Best family cruises this summer with Princess

Unlimited ice-cream, refreshing pools and the beating sun? It doesn’t get better than that for a family summer cruise, does it?

And Princess Cruises has worked hard to please every type and generation of cruiser with a range of thoughtful itineraries onboard stunning ships for your next family or even multigenerational cruise holiday.

Travelling with a family doesn’t have to be stressful, as Princess Cruises offers complimentary age-grouped kids clubs onboard. Not to mention the fact you only unpack once to visit multiple destinations on your itinerary – easy peasy.

What’s more, Princess Cruises has plenty of itineraries departing from Southampton for the ultimate easy family holiday.

We delve into why Princess Cruises has nailed the family summer holiday and offer up some irresistible itineraries too, the temptation to book has never been bigger.

Princess Cruises: The perfect family holiday

What’s your perfect family holiday?

Is it somewhere with multiple stunning beaches to lounge on? Or how about an all-inclusive getaway? Or perhaps a cultural hotspot for educating the whole family is more up your street.

Well, whichever style of holiday you prefer, you can enjoy all the above plus more with Princess Cruises.

Take being footsteps away from the beach for example, Princess Cruises offers a host of Mediterranean itineraries that visit the likes of Santorini and Mykonos – all famed for their gorgeous beaches.

Sounds good? Hop on Princess Cruises’ ‘10-day Greece, Italy and Turkey’ itinerary to explore these beaches and much more with the whole family.

This itinerary visits six ports of call, including Santorini, Mykonos and Sicily, across 10 days, beginning in Athens – so you can get your cruise started quicker than ever before.

Highlights include the excursion to Elaia beach resort in Corfu as an excursion with Princess Cruises where you can swim in the peaceful Ionian Sea and sip on a complimentary cold soft drink or coffee. For kids, water sports are available for an extra charge.

Take advantage of Princess Cruises’ ‘Discovery Family’ excursions, such as the ‘Oia Village & Swimming’ trip in Santorini, where you embark on a walking tour past the whitewashed buildings and blue-domed churches to end up on the beach famous world-wide for its black sand – Perissa Beach. Ease for families is kept firmly in mind with a reserved beach bed and umbrella.

Alternatively, for a slightly shorter cruise, we love the look of the ‘7-day Mediterranean with France & Italy’ sailing from Barcelona to Italy during the summer holiday period.

On this itinerary, you get to explore the beauty of Gibraltar. First, you should spot some of the 600 varieties of flowers that grow here and then stroll the narrow lanes before paying a visit to the Apes’ Den, where the whole family can enjoy waving to the tailless monkeys known as Barbary Apes.

We recommend that animal-loving families also look out for ‘Animal Planet Recommended’ excursions, such as the ‘Cruise The Rock & Dolphin Watch’ excursion, also based in Gibraltar.

Onboard, bringing the spirit to every Princess cruise is the line’s ‘Discovery at SEA’ programme. Stargaze on the top deck with a ‘Princess Stargazing Specialist’ who will teach you how to spot the major constellations or take part in a solving a high seas heist to potentially win a special prize.

Taking the stress out of school holidays

We all know how quickly family holidays can add up, which is why many opt for an all-inclusive holiday.

After all, an all-inclusive holiday allows you to fully relax without the ongoing fear of receiving the final bill – that’s why if you’re sailing as a family, we recommend upgrading to Princess Plus or Princess Premier.

Princess Plus includes Wi-Fi for one device (perfect for keeping teenagers occupied), crew appreciation, Plus beverage package, an unlimited juice bar, premier desserts, fitness classes, room service and more.

Or, if you want to truly make this cruise a family holiday to remember, you can upgrade everyone to Princess Premier.

With this package the family can enjoy the additions of a premier beverage package, photo package (to capture those special moments), Wi-Fi for four devices, reserved theatre seating and more – we think this would be a nice touch if you’re celebrating a special occasion with the whole family.

You may be thinking about the cost of upgrading, but these packages are bundled at more than 50% off – bargain.

And we haven’t even mentioned Princess MedallionClass, making your cruise easier than ever.

Not only, does this handy gadget enable touch-free boarding, keyless stateroom entry and delivery of food and drink wherever you are onboard – but the kids can also play location-based scavenger hunts as well as the option to create an adorable ‘OceanTagalong’ companion that follows you throughout your cruise.

Keeping the kids entertained this summer

Onboard, Princess Cruises offers a plethora of activities and features to make your next family summer holiday one to remember.

Thrill seekers will love the Park19, exclusively onboard Sun Princess, which boasts nine engaging activities such as the first-ever Rollglider at sea, deck-high climbing structure, splash zone and more – perfect for multigenerational families to enjoy together.

And with Sun Princess cruising the Mediterranean this summer, this sounds like the perfect family getaway to us.

All Princess ships boast backyard-style games in the all-ages game zone to bring out your competitive side, where you can all refresh afterwards at the kid-friendly bar area.

And learning shouldn’t stop just because it’s the summer holidays, Princess Cruises offers a fun way to learn more about the solar system with an indoor planetarium with a real-time view of planets, stars and galaxies.

Alongside this amazing entertainment schedule, Princess Cruises ensures that you can all dine together as a family every night to try new regional foods together – with everyone’s personal tastes accounted for.

What’s more, accommodation onboard is family-friendly, with mini-suites and family suites. Or, you can opt for two interconnecting staterooms that sleep up to eight.

So, what are you waiting for? Explore further and truly be able to treasure time with your family through Princess Cruises.