7 of the best family-friendly cruises with activities for kids

Independent

05-02-2025

Keeping the kids entertained on holiday can be stressful but many cruise brands are well prepared for their younger passengers.
A cruise can be a great way to enjoy a family holiday with kids of all ages. Children will have fun sleeping on bunk beds or sharing a sofa bed in family cabins or even with interconnecting rooms.
The main dining rooms usually have kids' menus and there will be dedicated sections in the buffet with child-friendly dishes if your little ones are picky, such as pizza, burgers and hot dogs.
For time away from their children, parents can sign their little loved ones up for free kids' clubs on board – this means you can have time to relax onboard and visit adult-only areas while your kids are entertained and can make their own friends.
Many ships also have attractive activities outside of the kids' club that the whole family can enjoy, such as sports areas for football, tennis, pickleball and basketball, as well as karaoke and quizzes.
Some ships have become floating entertainment resorts with swimming pools, waterparks, slides and even rock climbing walls, bumper cars and ice-skating rinks.
Here is our pick of the best cruise lines for a family-friendly holiday.
Disney Cruise Line
Disney Cruise Line is the ultimate family-friendly cruising brand.
There are meet-and-greets and immersive dining experiences across the fleet so you are almost guaranteed a picture with Mickey and other fan favourites.
Waterslides and rides are an important part of Disney cruise ships and attractions differ per vessel.
Disney Dream and Fantasy passengers can enjoy the AquaDuck, a 765-feet long water coaster around the ship that finishes in a lazy river.
Disney Magic has a more high-octane AquaDunk, where passengers start by standing in a slide before the floor drops and they plunge three-storeys down a waterslide.
The ship also has a more child-friendly double-looping Twist and Spout waterslide in the onboard AquaLab waterpark.
The Twist and Spout waterslide can also be found on Disney Wonder
Disney Wish and Treasure have an AquaMouse water coaster that takes passengers on a wet and rocky journey through a tube around the ship while being entertained - and splashed - while watching a classic Mickey cartoon.
If you want time away from the kids, there is babysitting available for an extra fee in the It's a Small World Nursery. For those aged three to 10, the free onboard Oceaneer kids' clubs cater for all different types of fans.
Oceaneers can hang with Woody and friends in the Toy Story-themed Andy's Room on Magic, Dream, Fantasy and Wonder.
Kids can also join the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars themed room on Dream, Wish and Treasure.
Alternatively, they can hone their world saving skills in the Marvel Super Hero Academy on Magic, Wish, Fantasy and Treasure.
There is also a more craft-orientated Fairytale Hall aboard Treasure that has three princess-themed rooms, Rapunzel's Art Studio, Belle's Library and Anna and Elsa's Sommerhus.
The ships also cater for tweens, with an Edge lounge for 11- to 14-year-olds where passengers will find a dance floor, music and video games.
Those aged 14-17 can also use the Vibe teens-only lounge and there is even a dedicated spa for this age group aboard Disney Dream, Fantasy and Magic.
MSC Cruises
The daily planner on MSC Cruises is packed with family fun including quizzes and pool games, while ships such as MSC World Europa offer bumper cars and roller skating in the Sportsplex.
Many of its ships such as MSC Virtuosa, Euribia and World Europa have onboard arcades, 4D cinemas and F1 simulators.
You will also find great waterparks and slides. For example, MSC Virtuosa and Euribia have an aqua park, high-speed racing slides and also a high-ropes course that takes you over the sea.
MSC Seaside has a zip-line that takes you from deck 20 to 18 while getting a 360-degree view of the ship and the water.
MSC World Europa has interactive waterslides, including one where you wear a virtual reality headset and another with a scary vertical drop at the start.
There is also the Venom dry drop slide that takes you on a fast and thrilling ride down 12-decks, providing great views of the ship.
MSC Cruises has five dedicated kids' clubs, from ones for babies all the way up to age 17, across its fleet.
Parents can attend MSC Baby Time play sessions with children up to age three and there is also a Baby Care service during set time slots where you can leave your child while you enjoy the ship.
Both services are free and allow a maximum of 15 babies at a time.
The Mini Club welcomes children aged three to six years and passengers can play with Lego and take part in other events such as sports activities. There is also a family disco with kids' club mascot Doremi.
Passengers aged seven to 11 can attend the Junior Club, which hosts Masterchef at Sea Juniors baking competitions as well as football tournaments. Video games and karaoke sessions are also available.
Young Club caters for 12- to 14-year-old and has more of a chill out atmosphere with football tables, interactive games and movie sessions, as well as sports tournaments and a space to socialise and make new friends.
Teenagers aged 15 to 17 can attend Teen Club, with activities including sports, dance contests and Wii, Xbox and PS4 competitions; there is also a teen disco each evening.
Princess Cruises
Princess Cruises may not offer the massive waterslides of other family-focused cruise ships but it is still kid-friendly with onboard swimming pools, games, actives and entertainment for all ages.
