How to Plan a Family Vacation Everyone Will Enjoy

Elements of a Great Family Vacation

Planning the perfect escape with children is integral to realizing a relaxing family vacation. It might seem simple to keep the kids happy — add a pool or beach, change of scenery, skip a few house rules and voila, all smiles. The key to an effortless escape is paying attention to the details that matter while prepping and being open to taking things as they come when on the trip.

There are a few hallmarks of a happy holiday away from home:

• Low-stress planning.

• Easy eats for every taste.

• Comfortable accommodations.

• Easy-access entertainment.

• Together-time activities.

• Access to secure childcare.

Why Cruises Work for Families

When you consider the list of crucial elements in creating a happy family trip, one style of vacationing jumps out. Cruises solve common family vacation planning pain points by providing:

• Built-in activities.

• Simplified dining.

• Easy coordination.

• Kids' clubs.

• Options for both shared and separate experiences.

This also makes cruises an obvious choice if the stars align for a last-minute trip. While planning ahead gives max options for your vacation, parents can pack passports and pint-size suitcases and show up ready to relax, confident of a good time.

Why Cruises Are Foolproof Family Vacations

Cruises offer great value when you add the inherent costs of traveling with endless things to do with kids. All-in-one cruise vacations make it easy to budget for transportation, meals, activities and childcare — it’s all included. Having a known budget without a serious need for an emergency cushion can take a lot of stress off parents’ shoulders. That’s just one of the ways a family cruise is a foolproof vacation with kids.

You’ll also enjoy:

• Safe transportation with activities an elevator ride away.

• Included childcare the kids will love.

• Instant new friends, with supervised places for them to hang.

• Safe levels of freedom for big kids.

• Family together-time activities for every taste.

• As much or as little as you’d like to do.

How to Plan a Multi-Gen Family Cruise Vacation

Cruises also top the list of great vacays to take with extended family. We have cruised with four generations and loved the fact that we could find onboard activities that appealed to everyone’s taste with total flexibility in scheduling. Young or old could peel off for downtime or naps when needed, and the wide offering of excursions were clearly marked for our mobility concerns from strollers to walking canes. Multi-gen cruises were also the perfect way to celebrate milestone family occasions such as graduations, big anniversaries, birthdays and even a wedding.

My family definitely falls into the vacation-commando category, jumping into every day looking to cram in as many fun things as can fit. However, the rhythm of a cruise is designed with balance in mind through natural breaks for everyone to do what they like, or nothing at all. Concentrated cousin time was key. Having the included onsite childcare through excellent clubs where kids could do cool and creative activities gave the grownups guilt-free time to relax and reconnect.

Cruise Itineraries Ideal for Family Cruising

The first step in planning a family cruise is picking ports that spell paradise to your crew. With endless dining, drinks, activities, onboard entertainment and play places, Royal Caribbean® ships are destinations in themselves. However, certain ports and itineraries offer something special for family vacations. 

Cruises to Nassau and Perfect Day CocoCay

The Bahamas offer picture-perfect ports with white sugar-sand beaches and clear aqua seas. You can get a taste of local culture and history just minutes from the port.

Nassau’s colorful straw market, inexpensive transportation to highlights such as Atlantis Paradise Island Aquaventure Waterpark or Baha Mar and water ferry access to Royal Beach Club℠ Paradise Island make this an ideal family vacation pick.

You can pack a lot of family fun into even a short cruise to The Bahamas. These idyllic islands are also home to the Royal Caribbean private island, Perfect Day CocoCay. Expect lagoons for lounging, pulse-pounding waterslides at Thrill Island, kid-centered activities and chill private beach spots for grownups. The included barbecues are plentiful with something for every taste with beach bar blenders on blast cooling things down.

Caribbean Cruises

A bevy of beaches range from white to golden, each with its own flavor and favorite ways to play the day away. Snorkelers will love the colorful tropical fish of the Caribbean reefs. Lazy loungers can relax under an umbrella and watch the waves. High-energy activities are on offer, whether pre-booked as an excursion through the ship or enjoyed spontaneously during a beach day. Prepare your palate passport to try jerk chicken, flying fish sandwiches, fried plantains, creole shrimp tacos, rice and beans or other Caribbean specialties.

Caribbean Cruises

A bevy of beaches range from white to golden, each with its own flavor and favorite ways to play the day away. Snorkelers will love the colorful tropical fish of the Caribbean reefs. Lazy loungers can relax under an umbrella and watch the waves. High-energy activities are on offer, whether pre-booked as an excursion through the ship or enjoyed spontaneously during a beach day. Prepare your palate passport to try jerk chicken, flying fish sandwiches, fried plantains, creole shrimp tacos, rice and beans or other Caribbean specialties.

Cruises to Alaska

Alaska is where the wild things are, and I’m not talking about your toddlers. Humpback whales, orcas, grizzly and black bears, dolphins, salmon by the thousands, playful otters, seals and sea lions, moose, caribou, bald eagles — who needs a zoo when you can cruise to “The Last Frontier”? You might even luck into an aurora borealis display, more common on May or September cruises, but I have seen them throughout the season.

Adventurous activities are part of every day in this amazing piece of wilderness:

• Watch a lumberjack show and then sit down to a crack-your-own-crab feast.

• Go bottom-fishing for rockfish or halibut and then sip cocoa as they cook over an open fire on a waterfront clearing.

• Take a train that trails all the way up into the Yukon where you can pan for gold like the Klondike rushers.

• Stroll a boardwalk to a waterfall packed with leaping salmon.

There’s something unforgettable waiting every day.

Cruises to Bermuda

Bermuda is known for its incredible beaches, so perfectly pristine they glow pink. Many shorelines are calm with shallow water entries and sand just begging to be made into castles. Cruises to Bermuda are unique in offering multiple sea days enroute and back, ideal to take advantage of all the ship-based fun. The ship then docks for days to make the most of this incredible island.

This was always a favorite for my family, particularly if we didn’t make advanced plans. We would choose a different gorgeous beach to visit each day, using the island’s series of safe and clean pink buses to get around at the price of a city bus back home. My son and his friends loved day cruises which combined snorkeling, paddleboarding and leaping into the sea from shore rocks. We also made a point to visit the impressive Crystal and Fantasy Caves. Island food prices could be steep — everything has to be shipped in after all — so visiting by cruise was ideal to fuel up before heading ashore.

What to Pack for Family Travel

Part of planning a cruise is considering what you might need to pack for a seamless trip with kids. Consider your destination and whether replacement items will be easy and affordable to access.

• Baby and toddler goods; pack enough to be covered if shops are closed or don’t carry your preferred style or brands.

• Toys; pack lightly, as these make great souvenir purchases.

• Sleep helpers; consider noise machines or sleep masks.

• Laundry items; consider wrinkle spray or detergent sheets for sink washing.

• Beach goods; towels can be borrowed from hotels or ships and you can rent bulky items.

• Snacks; favorites from home might not be available.

Plan the Perfect Family Vacation with a Royal Caribbean Cruise

Smart budgeting, timing, itinerary tips and a few simple hacks and make family vacation planning a breeze. Cruises are great for family travel thanks to seamless planning, a set budget, plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy together and dining suited to everyone’s taste.

Explore family cruises and start your adventure today.