14 Child-Friendly Things to do on Regal Princess Cruise Ship

Before my Mediterranean cruise I asked my Instagram audience what they wanted to see in my cruise travel content. The most response was 'Is Regal Princess kid friendly?' and an interest to see what facilities are on board for kids. In short, the answer is yes, so I’m sharing 14 fun and kid-friendly things to do on Regal Princess.

Some of these activities are best suited to older kids of 6 and over. For that reason I would say that optimum ages for cruising on board Regal Princess or with Princess Cruises would be under 2 or 6+. That said, the Camp Discovery kid’s club accepts children over the age of 3, so even for my son he could access the Regal Princess kid's club which was brilliant.

Regal Princess will be sailing around the British Isles in 2024, with all cruises departing from Southampton. These 12-day British Isles cruises will call at ports including Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris & Normandy (Le Havre), Orkney Islands and Portland for Stonehenge. 

This blog post has been created as part of a paid content campaign with Princess Cruises. All words, views and photos are my own.

Is Regal Princess kid friendly

In a word, yes! If you've ever considered doing a Princess cruise with kids, you're in the right place. Whilst Regal Princess does not have flumes and water parks that some other cruise lines offer, I can confidently say that children are made to feel extremely welcome by all the staff and there is a whole host of facilities and activities that children will love. I would say that Princess offers a classic and timeless cruise experience where the staff are incredibly child-friendly. Keep reading and you'll discover 14 Regal Princess kid friendly activities.

1. Make a splash in the pools on the Lido Deck

Both pools on the Lido deck of Regal Princess are child-friendly at any time of the day - no restrictions. What is great about this area is that there is a larger pool for older kids who are practicing independent swimming, and the other side has a small plunge pool which is perfect for toddlers and pre-schoolers. There is a large shallow area surrounding the plunge pool meaning that little ones can safely walk around the shallow area and under the connecting waterways. Our son loved this area and we were also able to bring in a small rubber ring as a flotation device.

There is also an adult-only pool on the ship in The Retreat area which is a great option on days where your children may be in the Regal Princess kid's club. It's also reassuring to know that if other adults don't want to be around children they can go elsewhere.

2. Watch a film under the stars on the big screen with popcorn and cosy blankets

Older kids will love getting cosy under the stars on one of the open air cinema nights. There is a different film on every night, and the sun loungers transform with red cinema covers. Blankets and popcorn is also provided for an extra special movie experience.

3. Order a mocktail at the pool bar

Nothing says ‘I’m on holiday’ better than a tropical drink, and Regal Princess has a great selection of mocktails, so the little ones can join in too. Non-alcoholic versions of all cocktails are available, and there’s a great selection of fruity and creamy drinks on the poolside bar menu.

Top Tip: If you opt for the Princess Plus package you can try them all inclusive of your cruise price! The package offers 15 drinks per day up to the value of $12 each.

4. Make friends and join in with the activities at Camp Discovery kid’s club

Kid’s will love getting involved in the daily programme of events and activities at Camp Discovery. From crafts to treasure hunts and discos to face painting, there’s something for everyone. Often days are based on a theme and when Theo visited it was Pirate day, so he came away with a box of treasure and a pirate hat.

5. Take a trip to the Gelato shop in the ship’s Piazza

Take the kids for an authentic taste of Italy at the ship’s gelato shop. It has a huge range of flavours and toppings as well as its own seating area. Choose from a single scoop, a cone or pick an indulgent sundae from the menu. The staff were so friendly when we took my son here; special thanks to Rachel at the gelato shop for giving my son such a fun gelato experience.

6. Have a go at tennis, table tennis or basket ball on the sports court

The spacious sports court provides endless opportunities for fun if your child is in to ball games. There’s two table tennis tables as well as a tennis court and basketball hoops. All balls and rackets are provided so you can just show up and have fun! Courts are taken on a first-come-first-served basis. No pre-booking required.

7. Catch a musical production at the Princess theatre

There’s a different show on every night at the Princess theatre, showing at 8pm and 10pm. Keep an eye out for the nights with the full scale musical productions, as those are the ones that kids will really love. Other nights the shows might involve stand-up comedy shows which are more suitable for adults. On one night of our cruise there was a ventriloquist performing which our son absolutely loved and was throughly entertained by.

8. Be a spectator - or participant - of a Princess Live! game show

How cool would it be for you and your kids to be part of a live studio audience? Well, now they can. Princess Live! is a TV recording studio which airs game shows on its very own cruise channel. Guests can be part of the live studio audience or even be a participant. This is a great activity for all the family to get involved in.

9. Take a walk on the upper deck running track

Kids have lots of energy to burn, so take them up to see the unique running deck. The views are amazing and it’s a great place to look out for other ships on the horizon. My favourite time to go up to the running track is during a sea day as it feels so surreal to be ‘on a walk / run’ whilst cruising through the ocean. I think this is a place for kids to help them understand scale and sense of place whilst on a cruise.

10. Join the evening sleepover club at Camp Discovery

The great thing about a Princess Cruise with kids is that parent's can enjoy a date night by making use of the sleepover club at Camp Discovery (the Regal Princess Kid's Club). This is an evening session where kids can go along, eat dinner together in the Horizon Court buffet and even have a mini sleepover on cosy beanbags when they’re getting tired. The evening babysitting service can run as late as 1am, meaning kids can have fun with new friends whilst parents get to enjoy a fine dining restaurant or simply some peaceful adult-only time.

11. Meet Stanley - the Princes Cruises mascot

Be sure to keep an eye out for the loveable and huggable Stanley bear during your cruise! Stanley is the Princess Cruises mascot and the life-size version can be found roaming the ship and meeting the guests. There are also Stanley teddies available to buy in the Regal Princess boutique.

12. Order pizza at Gigi’s and watch it being made

Located in the ship’s Piazza, Gigi’s is the ship’s pizzeria with its own open kitchen. It has been voted the ‘Best Pizza at Sea’ and I can now see why. Kids can order their favourite pizza then go over to the open kitchen to see it being made. The pizza chefs are very friendly and love to have an audience! If you’re lucky you’ll get to witness all their dough stretching and pizza tossing skills.

13. Play a round of mini golf on the top Sports Deck

We stumbled across a small mini golf course whilst exploring the ship on the first day of our cruise. The mini golf green is tucked away on the very top sports deck of the ship and could easily be missed, so be sure to seek it out! Golf balls and clubs are provided free of charge so just pick up and play.

14. Get off the ship and explore the ports

Of course, last but not least, kids will love getting off the ship and exploring the different ports. My biggest tip for cruising with kids would be to choose a cruise with ports that stop in the heart of a place, rather than ones with long transfer times. I can imagine a Caribbean cruise would be great with kids because there would be little to no transfer times and plenty of beaches to enjoy.

This article has covered some of the best things to do on Regal Princess with kids, but I am sure there is still so much more beyond this list. I was so impressed by how accommodating the cruise ship was for our 3 year old son and I could definitely appreciate how much there was on board to keep kids occupied, especially when they are around age 5 and up.

Read more of my recent blogs about Regal Princess and Princess Cruises;

• Regal Princess Ship Tour and Cruise Q&A
• The Ultimate Guide to Enchanted Princess Cruise Ship
• Our Mediterranean Cruise: 6 Ports in 7 Days

Does this post answer your question; Is Regal Princess kid friendly? Have you done a Princess Cruise with kids or are you considering doing so? If you found this post helpful or have any further questions about Regal Princess with kids, please leave a comment in the box below. Jess x