Kids can make or break your family cruise. If they are bored and dislike a food choice, they will express their displeasure loudly and repeatedly. Choosing the wrong cruise can leave parents feeling like they’re stranded on a desert island…with crabs under their feet.
The Best Cruises for Kids Cruises offer endless fun for those under 18, with extensive dining options to satisfy both young and teen palates, accommodations and cruises that cater to families, and opportunities to meet and hang out with peers. No matter your family size or price range, you can find some incredible sea vacations that will have the kids exclaiming, “The best cruise ever!” by the end of the week.
Find the top cruise ship for your next trip with our list of six of the best cruise ships for kids (and their parents).
disney destiny
It should surprise no one that Disney is such a kid-friendly cruise line, but surprisingly, there are plenty of activities for adults to participate and enjoy as well. This is especially true for the new Disney Destiny, which premieres in November 2025.
Disney Destiny has four kids’ clubs divided by age, with the Ocean Club, catering mainly for children ages 3 to 10, having an exciting and grand entrance. Children enter the club via slides and once inside, they can explore club spaces themed to Star Wars, Fairy Tales, Marvel and Disney Imagineers.
In addition to the Kids Club aboard Disney Destiny, teen cruises will find two movie theaters showing first-run Disney films, Broadway-caliber performances telling the stories of Disney’s Hercules and Frozen: The Musical, and dining experiences themed to The Lion King and the world of Marvel.
In addition to fun bars themed after Disney rides (like The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean) and fine-dining, adults-only restaurants, adults will love the little touches aboard Disney’s Destiny that make cruising for families so much easier — most cabins feature split bathrooms, a child’s nursery, a toddler splash area and restaurant staff who can provide high chairs and cut up your kids’ food.
The Disney Destiny offers four- and five-night Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from Fort Lauderdale, as well as some seven-night Caribbean cruises. Most trips include a stop at Lookout Cay or Castaway Cay, Disney’s private beach destinations, which have separate adult and family beaches, supervised childcare, paddling pools and loaner strollers.
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Two nearly identical sister ships, the Disney Wish and Disney Treasure depart from Port Canaveral (near Orlando) for short Bahamas cruises and weeklong Caribbean cruises, respectively.
Royal Caribbean Star
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, set to debut in August 2025, is the largest cruise ship at sea and definitely one of the most kid-friendly (along with its nearly identical sister ship, Icon of the Seas). With a six-slide waterpark, surf simulator, climbing wall, sports court and Surfside – a half-deck water play space and a restaurant catered for the little ones and their families, young cruise guests will never be bored.
Kids (and parents) who love a good show can see skaters jumping and landing on a rocking boat, and acrobatic divers flipping and splashing in an aquatic theater under a glass dome. Don’t miss pizza and parades on the Royal Promenade, the Icon indoor shopping area, or Royal Caribbean’s “Back to the Future” show in the Main Theatre.
This kid-friendly ship features innovative family cabins and suites, with some cabins featuring separate children’s rooms to better accommodate guests of all ages. The ultimate family townhouse is a massive three-story living space with a screening room, karaoke machine, in-suite slider and access to the backyard in the Surfside family community.
RELATED: The Best Royal Caribbean Cruises for Kids
Star of the Seas offers week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries departing from Port Canaveral.
norwegian aquarium
Norwegian Aqua has a more mature vibe than many of the family-focused cruises on our list, but its onboard attractions make it popular with teenagers. Its top deck attracts older children with a hybrid waterslide roller coaster, drop slides, indoor and outdoor play spaces, mini golf and a sports court with a high-tech LED floor. Little ones have their own water play area with a small water slide.
In the evening, The Local serves international street food, teppanyaki, unlimited soft drinks, burgers and snacks 24 hours a day, allowing teenagers to satisfy their growing bodies. Later, they’ll agree to appear in public with their parents for a show as cool as “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” — even if they don’t know the iconic musician. It’s an easy concession because they know they can always escape to teen club Entourage to hang out with the cool kids late at night.
