Cruising with a 10-Month-Old on P&O Iona: The Honest Truth About the Journey, Dining and What I Wish I'd Known

Before we cruised the Norwegian Fjords aboard P&O Iona with our 10-month-old son, I spent far too much time worrying.

Not about Norway.

Not about the ship.

Not even about whether we'd enjoy ourselves.

I was worried about the logistics of travelling with a baby.

How would he cope on the coach from Blackpool to Southampton? Would he sit in his car seat? What if he cried the whole way? How would dining work? What should I pack? Would I spend the entire week feeling stressed?

After spending seven nights cruising Norway with our little boy, I can honestly say that most of the things I worried about never became an issue at all.

Some things were easier than expected.

Some things were harder.

And there are definitely a few things I wish somebody had told me before we boarded.

So, if you're considering a cruise with a baby, here's the honest truth.

The Coach Journey Wasn't Nearly as Bad as I'd Imagined

The coach journey from Blackpool to Southampton was the thing that worried me most before we travelled.

Our little boy has never been a huge fan of being strapped into a car seat for long periods of time. Like many parents, we've relied on The Happy Song more times than I'd care to admit, so the thought of several hours on a coach had me preparing for the worst.

When travelling by coach, you need to provide your own car seat in line with UK regulations, which is something worth considering because it then becomes another item you need to store in your cabin for the duration of your cruise.

I packed enough entertainment to open a small nursery.

We took a busy board, some small toys, his favourite book, snacks, water and plenty of backup options just in case. I am also breastfeeding, which definitely helped because I could feed him whenever he wanted comfort or distraction.

Looking back, I think I was far more anxious than he was.

He actually coped brilliantly.

He spent some of the journey in his car seat, napped for a while, played with his toys and spent some time sitting on our knees watching the world go by. We stopped at a service station midway through the journey which helped break things up nicely and before we knew it, we were arriving in Southampton.

The busy board was probably our best purchase. It kept him entertained far longer than I expected and I'd absolutely recommend one if you're travelling with a baby or toddler. If your little one enjoys screen time, downloading a favourite film or programme beforehand would also be a sensible option because it is still a long journey for small children.

Packing for a Fjords Cruise with a Baby

Packing for myself was easy.

Packing for a baby heading to Norway felt like preparing for every possible weather event and baby-related emergency all at once.

One thing I massively overpacked was nappies. Would I do it again?

Absolutely.

When you're sailing around the Norwegian Fjords, you're not exactly popping to the supermarket if you suddenly realise you're running low. I wanted the peace of mind of knowing we had enough, and I'm glad I did.

I also packed some washing pods, which ended up being surprisingly useful. Between milk spills, food mishaps and general baby mess, we made use of the onboard laundry facilities and having our own pods made life much easier.

For clothing, I packed very differently depending on whether we were onboard or ashore.

The ship itself was lovely and warm, so our little boy spent most of his time onboard in shorts and t-shirts.

For the port days, I focused on layers. I packed trousers, co-ord sets, jackets, a waterproof all-in-one and a pram suit. In reality, we were incredibly lucky with the weather and probably didn't need half of the warmer items, but I'd still pack them again because Norway can be unpredictable.

The travel pram we took folded down compactly and came with a backpack carry case which was incredibly useful. Whether we were boarding the coach, storing it in the cabin or exploring ashore, it made life much easier.

Embarkation Was Surprisingly Easy

One thing that genuinely stood out to me was how straightforward embarkation felt.

As a first-time parent travelling with a baby, I had built it up in my head to be much more stressful than it actually was.

Instead, everything felt organised and simple.

Our luggage was handed to the coach driver and the next time we saw it, it was waiting outside our cabin door.

There was no dragging suitcases around whilst pushing a pram and carrying a baby.

After the build-up I'd created in my own mind, it all felt remarkably easy.

The same was true when it came time to leave the ship at the end of the cruise. Disembarkation was smooth, efficient and far less stressful than I'd anticipated.

The Cabin Worked Really Well for Family Life

Before travelling, I wasn't entirely sure how we'd manage in a cruise cabin with a baby.

In reality, it worked brilliantly.

We requested a baby bath before travelling and this fitted perfectly inside the shower area, making bath time easy every evening.

The shower itself was much larger than I'd expected and included a pull-out washing line which was ideal for drying swimming costumes, bibs, baby clothes and the random items that inevitably end up needing a wash.

Little things like this made it much easier to maintain our normal routine, which I think helped our son settle so well throughout the cruise.

The Staff Were Incredible

This was probably the biggest surprise of the entire holiday.

From the moment we stepped onboard, every single member of staff seemed to have time for our little boy.

