Best family cruises: fun for all ages
Fancy setting sail for your next family holiday? We've rounded up 8 of the best kid-friendly cruises that depart from the UK and beyond, including all-inclusive cruises, cruises with family suites, themed cruises and cruises with waterslides.
Cruises are a brilliant idea for family holidays – you get the chance to visit multiple destinations without lots of long "are we there yet?" journeys, and all your holidaying needs and desires, from accommodation and food to entertainment and activities, are catered for in one place.
Many cruises depart from UK ports too, so the fun can start as soon as you embark, plus you don't have to worry about luggage allowance or trying to keep kids entertained on a flight.
Once on board, you'll find endless activities to keep you and your brood entertained, plus excellent kids' clubs so you can make the most of some of the adults-only facilities like the spa (or just time for a sunbathe without someone asking for another snack!).
On the subject of food, you'll be spoiled for choice with multiple restaurants and cafés to choose from every day. Plus, all the cruises we've included below offer buffets and kids' menus, so even fussy children will be in foodie heaven.
With so many companies sailing the high seas and a whole fleet of amazing ships to choose from, finding a family-friendly cruise liner that appeals to everyone in your family can be tricky.
To help you find the perfect kid-friendly cruise holiday for you, we've researched the best family cruises that will delight all ages, including babies and toddlers, school-age kids and even those notoriously hard-to-impress teenagers.
You'll also find options for the best multi-generational cruises if grandparents are tagging along for the fun as well as luxurious family cruises if you're pushing the boat out – and budget family cruises if you're not.
We've left no stone unturned in our quest to bring you the best family cruises, asking members of our Top Testers Club, who are regular cruisers, to share their top tips for cruising with little ones, including which ships they rate and go back to time and time again.
So, if you want your first family cruise to be plain sailing from start to finish, read on for our advice on everything from which rooms to book for families and what to pack, to how to get the best deals and which cruise liners are best for kids of all ages.
Best family friendly cruises at a glance:
- Best for kids of all ages: MSC Cruises
- Best for babies and toddlers: P&O Cruises
- Best for themed fun: Disney Cruise Line
- Best for multigenerational travel: Norwegian Cruise Line
- Best for teenagers: Royal Caribbean
- Best for exploring the world: Princess Cruises
- Best for a budget, all-inclusive family cruise: Marella Cruises
- Best for a luxurious family experience: Celebrity Cruises
The best family friendly cruises for 2025
MSC Cruises
Best cruise for kids of all ages
Best ships for families: MSC Virtuosa, MSC Euribia, MSC World Europa and MSC Seascape
Best family cabins: MSC Super Family Cabins or Family Comfort connecting cabins
MSC Cruises have recently been awarded both Best Cruise Line for Families and Best Family Cruise Line so they really know what they're doing when it comes to making both kids and adults happy on holiday. As well as five different kids' clubs starting at under 1 and going up to age 17, there's so much to do on each ship that you'll never hear the dreaded phrase: "I'm bored". Think aqua parks, swimming pools, bowling alleys, arcades, zip lines, VR experiences and entire days dedicated to LEGO!
"We love MSC Cruises," says Kelly from our MadeForMums Top Testers Club. "Children under 2 travel for free, which is a bonus, and they're very family oriented with a children's pool, and a children's area in the dining room with foods they are more familiar with like pizza, chips, tomato pasta, veggies and fruit. They also have a kids club where they have sessions you can stay with your children and sessions you can leave them with the staff."
You'll also find brilliant family cabins on board MSC ships, kids' menus in all restaurants and even the option to sit with your kids while they eat and then have them taken to the kids' club while you enjoy a more leisurely and sophisticated adult meal. And even when you're not on the ship, family comes first with special family specific excursions that go at a slower pace and focus on sights that children will love too.
We went on the MSC Virtuosa and I was blown away. It was perfect for families – so much food and so much to do. We loved it so much we've booked a 2 week one in August! My boys actually chose to go to kids' club instead of hanging out with us and the club runs from morning until 10/11pm and it’s all included. They feed them and everything!
