursion desk on the cruise, there were slim pickings left. When it comes to excursions, your can do them through your cruise line, but also outside of your cruise line on your own. For your very first cruise, I recommend booking all of your excursions through your cruise line. There will be a lot of unfamiliarity when it comes to doing excursions for the first time, and it will be a lot less stressful if you have the cruise do everything for you. 

Not every port will need an excursion, but some ports absolutely do. It can be hard to tell if you need one or not. The best place to start is to go on Facebook and search for the cruise line + ship name + sailing date to find a Facebook group with your exact sailing (so, for example, I joined a Carnival Vista April 22, 2023 Facebook group for our cruise). There will likely be someone who has been to your exact port and can tell you if you need an excursion or not. In general, if your ship is stopping at a cruise line-owned island (Coca Cay and Labadee on Royal Caribbean, Castaway Cay on Disney, Halfmoon Cay for Carnival, or Princess Cay for Princess) then you will be fine without an excursion. These stops are on an island that has chairs on a beach set up for you, so you could just do that for free. Other stops, such as newer ports will only have a port... and nothing else. You'll be limited to just some touristy shopping and 1-2 touristy restaurants, and that's it. These stops you'll want to have something planned. Of course, you can do an excursion at each stop, even if it's at a cruise line-owned island. You usually can't do more than 1 excursion a day, so keep that in mind when you're trying to book.

Sign Up for Promotional Emails

I hate my emails being full of a ton of spam emails, but I think this is a necessary evil. Pre-cruise sales happen sporadically, and you can save yourself a lot of money by buying the internet package, drink package, or specialty dining package on discount. If you're cutting it close and you don't see any of these going on sale and your cruise is coming up, then go ahead and buy them. These packages are always more expensive on the ship, and usually stop being sold online about 24 hours before your sail date. 

Pre-booking cruise extras also helps so that your bill at the end of your cruise isn't a shock to the system. You can choose what extras you want to pre-pay for and when you want to buy them, so you can spread out the cost over the course of the months leading up to the cruise. 

Reserve Transportation or Parking

If you're driving to your cruise terminal, you'll need to make reservations ahead of time to make sure you have parking and aren't paying a day-of rate. If you've flown in, you'll need to see if your hotel has a shuttle down to the cruise terminal, or if not, make sure you have the cruise terminal information so you can reserve an Uber or Lyft. Make sure you take your baggage into consideration when ordering a car; just because a car can fit the number of passengers in your group does not mean that the car can also accommodate all of the luggage. 

Pre-Cruise Purchases

You honestly probably have the basics of what you'll need for a cruise: swimsuits and cover-ups for daytime, shorts and t-shirts for the day, summer dresses or pants and polos for casual dinner night, cocktail happy hour dress or pants and button-up for formal night, closed-toed shoes for on-board activities and excursions, sandals for the beach, heels or dress shoes for dinner, and travel toiletries. But if there's anything that you don't have, start buying now so that you don't forget anything.

Related: Cruise Packing Favorites and also What Not to Pack for A Cruise

Find Your Cruise Facebook Group

On Facebook, search for "cruise line" + "ship name" and a whole bunch of groups will show up. They usually have the sailing date in the name, but I don't type that in the search because some do the date and July 4 - July 7 and others do 7/4 - 7/7. Instead, I just look through the groups to find the one with my sailing date. Joining a Facebook group is great before a cruise. Probably any question you would have about your cruise will be asked, so you can easily find answers to frequently-asked questions. Or, if not, the group will be full of seasoned cruisers who can give you advise. 

The most common things I look for in the group are excursion recommendations and sale notifications. People also get really social with the groups. I've seen them schedule meet-ups for sea days, usually either all chipping in money to do a slot pull in the casino or playing some kind of group board or card game. 

Check In

About a month before your cruise, you can check in online for your trip. This will allow you to choose your boarding time. Personally, I always choose the earliest boarding time possible, because someone who boards at 11am and 3pm paid for the same cruise, but the former gets to enjoy their vacation for 4 more hours than the latter. Plus, there's free food so the sooner you get on the ship, you can avoid paying for lunch. However, the rooms aren't ready until later that afternoon, so some people prefer to get one of the latest boarding times to minimize how long they have to wait until their room is ready. 

Don't forget to print out your boarding pass and your luggage tags, I recommend you try to find a color printer to make things easier. Even if you aren't flying to your cruise, you'll need luggage tags. When you check in for your cruise, they will take all of your luggage from you and board them onto the ship for you and deliver them to your room for you. This makes it easier on you from having to drag a week's worth of clothes around the ship with you until your room is ready, and clears up congestion since no one has any luggage with them on boarding. 

