Best family-friendly cruises for February half-term

If you're children are counting down the days until half-term, why not add to their excitement by reserving a cruise for the whole family to enjoy?

And there are plenty of family cruises to choose from, with popular cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, MSC, Marella, and Norwegian Cruise Line offering itineraries spanning the half-term dates.

There are also a variety of cruise styles included – from ocean to river to to ex-UK departing.

We've rounded up five family-friendly cruise itineraries for the February half-term – you can thank us later.

February half term cruises 2024

1. P&O Cruises' seven-night ‘Western Europe’ itinerary

Discover Western Europe with all the family on this seven-night ‘Western Europe’ itinerary, with lots of activities onboard for the kids.

The Reef is P&O Cruises’ onboard activity programme for children aged six months to 12 years, which is split into age-specific groups, so parents can spend some quality time together without having to worry.

You’ll call at Hamburg, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge – so expect culture, café-culture and art. What makes this itinerary even better is that this is a roundtrip from Southampton onboard Iona, so you'll get to swerve any airport stress.

Departs February 10, 2024. From £624 per person.

2. MSC Cruises seven-night ‘Italy, Spain, France’ itinerary

This Mediterranean cruise with MSC Cruises offers plenty to keep children of all ages entertained. You’ll have the free kids’ clubs as well as ‘Family Fun’ excursions – with children between the ages of three to 13 enjoying a discount of up to 30 per cent of these excursions.

This cruise sails as a roundtrip from Genoa onboard MSC Fantasia, departing February 12, 2024.

You and the family can enjoy taking in the sights across the six ports of call on this seven-night cruise.

Once you depart from Genoa, you’ll sail to La Spezia – a hidden gem in Italy. Drink in the stunning panoramas of the gulf and wander around the museums and historic city centre. Other ports of call include Naples, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona and Marseille.

Departs February 12, 2024. From £529 per person.

3. Amawaterways seven-night ‘Captivating Rhine’ river cruise

Mix it up with a cultural river cruise for the whole family.

You’ll sail from Amsterdam to Basel onboard AmaLucia. This ship features 156 staterooms, with some offering triple occupancy to accommodate families as well as having several connecting staterooms onboard.

And you can look forward to exploring the ’10-minute city’ as locals fondly call Düsseldorf, and make sure you sip on one of the world-famous beers while you explore the stunning architecture of the old town. You'll also call in at Rüdesheim am Rhein, Ludwigshafen, Strasbourg and Breisach.

Departs February 11, 2024. Price from £2,243 per person.

4. Marella Cruises seven-night ‘Atlantic Islands’ itinerary

Family-friendly cruise line, Marella Cruises, offers up this ‘Atlantic Islands’ itinerary onboard the line’s newest ship, Marella Explorer.

What makes this cruise offering even better is that Marella Cruises is all inclusive as standard, meaning no daunting bill waiting for you at the end of your cruise.

This cruise sails a roundtrip from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria onboard Marella Explorer calling at Puerto del Rosario, Arrecife, Funchal and Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Departs February 10, 2023. From £1,314 per person.

5. Norwegian Cruise Line seven-night ‘Caribbean: Great Stirrup Cay & Tortola’ itinerary

As a roundtrip from Miami onboard Norwegian Encore, this Caribbean itinerary is perfect for those looking for a proper escape this half term.

Norwegian Cruise Line is great for families with kids of all ages, as the ship features the largest go-kart track at sea, a huge laser tag arena, a kids aqua park and so much more.

Sail into the sunshine and top up your tans with this itinerary that calls at Puerto Plata, Saint Thomas, Road Town and Great Stirrup Cay.

Departs February 11, 2024. Fares from £1,313 per person.