Jayestravellingadventures

P&O offer a number of cruise ships as family friendly and there are so many reasons as to why they are a great cruise line to choose. Although I have no children myself, I started cruising when I was 4yrs old and I have also travelled with my niece and cousins who are young.

Baby Policy =

When travelling with P&O, babies must be at least 6months old to sail from the UK and at least 12months for fly cruises.

Infant Policy =

Infants under 2 years sail at a reduced rate which depends on each cruise you select. They can range from £50 to £300 depending on the length, ship and itinerary. There are promotions which P&O do where the 3rd and 4th passenger can sail from as little as £1!

Accommodation =

Travel cots are provided free of charge and the smallest of cabins on board do facilitate space for them. Your cabin stewards can dismantle your cot in the mornings to allow you more space in the cabin if required and assemble it in the evening. Every travel cot comes with a thin mattress and sheet, it is advised to provide your own bedding for the cots such as, duvets and pillows as required.

Making the bed as comfy and home like may be beneficial to good night sleeps, you can request a thin sheet from your cabin steward if required. However, if you have a toddler who would benefit from sleeping in a bed, you can request a bed guard to ensure they don’t roll out in the night. There are sofa beds in the cabins or Pullman beds from the ceiling depending on the grade of cabin.

When we went on a cruise with my niece and her family, the room they were in has a Pullman bed which my sister wasn’t comfortable with so she took the mattress down and my niece slept on the mattress on the floor. As they booked last minute there wasn’t another cabin to choose from which had a sofa bed, however this wasn’t an issue and moving the mattress worked for them.

You will likely be in the cabin for nap times and in the evenings, so you might want to think about getting a balcony to enjoy the view if its within your budget.

Onboard Activities =

There is a lot more than you think onboard to keep them entertained. Children can wear swimming nappies whilst in the pools on board and some ships even have designated toddler an baby pools. Normal nappies are banned from all pools for obvious reasons.

My niece and cousins loved splashing around in the pools on Britannia, there is some shallow areas which is perfect for non confident swimmers and if parents don’t want to get too wet. There is also a splash area for children to play in however, it is hidden on the ship away from the main pools.

Railings are high and there is lots of open space for them to crawl around. Under 2’s aren’t allowed to be left in the kids clubs however, with parent supervision they can join play sessions. There is guest entertainers such as Sooty and Sweep or Shaun the Sheep as well as discos and craft sessions.

Babysitting =

Onboard P&O they don’t offer cabin babysitting services however, there is a Night Nursery which is free of charge. The room is dark, quiet and holds a number of cots and beds for under 5yrs can sleep under the supervision of staff to allow parents to enjoy a few hours of peace. This is available from 6pm to midnight however you can extend up until 2am. It is a first come first service basis and parents are given a page incase they need to be contacted should their children wake up or need them.

Baby Food =

Onboard you can request baby food (Hipp Organic) free of charge, there is savory and dessert flavours to choose from which are stage 1 (4months+) and stage 2 (7months+). You can also request food from main restaurants to be pureed or mashed. The staff are amazing and try to cater to all needs and requests. My cousin who is 4 is a picky eater and only eats plain pasta at lunch, the staff were brilliant and when asked they always gave us a massive bowl of plain pasta for her.

Children and babies can dine in any dining areas onboard the ships as well as children’s tea every evening. The timings will be listed in the horizon when onboard. They offer a variety of favourite such as pizza, chips, nuggets etc. It is a relaxed atmosphere where parents don’t have to worry about noise and any mess created. There are lots of high chairs to use which staff can bring to your table on request.

Milk =

Onboard the cruise line offers SMA progress, if this isn’t something your baby drinks then you can bring some onboard, alternatively you can ask any of the kitchens or call reception for cows milk as well as asking them to heat it up and they can deliver it to your cabin free of charge. There are no microwaves available for passengers to use. Breastfeeding is welcome throughout the ship.

Pushchairs =

Bringing pushchairs onboard is allowed with the only restriction being you cant leave it outside the cabin in the corridor. Having a collapsible pushchair can allow more space inside the cabin. When in ports you may need to remove your children from the pushchair to go through security so keep this in mind if your child is sleeping in the pushchair, some port securities are more relaxed.

Anyone travelling with 2 children and use a side by side push chair may struggle as its advised they might not fit through some corridors.

Baby Equipment =

Anyone who has children knows how much they have to take even when popping to the shops so, packing for a holiday can be quite daunting. On P&O they offer most items to be offered free of charge allowing you to pack those shoes or dresses.

Items to borrow on request are:

• Travel Cot
• Baby Bath
• Bottle/Food Warmers
• Nappy Disposal Units
• Bed guards

You can mention which you need when booking or when you are onboard at reception or to your cabin steward.

Laundry =

There are a number of laundries to use on every deck which are free of charge, they have washing machines, tumble driers and irons. You can purchase some washing tablets from reception at £1 each allowing your children to eat as messy as possible. If you don’t want to be stuck in front of a washing machine on your holiday then you can get the laundry service to wash them, you simply fill out a form and your cabin steward will pick them up.

P&O offer the best policy when it comes to catering for babies and toddlers, you really cant go wrong. All staff are extremely friendly on board keeping your children entertained and making sure they are happy and you are as stress free as possible.

Don’t forget to Subscribe to be notified first for every blog I post, all you need to fill in is your email address its that simple!

If you have any cruises booked or you have cruise previously, then order your very own personalized cruise map. Head over to The Cruise Maps: Satellite Precision Customised Cruise Maps and use the code Jayestravellingadventures for 10% off!! Id love to see your maps by tagging us or sending them via our Instagram account!