10 Must-Have Items for a Family Cruise

1. Compact Stroller

While a full-size stroller is perfect for navigating city streets and rough terrain at home, a lightweight, compact stroller is far more practical for a cruise. It takes up less room in your cabin and is easier to maneuver around the ship.

2. Custom Temporary Tattoos

It's quite common for kids to lose track of their parents. They might get caught up in a crowd during activities, make new friends, or simply get disoriented after swimming. To help facilitate a quick reunion, pack custom temporary tattoos that include your name, cabin number, and contact information.

3. Portable Tablet

Dinogo features a variety of youth programs for children aged 6 months to 17 years, filled with activities from pool games to nightly shows. Despite the array of entertainment options, boredom can still creep in. Bring a tablet preloaded with their favorite games and movies for enjoyment, even without a Wi-Fi connection.

4. Power Strip

Many families bring along multiple cell phones, tablets, hair straighteners, and other gadgets on their cruise. However, cruise ship cabins often have limited outlets for charging your devices. To address this issue, be sure to pack a power strip.

5. Chip Clips

For a clever cruise hack, chip clips are incredibly useful. They can secure towels on your lounge chair on the lido deck, keep curtains closed in your cabin, or hang wet swimsuits out to dry.

6. Travel Medicine Kit

While cruise ships typically offer common medications and basic baby supplies like wipes in their onboard stores or infirmaries, they might not have your preferred brands, and prices can be steeper than at your local pharmacy. Don't rely on finding what you need at ports, especially in unfamiliar locations. To save time and money, pack a travel medicine kit with all your go-to over-the-counter medications. Remember to include harder-to-find items like a nasal aspirator, thermometer, and baby medications that you likely won’t find on the ship.

7. Lanyard

Are your kids likely to misplace items? If so, they might lose their key cards at least once during the cruise. A lanyard can help prevent this issue. Request that a guest services staff member punch a hole in the corner of your kids' key cards, then attach each card to a lanyard for them to wear around their necks.

8. Duct Tape

Have you ever realized how many uses a simple piece of duct tape can have? From fixing a broken suitcase to securing a loose shoe sole, duct tape can remedy almost any situation. It’s especially useful for baby-proofing your cabin when traveling with little ones, and can even help prevent blisters.

9. Ziplock Bags

As a parent, you can never have too many sandwich bags. Concerned that one of the kids might drop your phone in the pool? Use a sandwich bag to keep it waterproof. Need a place to store snacks for your shore excursion or to hold seashells from the beach? Just pop them in a sandwich bag and you’re good to go.

10. A Touch of Home

Does your child have a beloved stuffed animal, pillow, or security blanket? Kids often struggle to fall asleep in unfamiliar surroundings, so bringing a little piece of home onboard can provide comfort and help alleviate any homesickness that may arise. 

A cruise vacation is an excellent way to bond with your children. It's a fun and hassle-free way to explore exciting destinations, with endless opportunities for enjoyment both on land and at sea. If you're taking kids along, pack these ten essentials to ensure a smooth sailing experience throughout your cruise.