How to Book the Best Family Cruise

Family cruising is an easy way to vacation with your children since it affords quality time together and coveted time apart. A bonus is that family cruising provides your youngsters with hands-on learning as you explore worldwide ports together. Here's what to look for when planning a cruise with kids:

1. Choose Your Week Carefully

If you have young children who aren’t yet in school, your best bet is an off-season cruise, when families who don’t want to pull their kids out of school can’t travel. During these quieter sailings, rates are lower, and the kid-friendly areas are less crowded.

However, if your children are social, it may be worth the extra fare to sail during peak times since more kids their ages are likely to be on board to connect with at the pool and in the youth center.

2. Look for Family Deals

Some cruise lines offer special “kids sail free” promotions. Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises have both offered these specials in the past. Subscribe to individual lines’ promotional email newsletters to ensure you don’t miss out on a sale fare.

Read Related: Should you use a travel agent to book your cruise?

3. Research Programs

Unlike at most resorts, the children, tween, and teen activities are complimentary. Since not all ships’ programs are created equal, you’ll want to compare kid's programs before plunking down your non-refundable deposit. 

Tip: If you're traveling with little ones and want some adult-only time, check out our list of cruise childcare services to make sure it's available on your ship.

4. Pay Attention to Cabin Configurations

Booking an inside cabin is a great way to save money on a cruise if you’re the type of person who only uses your stateroom to sleep and shower. However, if your little ones still need naps, you’ll want to upgrade to a balcony cabin. There’s nothing more depressing than being holed up in a windowless room during naptime when you know the sun is shining gloriously outside.

An important consideration: While balconies are safe for kids (there are continuous railings and plexiglass on most ships), you’ll want to make sure small children aren’t left alone in your balcony cabin, even when you’re showering.

5. Make Dining Reservations

On cruise lines that offer the traditional early and late seatings for dinner, most families with young children want the early option — so reserve a table for your crew when you book if you want one. You’ll also want to reserve early dining times for your family at any specialty restaurants on board before they fill up.

6. Know That Diapers May Dictate Your Experience

Children in diapers are not allowed in cruise ship pools. If you have a child still in diapers, check with the cruise line you’re considering to see if it has kiddy pools and, if so, whether swim diapers are allowed there.

Children who are not yet potty trained are also not welcome in many of the kids’ programs on ships since most lines don’t allow their childcare workers to change diapers. (Check out our handy chart for which lines are the most baby-friendly.)

7. Communicate With Older Kids

Before your cruise, inform any teens or tweens of your expectations. Many parents, for example, allow older kids to use the teen programs on sea days but expect them to have dinner and explore ports with the family.