Celebrity Cruises with a baby
From Celebrity Cruises' own UK FAQs and port pages, checked 18 October 2026.
Key facts
Short answer: babies can sail from 6 months (12 months on cruises with 3 or more days in a row at sea), but they pay the normal guest fare. Celebrity has no nursery and no drop-off care for under-3s, babies in nappies can't use the pools or whirlpools, and there are no nappies, wipes or creams on board, so pack them all. It suits families happy to keep their baby with them, especially on a no-fly cruise from Southampton on Celebrity Apex. If you want baby care on board, compare the lines in our cruise line baby rules table.
Minimum age
- Babies must be at least 6 months old on the first day of the cruise or Cruisetour (Celebrity: before you board).
- It's 12 months for transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other selected sailings, and for any cruise with 3 or more consecutive days at sea.
- Some shore excursions and onboard activities need your baby to be at least 12 months, even on a cruise they can join at 6 months (Celebrity: Camp at Sea FAQs).
Count the sea days before you book. A Southampton sailing with a long run of sea days, such as a transatlantic crossing, can rule out a baby under 12 months.
Do babies cruise free with Celebrity?
No. Celebrity says infants and children pay normal guest pricing, with no exceptions, because cruises are sold per guest and every ship has a strict safety limit on the number of people on board. Its current guidelines don't offer reduced fares for infants (Celebrity: all FAQs).
On some sailings Celebrity offers reduced 3rd and 4th guest rates in triple and quad cabins, at the same price whatever the guest's age. If your baby is the third person in your cabin, ask whether your sailing has one.
Two things are free for a baby under 2:
- Celebrity transfers between the airport and the ship, because a baby on your lap doesn't take a seat. Children 2 and over pay full price. Transfers are sold in your Guest Account or the Celebrity app and usually close 5 days before you sail.
- If you book Flights by Celebrity, contact its flight specialists to add a lap infant under 2 to the booking.
Baby kit: what's on board and what to bring
| Item | On board? | What Celebrity says |
|---|---|---|
| Baby food | Some | Request it through Celebrity's Access team ([email protected]) before you sail |
| Nappies, wipes and nappy cream | No | Not available for guests. Bring enough for the whole cruise |
| Changing tables | Yes | In the youth area toilets and the public toilets nearest to it, with baby wipes |
| Children's menu | Yes | In the main dining room |
| Cot | Not stated | Celebrity's FAQs don't mention cots (checked October 2026). Ask when you book |
| Highchair | Not stated | Not covered in the FAQs. Ask when you book |
| Bottle warmer or steriliser | Ask first | Items that generate heat are banned, apart from curling tongs, hair straighteners and certified low-wattage fans |
| Extension lead | No | On the prohibited items list |
| Kettle or coffee maker | No | On the prohibited items list |
Celebrity's prohibited items list also includes food that needs refrigeration. If you plan to bring expressed milk or fresh baby food, ask the Access team what's allowed and whether they can store it before you pack it.
Feeding a baby on board
Bring any formula your baby relies on, plus bottles and a way to clean them, and ask the Access team which baby foods are available on your ship. The main dining room has a children's menu for older babies starting solids.
Room service can help during long naps, but Celebrity's FAQ lists a US $9.95 fee per room service order, plus an automatic 18% gratuity, so it adds up over a week (Celebrity: all FAQs).
Pools and swim nappies
Under US public health rules, children in nappies, swim nappies or pull-ups, or who aren't completely toilet trained, aren't allowed in the pools or whirlpools. Celebrity's FAQs don't list a separate baby splash area, so plan on water play ashore. Under-16s must be with a parent or adult in the whirlpools, and the Thalassotherapy pool is for over-16s only (Celebrity: all FAQs).
Childcare: what there is and isn't
- No nursery and no drop-off service for children under 3 (Celebrity: Camp at Sea FAQs).
- Camp at Sea is for ages 3 to 12, and children must be fully potty trained (no nappies or pull-ups). It's split into Shipmates (3 to 5), Cadets (6 to 9) and Captains (10 to 12), with a separate programme for teens aged 13 to 17. It runs on Celebrity's ocean ships only.
- Free Camp at Sea hours are 9am to noon, 2pm to 5pm and 7pm to 10pm on port and sea days, but not on embarkation or disembarkation day. Breakfast (7am to 9am), lunch (noon to 2pm), dinner (5pm to 7pm) and late-night (10pm to 1am) sessions cost extra (Celebrity: all FAQs).
- Children aged 3 to 9 must be signed in and out by a parent.
This matters if you have an older child too. A potty-trained 3-year-old sibling can join Camp at Sea while you stay with the baby.
Babysitting: Celebrity's FAQs disagree. The Camp at Sea FAQ says it doesn't offer babysitting or any in-room childcare. The main FAQ page says babysitting is available only to guests in The Retreat suites, at US $60 an hour for up to 3 children aged 12 months or over from the same family, booked at least 24 hours ahead and subject to availability. Ask Celebrity directly before you count on it.
