What to pack for 1 and 4 year old girls?

This is first time cruising with our two girls- 1 year old and 4 years old. What are some essentials that I should pack? Should I pack floaties for them? Do they allow it in the pool? Sand toys for port days? Towels? What else do I need? Thanks!!!

Which ship are you cruising on? If the 1year old ist still in diapers, the kid won't bei able to Use a pool in most ships, some ships do have splash zones.

If diapers are still in Use Bring more than you think. Floating devices for pool and/or Port are a necessity. You can take towels from the ship.

Bring medicin

Young kids will be happy with a couple cups and a stick for digging in the sand...at least, that suited us when we were little!

Yes, bring floaties if you need them.

Definitely any and all pediatric medications you MIGHT need...the ship doesn't sell pediatric stuff!

We are going on the Norwegian Gem. Do you know if you can use the pool with diapers on that ship? Are floating devices available on the ship or should I bring my own? What else am I missing that they don’t have on the ship? Any suggestions on what to bring in case the kids get sea sick? Thanks again :)

No kids with diapers are allowed in the pool on the Gem, but I guarantee you'll see them in there and likely none of the crew will say anything. Bring your own floaties. Bring diapers and wipes and some packaged snack food you know your kids like. We brought some beach toys, but I think a couple of plastic cups and big spoons would work just as well and save some space in your luggage.

We brought children's dramamine (didn't need it), pepto bismol, Tylenol, and Advil. We were glad to have the last 3 things when my 3 year old had a tummy ache, and on another day when she had a fever.

Thank you so much! Is the kids area open on the first day you get on? Do you know if there is a place to do laundry on the ship?

Please don’t endanger the other passengers by putting diapered kids in the pool or splash area (BTW no cruise ships allow diapered kids in any pools, only two have tiny splash areas with no standing water for diapered children, with proper filtration systems in place). There is nowhere to do laundry, but there will be a $20 bag special towards the middle of the cruise.

The kids club has an "open house" on the first day where you can go and sign the kids up and take a tour. It is then fully functional the very next day. Yes you can take floaties for the kids to use in the pool(the 4 year old) and to use in the ocean. I packed a few from our local Dollar Store, the kind that you blow up and they worked wonders. Don't forget to pack lots of sun screen and a sun hats. I also packed a few sand toys from the dollar tree which we discarded vs. packing them up to bring home. If they have favorite blanket I would pack that as well. My 5 year old has " Soffiee" which I will toss in the carry on bag the morning that we depart on the plane. Don't forget motion sickness meds for kids or sea bands and a few zip lock bags to store wet suits in if you decide to take a dip in the ocean. Yes, there are laundry machines on each ship you have the option of washing them yourself in the coin operated machine or paying for laundry service. Since your kids are so small you may want to consider a light weight stroller there's tons of walking required both on the ship and in port.

I buy a LOT of over the counter medicines for my daughter when we cruise (and travel). We have never needed anything, not even tylenol but I bring a LOT as there would be nothing worse than having a sick child on vacation with no way to buy what is needed. All sorts of creams, medicines, electrolytes etc. I also bring everything we as adults could need, because it would be even worse to have both adults completely sick with healthy busy kids in a tiny room!! Again, we've never needed to use any of it. But it's peace of mind.

Our most important thing to pack when traveling is a white noise machine. It drowns out noises and helps everyone sleep better, especially when we are all in one tiny room together. If you have a balcony and plan to use it while they nap bring a monitor. You will not hear them inside the room. The wind is loud. We brought our video monitor 2 weeks ago on Harmony and I could see my daughter. I couldn't hear her as it was just too loud on the balcony but I could see her. My daughter is almost 5. She is NOT one to run off and she is still trained to stay in bed until we come get her. But my concern was her waking, not seeing us and forgetting we are on the balcony. Then she would go in the hall, with the door locking behind her. She'd then panic. Likely forget which room she came out and even if she did we wouldn't hear her knocking on it. Needless to say, I liked being able to see her so I could go in when she got up.

Bring tear free shampoo. We learned that the hard way when we went to Cuba with a not quite 2 yr old. We always needed less clothes than we pack for our daughter. Last trip I packed much less than usual for her and still didn't need it all. Maybe it is just my kid but somehow on vacation she is way less messy!

Very few toys. My daughter is happy with just a few toy cars and a few favorite stuffed animals.

The kids club has an "open house" on the first day where you can go and sign the kids up and take a tour. It is then fully functional the very next day. Yes you can take floaties for the kids to use in the pool(the 4 year old) and to use in the ocean. I packed a few from our local Dollar Store, the kind that you blow up and they worked wonders. Don't forget to pack lots of sun screen and a sun hats. I also packed a few sand toys from the dollar tree which we discarded vs. packing them up to bring home. If they have favorite blanket I would pack that as well. My 5 year old has " Soffiee" which I will toss in the carry on bag the morning that we depart on the plane. Don't forget motion sickness meds for kids or sea bands and a few zip lock bags to store wet suits in if you decide to take a dip in the ocean. Yes, there are laundry machines on each ship you have the option of washing them yourself in the coin operated machine or paying for laundry service. Since your kids are so small you may want to consider a light weight stroller there's tons of walking required both on the ship and in port.

NCL doesn’t have washing machines on any ship.

We take a small 3-in-1 body wash/shampoo combo (tear free), baby powder (great for getting sand easily off of little feet), Puddle Jumpers, swim diapers (for the baby at port stops), a couple of cups with lids (handy in tons of situations), medications (including cefnidir for ear infections, orapred for our asthmatic child who decompensates rapidly, motrin, childrens' bonine, childrens Claritin, Benadryl), and a few prepackaged snacks.

Have fun!

We traveled with our 3 year old and 1 year old in December. Life savers were our white noise machine, straw sippy cups for each of them, fruit/veggie pouches for my little one (lots of them!), and we also bought some new, cheap toys - every other day or so we would bring out a new one for playtime in our cabin while we got ready for dinner/had quiet time. I packed the whole OTC pharmacy for them, too- thankfully we didn’t need to use it! Umbrella stroller for the little one. Rented umbrellas at all beach stops. Oh and my 3 year old has a kids’ amazon tablet. We loaded it with his favorite movies and tv show episodes and he used that to wind down for naps and while we were waiting in lines- best $49 ever spent! Great for the flights, too!

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Thanks good to know :) We are leaving from NYC...do youknow if the pools are open the first day you board? How about the kids activity center? Thanks again :)

Thanks good to know :) We are leaving from NYC...do youknow if the pools are open the first day you board? How about the kids activity center? Thanks again :)

The pools are open, you can register for the kids club but it won’t be available until later that evening.

When are you sailing? If not in the summer, bring sweaters or long sleeve shirts and pants. I'm guessing you're still using bottles, don't forget dish soap for cleaning bottles. Def bring your own floaties, ones on the boat aren't so great. Water shoes were a must for us, especially for GSC, very rocky. I over packed diapers, running out would be horrible. Splash academy only accepts kids I believe 3 and up and potty trained. Make a list and check off as you pack. Lots to remember. GL and enjoy your vacation.