So your kids are a little older, and you’re considering a family cruise? But, of course, you have a million questions like…Which ship is right for the kids? What about bringing along the grandparents? And the big one: Will I need to get a side gig robbing banks to pay for this getaway?
Take a look at these cruise lines that were seemingly made just for Richmond families. We examined five lines based on the following: Is the cruise line wonderful for kids? Is there anything for adults? How can we make memories without taking out a small loan?
The following five cruise lines all roll out the red carpet for families. Counting down from the priciest to the most outstanding value, we’ll begin with the fanciest.
Disney Cruise Line
When it comes to families sailing the ocean blue, Disney Cruise Line is the crème de la crème of the cruise crop. And while that crème does not come cheap, Disney heaps it on. The Disney line serves up a five-star, blast of a cruise experience for grandparents, parents, and kids alike. As you can imagine, Disney has kids’ clubs galore (only the nursery has a fee).
And you won’t be nickeled and dimed either. On a Disney cruise, everything is pretty much included: 24/7 room service, unlimited Mickey Mouse ice cream bars sent to your cabin, and more. Each of Disney’s five ships comes with an elaborate coaster-style water ride, spectacular Broadway-style live shows, character breakfasts, themed dinners, and Castaway Cay, Disney’s beautiful private island where you can feed stingrays or just loll on gorgeous family or adults-only beaches. Disney’s newest ship – the Treasure – debuts in December 2024, and (along with the Wish, another Disney ship) will have the Aqua-Mouse, a gentle water slide for the little guys.
Why do I love a Disney cruise? My four-year-old and I ran into Pinocchio early one morning, and my little guy was ecstatic. Disney’s live shows are absolute marvels at sea! disneycruise.disney.go.com
Norwegian Cruise Line
As the first cruise line to implement free-style cruising (a casual vibe means you eat on your schedule) Norwegian Cruise Line also pioneered the concept of a ship within a ship that features luxury accommodations. The space is called The Haven.Specific ships showcase water slides. The Breakaway and Getaway ships were the two original vessels in the Breakaway class to feature five water slides, many stories up – that includes a free fall and two pools. A handful of years later, the line introduced the Breakaway-Plus class that features four ships – Bliss, Encore, Escape, and Joy – that also sport the same awesome water park experience of the two earlier Breakaway ships.
Norwegian has two beautiful private islands, both in the Bahamas: Great Stirrup Cay and Harvest Caye. Unlike the others lines’ private islands, food isn’t necessarily part of the private island experience. Both beaches are sunny, white-sand wonders with excursions like kayaking and snorkeling. Harvest Caye has an on-island swimming pool.
The kids’ program, Splash Academy, is a drop-off program for kids ages three to twelve. The teen hang out, Entourage, is for thirteen- to seventeen-year-olds. You won’t be able to book paid babysitting services, but there is nighttime group play at no charge. Each ship has a different extravagant Broadway-style show.
Why do I love Norwegian Cruise Line? It’s a big deal to eat when you feel like it! It felt nice not to be tethered to the clock. ncl.com
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean – home of the at-sea bumper cars, enormous indoor ice rinks, a skydive simulator, and the Blaster (the longest waterslide on the ocean) – is clearly striving to be the biggest and the best for families.
Take their newest roll-out, Icon of the Seas, which debuts at the end of January. Icon is the largest cruising ship in the world, accommodating 7,000-plus cruisers, but she was built specifically with families in mind. Their newest and largest floating mega-resort is decked out with seven pools (including the largest pool at sea, a suspended infinity pool, and the first swim-up bar), and it has six water slides. Many Royal Caribbean ships have been retrofitted to make their water slides more twisty and modern.
Like Norwegian, Royal Caribbean has two beautiful private islands: one in the Bahamas called Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee, a port on the northern coast of Haiti, with an amazing zip line, white sand beaches, and all-you-can eat BBQ.
Royal Caribbean ships feature the Adventure Youth Program for five different age groups to make sure kids are having fun. And most ships have a Royal Babies and Tots Nursery for the cutest cruisers (with a fee for the nursery).
Why I love Royal Caribbean: I enjoyed the daily pass that allowed me to spend time in the thermal spa (stone beds, rainforests, lots of aromatherapy). For the family, I give a shout-out to the dramatic shows. royalcaribbean.com
Carnival Cruise Line
Regarded by many as the most fun at sea, Carnival ships are like two ships in one. You have your daytime people and then you have your party-all-night folks – and never the twain shall meet.
Carnival is also thought of as the most budget-friendly cruise line around. We can take three or four Carnival cruises to Disney’s one. And while Carnival doesn’t have princesses or pirates, it’s packed in kid activity like Waterworks, an elaborate water park that’s considered one of the best at sea that Carnival installed on almost all of its twenty-five ships. There’s also Seuss at Sea (their mascot), movies, miniature golf, round-the-clock pizza (included!), Skyride (you have to see this to believe it!), and several pools. Confirm that your specific ship has the exact activity you want before you book. Carnival’s kidcare is Camp Ocean for ages two to eleven. Evening caregiving comes with a fee.
A bit of a belly-flop? Carnival’s older ships going out of smaller terminals likely won’t have all the action to be found on her massive ships.
