Royal Caribbean leads the cruise industry as one of the best cruise lines for kids because its ships are packed with the things families love.
From pools, outdoor movie screens, waterslides, and enormous kids clubs, there is no shortage of fun things for children's activities. There's also rock climbing walls, laser tag, ice skating rinks, carousels, and much more. While primarily it's the new cruise ships that have the most for kids, oldest ships were still designed with family fun in mind.
The two biggest cruise ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet are poised to become arguably the best ships for families: Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas.
Being the world's largest cruise ships means you'll find plenty to do for everyone, not just kids. There's something for mom, grandpa, the older cousins, and your brother's girlfriend. Not an easy task for any vacation choice.
Royal Caribbean's Oasis, Icon, and Quantum Class ships lead the pack as the newest generation of cruise ships with more kid-friendly options than any ship before it. The Freedom and Voyager Class cruise ships still offer a lot, and at great prices for families. Lastly, the Radiance and Vision Class ships are the smallest, oldest ships in the fleet and lack the whiz-bang features that usually attract families with young children.
Whether you're looking for "wows", a multitude of things for the kids to do, or just a family vacation that won't break the bank, here's my top picks for the best Royal Caribbean ships for kids.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for young kids: Star of the Seas or Icon of the Seas
If you have little kids, you're going to want to sail on one of the Icon Class ships.
The world's largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, redefined what a cruise ship can offer young families.
Icon is the top choice in the fleet for anyone with young kids because that's exactly the market the cruise line has doubled down on to attract.
The fact there's an entire neighborhood for parents and their young kids is a compelling reason to choose Icon. Surfside is an open-air section of the ship that has a splash area, kid-friendly water slides, and infinity pool for adults. You will also find in Surfside an arcade, carousel, playground, and lots of family-centric dining choices.
Royal Caribbean positioned Surfside right near Adventure Ocean, so you can easily drop off and pick up your kids without trekking around the ship.
There's also special family cabins and suites in Surfside that are designed to give kids and parents the space they need to enjoy a cruise together.
Read more: Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
If that's not enough to do on a cruise, there's lots of other activities around the ship, such as the main pools, water slides, minigolf, ice skating, production shows and more.
Icon of the Seas offers weeklong cruises to the Caribbean from her homeport in Miami, and every cruise includes a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay.
In 2025, Star of the Seas will start sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida and also sail 7-night Caribbean cruises.
Star will be nearly identical to Icon, with a few notable tweaks. Nonetheless, it's a great ship for young families and considering she'll be based about an hour from Orlando, it's going to be a compelling alternative to a theme park vacation.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for families of all ages: Wonder of the Seas
If you want something for everyone, look no further than Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship.
Wonder of the Seas (as well as the other Oasis Class cruise ships) is not just a giant cruise ship, but it has just about everything kids, teens, and grandma will find enjoyable.
Read more: See how Royal Caribbean ships stack up by size
Oasis Class ships are packed with the best offerings Royal Caribbean has, and there's very few activities or amenities found on other ships that you can't find on these vessels.
You've got water slides, a giant aqua park, surf simulator, two rock walls, playscape, and a carousel if you need to burn some energy. Then there's the zip line, ice skating, hot tubs, and 10-story dry slide.
The adults-only solarium pool area is found on every Royal Caribbean ship, but like everything on an Oasis Class ship, the solarium on Wonder is just bigger.
Another great amenity on Wonder of the Seas are the shows. There are three entertainment venues with shows almost every night: AquaTheater, Royal Theater, and Studio B.
You can expect to see comedy shows, ice skating show, diving show and more.
If you're new to cruising, or are traveling with a wide variety of ages, it's hard to go wrong with an Oasis Class cruise ship like Wonder.
If there's a downside to going on Wonder of the Seas, it's that you'll pay more on average for a cruise on Wonder of the Seas compared to other ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
Read more: Royal Caribbean ship classes guide & explanation
If your budget is tight, perhaps one of the other ships in this list might be a better fit, but that isn't to say Wonder will cost you an arm and a leg either. Relatively speaking, newer ships tend to cost more.
You can save money on just about every cruise by taking advantage of certain planning tips for getting the lowest price, so there's no excuse for paying top dollar, even for a cruise on Wonder of the Seas.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for families with older kids: Odyssey of the Seas
Let's say you have tweens or teen in your family and want to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise that caters more to them than younger children.
Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class ships have always been the best choice for families with older children because of the more sophisticated offerings onboard.
