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The great thing about cruises for families is that everyone benefits from it; kids can run around making friends in Kids Clubs or whizzing down water slides, while mum and dad enjoy the spas or sipping cocktails out on deck.
Cruising comes in varying levels of luxury, different sized cruises ships, and with different amenities – the wrong ship can spoil your whole experience!
Some cruise liners do not cater to families at all, whereas others have kids as the focus.
So if you’re wondering what are the best cruise ships for kids, we’re here to help. Out of over 78 cruise lines around the world, these are seven of the best.
Best Cruise Ships For Kids
1. Oasis Class Ships, Royal Caribbean

No other cruise line could sit at the top of my list than Royal Caribbean Cruises, who have an “Oasis Class” of ships which are designed with kids in mind.
These ships, named Wonder of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas (which had a major update in 2019), Harmonyof the Seas, and Allure of the Seas, have more kid-friendly attractions than any ship before them.
From the Broadway shows to the 3D Cinemas to insanely cool waterslides and Parades, they are paving the way for a new generation of cruise ships for families.
Royal Caribbean has gained a reputation for its futuristic experiences with RipCord skydiving simulators, surf simulators, Dodgems, and even robot operated cocktail bars.
Kids & Teens Club
Excluding all these out-of-this-world facilities, Royal Caribbean also features one of the best kids programs at sea.
They have play groups designed for toddlers and babies, Royal Babies (6-18 months) or Royal Tots (18-36 months), which allows parents and children to partake in interactive playgroup and sensory sessions involving toys and music, where a parent must be present.
Aquanauts (3-5 years) can enjoy many activities involving bubbling potions to Jurassic Park dinosaurs. They also get the chance to participate in the Pirate Party Parade around the ship.
Whereas Space Mud, Meteorology, and Fossils are the types of activities Explorers (6-8 years) will be involved in.
For slightly older children, Voyagers (9-11 years), the science theme is still present. However, kids in this category also get the opportunity to take part in backstage tours at the onboard theatres.
Teenagers (aged 12-14) partake in much more hands-on activities such as rock climbing, dodgeball, and Dance Dance Revolution.
As the sun sets, teens can enjoy private BBQ’s and movie nights. Or alternately, they can join in the open mic nights, talent shows and Scratch DJ Academy.
The eldest teen category (15-17) gives a much more laid back experience with theme nights, pool parties, and teen dinners.
The Youth Staff are always enthusiastic and clearly enjoy what they do, ensuring the kids have the best vacation while the adults do their own thing.
Dining
In order to enjoy gourmet dining (like at Jamie’s Italian), Royal Caribbean has developed the perfect solution for moaning kids.
Expedited dining allows your children to be collected as soon as they finish eating, and then taken for fun and games at the kids club.
This means you can spend as much time as you want as parents, unwinding at the restaurant or doing for an after meal cocktail or even hedging your bets at the casino, while the kids play with their new friends.
When it actually comes to dining, there are several specialty restaurants on each ship, from the main dining room to burger bars and pizza places, allowing you to enjoy smaller bites and buffet-style dining if you don’t feel up to fancy dining.
Accommodation
Sadly, family holidays can sometimes be rather stressful spending all that time together in a closed environment.
However, this does not always have to be the case with your cabin. In fact, Royal Caribbean actually features some of the largest staterooms at sea.
If you’re cruising onboard an Oasis or Quantum Class Ship, money depending, you can stay in one of the Loft Suites, which is like a mini apartment at sea.
Spanning over two stories, they offer the most cabin space at sea which includes facilities such as:
- Jacuzzi
- Indoor and outdoor dining rooms
- Private Wet Bar
- Library
- Extended balcony and even a Baby Grand Piano!
2. Carnival Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruises

If there was a cruise liner to take on Royal Caribbean, it would be Carnival cruises. Boasting 27 ships, Carnival Cruise Line is one of the best cruise liners for families traveling on a slightly smaller budget.
That’s not to say your experience will be any less than 5-star family-fun.
Famed for the party atmosphere onboard, Carnival is especially good for families traveling with teenagers. With modernized onboard facilities and entertainment options such as:
- Gigantic waterparks
- Mile-high (well…ish) air-ropes courses with a suspended peddle bike
- Golf course and even the very first IMAX at sea
Kids & Teens Clubs
Floating away from the endless facilities, children and teenagers can also attend the onboard youth clubs, separated into a wide amount of age categories.
Children aged 2-11 can attend Camp Ocean (or Camp Carnival), then separated into sub-age-categories of 2-5, 6-8 and 9-11.
The younger end of the spectrum (2-5) can take part in many activities such as:
- Soft play
- Slide equipment
- Indoor ball games
- Owl Jams Parties (consisting of Candy, dancing, and games)
Whereas the slightly older 6-8-year-olds can spend time on Playstations, Nintendo Wii’s, spin art and many themed activities.
Children in the oldest kid’s category, 9-11, partake in kid’s discos, pizza pig-out and swimming under the stars.
The first age category in the teen section (12-14) includes older activities such as:
- Video gaming consoles
- Dance parties
- Late night movies
- Karaoke
- Carnival twister waterslide races
Whereas the elder teenage group, Club O2, is partnered with Coca-Cola providing a ‘Coke-tail’ lounge where teens can savor the taste of non-alcoholic specialty drinks.
Adult-Only
Now – what about fun for parents? While you attend a bar crawl or boogie till dawn, take full advantage of Carnival’s babysitting service, available daily from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am.
Parents, do you see why Carnival is near the top of this list?
3. The Norwegian Gateway, Norwegian Cruise Line