Currently, passengers can enjoy the Reef Family Splash Zone aboard Caribbean Princess, an interactive splash pad with a giant whale feature that will entertain kids of all ages with showers, sprays and a water jet from the whale's spout.
A family-focused area with pickleball and basketball courts, as well as a jogging track and splash pad is set to feature on Star Princess when it launches in October 2025.
For those worried about safety on board, parents can easily keep track of where their kids are through the Medallion wearable device that each passenger is given.
You and your kids can also have fun spotting Stanley, a cuddly bear who takes part in photo opportunities, crafts and storytime sessions.
For kids' clubs, The Treehouse offers activities such as crafts and games for three to seven-year-olds surrounded by fluffy toys.
There is a space for eight to 12 called The Lodge, which has sports activities, games consoles, air-hockey, table tennis and board games and a hang-out lounge
Young passengers can also take part in Jr.Chef@Sea cake decorating competitions.
Teenagers up to age 17 are given a beach-themed lounge to socialise in and there are movie nights, table football and a Rock the Boat Party.
Royal Caribbean
Many Royal Caribbean ships are a paradise for thrill-seekers of all ages.
Icon of the Seas boasts the largest waterpark and waterslide at sea - Frightening Bolt - among its six onboard slides.
But you will find top slides and attractions across the fleet.
One is Perfect Storm, which is a complex of slides including a speedy headfirst slide through translucent tubes.
It is available on Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships — Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas as well as Explorer of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.
Several ships such as Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas have a FlowRider surfing simulator
For more dry attractions, you will find rock climbing walls, bumper cars and ice skating as well as the iFLY skydiving simulator on ships such as Anthem of the Seas.
Additionally, Quantum of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas also have a North Star observation capsule, giving passengers an aerial view more than 300 feet above the ship and sea.
If you want brain teasers, some ships including Navigator of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas have escape rooms.
If that's not enough to keep them occupied, Royal Caribbean also has kids' clubs.
Aquanauts aged three to five are invited to Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean area, featuring a soft play, toys and science experiments.
Royal Caribbean's Explorers programme for six to eight-year-olds has educational scientific sessions such as Fossil Fever and Meteorology Madness as well as arts and crafts and dance parties.
Nine to 11-year-olds can attend the Voyagers club, which organises sports tournaments and video game competitions.
From age 12, tweens and teenagers can hang out and play table football in the The Living Room, watch films in the Fuel Teen Club or play in the onboard arcades.
P&O Cruises
There is lots of family fun to be found on P&O Cruises' ships.
Five of the British brand's ships are child-friendly, Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Ventura and Azura.
During school holidays, ships such as Azura, Iona and Arvia let tots, teens and grown-ups learn circus skills, join a unicorn workshop sign up to superhero school or enjoy pirate and dino-themed shows in the Ocean Performance Academy
There are also meet-and-greets with Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep as well as family shows with Sooty and Sweep and Basil Brush.
For kids' clubs, six-month to two-year-olds can play with age-appropriate toys and games (when accompanied by an adult).
If you want babysitting while you relax, there is also a night nurse for children aged six months to four-years-old.
Toddlers up to age four can attend Splashers, which has a softplay area, toys, books and activities.
Five to eight-year-olds can sign up for Surfers, where passengers can watch movies and create their own puppet shows. Nine to 12-year-olds are invited to the Scubas room, which features air hockey, computer games, pool and chill-out areas.
From age 13 to 17, children can socialise in the H2O Children's Club where there are party and quiz nights as well as a fitness club.
Cunard
Cunard may be better-known for its luxury experience, but that doesn't exclude the kids.
Its Play Zone for ages two to seven across all ships features themed days, arts and crafts, games, books, puzzles, toys and computer games.
There is also a sheltered outdoor play area where youngsters can ride on cars and tricycles.
From age eight to 12, the Kids' Zone arranges sports games, arts and crafts activities and of course games consoles competitions such as Mario Kart.
In the Teen Zone, for 13- to 17-year-olds, teenagers can take part in deck sports, discos, quizzes as well as tennis tournaments and team games.
There may not be any slides on the Cunard fleet but there are plenty of swimming pools on its ship, with five on Queen Mary 2. Kids are also welcome to enjoy Cunard's trademark white-glove afternoon tea.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line will offer the world's first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide at sea on its newest ship Aqua when it launches in April 2025. There will also be a 10-storey vertical drop-slide and pickleball court.
Passengers can also find water parks and slides such as the Epic plunge that ends in a large water bowl on Norwegian Epic.
Kids' clubs or youth programmes are available on most Norwegian ships except for Norwegian Spirit.
There is a Splash Academy kids' club for ages three to 12 that features game shows, sports challenges and scavenger hunts.