Just like Wonder of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas is the newest ship in its class and has the latest offerings available. Moreover, Odyssey is a very new ship too, which means you're going to find lots to enjoy.
If you have a teen, be sure to start off by showing them the teen club and teen sun deck. Teens not only have an indoor area for them, but they have a reserved area of the pool deck just for them.
Read more: 6 things you can only do on Odyssey of the Seas
Then there's the SeaPlex on Odyssey of the Seas, where throughout the day activities are swapped that include bumper cars, roller skating, basketball, and more. Parents can "observe" from the nearby Playmakers sports bar located on the upper level of the SeaPlex.
Something to do with your teens would be Zone Zero, an immersive virtual reality experience where you put on a full virtual reality suit.
Everyone will be able to also check out North Star observational pod, which is a glass capsule that takes you 300 feet above the ocean.
If your teens ever wanted to try skydiving, Odyssey has a sky diving simulator too!
Grandparents and parents will find their enclave in the Solarium, which is as beautiful to look at as it is to relax in and enjoy.
For your evening entertainment, head to Two70, which has performances that incorporate amazing technology at the rear of the ship. You'll be wowed by how Royal Caribbean has taken traditional stage productions and infused tech enhancements.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for families on a budget: Freedom of the Seas
You want to take your family on a fabulous cruise but also need to make every dollar count? Check out Freedom of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean revamped this ship in early 2020, and it offers plenty to do without the price tag newer cruise ships come with.
Freedom is still a "big ship", so there's no compromising on what there is to do onboard. You're going to find a surf simulator, beautiful pool area, aqua park, water slides, rock climbing wall, and much more.
In fact, the resort-style pool deck stands out as a big win for families. Kids can enjoy time at Splashaway Bay aqua park while adults will find serenity at the Solarium. The Lime & Coconut spans 3 decks, which creates a fun party atmosphere onboard.
Freedom has Royal Caribbean's new take on kids club and teen area, just like the newer ships.
Because she's getting older, the average price on Freedom is notably less than ships built in the last 5 years. However, her age doesn't come with a lot of compromise, because there's a lot still to do for families onboard.
In short, Freedom of the Seas delivers on the promise of something for everyone, but at far less of a cost than newer ships.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for families visiting Alaska: Ovation of the Seas
There's simply nothing like an Alaska cruise, and families will love everything Alaska has to offer as well as onboard Ovation of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean offers cruises to Alaska on four ships, but I like Ovation the best for families, especially if it's your first Alaska cruise.
Related: Comparing the Royal Caribbean ships sailing to Alaska in 2024
Based out of Seattle, you'll be able to find more direct flights to get you onboard and if you're an American, at a lower price than if you flew to a ship departing from Canada.
Once onboard, there is lots to do and most of the activities are indoors. Just like Odyssey of the Seas, Ovation has a North Star, Flowrider, SeaPlex, indoor Solarium and more.
Since Ovation has an indoor pool for guests of all ages (in addition to the Solarium), it's the perfect ship for Alaska.
While Alaska is worthy of dedicating as much time as you can on shore, once you get back to the ship, there's no compromise with things to do aboard.
Best Royal Caribbean ship to take your parents: Brilliance of the Seas
Whether your kids are with your or not, if you are ready to take mom and dad on a cruise too, you might look at a ship that focuses more on the classic cruise experience.
Brilliance of the Seas is a Radiance Class ship, which is actually one of Royal Caribbean's smaller ships in the fleet.
Don't let her size fool you, there's still activities onboard to enjoy. There's still the rock climbing wall and a fun pool deck. If you do bring young kids with you, there's a water slide on the back of the ship too.
The adults-only solarium might be my favorite solarium across the entire fleet. It's enclosed and climate controlled, and has lots of great seating for reading, napping, or both.
Something I've always loved about the Radiance Class are the floor-to-ceiling views, which are perfect for taking in the sunsets and watching your destinations come into view.
In addition to the main dining room, you'll find three great specialty restaurants worthy of a visit. After dinner, take a show in at the Royal Theater.
So why Brilliance over her sister ships? The upgrades Brilliance received a few years ago stand out from her sister vessels (although Serenade has very similar features). Sailing from Tampa in the winter, there's also a good chance mom and dad are nearby.
Something else you'll love when you invite your parents to sail with you is the price. Quite often the value of Brilliance is unmatched.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for babies and toddlers
If you have young kids under the age of 3, there are a subset of Royal Caribbean ships you'll want to book for the better offerings they have for this age group.
Look for ships that have these important features.