Your cruise line will have an app, so you'll want that downloaded to your phone before the trip. The app will have a daily schedule on your phone so that you know what's going on each day. 

Related: All about cruise embarkation day

Get Cash

Make sure you add a credit card to your account when you sign in to make Day 1 easier. Once you get onboard, all of your purchases will be charged to your room through your room key. But, you'll still want several $1 bills for tipping as you go, and smaller bills for purchases off your ship at each port. Most ports will accept major credit cards, but some smaller shops may not. It's also a lot harder to barter with a card than cash. We typically bring about $200 each trip for tipping and cash purchases, but put as much as we can on our credit card (hi, points!) or charge to our room. These days, most credit cards don't even require you to notify them of international travel before you leave. 

Related: All about cruise port days

Download Entertainment

Even if you get the internet package, I promise you it will be worth it to download some Spotify playlists to your phone, some movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime, and some books to your Kindle. It is just so much faster and easier to have those downloaded and ready for your trip than to be killing battery waiting on slow download or streaming speeds. 

Baby Travel Bag Packing List

One thing about me, I like to keep as much packed year-round as I can. I find it just helps make the actual packing process that much quicker, which has helped us when we either had a surprise trip come up (like a funeral), or we've procrastinated until the last minute. It also helps make sure that we don't forget anything because it stays packed. So, of course my daughter has several travel bags that stay packed for her. She's 18 months old now, so most of this is just what I've found I've needed and added to the bags over the past year. 

I like to keep as much as I can in clear bags so that we can quickly see and find items that we need. I also like that it's a plastic material so that it can stand up to messes. Also, I like to color-coordinate, so most of my daughter's stuff is either mint green or just green.  She has a mint overnight bag that I will fill up with whatever little bag I need for the trip, I just keep a travel laundry bag in her overnight bag to keep all her dirty clothes separate from ours since we wash her clothes on the gentle cycle. With these bags always packed, all I need to pack are clothes and snacks for my daughter on a trip. 

Baby Travel Bag

In our largest clear bag, I have all of her random items that we need for an overnight trip.

Collapsible straw cup 

Whether we're at a hotel, or at family's house, there sometimes aren't toddler-friendly cups, so I like to keep one packed at all times. What I love about this is that it packs up flat, so it's easy to throw in to a beach bag or purse and take with us on the go. It has a lid that's pretty good about not leaking, and a soft straw. My daughter does great with this! 

Collapsible snack cup 

I also will bring this snack cup with us anywhere I bring the straw cup. We have a ton of these at home, but I like to keep one packed that's just for travel so I don't have to remember to bring one from home. After our trips, I'll just wash the straw cup and snack cup and then pack them right back up. Because I color coordinate, it's easy for me to know green cups = travel cups when I'm putting up clean dishes.

Water bottle adapter

Even though my daughter has her own cup, if she sees us drink out of a water bottle, she wants to drink out of the water bottle too. The problem with that, is that she's still learning how to not pour it all on her. When you're at a resort that overcharges for water, you don't want it wasted! Plus, then that's an outfit change. These adapters turn a water bottle into a sippy cup, which I've found works great for us. 

Silicone finger toothbrush

Baby teeth need to be cleaned, and we've found that a silicone finger toothbrush is the easiest to use, and also the easiest to travel with.

Pop tube toy 

My daughter will alligator roll away from you during diaper changes if she isn't distracted, so we keep this small toy packed at all times to make things smoother. And if the destination we're going to doesn't have a lot of toys, then here's one more thing to keep her entertained.

Mini speaker 

I got this little guy on sale for black Friday, and it's been great to travel with! It's completely waterproof so we can take it into the bathroom to play her regular bath time playlist to help it feel more like home. We also really love it to play her bed time playlist to keep her bedtime routine the exact same. 

Travel night light

One thing about traveling with a small child is that you'll be up in a dark room a lot. I found a little travel-friendly night light that has prongs that fold in so the light is flat for packing. It is also dusk-to-dawn so it will automatically turn on in the dark and turn off when it's bright. Another travel light I have is a mini USB light. This thing is TINY so I keep one stashed in our bag in case we need a second light. 

Snot sucker + travel case

A stuffy baby is a baby that doesn't sleep, so we have an extra snot sucker that we travel with. I got a travel case to keep the hose from being bent, and I really love the case, but it does take up a lot more room than just the sucker itself. 