Whether it was restaurant staff stopping to wave, housekeeping chatting to him in the corridor or crew members making him smile as we walked around the ship, he was made to feel incredibly welcome.

Our cabin steward introduced himself early on, checked that we had everything we needed and made sure any extras for our son were sorted straight away.

By the end of the week, our little boy seemed convinced he was some sort of celebrity.

There Was More for Babies Than I Expected

Before we travelled, I'd assumed most onboard activities would be aimed at older children. That wasn't the case at all. There were baby sessions, toddler activities and dedicated spaces for younger children throughout the ship.

One of our favourite discoveries was the nursery.

I really liked that there were separate areas for different age groups rather than simply putting babies and older children together. It felt safe, well thought out and gave our son the opportunity to crawl, play and burn off some energy.

After a morning in the pram or carrier exploring Norway, having somewhere designed specifically for little ones was brilliant.

Let's Talk About Dining with a 10-Month-Old

Dining was probably the area where we had to be most flexible.

Our son is not the sort of baby who is happy to sit quietly in a highchair for long periods of time. He's far more interested in crawling, exploring and seeing what everyone else is doing.

We quickly realised that our easiest dining options were the buffet and The Quays.

Food was readily available, there was plenty of choice and we could be in and out much quicker than in a traditional restaurant setting.

P&O also offered baby food, but our little boy has always preferred baby-led weaning and eating what we're eating.

The selection available for him was fantastic.

Over the course of the cruise he happily sampled steak, lobster tail, edamame beans and all sorts of things we probably wouldn't have thought to give him at home.

His favourite discovery was vanilla ice cream.

No surprises there.

The Main Dining Room and speciality restaurants were lovely too and the children's menu was genuinely impressive. There were proper options including grilled fish and vegetables rather than simply the usual nuggets and chips.

The challenge wasn't the food itself.

It was the waiting.

When you've got a baby who just wants to move, even a short wait between courses can feel quite long.

We found that keeping him on our laps until food arrived worked much better than putting him straight into a highchair and expecting him to sit there patiently.

A Little Hack That Worked Really Well

One thing I'm really glad we did was bring some familiar dining items from home.

I packed a small lunchbox containing his usual plate, bowl, cutlery and bib.

At every meal, we simply served his food onto things he recognised.

It might sound like a small thing, but I genuinely think it helped. When babies are surrounded by new places, new people and new routines every day, familiar objects can provide a little bit of comfort and consistency.

I also packed washing-up liquid, a sponge and a tea towel so I could wash everything in the cabin afterwards.

Not glamorous.

But very practical.

My Biggest Tip for Eating on a Cruise with a Baby

If I could give one piece of advice to any parent cruising with a baby, it would be this.

Make lunch your main meal of the day.

We found lunch times much quieter and far less stressful than evenings.

Our little boy was usually in a better mood, more patient and happy to sit for longer.

Then in the evening we could grab something quicker and simpler before bath time and bedtime.

It worked so well for us that I'd probably use the same approach on any future family holiday.

The Promenade Deck Was My Secret Weapon

One area of the ship that doesn't get talked about enough is the promenade deck.

For parents with babies, it's fantastic.

The wraparound deck allowed us to walk the entire perimeter of the ship whenever we wanted. Whether our son needed a nap, some fresh air or simply a change of scenery, we'd head outside and do a few laps.

It quickly became one of my favourite places onboard.

The One Thing I Wish I'd Known

The lifts.

Nobody warned me about the lifts.

At busy times, particularly around breakfast, dinner or when everyone was heading ashore, the lifts could get very busy.

Add a pram into the equation and sometimes you found yourself waiting longer than expected.

It's not a huge issue, but it's definitely something I'd factor into future cruises.

If you need to be somewhere at a specific time, leave earlier than you think you need to.

As parents, we all know how unrealistic perfect timing can be anyway.

Would I Cruise with a Baby Again?

Without question.

Were there moments where things didn't quite go to plan?

Of course.

There were missed naps, messy meals, outfit changes and moments where our little boy suddenly decided sitting still was completely unacceptable.

But there were also incredible destinations, wonderful staff, beautiful family memories and the joy of watching him experience so many new things for the very first time.

Cruising with a baby isn't the perfectly relaxing holiday that social media sometimes makes it appear to be.

But it's also nowhere near as difficult as I feared.

If you're currently wondering whether you should book that cruise with your baby, I'd say go for it. Give yourself and your little one some credit, they are more flexible than we think!

Pack more nappies than you think you'll need.

Bring the busy board.

Leave extra time for the lifts.

And don't forget The Happy Song.