Cruising With a Baby
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 9 lines, in one table.
- P&O Cruises with a baby
- Royal Caribbean with a baby
- MSC Cruises with a baby
- Disney Cruise Line 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 6 months to 4 years), 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.
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.