Five of the Top Family Friendly Cruise Lines

If only there was a way to see multiple tropical islands without having to book a half dozen flights and hotel rooms, find restaurants and book entertainment for yourself throughout the trip. That would be a convenient way to see the world, right? That’s what cruise lines are for. They’re designed to take families, couples, singles, groups and anyone else interested in spending time in the open sea on vacations that encompass multiple locations across the world by doing all the work for you so that you can sit back, relax and enjoy. Imagine a European cruise that takes you to ports in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Croatia. Or imagine seeing three or four Caribbean islands at one time all while enjoying tropical sunshine and fruity drinks in between islands. That’s what is so amazing about cruises; you go everywhere and you need not do anything but book your cruise.

There are so many reasons to cruise that we could never list them all, but what most people want to know is whether or not there are any cruise lines that are good for families. And the answer is yes. Take it from me; I live without 2 hours of three different cruise ports and we’ve taken our kids on multiple cruises – it makes for a nice weekend getaway to the Bahamas when we’re feeling a bit restless and bored. We’ve been on three different cruise lines with them, and each one is amazing; but there are more cruise lines that love families and want to make sure yours has the vacation of a lifetime.

Disney Cruise Lines

It goes without saying that Disney is the best cruise line for families with small kids – and even families without kids, to be quite honest. As a lifelong Floridian and someone who lives very close to Disney, I can assure you that the entire goal of this company is to make sure families are having the time of their lives whether they are on a ship or in the middle of the parks. Whatever you want, Disney has. There are pools, characters, kid-friendly activities, meals, meet and greets with your favorite Disney characters, the most amazing kids club you’ll ever encounter and plenty of fun in the sun for the entire family. You will be quite hard-pressed to find a better cruise line on which to take your family to enjoy the vacation of a lifetime.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival is known as the Fun Ship, and that it is. I would not for a second recommend this cruise line for anyone not in a group or not with kids because it’s loud, it’s fun and it’s not romantic at all. But it’s great for kids and groups. The best part about Carnival, too, is that it’s one of the least expensive cruise lines. You can take the entire family on a three night Bahamas cruise out of almost any port in Florida for less than $200 per person most of the year. The cruise line is dedicated to making sure your kids have fun with kids’ activities, a cool kids’ club and so much more that’s enjoyable for the entire family.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

You will not find as many children on a Royal Caribbean cruise as you will Carnival or Disney, but that doesn’t mean it’s not entirely enjoyable. Our kids love Royal Caribbean just as much as any other cruise line (except Disney…they love love Disney). The ship has a kids’ club, teen hang out areas and plenty of activities for kids. Just like other cruise lines, too, Royal Caribbean has its own private island in the Caribbean on which families can go for the day to have a ton of fun in the sun. The ship might not be as child-oriented as others, but these ships also work very hard to ensure that families feel welcome, that child care in a fun and amazing environment is provided and that everyone enjoys themselves as they travel. In fact, some Royal Caribbean ships are now welcoming your kids’ favorite television characters on board to make ships even more fun for the entire family. The cruise line’s partnership with DreamWorks means that your kids are going to have more fun on these ships than just about anywhere else in the world meeting their favorite movie ‘stars’ and characters. It makes for a fun family vacation you will want to repeat as often as possible.

Norwegian Cruise Lines

What’s better about a cruise ship that offers a special children’s menu in every single restaurant? Pretty much nothing, except for the fact that while mom and dad are off enjoying themselves in the casino or at the spa, the kids are in their very own cool kids club enjoying Dora the Explorer dance parties and having more fun than anyone else aboard the ship. Additionally, if you choose the right ship, you will find that there are water parks that rival those you love to go to at home. That’s a nice feature for a ship, and the kids will certainly love that – especially your older kids and teenagers who are looking for a bit of thrill seeking fun in the sun.

Celebrity Cruise Lines

While it’s not the first cruise line that people consider appropriate for families with children, it’s great for kids. There are four age-group categories for families in terms of child care and activities so that everyone from your baby to your teens can go off for some safe fun and entertainment. The kids will bring home more arts and crafts than you could ever want, and your teens will be up late dancing and having fun in a totally safe environment with kids their own age across the ship. Additionally, certain staterooms aboard these ships are big enough to accommodate a family of five, which is quite a bit larger than staterooms on other ships that boast the ability to keep a family of four in a comfortable location.

Photo by David Roark/Disney via Getty Images