The Royal Princess strives to combine innovation and tradition to create a truly unique sailing experience. In 2017, the Cruiser's critic awards awarded the Royal Princess as the best overall cruise liner of the year. The Royal is a 3,600 passenger, 19 deck cruise liner which sails around Australia, New Zealand, the Far East, and the South Pacific. The Royal departs from a variety of ports varying between Auckland, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney depending upon the itinerary. 

As with any family vacation, the pool is of the utmost importance. Water lovers will be happy to hear that the Regal has three pools, two hot tubs, and one adults-only pool.  Parents should take note, however, that children MUST be potty trained to use any of the pools.

Many parents may worry about keeping their kids entertained and safe while onboard, which is why the kids and teens clubs are a huge hit with families. The kids and teens are split amongst three clubs based on age. Younger kids ages 3-7 can enjoy The Treehouse. Here, they can make puppets, finger paint, play games, and participate in other organized activities. Once again, however, kids must be potty trained to participate in events without a parent present. Moving up in age to 8-12, The Lodge is a club for slightly older kiddos with arcade games and opportunities for kids to make friends on the ship. The typically harder to please teens ages 13-17 will find a place of their own at The Beach House, a teens-only club for socializing, relaxing, and organized events like pizza parties and hip hop dance classes. For kids looking to learn and create, check out the JRChef@Sea program where kids will learn to decorate cakes and cook delicious pastries. 

After a recent partnership with Discovery, parents will be happy to hear that the Royal has plenty on board to keep younger passengers happy with fun AND educational activities. The Discovery at Sea program is a recent addition to the Princess cruise line, featuring lecture speakers and interactive activities based on shows like Shark Week, Finding Bigfoot, and Deadliest Catch. Families can test their shark knowledge with trivia or go on a scavenger hunt to find Bigfoot. Stargazers should take advantage of the ship's observation deck where lights are turned off for constellation viewing.

Even on the longest of sailing trips passengers may find it difficult to experience everything the Royal has to offer. Fans of The Voice will adore the Royals spin (sorry for the pun) on the singing competition show with the classic blind auditions and spinning chairs. As with most Princess cruises, theater fans will not be disappointed by the numerous Broadway-style productions, stand-up comedians, and magic acts available in the ship's theater. A staple of the Royal is its glass, 60-foot long SeaWalk, which treats guests to gorgeous views 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship, along with the Princess Watercolor Fantasy Show, a dazzling water show choreographed with music. Daily fun has no limits with trivia, game shows, lectures, dance classes, and Festivals of the World events to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your destination (on select sailings). A Movie Under the Stars is a signature Princess event featuring flicks for the whole family and complimentary popcorn.  For parents looking for a little alone time, to take advantage of the numerous bars and lounges or casinos perhaps, group babysitting is available on board with a charge of $5 per child, per hour.

Each ship has a variety of fun activities for the whole family, so be sure to check your ship before you cruise to view what's available. Whether you're 8 or 80, there's no reason not to have fun on your getaway at sea; before breaking off into everyone's activities, enjoy some time together by planning to meet for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

This is the time to make memories and nothing could be more memorable than setting up a shore excursion for the whole family. Plan your shore excursions ahead of time for the best chance at booking your top selections.

*Please note it is often cheaper to book two staterooms or two connecting cabins instead of one large stateroom suite - plus it gives you a second bathroom.*