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Princess vs Holland America with Kids: Best Multi-Gen Family Cruise

Pick Princess for multi-gen trips with kids 4-12 who want a real kids' club, plus grandparents after a more refined ship without luxury pricing. Pick Holland America when grandparents decide, the trip is Alaska or 10+ nights, and the kids are 8+.

Princess and Holland America aren't typical kid-first cruise lines, but they're the two best mainstream choices for trips that include grandparents. Here's how to choose.

Decide in 30 seconds

Princess Cruises edges out
Our pick

Princess Cruises

7/10 kid score
Best ages6-15
Hotel$110-$210/night

Holland America Line

6/10 kid score
Best ages8-15
Hotel$100-$215/night

Best for

Princess for multi-gen with school-age kids and Alaska; Holland America for grandparent-anchored trips with older kids on longer voyages

Ready to plan

Turn the verdict into a plan

Skim the answer, then price-check hotels, activities, and gear before you commit.

HotelsBooking.comSearch Princess Cruises family cruisesCheck family-room availability, pool setup, cancellation terms, and neighborhood fit.Check stays HotelsBooking.comSearch Holland America Line family cruisesCheck family-room availability, pool setup, cancellation terms, and neighborhood fit.Check stays

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Option one

Princess Cruises

Option two

Holland America Line

Scores out of 10

  • 7/10
    Kid-friendly: Princess Cruises 7/10, Holland America Line 6/10. Princess Cruises leads.
    6/10
  • 7/10
    Stroller-friendly: Princess Cruises 7/10, Holland America Line 7/10. Tie.
    7/10
  • 8/10
    Food scene: Princess Cruises 8/10, Holland America Line 8/10. Tie.
    8/10

Princess Cruises leads on 1 of 3 scores. Same figures as the table below.

Princess Cruises

Flight from SFO
n/a — port-dependent
Flight from LAX
n/a — port-dependent
Flight from NYC
n/a — port-dependent
Avg. Hotel / Night
$110-$210/night per person, double occupancy (7-night Alaska range)
Kid-Friendly Score
7/10
Better here
Best Age Range
6-15
Best Time to Visit
Alaska May through early September; Caribbean November through April; book Alaska 9-12 months out for outside cabins with view
Food Scene
8/10
Beach or Pool
Multiple pools and the Movies Under the Stars deck screen. Princess Cays private island in the Bahamas. No major waterslide programs.
Stroller Friendly
7/10

Holland America Line

Flight from SFO
n/a — port-dependent
Flight from LAX
n/a — port-dependent
Flight from NYC
n/a — port-dependent
Avg. Hotel / Night
$100-$215/night per person, double occupancy (7-night Alaska range)
Kid-Friendly Score
6/10
Best Age Range
8-15
Best Time to Visit
Alaska May through September is the strongest itinerary; Caribbean November through April; longer Panama Canal and Mediterranean sailings have very few kids
Food Scene
8/10
Beach or Pool
Pools, retractable Lido pool roof for cooler weather (rare in cruise), and the Half Moon Cay private island. No major waterslides or thrill rides.
Stroller Friendly
7/10

Book Your Trip

Search Princess Cruises family cruises (opens in new tab)booking
Search Holland America Line family cruises (opens in new tab)booking

Family cruise gear worth packing

Whichever way you go, here's the kid-friendly gear that makes this kind of trip run smoother — current prices and ratings included.

  • Cruise On Over-the-Door Cabin Organizer (15-Pocket)

    Cruise On Over-the-Door Cabin Organizer (15-Pocket)

    luggage

    4.5 · 2,896 reviews$17.99

    Organization · Quality · Cruise Suitability · Pocket Size

    Buyers praise organization, quality, cruise suitability and pocket size.

    Buy on Amazon
  • Sea-Band Kids Motion Sickness Wristbands (1 Pair)

    Sea-Band Kids Motion Sickness Wristbands (1 Pair)

    health

    4.3 · 644 reviews$12.94

    Effectiveness · Side Effects · Quality · Value for money

    Buyers praise effectiveness, side effects, quality and value for money. Mixed feedback on fit and comfort. Some flag size and color options.

