In today’s world, the best cruise ship for families is not all about children.
As cruises become increasingly popular in multi-generation family vacations, cruise companies are becoming increasingly considerate in designing boats in ways that attract passengers of all ages.
Related: Norwegian cruise companies bring back what passengers are eager for
The best family cruise allows everyone to easily transition from home when they are doing their own thing. Parents love to include their children’s plans in most cruising fares and keep the kids happy and entertained, while parents enjoy some highly anticipated adult time during the holidays.
Parents today are not shy to reveal their desire for a balanced combination of family and adult-centric fun, as indicated in the recent rankings of Best Cruise Boats.
While many cruisers may want Disney and Royal Caribbean cruises to make this list of travelers votes, Sea Islander’s Newcomer Margaritaville was named “Best Cruise Ship” in Newsweek’s 2025 Reader Choice Awards .
Disney and Royal Caribbean Ships didn’t even make the top five. Margaritaville of Sea Islander on the list are three Norwegian cruise ships – Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Viva and Norwegian Prima.
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Norway’s Encore votes for No. 2 “Family Best Cruise”
While Sea Islander’s Margaritaville stands out for its children’s programs and family-friendly games, performances and other events, Norwegian Encore is highlighted for its exciting attractions that are popular in families with older children, including on board Cycling tracks, multi-level racing, water skating and virtual reality complexes.
“From the cold waters of Alaska to the pleasant beaches of Costa Rica and Colombia, Norway’s Enkoll allows you to explore the style of the Western Hemisphere,” reads the reader’s list of choices. “But you might want to never leave this huge ship, where you and your older kids can speed up on the world’s largest sea track, run along multiple water slides and try to get out of here The VR escape room in its environment.”
Related: Norwegian cruise line passengers say expensive extra features worth it
The top 10 family cruises are selected by Newsweek panelists and contributors and voted by readers. The list also includes Carnival Carnival, Ocean Royal Caribbean Idol, MSC Waterfront and three Disney cruises.
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Encore’s recent renovation just added new features for adults
This new recognition is like the Norwegian Encore debuting a new upgrade designed to enhance the onboard experience for adults and offer products that complement its existing family-friendly features. The ship has undergone a massive renovation in late 2024 to refresh its design and provide more of what adult passengers of the Cruise Line want, including more space for relaxing and elevated specialty restaurants.
Now adults can relax on the brand new spice H2O, a free outdoor area for mere adults, hiding from the main pool deck. Featuring multiple hot tubs, large sun beds, cooling pools and large bars, Spice H20 is a large bar for a variety of cocktails and is an outdoor oasis for adults looking for a relaxing escape.
Encores in Norway also include an expansion of the most popular specialty restaurants in the Cruise series, Cagney’s Steakhouse and Hibachi-style Teppanyaki, as well as the addition of the Mediterranean restaurant Palomar, which replaces the ocean blue.
Related: Norwegian cruise line passengers evaluate their dining options
The ship also emerged from a dry dock renovation and has been redesigned kits in safe havens, Norwegians’ private privates, luxury enclaves and 24 new balcony-style cabins.
Norwegian Encore is currently in the seven-day Caribbean sailing season and calls the Port of Plata, the Dominican Republic. Tortola; British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands; NCL’s private island in the Bahamas, Malaysian rup Cay. In summer 2025, Norwegian Encore will sail a seven-day cruise from Seattle.
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