Sound machine with built-in night light

This is my favorite travel sound machine for babies! It has white noise, shushing, and heartbeat sound effects and my daughter was always calmed by one of those. It also has a night light, which was really helpful when we were doing middle-of-the-night feeding. It has a strap that we could use to attach to a door handle or onto her crib. And, it has a timer to turn it off after 15, 30, or 60 minutes. I also have a mini sound machine that I can use either if we need 2 sound machines for a really noisy room (we keep one by the door and one near the crib), or if a battery dies on one mid nap because it was going all night then we can use the other as a backup, or if we want to take one out with us in case we anticipate a stroller nap then we can use the mini one for out and about. It is extra to have 2, but I'm just letting you know what we've found works for us through trial and error.

UV sanitizer

When my daughter drops a paci on the floor in our home, I just rinse it off and give it back to her. I'm not too concerned because I know I keep our floors clean and use a non-toxic cleaner. But, when she drops (or throws) a paci on the ground or especially the street when we travel, I like to sanitize it to be on the safe side. The goal is to avoid diarrhea at all costs!!

Paci storage + extra paci + paci strap

Another goal is to not be short a paci, especially at bedtime. So, I keep 2 spare pacies plus an extra paci strap in a little storage container that stays packed. When we go to pack for a trip, I don't have to remember to bring backup pacis because these are always ready for a trip. 

Baby bottle cleaning kit + bottle brush set + travel bottle soap

Out of all the baby registry lists that I went through when I was registering, I can't believe none that I looked at recommended I register for travel bottle cleaning items! We took my daughter on an overnight stay in Galveston when she was a month old and I had to make an overnight Amazon order for supplies so I could clean her bottle. I love this bottle cleaning kit because it comes with stands for the drying rack to hold the bottles upside down so they can dry faster and not fall over. If you have the Dr. Brown's bottles, then I recommend you get a small brush set that has different size brushes for all the pieces. And a little thing of bottle soap will really help. I keep a silicone sleeve over the soap bottle to prevent leaks. 

Travel silicone bib

I am not a fan of disposable bibs for travel because it's just too easy for our daughter to rip them off. Instead, I keep a reusable one rolled up and stored for travel. I prefer one with the silicone food catcher because I've found that the silicone is the only kind of bib that will hold its shape well enough to actually catch food. These are just too cute for little girls because they have ruffles on the sleeve and I love them. I keep it in a matching wet bag so I can keep the dirty bib from getting everything else dirty.

Disposable placemats

I keep 2-3 disposable placemats in our travel bag, just in case. It's nice to be able to let your kid eat messily without making a big mess on the table they're eating at. And I like to know that she's eating off something that is clean and sanitized. 

Baby travel bath bag

 

For an overnight trip, sometimes it's just easier to not bathe her that one night if she didn't get dirty or sweaty that day. But for longer trips, I'll bring a clear bag for her bath items. 

 

Baby wash + lotion

I made sure to get the same bath soap and lotion that we use at home for travel, since I know my daughter's skin is used to it and don't have to worry about any rashes or reactions from an unfamiliar brand. I use a silicone sleeve over the bottles to prevent leaks. 

Bath thermometer

I use a bath thermometer for every bath at home, because I never want the water to be too hot or too cold and make my daughter uncomfortable for her bath. This is especially important to me when we travel because I'm not as used to the sensitivity of the water faucets! Plus, this one is cute, so my daughter plays with it as a bath toy. 

Travel bath toys

I love this little set because it's just enough for traveling without taking up too much space. These toys open completely so that you can get them fully dry before traveling. These toys are the only thing that saved bath time at my father-in-law's last Christmas. I also threw in the top half of a silicone stacking cup set that we have as an extra bath toy.

Bubble bath bombs

I'll also keep a few packets of bubble bath packed, just to make things fun during our trip. These are also lavender scented to try to help my daughter relax and sleep well when traveling. 

Travel night light

I keep a travel night light in the bathroom bag just as a backup if we need to put a night light in the bathroom and keep the door cracked in a hotel. 

Travel medicine bag

In my smallest clear bag, I have medicine & teething go-tos for travel. 

 

Travel kid's acetaminophen

I don't love that Tylenol doesn't make small bottles of infant's Tylenol that you can easily travel with. But, I found these pre-measured vials that are great for travel because you don't need a measuring cup or a medicine syringe to give your baby pain meds!

