Royal Caribbean
Cruising with a Baby on Royal Caribbean: Which Ships Don't Have the Nursery
Royal Caribbean is one of the most infant-friendly lines at sea, largely thanks to the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery. But it's not on every ship — if you're booking a cruise with a baby or toddler in tow, the ship you pick matters more than the itinerary.
What the nursery actually offers
The Royal Babies & Tots Nursery serves children ages 6–36 months (12 months minimum on transatlantic crossings). Nursery staff are trained and certified in accordance with Florida state regulations, and the space includes nap areas with cribs, soft play mats for crawling, and toys sized for infants and young toddlers.
Parent-accompanied play sessions, where you stay with your baby in the nursery space, are complimentary. Drop-off childcare — where staff supervise your baby while you're elsewhere on the ship — runs $6 per hour before 6 p.m. and $8 per hour after 6 p.m. Drop-off slots are limited: Royal Caribbean lets parents pre-reserve a block of embarkation-day hours before the cruise, and everything beyond that is first-come, first-served once onboard. If you know you'll want the nursery at specific times — a spa appointment, a specialty dinner, an excursion the baby can't join — reserving those embarkation-day slots early is worth doing before you even board.
The three ships without a nursery
Three ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet do not offer nursery drop-off service at all: Jewel of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, and Explorer of the Seas. If your family is sailing on one of these three and you're counting on nursery hours to get a break, it's worth planning around it — this isn't a temporary or seasonal gap, it reflects how those three ships were built and refitted.
Sister ships aren't a safe assumption, either: Radiance of the Seas has the nursery even though its sister ship Jewel of the Seas doesn't, and Voyager of the Seas has it even though fleetmates Adventure and Explorer don't.
Ships that do have it
Every other ship in the fleet carries the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery — from the smaller Vision-class ships up through Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas. When you're comparing itineraries that look similar on paper, checking which specific ship you'd sail is the detail that actually affects your trip with an infant.
If you're already booked on Jewel, Adventure, or Explorer
- Lean on Royal Caribbean's group babysitting sessions when offered — separate from the nursery program, periodically available fleet-wide for a fee, availability varies by sailing.
- Bring your own portable crib or sleep setup if your stateroom category doesn't include one, and request a pack-and-play through Special Needs at booking.
- Time excursions and adult-only activities around your baby's nap schedule rather than around drop-off care, since you won't have staffed hours to fall back on.
- If nursery access is a priority, it's often worth switching to a sister ship or a similar itinerary on a ship that does carry the program — frequently for a comparable price and departure window.
The bottom line
The Royal Babies & Tots Nursery is available fleet-wide with three exceptions: Jewel of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, and Explorer of the Seas. If you're traveling with a baby or toddler under 3, confirm your specific ship has the nursery before you book — don't assume based on ship class or homeport.
Planning a cruise with a baby or toddler? Tell me your dates and I'll match you to a ship — and stateroom category — that actually fits a baby's schedule.