Arctic Summer Adventure
Children sail free this summer on Abercrombie & Kent’s Arctic Cruise Adventure…In Search of the Polar Bear! This 13-night expedition sailing from Oslo to Reykjavik will take your family to the Svalbard Islands of Norway, onto Greenland, and then around the northern coast of Iceland. Enjoy the active and varied exploration of the Arctic’s unique landscapes, wildlife, and indigenous villages by Zodiac excursions through ice floes to epic volcanic hikes. Also join photography lectures, hands-on workshops, and tips in the field led by A&K’s dedicated photo coach. The full travel dates are July 29-August 12 on Le Ponant’s Le Lyria with a pre-night hotel stay in Oslo. Note that this trip is for children ages 7 and older. Also, book early and save $2,500 per person, 75% off any single supplement for certain cabin categories, and receive a $1,500 air credit! A&K’s voyages are led by their award-winning Expedition Team comprised of real-life explorers, adventurers, and famed experts. Every cruise they lead is exclusively chartered on a luxurious small ship and features all-balcony accommodations and all-inclusive amenities available only through A&K.
Saving in Galapagos
Ready to plan an awesome vacation in the Galapagos? Families save with Quasar Yacht Safaris. The cruise line offers 15% off for children up to age 15 which can be used for up to three children. Your rates also include internet, an open bar for adults, Galapagos National Park fees, and Transit Control cards. Quasar’s Grace Yacht sails with 16 passengers and their Evolution Yacht with 32 passengers for an intimate Galapagos nature experience full of unique wildlife, naturalists on board, excellent dining, and cabins that fit up to three people. Family-friendly sailings also include a Young Explorers Club and added activities such as cooking classes, a King Neptune Costume Party, a children’s menu, stargazing, evening movies, and game nights.
Cruising Iceland
Looking for a unique way to explore Iceland with your family? Lindblad Expeditions offers a number of summer 2024 sailings with two different cruise itineraries. The 5-night Wild Iceland Escape sailing round-trip Reykjavik explores five ports in the island’s northwest region while their 9-night A Circumnavigation of Iceland visits 10 ports including an overnight in Akureyri. Book by the end of the year and receive $1,000-$2,000 off select departures! Also new for 2024, we are excited to learn that the cruise line’s exclusive program for young explorers comes to Iceland. Children and teens ages 18 and under will learn how to explore this land of geological extremes like true scientists and connect with nature in an inspiring new way! Children discounts of $500 may also be available.
The New Disney Treasure
Disney Cruise Line will embrace adventure as the theme of its next cruise ship, the Disney Treasure, by borrowing storylines from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel films and introducing Disney theme park attractions to the sea. Reservations are now open with the first sailing on December 21, 2024. The spectacular 4,000-passenger ship will feature spaces paying homage to classic films, such as a two-story theater dedicated to “The Lion King” with designs inspired by the savanna. The Treasure’s Grand Hall, Disney’s version of an atrium, will be themed to the film “Aladdin.” There will also be new dining and bar concepts such as Plaza de Coco, a theater-in-the-round dining experience based in a fictional town and picking up where the Disney and Pixar film “Coco” left off. The ship will also introduce a Marvel dining experience while other spaces include the Marvel Superhero Academy, Walt Disney Imaginary Lab, and the Star Wars Cargo Bay, where your children can play the role of creature handlers. Like the Disney Wish that debuted last year, the Treasure will showcase the AquaMouse two-person water coaster ride. The ride will propel you through 760 feet of tunnels and intermix a new storyline that follows Mickey Mouse and Minnie on an adventure into an ancient temple. Three Broadway-style shows will also be featured, including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Disney Seas the Adventure,” with a third show yet to be announced. The Treasure will sail from Port Canaveral, FL, on seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises. Book early especially for the best school break availability!
Tall Ship Sailing
To encourage multi-generational travel, children cruise free and grandparents get a 10% discount on select Star Clipper sailings through 2025. Fill your day with hands-on activities like knot-tying and navigation classes that have evolved from Star Clippers’ sailing tradition while you cruise for 7-10 nights through Costa Rica and Panama, the Caribbean, and all over the Mediterranean. The Kids Sail Free Offer is available for ages 3 to 17 sailing with one or two adults in the same cabin. Families with two adults and two children get two cabins while guests over the age of 65 will receive a 10% discount on the cruise fare. For more than 30 years, Star Clippers has introduced travelers to the thrill of authentic tall ship sailing in many of the world’s most spectacular destinations by offering creative itineraries and breathtaking and unique ports. The fleet consists of the majestic twin clipper ships, Star Clipper and Star Flyer (166 guests each), plus the incredible Royal Clippers (227 guests).