Virtuosa is a great choice if you've got slightly older kids or teens in tow with a high ropes course, indoor football pitch, racing waterslides, a 4D cinema, arcade and an F1 simulator that would impress even the trickiest teen. The ship also has a Teen Zone for kids 13+ which hosts sports tournaments and discos in the evening. Virtuosa even has a bartender robot for kids to order mocktails from!
"We did an MSC cruise from Orlando to some Caribbean islands," says Kate, mum to a 1 year old and 3 year old. "It was an amazing trip, felt relaxing and there was something to keep us all busy and entertained. The splash pads for the small ones, availability of food all the time and kids club amenities were all amazing. But the best part was being able to venture to multiple places but not have to pack and move hotels."
As well as all the family-friendly amenities, including the option to request buggies, cots and other baby items on board, MSC also does some great deals for kids including kids under 18 sailing for free on some winter cruises. Plus, the cruise line sails to 100s on destinations around the world with short and long itineraries to choose from.
"We had a week on MSC World Europa last summer round the Med with our 3 year old," says Jemma from our Top Testers Club. "We had a fantastic time. Plenty for our little one to do and she also enjoyed doing the shore excursions with us. MSC have fantastic kids' clubs and whilst we didn’t leave her unattended at all, it was still great for her. She also loved the food options, the entertainment and the many swimming pools."
P&O Cruises
Best cruise for babies and toddlers
Best ships for families: Arvia and Iona
Best family cabins: Family suites or Inside and Oceanview cabins with pull-down beds
P&O's newest and biggest Excel Class ships, the Arvia and Iona, are luxurious playgrounds for both kids and their parents. These huge cruise liners have everything from high rope courses and sky dome swimming pools to four-screen cinema and kids' shows in the huge theatre.
With a Splash Zone valley and well-regarded kids' clubs, these ships are particularly good for younger children and were really highly rated by members of our Top Testers Club who took babies and toddlers with them on a cruise.
"We went on Arvia with our 22-month-old boy and it was a great family ship," says Carla-Louise. "There was a little play room and a bar with a soft play in that we loved. The best feature was a night nursery where you can leave your sleeping baby with fully trained staff while you explore the ship. It's the perfect way to holiday with toddlers as you can leave from Southampton so miss the uncertainty of plane behaviour."
The kids' clubs run for children from 6 months old - 17 years old and are beautifully decorated with age-appropriate activities and flooded with natural light rather than many ships where they're in windowless inside rooms. The real bonus is the night nursery for 6 months - 4 years so parents can enjoy a smart meal or some entertainment while their child is looked after.
"We found out cruises were fab holidays with little ones when ours were 2 and 4," says Chelsea. "P&O are who we go with and the kids' club, which gives you time to yourself and is included in the price, is what makes it. It's open from 10am until 11pm and the kids love it because there are so many activities planned in the day, including family theatre shows and kids tea at 5pm each day."
And while there's no luggage restriction, other than what you can fit in your cabin, the beauty of P&O for little ones is that they can provide everything you need so you can save room in your suitcase for your outfits rather than trying to stuff a steriliser in...
"Our second family cruise was with P&O and our 20 month old," says Stacey. "They are particularly family friendly as you can request baby jars, a steriliser, a baby bath etc. The food was good, service good and food readily available most of the day. The ship we went on had a soft play area in one of the entertainment bars, which was fabulous. There are rooms for different age children and loads of entertainment. The splash pad was amazing too."
My son is 3 and he’s done 6 weeks of P&O cruises in his life. We love it. So far we’ve only sailed from Southampton as there’s no limit to what we can take, which is ideal when travelling with a baby or toddler! P&O prices for under 2s are great!
With Southampton being P&O's primary port, both Arvia and Iona mostly sail from the UK to a whole host of destinations both hot and cold – such as Norway, the Mediterranean and even the Caribbean, so you can see lots of the world as a family. This is a real draw for some parents:
"We've sailed with P&O twice a year for a while now," says Claire, from our Top Tester Club. "The kids' clubs are fantastic, the night nursery is amazing for little ones, and the service overall can't be beaten. It's fantastic for exposing the children to lots of different places, cultures, and languages, but with the convenience of sailing for Southampton with no luggage limits!"