Nursery
Not every Royal Caribbean ship has a Royal Babies & Tots Nursery, and it's a difference maker to go on a ship that has one.
The Royal Babies & Tots Nursery has an hourly cost to it, along with limited capacity. They are available for children between the age of 6 and 36 months old.
The fee for this service is $6 per hour between 9 am and 6 pm and $8 per hour from 6 pm until midnight.
The ship's nursery is a boon for parents because the nursery is a place you can drop off your infant or toddler and have someone take care of them for a few hours, allowing you to go to dinner, see a show, and otherwise enjoy the ship.
Heck, you can leave the child in the nursery while you get off the cruise ship in a port of call for a fun shore excursion.
Royal Caribbean ships with Royal Babies & Tots Nursery:
- Allure of the Seas
- Anthem of the Seas
- Brilliance of the Seas
- Enchantment of the Seas
- Freedom of the Seas
- Grandeur of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Icon of the Seas
- Independence of the Seas
- Liberty of the Seas
- Mariner of the Seas
- Navigator of the Seas
- Oasis of the Seas
- Quantum of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Radiance of the Seas
- Rhapsody of the Seas
- Serenade of the Seas
- Star of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
- Vision of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
Baby splash zone
Did you know children in a diaper cannot go in the pools or hot tubs on Royal Caribbean?
Babies still in a diaper can, however, go in designated splash zones that are part of Splashaway Bay or the H2O Zone.
Royal Caribbean ships with a baby splash zone:
- Adventure of the Seas
- Allure of the Seas
- Anthem of the Seas
- Freedom of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Icon of the Seas
- Independence of the Seas
- Liberty of the Seas
- Oasis of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Quantum of the Seas
- Spectrum of the Seas
- Star of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
The right ships if you have kids
It's important to talk about why Royal Caribbean is the best cruise line for families before we pick a ship. Someone new to cruising may not be aware of how Royal Caribbean separates itself from other lines in the family travel market.
Royal Caribbean is known in the cruise industry for building cruise ships that are floating destinations, with lots of amazing things to do onboard.
Every Royal Caribbean ship has a supervised kids club, fun activities on the pool deck, and visits to private islands in the Caribbean. Many ships have babysitting for younger children, water slides, surf simulators, bumper cars and more.
Royal Caribbean doesn't put things on its ships just for kids, rather, they design experiences that kids and their parents can enjoy together. FlowRider, bumper cars, carousels, laser tag are all things guests of all age can find fun.
If getting your adrenaline pumping isn't your idea of fun, Royal Caribbean also has Broadway musicals on select ships, parades, ice skating shows, and expansive pool decks.
Arguably as important for parent and child alike is Adventure Ocean. Every day of your cruise there's a kids club where kids can go to meet other kids and play together in a supervised environment. Adventure Ocean isn't just a large room that kids get put in. There's activities, art, games, video games, and books for kids to enjoy.
Royal Caribbean revised its Adventure Ocean program on its newest ships and a few amplified ships, which revamped the spaces and greatly expanded the offerings.
Adventure Ocean is included in your cruise fare, with the exception of late night (after 10pm), so your vacation budget won't break.
There's even teen spaces on many ships, including dedicated lounges for teens and tweens to go and find their own enclave. The teens club is less programmed as the younger kids club, but there's still fun activities for them. In fact, Royal Caribbean will dedicate certain times of the day at the FlowRider or other signature activities just for teens.
If you have toddlers, the nursery program is a fantastic offering for parents and kids alike. The nursery has an additional hourly cost to it, but it provides a safe place for children between 6 - 36 months to go and play, nap, eat, and play some more. For parents to have a place to drop infants off and be able to enjoy dinner and evening entertainment while their baby gets to play and be put down for sleep is a boon.
If all of this sounds great, you might be wondering how much this will cost you. Royal Caribbean's prices are quite reasonable, with cabins and cruise fares to match nearly any family vacation budget.
Another ace Royal Caribbean has up its sleeve for families are its private islands of Perfect Day at CocoCay and Labadee.
These are ports your ship can visit on a Caribbean itinerary that are run by Royal Caribbean, which means lots of activities, beaches and a freshwater pool (at CocoCay) included with your cruise fare. A visit to either island is a highlight for nearly any family.
Other cruise lines may be more synonymous with kids, but Royal Caribbean's onboard programming stacks up favorably and offers more for children of all ages without compromising on the adult experience. Plus, Royal Caribbean routinely offers a kids sail free deal where children in the same cabin as the adults pay nothing for their cruise fare.
