CRUISING can be fun for all the family, as Chloë Bryan-Brown discovers when she takes you to a trip a trip to Madeira and beyond...

BEST FOR...TINY TOTS

For  those with children aged under five P&O Cruises (0845 355 5333/www.pocruises.com)
offers the perfect getaway on board Azura on a cruise to the Canary Islands.

This new superliner boasts an exclusive outdoor spa terrace but it’s also the little things that count for young families.

Click here now for amazing deals to Madeira!

There are character breakfasts with Noddy and Mr Bump, cabins with extra beds and tot-friendly baths as well as showers and swimming pools where children wearing swim
nappies are allowed.

Daytime kids’ clubs include the Seabed for under-twos (with parental supervision) and Beach Hut for two to four-year-olds.

In the evening, there is baby listening and a night nursery so parents can have some time out to dine at one of its many restaurants, including Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu restaurant.

● A 12-night cruise calling at Madeira, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lisbon and Vigo from £2,146 per adult, £644 per child and £149 (up to two years), (four sharing a superior deluxe balcony stateroom).

Departs Southampton April 28.

BEST FOR...OVER-FIVES

Royal Caribbean’s (0844 493 2061/www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) Independence of the Seas offers everything you could want for children on the go.

The fully supervised Adventure Ocean youth programme offers a fun-fi lled itinerary to keep your little ones busy. There are also 15 decks of high-energy activities, including a surf park, climbing wall, ice rink and mini-golf.

Want incredible deals to Madeira? Click here now...

Restaurants offer healthy children’s menus while in the main dining room, My Family Time Dining sees children enrolled in the Adventure Ocean programme fed while their parents relax.

At the end of an action-packed day children also have the opportunity to wind down with milk and storytime.

● A 14-night Mediterranean cruise calling at Gibraltar, Nice, Florence, Rome, Cagliari, Seville, Cadiz, Lisbon and Vigo from £1,656 per adult and £699 per child (four sharing a family stateroom). Departs Southampton June 19.

BEST FOR...PRE-TEENS

Ocean Village (0845 358 5000/ www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk) offers plenty of thrilling activities to keep pre-teens amused on its cruises. They will love the PlayStations, videos, karaoke and discos, all within the safe confi nes of Base Camp; a club open until midnight.

There’s also Great Escapes, where the youth team takes nine to 17-year-olds ashore, without a “totally embarrassing” parent in sight, for a range of adventures such as hiking up Mount Vesuvius.

● A seven-night Western Med cruise calling at Tunis, Naples, Florence, Monte Carlo and Ajaccio from £1,029 per adult and £499 per child (four sharing) including return flights and nursery facilities. Departs Mallorca August 10.

BEST FOR...TEENAGERS

Why not combine time in Florida’s theme parks with a Caribbean cruise on Carnival’s new superliner Carnival Dream with Virgin Holidays Cruises (0871 781 9893/www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk)?

As well as its own waterpark with some of the longest slides in cruising, teen attractions include a club where they can hang around a soda bar, listen to music, watch late-night films, play video games or splash about at pool parties. Family accommodation includes staterooms for up to five people with an extra bathroom – perfect for teens who spend hours in front of the mirror.

● A 14-night cruise including seven nights at the Disney Pop Century resort, Orlando
(room only) and a seven-night cruise aboard Carnival Dream departing Port Canaveral and sailing to Cozumel, Honduras, Belize and Costa Maya from £1,249 per adult and £849 per
child (four sharing), including return flights from Gatwick. Departs August 28.

BEST FOR...YOUNG EXPLORERS

Despite being a premium five-star line, Holland America (0845 351 0557/ www.hollandamerica.co.uk) has excellent facilities for children, offering cruises that are educational as well as fun.

The Zuiderdam sails from Vancouver in Canada to Alaska, where park rangers from Glacier Bay Natural Park come aboard and talk to the children. Shore excursions are available for those wanting to learn more about the region’s history, wildlife and eco-system. There are also cookery classes, clubs for over-threes and a “chill out” area for teens resembling a New York artists’ loft.

● A nine-night fly cruise from £2,099 per adult and £1,819 per child age two to 11 (two sharing) including return flights from Heathrow. Departs July 9.