Home to freestyle cruising, Norwegian Cruise Line has developed some of the best facilities and amenities for family cruising.
One example being, of course, the freestyle dining, where passengers are not confined to a strict dining time, making your evenings much more flexible and relaxed.
After all, things don’t always go to plan on a family holiday.
Kids & Teens Clubs
The onboard youth programs are really never-seen-before with activities ranging from Cirque du Soleil classes to over twenty sports for older teenagers.
Serving a hint of Disney and Royal Caribbean, some cruises also feature onboard characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob.
Separating kids into the age categories of 2-9, 10-12 and 13-17 with an entourage for teenagers fitted with air hockey, pinball and a transformation to a nightclub in the evening.
Or as the sun falls, your teenagers may prefer to catch one of the Broadway-style musicals at the theater available onboard.

Onboard Facilities
Nonetheless, there is also plenty you can do together as a family with the numerous onboard facilities available such as:
- A high ropes course fitted with its very own walk-the-plank
- Vast water parks with jaw-dropping slides such as The Epic Plunge
- And even 33-foot high rock climbing walls
Even a dedicated sports deck with:
- Outdoor ice-skating rink
- Basketball court
- Bungee trampoline
In fact, on Norwegian’s latest vessel the Norwegian Joy, sits the first go-karting track at sea spanning over the top deck.
4. Disney Dream, Disney Cruise Line

Similar to their land-based adventures, Disney’s operated cruise line caters primarily to kids as the main audience, giving your little ones the opportunity to collect autographs with some of their favorite Disney characters.
On Alaskan voyages, special visits are featured with Anna and Elsa for the ‘Frozen, a Musical Spectacular” event.
Disney only has six ships in its fleet, with a seventh being added in 2025. The first ship is Disney Magic, followed by Disney Wonder. These are smaller ships and better for families who want it toned down a little (but of course it’s Disney, it will be OTT).
Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy are bigger Disney ships and go all out on the Disney entertainment.
Onboard Facilities
Disney incorporates various Disney movies, games, Broadway-style musicals and even a 1,800-foot water park fitted with river rapids and an Aqua Duck spanning over a total of four decks.
Dining
Dinner time is important when it comes to child-friendly cruises, and Disney created the inception of interactive dining, with hundreds of LCD screens creating the experience of dining under the sea.
This includes special visits from Nemo and Dory, of course.
Interactive experiences don’t finish there; Disney cruises also created the idea of a ‘virtual window’.
When staying in an inside cabin, many feature a porthole filled with a virtual window fixed to a camera outside of the ship.
Kids Clubs & Adult Facilities
For time to yourself, children can attend the Disney’s Oceaneer Club with character performances, dress up parties and movies to ensure a boredom-free holiday.
Children as young as six months are permitted to cruise with Disney Cruise Line, and so they have established the Flounder’s Reef nursery.
Here, staff members can look after your children aged six months to three years old at an hourly fee.
During this time, parents can head to the adults-only areas such as Quiet Cove Pool and Vista Spa.
5. MSC Seaside, MSC Cruises
For those families traveling on a shoestring budget, MSC offer many discounts such as kids cruise free, which was present during my time onboard the MSC Splendida.
I ventured across the sun-kissed Mediterranean onboard the star-studded haven, along with twenty other relatives!
Present across MSC’s fleet is a lively buzz, filling days jam-packed with activities and transporting guests to a Vegas-style atmosphere in the evenings.
However, since then, they have released MSC Seaside, which has a water park, ropes course, discos and production shows, which offers more entertainment for families.
Onboard Facilities & Kids Clubs
Reflecting on my days spent onboard as a child (aged 12), they mainly consisted of sunbathing, swimming, playing tennis, and drinking unlimited mocktails.
Having said that, MSC features a range of other sports facilities such as basketball and table-tennis.
Complemented by the many kids and teens clubs with age ranges 0-2 years, 3-6 years, 7-11 years, 12-14 years and 16-18 years.
As for evenings, after being entertained by one of many acrobatic and music-centered performances, families can enjoy many technology-based facilities such as the 4-D Cinema.
Or, while the kids are kept entertained, parents can enjoy time to themselves at the onboard Spa. Taking that much needed time to de-stress.
6. The Sun Princess, Princess Cruises
Princess cruises initial claim to fame was found in the hit television series, The Love Boat, which didn’t portay it as one of the best cruises for children.
Since those days, the cruise line has excelled incorporating some of the best family-themed facilities at sea.
The Sun Princess has excellent onboard entertainment, such as musical productions and a kids club.
Kids Clubs
Nearly every ship features multiple kids clubs ranging from separate clubs for 3-7-year-olds, 8-12-year-olds, and the teens club 13-17-year-olds.
As far as teenagers go, there is plenty to do onboard from hip-hop classes to hot tub parties and even mocktails socials (my favorite) for the more sophisticated teens.
In fact, there are even makeup and skincare training sessions for those beauty gurus.
Nonetheless, children are also able to participate in many activities alongside their parents.
This includes yoga where passengers can participate from age three.
If yoga does not appeal, children and teens can also find their inner Gordon Ramsay with cooking workshops led by onboard Chefs. Here, they can learn to prepare many dishes such as Sushi and Linguini.
As the sun floats down, families can enjoy quality time together in the movie under the stars experience. Where passengers recline out on pool deck wrapped up in a warm blanket and delving into bags on popcorn.
Dining
Speaking of food, children can sometimes tend to be rather fussy eaters. Gosh, I know I was!
Although you can indulge in gourmet Mediterranean cuisine at the onboard restaurants, you can alternately just head to the buffet.
Residing here is a selection of pizzas, French fries, hot dogs, and desserts.
7. P&O Britannia, P&O Cruises

