Planning a trip to Europe with kids? Here’s why adding a cruise could be a better option than just land-based travel.

When you think of cruising, you might picture quick trips to the Bahamas or Mexico, where much of the enjoyment happens onboard and some guests don’t even step off the ship.

However, if the typical Florida short cruises aren’t appealing to you and you’re organizing a family trip, there’s a distinct and exciting cruise experience in Europe that you should explore.

I’ve been traveling with my kids to Europe since they were toddlers, and now, with one approaching high school. We’ve enjoyed everything from traditional hotels to unique stays like a dome above the Arctic Circle. While each trip has been special, our recent almost two-week adventure, which included five nights on a cruise, might just be my new favorite way to discover Europe with kids.

Discover why taking a cruise to Europe with kids can be a more enjoyable experience than staying in hotels during your vacation.

Room capacity restrictions

One of the biggest challenges of booking traditional hotels in Europe with a family is the potential frustration due to their policies.

Typically, standard hotel rooms in Europe come with an occupancy limit of just two guests—three if you’re incredibly fortunate. Aside from some airport hotels and a few expensive family-oriented options, it’s rare to find accommodations that can fit four people comfortably due to these restrictions.

For instance, if you’re traveling as a family of four, you’ll likely need to reserve two separate rooms, and whether you’re using cash or points, that can get expensive quickly. (You might ask about family plan rooms where the second room is discounted, but availability can vary.)

Choosing to rent an apartment or home comes with its own challenges, including changing laws and local attitudes toward vacation rental platforms like Airbnb, which many residents believe exacerbate housing shortages.

On the other hand, if you decide to stay on a cruise ship in Europe, you’ll find plenty of cabins designed for four or even five guests. For instance, we recently enjoyed a cruise on the Disney Dream, which offers standard rooms accommodating up to five people.

Familiar meals at your convenience

While sampling new cuisines is a thrilling part of traveling through Europe for adults, children might not share the same enthusiasm. Not every child is eager to navigate a foreign menu, especially when it’s in a different language, for every meal.

When we travel, it can be challenging to keep one of my kids satisfied, as she has difficulty with unfamiliar foods (though she always gives it a shot). That’s why cruising works well for our family. We can enjoy local dining during the day and return to the ship for comforting meals at night.

For instance, some culinary highlights for me during our trip included a lunch at a Tuscan farm with cheese, truffle honey, and oil-dipped bread, along with savoring paella in Barcelona.

While I was excited about the new dishes, my 8-year-old was just as happy to find some familiar favorites waiting for us on board. It was a win for everyone involved.

Experience a lot without the effort

Traveling across Europe with kids is incredible, but it also requires a lot of effort. From packing and checking in and out to ensuring no chargers or stuffed animals are left behind, lugging bags to train stations or airports, unpacking, restocking the fridge, and more—this can become overwhelming quickly.

On the other hand, cruising through Europe with kids (at least for part of your trip) eliminates the hassle of packing and unpacking during that segment of your adventure. You can simply drift off to sleep after departing from a port like Barcelona and wake up in Livorno, Italy, just a short drive from Pisa, leaving all the travel logistics to the ship. You’ll have a new destination to explore nearly every day without the stress of getting there.

In addition to larger cruise ships from lines like Royal Caribbean and Disney available in Europe, there are also family-friendly river cruises, such as Adventures by Disney, which open up a variety of new ports and destinations.

By traveling from port to port, you can experience different areas without committing to extended stays. The downside of shorter visits is that you might fall in love with a location and wish you had more time. But no worries—you can always plan a return trip in the future.

It’s important to keep in mind that when cruising in the Mediterranean, many popular ports are quite far from the major cities you’ll want to explore. For instance, the port for Rome, Civitavecchia, is about an 80-minute bus ride from the city itself. This significant distance can result in early mornings, long days, and tired kids. In our case, we took advantage of the bus ride to sneak in some power naps to keep everyone cheerful.

