What Cruise Activities Are Popular for Kids?

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Taking a cruise is a popular option for families planning their upcoming vacations. However, if you havenโ€™t cruised in a while, you might think that the kid-friendly activities on a cruise ship are limited to swimming in the main pool or playing in a poorly outfitted kids space.

On todayโ€™s family-friendliest cruise ships, though, that couldnโ€™t be further from the truth. There are tons of activities to keep kids busy, whether solo or while hanging out with the fam. Here are some of the most popular cruise activities for kids, and the ships and cruise lines where you can find them.

Kids Clubs

Kids clubs have been a long-standing staple on many cruise ships, giving the kids a place to play in a supervised environment, often from toddler age and on up to teens. Parents can go to the spa or an adults-only space and enjoy private time, while knowing the kids are safely watched after.

However, while the kids clubs of yesteryear mayโ€™ve just featured some basic toys and bored babysitters, thatโ€™s hardly the case for cruise ship kids clubs today. Now, theyโ€™re outfitted with an amazing array of activities and offer a ton of programming that kids will love.

Some of the best in the biz include Royal Caribbeanโ€™s Adventure Ocean program, offering huge spaces where kids can play games, participate in special events or enjoy free time. Programming ranges from DJing classes for teens to science experiments for the younger set.

Norwegianโ€™s Splash Academy similarly goes all out with tons of space for all age groups and lots of age-appropriate activities, from dancing and gaming for tweens to soft play for babies.

Carnival Cruise Lineโ€™s Camp Ocean is likewise a top contender, thanks to fun partnerships like those with the Dr. Seuss brand and Kennedy Space Center.

In short, donโ€™t feel like youโ€™re โ€œabandoningโ€ the kids just because youโ€™re dropping them at the shipโ€™s kids club for the day. Theyโ€™re likely oh-so-happy to be there.

Waterparks

Cat in the Hat Waterpark on Carnival Horizon
Cat in the Hat Waterpark on Carnival Horizon (Photo Credit: Khairil Azhar Junos)

For families who love some fun in the sun, theyโ€™re no longer relegated to family time by the pool (though thereโ€™s definitely nothing wrong with that). Cruise ship waterparks just keep on getting bigger and better, so expect plenty of thrills when you board some of the top ships for water-based fun.

One of the top waterparks at sea is the Category 6 waterpark found on Icon of the Seas. It has six waterslides across five decks, and many of the slides in the group are record-setters.

For example, the Frightening Bolt waterslide is the tallest drop slide at sea, while the Pressure Drop waterslide is the first open free-fall slide at sea. Meanwhile, the Hurricane Hunters waterslide is the first family raft slide at sea, and the Storm Surge waterslide is the first suspended family raft slide at sea.

You can, though, also find very impressive waterparks on some of Royal Caribbeanโ€™s other ships, including those in the Oasis class.

Additionally, Carnival Cruise Line offers its WaterWorks waterpark on just about all its ships these days. While you might not get a ton of individual waterslides in these waterparks, you can expect a range of water features that are likewise more suitable for a range of ages.

Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises also offer waterparks that are hardly shabby.

Surfing Simulators

Flowrider Royal Caribbean
FlowRider on Royal Caribbean (Photo Credit: Serge Yatunin / Shutterstock)

If you want a truly one-of-a-kind water activity, though, you and the crew have to try out a surfing simulator. These simulators produce a continuous wave over a 40-foot-long surface, and you can hop on with a small board and try your best to keep upright.

Royal Caribbean has a number of ships outfitted with FlowRider surfing simulators (some even have two of them!).

Surfing simulators are on all ships in the Voyager class, Freedom class, Oasis class, Quantum class, Quantum Ultra class and new Icon class. Ships without surfing simulators include those in the Vision and Radiance class: Grandeur of the Seas, Rhapsody of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Vision of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.

To try out the surfing simulators on Royal Caribbean, you must be at least six years old. Rides on the surfing simulator are free and included in your cruise fare.