Travel infant's ibuprofen

I always pack both acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin) for travel. You can only give Tylenol every 6 hours, and you can only give Motrin every 6 hours, but if you stagger them then you can give at least one every 3 hours so your baby never has to go longer than 3 hours between pain meds. We spent Christmas 2023 rotating these meds non-stop because my daughter's teeth were cutting and she was miserable all weekend. 

Medicine paci syringe

We have a paci syringe at home, and keep one packed for travel so we never run out. You only make that mistake once! I really like this one because it has the measurements on the side for both Tylenol dosages and Motrin dosages.

Mini travel thermometer 

I love this little thermometer! It is so tiny and comes with its own storage case. I like that it's a digital thermometer and is not a rectal or oral thermometer, because I don't feel comfortable using those. It fits in the palm of your hand so it takes up no space in a travel bag, but gives me peace of mind to know if my kid needs to see a doctor or not. 

Teething gel + teether

I think teething on vacation is every parent's worse nightmare, because you don't want to keep the whole floor awake just because your baby is screaming non-stop. I have a daytime gel and a nighttime gel to really tackle those tough days. 

Teething drops

These come in pre-measured vials like the acetaminophen and are great for cranky babies at night. I use these plus the gel because I just want her to be comfortable enough to sleep if she's in pain. 

Travel cooling teether

Can you tell that I've been personally victimized by a teething baby on a trip? If I know my daughter has a tooth coming in, I can pop this in the fridge to cool down so she can have something soft and textured to chew on. It also comes with a strap so they can wear it when they're awake. 

Baby travel diaper bag

If we're not taking an international trip, we won't take our usual diaper bag backpack with us on the go. Instead, I have a small travel changing kit that comes with a changing pad, wipes dispenser, and trash bag all in a wet bag. I just keep a travel diaper rash spray and diapers in the bag as well, and we're good to go. If we're traveling for more than a few nights, I'll bring a travel disposable diaper pail with us to keep our trash from overflowing and our room from stinking from dirty diapers. If I feel like I need a diaper bag while traveling, I'll usually go to my fanny pack diaper bag.

When we travel, I make sure to use high-quality diapers that can keep my daughter extra dry, because you never know how long you'll have to go before you have a clean place to change them. I also make sure to change her before a flight so that if she falls asleep during the flight I won't have to worry about a wet diaper waking her up. 

Baby travel sleep bag

I keep one small packing cube reserved for my daughters sleep essentials that always stay packed.

Pack-n-play sheets

Most hotels and cruises will provide you with a pack-n-play for free, but it doesn't come with sheets. I recommend you bring 2 sets so that you can swap them out if your baby gets one set dirty. Bring crib sheets that are colorful or have a pattern and avoid plain white sheets so that your sheets don't get mistaken for the cruise's bedding and get taken away by housekeeping. Having your own sheets is actually nice because you can wash it with your own detergent and know that 1) it's free from any harsh chemicals or perfumes that your baby's sensitive skin might not be used to and 2) it will smell like home and can be comforting to your baby being in a strange place.

Lightweight sleep sack

My daughter usually sleeps in a 1 tog sleep sack at home that is recommended for 69-72 degree rooms. However, I've found that when we travel, the rooms are usually warmer than this, so she has a 0.5 tog sleep sack just for traveling that is best for 72-75 degree rooms. I actually like this best for traveling because the 0.5 tog sleep sack dries significantly faster than a 1 tog sleep sack, which is helpful.

Vacation-themed paci

We travel with at least 1 WubbaNub paci, because they're less likely than a regular paci to get lost. Her travel paci is brightly colored so we can easily spot it in the room. 

Baby travel monitor bag

While we love our Nanit back home (and the Nanit does come with a travel kit), I don't trust the security or the streaming quality of Wi-Fi when we travel. It's also nice to have a travel-dedicated baby monitor so we don't have to worry about taking down our everyday monitor and packing it for each trip. 

We have a baby monitor that didn't require Wi-Fi, and I love it! I got an adjustable arm that comes on a giant clip and I can just clip it onto the edge of something and face the camera towards our daughter's bed. 

The camera, monitor, cords, and arm all fit perfectly in a little travel bag. 

Baby travel airplane activity bag

Everything so far is what we'd pack in a suitcase and only use once we get to our destination, but I wanted this list to be exhaustive (are you exhausted yet?), so I'm going to include what we have for the plane.

Travel backpack

I found the cutest little backpack for our daughter's plane bag! One thing to note is that you can only take a diaper bag as an extra bag if your baby is a lap child. But, if your baby has their own ticket then they can have their own carry-on and personal item as well. I know that this backpack fully loaded is too much for her to carry, but it can actually clip on to a carry-on suitcase that I can pull her through the airport on, so no one actually carries this bag for now.

