CRUISE NEW
8 REASONS FAMILIES CHOOSE CRUISING
“THIS is exactly why family vacations are exhausting!”
The mother stood on the pool deck looking from her teenage daughter to her young son and then to her husband.
Nobody wanted the same vacation.
Her teenage daughter folded her arms.
“I’m not spending the whole day with my little brother!”
Her nine-year-old son was already staring at the colorful water slides.
“I want the water slides!”
Dad looked like he had reached his limit.
“And I just want two hours of peace!”
For a family trying to vacation together, it sounded like a disaster.
Then a cruise employee offered a completely different way of looking at the problem.
“Then you may have picked the right kind of vacation.”
Mom stared at him.
How could four people wanting four different experiences possibly be a good thing?
Because on many cruises, everyone doesn’t have to do the same thing all day to still be vacationing together.
And that leads to one of the biggest reasons some families choose cruising in the first place.
Here are 8 reasons families choose cruising—and several of them have nothing to do with the ocean.
8. THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE WAY TO FEED THE FAMILY
Anyone who has traveled with children knows this conversation:
One person wants pizza.
Someone else wants a proper sit-down dinner.
The teenager wants something completely different.
And somebody suddenly announces they’re hungry five minutes after everyone else finished eating.
Cruise ships can make this easier because many offer multiple dining styles within the same vacation.
Depending on the ship and cruise line, that can include main dining rooms, casual restaurants, buffets, quick-service venues and specialty restaurants.
Disney Cruise Line, for example, uses Rotational Dining on its ships, where guests rotate through different main restaurants while their serving team accompanies them.
Norwegian Cruise Line also promotes dining choice as part of its family cruise experience.
But there’s an important distinction.
Multiple choices does NOT mean every meal is included.
Specialty restaurants, premium menu items, beverages, room service or other dining experiences may cost extra depending on the cruise line and fare.
The family advantage is simply that you may have several choices available without leaving the ship.
And food is only the beginning.
7. ENTERTAINMENT IS ALREADY ON THE SHIP
Imagine taking the family to dinner.
Then a show.
Then perhaps a game or another activity.
On a traditional land vacation, those experiences might involve separate venues, transportation and additional planning.
On a cruise ship, many entertainment options are located within the same floating resort where you’re already staying.
Depending on the ship, families may encounter live productions, movies, deck parties, games, trivia, music and ship-specific attractions.
Disney Cruise Line, for example, currently promotes Broadway-style entertainment, movies and family-oriented activities aboard its ships.
Royal Caribbean likewise operates ships with extensive entertainment and activity lineups, although the exact attractions vary considerably from ship to ship.
That’s the important part:
Don’t book one ship because you saw an attraction on another ship online.
A viral video showing an incredible water attraction, show or activity doesn’t mean your ship has it.
Check the actual vessel before booking.
6. SOME CABINS ARE DESIGNED WITH FAMILIES IN MIND
Cruise cabins have a reputation for being compact.
And many of them are.
That’s why families should pay close attention to cabin configuration instead of assuming every stateroom will work equally well for four or five people.
Some ships, however, offer accommodations specifically designed around family travel.
Carnival’s Family Harbor concept is one example. On ships offering the category, Family Harbor accommodations can come with access to a dedicated Family Harbor Lounge and family-oriented benefits.
Some configurations also provide bathroom arrangements that can make mornings easier when several people are trying to get ready.
Other cruise lines and ships offer connecting cabins, suites or other configurations that may work for larger families.
But this is another area where you should avoid a common assumption:
A cruise cabin is not automatically more spacious than a hotel room.
Sometimes the better solution for a family isn’t one larger cabin.
It may be two connecting rooms.
So before booking, look beyond the cabin name and check the actual capacity, layout, bed configuration and bathroom setup.
That decision can make an enormous difference once everyone is living together for a week.
5. YOU CAN WAKE UP SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT WITHOUT REPACKING
This is one of cruising’s most obvious conveniences—and it’s easy to underestimate until you’ve traveled with children.
Imagine a multi-stop land vacation.
Pack the suitcases.
Check out.
Move everyone.
Transport the luggage.
Check into another hotel.
Unpack.
Repeat.
On many cruise itineraries, your room moves with you.
You can go to sleep with your belongings still in the same cabin and wake up near another port.
That doesn’t mean every cruise visits numerous countries or even numerous ports. Short itineraries can have relatively few stops, and itineraries can change.
But many cruises allow families to experience multiple ports without changing hotels every time they move to the next destination.
For parents traveling with children—or grandparents traveling with an extended family—that can remove a significant amount of logistical friction.
Of course, visiting a port introduces another decision:
Does everybody have to do the same excursion?
Not necessarily.
And the same principle applies back onboard.
4. FAMILIES CAN STILL DO THINGS TOGETHER
Cruising isn’t about dropping the kids off and disappearing.
Many ships also offer activities specifically suited to families spending time together.
Disney Cruise Line currently describes family activities that can include deck parties, pools, shows, movies, karaoke, games and other experiences.
Norwegian also promotes family activities such as trivia, scavenger hunts, sports challenges and game-show-style entertainment.
The exact lineup varies by ship and sailing.
But the important concept is:
Separate options don’t eliminate family time.
A family might spend the morning doing different activities, meet for lunch, explore a port together, return to the ship, have dinner and then watch a show.
For some families, that’s easier than expecting every person—from a nine-year-old to a grandparent—to enjoy an identical schedule from breakfast until bedtime.
And that brings us to one of cruising’s most important family features.
3. KIDS AND TEENS MAY GET THEIR OWN SPACES
Ask a teenager whether they want to spend every minute of a weeklong vacation attached to their younger sibling.
The answer may arrive very quickly.