Disney Cruise Line
Best cruise for themed fun
Best ships for families: All Disney ships
Best family cabins: Family staterooms
It doesn't get much more child-friendly than an entire cruise line dedicated to Disney! Both big and little Disney fans will be in heaven on any of this cruise company's ships, with the entertainment being a particular highlight and the chance for kids to meet some of their favourite characters.
Disney Fantasy sails from Southampton and the ship is like a floating Disney theme park. There's the chance to dine in themed restaurants with Disney characters, a stage showing West End-style Disney musicals, such as Frozen and Aladdin, and fun water activities such as a 765-foot long water coaster with lazy river and multiple swimming pools. Add in deck parties, fireworks at sea and a huge cinema showing favourite films and it's paradise for Disney fans.
For adults there's an entire Adult District to retreat to and a spa, plus plenty of themed and age-appropriate kids' clubs if you want to enjoy some down time. If you're travelling with tweens and teens you'll want to make sure they still love Disney because it's pretty hard to escape the Disney magic. There are dedicated amenities and activities for teens though, including a teens-only lounge and spa for kids aged 14-17 as well as a lounge for 11 to 14 year olds with a dance floor and video game area.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Best cruise for multigenerational travel
Best ships for families: Norwegian Prima Class and Breakaway Plus Class
Best family cabins: The Haven, Family Suites and Family Rooms
There's something for everyone on Norwegian Cruise Lines' newest ships – such as Aqua, Prima, Encore and Bliss – from parent and child play activities at Guppies club for babies (6+ months) and toddlers and a dedicated teen club and arcade area for older kids to adult only activities like spas, smart restaurants and excellent theatre shows.
Grandparents could splash out on luxurious hospitality by booking a suite in The Haven, a private butler-attended area of suites with infinity pools and luxe service. Or if you want to keep the whole family together, it's really easy to book interconnecting rooms or suites and there are discounts and benefits for booking 5 cabins or more.
Other amazing activities on some ships that the whole family can enjoy together include mini golf, ping pong, tidal wave slides, a multi-deck go kart track and swimming pools.
"Norwegian Cruise Line have added lots of activities onboard recently," says Laura, mum to three teens and an adult. "Their newest ship, the Aqua even has the first ever water coaster, while its sister ship the Prima has a go karting track! Sometimes it’s hard to believe you’re at sea! We also loved the plunge pools on the lower deck aside from the main pool, teenage clubs that are great for hanging out and meeting others and the choice of food, from the main dining hall to the speciality restaurants. There’s something for everyone."
Royal Caribbean
Best cruise for teenagers
Best ships for families: Wonder of the Seas (fly and cruise option), Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas
Best family cabins: Ultimate Family Suites and connecting family cabins
Even the most hard t0 impress teenagers can't fail to crack a smile at everything on offer on board Royal Caribbean's cruise liners. With everything from dedicated teen chill out spaces with games consoles and music as well as surf simulators, glow in the dark laser tag and a Sports Bar and Arcade, there's plenty to keep them happy.
"The best cruise line for teenagers would have to be Royal Caribbean," says Laura, mum to 3 teens. "They have worked hard to put so much into their ships, from water slides, to aqua shows alongside the usual high quality West End-style shows. Nothing has been compromised to enable so much variety on one ship."
Teens, tweens and younger kids will also love the mini golf, zip lines, water slides and splash parks on many of the ships as well as special theatre shows and musicals just for kids.
If you really want to earn some parenting brownie points and are looking for cruises with family suites, dig deep and book your family into an Ultimate Family Suite, which comes with its own slide (yep, kids can actually slide out of bed downstairs), games room, cinema, table tennis and balcony (only on the newest ships that don't sail from Southampton yet).
Book your Royal Caribbean cruise
Princess Cruises
Best cruise for exploring the world
Best ships for families: Sky Princess, Emerald Princess and Enchanted Princess (from Southampton), Caribbean Princess (fly and cruise)
Best family cabins: Mini Suites and Family Suites
For some families the thrill of cruising is the ship itself and the destinations visited are an added bonus. However, if you love to cruise because it gives you the chance to explore the world and see many more places than you might by other means of travelling, then Princess Cruises will more than deliver.
