Family travel deals worth booking right now

Prices checked on 11 October 2026. Fares move quickly, so always confirm the final price and the booking deadline on the offer page before you commit.

1. Wave season early booking: up to 30% off fares

Cruise lines: most major lines
Book by: 28 January 2027

Several lines are running early-booking promotions for late 2026 and 2027 sailings with up to 30% off fares and a reduced deposit of around 10%. For a family, the smaller deposit is the real win: you can hold cabins on a sailing a year out without tying up a big chunk of money today.

See current wave season offers

2. Royal Caribbean: Icon of the Seas, Caribbean

From: $268 per person
Departs: Miami, Florida
Sail window: late 2026 to early 2027

The Icon class ships are built for multi-generational trips, with onboard water parks and family neighbourhoods that keep kids busy from morning to night while the grown-ups get an actual break.

Check Caribbean sailings and dates

3. Carnival: Mardi Gras, Caribbean

From: $242 per person
Departs: Port Canaveral, Florida
Sail window: late 2026 to early 2027

Carnival remains the value pick for families, with high-energy entertainment that lands well with kids and teens. Sailing out of Port Canaveral also makes it easy to pair the cruise with a few days in Orlando.

Check Caribbean sailings and dates

4. Norwegian: 4-night Bahamas from Jacksonville

From: $329 total (about $82 per night)
Departs: 10 December 2026

A short four-night itinerary is the easiest way to test cruising with younger children, and this one lines up with the winter school break window.

See Norwegian deals

5. Norwegian: 5-night Bahamas

From: $249 total (about $50 per night)
Departs: 20 November 2026

Right now this is the lowest per-night fare on our list: five nights in the Bahamas for roughly the cost of a weekend hotel stay. It sits just before the holiday peak, so ports and beaches are quieter too.

See Norwegian deals

6. Cancun all-inclusive family resort

From: $285 per night
Travel window: October 2026

All-inclusive resorts take the guesswork out of a family budget, since meals, snacks, activities and kids' clubs are all in the nightly rate. Cancun properties are discounting hard to fill autumn dates.

Browse family-friendly all-inclusive resorts

How to stretch these deals further

• Travel in the shoulder season. Late October, November and early December are consistently cheaper than the Christmas and spring break crunches, with the same weather in the Caribbean.
• Ask about kids-sail-free and third or fourth guest free promotions. These usually beat a straight percentage discount for a family of four.
• Compare cabin categories. An interior cabin on a newer ship often costs less than a balcony on an older one, and you spend most of the day outside the room anyway.
• Book early, then watch the price. Most lines honour a price drop before final payment, so an early booking rarely costs you more.

Have you spotted a deal we should add to this list? Tell us about it and we'll share it with the community.