Paci storage + paci + paci strap + paci wipes

Pacis are SO important for flying with babies because the sucking motion helps pop their ears. I keep a paci case clipped onto the outside of her bag so we can quickly find it. Make sure you pack plastic paci straps when you travel! Most paci straps have metal clips, which you'll have to take off to go through the metal detectors at security. But, a plastic paci strap can stay on all the way through security, making it one less thing you have to take off and put back on after security. Paci wipes are needed because inevitably while traveling your kid will somehow get their paci dirty, even with a strap on. 

Travel white noise machine

The best flights are the ones your kids sleep on! Some people think the plane is enough white noise to sleep, but I always found them just a little too loud for our daughter to fall asleep on, so we bring our own mini white noise machine to help her sleep. In case she does fall asleep, I keep this little arm pillow in my carry-on bag so that I can comfortably hold her without my arms dying.

Tray table cover

What I like about this is that it can be used as a placemat on its own, but also comes with a little box that you can put their toys or snacks in to keep them from sliding around. 

Seat extender

I love this little seat extender hammock for planes! It gives them extra leg room to keep their legs from dangling, or to be more room to play, or to sleep on for longer flights. It is too bulky for her little backpack, so that comes in my carry-on bag instead. 

Snack dispenser

We actually only use this while traveling, because normally we don't need this many snacks at home. What I like is that you can have lots of different options for snacks so you don't have to worry about them not liking the only thing you packed. 

Magnetic wooden blocks

These blocks have been my daughter's favorite travel toy. The whole set is about as big as your phone, so it's pretty compact, and it comes with a travel bag. Because they're magnetic, it keeps the blocks together so you're less likely to use them. When my daughter was younger, she would just clack them together or knock them down after we stacked them, but now she actually plays with them and is so interested in figuring out which sides stick together. 

Magnetic dress up set

Another magnetic (and therefore, great for travel) toy we have is a little dress-up play set. It comes in it's own storage tin and our daughter can just stick the magnets all over the tin. 

Mess-free coloring book

I love little coloring books that just use water, so you don't have to worry about your kid ruining anything while they stay occupied. I also like that just one "marker" makes all the colors she'll need, so we don't need to bring a whole pack of the rainbow for her to color. 

Suction cup tube toys

My daughter loves these little animals where she can pull their arms and legs out or scrunch them up or twist them around. They do light up, but it's very dim so it's not obnoxious to other travelers. Just to be safe, we don't use these for nighttime flights. 

Window spinners

These are great to stick to the window! My daughter loves to just spin and spin and spin these, and they're quiet too!

Window gel stickers

These are a favorite of my daughter, but they're not the most long-lasting toy. Thankfully you get 20 in a pack, because my daughter once spent an entire flight picking several of these apart. But, she did like sticking them on and taking them off the windows and played with them for almost an entire hour. 

Fidget poppers

My daughter is obsessed with little poppers, so we have one that's made for little fingers in her flight bag. 

Spinner toy

This is a very simple toy, so I have to admit that it doesn't keep her attention for all that long, especially as she gets older. But, it is really small so it's worth the little room it does take up for the 15 minutes of entertainment. 

Busy board

This busy board is relatively small, but it has a lot of switches and buttons that keep my daughter's attention for a while. Light the tubes, this does have a small light that's not obnoxious even with the cabin lights dimmed. 

Toy straps

This helps keep toys and her drink and snack cup from falling. These also double as a teether when she wants.

iPad mini + kids travel case 

We bring plenty of toys for the plane, but I'm all for iPad kids on planes if it prevents a meltdown when they're bored of sitting still after an hour. We originally got a YouTube premium account just to download Ms. Rachel for the flights, but have kept it ever since we realized how nice it is to not have ads on YouTube videos now!

Phone mount 

When you're ascending or descending, you can't have your tray table down, so this can hold your phone for you if you have your hands full with your kid. We put the iPad away for takeoff and landing, but use this to watch her shows if she is in a grumpy mood.

Kids travel headphones 

These are wireless, so your kid won't get tangled in them. And they're cute! I just keep them in a headphone bag so they don't get lost in the bag since its so flat and small. 

Wet bag

Messes happen, and you need a place to put dirty clothes. The more, the merrier when traveling!