    Buy on Amazon
  • Kids Walkie Talkies (4-Pack)

    Kids Walkie Talkies (4-Pack)

    safety

    4.5 · 3,252 reviews$49.99

    Suitability For Kids · Quality · Ease Of Use · Sound Quality

    Buyers praise suitability for kids, quality, ease of use and sound quality. Mixed feedback on reliability. Some flag battery life.

    Buy on Amazon
  • JOTO Waterproof Phone Pouch (2-Pack, IPX8)

    JOTO Waterproof Phone Pouch (2-Pack, IPX8)

    tech

    4.5 · 40,781 reviews$7.99

    Water Resistance · Functionality · Quality · Value for money

    Buyers praise water resistance, functionality, quality and value for money. Mixed feedback on ease of use and touch sensitivity.

    Buy on Amazon
  • Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) 4-Pack

    Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) 4-Pack

    tech

    4.6 · 12,065 reviews$69.99

    Accuracy · Ease Of Use · Quality

    Buyers praise accuracy, ease of use and quality. Mixed feedback on functionality and connectivity.

    Buy on Amazon
  • Mattel UNO Card Game

    Mattel UNO Card Game

    entertainment

    4.8 · 61,029 reviews$11.54

    Quality · Gameplay · Family-Friendly · Storage

    Buyers praise quality, gameplay, family-friendly and storage.

    Buy on Amazon

Prices and ratings are approximate and may vary. Check the latest on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Tots & Trips earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Layers and cabin gear for an Alaska family sailing

Woolino Merino Wool Base Layer for Kids Long Sleeve Thermal Top

Woolino Merino Wool Base Layer for Kids Long Sleeve Thermal Top

★4.5·119 reviews

Warm, soft merino for cool deck mornings and chilly port days on the Alaska itineraries this page favors.

~$49Buy on Amazon
JAN & JUL Puddle-Dry Waterproof Rain Suit Coverall

JAN & JUL Puddle-Dry Waterproof Rain Suit Coverall

Amazon's Choice
★4.8·799 reviews

A waterproof coverall goes over everything, so a wet port day doesn't cancel the plan.

~$66.99Buy on Amazon
Hatch Go Portable Sound Machine

Hatch Go Portable Sound Machine

Amazon's Choice
★4.3·5,061 reviews

Masks ship noise so kids still nap and sleep on a longer, slower-paced voyage.

~$39.99Buy on Amazon
Spot It! Classic Card Game

Spot It! Classic Card Game

★4.7·637 reviews

A quick card game kids and grandparents can play together on sea days.

~$6.59Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, Tots & Trips earns from qualifying purchases. Prices are approximate; check Amazon for the current price.

Pros & Cons

Princess Cruises

Pros

  • MedallionClass wearable is genuinely useful — order food/drinks to your seat, find family on the ship
  • Alaska itineraries are some of the best in the industry — Princess has the most Alaska history
  • Camp Discovery kids' club included; well-organized with named themed spaces
  • Generally calmer and more refined than Royal/Carnival without losing all family programming
  • Sun Princess (2024) and Star Princess (2025) are noticeably more modern than older fleet

Cons

  • Camp Discovery hours are more limited than Disney/Royal — typically closes earlier
  • Older average passenger age can leave a 14-year-old feeling out of place on quieter sailings
  • Fewer onboard thrill activities (no FlowRider, no major waterslides on most ships)
  • Tween/teen programming is thinner outside of school-break weeks when more kids are aboard

Holland America Line

Pros

  • Strongest grandparent-friendly atmosphere of any mainstream line
  • Alaska, Mediterranean, and longer voyages are programmed at a relaxed pace
  • Half Moon Cay private island (shared with Carnival) is widely rated best beach in the Bahamas
  • Smaller ships (typically 2,000-2,650 passengers) feel less overwhelming than mega-ships
  • Music Walk venues (B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room, Lincoln Center Stage) are a unique, multi-gen-friendly evening offering