Something for everyone

In my view, if you’re heading to Europe, you should embrace experiences unique to the region. This could involve strolling through the Roman Forum, marveling at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or dancing under the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Often, as a family, you’ll be sharing these moments together.

That said, there may be times when some family members don’t want to participate in activities alongside everyone else for several days in a row.

Perhaps you’d like to unwind with some jazzy piano music and a quiet drink at a bar, while your tween is busy playing basketball with friends, and your partner is enjoying a swim. After a day of exploring ashore, everyone can return to the ship in the evening to pursue their own activities whenever they choose.

Having a little time apart can be a great way to recharge, preparing you to share even more experiences together the following day.

Easily cool off

Much of Europe can get quite hot during the summer—really hot, in fact. When we visited Rome in mid-July, the temperatures soared to 100 degrees, feeling even more intense.

In many parts of Europe, air conditioning and swimming pools are scarce, making it challenging to cool off between adventures. However, when you’re on a large cruise ship, you can enjoy excellent air conditioning—especially important in southern Europe—along with pools, waterslides, and numerous ways to refresh yourself.

An easily accessible 'easy button'

On the fourth night of our recent cruise, the kids craved something familiar for dinner in Barcelona. I spotted a well-known pizza chain across the street from our hotel, so I used Google Translate to place an online order. It wasn't gourmet, but I hoped it would be simple and inexpensive.

When I crossed the street to pick up my order, I found no pizza waiting. There was no record of my order, despite having an email confirmation. My attempts to communicate in Spanish and their English weren't enough to resolve the issue. After an hour of confusion and two trips to the store, my order finally surfaced, highlighting how elusive the "easy button" can be when navigating things on your own abroad.

After a long day of exploring Rome, all we had to do was head to the top deck of the ship to grab a pizza whenever we wanted it.

While every cruise ship offers a unique experience, many larger vessels provide amenities that can simplify your journey. These might include laundry facilities, excellent air conditioning, onboard medical assistance for anyone feeling under the weather, and helpful staff members fluent in your language for any inquiries or recommendations you might need.

Even if you don’t require these comforts, just knowing they are available can alleviate some of the worries you may carry with you.

Blend your time at sea with your adventures on land.

If you're planning a family cruise to Europe, why not delve a bit deeper and explore the city from which your journey begins? If time allows, you could even extend your stay in the city where your cruise concludes. This way, you can experience the best of both worlds: the convenience and kid-friendly entertainment on the ship, combined with the chance to truly discover Europe on your own.

For us, this meant spending extra time in Barcelona at the start of our cruise. We had the opportunity to wander through the Gothic streets, shop, indulge in Iberian ham, paella, and gelato, enjoy an evening walk in Park Guell, and of course, visit the iconic Sagrada Familia, among other sights.

After disembarking from the cruise in Barcelona, we hopped on a train to Paris and spent several nights exploring that vibrant city as well.

In both cities, we frequently found ourselves booking multiple hotel rooms each night, often reflecting on the relaxing days spent on the ship. We occasionally missed the comforting familiarity of the food onboard and the fun, along with the friendships, that the kids and teens clubs offered.

Pro tip: Some European cruises depart from one port and arrive at another, making it even easier to maximize your time in two different cities.

Bottom line

If you're feeling anxious about traveling through Europe with kids, rest assured that it is entirely manageable. After trying various approaches, I highly suggest considering a cruise as a straightforward way to start your European adventure.

A cruise allows you to visit multiple cities, witness stunning landmarks, all while having the comfort of your ship as a familiar home base each night. Alternatively, you can follow our lead by spending some days exploring on your own and others aboard the cruise, with a captain handling the navigation. This way, you can discover more places than you might on a traditional trip, while everyone gets to relax and wake up in a new port, ready for either an adventurous or leisurely day, depending on their mood.

As for my family, I'm now considering a cruise through Northern Europe, where we might visit incredible places like Ireland, Norway, Iceland, or even Greenland—experiences that would be hard to achieve through land and air travel alone.