Norwegian Cruise Line enables you to cruise with your kids from Miami, New York, Boston, Houston, Tampa, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Seattle, Honolulu, Vancouver, Quebec, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Rome (Civitavecchia) or Venice. The line is famous for “Freestyle Cruising,” which means you eat when and where you want. The line’s newest Breakaway class ships even have an outdoor Waterfront promenade with outdoor cafes for the most popular eateries; just be prepared to pay extra to sample some of the specialty restaurants.
What’s new
The line’s newest ship is Norwegian Escape, the largest in Norwegian’s fleet, sailing weekly 7-day cruises from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean. In addition to the largest ship-within-a-ship private suite complex The Haven; Studios for solo travelers; and multi-generational group cabin configurations, Norwegian Escape features 28 dining options, two Tony-Award winning Broadway musicals, a three-story sports complex that includes a multi-story ropes course with five zip tracks, and the biggest Aqua park yet for the family-welcoming cruise line.
For babies
Moms and dads can bring children ages 6 months to 3 years to Guppies Nursery for playtime. This area is not supervised by staff.
For kids
Activities for kids ages 3 through 12 are centered at Splash Academy, and might range from arts and crafts, sports, video games, and treasure hunts. Kids can also attend Circus School and learn juggling, plate spinning and walking on stilts.
For teens
Entourage is Norwegian’s exclusive teen area for ages 13 through 17. Teens spend time in the Hang Out Zone, the Dance Zone, the Game Zone and the Party Zone.
Around the ship
Look for onboard bowling alleys and basketball courts, pub crawls and wine tastings for the over-21 crowd, Behind the Scenes tours, and live entertainment. Private babysitting is not available. Group sitting services are available nightly and on port days for a small fee.
In this series
- Family Cruise Guide (main article)
- Family cruises on Paul Gauguin Cruises (next article)
Your take
Have you and your family cruised on Norwegian? What was the highlight? Did we overlook anything in this roundup? Please leave a comment below.
Interested in a family cruise on Norwegian?