Cabins
Celebrity's FAQs say children can sleep in a cabin next door or directly across the corridor from yours. With a baby you'll normally want them in your own cabin, so check that the cabin you pick has room for a cot or travel cot with everyone else in it.
Passports and family documents
Your baby needs their own passport. If your surname differs from your baby's, Celebrity asks for the child's passport and birth certificate (the original, a notarised copy or a certified copy) to show you're the parent. An adult who isn't a parent or legal guardian needs the child's passport and an original notarised letter from at least one parent, authorising them to take the child on that cruise, sign waivers, supervise the child and agree to medical treatment (Celebrity: all FAQs). See our baby passport guide and consent letter guide.
Cruising while pregnant
Celebrity's online check-in health questions ask whether you have entered or passed your 23rd week of pregnancy. Its FAQ pages don't set out the full pregnancy policy, so check with Celebrity before you book if you'll be pregnant on the cruise.
Sailing from Southampton
Celebrity's UK site says Celebrity Apex sails from Southampton, so you can skip the flight entirely. Its Southampton port page says the train from London Waterloo takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, a coach from Victoria Coach Station about two and a half hours, and the drive from London about two hours. The FAQ adds that the terminal is about 15 minutes by taxi from Southampton Central station (Celebrity: Southampton port). See our pushchairs on trains guide for travelling by rail with a buggy.
Short sailings from Southampton can be a gentle first cruise with a baby, but check the sea days on longer ones before you book.
Fly-cruise from Barcelona or Rome
Celebrity says its Mediterranean cruises sail from Athens, Barcelona, Rome, Southampton and Ravenna (for Venice), and last from 6 to 12 nights (Celebrity: all FAQs).
- Barcelona: Celebrity lists Apex, Ascent, Eclipse, Equinox, Infinity and Xcel sailing from the city. A shuttle bus runs between the cruise terminals and the Columbus monument at the end of Las Ramblas, and a taxi to the centre takes about 20 minutes. The terminals have toilets, cafés and Wi-Fi (Celebrity: Barcelona port).
- Rome: ships sail from Civitavecchia, the port for Rome. Celebrity warns of security and immigration delays at the pier, so allow extra time with a baby.
Babies under 2 usually fly on a parent's lap, and Celebrity transfers are free for them. Our airline baby rules table covers each airline's infant rules.
Packing list for a Celebrity cruise with a baby
- Nappies, wipes and nappy cream for every day, plus spares (none on board)
- Formula, bottles and cleaning kit; ask the Access team about baby food first
- A travel cot or sleeping bag if Celebrity can't confirm a cot
- Leave behind extension leads, kettles and other gadgets that heat up, as they're banned
- Sun protection, a sunshade for the pushchair and a baby carrier for tenders and busy ports
- Passports for everyone, plus a birth certificate if your surnames differ
Is Celebrity right for your baby?
Celebrity has no under-3s care, no pool access for babies in nappies and no infant discount. If you'd like childcare for a baby, P&O Cruises has a night nursery from 6pm to midnight, Royal Caribbean has a paid nursery for 6 to 36 months on select ships, and MSC has paid Baby Care from 6 months. Our guide to the best cruise lines for babies compares them all.
Good to know — Comparing Celebrity Cruises Sailings & Pre-Cruise Stays: Compare itineraries, 3rd/4th guest rates, and cabin availability on Celebrity Cruises via CruiseDirect (including Celebrity Apex from Southampton and Mediterranean departures, or compare family lines on CruiseDirect Family Cruises). Staying near the port the night before? Check family hotels and aparthotels on Booking.com (affiliate links).
Quick answers
- What is Celebrity Cruises' minimum age for babies? 6 months on the first day of the cruise, or 12 months on transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii and some South American cruises, and any cruise with 3 or more days in a row at sea.
- Do babies cruise free with Celebrity? No. Infants pay normal guest pricing, though some sailings have reduced 3rd and 4th guest rates in triple and quad cabins. Celebrity transfers are free for under-2s.
- Does Celebrity have a nursery? No. There's no nursery or drop-off care for under-3s. Camp at Sea is for potty-trained children aged 3 to 12.
- Can babies go in the pool on Celebrity? No. Children in nappies, swim nappies or pull-ups aren't allowed in the pools or whirlpools.
- Does Celebrity sell nappies on board? No. Celebrity says it doesn't have nappies, wipes or creams for guests, so bring enough for the whole cruise.
- Does Celebrity have baby food? Some. Request it through Celebrity's Access team before you sail.
- Can I take a bottle warmer on a Celebrity cruise? Ask first. Celebrity bans items that generate heat, and bottle warmers aren't on its list of exceptions.
Sources
- Celebrity Cruises UK FAQs: all FAQs (age policy, fares, transfers, flights, children and Camp at Sea, baby food, pools, prohibited items, room service, family documents, check-in), before you board, Camp at Sea FAQs
- Celebrity Cruises UK: Camp at Sea, Southampton port, Barcelona port
Back to cruising with a baby.
Last checked and updated: · Kiddieko · How we check facts