Travel mini placemat + bib 

This travel placemat is great for on the go! It rolls up really small and can suction to any hard surface. It has raised edges to make little bowls you can put food in. It also has straps that you can attached a toy or cup to so they aren't falling. It comes with a travel bag, so I just stash an extra bib in there so we're all good to go for an airport meal. This works best for younger babies, but I still keep it packed and get use out of it. However, if we're going on a longer trip them I'll back a travel plate set so that my daughter can have something kid-friendly to eat out of at our destination.

Other baby travel items

These are things that I have for trips, but I don't necessarily use for every trip. We just grab what we need for the situation. 

Travel crib

We have the Graco pack-n-play, but I don't recommend it for travel. This thing is heavy and not easy to carry around! I got the Guava Lotus travel crib, and we really like it. While the Graco is 37 pounds, this is only 14 pounds! The straps on the bag are made so that you can wear the bag like a backpack. And the setup seemed much more intuitive on this crib. We got the set that came with the quilted mattress topper, and it is so soft! The side also unzips so your baby can easily go in and out of it to play in. My mom got the Dream on Me travel crib for her house and it's amazing! It's only 10 pounds and it folds up really tiny. All you do is pop the legs into the crib and it's fully assembled, no weird buttons to push and hold and fold. Because my daughter is now over 1, my mom got a mattress pad insert and it makes this bed very comfortable! The only downside is that the mattress bag is about as big as the travel crib bag, so it's one more bulky thing to carry. The only downside to this travel crib is that your baby will outgrow it much faster than the Guava Lotus, because the lotus is 5 inches longer and 4 inches wider, but the Dream on Me is 1/3 of the price! 

If the place that we're going to has a pack-in-play that is provided, we just use a stretchy blackout cover. But, if we're bringing out own travel crib, we have the SlumberPod. The SlumberPod is a little less claustrophobic for an older kid who is taller when they stand, but the stretchy cover is much smaller to travel with and easier to set up.  

Travel stroller

We have the GB pockit travel stroller which was perfect because it can fit down the aisle of the plane and then fit in the overhead bin. It's also great for cruising because it can fold up and go under your bed when not it use, so you can actually have room to walk around. I keep a stroller caddy attached to it so we can have a place to hold our drinks and phones. What I like about this caddy is that it has a pouch that can zip off so if you keep money in the pouch, you can zip it off and take it with you if you're leaving the stroller. We use this stroller backpack to pack it up when we're not using it when we travel so that we can carry the stroller handsfree. The backpack straps are made in a way where you can either wear it on both shoulders like a normal backpack, or on one shoulder like a tote bag. We keep a travel stroller fan in the backpack so that we can keep our daughter cool on hot trips.

However, now that my daughter is getting a little bigger, we actually have started traveling with a collapsible tricycle instead of a stroller. Our 18-month old does really well in this and seems to enjoy being pushed in her trike a lot better than a stroller, and it will grow with her as she gets older. It folds up so easily that it's fast to get it in and out of my car, and I also think it takes up less space than a stroller when in use, so I feel that we can walk through crowds a little easier. It has a cup holder right in front of her that she can reach, and comes with a storage bag on the bag where we can stash a jacket or snacks for her. I keep a mini camping towel in the bag to use as a snot rag, picnic blanket, dry off wet benches, or just to wipe dirt off her hand. I added a little drink and phone holder to the clip, and it's perfect for me!  I do not recommend the bag the matching travel bag! It has no padding in either the straps or the back of the bag, and is very uncomfortable to wear even for a short amount of time. We traded that in for a trike backpack and like it so much better. It has padding all over and has so much more room so it can actually hold more than just the trike.

Travel bathtub

When my daughter was less than a year old, we would just hold her in the shower or bath for her bath time. But after she got to be about a year old, she started to see baths as more of a play opportunity than a quick event, so she started fighting us on being held. We took a travel bath tub with us to Mexico and it worked out really well for us! This is great for rooms where either their is no tub and only a shower, or if the bathtub is situated where a parent can't be within arms reach for safety. We just inflated this and put it in the shower and she played in the bath and loved it. 

If your baby can't sit up on their own, they also make travel chairs that you can sit your baby in to hold them upright either in the bath or on the floor. 

Travel high chair

This sounds extra, but it has been so great to travel with! We have a little travel high chair with a tray table that works wonderful for traveling. When you're at a restaurant, they'll likely have high chairs that you can use. But if you're in a hotel room and your kid wants a snack/meal where they need to sit down to eat or have a table to eat, this works perfectly for them. We also take it with us to the beach all the time and it's the perfect size for her.