Norwegian Cruise Line

DISNEY Cruise Line has just unveiled its newest ship – and it’s the company’s glitziest yet.

With themed dressing-up parties, glam stage shows and immersive dining experiences featuring much-loved characters, kids will love everything about Disney Believe.

But it’s not just the House of Mouse putting little ones at the forefront.

Many cruise lines are introducing activities, meals and entertainment options to keep youngsters happy – which means more downtime for Mum and Dad.

Here, Sophie Swietochowski shares her pick of the most child-friendly cruise ships for 2027.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE

LITTLE ones can just Let It Go on board Disney Believe, which is home to a sparkling Frozen-themed dining venue.

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Oaken’s Table: A Frozen Family Feast is more than just a restaurant.

Here, youngsters are surrounded by characters Oaken, Anna and Kristoff as they tuck into dinner with live singalongs and performances throughout.

The kids’ clubs here take things to new heights, and children will love checking out the first ever Encanto musical, too.

But parents are not forgotten about.

While teens are soaring on the ship’s water coaster AquaMouse, unleashing their inner Spider-Man at the Hero Zone or paddling in the Toy Story-themed splash zone, adults can knock back cocktails at Sea Notes — the Little Mermaid-inspired piano bar.

GO: The ship makes its debut in December next year. More info, including cruise packages, will be released on Monday next week. See disneycruise.com or call 0800 171 2317.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES

ROYAL CARIBBEAN is renowned for its family-friendly offering, and has enough high-energy activities to keep rugrats happy for at least two weeks on the trot.

Freedom of the Seas, in particular, ranks highly for its adrenaline-pumping fun.

While tiny tots play with cannons and drench buckets in Splashaway Bay, teens can race each other on the Perfect Storm waterslides or unlock new surf skills on the FlowRider surf simulator.

On top of some excellent kids’ clubs, there’s laser tag, rock climbing, mini golf, an arcade and even an ice rink.

Pizzas, tacos and burgers will ensure they never go hungry, although the ice cream counter is sure to be the biggest hit — and it’s free for all cruisers.

GO: A five-night Northern Europe sailing is from £579.50pp for a family of four, departing from Southampton on August 17 next year. The cruise calls at Hamburg and Zeebrugge (for Bruges). Check out seascanner.co.uk.

P&O CRUISES

BUCKLE in for a thrilling ride on board P&O Cruises’ Arvia.

This ship has a properly immersive escape room that takes you well below sea on a fictional submarine.

Families will rely on interactive consoles, motion simulators and high-tech controls to succeed in their mission and retreat from the submarine safely.

Kids can reward themselves with a sundae from the gelateria afterwards but most of the time they’ll be itching to get to the youth club.

There is also the Altitude Zone with a high-ropes course, mini-golf and splash zone.

Families can also benefit from a Children’s Tea at the buffet.

It’s at 5pm daily so parents can get little ones fed before dropping them at the night nursery.

GO: A 14-night Spain and France sailing is from £1,049pp, based on a family of four sharing and departing Southampton on July 18 next year. Ships calls at Vigo, Malaga, Alicante, Toulon, Barcelona and Cadiz. See pocruises.com.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

AURA is the newest ship to grace Norwegian Cruise Lines’s fleet and definitely one for action-seekers.

Its thrill zone, Ocean Heights, is spread across three decks and features so many spine-tingling activities you won’t know where to start.

Along with rock climbing, a high-ropes course and funfair, there are three waterslides and a main pool deck with sea-view hot tubs.

Best of all, grown-ups with their eyes on the speciality dining can bag free meals for kids under the age of 12.

GO: A seven-night Eastern Caribbean sailing is from £907pp departing Miami on August 7 next year. Calls at Puerto Plata, St. Thomas, Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s private island. See iglucruise.com or call 020 3733 5557.

MSC CRUISES

THE highlight for children on MSC’s World Europa is the dry slide that drops 11 decks, making it the longest slide at sea and sending riders spinning down 240ft in a matter of seconds.

With Lego on board as official sponsor, children will have their fill of building-block games at the kids’ clubs, while teens can get stuck into video games.

The waterslides integrate virtual reality and project animations while riders whizz to the bottom.

The high-tech fun does not end there, either.

The ship also has a Formula 1 simulator, 5D interactive cinema and virtual reality arcades.

