Cruising with a baby
Key facts
Short answer: most cruise lines take babies from 6 months old on the day you sail, rising to 12 months on transatlantic, Hawaii and other long or sea-day-heavy itineraries. MSC is the exception, with no minimum age on most cruises. Cots are usually free on request, and nurseries for under-3s vary by line.
A cruise can be one of the easiest holidays with a baby: you unpack once, the cot comes to you, and there's no airport if you sail from Southampton. But every cruise line sets its own minimum age for babies, and many say no to under-ones on longer or remote itineraries. Check this before you book anything.
All rules below come from each cruise line's own website, checked October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the line for your exact sailing.
Start here
- Cruise line baby rules compared: minimum age, cots, nurseries and kids' club ages for 10 lines, in one table.
- Best cruise lines for babies from the UK: which line suits you, whether you need a nursery, a Southampton sailing or a baby under 6 months.
- Cruises with a baby from UK ports: no-fly sailings from Southampton, Liverpool, Tilbury and more, with each line's minimum age.
- Fly-cruise with a baby: flying to Spain or Italy to join the ship, with transfers, child seats, passports and baby milk.
- P&O Cruises with a baby
- Royal Caribbean with a baby
- MSC Cruises with a baby
- Disney Cruise Line with a baby
- Celebrity Cruises with a baby
- NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) with a baby
- Cunard with a baby
- Princess Cruises with a baby
- Costa Cruises with a baby
- Marella Cruises with a baby
Quick answers
- How old does a baby need to be to cruise? On most lines, 6 months on the day you sail. Many lines ask for 12 months on transatlantic, Hawaii or other long itineraries, or any cruise with 3 or more days in a row at sea. MSC is different: it has no minimum age on most cruises, but asks for age 2 on cruises of 11 nights or more.
- Which lines have a nursery for babies? P&O (night nursery, 6pm to midnight), Royal Caribbean (Royal Babies & Tots, 6 to 36 months, select ships, fee), MSC (Baby Care from 6 months, fee), Disney ("it's a small world" nursery, 6 months to 3 years) and Cunard (Night Nursery, 6 to 23 months).
- Do I need to bring a travel cot? Usually not. P&O, Royal Caribbean, MSC and Marella all say cots are available; request one before you sail. Princess cots are first come, first served, so bring a travel cot if it can't confirm one. NCL gives you a foldable playpen with bedding rather than a cot.
Good to know — Comparing Family Cruise Sailings & Pre-Cruise Port Hotels: Once you've checked the minimum age (6 vs 12 months) and cot/nursery rules for your shortlist, you can compare dates, family cabin availability, and multi-line prices across Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Princess Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, and Carnival on CruiseDirect Family Cruises (or check Last-Minute Cruise Deals). Sailing from Southampton, Barcelona, Rome, or Miami? Book a family hotel or aparthotel with a cot on Booking.com for the night before embarkation so a flight or train delay never risks your sailing (affiliate links — see our disclosure).
Cruising the low-impact way
A cruise is still a big carbon choice. If you go, sailing from a UK port (Southampton, Dover, Liverpool, Newcastle) saves a flight, and taking the train to the port saves the drive. See pushchairs on trains and ferries. Pack light: most lines lend cots and highchairs, so you don't need to bring your own. See our packing-light guide.
Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
