10 Best Cruises for Families
Caribbean Princess
Where They Cruise: Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama, South America
Kids Will Love: Backstage tours, science experiments, hot tub parties.
Parents relax on the 3,100-passenger Caribbean Princess (and sister ships Emerald and Crown), while kids are kept active. At the Fun Zone, Princess Pelicans (ages 3-7) do arts and crafts, games, and scavenger hunts and splash in the kiddie pool. Shockwaves (for ages 8-12) includes PlayStation 2, movies, and backstage tours of the ship’s theater, as well as a science program operated in conjunction with the California Science Center (so your kids may actually do chemistry experiments onboard). Teens get Remix, with their own teen center, sports competitions, late-night movies, and hot tub parties. Outdoor movies are a popular attraction.
Insider Tip: Pick “personal choice dining,” which allows you to show up for dinner in the dining room whenever the kids are hungry.
Deal: Nine-night cruises from New York to the Caribbean, from $1,244, May-August.
