Transatlantic cruise with young kids: calm, chaos, and everything in between

Vimal Fernandez
May 19
4 min read

View of the Strait of Gibraltar from our room.

You know flying with little kids has gotten bad when two weeks trapped on a boat with them sounds like the better option 🛳️👶💩. Seriously though — has anyone actually gotten the airplane bassinet, or is that just a myth parents tell each other?

When we tell people we took a 12-day transatlantic cruise with young kids, the reaction is usually a mix of admiration and mild panic. “Wow… that sounds amazing — and also like a total nightmare.” They’re not wrong. It was both. But in the end? A solid net positive. We loved it.

For our insta fans, my wife covers some of this here.

Why a transatlantic cruise with young kids makes financial sense when you retire early

One-way flights from Nebraska to Barcelona can run $800 per person. For our family of five, that’s $4,000 — and that’s just to get there. Instead, we booked a Royal Caribbean transatlantic repositioning cruise (Miami to Spain) and paid less than $3,500 total for a two-bedroom suite with 4 big windows.

So for about the same price, we got ocean views, non-stop entertainment, all-you-can-eat buffets, no jet lag, and a once-in-a-lifetime family experience — not a bad trade for a painful, long-haul flight with 3 little kids.

We booked about two years out, right when itineraries dropped (tip: use vacationstogo.com). These repositioning cruises often leave in April or November — shoulder season — when ships are moving between the Caribbean and Europe. They’re usually not that full, since not everyone can swing 12 days at sea. And that’s where early retiree families have an edge: work doesn’t get in the way and we have a lot of flexibility.

Tips to keep costs low:

Adjust your gratuities at Guest Services if they seem high (we were charged $100/day initially).
Mid-trip laundry bag deal: $35 for as much as you can stuff in. It held a lot of kid clothes.
Book your own excursions — the cruise ones are pricey. We’re talking $100 per person ($500 for us) vs. a $23 rental car.

Life at sea with little ones

We traveled with our three daughters (ages 6, 4, and 2). And yeah — it wasn’t smooth sailing the whole time. There were definitely moments when our kids were mid-tantrum on the floor in front of a crowd of 70-year-olds. But with enough space, a routine, and a little planning, it was totally doable.

Here’s what worked for us, our daily rhythm:

8 am – Wake + buffet breakfast
9 am – Kids (3+) to Adventure Ocean day care; adults trade off to the gym
10 am – Boat activities (soccer, basketball, wave runner, rock climbing, etc.)
12 pm – Lunch + family hangout
1 pm – Pools/hot tub (for potty-trained only 😬)
3 pm – Room reset/quiet time
4 pm – More activities (crafts, lawn games, mini golf, silent disco, etc.)
6 pm – Dinner
7 pm – Evening shows/events
8 pm – Kids’ bedtime
9 pm – One parent out for fun, the other on duty (we rotated)

The kids club (ages 3+) was a game changer — our older two loved it, and there were tons of activities to keep them busy. For our 2-year-old, the parent-and-me options like the arcade, finger painting, and open play helped keep her engaged (at least some of the time). They even have a toy checkout service with kits you can swap daily. Lifesaver.

Food? Endless buffet with kid favorites like eggs, sausage, pasta, nuggets, burgers, steak, broccoli, asparagus, hot dogs, milk, and the ever-popular soft-serve machine.

The hard stuff — because let’s be honest, it's hard travelling with young kids

No swim diapers allowed in pools — our 2-year-old, and one of us, had to sit that one out.
Dining room life is tricky when your kids love to yell-sing through spaghetti.
Evening shows often require silence and stillness — not exactly toddler strengths.
Time changes (one hour forward every day or so) can wreck bedtime if you’re not careful. However, this is a lot better than a 6 hour change all at once and the resulting jetlag.
Overstimulation is common with so many activities, and it can fuel meltdowns — being intentional about slowing down really helps.
No kids club under age 3, so our youngest needed constant supervision. You get zero breaks unless you tag-team with a partner or grandparent.

Still — worth it? Absolutely. The experience and views were amazing. This kind of slow, intentional travel is a luxury of early retirement. It’s not always easy, but we wouldn’t trade it.

Port stops

Azores (Ponta Delgada, São Miguel):

Rental car: We rented from Micauto (right off the port) for €23 rather than buying an excursion from Royal Caribbean for $100/pp.
Viewpoint: We drove about 35 mins to Miradouro da Boca do Inferno (stunning).
Dinner: We drove 10 mins further to Casa de Chá “O Poejo” — cozy and delicious.

Cartagena, Spain:

Right off the port is the old market, we strolled around these cute streets and even found a kids park nearby.
45-min double-decker bus tour – €28 for the family.
Got lunch at one of the many tapas & wine bars.

Palma De Mallorca:

We took an Uber from port: ~€23.
We went right to the beach at Playa Ciudad Jardín — walkable, stroller-friendly with a park, and promenade right there.

Would we do it again?

Absolutely — we’ve already booked a 21-day transpacific cruise from New Zealand to LA in April 2027! Traveling with young kids is tough, but an all-inclusive transatlantic cruise gives you a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s easier than flying. Not every moment will be relaxing. But the memories? Worth every meltdown.

This is exactly the kind of freedom financial independence buys you. We took two weeks to cruise to Europe instead of cramming three little girls into a plane and battling jet lag.

The world’s waiting—if you want to travel on your terms, financial independence begins with finding your 'why'.

This post is part of our 'finding our why' series, sharing real-world stories of why families choose financial independence and early retirement with kids.