Families looking for a cruise holiday have such a huge choice of destinations to choose from that it can be tricky to know where to start. It’s important to think about what’s important for your family. Do you want a once-in-a-lifetime experience where you’ll swim with dolphins and meet Disney characters? Or do you want a budget-friendly mini break sailing from the UK? Do you have active teens who like hiking and kayaking? Or younger kids who’d be happy with making sandcastles and eating ice cream? Whatever your style, there’s a cruise to suit every family.
Top family cruise destinations
1. Caribbean
The Caribbean is the world’s most popular cruise destination thanks to its year-round sunshine, spotless beaches and crystal-clear waters. You’d be forgiven for thinking that a Caribbean cruise holiday would be all about lazing on beaches and sipping cocktails. In fact, a Caribbean cruise can be as chilled or as active as you choose to make it.
You can book island tour excursions which teach you and your kids about the fascinating history of each island or enjoy action-packed activities like ziplining, cave-tubing or scuba diving. Enjoy a glass-bottomed boat ride, snorkel with turtles or swim with stingrays. If the beach isn’t for you, head into the jungle to see monkeys and birds of paradise.
Photo by Tanja Cotoaga on Unsplash
2. Norwegian Fjords
Another cruise destination which is often misunderstood is the Norwegian Fjords. Many people assume that a Norwegian Fjords cruise involves sitting back and admiring the scenery. Whilst this can be true, and a cheap pair of binoculars can certainly keep little eyes entertained for hours, there is actually much more to do in Norway than look at fjords.
Older kids will enjoy hiking up the mountains and kayaking past waterfalls. For younger children, opt for rides up the mountainside on the funicular railways, or take a ferry ride to see the waterfalls. If you’re looking to burn some energy, you can hire bicycles and head off on a guided cycling adventure, or how about white water rafting?
3. Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is the ideal destination for British families to visit during the summer. Whilst you can head to the Med all year round, the summer is the best time to visit to make the most of the weather. Choose to sail from the UK or take a fly-cruise to start your cruise in the heart of the Mediterranean: somewhere like Barcelona, Venice or Rome.
Whether you want to island-hop your way around the Greek Isles, explore Rome’s ancient monuments or swim in the Spanish seas, you’ll find so many options to explore on a family cruise to the Mediterranean.
Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash
4. Europe
For families on a tight budget, mini cruises in Europe are a great option. Sailing from the UK for two to five nights, you can visit one or two ports of call and see if cruise is right for you before committing to a longer voyage.
Visit European cities such as Amsterdam, Bruges and Dublin where you’ll find lots of family-friendly attractions to explore. The Channel Islands have some lovely beaches, or you could even take a cruise which circumnavigates the UK, with much less travelling than a road trip!
5. Bahamas
For a really special holiday, combine a short cruise to Royal Caribbean’s private island of CocoCay in the Bahamas with a Florida hotel stay and visits to Disney World.
Sailing from ports across Florida, you can sail on one of Royal Caribbean’s feature-packed mega ships to visit CocoCay. On this magical Bahamian island, you’ll find the tallest waterslide in North America, the largest freshwater swimming pool in the Caribbean, a huge zip line and a helium balloon which offers amazing views. If all that sounds too much for one day, there’s always the option to just relax on one of the beautiful beaches and enjoy a spot of snorkelling in the crystal-clear sea.
This article was provided by Jenni Fielding who writes for Cruise118.com.