Shamefully, I must admit, before stepping onboard a P&O cruise ship, I held certain misconceptions about the cruise line. Thinking it to be no more than bingo, shuffleboard and deck quoits onboard.
This misconception was completely annihilated after attending a day visit onboard the P&O Britannia, the largest ship in the fleet of seven.
Aiming at the British market, reminders of the country are present throughout the fleet. Especially on the P&O Britannia, where the entire hull is covered by a Union Jack!
Teens Club
Never before have I found a better teens club than that onboard the Britannia.
With their own dedicated deck area, teens can relax in the large hot tubs or take a bit of time to develop their tan. Ideal for those moments when slurping on a mock “mojito”.
Inside the teen entourage itself, facilities include:
- Many computers
- X-Box facilities
- Bean Bags
- Football tables
Onboard Facilities
There are plenty of other ways your teenagers and kids can stay entertained onboard, one example being through the many sports facilities.
Inside the Sports Arena sits dedicated areas for:
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Football
- Table Tennis
Meaning you can certainly stay fit and active while you indulge in gourmet cuisine.
Dining
Over 17 dining options are situated onboard, ranging from buffet style cuisine to gourmet a la carte.
Much to my surprise, dining can also be an area for some quality family time at the Cookery Club. Famous chefs constantly circle here, such as James Martin.
Luckily, I was able to try some of the moist luscious brownies here, which were delicious.
The menu is changed daily onboard P&O ships with a special Gala dinner on formal nights.
Following the trend set by Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O cruises also offer their own form of flexible dining. In some of the main dining rooms you can eat at any time between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm, making it flexible for last minute hiccups.
The cuisine is spread over 5 courses, with 6 courses on Gala evenings.
Global dining is prevalent in the main dining rooms, with the daily special often reflecting the port the ship is visiting.
Although, you will find traditional British cuisine onboard such as Welsh rarebit and Scottish smoked salmon. Complimented by a cheeseboard to round off your evening meal.
For more cruise and travel tips, check out these guides:
Where To Book A Cruise

Now you know what the best cruise liners and ships are for kids, you might be wondering where to go to book your cruise…
Cruise Direct is a leading online cruise travel company that provides access to great deals on cruise vacations. They work with the industry’s leading suppliers, and have special access to special rates that turn into big savings for you.
They offer family cruise deals, a best price guarantee, and flexible payment plans.
Before You Go
So there you have it, those are the best cruise ships for kids.
We know that any one of these cruises will keep the kids entertained, but also allow you to have some time to relax.
After all, everyone should enjoy the experience, not just the kids.
Remember, it’s not just about picking the best cruise line that caters to the whole family, but the destination also.
Before booking a cruise ship for your next family vacation, consider the shore excursions and tours as well.
And don’t discount a European river cruise for older kids. We loved our Avalon Waterways river cruise on the Danube River, and here’s why our teens loved it!
More Cruise Travel Tips
Need more inspiration about cruise travel? Here are some other guides…
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Have you experienced any family-friendly cruises? What do you think are the best cruise ship for kids? Let us know in the comments.