Best Family-Friendly Cruises

Table Of Content

• Discovery™, Discovery Family™ & Animal Planet™ shore excursions
• The 11 Best Cruise Lines and Ships for Families and Kids in 2024
• The Disney Cruise Kids' Club Is One of the Best in Cruising
• Best Cruise Lines for Families (and Their 12 Most Kid-Friendly Ships)
• Airline Reward Programs
• The Most Kid-Friendly P&O Cruises Ships

The Reef, the main kids' club, is divided into rooms for each age group with brightly adorned spaces filled with fun activities and age-appropriate toys. The line’s newest Excel Class ships, Iona and Arvia, feature a wide variety of family dining options and a four-screen cinema called Ocean Studios, showing family-friendly films. Many shows at the main theater, Headliners, are also suitable for younger family members. The Royal Tots and Royal Babies programs provide interactive classes and activities (when children are accompanied by a parent) for children from 6 months to 36 months old. Drop-off babysitting services and toddler-friendly play spaces are also available. Every family's travel style is different, however, so these are certainly not the only ships to consider.

Discovery™, Discovery Family™ & Animal Planet™ shore excursions

Relax in your stateroom or take advantage of the ship’s many facilities, including pools, spas, fitness centers, and casinos. The Caribbean Princess is one of the cruise ships that form a part of the Princess Cruises. The prices are very competitive on MSC Cruises, and they often offer discounts and promotions that can save you even more money. Add in the fact that their ships are top-notch and offer a ton of amenities, and it’s easy to see why MSC Cruises is such a great choice for families.

The 11 Best Cruise Lines and Ships for Families and Kids in 2024

5 best Royal Caribbean ships for kids - The Points Guy

5 best Royal Caribbean ships for kids.

Posted: Thu, 10 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Hardcore movie buffs will find lots to rave about in Music in Pictures, an irresistible revue of memorable scores and songs from classic films. And in Studio B, you can watch as world-class figure skaters wow the crowd with head-spinning twirls, gravity-defying jumps, and flawless figure-eights. You’ll be happy to learn every show onboard is complimentary for cruise guests — just make sure you reserve your seats via the Cruise Planner app or at the box office. The kids and teen programs include Camp at Sea for kids between 3 and 12.

The Disney Cruise Kids' Club Is One of the Best in Cruising

Families can also take advantage of the many onboard activities, such as swimming, hiking, and biking. Norwegian Cruise Line is a great choice for families who want a cruise vacation that includes a lot of activities and entertainment. Norwegian has something for everyone, with tons of kid-friendly activities, adult-only areas (such as the adults-only sun deck), and plenty of family-friendly dining options. This Norway-based cruise company features voyages along the Norwegian coast, ocean cruises, and expeditions to the Caribbean, Antarctica, South America, and more. Exploring the Galápagos with Hurtigruten aboard the newly refitted expedition ship MS Santa Cruz is an ideal family cruise.

Best Cruise Lines for Families (and Their 12 Most Kid-Friendly Ships)

Foodies will delight in fresh, authentic Caribbean dishes on this itinerary to the Western Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay on Wonder of the Seas®. In Cozumel, Mexico you'll find lunch specialties featuring locally caught seafood, often grouper and red snapper fried on a plate with rice and a vibrant salad. In Roatán, Honduras, ceviche is the local favorite, along with fried plantains and baleadas — tacos made with soft flour tortillas. Make your next family vacation something truly special on the Celebrity Equinox through the Celebrity Cruise Line.

One of the top reasons we’re one of the best cruise lines for families is because we offer an array of family-friendly shore excursions at over 300 port destinations. Splash with your kids on the beach or go on thrilling shore excursions with adventurous teens. There’s something for everyone to love on our fun-filled family cruises. From fun activities on board to adventurous excursions on land, our award-winning cruises offer unforgettable experiences for the whole family to enjoy. Kids, parents, and grandparents will find plenty of opportunities to spend quality time together and create memories that will remain long after your vacation ends.

PENCIL IN A PARENTS’ NIGHT OUT

Beyond the baby center, they even offer guests a baby laundry service to make life extra easy for parents on board. I (Elizabeth) am from rural Western New York and Vali (my husband) is from a small village in Moldova. You have so many ways to experience the wonder of a Disney Cruise Line vacation, including the Disney Magic. The Festivals of the World Program will introduce your family (especially the kiddos) to new cultures as they celebrate Mexican fiestas, Carnaval de Panama, Celtic Festival, and more. Cruises simplify the bulk of your vacation planning and transportation, as everything you need is in one convenient package. The underdog on our list, MSC Cruises might not be a household name yet, but any cruise line that has a partnership with Lego should be on every family's radar.

Ages 12 through 17 can head to the Young Club or the Teen Club, which MSC has stocked with things like foosball, sports tournaments, a Formula 1 simulator, bowling, selfie-sharing and music-streaming stations and more. Norwegian Cruise Line is best known for being the most innovative cruise line. Notably, it has done away with traditional cruise concepts such as inflexible dining schedules and even dress codes.

TEENS & TWEENS PROGRAM

The best cruise ships for kids - The Points Guy

The best cruise ships for kids.

Posted: Wed, 06 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The 2 ships in this class, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Breakaway, each have a capacity of about 4,000 passengers. There are 3 types of cruises to choose from — ocean, river, and expedition cruises. But either way, the square footage matters — even more so if you’ll spend quite a bit of your time onboard the ship. Just like when you choose a hotel, families look for certain amenities for a cruise vacation. We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology.

Whether you’re looking for a short getaway or a longer vacation, they have options that will fit your needs. Their ships sail to destinations all over the world, so you’re sure to find an itinerary that interests you and your family. They also offer family cabins so you can all stay together (up to 10 people). Royal Caribbean International is one of the most popular cruise ships for families because it has more than 300 destinations to choose from. Picture you and your family in the Bahamas, Florida, Italy, Greece, Alaska, Thailand, and so many more countries.

There are sports activities like archery, football, basketball and dedicated splash pools. Sailings feature character experiences just like at the Disney theme parks. Each ship also has various kids’ clubs for passengers as young as 3 years old (a fee-based nursery is available for kids under 3), as well as pools with waterslides and aqua play areas.

The new Disney Wish includes an adults-only section on the upper deck, as well as lounges and special restaurants. Norwegian Cruise Line, with destinations around the world, features a wide range of family-friendly programs and activities. For children ages 5-12, there’s Splash Academy, with complimentary activities like sports, creative play, parties, and theme nights. Entourage, for year olds, features complimentary supervised activities such as video games, movies, music, art, and a special lounge just for them. While the kids are having fun, adults have a spa, adults-only pool, theater, casino, and private beach club.