Best family reunion cruise: Top destinations, packages and planning tips

Family reunions can be fun, with an opportunity to reminisce over old times and catch up. Planning them can be tedious with people scattered around in different cities and sometimes different continents.

Cruises are the perfect place for a reunion, offering entertainment, dining, accommodation, and an opportunity to explore new destinations with your loved ones. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, a wedding, or a birthday, a cruise can ensure you have the perfect reunion.

In this blog, we discuss some of the best family reunion cruises you can take with your family, making memories that last a lifetime.

Best cruise lines for family reunion

Family cruise reunions differ from regular family reunions because they can cater to range of need. The cruise lines have a range of amenities, entertainment, and dining options for all age groups. Some of the best family cruises 2025 are:

Royal Caribbean International: Consistently ranked as a top choice for family reunion cruises, Royal Caribbean offers an abundance of family-friendly activities. Guests can enjoy onboard water parks, pools, mini-golf, and a wide array of entertainment, ensuring a fantastic time for all.

Disney Cruise Line: Disney Cruise Line promises to infuse your vacation with its signature magic. The cruise provides numerous family-friendly activities and entertainment options, catering to all age groups.

Carnival Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Line stands out as an excellent option for family reunions. It boasts a variety of onboard entertainment, diverse meal choices, and comfortable accommodations.

1. Best family cruise ship Royal Caribbean

The Royal Caribbean family cruise, voted the best family cruise ship for 21 years, is carefully designed for delivering exceptional family vacations across multiple generations. The Royal Caribbean cruise ships have some fantastic itinerary options to some of the best beaches and destinations worldwide.

Every ship offers delectable cuisines, amazing entertainment, and entertainment options for all age groups. The Royal Caribbean cruise handles all the planning, allowing families to bond and creating everlasting memories. Some of the notable Royal Caribbean family cruise ships include Icon of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas, each offering unique amenities and innovative features designed specifically for multi-generational travel experiences.

2. Disney cruise for family reunion

Disney cruise for a family reunion is the perfect way to create unforgettable memories. With magical experiences for all ages, a family reunion Disney cruise offers rotational dining, Broadway-style shows, and character meet-and-greets. Disney Cruise for family reunion offers staterooms tailored specifically for families and has state-of-the-art amenities. The adjacent verandahs overlooking the sea and scenery offer the perfect opportunity to relax.

With family reunion cruise options sailing to exotic locations Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska, and Mexico, among others. These cruises depart from various US ports like Port Canaveral (Florida), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), and Galveston (Texas), offering a range of durations and itineraries.

3. Carnival cruise family reunion

Carnival cruise great option for a family reunion, offering a variety of activities, dining options, and stateroom configurations to accommodate different family sizes and ages. Carnival ships feature numerous amenities like water parks, mini-golf, and kids’ clubs, ensuring there’s something for everyone. The Carnival Cruise family suites are spacious and can accommodate 5 members. Free access to the Family Harbour Lounge and a night of babysitting are included.

Carnival family reunion cruise offers passengers various activities, casinos and onboard entertainment to keep people of all age groups entertained. The cruise line offers affordable group bookings for extended families, including reduced deposits, onboard credits, and complimentary amenities, enhancing the overall reunion experience.

Best packages for family reunion on cruise

Planning a family reunion cruise offers an all-inclusive package: accommodation, dining, entertainment, and transportation. Look for group booking discounts and special amenities that cater to all ages. Cruise packages to the Caribbean, Europe, or Alaska provide memorable experiences, allowing families to reconnect while exploring new destinations.

1. Packages for family cruise to Alaska

A family cruise to Alaska can offer breathtaking scenery and unique wildlife that can be shared across generations. The 7- to 14-day cruises usually depart from Seattle, Washington, or Vancouver, British Columbia, with itineraries focusing on the magnificent Inside Passage and glaciers. The family reunion cruise packages offer an opportunity to explore towns like Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway and experience Alaska’s natural beauty, including glaciers, fjords, and wildlife.

A family reunion cruise can offer a range of onboard and offboard activities, including wildlife viewing (whales, bears, moose), glacier viewing, trekking, dog sledging, historical exploration, and cultural experiences.

Also read: Best Alaska cruises

2. Packages for family cruise Europe trip

Planning a family reunion cruise to Europe offers an incredible blend of cultural enrichment and luxurious relaxation. These family cruise Europe packages allow you to visit multiple countries seamlessly, all while enjoying the amenities of a modern cruise ship.

Mediterranean cruises often stop in iconic cities like Barcelona, Rome (for Florence), and the beautiful Greek Isles.

Northern European cruises explore Norway’s breathtaking fjords, the historic Baltic capitals, and the charming British Isles.

