Ideal for: families with children ages 3 and up
Snapshot: Royal Caribbean’s never-boring vibe makes this cruise line a particularly good choice for families with tweens and teens who love sports and adrenaline-pumping thrills, as well as college-age kids. Newer ships are packed with bells and whistles, including top deck water parks and unique features like surf simulators, parachute wind tunnels, bumper car tracks, zip lines, ice rinks, shows straight from Broadway, and a wide variety of dining options including Johnny Rockets diners.
Kids Stuff: When it comes to family cruises, Royal Caribbean offers great supervised children’s programming for kids ages 3-17. The Adventure Ocean program separates children into five groups: Aquanauts for children ages 3 to 5; Explorers from 6 to 8 years old; Travelers for ages 9-11; and two groups of adolescents from 12 to 14 years old and from 15 to 17. Each group has its own space and programmed activities. Ships also offer upper deck H2O Zones with splash pads, pools and waterslides, as well as arcades and sports decks where kids can climb, play mini golf or basketball, ice skate or zip-line, and even catch a wave. in the FlowRider surf simulator.
Conceived of a partnership with DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks Experience offers an ample opportunity to rub elbows with favorite characters from “How to Train Your Dragon”, “Shrek”, “Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda” at meetups and greetings, meals, shows live, as well as watching 3-D movies. DreamWorks Experience is available on the following ships: Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, and Mariner of the Seas.
Babies and toddlers can attend 45-minute Royal Babies (6-18 months) and Royal Tots (19-35 months) play sessions with their parents that incorporate stimulating activities like baby gymnastics and music. There is also a Royal Babies Nursery with supervised group child care for children 6 to 35 months. In-room private babysitting is provided for children at least 12 months of age.
Best Ships: Harmony of the Seas , the world’s largest cruise ship, is packed with fun features, from slides to zip lines and a dark ride called the Ultimate Abyss. Like other Oasis- class ships, it features the wonderful central Central Park area filled with shops and restaurants. These ships are known for their incredible experiences, including Chicago’s Tony Award-winning performances and Hairspray , as well as an 82-foot zip line, craft carousel, Rising Tide lift bar, AquaTheater dive site, and Central Park, an incredible green space urban area with more than 12,000 living trees and plants.
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Anthem of the Seas sails from the New York area. It is the second ship in the Quantum class of ships, which introduced a number of ‘first to sea’ such as the RipCord by iFly skydiving experience, the North Star observation gondola, bumper cars, and virtual balconies. As part of Royal Caribbean’s tradition of offering musical theater, Anthem of the Seas presents an Olivier Award-winning performance of “We Will Rock You,” the hit musical based on the songs of British rock sensation Queen.
In February 2014, the revamped Navigator of the Seas was relaunched with new features, including the cruise line’s FlowRider surf simulator, an expanded dining offering, and the first virtual balcony staterooms and ground-to-floor staterooms. ceiling.
Best Bargains: The newer Quantum , Freedom and Oasis class ships get all the fuss, but Royal Caribbean’s older ships are beautiful too, offering the same great kid-friendly programming at significantly lower prices. If you’re flexible with dates, you can often get last minute checkouts (within two months of booking) for a song.
Good to Know: For many families, bigger is not always better. Oversized ships can mean large crowds at pools, longer lines at some restaurants, and a less relaxing overall experience.
For these reasons, families taking their first cruise or those with young children may want to stop by the 5,400-passenger mega-ship Allure of the Sea and Oasis of the Seas . Royal Caribbean offers a mix of free and paid dining options, so it’s a good idea to set a dining budget and stick to it.
Each cruise line has its own distinctive personality and characteristics. Is Royal Caribbean Right For Your Family? Read up on the best cruise lines for kids to find out which one is the best option for your family’s vacation style.
Last Updated: November 10, 2015
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