Best Family-Friendly Cruise Lines

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Travellers of all ages can enjoy unforgettable adventures encompassing not only incredible destinations along their itineraries, but extraordinary entertainment, accommodations, and amenities throughout their journeys!

When it comes to choosing the perfect cruise line for your family vacation, it’s important to ensure your selection features an optimal blend of adult activities and special highlights for the children. This includes everything from fine dining, relaxation spas, and lights-out live performances to water parks, sports games, youth programmes, and much more!

Here are several of the best family-friendly cruise lines to delight and excite kids and adults alike:

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is known for providing a wide range of high-quality onboard entertainment, as well as its “Freestyle Cruising” concept—eliminating dress codes and set dining times, to give guests more control over their experiences.

Kids enjoy plenty of fun onboard activities including water parks, rock climbing and repelling walls, climbing cages, and bowling lanes, a large sports complex, and more. Youth programmes cater to those 6 months to 17 years old. Late-night Group Sittings enable parents to enjoy their nights while ensuring their children are safe and entertained.

Adults can unwind with a luxuriating massage or beauty treatment at Mandara Cruise Spa, relax with a delicious drink at one of the speciality bars along The Waterfront, and take in the glorious surroundings on the adult-only private retreat Vibe Beach Club. Norwegian features a slew of fun nightlife experiences including nightly themed dance parties at sensational venues such as Bliss Ultra Lounge.

Bond as a family with award-winning Broadway musicals and incredible live concerts and comedy performances everyone can enjoy! Share delicious meals at internationally inspired speciality restaurants such as Brazilian steakhouse Moderno, and the sumptuous seafood selection of Ocean Blue, where children 12 and under eat free!

Norwegian Cruise Line also offers incredible selections of family-sized staterooms and suites, including a two-bedroom family villa with a private balcony for up to six guests, complete with a flat-screen TV, and personal bath. Guests take in the beautiful sights while spending quality time with their loved ones—all in the spacious comfort and luxury of their extraordinary cabins!

Carnival Cruise Line

No one does fun at sea quite like Carnival Cruise Line’s massive ships filled with family-friendly onboard activities and experiences.

Hailed as “The World’s Most Popular Cruise Line,” Carnival boasts a wide array of rides and activities for a fun and engaging time. Kids can cool off at WaterWorks, its deckside waterpark with waterslides, pools, sprayers, and a splash area. SportsSquare is an enormous games and sports complex featuring endless activities including volleyball, basketball, mini-golf, and even an elevated obstacle course called the SkyCourse for those who enjoy a challenge!

Parents can kick back at Cloud 9 Spa to destress with a massage or soak in the hydrotherapy pool, enjoy a Dive-In Movie by the poolside lounge, or relax at the adult-only Serenity Retreat. Try a speciality cocktail at Alchemy Bar or catch a show at Punchliner Comedy Club for a hearty laugh. With Carnival, you have countless options for a great time!

Explore jaw-dropping sights and iconic attractions with guided tours and port excursions at some of the most exciting and exotic destinations in the world—including Australia, the South Pacific, New Zealand, Asia, and more!

Book a Family Harbor Suite for a comfy, spacious stateroom with nautical-themed decor, luxurious amenities, and access to Family Harbor Lounge, a private recreation spot with plenty of snack games and activities including board games, family movies, video games, and more.

Royal Caribbean International

If you’re searching for a cruise line that will give you and your loved ones the royal treatment, look no further than Royal Caribbean. Its incredible fleet of state-of-the-art ships provides an exceptional and wholly one-of-a-kind experience—perfect for multigenerational travellers and kids of all ages.

While each ship features its own unique offerings and aesthetics, expect plenty of fun onboard activities, high-level services, and luxurious amenities for the entire family!

Children can enjoy the award-winning Adventure Ocean Youth Program featuring a selection of teen clubs and lounges, arcades, theaters, and even a family library—or spend the day at the H20 Zone Water Park for a wet and wild time with water cannons, pools, waterfalls, and more.

Parents can try their hand at activities such as the surfing simulator FlowRider, simulated skydiving experience Ripcord by iFLY, or check out a stunning virtual concert performance!

Enjoy some high-quality family time together with a ride on the North Star—an elevated platform providing guests an unobstructed, 360-degree panoramic view more than 300 feet above sea level. Take on the Royal Escape Room - Mission Control: Apollo 18 for a fun and exciting bonding session working together to search for clues, solve puzzles, and complete an exciting lunar exploration mission!

Settle in for the night in one of Royal Caribbean’s Ultimate Family Suites for pure oceanic luxury! These boast a variety of premium features and amenities such as jacuzzis, private balconies, master bedrooms, and game rooms with a selection of games and activities including table tennis, video game systems, board games—and even a life-size version of Connect Four! Guests also enjoy access to VIP perks, complimentary drinks, speciality dining options, and more.

With so many things to see and do, you’ll never be bored while onboard.

Work with InteleTravel to Plan Your Fantastic Family Cruise!

Organising the perfect family cruise demands a lot of work and time. Whether choosing the right cruise line, selecting the ideal itinerary, booking the best stateroom, or simply ensuring you get the most value out of your trip, the best way to plan your seafaring adventure is by working with an InteleTravel Advisor!

Our qualified team of certified travel professionals boast experience, expertise, and connections to arrange and book every aspect of your trip—while providing you with assistance and support throughout your journey! They also secure valuable travel upgrades and exclusive bonuses to further enhance your experience!

Contact an InteleTravel Advisor today to get started planning your family-friendly cruise vacation!

Setting off on a fun family cruise is a phenomenal way to spend time with the people you care about most, in a new and exciting setting out on the open sea.

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