7 Best Cruise Lines for Families (and Their Most Kid-Friendly Ships)

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Disney Magic

It’s no exaggeration to say that every ship in the Disney fleet has a claim to be among the best family cruises, but the original DCL family cruise ship deserves a special mention.  Disney Magic is the ship that launched Disney Cruise Line in 1998, and with DCL’s constant improvements and upkeep, the ship doesn’t feel outdated at all. 

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Disney Magic

Pirates, princesses, super heroes, and a thrilling water slide with a three-story drop are just a few of the fun features that make Disney Magic a kid-favorite ship on one of the best cruise lines for families.  In 2013, Disney added the AquaDunk high speed thrill slide and Marvel Avengers Academy kids club. In 2018, a Tangled dinner theater restaurant made its debut. 

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Disney Magic

And, as one of the smaller ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, it can be a less overwhelming experience for younger kids and first-time cruisers. (Disney Wonder is similarly sized.) Disney Magic also offers European itineraries such as voyages in the Mediterranean, British Isles, and Norwegian Fjords that appeal to multigenerational cruisers.

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Disney Dream

Launched in 2011, Disney Dream is newer and quite a bit larger than Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, but even with its size this ship still includes the kinds of kid-friendly touches you find on all the best family cruises.  The daily routine of dinner and a theatrical show are very popular aboard all of the family cruises offered by Disney. On Disney Dream, the Broadway-caliber 

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Disney Dream

productions are headlined by a high-tech stage show of Beauty and the Beast. Also worth noting is that the Bahamas and Caribbean sailings on Disney Dream include stops at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, which is often a highlight of any Disney cruise. Castaway Cay’s family beach is a great place for swimming, and you can also rent bikes, kayaks, 

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Disney Dream

and snorkeling gear for kids and parents to see colorful tropical fish and perhaps even a sea turtle munching on sea grass.

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Carnival Panorama

One of Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ships, the Carnival Panorama‘s many kid-friendly features have already made it one of the best cruises for families.  The Panorama has supervised kids programs in three different age group categories, a massive aqua park, the popular SkyRide aerial attraction, SkyCourse ropes course, and the first SkyZone trampoline park at sea.

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Carnival Panorama

In addition, Carnival Cruises’ exclusive partnership with Dr. Seuss Enterprises provides Seuss at Sea experiences on family cruise vacations, such as Dr. Seuss Bookville, Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast, and the Seuss-a-palooza Parade.

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Caribbean Princess

The cruise line made famous by the classic ‘80s TV series The Love Boat now hosts more than 2 million passengers each year.  Kid-friendly Caribbean Princess underwent an extensive renovation in 2017 that boosted its family offerings to include Camp Discovery Youth and Teen Center, HD Movies Under the Stars, and the Reef Family Splash Zone –

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Caribbean Princess

Princess Cruises’ first splash zone at sea. Other features that earn the Caribbean Princess a spot on any list of best family cruises include its partnership with Discovery Inc. for “Discovery at SEA” activities, which feature Animal Planet and Discovery Channel programming, the Stanley the Bear experience, and JrChef@Sea cooking classes.

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MSC Meraviglia

MSC Cruises might be the largest cruise line you’ve never heard. One of the leading cruise lines in Europe, South America, and other parts of the world, MSC is working hard to get a foothold in North America by offering great deals on family cruises.  These include kids ages 18 and under sailing free on select departures, and young children ages two and under 

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MSC Meraviglia

 always sailing free. MSC Meraviglia is the newest of its ships sailing from the U.S., launched in 2017, and it features seven different kids’ clubs for young children ages zero to 17. Teens have their own space with a cinema, game room, and live stage. And Meraviglia’s Polar Aquapark has three different waterslides, including a high-speed “champagne flute,” that easily make it one of the best cruises for families.

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MSC Divina

In addition to MSC‘s kids sail free promotions, the family-friendly cruise line partners with Chicco and LEGO for their baby and kids clubs. Featuring family-favorite Bahamas and Caribbean voyages, MSC Divina also sails to MSC Cruises’ recently opened private, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve. Ocean Cay features two miles of white sand beaches 

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MSC Divina

and a variety of family friendly activities such as snorkeling, stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, and swimming. Some family cruises dock overnight at Ocean Cay, allowing guests to watch the spectacular Lighthouse light show.

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Norwegian Joy

What makes Norwegian one of the best cruise lines for families? For one thing, you’ll never hear “I’m bored” from kids.  And with its two-level go-kart track, laser tag, immersive virtual reality games, mini golf, waterpark, splash ground, and kids’ clubs, your family’s biggest problem on the Norwegian Joy might be deciding how to balance all the activities with quiet 

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Norwegian Joy

relaxation. The Norwegian Joy debuted in 2017 and was already one of the best cruise ships for kids before it received a refurbishment just two years later to prepare it for Alaska sailings.  The ship’s Observation Lounge offers panoramic 180-degree views to soak in the scenery. After playing the day away in port or on the ship, families can enjoy dinner followed by a live 

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Norwegian Joy

performance of the musical Footloose based on the cult-classic ’80s film.

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