Costa Cruises with a baby

From Costa Cruises' own website, checked October 2026.

Minimum age

• Infants must be at least 6 months old on the day you board (Costa: medical information and requirements, PDF).
• They must be at least 12 months for transoceanic crossings (Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and so on), world cruises, cruises of 15 days or longer, or any itinerary Costa thinks is risky for an infant needing emergency care.
• Expecting another baby? Costa says you can sail if you won't be past 23 weeks and 6 days on the last day of the cruise, with a medical certificate (Costa UK: FAQs).

Cots and cabins

• On request and subject to availability, the Hospitality Office can provide cradles and cots, baby baths, high chairs in the restaurant, a place to prepare baby meals and a bottle-warming service (Costa UK: FAQs).
• Costa's packing page says cots, high chairs and bottle warming should be requested at the time of booking (Costa UK: what to pack). Its fleet page says cots can also be requested on board (Costa: fleet).
• Cabins take up to 4 guests (5 in some Costa Diadema cabins). Costa doesn't say what cot bedding is supplied, so pack a fitted sheet and your baby's sleeping bag.
• Cabins have standard European sockets (Costa: fleet), so bring a UK-to-EU adapter. Costa's medical guide describes the ship supply as 220–110V, 60Hz.
• Watch out: Costa doesn't allow home appliances on board, and its packing page lists a baby bottle warmer among them. Use the bottle-warming service instead. Extension leads and multi-socket adapters aren't allowed either. Costa doesn't say whether electric sterilisers are allowed (not stated), so ask before you pack one or bring cold-water sterilising tablets.

Nappies and baby supplies

• "We do not sell baby food or nappies," says Costa's FAQ, so bring nappies, wipes and cream for the whole cruise.
• Costa's packing page lists nappies, bottles and specific foods for young children as things to bring, and food for young children is the exception to its no-outside-food rule.
• Nappy disposal on board: not stated on Costa's pages.

Baby food and high chairs

• Different types of baby food are available on board; ask the restaurant maître d' what's on your cruise. Costa can't say in advance which flavours will be there, so bring your baby's favourites (Costa UK: FAQs).
• High chairs are available in the restaurant on request.

Pools

• Costa's pages we checked don't state a swim nappy rule (October 2026). Ask Costa before you sail, and assume a baby in nappies may not be allowed in the main pools, as on most lines.
• Costa ships have pools, and some have water parks, but Costa doesn't publish baby-specific pool times on the pages we checked.

Kids' clubs and childcare

• Squok Baby Area (0 to 3): a play area for families with small children, with a parent. On Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana it's open to children under 6, with a family restaurant alongside (Costa: kids and teens).
• Costa's UK FAQ adds that under-3s get priority boarding and can use the Squok Club playroom outside peak hours, with an adult.
• Squok Club (3 to 11): free, for children over 3 who are toilet trained. Children can stay for lunch and sometimes dinner.
• Group babysitting runs at the Miniclub from 11:30pm to 1:30am if booked a day ahead, for the same over-3, toilet-trained group. There's no drop-off care for babies.

Fly-cruise from Spain or Italy with a baby

Costa doesn't sail from UK ports (we couldn't find a regular UK departure on Costa's UK site, checked October 2026), but plenty of UK families fly out and join the ship in the Mediterranean. Costa's UK site has "Cruises from" pages for these ports, checked October 2026:

• Spain: Barcelona, Valencia, Málaga and Palma, Mallorca
• Italy: Savona and Genoa on the Italian Riviera, plus Civitavecchia for Rome, which appears as a Western Mediterranean departure on Costa's UK homepage and the Costa Smeralda itineraries

Which ports are used, and when, changes by season and ship, so check the itinerary before you book flights.

Flight time: roughly 2 to 2.5 hours from UK airports to Barcelona, Valencia, Palma or Genoa, and about 2.5 hours to Málaga or Rome (approximate; check your airline's schedule). Each port has nearby airports served by UK airlines.

Tips for a fly-cruise with a baby:

• Fly the day before. If your flight is delayed, the ship won't wait. A night in a hotel near the port also means your baby isn't doing a flight and embarkation on the same day. Our hotel cot policies guide helps you book a room with a cot.
• Book the airport transfer in advance, and ask for a baby or infant car seat if it's a private car or taxi. Not every transfer includes one, so if in doubt bring your own: see the best infant car seats for travel and using a car seat on the plane.
• Travel cot: Costa provides cots on request, subject to availability. If you're staying in a hotel the night before, or want a back-up, a lightweight travel cot is worth taking.
• Pushchair: most airlines let you take a pushchair to the aircraft door, and Costa asks you to carry it as hand luggage at embarkation. Check what fits with our pushchair allowance by airline table.
• Airline baby rules: check infant fares, lap belts, bassinets and baggage before you book: Jet2, easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and TUI Airways, or compare Ryanair vs easyJet.
• EU border checks: GOV.UK says passengers boarding a cruise in the Schengen area may need to complete Entry/Exit System checks at their first point of entry, usually the airport. Babies aren't fingerprinted but can be photographed: see EES with a baby.

For the full checklist, including child seats on transfers and taking baby milk into Spain and Italy, see our fly-cruise with a baby guide.

Rather not fly?

P&O Cruises, Princess and Cunard sail from Southampton. Going overland by rail? See our pushchairs on trains guide.

Packing list for a Costa cruise with a baby

• Nappies, wipes and cream for the whole voyage (Costa doesn't sell them)
• Your baby's favourite food and formula, plus a UK-to-EU plug adapter (no bottle warmer: use the ship's service)
• A fitted cot sheet and baby sleeping bag
• A compact pushchair you can carry on as hand luggage
• Passports for everyone, including the baby: see our baby passport guide

Is Costa right for your baby?

Costa suits families happy to fly to a Mediterranean port, with free kids' activities from 3, a Squok Baby Area for play together and baby food on board. There's no nursery or drop-off for under-3s and no UK departure we could find, but a short flight to Spain or Italy gets you to the ship. If you want a nursery, MSC has Baby Club for 0 to 3s, and P&O Cruises has a Night Nursery from 6 months.

Good to know — Comparing Costa Cruises Mediterranean Sailings & Port Hotels: Check live Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona, Palma, Savona, Genoa, and Rome (Civitavecchia) on Costa Cruises via CruiseDirect (or compare all lines on CruiseDirect Family Cruises). Because flying out the day before is essential on a Mediterranean fly-cruise, compare family hotels and aparthotels with kitchenettes near your departure port on Booking.com (affiliate links).

Back to cruising with a baby.

Sources

• Costa: medical information and requirements, PDF
• Costa UK: FAQs
• Costa UK: what to pack
• Costa: fleet
• Costa: kids and teens
• Barcelona
• Valencia
• Málaga
• Palma, Mallorca
• Savona
• Genoa
• Costa's UK homepage
• Costa Smeralda itineraries

Last checked and updated: 30 October 2026 · Kiddieko · How we check facts