RELATED: The Best Cruise Lines for Families
Norwegian Aqua Cruises’ best kid-friendly cruise is all about having fun in the sun. The ship sails seven-night Caribbean sailings from Miami and five- to eight-night Bermuda sailings from New York.
carnival celebration
Passengers and crew members on Carnival cruise ships are ready to meet new friends or share laughs, stories and drinks with shipmates. Social kids will get involved and enjoy this series of grand carnival celebrations. They can make friends at the Family Harbor Lounge, Camp Ocean, and Dr. Seuss Bookville; older kids will enjoy the teen and teen clubs located near Guy Fieri’s Burger Stand and Video Arcade.
If you’re looking for the best cruise ship for kids, Carnival Celebration and its nearly identical fleet mates Carnival and Carnival Jubilee are the only ships to have a top-deck roller coaster called Bolt. Cycling here is Instagram gold and the ultimate bragging rights for kids on vacation. The coaster occupies the ship’s ultimate playground area, where young cruisers can challenge their new friends to mini golf, water skiing competitions, basketball and ropes course domination.
Kids who love the food court can gather with friends or family at several free casual restaurants, including Shaq’s Big Chicken and three street food joints serving dumplings, kebabs and French fries. Late-night pizza and ice cream will energize the whole family with the interactive “Family Feud Live” show.
RELATED: The Ultimate Guide to Carnival Cruise Line Ships and Itineraries
Carnival Celebration’s kid-friendly cruises include week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Miami. Its sister Carnival has similar Caribbean itineraries, as well as shorter Bahamas itineraries from Port Canaveral. Headquartered in Galveston, Texas, Carnival Jubilee offers six- and seven-night Western Caribbean itineraries to two of the company’s private beach destinations, as well as eight-night Bahamas itineraries.
MSC World Americas Corporation
MSC Cruises will bring one of its largest cruise ships to the United States in April 2025. This floating mega-resort offers more family-friendly cruises than any other ship in the fleet, making MSC World America one of the most kid-friendly cruises.
The ship stands out among its sister ships for its huge top-deck family-friendly play area. Unlike other MSC ships, this one is geared toward families, with attractions including a giant water park with four water slides, a two-level ropes course with a “sky track” like a zip line, a 10-deck-high dry slide, a first-of-its-kind water swing called Cliffhanger, and a playground modeled after MSC Cruises’ private island lighthouse in the Bahamas.
Indoors, the Doremiland Children’s Zone features 7 rooms for children of all ages to enjoy activities and staff-led programmes. MSC Sportplex has an indoor multi-use space suitable for family activities such as bumper cars and roller skating.
On board, kids and their families can enjoy the ship’s multiple dining options, serving Italian, Greek, Mexican and Asian cuisine. But what young cruisers may be most excited about is Sweet Temptations, a dessert spot offering over-the-top milkshakes, homemade ice cream bars, pancakes, donuts and candies.
Related: MSC Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean: Which major cruise line is right for you?
MSC World America offers week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami. All itineraries will stop at MSC Ocean Cay, MSC Cruises’ private island in the Bahamas.
AmaLea by AmaWaterways
The typical river cruise attracts a lot of retirees – except when Disney Adventures partners with AmaWaterways. Two travel companies create river cruise holidays that adults and children alike will enjoy.
AmaLea makes our list of the best cruises for kids because it’s one of AmaWaterways’ ships that is custom-built for family cruising. Certain double-balcony cabins sleep three and suites sleep four, while connecting cabins offer more options for families who need more space. Unlike many river boats, AmaLea has a swimming pool and a surprise kid’s game: giant outdoor chess.
While other AmaWaterways family-friendly ships sail on the Rhone and Rhine rivers, AmaLea sails along the Danube, passing through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Disneyland Adventure Park makes the most of your time, offering shore excursions for kids and adults, with supervised kid activity options, while parents can join in on more adult tours. Your family might explore caves in Hungary, play hide-and-seek in a maze of an Austrian palace, or hang out in a treetop playground in Germany.
Related: Europe’s Best River Cruises
There’s a children’s menu on board, and there are occasional slumber parties where the kids can grab pizza and watch a movie while the adults linger over dinner. Adventure Guides have something for everyone to make family travel as stress-free as possible.
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