These Adventure Cruises Have Unexpected Perks for Kids — and We're Not Talking About Waterslides

“Look, more ice,” said my son Vijay, his preteen sarcasm finely tuned. We were hiking in the otherworldly Ilulissat Icefjord, on the rugged western coast of Greenland, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2004. As we reached a lookout point and watched colossal icebergs drifting on the water below, I had to laugh. Most travelers would meet this moment with hushed reverence, but my then-12-year-old’s wisecrack was right on the money.

It was one of many unexpectedly amusing moments on our 16-day cruise aboard the Fridtjof Nansen, a cutting-edge, 265-cabin ship operated by HX, as Hurtigruten Expeditions is now known. The round-trip itinerary began in Reykjavík, Iceland, took us across the Denmark Strait to the western shores of Greenland, and into the icy waters north of the Arctic Circle. Along the way we encountered musk oxen, walruses, and whales. We kayaked through fjords and visited residents of small towns such as Qaqortoq, where we learned firsthand about the rich Norse and Inuit history of the region.

We also had the chance to collect ice samples, ferrying them back to the ship’s science center, which is stocked with microscopes, interactive maps, a research library, and a sensor system that gathers scientific data for the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research. In fact, that was part of the reason I chose the Nansen for this mother-son trip: I wanted to give my son equal parts adventure and education. (That being said, I’ll admit we occasionally skipped lectures and science demos to immerse ourselves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Traveling with a tween, I’ve learned, is its own lesson in moderation.)

The polar regions aren’t the only place to cultivate youthful curiosity. European river cruises — often thought of as the preserve of older adults — are finding a new audience among middle and high schoolers, particularly those with an interest in history and the humanities.

Travel agent Jodi Simpson and her then-17-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, recently returned from a weeklong Avalon Waterways sail from Amsterdam to Luxembourg. Elizabeth was particularly enamored with offbeat attractions such as Siegfried’s Mechanical Music Cabinet, a museum in Rüdesheim, Germany, that houses some 350 self-playing musical instruments. It was the pair’s second time traveling with Avalon Waterways; the first was a two-week trip from Zurich to Vienna when Elizabeth was 13.

“You have to know your child,” Simpson says. “These cruises might not be a fit for kids who need peers around. But if they like being around adults, and learning through travel, a river cruise is an amazing option.”

Families with teens and tweens have a growing number of choices when it comes to ships that can meet their needs — though they shouldn’t expect the sorts of amenities more commonly associated with mega-ships, things such as ropes courses, towering waterslides, or high-end VR arcades. Lindblad Expeditions, for example, has National Geographic Global Explorers itineraries led by kid-friendly naturalists in places such as Alaska, Antarctica, and Baja California. Quasar Expeditions, a favorite of World’s Best Awards voters, specializes in family-oriented expeditions in the Galápagos Islands and often hosts multigenerational groups on its two intimate vessels.

One lesser-known option is the innovative European cruise line A-Rosa, which extends special pricing for families, including free travel for kids ages 15 and younger. Its new river ship, the 140-stateroom A-Rosa Sena, is a rarity on the rivers of Europe: it has a dedicated kids’ club, a swimming pool specifically for children, and a dozen family cabins — with bunk beds — that sleep up to five.

A version of this article first appeared in the February 2024 issue of Travel + Leisure, under the headline "Bring the Whole Family."