Cruising is a life-changing experience for the whole family.
Making memories and living in the moment is easy on a cruise, and even easier if all members of the family are happy and enjoying their time onboard.
We sometimes hear that cruising has a stigma of being targeted towards an adult demographic. While that applies to some lines and routes, it’s also far from the truth for others.
When we asked our travel specialists their thoughts on cruising for families, they were eager to tell us about the amazing family-friendly options available.
These are the top three cruise lines from our travel specialist feedback:
Disney Cruise Line
Disney is known for family excitement and magic, and their cruises are no exception.
Everything onboard has been carefully designed to maximize fun and Disney magic. Staterooms are also family-friendly with fold out couches, bunk beds and division bathrooms.
Onboard there are three themed pools; two of which are kid friendly and one adult only, a theater and cinema where you can find Disney theatrical plays and new releases, as well as, a Disney lounge with interactive games for children of all ages.
That’s not all, Disney offers three themed programs:
The Oceaneer Club is targeted at kids aged 3-12yrs old, this area features themed play rooms. Each theme relates to a different Disney movie; kids can enjoy interactive games and storytelling
The Oceaneer Lab is open to children of all ages; it features an animator suite and sound studio…. Now, that might even attract some adults! There is also a nursery available to children aged 6month – 3 yrs old.
Edge is a teen haven, targeted at tweens and teens between the ages of 11-14yrs. This very chilled out environment features karaoke, video games, and a coffee style lounge shop.
Another big draw of Disney Cruises is their private island Castaway Cay, available to visit on Bahamian and Caribbean cruises. There are ample amount of things to do and see on this island including a family-friendly beach, Serenity Bay – an 18+ beach, teen hideaway, snorkeling lagoon, Pelican Plunge – water park, Scuttle’s Cove – bubble and fun park, sports beach and shade lounge.
Princess Cruises
Princess offers an adventure themed experience for the whole family. Larger ships offer more family-friendly features, with newer ships being renovated to accommodate a wide variety of family fun.
Most ships feature three pools- two for families and one splash pool for younger children. There’s a large outdoor theater on deck playing movies, sports, and award shows.
Princess has created Camp Discovery, included in the camp are these three areas:
Treehouse: was built with 3-7yrs old in mind, there are lots of things to explore and discover in this adventure play area. Including scavenger hunts, storytelling, and interactive games.
Lodge: is targeted to the 8-12yrs old group. Inside lodge, you will find a jungle gym play space with tournaments, themed parties, science experiments, and much more.
Beach House: is for the teens aged 13-17. There’s a lot going on in this area with a private hot tub, tournament style sports, interactive games and lounge type hangouts.
The adventure doesn’t stop there; Princess offers on shore excursions for children of all age groups keeping with the adventure theme. Excursions vary depending on the port.
Holland America
Holland America brings family fun back to its roots with amazing options for all age groups, without over stimulation.
They offer a great Culinary Arts Program that focuses on cooking technique, style and kid friendly eating options. For teens, they offer an entire deck devoted to their enjoyment, accessible through a tunnel this deck features waterfall pools, custom juice bar and themed night club events.
Club HAL is a group of programs designed for kid and teen entertainment.
HAL Kids: is targeted towards the 3-7yrs age group offering storytelling, arts and crafts, and cooking classes.
HAL Tweens: is for the 8-12yrs age group with lots of amusement options, including video games, karaoke, sport, scavenger hunts, swim parties, and tournaments.
The Oasis: is the private area for teens aged 13-17yrs. Here you will find fitness classes, cooking classes, dance classes, education learning/ science experiments, a disco and Olympic-style sports tournaments.
Holland America does a wonderful job of keeping everyone happy, entertained and enjoying life while onboard.
Create unique memories with the whole family
Travelling has a way of bringing people together of all ages. The experience and enjoyment you will receive from a simple family vacation, is unforgettable and good for the soul at any age.
Cruising can also be a great option for multi-generational travel because of its diverse offerings available all on one ship.
