Costa Cruises will give your family a chance to get to know European families and offers a youth program fleet-wide. There are reduced Costa family rates for kids under 17 sharing a cabin with parents and periodic Kids Sail Free deals in off-peak seasons.

What’s new: Costa Cruises introduced Costa Diadema fairly recently. This 4,947-passenger ship boasts new entertainment and wine-tasting venues among other luxuries including an expansive open-air promenade and spa. Look for new neoCollection “slow cruising” itineraries featuring small-group, customizable shore excursions and longer stopover times per port.

For kids: Youth programs begin at age 3, and youth counselors will take kids to dinner. They might interview the captain, stage junior Olympics, take dancing lessons, go on treasure hunts and more.

For teens: Teens can participate in several activities including dance lessons, sports and games tournaments, pool and beach parties, talent shows, and a new Grand Prix Race Car Driving Simulator where they can practice their three-point turns to prepare for their road tests. On Costa Pacifica, teens can practice becoming a singing sensation in the recording studio.

Around the ships: The ships features kids’ pools, waterslides, volleyball, basketball, football, tennis, table tennis, rotating table tennis, table football, water polo, water basketball, water volleyball, darts, hoops, bowling, shuffleboard and video games on giant screens. In-room sitting is not available, but there is free late-night group sitting until 1:30 am for kids ages three and up. All of the newest ships have an inclosable pool deck — great for the occasional rainy day — and more than 3,000 square feet of space reserved for kids, including the Squok Lido for little ones and a Teen Club for older kids. The Favolosa has its own waterpark, too.

In this series

• Family Cruise Guide (main article)
• Crystal Cruises (next article)