Luxury Holiday Cruises
Looking for a special holiday cruise with the feel of a personal yacht? Emerald Cruises’ twin luxury yachts Emerald Azzurra and Emerald Sakara will spend the winter season sailing the Caribbean. These sister ships sail with just 100 guests. The cruise line will offer week-long holiday sailings departing November 18 for Thanksgiving, December 23 for Christmas, and December 30 for the New Year. The Sakara will depart Antigua and sail throughout the Eastern Caribbean & Grenadines for Thanksgiving and Christmas while the Azzurra will sail Christmas week from Barbados to St. Martin, through the Eastern Caribbean. The yachts will be fully decked out in festive flair—including beautifully trimmed trees, special holiday meals, caroling, and more. The Sakara will ring in the New Year with another unique itinerary sailing round-trip from Antigua. All the 2023 holiday sailings are eligible for Emerald Cruises’ 2-for-1 fare program, plus an additional $500 Emerald Exclusive savings per suite. If you book by September 30 and pay in full within 30 days of booking, you will also qualify for free air or up to an additional $4,000 in savings per suite! Rates include airport transfers; all meals with wine, beer, and soda at lunch and dinner; complimentary water; internet, watersports platform, and tips.
Journey Together Gathering
Explora Journeys, a new luxury ocean travel experience that will debut in mid-July, has unveiled its family-friendly features. The ship will offer interconnecting suites, special activities for children and teenagers, and unique kid-friendly and educational destination experiences. For spacious accommodations, your family can choose from 78 interconnecting suites across three categories: Ocean Suites, Ocean Penthouses, and Ocean Residences. Children who are the 3rd or 4th in the cabin will sail at a discounted rate: infants (6-23 months) sail for free, while children ages 2-17 sail for half off. With 3-4 suites booked, one child will be free. The Nautilus Club will entertain and engage your children ages 6-17 with video and VR games, game tables, arts and crafts, and other activities around the ship, along with workshops and important discussions on marine conservation and sustainability. Children aged 3-5 (accompanied by a parent) will also find dedicated time slots packed with age-appropriate activities. And infant-friendly toys will be on hand in your suite. Off the ship, family-centric excursions might include a visit to a space center where your family will be hosted by an astronaut or a whale-watching adventure hosted by a marine biologist. Explora Journeys is true luxury…the feeling, service, and immersion of sailing on a private yacht with the amenities of a larger cruise ship. Sailings through April 2025 are now on sale!
Pickleball at Sea
To keep up with America’s newest sports craze, several cruise lines have added pickleball to their sports lineup. Courts are generally available on their existing multi-use sports court or in fully dedicated areas with netting or cages. Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival, Princess, Norwegian, Cunard, Oceania, Regent, Crystal, and even an AMA river cruise boat showcase courts on some of their ships with more to be added. You will find free court time for the whole family, tournaments, and other pickleball-related activities on board. Equipment will be provided or bring along your own! Some lines also offer complimentary beginner lessons from onboard instructors who will teach you the rules and how to hit certain shots. Holland America even has a How to Play Pickleball tutorial video to watch on your cabin TV and is selling branded pickleball starter kits in their onboard shops.
Children Sail Free with Holland America
Children sail for free on select cruises between April 2023 through April 2024 on Holland America Line! This promotion is available for children up to the age of 18 sailing as the third and fourth guests in the same stateroom and pay only taxes, fees, and port expenses. Choose from an exciting cruise to Alaska, Canada/New England, Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, Pacific Coast, or through the Panama Canal. Note that all of Holland America’s Pinnacle Class ships—Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Koningsdam—feature family staterooms with more living space to spread out and relax. Accommodating up to five guests, these family staterooms offer special amenities, including two bathrooms and extra closet space! On board, children, tweens, and teens age five to 17 can enjoy Club HAL, a supervised youth activities program with arts and crafts, sports, video game competitions, scavenger hunts, challenging team games, themed parties, and more. Plus receive a free stateroom upgrade, fare discounts, and reduced deposits—plus tours, beverages, specialty dining, and Wi-Fi when booking their Have It All premium package!
Emerald’s Family River Cruises
This summer, Emerald Cruises will launch its first family river cruises on the Rhine and Danube Rivers. These two week-long itineraries have been designed with children ages 10 to 18 in mind, and the cruises will include activities onboard and ashore that your entire family can enjoy together. The Rhine sailing will depart on July 17 from Basel to Amsterdam and will use the company’s newest ship, Emerald Luna. The Danube version on the Dawn departs on July 15 and sails from Budapest to Munich. On board, your family can enjoy a heated pool with retractable roof (on the Luna), wheelhouse tours where you can learn about river navigation from the captain, family-friendly movies, cooking demonstrations, and more.
Family Rhine River Cruise: This sailing calls on ports in Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Special family-friendly excursions include a canoe trip on the Rhine, geocaching in Heidelberg, and an educational visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam.
Family Danube River Cruise: Sail west through Slovakia, Austria, and Germany. In Budapest, families can visit the AM 3D gallery, a quirky museum where guests are encouraged to interact and pose with the art, while in Bratislava budding chefs can take part in a cooking class on a local Slovakian farm, go geocaching in Passau and take an archery lesson at Schallaburg Castle in Austria.
Special pricing on these two departures allows families traveling together to book two adjacent cabins and save 50 percent on the second cabin!