Dry Slides

Ultimate Abyss Dry Slide
Ultimate Abyss Dry Slide (Photo Credit: Darryl Brooks)

But what about if you want the thrill of racing down a slide, but you donโ€™t really want to get your hair wet? Take the kids on a dry slide. Many cruise ships have them now.

Royal Caribbean introduced its dry slide, known as the Ultimate Abyss, in 2016. The 10-deck dry slide has since been added to several of the cruise lineโ€™s ships, including Oasis of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas.

The dry slide is taller than many buildings and is filled with lights and artwork, taking you from the top of the ship down to one of the lower decks in under a minute.

While Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to introduce the dry slide, though, other cruise lines have since followed โ€” and even made the dry slide experience better, as is the case with MSC Cruises.

With the new MSC World America and MSC World Europa, MSC Cruises added what itโ€™s calling the new longest dry slide at sea, with the Venom Drop and the Jaw Drop slides.

Norwegian Cruise Lineโ€™s drop slide, simply named The Drop, is 10 stories, similar to the Ultimate Abyss, but The Drop was also the worldโ€™s first free-fall dry slide, and Norwegian claims that it also offers the highest G-forces of any dry slide at sea. The Drop premiered on Norwegian Prima, but thereโ€™s also a dry slide on Norwegian Viva.

Some of these slides do have size restrictions. Royal Caribbeanโ€™s Ultimate Abyss slide requires riders to be a minimum height of 44 inches, and a maximum weight of 300 pounds.

MSC Cruisesโ€™ dry slides require riders to be at least 8 years old, with a minimum height of 48 inches, maximum height of 78 inches and a maximum weight of 400 pounds.

Norwegian Cruise Line has a 48 or 55-inch minimum (dependent on the individual slide), 79-inch maximum height restriction on its dry slides, as well as a 330-pound weight limit. Rides on these slides are included in your cruise fare.

Sports Courts

SeaPlex on Royal Caribbean
SeaPlex on Royal Caribbean (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani)

For the athletically inclined kiddos in your crew, sports courts are pretty standard on most cruise ships today.

You can find a range of sports courts, either full-size or half-size, whether your childโ€™s interest lies in basketball, soccer, tennis or volleyball. This is the case for Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, but it goes beyond the typical family-friendly lines to also include lines such as MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and P&O.

The best of the best, though, is probably the SeaPlex sports complex on Royal Caribbeanโ€™s ships. Billed as the largest indoor active space at sea, it offers a full-size basketball court, but other  activities as well, such as bumper cars.

Itโ€™s not uncommon to find extra, sometimes unexpected activities in cruise shipsโ€™ sporting areas, such as bumper cars. Miniature golf is also a favorite.

Rock Climbing Walls

Rock Climbing on Quantum Class Ship
Rock Climbing on Quantum Class Ship (Photo Credit: Artchemy Labs)

Rock climbing walls give you and your crew a chance to climb high above the deck to take in the views of the ocean. Royal Caribbean most notably features rock climbing walls on its ships, with some ships featuring two and most of the rock-climbing walls stretching up more than 40 feet in height.

Worth Reading: Incredible Cruise Ship Amenities You Really Need to Experience

Royal Caribbean ships that feature rock-climbing walls include Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Grandeur of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.

Cruisers must be 6 years old or older to use Royal Caribbeanโ€™s rock-climbing walls, and rock climbing is free.

Sky Diving Simulators

RipCord by iFly
RipCord by iFly

Itโ€™s not just surfing simulators that you can find on cruise ships these days. You can also enjoy taking to the skies, or at least the next best thing, with sky diving simulators found on Royal Caribbeansโ€™ Quantum and Quantum Ultra-class ships.

These ships feature the Ripcord by iFLY simulators, wherein cruisers step into a contained pod and enjoy a short, carefully monitored and safe skydiving simulation.

This experience is not free, and is $54 per person (when you purchase a ride on-board). Cruisers must be at least 3 years old for this activity, and weigh no more than 250 pounds.

