When mystery writer Harlan Coben thinks family vacation, cruises always pop to mind. Coben has taken his four kids, ages 6 to 14, on cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, and elsewhere. It�s easy to see why a cruise vacation makes sense for him and many families: ships today have waterslides, rock-climbing walls, teen and tween clubs, babysitters, mini golf, and much more�all designed to attract families.

The strategy is working: Carnival Cruise Lines reports the number of kids onboard annually has increased in 10 years from 100,000 to 600,000. All the major cruise lines now have kids� programs with age-appropriate and fun activities catering to everyone from toddlers to teens. Several lines, including Princess and Royal Caribbean, even add an educational aspect with science experiments; Disney offers animation art lessons.

�What I�ve always liked about cruises is the no-brainer aspect,� says Coben. �No packing and unpacking, and you can hit a lot of spots. You wake up and you�re in a new port.� And thanks to supervised kids� programs, he and his wife and the kids can all do their own thing. �You have the advantages of being with them and not being with them,� Coben explains.

Sadie MacKinnon of Boston is a veteran cruiser at age 9, and she has advice. �Going on a cruise is better than traveling on a plane or train, because they�re cool. I like that there are pools, giant movie screens, and lots of restaurants, and getting off at different islands and doing all the stuff like horseback riding and snorkeling,� says MacKinnon, whose last cruise was on a Princess ship. �I can�t wait to go on another cruise.�

Generally the newer ships are better for families, with more of the offerings kids find appealing. Queens of this trend are Royal Caribbean�s newest ships, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, the world�s largest ships, which are equipped with ice-skating rinks, rock-climbing walls, miniature golf, wave pools for onboard surfing, water parks with squirting geysers, basketball courts, and more.

Cruise lines have also added family-friendly accommodations. Disney offers cabins for five with sleeping areas in the living room and 1-1/2 baths; Royal Caribbean has family cabins featuring alcoves that can accommodate six; and the newest Norwegian Cruise Line ships, including Norwegian Gem, have a good variety of cabin arrangements (standard cabins for the kids connect to extravagant suites for parents).

New, beefed-up dining options�buffets and pizzerias open long hours so restless kids don�t have to sit in a formal dining room every night�are now the norm on family ships. NCL and Princess also give cruising clans the chance to eat in the dining room whenever they want (the other lines still require a set time and assigned table in the dining room; you can eat anytime at the buffet).

Even luxury line Crystal, very much a posh adult playground, is encouraging visits by the younger set, organizing a kids� activities program whenever kids are onboard and encouraging multigenerational family gatherings by offering substantial discounts for kid cruisers.

With this sea change, one thing�s certain: there�s an ocean of options for cruising families, and kids are sure to have the most fun of all.