What are the best cruise lines for families?
Cruising with kids has never been more popular. But what are the best cruise lines for families? From budget-friendly options to lines providing outstanding entertainment, we reveal the cruise companies parents should check out.
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At a glance
Apart from a few ultra-luxury and adults-only lines, most cruise companies are working hard to ensure families are catered for. Whether that’s kids’ clubs, family-friendly entertainment, special menus, children's pools, or cabins with extra beds, modern ships have everything to keep parents and their little ones happy. But some lines shine more than others.
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Best for excitement: Disney Cruise Line
How can a “best cruises for families” article not include the House of Mouse’s own line? Disney Cruise Line sailings are not cheap, sure. But then again, neither is a trip to Disney World. And if you’re looking for a cruise that will wow your kids, this is the way to go.
Onboard, you can expect Disney and Pixar-related live shows, encounters and deck parties with Disney characters and showings of Disney classics. And obviously, the usual kids-friendly facilities you find on most cruise lines like splash pool, youth clubs, etc…
The cabins are also designed for families. Most of them feature privacy curtains, split bathrooms and extra storage space.
The downside? As mentioned, Disney Cruise Line sailings can be very expensive. We’d recommend looking at the price like a trip to Disneyland or Disney World rather than just a cruise.
Itineraries: Disney Cruise Line offers sailings worldwide, although the bulk of the sailings are for North America and the Caribbean. But you do find sailings closer to home.
What can I expect to pay? You can find short 3-night sailings from Southampton during the summer school holidays from around £2,700 for a family of three (£900 per person).
Browse offers: Disney Cruise Line
Best for cruises from the UK: P&O Cruises
Airports and kids. Say no more. For family holidays, the appeal of packing the car, driving to a nearby port and starting your holiday there and then is undeniable.
With several ships sailing out of Southampton at any time, P&O Cruises is always a winner if you want to avoid taking the kids on a plane.
The line’s ships are well set up for families. There are kids’ clubs for different age groups from six months to 17 years. In addition to day sessions, there is a night nursery running from 6pm to midnight.
There’s also a family zone, movie nights and a Shaun the Sheep trail on every ship, and the Ocean Performance Academy runs during school holidays. Arvia has a Wallace & Gromit show.
Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Ventura and Azura are P&O Cruises’ family-friendly ships.
Itineraries: P&O Cruises operates worldwide sailings, but cruises from Southampton focus on the Baltic, the British Isles, the Canaries, the Med and the Norwegian fjords.
What can I expect to pay? A Spain and France cruise during the summer school holidays starts from around £2,100 for a family of three (£700 per person).
Browse offers: P&O Cruises
Best for all-inclusive: Marella Cruises
Operated by TUI, one of the world’s largest tour operators, Marella Cruises is one of the rare lines (outside of the ultra-luxury sector) to have all-inclusive base fares that cover soft and alcoholic drinks, meals, snacks and tips.
By contrast, most of the Marella Cruises’ competitors only include meals, snacks, soft drinks and, sometimes, tips. For families keen to know how much they’ll spend on a holiday and avoid costly extras, Marella is a strong option.
Marella Cruises has two ships focusing on the family market (Discovery and Discovery 2). Onboard, you’ll find kids’ clubs for children aged between three and 11. The Hideout is targeted at teenagers, while Mini Club M has sessions for kids under three and their parents.
There are plenty of facilities to keep children occupied, including climbing walls, escape rooms, minigolf courses and more.
Itineraries: Discovery and Discovery 2 tend to focus on Mediterranean voyages in the spring and summer, and on Caribbean sailings in the autumn and winter.
What can I expect to pay? Summer school holiday sailings to the Mediterranean, including flights, transfers, a 7-night all-inclusive cruise and tips, start at around £3500 for a family of three (£1164 per person).
