Top Royal Caribbean Ships Your Kids Will Love!

Cruising is one of the best vacations for families with kids due to its variety of activities and all-inclusive convenience.

But with so many cruise lines and ships to choose from, how do you decide which one is the best fit for your family?

Royal Caribbean is one of the top cruise lines in the world, and after sailing on 11 cruises, we’ve got a good sense of which Royal Caribbean ships are best for kids.

When we consider booking a cruise with our family, we always consider onboard entertainment, dining options, and ports of call. We think that there is one class of Royal Caribbean ships that checks all of our requirement boxes to ensure that we have a memorable family cruise vacation, and that class is the Oasis Class.

When Royal Caribbean launched the Oasis Class Ships in 2009, they completely revolutionized the cruise industry. We think Oasis-class ships, like Oasis of the Seas, are ideal for cruising with kids due to their impressive range of family-friendly amenities and activities.

Here’s why they stand out:

Endless Activities Your Kids Will Love

A unique feature of the Oasis Class Ships is the “neighborhood” concept. With 7 distinct neighborhoods onboard, your kids will never run out of activities to enjoy.

Some of the best neighborhoods on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships that are especially great for kids:

  1. Pool and Sports Zone – The Pool and Sports Zone on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships is a fantastic area for kids, offering a wide range of exciting activities to keep them entertained.
    • Water Slides and Pools: Kids can enjoy thrilling water slides, like the Perfect Storm, a trio of water slides that spiral and twist. There are also dedicated kids’ pools and splash zones where younger children can safely play.
    • Sports Activities: The area features a variety of outdoor sports options, such as basketball courts, mini-golf, and even a rock-climbing wall. These activities allow kids to stay active and challenge themselves while having fun. Be sure to check your Cruise Compass for group activities on the Sports Deck during your sailing.
    • FlowRider Surf Simulator: Older kids and teens can try their hand at surfing or bodyboarding on the FlowRider. Royal Caribbean also offers FlowRider lessons (for an extra cost), which we highly recommend. We signed our 8-year-old up during our last cruise, and it was an incredible experience! The one-on-one instruction was the highlight, and she had a blast learning all of the tricks.
  2. Royal Promenade – Located in the heart of the ship, the Royal Promenade offers fun for the whole family:
    • Shops: The Royal Promenade features various shops with unique items. From Royal Caribbean gear to free bracelets and charms. Our kids loved checking out all of the shops on the Promenade.
    • Family-Friendly Activities: This central area often hosts live music, performances, and interactive activities that kids can enjoy. It’s a lively place where families can hang out and enjoy the atmosphere together. During special events, the promenade also hosts fun parades and themed celebrations that are sure to capture kids’ attention.
    • Kid-Centered Dining Options: The promenade offers a range of casual dining options, including the Café Promenade for a quick snack or dessert, and, of course, the popular Sorrento’s, where you can enjoy a fresh slice of pizza.
  3. The Boardwalk – The Boardwalk is one of our favorite family hangouts. It offers a lively atmosphere with lots of activities for kids:
    • The Carousel: A colorful, hand-carved carousel is a standout feature of the Boardwalk, perfect for younger kids. Our kids can ride it over and over, and we love seeing their excitement each time.
    • Family-Friendly Dining: The Boardwalk has casual dining options like Johnny Rockets, where kids can enjoy classic burgers and milkshakes. For a quick bite, we also recommend the Boardwalk DogHouse, offering hot dogs and more.
    • Outdoor Games and Activities: On some Oasis Class Ships they offer a family friendly event on the Boardwalk featuring interactive games, live music, facepainting, and balloon animals.
    • Arcade and Candy Shop: For older kids and teens, the arcade provides hours of entertainment. And don’t forget the huge candy shop that is ready to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth!

Kid-Friendly and Top-Notch Entertainment

The entertainment onboard an Oasis Class ship is top-notch and has you in disbelief that what you are seeing is on a moving cruise ship.

