The Best Cruise Lines for Families with Kids

Table Of Content

• The Best Ways to Book a Cruise
• Best cruise line for a party: Carnival Cruise Line
• Best Cruise For Large Families: Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess
• Best Cruise For Families With Young Children: Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wish
• Disney Cruise Ships
• Disney Cruise Vs. Royal Caribean Private Island
• P&O Cruises
• Costa Cruises

It’s known for offering an affordable cruise option without a lot of the fluff of other cruise lines. In addition to excursions that you can book for an additional fee, Norwegian Cruise Line has a private island, Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas. There are only 5 ships in Disney Cruise Lines’ portfolio, but Disney has plenty of cruise itineraries to choose from. It sails to popular destinations as well as unique places that families might not have considered, such as the Norwegian Fjords. And lastly, food might be a factor in deciding what cruise line would be best for your family. Luxury cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will no doubt have a superb menu, but they may not be expert kid-pleasers like Disney Cruise Line when it comes to food.

The Best Ways to Book a Cruise

Paul Gauguin Cruises specializes in luxury cruises in Tahiti, Fiji, and the South Pacific. With just 1 cruise ship in its fleet, Paul Gauguin takes cruisers to ports that larger cruise ships can’t access. Lindblad Expeditions ships carry as few as 28 guests and at most 148. As such, cabins and suites vary across the company’s fleet of ships. It’s a little difficult to find out on your own which suites would accommodate more than 2 people or if you can get connecting cabins, though they do exist, as well as standard double-occupancy suites.

Best cruise line for a party: Carnival Cruise Line

Even group babysitting options are available to give parents time to enjoy these adult activities. Almost all Norwegian cruise ships are family-friendly, featuring a free youth program for kids aged 12 to 17. There’s also Splash Academy, where kids aged five to 12 can show off their artistic skills. The Quantum Class Royal Caribbean cruise ships have slightly different features which everyone in the family will enjoy.

Best Cruise For Large Families: Princess Cruises, Sapphire Princess

If you’re looking for a luxurious cruise experience, look no further than Princess Cruises. With elegant staterooms, world-class cuisine, and impeccable service, Princess Cruises offers travelers a truly royal experience. Sail to destinations all over the world aboard a Princess Cruise ship and enjoy all the amenities and activities onboard. For example, Power of Plankton investigates the world of tiny marine organisms and their importance. Art projects, cooking groups, competitions, and programs managed by counselors keep everyone engaged while they learn and have fun at sea. Teens can even enjoy spa services designed especially for them.

Best Cruise For Families With Young Children: Disney Cruise Line, Disney Wish

Kids’ and teens’ clubs, pools, and water slides are just a few of the kid-specific amenities that you’ll find on a lot of the cruises on this list. In this post, I am going to list out and compare the best cruise lines for kids. I am going to break this down based on entertainment, activities, and kids clubs. I am also going to list the best cruise ships for families within each cruise line. Enchantment Of The Seas is a cruise ship that forms part of the Royal Caribbean cruise lines. The ship offers a variety of clubs and lounges for children, teens, and adults.

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The Camp Ocean space takes on a slumber party feel with movies, arts and crafts, snacks and more. Dining at the many onboard restaurants is also a treat, with venues specializing in sushi, backyard barbecue, French bistro classics and handmade Italian pasta. If your budget doesn't allow for specialty dining, you won't get menu fatigue with four main dining rooms included in the fare.

Disney Cruise Vs. Royal Caribean Private Island

Family members with a minimum height of 1.40 meters can enjoy the thrill feature. As someone who cruised with Celebrity as a kid and teenager, I’ve always found that they had some of the most fun kid’s clubs at sea. When it comes to the best cruises for families, it’s hard to beat what Royal Caribbean has to offer. With that being said, here are the 7 best cruise lines for families. Costa cruises tend to be towards the lower end, and kids sail free on many sailings too, making them a good option if you’re on a budget. One thing to be aware of though is that a lot of the activities do cost extra.

The allure of the Seas has casinos, bars, and nightclubs for you to enjoy. Sometimes, you might even forget you’re on a ship and think you’re either at a resort or an amusement park. It’s fun to see the kids around the ship with their new friends enjoying activities like costume parades, scavenger hunts and more.

Costa Cruises

One of the most exciting moments of every Virgin Voyages sailing is Scarlet Night, when the entire ship is decked out in red thanks to added red lights and red crew outfits. Guests are encouraged to don their crimson best and attend a late-night dance party on the pool deck. Young adult cruisers can find a party around every corner on Carnival Cruise Line or adventures off the ship with Royal Caribbean International. Even solo cruisers will find cabins on Norwegian Cruise Line that are designed just for them, with communal spaces ideal for making friends. Disney Wonder's weeklong Alaska cruises sail round-trip from Vancouver, so all Americans, even kids, will need passports to fly in to the departure port.

On many ships, you’ll find a dedicated baby area where parents can bring their babies at certain times. Disney Cruises offer a magical experience for kids of any age. Under threes can be cared for in the nursery, but this is quite expensive. Don’t forget about Disney’s private island, which will surely be the cherry on top of your vacation if you are headed to the Bahamas.

The thrilling ride was first introduced on the Mardi Gras and is 800 feet long, 187 feet above sea level, with speeds up to miles per hour. If you choose to cruise with Carnival, just be sure to select a ship with kid-friendly features. For example, Carnival Panorama has different supervised kid programs in three different age categories, a massive water park, and a SkyZone trampoline park.

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. For instance, you and the kids can learn how to blow glass at the Hot Glass Studio, which is not something you see on every cruise ship.

When considering the best cruise lines for families, you should look at all the options and decide which aligns best with what you and your kids will enjoy. So, here’s 10 of the best kid friendly cruises options, including something for all ages. The allure of the Seas features a water park, a small golf course, an arcade, and more. There are also plenty of dining options to choose from, so you can find something that everyone in your family will enjoy. And if you’re looking for some adult time, there’s plenty of that too!

The ship visits Juneau, Ketchikan and either Skagway or Icy Strait Point, with glacier viewing at the Stikine Icecap. Seven-night Alaska cruises sail round-trip from the easily accessible port of Seattle and visit Sitka, Skagway and Juneau, Alaska; as well as Victoria, British Columbia. One day is spent cruising through the scenic Endicott Arm to Dawes Glacier. I have listed out a few categories and which is the best cruise line for kids and families. We had a great time but it was raining and cold when we went.

In that case, the best family cruise to Alaska for you might be the "Kids in Nature" departures of UnCruise Adventures' 86-passenger Wilderness Legacy. Each ship will be different but Royal Carribean kind of sticks to the same pattern on each of its ships. The kids' club has 3-4 big rooms on the Oasis class ships. There will be an itinerary of activities taking place throughout the cruise in the kids club. The food was good, the entertainment was phenomenal, and the activities were fun.