GO: A seven-night Western Mediterranean sailing is from £574pp based on a family of four sharing and departing from Civitavecchia in Italy on May 1, 2027. It calls at Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa and La Spezia. See msccruises.co.uk.

WHAT luck! We admire the northern royal albatross – his jet-black wings spanning more than three metres as he circles above our little tour boat.

“They love gliding on this south-westerly breeze,” says Rachel, captain of the Sootychaser.

But within seconds our attention switches as Rachel spots some adorable blue penguins — the smallest in the world — on the other side of the boat.

With fur seals, oyster catchers, black swans and sooty shearwaters also ticked, this boat trip around Port Chalmers harbour in New Zealand’s South Island has turned into a wildlife adventure that keeps on giving.

Lady luck has been with me since I set out on a 12-night cruise from Sydney.

It was a bucket-list departure as we sailed past the Opera House on our way to Auckland on Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship, Norwegian Spirit.

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The Tasman Sea was unusually calm as Captain Nordin navigated Spirit into Milford Sound, a deep fjord with steep cliffs and gushing waterfalls, the low mist clearing to reveal a cloudless blue sky.

Cruising New Zealand’s scenic fiordlands, a vast, wild area at the bottom of the South Island, always promised to be a highlight of the trip and didn’t disappoint.

It was spectacular. From Milford we sailed past the softer scenery in Doubtful Sound — so-named because when Captain Cook was passing in 1770 he didn’t think his ship would get into it.

Last up was Dusky Sound, named by Cook as he first saw it as the sun set.
Port Chalmers is the nearest that most cruise ships can get to Dunedin, the Gaelic word for Edinburgh. “Scottish settlers travelled thousands of miles to this unknown land, but at least the weather was very familiar,” our guide Robert says with a laugh.

He’s not joking. We’re here in New Zealand’s summer, but the sky is grey and it is drizzling.

Things didn’t improve next day, when strong winds prevented Spirit getting into Lyttelton, the port for Christchurch.

Instead there was a day at sea with fabulous views as we sailed past snowy peaks.

I also worked up a sweat in Spirit’s thermal suite and followed up with an altogether different spirit — a margarita in Magnum’s, my favourite bar.

Built in 1998 and with room for just under 2,000 passengers, Spirit is NCL’s oldest and smallest ship, but looking very spruce after a £89million refurb in 2020.

They doubled the size of the spa, updated cabins, turned a waterpark at the back of Deck 10 into an adults-only area and added so many more places to eat and drink that it took me a week to try them all.

As NCL is the king of cruising casual, I booked whichever restaurant I fancied instead of being told when or where to eat, or what to wear. Jeans in the restaurant at dinner? No problem.

Steaks in Cagney’s, noodles in Silk, pasta in Onda by Scarpetta, stir-fry straight off the griddle in the fun Teppanyaki, and a superb Coq au Vin in the Bistro — I munched my way through the lot of them.

They were all really good (top marks went to the Bistro) and usually cost extra, but I paid nothing, thanks to NCL’s generous Free At Sea package.

It includes free meals in up to four speciality restaurants on cruises over nine nights (fewer nights nets fewer restaurants) as well as covering drinks and wifi and giving USD$50 (around £38) off the cost of shore excursions.

There were plenty of included places to eat as well.

Taste, one of two main dining rooms, was good, and I liked the outdoor seating at the Garden Cafe (a posh name for the buffet), but The Local was my favourite, for its salads, burgers, fish and chips and chicken wings.

Outside, the weather was getting better and better, with sunshine and blue skies as we explored New Zealand’s North Island. Wellington, the capital, stole my heart with its relaxed feel, clean streets and waterfront bars.

I rode a cable car to the top of the botanic gardens and wandered back to town, admiring the exotic plants and trees along the way.

In Napier the next day, I joined a hike and wine tour up the lofty Te Mata Peak with guides Helen and Anne.

“We’ve learned from experience it’s good to do the wine after the walk,” says Helen.

Wise words. What started as an easy path from the car park got steeper as we climbed — one foot wrong and you would be tumbling down the grassy bank.

Panting with exertion, it was a joy to finally dive into four tipples, including a cheery sweet rosé aptly named Fleurty.

Tauranga was different again — a beautiful beach resort, with miles of soft sand and stylish apartments that would look right at home on the French Riviera (but were a lot cheaper).

The next day, in Auckland, it was time to say goodbye to Spirit and New Zealand — but I’m not dis-Spirited because, with Lady Luck on my side, I’ll be back.