Royal Theater – The Royal Theater is one of the main entertainment venues onboard. You can catch some Broadway-style productions, live performances, and other large-scale shows. The Royal Theater onboard the Oasis Class ships is known for hosting spectacular performances like Mamma Mia!, Hairspray, and Cats. In addition to the theater’s stage productions, it is also used for other performances such as comedy shows, other headliner shows, and movie screenings.

Studio B – Studio B is the ice-skating rink onboard. Yes, you read that right, there is an ice-skating rink on the ship! Each Oasis Class ship offers up their own lively ice-skating show featuring talented skaters and exciting choreography. You truly are amazed after watching the shows in Studio B.

Aqua Theater – The Aqua Theater is truly one of the most unique and breathtaking venues at sea. This outdoor amphitheater is designed for water-based shows. During the shows, you will see incredible acrobatics, diving, synchronized swimming, and other water-themed stunts, all set to some catchy tunes that gets your adrenaline pumping. The Aqua Shows are always a must-see for our family.

Family-Friendly Dining Options

The dining options onboard an Oasis Class ship are endless! We understand that when traveling with kids, flexibility is key, and sometimes schedules need to change.

Thankfully, with Oasis Class ships, you have a wide variety of dining choices. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite or have time to sit down for a leisurely meal, there’s something for everyone.

  1. Grab and Go – Oasis Class ships provide fantastic grab-and-go food options, ideal for families on the go. Casual spots like Café Promenade offer quick snacks and desserts, while the Boardwalk DogHouse serves up tasty hot dogs. For a fast meal, Sorrento’s offers fresh pizza, and Park Cafe features convenient sandwiches and salads, perfect for breakfast or a quick mid-day treat. Don’t forget about El Loco Fresh, located right by the pool deck, serving delicious Mexican food—an excellent option when you’re craving something flavorful and easy. These options make it simple to enjoy a meal without interrupting your fun.
  2. Main Dining – When we cruise as a family, one of our traditions is always dining in the Main Dining Room. We love sitting down together at the end of the day to discuss our favorite activities and experiences from that day. The Main Dining Room offers a fantastic menu with delicious options for both adults and kids. Plus, the service is exceptional! The staff always goes the extra mile to make the kids feel special and ensure we have a memorable dining experience. The service on our last cruise on the Oasis of the Seas was some of the best service we have ever received.
  3. Specialty Dining – If you’re open to spending a little extra, be sure to consider the Specialty Dining options. While we don’t often splurge on them, we do enjoy it on occasion. One of our favorites is Izumi Hibachi, where we’ve had a great time with the kids. The entertaining food prep performance is a highlight, and the delicious meal from Izumi is something the whole family enjoys.

Kid-Friendly Ports

Now, whenever we have sailed on an Oasis Class ship, we usually sail on a Western Caribbean Cruise. Ports of call have included CocoCay, Labadee, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, and Falmouth. These ports have always been ideal stops for our family.

To start, these ports are all clean and family friendly. There are plenty of shops to browse for a souvenir, and if shopping is not what you are looking for, they have plenty of excursions to book. A few excursions that we have enjoyed include Dolphin Cove, Playa Mia Beach Break, and Dunn River Falls.

Dedicated Kids’ Club

Adventure Ocean is the dedicated Kids’ Club on Royal Caribbean. It offers up a variety of fun, engaging, and age-appropriate activities for children and teens. Adventure Ocean is divided into different age groups, which ensures that the supervised activities are tailored to specific developmental stages:

  1. Aquanauts (3-5 years old)
  2. Explorers (6-8 years old)
  3. Teens (12-17 years old)

Our kids have always enjoyed their time at Adventure Ocean and always ask to go back every day. It truly provides a safe, fun, and engaged environment for them to enjoy and allows them to interact and meet some kids their age. This also allows for some time for mom and dad to relax by the pool without any interruptions.

Conclusion: Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Kids

So, there you have it!  As we said, cruising with kids is certain to create some lasting memories for you and your family. We understand that it may be overwhelming looking at all of the cruise lines and cruise ships, but we are confident that the Oasis Class ships will be a hit with your family.

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