Cruising is an amazing way to travel with children. Many of our cruise line suppliers are family focused with plenty of entertainment for the children, including kids clubs for all ages, splash parks, live shows, and specific dining times to suit children. And multi-generational holidays are becoming increasingly popular. Cruise holidays lend themselves very well to multi-generational getaways! Entertainment for all generations, perfect dining options for all ages and tastes. Family-friendly shore excursions. Everything is taken care of!
When should I book my family cruise?
Family cruises are incredibly popular. We highly recommend that you book as far in advance as possible to ensure availability. Cruise holidays are released 12-18 months in advance of travel, making it easy to spread the cost.
Cruise lines such as P&O have a limited number of spaces in each of their Kid's Clubs. Once they have reached capacity for a certain age range, they will no longer accept any bookings for children of that age group on a particular sailing.
When choosing a cruise line for your family, you will need to consider factors such as the destinations, ship size, onboard activities, dining options, entertainment, and age-appropriate kids' programmes.
Some of the top cruise lines for families include:
- Disney Cruise Line: Known for its immersive Disney-themed experiences, character meet-and-greets, kids' clubs, and family entertainment. Their ships are designed with families in mind.
- Royal Caribbean International: Offers a wide range of family-friendly activities such as water parks, rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, and dedicated kids' clubs for various age groups.
- Carnival Cruise Line: Known for its fun and lively atmosphere with a variety of family-friendly entertainment options, water slides, and kids' programs.
- Norwegian Cruise Line: Offers flexible dining options, water parks, kids' clubs, and entertainment suitable for all ages, including Broadway-style shows.
- MSC Cruises: Provides family-oriented amenities like water parks, family cabins, kids' clubs, and family-friendly entertainment.
- Princess Cruises: Offers family-friendly accommodations, youth programs, and family-oriented activities like movies under the stars and family game nights.
- P&O Cruises: With fantastic Kids Clubs for all ages, a babysitting service, splash pools, family-friendly live shows, excursions, and children-friendly dining times, P&O is a perfect choice for a family getaway.
- Celebrity Cruises: Offers family-friendly amenities like family-focused staterooms, youth programs, and family-oriented activities.
Top tips when cruising with kids:
- If your children would like to use the kid's club facilities, please ensure that you have pre-registered the children for the kids' club before you travel. For more information please read about 'Kids Clubs' in our Help Centre, where you will find useful links.
- Join a Social Media page specifically for your cruise - such as a Facebook group. Here you will pick up lots of tips from fellow cruise guests.
- Join in with the Rubber Duck Game!? Guests often play many different types of fun games while onboard. One of the most current trends amongst cruising families is where they hide a small rubber duck on board (or several small ducks!). Before you travel you add a tag to the duck (also known as a 'duck passport') which explains the rules of the game and will often have the name of the family that hid the duck as well! This is a great way of getting around the ship with the kids whilst they hide or hunt for ducks.
Keep an eye on any social media pages for your specific sailing to see whether other guests are playing games on your ship. - Some cruise lines will cater to babies. However, do check the dining options for your children in case you need to take baby food with you.
You can read more on this by visiting 'Childrens dining' - Pop the kid's swimwear in your hand luggage, so that as soon as you are onboard the kids can spend time in the pool. This is a great way to spend time if your cabin isn't quite ready for you! Or if you are waiting for your luggage to arrive.