As multi-gen travel continues to boom, a select few luxury lines are bucking the adults-only trend and welcoming cruisers as young as six months. Here’s a look at what luxury-loving families can expect onboard.
While choosing the right itinerary and ship for your client’s family group is key, there are a few more things to bear in mind. For example, interconnecting suites and staterooms are a must-have, as are dining options that cater for less sophisticated palates (room service comes in very handy).
Minimum age requirements for children vary considerably, so it’s important to double-check the small print before booking. The same applies to ship-organised shore excursions. Parents should also be aware that even although luxury lines such as Regent and Oceania offer programs for older kids at certain times of the year, they don’t provide separate facilities for them.
If your luxury client’s offspring are expecting rock-climbing walls and ziplines they will be disappointed. However, if they enjoy exploring new places and making new friends, the following cruise lines provide plenty of fun activities onboard and onshore.
Crystal
Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony provide a range of activities for cruisers between the ages of three and 17 on select itineraries. During the (northern) summer and Christmas season, each ship has a Junior Activities Director onboard to host daily activities such as arts and crafts, pool and movie parties, baking workshops, video game tournaments, Lego/block projects and movie parties.
The Fantasia playroom is designed for younger kids to do arts and crafts, and play board and PlayStation games, while Waves is a teen hangout with a video arcade. Both ships also have pickleball and padel tennis courts, pools, card games, and arts and crafts – for kids of all ages.
Babysitting is available on request for an additional fee and Crystal offers kid-friendly menus. The line says it “prides itself on being an inclusive cruise line where families of all ages are welcome aboard” and its three new 690-guest ships, due in 2028, 2030 and 2032, will also feature dedicated kids’ spaces.
Explora Journeys
As part of the Italian family-owned MSC Group, Explora Journeys’ elegant 926-guest Explora I and Explora II – the first of six ships – are specifically designed to be family friendly. Infants from six to 23 months sail free of charge, and fares for children aged two to 17 are up to 50 per cent of the adult fare. The ships have 82 connected suites in Ocean Suite, Ocean Penthouse and Ocean Residence categories that cater for a variety of group sizes.
Nautilus Clubs are open from 9am to midnight and offer an extensive range of games, sports and activities for kids aged six to 17, under the guidance of qualified hosts. Three- to five-year-olds can visit the club with a parent or guardian in time slots dedicated to their age group.
All younger guests can also enjoy reserved periods at the sports court and one of the heated pools, as well as other locations around the ship. However, the panoramic Helios Pool & Bar on Deck 12 is exclusively reserved for adults.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
The highly acclaimed German line, which operates three new expedition vessels and the ultra-luxe 400-guest Europa and 500-guest Europa 2, recently appointed Luxury Travel Marketing to strengthen its presence in Australasia. All cruises are now fully bilingual (English/German), and Europa and Europa 2 offer dedicated kids spaces and programs for families during holiday periods.
The minimum age is two on both ships (eight months in Europe), and children up to the age of 11 travel free. Baby Welcome Packages are provided for toddlers up to the age of three and suites are equipped with travel cots and a baby bath, among other useful amenities.
Europa 2’s kids clubs cater for three separate groups between three and 15; Europa’s club caters for four- to 12-year-olds. Supervised sports, games and creative activities are provided around the ship on sea days and children can join group dinners with childminders. Babysitting services are offered, subject to availability.
Parents can take child-free shore excursions – kids and teens either go on their own supervised adventures or stay onboard doing organised activities – and the concierge can also organise individual family tours in most ports.
Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Families with children as young as six months old are welcome onboard the Ritz-Carlton’s Yacht Collection’s glamorous superyachts, Evrima, Ilma and Luminara. Since Evrima launched in 2022 the trio has brought a new, younger cohort of travellers to cruise – about 50 per cent have never cruised before – and the company has now opened its regional headquarters in Sydney.
The superyachts accommodate between 300 and 450 guests in exceptionally spacious suites that all have a private terrace. Several suite categories offer interconnecting suites that are ideal for larger family groups and cots are available on request.
Children aged between four and 12 have the run of the Ritz Kids club, which provides a range of activities ranging from educational to arts and crafts for an extra fee. Extra programs are available during holidays and summer months, and the water toys in the onboard marina offer hours of fun for older kids. Babysitting is not available.
Flexible dining hours, kid-friendly dishes and 24-hour in-suite dining (with custom designed menus for children) are all part of the service.
For more information, visit Crystal, Explora Journeys, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Regent, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
