It’s time to start thinking about your next family cruise holiday. We may still be clamped in the firm grasp of wintery showers and cold days, but remember, summer is on its way! That’s right, before we know it, we’ll be loving life on a cruise ship, as we sail to warmer and slightly more exotic climates!
Dozens of cruise lines are ideal for families and their holidays. Some offer way more than others in terms of features and facilities, but it all comes down to personal choice.
Ideal Family-Friendly ships
Many cruise lines offer family summer cruises. Booking the right one just depends on what your family is looking for and where you want to go. Popular regions include the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean, Norway and Northern Europe. Our entire selection of summer cruises is available on our website.
Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line & Norwegian Cruise Line
If your family seeks never-ending adrenalin and excitement, then consider the likes of Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line. These cruise lines offer some incredible onboard experiences, from water parks and dodgem cars to roller coasters and go-karting – there are even suspended activity courses on some ships!
The cruise ships all focus on exhilaration and getting the best out of each onboard facility that is available. Some ships to look at would include Oasis of the Seas, Disney Dream(perfect for Disney fans of any age), Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Pearl.
MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises
Also, MSC and Costa Cruises offer excellent Mediterranean Cruises on amazing ships with great activities for children like Costa Smeralda, Costa Toscana and MSC World Europa. Another good option is MSC Virtuosa sailing from Southampton to various destinations. But you’re not limited to these ships, quite the contrary. If you browse our website, you’ll find dozens of others that would also fit the criteria.
NCL Epic
P&O and Princess Cruises
Other lines that cater to families and still offer dedicated clubs and areas include P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises. These cruise lines are perfect for families that want to holiday together, but that also want to take advantage of downtime for the adults and supervised time for the kids. Some ships to consider would include P&O Azura, P&O Iona, Sun Princes and Regal Princess. As above, you’re not limited to these ships, and we would advise browsing our website for other options that would also be an ideal fit for your family.
Another key point is that every family-friendly cruise ship we feature offers a kids’ club or dedicated youth programme. There are often 3 different age groups and they apply for children aged from 2 to 17 years. Opening times for these clubs vary per line, but you’ll often find doors are open between the hours of 09:00 and 22:00 – depending on the age group.
Best destinations for families
The Mediterranean Cruise is undoubtedly one of the most popular regions during the summer for family cruises. Needless to say you have the option of dozens of fly-cruises. These include a selection of 7-night itineraries that are ideal for parents who can’t take 2 weeks off work. Destinations on these sailings often include the likes of Barcelona, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Monaco, Palma, Naples, Malta and many more.
On the other hand, no-fly cruises are also a great option if you want to avoid flying with your children. Many cruise ships are sailing from Southampton to the Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands, Northern European cities, Spain, Portugal & more!
Have we tempted you? If we have, you’ll find our selection of fabulous summer school holiday cruises on our website. We also have a dedicated section for Christmas & New Year Cruises and also Easter cruises.
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