Cruise Etiquette: How to Plan Your First Family Cruise

13.12.2024 - 21:37 / cntraveler.com / Royal Caribbean

Cruises seem almost purpose built for families. They’re self-contained, with a variety of amenities to suit a variety of tastes. Families large and small, comprising one generation or several, can have an enjoyable vacation thanks to the plan-your-own-adventure activities and excursions available both onboard and off. The flexibility ensures quality time together—and when needed, quiet time apart.

Family cruises take a number of different forms. There’s the traditional parents-take-the-kids trip, or the multigenerational trip where the grandparents join their kids and grandkids, or what’s known as “skip-gen,” where the grandparents take just the grandkids. However you slice it, the variety offered by many cruise lines can set the stage for that rare attainment in family vacationing: everyone getting exactly what they want.

But cruising as a family—particularly with younger children—has planning hurdles. Several Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists have extensive experience booking cruises for families, so we asked them for their top tips and things to watch out for. Below, what to know before booking your first family cruise.

When it comes to traveling with children, the same three cruise line names came up during conversations with our specialists. Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian are always family favorites, and each for their own distinct reasons. Even if it’s just a “vibe check” on the tiny differences in kids’ programming or babysitting policies between cruise lines, CNT Top Travel Specialists can put their encyclopedic knowledge of cruise lines to work for family cruisers.

Mary Helen Law at Mini Mouse Counselors notes that while Disney and Royal Caribbean both have great children’s programming, she feels Royal Caribbean has a “slight edge” for having more adult-themed entertainment (like a casino) that Disney foregoes. For the most enjoyable family cruise, she suggests taking everyone’s travel tastes into account, not just your kids'.

Michelle Allen at Travel Magic is a Disney-recognized expert for theme park and cruise vacations (though she also sells other cruise lines). According to Allen, Disney and Royal Caribbean are some of the best-suited cruise lines for families with babies and younger toddlers. Both cruise lines have facilities and babysitting available for kids under three, compared to many other cruise lines that only have programming for toilet-trained children aged three and up.

As for the differences between the two lines, Allen says Disney Cruise Line is more focused on storytelling and making family memories, while she finds that Royal Caribbean caters to higher-energy families with more action-oriented activities. She also notes that little things, like