Cruise Lines for Families: Taking Kids on a Vacation in 2025
They say the journey is better than the destination. The adage becomes most true when you go on a cruise for your family vacation. While a flight takes you faster to your destination, it’s a cruise ride that gives you time to enjoy more as a family. You also get to have personal time while your family members indulge in activities on the cruise.
With a tremendous rise in cruise vacations, more and more people are searching for cruise lines for families.
Source: Cruise Lines International Association
The data shown above is the result of a survey conducted by J. P. Morgan, and the stats we see are the figures released by the Cruise Lines International Association.
The graph clearly shows how the cruise industry has surpassed its pre-pandemic numbers, depicting a gradual and consistent rise for years to come.
But it’s not all about the numbers. If and when you want to go on family friendly vacations, the cruise options are galore.
We want to help you make an informed decision. And that’s why we are going to cover the best cruise lines for families in this guide. Read along to learn all the insights brought to you by Cruise Booking Zone, your trusted cruise vacations partner.
Why Book a Cruise for Families
Planning a perfect vacation means choosing the best destination(s), streamlining itineraries, and thinking of all the activities that engage everyone in the family. Now, a family may h ave kids, teens, or young adults, and everyone has their own definition of fun.
Meeting everyone’s expectations is an uphill task, and that’s where family cruise packages come to your rescue. Normally, people think a package is all about the money, but there’s more to it than meets the eye. A package is carefully crafted to give you the best bang for your buck. From dining to accommodation to on-board activities to shore excursions, everything is covered.
So, without further ado, let’s dig into the details that truly matter to you.
Best Cruise Lines for Families
As mentioned earlier, getting the best value for money is your top priority when looking for the best cruise lines for families. We have curated a list of cruise lines that offer a gamut of amenities, activities, and memorable experiences to make your vacations a true joy!
Royal Caribbean International
The brand is a mogul among all cruise lines, with a fleet comprising 24 ships that tame the ocean waves with their majestic size. All the ships are a city on the sea in their own right. While there’s always a cruise for families, the following ships are the most popular. We will cover the best ships according to the age of the kids, because when traveling with family, kids really want to have that vacation feeling.
Freedom of the Seas: Best Cruise Ship for Babies and Toddlers
The fact that babies and toddlers need personal attention at all times should not deter you from going on a vacation. When on board, you want to have as much fun as your kid(s). When you choose to sail with Freedom of the Seas, you get to have a great time as a family and as an individual.
The ship truly offers you freedom from mundane routine life. It offers a unique program, named Adventure Ocean Babies, where toddlers and babies can have a real baby time in a nursery. The program is not included in the package, but it’s worth every dime. The ship’s dedicated splash zone allows toddlers to have fun without you worrying about their safety. Royal Promenade is where your baby can also enjoy colorful and lively parades.
The ship also takes you to CocoCay, the private island where adults and toddlers can enjoy the beach sand as they like.
Icon of the Seas: For the Little Kids
We recommend the Icon of the Seas for kids between three to seven years of age. The largest ship in the fleet is also the largest cruise ship in the world. Its humongous size comes with a plethora of options that make it the best cruise for families with little kids.
Icon of the Seas is built keeping young families in mind. From junior waterslides to dry playground to fun activities, there’s a plethora of things to keep your young ones engaged and entertained on board. The fun doesn’t stop there, for Icon of the Seas has some of the best itineraries that transcend your voyage to a higher level.
Many cabins and suites surround Surfside, the open-air space on this ship. It allows your kids to access fun games easily, and when tired, going back to the cabin to get a good nap won’t be difficult, either.
If your kids love ice skating or want to enjoy diving shows, the ice skating rink and other venues are nearby. Given the size of the Icon of the Seas, access to engaging activities is surprisingly easy.
Wonder of the Seas: Best Family Cruise for Older Kids
Want to celebrate the eighth birthday of your child? Give them a surprise that makes their day memorable by taking them on a cruise. Wonder of the Seas is a haven for older kids. Some adventure activities, like zipline and FlowRider, have minimum height requirements. Other than that, the options are galore, from rock climbing to waterslides.
Other activities in Wonder of the Seas include the famous AquaTheater, Escape Room, arcade games, promenade parades, minigolf court, and a sports court. As kids love to engage in actual sports and visual treats, this ship is the perfect fit for them, making it one of the best cruise lines for families.
School vacations give you a good window to connect with your family while taking a break from routine life. If you are someone who works from home, a cruise is a great way to make the most of vacations without compromising productivity.
Odyssey of the Seas: Best Family Cruise for Teens
Teenage is a point in life where things have to make sense for them. They must be cool, they have to have some high-tech angle to it, and they should definitely be the “In” thing. Keep agreeing to them, and things are smooth as butter. Disagree once, and all hell breaks loose. Family friendly vacations should not turn into a nightmare for you or the kids. When looking for the best family cruise for teens, your search ends at Odyssey of the Seas.
The adventurous spirit of teenagers finds the perfect match on this ship. It offers attractions that are not available on any other Royal Caribbean ships, except for Quantum Class sister ships. If they want to try skydiving, Odyssey of the Seas offers RipCord by iFly, a crazy skydiving simulator. From virtual reality to bumper cars, from indoor basketball to table tennis, there’s so much to do that your teenage kids will love the vacation.
Silversea Cruises
Older child(ren) and teens who are more interested in a laid-back, luxurious experience and enjoy a calm and sophisticated journey, Silversea Cruises makes perfect sense for them. Personalised butler services, luxurious cabins, and rich cultural experiences are what define the Silversea experience the best.
Silversea Cruises caters to a very niche audience, and if you fall in that category, they offer amazing family cruise packages to choose from.
Final Words
Booking cruise lines for families is not a very complicated process. You need to take care of the following steps, and things can get really easy for you:
- Understand your and your family’s vacation style
- Set a budget for the vacation
- Research
- Be clear about the ship size
- Check itineraries
- Set cruise duration
- Explore adult and kids amenities
- Explore cabin options
- Explore excursion options
- Don’t forget to read the reviews
The ten-step process we mentioned here requires a lot of time and effort, and you also need to call various cruise lines. Even then, you won’t get the price that we can get you. How can we say so with so much confidence? Well, that’s because we have access to unpublished rates, and we also know which season saves you the most.
So, instead of doing all the hard work, do the smart work and call us now on our toll-free number. One call is all it takes to find the best cruise lines for families.
