My Picks for the Best Family Cruise Vacations

A cruise is a great way to travel for a family vacation, whether you have 2 people or hundreds.  With today’s ships there is so much to do and there is something for everyone.  You can do as much or as little as you wish!  When I started my business over six years ago, I knew that I wanted to focus on family cruises.  Having four children between my husband and I, we know first-hand how challenging it can be to plan a vacation for six, much less plan one that makes everyone happy!  Knowing that I am not the only one in that boat, I have focused on creating family vacations that keep the kids happy and the parents relaxed (and sane!).

Here are some of my favorites for family cruise vacations, in no particular order.

Disney Cruise Line:  There is really nothing like a Disney cruise.  Let me start off by saying that yes, Disney cruises can be twice the cost of other cruises (sometimes more), but you do get what you are paying for.  I like Disney cruises for families with younger children.  The ships are absolutely gorgeous!  The access to the Disney characters is incredible.  The kids club is very large and has so much to offer for the kiddos, you might not even get to see your kids often it is so much fun!  The staterooms on board Disney are very spacious and are smartly designed.  They are larger than other cruise lines’ standard rooms and have a split bathroom design (sink and shower/tub in one room and toilet and sink in another).  This makes getting ready much easier!  Disney’s rotational dining is also a hit.  There are three main dining rooms that you rotate through and your wait staff travels with you.  If you have younger kids, Disney is definitely worth it.  To get a taste, try a 3 night sailing on the Disney Dream, which departs Friday afternoon and returns Monday morning.  For some savings, go off season.  My husband and I always say that if Disney had a casino we would sail without the kids!  Yes, there is no casino on board.  The kids club is so large, not sure they could even fit one in!  You can read one of my Disney Dream reviews here.

Norwegian Cruise Line:  I absolutely LOVE the new Norwegian ships (Epic, Breakaway, Getaway and Escape).  The Freestyle cruising makes Norwegian ideal for families.  There are no set dining times, no formal nights.  I don’t know about you, but our kids do not want to dress for dinner.  It’s hard enough to get them to meet us for dinner, let alone get dressed up!  The food on board these ships is incredible and there are so many dining options if you choose to take advantage of them.  There are plenty of included dining spots, but lots of other options that have either a cover charge or a’ la carte pricing that are definitely worth it.  When we travel with all the kids, we usually end up in adjoining balcony rooms, which makes it nice.  The kids have one room and their own bathroom and we parents have the same.  Norwegian also has an area called The Haven on some ships, which is an exclusive area accessed by key card only.  It is amazing!  You have a butler, concierge, and your own pool, lounge, bar, restaurant … talk about being spoiled!  We are actually doing the Haven over the summer with the kids in a 2 bedroom suite.  We cannot wait!  There are plenty of areas for the kids as well and lots of places for them to venture off to, whether it’s the arcade, pool or kids club.  The price point on Norwegian is good as well, and if you are able to combine it with one of the promos that Norwegian has been running it is a very good value.

Carnival Cruise Line:  This is one of our most popular lines when we sail with family.  The value is excellent and there are quite a few options for adjoining rooms if needed.  The service is always very good and the food is very good as well.  The atmosphere is fun for all of us and the ships are very nicely designed.  Carnival has some great itineraries as well.   The kids love roaming around the ship too.  We place some money on their account for spending so they can use it as they wish.  The most popular is the Cherry on Top (candy store) and the arcade.  The Carnival Vista comes out very soon, I am so excited to see this new ship.  We will be on board in November for our National Conference.

Royal Caribbean:  I love the environment of the larger Royal Caribbean ships.  They have a design unlike any other with the Royal Promenade down the center of the ship.  These ships feel so open and roomy.  Of course having the largest ships at sea helps too!  The larger of the Royal Caribbean ships (Voyager Class, Freedom Class, Oasis Class and Quantum Class) are a family vacationers dream.  There is so much to do on board for everyone such as ice skating, cupcake decorating, surf simulators, rock climbing, a carousel (Oasis Class), bumper cars (Quantum Class) and much more.  Plenty of food choices around as well, included and some for an additional fee.  The kids clubs are fantastic on board as well.  You can read my review of Allure of the Seas here and my review of Quantum of the Seas here.

So, are you ready to start looking for your next family cruise?  Give me a call and I can help with the entire process.   Keep in mind that by using CruiseOne Freer & Associates as your travel agent, you are getting incredible service at no additional charge!  Having been on over 30 cruises, and doing extensive training, I can help you find the perfect cruise vacation for your family, whether it is a small family traveling, or a large family reunion!  Give me a call today for details 888-882-5793!  I can also be reached via email, or feel free to browse my website for information.  I look forward to working with you!