Cons

  • Club HAL kids' club has the most limited hours and smallest spaces of any major line
  • Almost no programmed activities for kids under 5 — bring activities for downtime
  • Older average passenger age — your 12-year-old may genuinely be the only kid on a school-week sailing
  • Some ships don't run Club HAL year-round; verify before booking

Best For

Princess for multi-gen with school-age kids and Alaska; Holland America for grandparent-anchored trips with older kids on longer voyages

Our Verdict

Pick Princess if your multi-gen trip includes any kid under 10, if you're sailing Alaska, or if you want the overall best balance between grandparent-friendly calm and real-kid programming. Camp Discovery isn't Disney's Oceaneer Club, but it's a real kids' club with named spaces and reliable hours during school-break weeks. The MedallionClass tech is genuinely useful — your 9-year-old can text you from the kids' club, you can order pizza to a deck chair, and lost-on-ship anxiety basically disappears. Pick Holland America if grandparents are the deciding voice and the kids in the group are 8+ and reasonably self-sufficient. Holland America is the most peaceful mainstream line, food and service consistency are notably high, and the Music Walk evening venues give grandparents and tweens a shared activity that doesn't feel forced. Just don't book Holland America with a toddler expecting daycare — Club HAL hours and offerings don't compete with Princess, let alone Disney or Royal. The edge case: longer cruises. If your multi-gen trip is 10+ nights (Panama Canal, transatlantic repositioning, Mediterranean), both lines do this better than Royal or Carnival, and Holland America does it better than Princess. The slower onboard pace, port-day variety, and grown-up evening venues hold up over two weeks in a way that mega-ship lines don't.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these lines really suitable for kids at all?
Yes, especially for school-age kids ages 6-15, but with calibrated expectations. Both Princess and Holland America have real kids' clubs (Camp Discovery and Club HAL) included in fare, but they operate fewer hours and have less programming than Disney, Royal, or Carnival. Both are best when the trip is grandparent-anchored and the kids are old enough to also enjoy the slower-paced onboard rhythm. For toddler-focused trips, look at Disney or Carnival instead.
Why do families pick Princess or Holland America for Alaska?
Both lines have decades of Alaska programming, the strongest port-day naturalist programming in the industry, and pricing that often comes in below Royal Caribbean for comparable Alaska itineraries. Princess in particular owns the most Alaska shore lodges and runs combined cruise-tour packages with rail trips into Denali. For multi-gen Alaska trips where grandparents are coming, both lines beat the mega-ship alternatives.
How limited is Holland America's kids' club really?
Honest answer: Club HAL on most Holland America ships runs roughly 9am-noon, 2pm-5pm, and 7pm-10pm during school-break weeks, with reduced or no hours on light-kid sailings. Some ships don't open Club HAL at all if fewer than 10-15 kids are aboard. By comparison, Disney's Oceaneer Club runs effectively 9am-midnight. If your kid relies on kids' club to give you adult dinner time, verify Club HAL hours and minimum-kids policies before booking.
Which line has better food for a multi-gen group?
Holland America is widely considered the better mainstream food experience — main dining quality is consistently strong, the Pinnacle Grill steakhouse is one of the better specialty restaurants in mainstream cruise, and Tamarind (pan-Asian) on the larger ships is excellent. Princess's specialty restaurants like Sabatini's and Crown Grill are also very good, and the overall variety is similar. For picky kids, both have standard kids' menus across all venues.
Are connecting cabins easy to find on these lines?
Connecting cabins are limited on both lines compared to Royal Caribbean or MSC. Princess has more connecting balcony pairs on the newer Sun Princess and Star Princess. Holland America's connecting cabin inventory is older and limited. For multi-gen groups, book early (12+ months out) to lock in connecting cabins, or accept booking adjacent cabins on the same hallway, which is more available.

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