Virtual reality and Augmented Reality Experiences

Maybe you havenโ€™t really jumped in on the whole virtual reality tech thing just yet, but if you have a tech-savvy kiddo whoโ€™s always in-the-know about all the latest video game trends, they probably know all about VR and AR โ€” and theyโ€™re going to love the virtual reality and augmented reality experiences that can now be found on a handful of cruise ships.

Royal Caribbeanโ€™s TWO70 spaces can be transformed through the power of AR for kids to play four interactive games. Royal Caribbeanโ€™s Virtual Adventure Zone offers walkable VR games like Swashbuckler, a pirate-themed game for up to four players. MSC Cruises likewise offers a VR motorcycle-riding experience.

Escape Rooms

Harmony of the Seas The Rubicon Escape Room
Harmony of the Seas The Rubicon Escape Room

Another trending entertainment option thatโ€™s fun for both kids and adults alike, escape rooms have popped up on myriad cruise ships over the years, challenging you to use your wits to hunt down clues and solve puzzles in a locked-room setting.

You can find themed escape rooms on a range of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Royal Caribbean ships that have featured escape rooms include Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. Norwegian Cruise Line ships that have featured escape rooms include Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Encore.

Movie Theaters

Carnival IMAX Theater

Pretty much every cruise ship features a standard theater. Going to see a show โ€” usually a musical review or something similar โ€” is part of the classic cruise experience. However, sometimes these theatrical performances can be a little too much (read: too boring) for young children. A movie theater might be more their speed.

Luckily, several cruise lines put movie theaters onto their cruise ships. Disney Cruise Line, for example (and probably predictably) has movie theaters across its fleet, where you can find both classic and new Disney flicks playing throughout your cruise. Royal Caribbean has movie theaters on its Radiance-class ships.

You can find IMAX theaters on Carnival Vista and Carnival Horizon, where guests can purchase popcorn and snacks to enjoy.

Ice Skating Rinks

Ice Skating on Liberty of the Seas
Ice Skating on Liberty of the Seas

What could be better than, in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, when the sun is beaming down on you, heading indoors to a frosty setting and strapping on your ice skates for a few laps around a chilly rink?

Royal Caribbean boasts ice skating rinks on more than a dozen of its ships, where you can enjoy not just free skate periods, but also professional ice-skating shows that the kids are sure to โ€˜ooโ€™ and โ€˜ahโ€™ over.

Royal Caribbean ships with ice skating rinks include Adventure of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Icon of the Seas, Independence of the Sea, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.

Kid-Friendly Shopping

Disney Wonder Cruise Ship in Alaska
Disney Wonder Cruise Ship in Alaska (Photo Credit: Ritu Manoj Jethani)

Itโ€™s not just the parents who get to enjoy a little luxury shopping during the cruise. Several cruise lines have installed kid-friendly shops that the kiddos are sure to love.

For example, Carnival Cruise Line has its Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea, where the kids can build their own new furry friend. Disney Cruise Line, meanwhile, has its Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, with cruise ship outposts similar to the boutiques youโ€™ll find at Disney parks. These boutiques offer costumes and services that can have your little character looking their most magical.

What is the best cruise line for kid’s activities?

You probably donโ€™t even need to ask. Just looking at the above activities and where you can find them, itโ€™s clear that Royal Caribbeanโ€™s newer ships offer the greatest breadth of activities for kids, with options for every age group and a good variety to match various interest.

Read Also: Do Kids Need a Passport to Go on a Cruise?

Whether you want to experience some of the coolest water slides at sea, state-of-the-art VR or high-adrenaline simulations, Royal Caribbean is the cruise line that will deliver all this and more to you and your family

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Emrys Thakkar
Emrys Thakkar
The founder of Cruise Hive, Emrys has been reporting on the cruise industry since 2008. Expert insights and tips featured on a number of publications including The Express, Business Insider, Fodor's Travel and more. Worked for Carnival for 8 years and traveled to more than 34 countries and been on over 100 cruises.

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