Browse offers: Marella Cruises
Best for luxury: Princess Cruises
It’s been incredibly difficult to settle the tie between Princess and Celebrity Cruises. Both are top five-star options for families, and the choice wasn’t an easy one.
Princess Cruises is a standout choice for families interested in a more refined cruising experience without entering the ultra-luxury price bracket. The line blends traditional cruise hallmarks – formal nights, attentive service, elegant dining – with thoughtful touches for families, including excellent youth clubs and a range of family-friendly entertainment.
Highlights for families include Movies Under the Stars, cooking classes for kids, Discovery Channel tie-ins and spacious pool areas. On some ships, the Reef Family Splash Zone offers a dedicated water play area for younger children.
Itineraries: Princess Cruises offers a broad range of destinations, including Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean and Asia, with many family-friendly excursions tied into the Discovery Channel partnership.
What can I expect to pay? You can find summer school holiday cruises to the Norwegian fjords from around £3,000 for a family of three (£1,000 per person).
Browse offers: Princess Cruises
Best for facilities & entertainment: Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean is hard to beat when it comes to family-friendly facilities and non-stop entertainment. With some of the largest ships at sea, the line packs in an extraordinary range of activities and entertainment – from surf simulators and skydiving experiences to bumper cars, zip lines, ice skating rinks and high-diving aqua shows.
The Adventure Ocean programme is divided into age groups, offering science experiments, art projects and themed parties.
Teenagers can enjoy exclusive lounges, discos and even late-night movie marathons, while younger children have splash zones, mini-golf and playgrounds to explore. Dining is casual and flexible, with a huge number of options suitable for families.
Itineraries: With 28 ships sailing worldwide, Royal Caribbean has one of the widest choices of destinations of any cruise line.
What can I expect to pay? Summer school holiday Mediterranean cruises, including flights, transfers and a 7-night sailing, start at around £4000 for a family of three (roughly £1333 per person).
Browse offers: Royal Caribbean
Best for tighter budgets: MSC Cruises
P&O Cruises would also be a great choice for value, especially if you’d rather cruise from the UK and bypass airports.
But for voyages involving flights, especially to the Mediterranean, MSC Cruises is a fantastic choice for families after a lively, multi-generational sailing that won’t cost the earth. The line frequently offers low base fares, kids-sail-free promotions and bundled packages that include meals, entertainment and taxes.
Onboard, families can enjoy kids’ clubs for all ages – from babies to teenagers – as well as waterslides, ropes courses, sports tournaments and interactive games. MSC’s ships also have LEGO-themed play areas, 4D cinemas and virtual reality experiences for older children. Evening entertainment is a highlight too, with theatre shows, live music and family discos.
MSC Cruises mainly attracts a European clientele, so families can expect a more multilingual atmosphere and later dining times, but the value is hard to beat for budget-conscious travellers.
Itineraries: MSC offers an extensive range of Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Caribbean cruises.
What can I expect to pay? You can find packages including flights, pre-cruise hotel stays and a Mediterranean sailing with MSC from around £2,250 for a family of three (£750 per person).
Browse offers: MSC Cruises
Best for river cruises: A-ROSA
With the average age for guests usually over 60, river cruising is not often associated with families. But some operators are trying to change things, among them A-ROSA.
The line operates family cruises with kids’ clubs, children-friendly excursions like Comic Worlds in Antwerp and a choice of family cabins or standard cabins with an additional bed.
During the cruise, you can expect a lot of kids-focused activities like treasure hunts and pirate days. The restaurant has a kids’ menu.
Children up to 15 can cruise free or get a 30% discount, depending on the ship and cabin category you book. The discount only applies to the cruise fare, not the flights.
Itineraries: You can find A-ROSA family cruises on the Moselle, the Rhine, the Danube, the Rhône and the Seine.
What can I expect to pay? You can book a seven-night Rhône cruise during the summer holidays from 2994€ (998€ per person). The price excludes flights and transfers to the ship.
Browse offers: A-ROSA
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