Many family cruise Europe packages include enticing options like shore excursion packages, delightful wine tastings, engaging cooking classes, and immersive cultural experiences. Families can also enjoy family-friendly walking tours, enriching museum visits, and fascinating historical site explorations. Typically lasting ten to fourteen days, a family cruise Europe provides ample time for families to truly bond and create lasting memories together.

3. Package for family cruise to Bahamas

The Bahamas remains a top choice for family reunion cruises, offering a classic tropical experience to suit diverse budgets and schedules. Cruises to the Bahamas typically depart from Miami, Port Canaveral (near Orlando), and Fort Lauderdale. These 3 to 7-day itineraries commonly visit Nassau, Freeport, and private islands such as Half Moon Cay or Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Some of the activities you can enjoy during the Bahamas cruise family package can include beach activities, water sports, and relaxation, perfect for multi-generational families. Activities include storytelling, swimming with dolphins, and conch bar experiences, creating lasting memories and capturing candid moments.

How to plan a family reunion cruise?

Want to plan a family reunion cruise? This can be quite daunting, considering the diverse preferences and requirements of various people, but we can help make it simpler.

Planning a family reunion cruise requires ample lead time, starting at least a year in advance. This allows for guest lists and group preferences, budgeting, and planning. For groups, booking early is crucial to secure discounts, group rates, and access to preferred stateroom locations and dining reservations.

To plan a large-scale family vacation, designate one or more appointed group leaders who can finalise decisions, organise details, and manage group communications. These leaders should be skilled in research, communication, and negotiation. They can also serve as a liaison with the cruise line and work with a travel agent to manage group travel details.

A trusted travel agent can assist with research, organisation, and group logistics for family reunions. They can help find the best cruise, negotiate competitive rates, and manage flight and hotel bookings. The cruise line’s group planners can manage tasks like creating customised events and arranging shore excursions. They can also serve as the family’s point of contact.

The group leader should establish a communication platform for family members, including email addresses and a private Facebook group. Conduct group polls to gather preferences about sailing dates, ports, and itineraries. The Facebook page should announce activities, payment deadlines, and other details. Send a monthly e-newsletter to guests and assign someone to manage responses. Keep older relatives informed about all details.

Cruises are all-inclusive vacations with accommodations, meals, and transportation, offering excellent value and often being more affordable than land-based vacations. Groups qualify for special discounted rates. Costs may affect participation, so it’s crucial to present costs early for informed decisions.

Select a cruise departure port within driving distance or a short flight for improved group participation. Ensure guests arrive the night before the cruise to avoid flight delays and potential missed departures. This will save expenses, effort, and vacation time.

To plan a cruise, gather family input on sailing dates and types, considering summer or school holidays for kids. Determine the group’s travel time, ranging from 3- to 5-night cruises to weeklong or longer trips. Consider vacation and work schedules, as short cruises may attract more participation, while longer trips may be more suitable for group members with limited time together.

After deciding on a preferred embarkation port and sailing duration, consider family cruise destinations that suit your preferences. Consider factors like beach-lovers, culture vultures, island- or city-hopping preferences. Close-to-home destinations like the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, and Bermuda are crowd-pleasers

Choose a ship with amenities that cater to your family’s ages, abilities, and interests. Cruise ships are floating resorts with swimming pools, fitness centres, spas, casinos, shops, libraries, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, entertainment venues, kids’ clubs, and daily activities. Plan to reconnect with your group at least once a day, whether it’s over a meal or shared activity, to ensure everyone has something to enjoy.

Stateroom options on ships vary in price and capacity, with interconnecting options suitable for families. Book in advance to ensure group accommodations are clustered in the same area.

1. How to plan the best family reunion Itinerary?

Planning the perfect Family Reunion Itinerary for your family reunion cruise starts with consulting a travel agent and determining cruise type. Schedule group activities while considering adult-only spaces and individual interests. Factor in budget constraints and confirm group benefits like priority boarding. Choose family reunion cruise options that match your family’s interests for lasting memories.

2. How to do group booking for family reunion on a Cruise?

Appoint a group leader to coordinate your family reunion cruise. Decide on dates (3-7+ days) and contact a cruise line or travel agent for deals. Select rooms (suites/staterooms) based on budget and group size, then reserve with a deposit. Track payments with a spreadsheet. Plan group activities and excursions, and remember to document your memorable holiday!

Shubha Roy

Shubha writes blogs, articles, off-page content, Google reviews, marketing email, press release, website content based on the keywords. She has written articles on tourism, horoscopes, medical conditions and procedures, SEO and digital marketing, graphic design, and technical articles. Shubha is a skilled researcher and can write plagiarism free articles with a high Grammarly score.