Why I love Carnival: The extravagant water park fun for the kids (and husband) paired with those incredible prices. carnival.com
MSC Cruises
Maybe you’ve never heard of this cruise line, but that’s about to change. MSC, owned by an Italian family, has had a large footprint for years in Europe as part of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, hence, MSC, and is well known for being an affordable cruise line that welcomes families. Lucky for us, now they’re making a big splash in the United States, too. Italians being family oriented, it’s no surprise that they have five kids’ clubs for ages birth to seventeen. Most ships have a big, colorful waterslide and ropes course, but two ships – MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape – take the fun a little further by introducing Pirates’ Cove Aquapark (two twisty waterslides, a mammoth dump bucket, and pirate ship-themed playground with water elements). MSC partners with LEGO (Duplo for little ones), giving kids the opportunity to build to their heart’s content. MSC also offers a day on their beautiful island in the Bahamas called Ocean Cay.
For grandparents, MSC’s ship-within-a-ship experience – called Yacht Club – is considered heads and shoulders above other lines. Here’s how it can work when you have several generations in the family on the trip: The younger adults and their families can book the regular part of MSC, and the grandparents can stay in the Yacht Club. The grandparents can see the kids on the water slide, at a show, or any public place really, but then return to the quiet elegance of MSC Yacht Club. (Or if money isn’t an issue, book the whole family in Yacht Club.) Keep in mind that Yacht Club comes at a premium, but it might be worth it.
A bit of a belly-flop? Still getting its feet wet with U.S. cruisers, MSC has a loyal fan following, but she takes some hits for the quality of her food. And the lunch buffet line is considered a zoo. Plan to eat lunch in the main dining room where they’ll treat you like royalty, and bypass the lunch buffet altogether.
Why I love MSC? Two reasons – one, her prices, and two, her prices! msccruisesusa.com
Where Do They Park the Boats?
Did you know that RVA families are fortunate to live smack dab in the middle of a zillion cruise terminals? Well, it’s true.
Here’s how it works. Each cruise ship has its own port and schedule. Take the MSC Meraviglia. Every Monday she leaves her Brooklyn homeport and sails her guests to Bermuda. The following Sunday, she brings everyone back to Brooklyn. But while Brooklyn is her homeport for sailing to Bermuda for now, in six months, MSC might move her to a new homeport of Orlando (Port Canaveral) and sail to the Bahamas.
Not all, but many, of the mega-ships with all the sparkles are usually at Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, and PortMiami.
If you’re flying or driving to the cruise, definitely plan to spend at least one night before it leaves. There are really sad stories about people who lost money because airport chaos or traffic made them late, and they didn’t make it to the ship on time.
Also, before you book your hotel, search online for hotels that offer cruise-and-stay packages. Generally, when you spend the night before departure at a hotel, you’re allowed to leave your car in their parking lot (that’s a great deal).
If you don’t have access to cruise-and-stay, then do an Internet search to find the most affordable parking garages near the ship.
More Specifics, Please!
Florida is home to seven ports, but we’ll focus on the two closest to Richmond: Port Canaveral/Orlando (huge) and Jacksonville Port (small).
If you’re driving to Port Canaveral from RVA, it’ll take about twelve hours. A round-trip flight is $400 to $600 on Delta. The newest boats with all of the bells and whistles usually go out of Port Canaveral (Orlando), Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
But how about if we go north? Consider a small or moderately sized terminal. The smaller terminals usually host just one or two lines, so you won’t find the ship variety that you’ll see in Florida. That said, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Sea – sporting all the aforementioned bells and whistles – sails out of Bayonne, New Jersey, which is about a five-hour drive from Richmond.
In 2024, the Norfolk terminal is undergoing a full makeover and won’t host a cruise line until 2025. In February 2025, the Carnival Sunshine will begin sailing year-round from Norfolk, and they are taking bookings now.
See? Smack-dab in the middle, just like I said.
And there are other terminals near Richmond: Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, and New York City.
How to Keep Cruising Costs Manageable
The cruise industry knows a great market when they see one – everyday people like you and me! – and is devoted to bringing the wonder of cruising to all families. Here’s how to score the best deals.
- Yes, having a balcony or window on a ship is wonderful, but you’ll save by booking an inside cabin and admiring the ocean from a million other public spots on the ship. (Hot tip: If a line has empty staterooms with balconies, some will offer inside-cabin folks the chance to bid on the stateroom with a balcony. You’ll more likely score if you’re cruising during hurricane season in the fall.)
- Buy funky sunglasses and hats and statement shirts for the kids – “I heart Bermuda!” – before you travel to save bucks on overpriced tourist items.
- Book when kids are back in school.
- Don’t buy a drinks package. Some lines allow you to bring one to two bottles of wine in your carry-on.
- Once onboard, visit guest relations every other day (or more often) to confirm your charges. It’s easier to make changes when you’re standing right in front of them.
- Forgo the pricey excursions. Pack your own snorkel equipment, ring-floats for the kids, and water shoes for everyone (much cheaper than renting).
- If you’re brand new to cruising and want to get your feet wet, consider a four- or five-night cruise out of a nearby port before you take something huge out of Fort Lauderdale. Baby steps, please!
- Jump onto CruisePlum.com to find hot and last-minute deals.
Sunny private islands, massive waterparks for the kids, delightful dining and entertainments, safe onboard environment, and even room service. But seeing the kids bursting with excitement and glee? For parents, this is the best part of a cruise-controlled vacation!
