First Timer Cruiser

My sister and I are going on a our first cruise in August. We are doing Carnival Victory to the Bahamas. We are traveling with our kids a three year old and a six year old. Any suggestion on what we need to pack? Thanks in advance

Shorts

Sunscreen high SPF

Aspirin

Sunglasses

Swimsuits/cover ups

No need to over pack.....

lay out clothes you plan on taking, remove half and double the amount of money you want to take.

You are going to a warm- very warm- resort area. So, lots of warm weather attire.

Little nicer clothes for dinner.

Is the 3 year old potty trained? If so, that's good. If not, they will not be allowed in the ship pools,,,not even with swim diapers. Just so you know that in advance! Some ships have a "splash pad" for diapered kids, but not all do!! Check on the Carnival site whether Victory does.

Is the 3 year old potty trained? If so, that's good. If not, they will not be allowed in the ship pools,,,not even with swim diapers. Just so you know that in advance! Some ships have a "splash pad" for diapered kids, but not all do!! Check on the Carnival site whether Victory does.

Only DCL and some RCCL ships.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :D

It's HOT in the Bahamas in August! Pack Summer clothes; however, do have some sort of light weight wrap with you because the a/c on ships can get quite chilly in some public areas. ;)

My sister and I are going on a our first cruise in August. We are doing Carnival Victory to the Bahamas. We are traveling with our kids a three year old and a six year old. Any suggestion on what we need to pack? Thanks in advance

Since you are cruising with two children you might want to read some of the threads on the Family Forum of Cruise Critic. Lots of good ideas there for cruising with children.

One of their suggestions is to bring a small blow-up pool. Helps not only at bath time but also for wading, especially if the 3 year old is not yet potty trained so can't go in ship pools.

Also, since children's fathers are not accompanying,find out what paperwork the cruise line requires for taking the children out of the country. Usually notarized permission from the other parent is needed, or custody paper etc.

Yes both kids are potty trained. Thank you for telling me about the pool. I will check with Carnival.

Is the 3 year old potty trained? If so, that's good. If not, they will not be allowed in the ship pools,,,not even with swim diapers. Just so you know that in advance! Some ships have a "splash pad" for diapered kids, but not all do!! Check on the Carnival site whether Victory does.

My children are much older now, but from experience, I would recommend that you bring some packaged snack items that they like....goldfish crackers, cereal bars, mini cookies, fruit chewy snacks, whatever. Sometimes you will find yourself waiting in a line, or not near a restaurant when hunger sets in. It's nice to have something stuck in your purse or backpack to hold them until they can get a proper meal. I would also suggest water bottles that you can refill as needed.

Thank you, I did not think about the snack that the kids eat. My son has medical issues so he does not eat like a regular food that much. He is still on special formula.

My children are much older now, but from experience, I would recommend that you bring some packaged snack items that they like....goldfish crackers, cereal bars, mini cookies, fruit chewy snacks, whatever. Sometimes you will find yourself waiting in a line, or not near a restaurant when hunger sets in. It's nice to have something stuck in your purse or backpack to hold them until they can get a proper meal. I would also suggest water bottles that you can refill as needed.

Carry a small zip lock with over-the-counter meds for both you and the kiddies. I take Advil, Tylenol, band-aids, neosporin and Pepto Bismol.Take some zip-lock bags for a snack from the buffet to take to your room, and a larger few zip-locks to pack the damp/wet swimsuit or when you head home so it won't get the rest of the clothes damp. Take sunscreen (water proof type). You can get single serve packages of cereal in the buffet to take with you, although selections are limited, they also carry quite a few. Take a few 'new' toys or books from the Dollar Store to keep them occupied on the plane or in the dining room at mealtime. When my Grandson was three, he stayed happy in the dining room when we pulled out anything new for him from our bag. The waiters will make a big fuss over them and make sure they get served something as soon as you are seated after the first night and they are a big help keeping them happy and occupied. My Grandson LOVEd going to dinner in the MDR and practiced his good manners without any prompting because the waiter were so gracious to him. We also took an umbrella stroller for the three year old because it made it easy for him to take a quick nap if we were shopping and it made it easier/faster to get around with him and they took up so little room.

Hello Everyone, Sorry for my late response. Thank you so much for all the information you have shared. I did start to get the over the counter medications like advil, pepto bismol and benadryl. I brought a first aid kit, sea sickness medication, ziploc bags, extension cord along with cruise luggage tags. I already started packing our suitcase, I am so excited that I started watching videos on Youtube. The only thing that I am not sure about is the evening wear attire. I don't want to be under dress or over dress.

My children are much older now, but from experience, I would recommend that you bring some packaged snack items that they like....goldfish crackers, cereal bars, mini cookies, fruit chewy snacks, whatever. Sometimes you will find yourself waiting in a line, or not near a restaurant when hunger sets in. It's nice to have something stuck in your purse or backpack to hold them until they can get a proper meal. I would also suggest water bottles that you can refill as needed.

If you plan to take them off the ship (in almost all ports), the snacks MUST be in the original package. A "baggie" will not be permitted.

Hello Everyone, Sorry for my late response. Thank you so much for all the information you have shared. I did start to get the over the counter medications like advil, pepto bismol and benadryl. I brought a first aid kit, sea sickness medication, ziploc bags, extension cord along with cruise luggage tags. I already started packing our suitcase, I am so excited that I started watching videos on Youtube. The only thing that I am not sure about is the evening wear attire. I don't want to be under dress or over dress.

You will be fine on elegant nights. You'll see some older people wearing tuxes/gowns while most people will be wearing regular business casual type clothes. The spectrum is all over the board so whatever you wear will be fine. Don't over-think it.

Make sure you have the documentation mentioned in post #7 since appears you are traveling w/o the other parent.

For clothes:

Enough clothes to last everyone the entire trip

At least 2 bathing suits per person

About 5 casual dresses and 2 formal dresses for dinner

Good sneakers

Flip flops

Water socks (for the beach and pool)

Hats (to help provide shade)

Shoes for dinner

For entertainment on the way to the ship:

Books (for pool and beach days)

Toys or activity books for kids (depending on their age)

Music (for the trip to and from the ship)

Movies (for the trip to and from the ship)

Snacks (again for the trip to and from the ship)

Odds and ends:

Sunscreen

Sunglasses

Belly bags or backpacks

Cameras and cases

Toiletries

Any prescription meds you may have

Money or credit card

Passport (for re-entry into the US, birth certificate and driver's license will also work)

Keys for your car and home (can't get far without those! lol!)

Driver's license (for the drive home)

Cell phone (to keep in touch with loved ones)

Batteries (for electronics without rechargeable batteries)

Chargers (for any electronics)