Back on Royal Caribbean Singapore! - My tips for families with young

A few weeks ago, the family and I boarded Royal Caribbean Singapore’s Voyager of the Seas for a family vacay.

Not sure if you guys remember this, but last year we experienced Mariner of the Seas when Aidan was 1 and I was pregnant with Davina back then. This time, we went back to Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas for a 5d4n trip which had stops at Port Klang and Phuket but we only disembarked at Phuket.

Here’s my experience on bringing an infant and a toddler on a cruise! This time, I had more opportunities to try various activities and take more pictures as I wasn’t pregnant and suffering from super bad morning sickness. Here’s my tips on traveling with a newborn and a toddler on Royal Caribbean Cruise.

Bringing a stroller and a baby carrier (like a Tula) was the right idea.

Be kiasu. With a newborn, you’ll like have to babywear all the way. Having a stroller means the newborn (or even the toddler) can lie down and nap. But of course, if you do not bring a stroller, you can always avoid taking the lifts and get to places faster.

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But personally i feel that a cruise is one of the most relaxing holiday that you can take. Be kiasu, bring both carriers and strollers.

Plus a stroller is always a makeshift diaper changing table, especially if your room is far away.

Request for items earlier.

Once I boarded, I immediately requested for a playpen. I’m not sure how many they are, but I rather be kiasu and book asap. You can also make a request to book a playpen before your cruise!

Also, if you did not prebook your dining times earlier, (i.e. if you are on My Time Dining), you can either make a standing reservation (e.g. 5:30pm everyday) or you can book a day earlier. You can also make your reservation online via the Cruise Planner on Royal Caribbean’s website pre-cruise!

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Again, to avoid disappointments, we booked earlier and the same time each day.

Plan in advance for activities that you’ll like to do.

Some of the activities that we really wanted to do was the Flowrider and Rock-climbing. We managed to get these activities done within the first two days.

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Which was really lucky of us, because it rained the next two days. Phew! Skai really enjoyed the Flowrider so much that he queued over and over again for it.

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Also, for most of the performances, do queue earlier to get good seats especially for the ice-skating show. It was fully booked when we went and we had to catch the next show. Highly recommended to go for it!

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Back last year, Aidan enjoyed the shows. This time, he enjoyed it more! I felt that he understood it more and he really enjoyed the song and dances more this time.

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Go for a swim, I like that they had movie screenings outdoor where families can just laze in the jacuzzi and watch the movies. Super nua and comfy activity!

Stay safe. Stick to the Main Dining Room if you have young kids or a big family.

While I do enjoy the buffet selections, I feel that having a dedicated table is more important. With young kids, it’s tough to wait for tables especially when they get hungry and cranky. I prefer to eat at the Main Dining Room (ours was Sapphire Dining Room) and head to Windjammer for snacks if need be. Also with big families, it’s kinda impossible to get a table altogether especially if you go at the peak timings.

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Also, you get to enjoy dedicated service, quieter quality moments.

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There are kids menu available where you can order items without salt too. Also, it’s like an ala-carte buffet, you can order multiple servings.

- Sleep in. Order breakfast in.

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We order breakfast everyday just in case the kids can’t wake up for breakfast.

Offshore excursions are fun!

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We chose to disembark at Phuket and go for the Panoramic Tour where we had a tour of Phuket in the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. Honestly, there were other excursions where you can go on foot to explore Phuket and were more fun but we had to think of how feasible it would be carrying a newborn and a toddler. Don’t bring the stroller along here! I made a huge mistake here…. I forgot to bring down any cash when we went to Phuket. Was too used to the just using our card on the cruise that I left my money in the safe. Oops. We missed out on all of the street food! SOBS.

Bring a nursing cover.

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There isn’t any nursing rooms if I remember correctly. A nursing cover means I could nurse anywhere anytime. Royal Caribbean is super family friendly, no one stared when I nursed in public.

If you can only choose one paid restaurant – choose Johnny Rockets!

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If you have a fries monster son like I do, do check out Johnny Rockets. Just for one flat fee, you can enjoy all the yummy burgers, hotdogs, floats and fries to your heart’s content. Till today, Aidan keeps asking for the fries place. Oops.

Most of all, just chill & have fun.

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Things will happen. There will be tantrums, wailing, poonamis etc. But the beauty of a cruise is that you can stop anytime.

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If the kids need a nap, dapao them back to the room.

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If they pooed and needed a diaper change, go back to the room. Enjoy most of the facilities anytime. There is no rush I feel unlike when traveling elsewhere. A cruise is definitely a good starting point for traveling with young kids for the first time.

Thank you Royal Caribbean Singapore for the opportunity. While this trip was partially sponsored, opinions are my own and not obligated.

Do check out my pregnancy and baby blog posts here:

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Back on Royal Caribbean Singapore! – My tips for families with young children

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