Princess are known for their amazing excursions, immersive on shore experiences and chance to discover different cultures. You won't simply pitch up at a port and be left to your own devices thanks to expert guides and family-friendly itineraries. Princess Cruises sail to 330 ports on 7 continents and are well known for their Alaska itineraries (although this would involve flying first for UK families).
On board there's plenty to delight families while you're waiting to get to the next destination, including separate play spaces and areas for toddlers, tweens and teens, as well as splash pads on some ships, pools, ping pong, mini golf, shuffleboard and more.
And parents will have great peace of mind if they book MedallionClass (a wearable device that allows you to locate your kids anywhere on the ship!) so you can give them some freedom without worrying how to find them again.
Marella Cruises
Best budget all-inclusive family cruise
Best ships for families: Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2 and Marella Voyager
Best family cabins: Family Balcony and Family Junior Suites
Marella is TUI's cruise line and so you can expect the same brilliantly budget-friendly and family-focussed resort-style experience as you would when booking a package holiday with them. Marella's ships are smaller than some of the other major lines, carrying around 2,000 passengers or less so are a more intimate option, sailing to destinations around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and short family cruises around the British Isles.
They might be smaller ships, but they're packed with family-friendly activities and facilities, including kids' clubs from 3 -17, tots stay-and-play sessions, escape rooms, climbing walls, mini golf courses and indoor-and-outdoor cinemas as well as entertaining shows for both kids and adults. You'll also find plenty of shore excursions tailored for families and special family cabins that can fit up to 7 people inside.
The best bit is that all Marella Cruises are all-inclusive family cruises, so once you've paid you know that all your food, drinks, entertainment and excursions are taken care of, so any spending money is just for buying souvenirs at each destination.
Celebrity Cruises
Best cruise for a luxurious family experience
Best ships for families: Celebrity Apex (from Southampton), Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent (fly and cruise options)
Best family cabins: Family-friendly staterooms
Family-friendly cruises don't mean you have to wave goodbye to luxury and plenty of ships combine kid-based activities and entertainment with five-star service and amenities that adults will love too. Celebrity Cruises are particularly well-known for offering a first-class cruising experience with cool modern features such as the magic carpet that moves up and down the outside of the Celebrity Edge and Celebrity Apex ships and works as a restaurant, bar and entertainment space.
For families, there's a brilliant Camp at Sea club, an excellent range of age-specific kids' clubs for kids age 3 - 12, plus there are separate hang out spaces for younger kids and teens to enjoy. Celebrity are particularly good for neurodiverse children, having trained staff and invested in sensory toys and games.
You won't find loads of water slides and splash pads on Celebrity ships – it's more about classic pools, excellent entertainment and tailored on shore itineraries. To really treat your family to luxury book a suite in The Retreat, where there's a lot more space to spread out together as a family.
How to get the best deals on family-friendly cruises
- Book early... or last-minute. Plan ahead and compare offers from multiple cruise lines, travel agents, and deal aggregator websites. Booking early often secures the best cabins and early-bird discounts, but last-minute deals can also be excellent if you're flexible with dates.
- Look out for family-specific promotions, such as "kids sail free" offers or onboard credit packages that include free dining or activities.
- Travelling during off-peak periods, such as term-time or shoulder seasons (spring and autumn), can significantly reduce costs if you have young children that don't need to be in school.
- Sign up for newsletters from cruise line companies that you want to travel with as well as price alerts to help you stay informed about flash sales and exclusive discounts.
- Book during 'Wave Season' from January to March when there are extra discounts and offers.
- Consider Inside Cabins - these can be much cheaper than other cabins and if your ship has plenty of activities and excursions you won't spend much time in your room.
- Book a large family as one group to make the most of multi cabin booking discounts and perks.
- Join the cruise line's loyalty programme for exclusive offers, discounts and the chance to amass loyalty points.
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