Essentially all cruises can be family cruises, but some cruises are definitely more family-friendly than others. This is true of Costco cruises as well. While technically any Costco cruise could be a “family cruise” in the sense that a family can take the cruise together, there are some special offerings that are specifically designed for families. Below is a guide to these Costco family cruises, which explains what they are and how to book them.
The best (and basically only) place to begin your search for Costco family cruises is on the Costco Travel page specifically dedicated to family cruises. This page lists the three “featured deals,” which are actually the only cruises specifically advertised as family cruises. (Costco Travel also has a page for family-friendly vacations, but the deals listed on this page aren’t for cruises.) They are offered by Norwegian, which isn’t surprising since this is the cruise line that offers Nickelodeon cruises, and indeed a picture of Spongebob with his arm around a smiling child is prominently displayed on the Costco family cruises page.
The three Costco family cruises are offered to the Caribbean, Bermuda, and Alaska, and last seven nights. It is potentially convenient that the cruises leave from ports that are spread across the country. The cruise to the Caribbean is from Miami, the one to Bermuda is from New York, and the one to Alaska is from Seattle. One of these places is likely easier and cheaper for you to get to than the other two, and this might influence which cruise you take. The one thing that is strange about the cruises is that they are offered at the beginning of September, on either the 6th (the Caribbean and Alaska) or the 7th (Bermuda), which is at the start of the school year in most places. We’re not sure why this is the case, but perhaps it’s the only time of the year they can offer them. In any case, if you are in a position to take one, they are very easy to book. You just have to visit the Costco family cruises page and click on one of the three featured deals. This will start you on the process of booking online, or you can call the Costco Travel toll-free number (1-877-849-2730) if you prefer to work with a person.
What exactly makes these Norwegian cruises family cruises? First of all, they are “Nickelodeon cruises,” as detailed in the article just linked to, which among other things mean that there are Nickelodeon-themed events (“Dora’s Dance Party”) and Nickelodeon characters also walk around on-board. As a Costco member, you also get to take part in a scavenger hunt on-board the ship, which has up to $5,000 in prizes. And finally, the fact that this cruise is being specifically marketed as a family cruise ensures that basically everyone on board will be part of a family. This is likely not a cruise that would appeal to singles, couples without children, or elderly travelers.
We’ll conclude with a couple of notes. First, if you are a Costco member and book through Costco Travel, in addition to getting a special rate on the cruise, you’ll receive a $75 on-board credit. This is why it’s always worth checking the Costco price if you are member and want to take a cruise. The cruise itself might be discounted, and you also can get added perks like on-board credit. (As it happens, all Norwegian cruises, not just the family cruises, are discounted for Costco members, which is why when you use the search tool to look for Norwegian cruises on the Costco Travel website, you can’t even see the prices until you enter your Costco membership number.) Second, although the three Norwegian sailings are the only ones advertised specifically as family cruises with attending deals, there are other family cruises offered through Costco. For instance, Disney cruises are offered by Costco, and all Disney cruises are specifically designed with families in mind.
So, the Norwegian cruises are the only Costco family cruises for which there are featured deals. And while these deals are quite good and should be considered, it is worth remembering that you can take a family cruise on any of the cruise lines Costco works with, especially the other family cruise lines, like Disney. For more general information about Costco Travel, check out our guide and overview of Costco cruises.