Princess vs Holland America with Kids: Best Multi-Gen Family Cruise
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.
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Princess Cruises
Holland America Line
The short answer
Princess Cruises is the right pick for multi-gen trips with kids ages 4-12 who want a real kids' club, plus grandparents who want a more refined ship vibe than Carnival or Royal but don't want full luxury pricing. Holland America is the right pick when grandparents are the primary decision-makers, the trip is Alaska or a longer cruise (10+ nights), and the older kids are 8+ and reasonably independent. The honest reality: neither line is built for toddlers — both can work for school-age kids and up.
Best for
Princess for multi-gen with school-age kids and Alaska; Holland America for grandparent-anchored trips with older kids on longer voyages
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Princess Cruises | Holland America Line |
|---|---|---|
| Flight from SFO | n/a — port-dependent | n/a — port-dependent |
| Flight from LAX | n/a — port-dependent | n/a — port-dependent |
| Flight from NYC | n/a — port-dependent | n/a — port-dependent |
| Avg. Hotel / Night | $110-$210/night per person, double occupancy (7-night Alaska range) | $100-$215/night per person, double occupancy (7-night Alaska range) |
| Kid-Friendly Score | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Best Age Range | 6-15 | 8-15 |
| Best Time to Visit | Alaska May through early September; Caribbean November through April; book Alaska 9-12 months out for outside cabins with view | 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 | 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. | 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 | 7/10 |
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
- 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
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.
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