The 5 Best Royal Caribbean Ships For A Thrilling Cruise With Kids, According To Reviews

As a longtime winner of the Best Cruise Line Overall award from Travel Weekly— since 2002, in fact — Royal Caribbean has a reputation for success. That carries over to the company's penchant for family vacations as well, so while it can be an exciting prospect to decide which ship to choose though since all of them have unique offerings, it can also be intimidating. After all, at the time of writing, the company is operating 28 ships all over the world with five vessels being especially terrific for families with kids. 

These voyages are all the more tempting since the cruise line sometimes offers their Kids Sail Free promotion. This limited-time concept allows families with at least two other guests on the reservation to bring their children that are 12 and under aboard with a free fare. This promotion is a terrific way to save money, especially when taking advantage of the best times to book a cruise.

Knowing which ships are actually the best for children can be a lesson of experience like this common cruise-packing mistake, or a person can look to the experiences of others before deciding which ship to sail away with. Thanks to cruise reviewers on Yelp and Cruise Critic, deducing which ships are better equipped for children is a sea-breeze. The following recommendations are made with many reviewers' thoughts in mind — the good and the bad. 

Cruising the Caribbean, Freedom of the Seas is a fun-filled ship that will keep the whole family busy. Onboard you've got mini golf, water slides, laser tag, pools, movie theaters, rock climbing, a surfing simulator, arcades, and kids clubs. Teens even get their own hang out areas where they can enjoy vacation safely on their terms. And when it's time to eat, there are nearly a dozen eateries. 

On Yelp, many past cruisers said their children had a blast aboard Freedom. One reviewer, Monique, even mentioned that the amenities are perfect for families. "The ship is big, great activities for the kids," they wrote. "Coco Cay is a water park. Ideal for families. It has plenty of open beach space." A reviewer on Cruise Critic also agreed that Coco Cay is terrific and that Splashaway Bay in particular is a hit for kiddos.

Not all reviewers were fans of Freedom, however, noting that children would just be everywhere on board. Kim, a reviewer on Yelp, wrote that there were children wandering around the adults-only area. And another reviewer at Cruise Critic mentioned being disturbed throughout the night by "a lot of kids who are allowed to run up and down the corridors, slamming doors and yelling at all hours of the night." 

As of its inaugural sailing in 2024, Icon of the Seas is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. This behemoth can hold more than 5,600 passengers sailing through the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Onboard there are over 20 eateries, seven pools, the largest at-sea waterpark, rock climbing, mini golf, carousel, arcades, escape room, laser tag a baby area, kids zone, teen spot and more. Given its size, there is no shortage of things to do for families.

Since the ship just started sailing, there aren't a ton of reviews yet available at the time of writing. Even so, several cruisers have commented on Royal Caribbean's newest ship as a kid-friendly vacation spot. One Yelper, Tank, appreciated that one of the swim-up bars, Swim and Tonic, allowed for their son to tag along. In fact, it ended up being their son's favorite swimming spot on the ship. While a cruiser on Cruise Critic encouraged other cruisers to embrace the ship's family-friendly atmosphere. 

However, a few reviewers on Cruise Critic noted that the little kid area isn't large enough to accommodate how many families there are. One reviewer wrote: "What they don't tell you is the 6mo-3 yo room size is only EIGHT KIDS! If you plan to get some adult time and take your little one, good luck because it's pretty much impossible." As if parents didn't already have enough to worry about when preparing for these trips.

Home to the SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space on the ocean, Odyssey of the Seas truly takes passengers on a journey. Odyssey can bop around the Bahamas, cruise the Grecian isles, and even take you on a Transatlantic adventure just to name a few of its destinations. Onboard you'll also discover a skydiving simulator, arcades, kids and teen zones, bumper cars, augmented reality experiences, laser tag, movie theaters, pools, and more.

With lots for the children to do on the ship, one Yelper, Patty, recommended the Odyssey's babysitting services for families traveling together. "It was assuring to know that they were in safe hands with trained professionals in an activity room with other kids that were around their ages," they wrote. A cruiser on Cruise Critic mentioned a Spring Break trip they knew would be heavily attended by families, but it still ended up being an experience they called "a great week of memories!" One other Cruise Critic reviewer mentioned that their family especially loved the entertainment options. 

Despite the myriad activities offered on the cruise, one reviewer on Cruise Critic mentioned longer wait times for certain amenities. For example, they wrote that it took two hours just to ride the bumper cars, which they opted not to stand in line for after an hour. 

From a whole other ocean, the Ovation of the Seas transports guests to Alaska, take you down under to the Outback, or to other places like Hong Kong and Singapore. Unlike the more typical, tropical climates mentioned for the other ships, this vessel shows off a different set of destinations and natural wonders. See the wide world from North Star, the highest vantage point aboard a cruise ship or relax in the indoor or outdoor pools. Similarly to the other ships, Ovation also has a surf simulator, rock-climbing, movie theater, arcade, and more. 

A typical Celebrity cruiser decided to take their children along and opted for a Royal Caribbean sailing since it seemed more family-friendly. In their review on Cruise Critic they wrote of their family's trip: "We loved the indoor pool (it was too chilly for the outside pool). The gym was fantastic too! Bumper cars was super fun. Plus, we enjoyed playing all the games available in the gym." Though they did acknowledge they liked the food aboard Celebrity better. 

Meanwhile, a cruiser on Yelp, Philip, also applauded all the activities on the ship. They wrote that their whole family got to do things like billiards and see a show together. However, they also noted that the food was subpar and included that Royal Caribbean's Allure and Symphony ships had better cuisine. 

Sailing along through the Caribbean islands, the Wonder of the Seas has seemingly endless excitement onboard. From Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, to a colorful playground and the 2-story Ultimate Family Suite, Wonder of the Seas lives up to its name. Guests can also enjoy laser tag, mini golf, movie theater, pools, zip line, rock climbing, kids' clubs, and a carousel, among other family-oriented activities. 

It's so clear that Wonder was built for families, that one Yelper, Emily, wanted cruisers to know that it isn't just for children. "While the ship is really geared towards families and kids, there is so much to do for adults traveling without kids (or while the kids are at the kid center!)," they wrote. "We all loved the activities included and absolutely adored all of the shows." Cruise Critic reviewers agreed that it was a good time for families, even if the ship seemed a bit outdated per one passenger, who explained, "Cabin seemed 'old' and our mattress was very uncomfortable and sunken in as though only 400 pound travelers had been sleeping on it." 

Another Cruise Critic reviewer said differently of the live entertainment, noting that they thought it was mediocre. However, it was their second sailing on the Wonder and their family loves this ship. Their children particularly like the splash pad area, kids club, mini golf, and the carousel. 

To determine which Royal Caribbean cruises are best suited for families, we consulted the cruise line amenities lists for all the ships as well as reviews on both Cruise Critic and Yelp. By looking at the various reviews, we were able to determine which ships had more anecdotal success for families traveling with children.