Major cruise lines recognize that a five-year-old and a sixteen-year-old generally don’t want the same entertainment.
That’s why many operate age-specific youth programs and spaces.
Royal Caribbean offers Adventure Ocean programming and teen experiences.
Carnival currently operates youth programs spanning different age groups, including Camp Ocean, Circle “C” and Club O2, along with programming for younger children.
Norwegian offers Splash Academy for children and Entourage for teens, subject to its current age rules and ship availability.
Disney Cruise Line similarly operates multiple youth spaces aimed at different ages.
This can give children an opportunity to meet other passengers their age while doing activities designed more specifically for them.
But parents need to understand what youth programs are not.
They are not universally available 24 hours a day.
They are not necessarily identical on every ship.
Capacity, operating hours, registration requirements and age groups can matter.
Certain services may also carry additional charges.
And not every ship has every program. Norwegian, for example, currently notes that Norwegian Spirit does not offer its youth programs.
So don’t tell your child about a particular kids club until you’ve verified it exists on your ship.
2. PARENTS MAY ACTUALLY GET SOME TIME TO THEMSELVES
Remember the father at the beginning?
“I just want two hours of peace!”
For some parents, that may sound more appealing than another waterslide.
Age-appropriate supervised youth programming can create periods when children are doing something they enjoy while parents pursue their own activities.
Maybe that’s sitting quietly by a pool.
Maybe it’s dinner.
Maybe it’s the spa.
Maybe it’s simply having a conversation without someone asking for a snack every three minutes.
Some cruise lines also offer adult-oriented venues or experiences in addition to their family programming.
But there is an important caveat:
A kids club isn’t an unlimited babysitting service.
Parents still need to understand check-in procedures, hours, age requirements, capacity and any applicable charges.
Cruise lines can also have different rules regarding whether children can sign themselves in or out at certain ages.
So the real benefit isn’t:
“Someone else watches your children whenever you want.”
It’s:
“Some cruises provide structured youth options that can give children and parents opportunities to enjoy different parts of the vacation.”
And that leads directly to reason number one.
1. EVERYONE DOESN’T HAVE TO WANT THE SAME VACATION
This is the twist our frustrated family was missing.
The son wants water slides.
The teenage daughter wants independence.
Mom wants family time.
Dad wants peace.
Maybe Grandma wants a show.
Maybe Grandpa wants to sit somewhere quiet and watch the ocean.
On a traditional family vacation, those competing interests can feel like a problem that needs to be solved.
On the right cruise ship, they can become different schedules inside the same vacation.
The child may spend part of the day in an age-appropriate program.
The teenager may have activities aimed at teens.
Parents may have time alone.
Grandparents may choose something quieter.
Then everyone can meet again for dinner, entertainment or a family activity.
Nobody has to win the argument about what the entire family does every minute.
And that flexibility helps explain why cruising can appeal to multigenerational groups.
Not because cruise ships magically make everyone like the same things.
Quite the opposite.
They can offer enough variety that everyone doesn’t have to.
BUT DOES THAT MEAN CRUISING IS RIGHT FOR EVERY FAMILY?
No.
And that’s where cruise marketing can sometimes create unrealistic expectations.
A cruise is not automatically cheaper than a land vacation.
Not everything onboard is included in the fare.
Not every ship has waterslides.
Not every ship offers the same youth programs.
Not every child will enjoy a kids club.
Not every teenager will want a teen space.
And some families may simply prefer having more space, more flexibility on land or more time at one destination.
The smarter question isn’t:
“Are cruises the best family vacation?”
It’s:
“Does this particular ship fit the way MY family likes to travel?”
That means researching the ship, not just the cruise line.
Look at the cabin configuration.
Check youth-program ages.
Check the activities available aboard that specific vessel.
Review dining choices.
Look at the itinerary.
Check what costs extra.
And if you’re traveling with several generations, ask every person what they actually want from the trip before booking.
THE FAMILY FROM THE POOL DECK WASN’T REALLY HAVING A PROBLEM
Think back to that opening argument.
Mom was frustrated because everyone wanted something different.
But perhaps that wasn’t the problem at all.
The problem was assuming everyone had to agree.
The son could enjoy an age-appropriate activity.
The daughter could have some independence.
Dad could find somewhere quiet.
Mom could choose what she wanted to do.
And later?
They could all come back together.
Dinner.
A show.
A game.
A sunset on deck.
A shore day.
That’s the family-cruise proposition at its best:
You’re still taking one vacation together without necessarily taking the exact same vacation every minute of the day.
FINAL TAKEAWAY
There isn’t one universal reason families choose cruising. Different families value different things, and the offerings vary enormously by cruise line and ship.
But these eight factors help explain the appeal:
8. Multiple dining choices
7. Entertainment onboard
6. Family-focused accommodations on some ships
5. The ability on many itineraries to visit multiple ports without repeatedly changing hotels
4. Activities families can enjoy together
3. Dedicated kids and teen programming on many major cruise lines
2. Opportunities for parents to enjoy some time separately
1. Different generations can pursue different interests while still vacationing together
The biggest lesson?
Before asking whether your family should take a cruise, ask a more useful question:
Which cruise ship gives YOUR family the vacation each person actually wants?
Because when one child wants the water slides, a teenager wants independence, the parents want a break and everyone still wants to spend part of the vacation together…
That difference in interests might not be the reason to avoid cruising.
It might be one of the reasons to choose it.
Official references
The family-program examples in this article can be verified through Royal Caribbean’s Adventure Ocean information, Carnival’s youth-program guidance, Norwegian Cruise Line’s youth-program information, and Disney Cruise Line’s onboard-activities information. Programs, ages, hours, fees and ship availability can change, so verify the details for the specific sailing before booking.
