Family cruises: kids sail free dates first, then every family ship, priced with taxes and fees included.
A cruise is the family vacation where the kids’ club, the water slides, the pool, the shows and five restaurants are already in the price, and grandparents can come without anyone driving. SmartCruiser lists the sailings where the third and fourth guests in the stateroom sail free first, then every family-friendly sailing from Royal Caribbean, Disney, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC, Princess and Celebrity, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are the sailings where booking with SmartCruiser adds something the line does not give you booking direct. One call, 1-800-444-1560, and a family cruise specialist matches the ship to the ages on board.
Which family cruise?
Pick a region and the list below filters to it. Short Bahamas sailings suit first cruises; a week in the Caribbean or Alaska suits school breaks.
3 and 4 night Bahamas from Florida
- Perfect Day at CocoCay, Ocean Cay, Castaway Cay and Nassau from Port Canaveral, Miami and Fort Lauderdale
- Royal Caribbean, Disney, MSC and Carnival; the biggest water parks at sea
- Drive to the port, so the only flight is the one you skip
Best for: toddlers and first-timers, long weekends, multigenerational trips
7 night Caribbean
- Eastern and Western Caribbean from Florida, Texas and New Jersey over spring break, summer and the holidays
- Icon, Wonder and Harmony of the Seas, Disney Treasure and Wish, Carnival Celebration, MSC World America, Norwegian Aqua
- Connecting staterooms and family suites, booked early
Best for: families with school-age kids and teens
Alaska and the Mexican Riviera
- 7 night Alaska from Seattle and Vancouver in June, July and August with glaciers, whales and dog sledding
- Mexican Riviera from Los Angeles for Christmas and spring break
- Princess, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Disney and Carnival
Best for: families who want scenery with the water slides
Family cruise deals: SmartCruiser picks first, kids sail free below
The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets your family something extra this week: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior or resident fare for the grandparents that beats the public price. Below them, the list opens on the sailings where kids sail free; switch the perk filter to see every sailing. Every price includes taxes, fees and port expenses.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstKids sail free sailings and every family cruise
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Drive to the ship
Pick a home port and the list above filters to it.
Which lines are best for families?
Our one-line take on each, with a link to its deals page. Virgin Voyages and Viking are adults-only, so they are not on this page.
When to go
Family sailings follow the school calendar. These are the windows that matter.
Family cruise questions we answer every day
How does kids sail free work?
On selected sailings the cruise line charges no cruise fare for the third and fourth guests in a stateroom, usually children under 12 or 17 depending on the line. Taxes, fees and port expenses still apply to every guest and are included in the prices here. The list above opens on those sailings; switch the perk filter to see every sailing.
Which cruise line is best for young children?
Disney for ages 3 to 10 if the budget allows, Royal Caribbean and MSC for the same ages at a lower fare, and Carnival for short first cruises. For babies under 3, Royal Caribbean’s newest ships and Disney have nurseries; most other lines start the kids’ club at 3 and require potty training.
Do we need connecting staterooms?
Families of five or more usually do, or a family suite. Connecting staterooms are limited on every ship and sell first, so book them as soon as the sailing opens; we check the deck plans and hold them while you decide.
Are there cruises for teenagers?
Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival run teen lounges and activities for 13 to 17, plus surf simulators, go-karts, ropes courses and water slides. A 7 night Caribbean sailing on a big ship keeps teens busy without a plan.
Can grandparents come?
That is the point of a cruise: everyone unpacks once, eats together at night and does their own thing by day. Grandparents 55 and over often qualify for a senior fare on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity; we check it against the family rate and book whichever is lower.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities, drinks packages and excursions are extra.
Talk to a family cruise specialist
Tell us the ages on board, the school break and the port you can drive to, and we match the ship, check kids sail free dates and hold connecting staterooms while you decide. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.