Disclaimer: Some of the following products were sent for the purpose of testing them out for review. These products are highlighted by the use of an asterisk (*) beside them. This post also contains affiliate links which are indicated by the use of a dagger (†). All review words and opinions are my own. All photos are copyright property of Me Becoming Mum.

After a fabulous couple of weeks on the Cunard Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, we have come away thinking that cruising is definitely the way forward for travelling abroad with children. There is so much available on board that it can be hard to know what to take with you for you and your children. I have written two posts to cover off everything you need to take with you. In the first post I listed my essentials for adults, and in this one I will be sharing the items you need for your children!

Travel Money / Cash for Tips

Some people are happy to just leave the tips that are automatically added on at the end of your trip, but the reality is that they aren't going to pin point the one or two staff members that make a difference to your individual trips. We made sure to give a cash tip directly to the girls who worked in the Kids Zone at the end of our cruise, as Squidgy spent a lot of time there and they were a fantastic team. Things like that make all the difference to someone who works on board a ship like this, so I feel it is an important addition to you must have list.

Essentials for cruising with kids: travel money

Home Comforts

It is a big change for everyone when you go on holiday, especially if you are taking young ones with you, and even more so if it is their first time away like our cruise was for Little L. Having something that reminds them of home, or is a big part of their life such as their comfort blanket or favourite soft toy is super important for a smooth transition to sleeping somewhere new.

Toddler Toilet Seat

For parents like us who has a toilet trained toddler in tow, the issue of using a full sized adult toilet can cause a little bit of concern. We were considering taking the toilet seat that we bought for our bathroom at home, when I came across the awesome foldable travel toilet seat. This is not only a fabulous idea for travelling abroad on holiday, but folds small enough to tuck away inside your changing bag and take out with you whenever you leave the house.

There are plenty of choices available for the foldable option, especially if you have a look on Amazon. They are super cheap too, even the Disney branded Minnie Mouse† one that we bought.

Pushchair(s)

It is inevitable that at one point or another you will need to have a pushchair. Whether is it because you are on a walking tour like the one that we went on in St Petersburg, and you know your toddler won't be able to keep up, or the simple reality of needing somewhere to carry the gear your child(ren) will reuire around with you, it's a good idea to have one with you. To be honest we didn't use it on board, but we certainly needed it when going ashore!

Essentials for cruising with kids: stroller(s)

Hippychick *

The awesome Hippychick* certainly came in handy for us both on and off the ship. The great thing about it, is that we could use it for both of our girls, which you can see if you check out my full review here.

Babymule *

When it comes to changing bags I have tried my fair share of designs and brands. None of them however were what we needed when it came to travelling on the Queen Elizabeth. We needed something that would be easy to transport to and from the ship as a form of hand luggage, and also for the times when we went ashore. The Babymule* is the ideal bag to fit these needs.

Don't forget you can check out my full review of the Babymule here.

Essentials for cruising with kids: Babymule

Nimble Babies Milk Buster *

Being an ambassador for Nimble Babies gave me access to their awesome Milk Buster*. When we went aboard the Queen Elizabeth, I took my electric pump and some bottles to enable me to express milk for Little L, to enable me to be able to take a break and enjoy the time away as much as every one else. I knew that I had to take a travel size bottle of the milk buster to clean my pump parts and bottles.

Essentials for cruising with kids: baby bottles and cleaning gear

Binoculars

OK, so this is a picture of my husband using them, but they were really bought for Squidgy. She loved using them to look out to sea and try and spot things in the water from searching for sea creatures to playing "Try and Spot a Worker" when looking at oil rigs. John also enjoyed using them, especially in Kiel when he used them to people watch on the the Kiel boat week attendees!

Child Friendly Shampoo / Body Wash

Now when it comes to having a shower on board the cruise ship, it is nice and easy for adults as there are products provided for you. Depending on the age of your children you may, like me, wish to have a product that is designed specifically for them. In our case the awesome Professor Scrubbington's Hair & Body* was the perfect solution.

Not only is this product the perfect choice thanks to the fact it combines hair and body wash, but my toddler loved it with its amazing foaming nature, and I love using it in the knowledge that it is made up of 98% natural ingredients.

Essentials for cruising with kids: body wash

For Summer Cruises (like ours!)

Suncream

This may not be totally essential, if for example you are heading up North into the snow at Christmas, however for us it was definitely an essential item to be packed. It is worth making a note of the UVA rating of whichever product you choose to take as you could be surprised by the fact that some well known brands like Nivea are actually not as good as some own brands like the PS... range from Primark which is the one we chose to take with us.

Sunglasses

Like with the suncream, these will only be necessary for certain times of year and destinations. They are fun and functional, and let's be honest, super cute!

Sun Hat

When it comes to our children, you can never be too safe. It is so easy to not realise how hot it is, especially on board the ship itself and also in a lot of the ports where the sea breeze deceives you into thinking that it is cooler than it really is. Making sure your children are covered from the sun is definitely an important part of travelling. They needn't be too expensive either. Little L's was from Primark and Squidgy's from Peacocks and both were super budget buys.

Now you have an idea of some of my top must haves for cruising with kids. Now you can check out my other cruising holiday posts and get online to book a family cruise for your own crew! I promise you, it will be worth it.

For more posts about our holidays abroad, child-free breaks and more, check out my Travel blog. If you have any questions about our cruise on board Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, feel free to ask in the comments section below.