By Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
It was the travel trend of the year in 2025. Hitting the road — or the ocean — or the streets of Europe — with mom, dad, the kids — and grandma and grandpa.
And travel in 2026 is shaping up to follow this growing “family time” trend.
Multigenerational travel is having a moment, and making those memories together has never seemed more appealing.
“It’s exciting to see families coming together, especially after COVID,” Sandy Altamirano, a senior travel planner with AAA Smithtown Long Island, told Prime. “I think that is where the trend got more popular. We were without our families for such a long time, I think we have recognized and are grateful for our families now and want to spend as much time as we can together.”
A 2025 survey by the Family Travel Association echoed the growing popularity of this multigenerational travel trend, with 57% of parents surveyed saying they planned to travel with both their children and grandparents for their next vacation, up from 55% in the 2023 survey (sps.nyu.edu/about/news-and-ideas/articles/press-releases/2025/2025-family-travel-survey-highlights-rise-of-kidfluence.htmly).
And the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down, even with the growing economic uncertainty ahead. A recent survey by Squaremouth Travel Insurance found that in 2025, 47% of all travelers were opting for multigenerational or family trips, “surpassing all other types of group trips and up 17% over 2024 figures.” (squaremouth.com/press-room/2025-travel-trends-family-vacations-and -bucket-list-trips-top-travel-priorities).
Though figures are not yet available for 2026, Squaremouth Travel Insurance predicts the trend will continue, and will include a pooling of resources and a potential for families to look into budget-friendly, kid-centric, adventure-style travel.
Smooth sailing ahead
Don Anderson, owner of the Cruise Store in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, said he’s seen the multi-generational vacation travel trend in the cruise industry for some time, but the popularity of mom, dad, the kids and grandma and grandpa (or other relatives) does seem to be growing.
“With cruises, there’s something for all three generations,” Anderson said of the breadth of activities and entertainment available on these ships, which typically includes kids’ clubs for babies through late teens, areas that are adults only, and a variety of shows and activities that offer a chance for all generations to interact. “And you unpack once as opposed to driving and unpacking, or finding an Airbnb. Also, there’s the dining options — the grandparents may want to watch the kids and let the parents go to a specialty dining and have adult time.”
Anderson noted that many all-inclusive resorts offer some of the same level of multi-generational activities but lack the opportunity to also experience different ports of call while enjoying the amenities offered on a typical cruise ship.
“A cruise ship takes it to a higher level,” Anderson said. “The kids feel like they’re at camp, the parents can do what they want” and the grandparents can relax, Anderson added.
The other cruise advantage, if the family travels with older members who have mobility issues, is the opportunity to choose cabins near elevators, and those that can accommodate scooters or offer handicapped-accessible showers and bathrooms. Cruise ships also have medical staff onboard, and some of those lines that cater to older clientele, such as Holland America, can often provide their guests with more advanced medical services if necessary.
And though cruise vacations can be pricey, Anderson said with careful planning, it can be an affordable multi-family trip.
“You can budget with a cruise — pre-buy the drink package, pre-book any specialty dining or excursions, pre-pay your gratuities … so you know what everything is going to cost – it gives you the most diverse options than your typical vacation,” Anderson said. “It takes the stress out of planning and lets families connect while exploring new destinations.”
Anderson did note that the choice of a cruise ship may depend on who is making the booking — and footing most of the bill. If it’s the parents who are booking, the choice may lean more toward cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean – which is known for its “water slides and bells and whistles” — or Disney, and itineraries in the Caribbean are most popular. If it’s the grandparents, the choice may be a cruise line such as Princess and Holland America or even Celebrity, and more cultural destinations such as ports in Europe.
The grandparents “may want to show off” their favorite cruise line or destinations, Anderson noted.
The memories are priceless
Altamirano agreed that cruises are one of the most popular ways for multi-generations to vacation together, but it isn’t the only way that families were traveling together in 2025.
“This year I’m doing a large group going to Ireland — from 2 years old to 88 years old- parents, grandparents, grandchildren — bringing them together to honor a fallen member of the family who was a fireman during 9/11,” Altamirano said of a trip planned for late 2025. “They are going to a town [in Ireland] with a memorial to add the son’s name to it.”
Domestically, Altamirano said “Everybody loves Disney, it definitely is the happiest place on earth, and to see your children [and grandchildren] experience it and give that gift to them” is priceless.
All-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean are another popular spot for multi-generational vacations, as they offer many of the amenities that families will find on cruise ships — varied dining options, activities, pools with water slides and access to beaches.
International travel to Europe and the Mediterranean is another type of multi-generational travel that’s been growing in popularity, Altamirano said. “I get a lot of grandparents who, instead of an inheritance, they want to spend the money and give their children [and grandchildren] an experience they will never forget, and they have the ability to do that,” She noted.
She said these big trips often give the grandchildren a taste of a different culture — sometimes a family legacy culture — providing everyone with “the best education for learning about these destinations and their people and their cultures” and something families will talk about for years.
And, she added, even these “inheritance” trips can be done with a budget in mind, especially if the family is willing — or able — to travel to their destination during the off-season, or the “shoulder season” just before tourism in that area heats up rather than at peak vacation times such as holidays and school vacation weeks.
“They’re going to be attracted by the discounts” available, Altamirano shared.
Planning to travel together
The website MoreThanGrand.com offers a clear-eyed look at myriad points to consider before booking that big family vacation. Below is a list of their key recommendations (morethangrand.com/blog/the-complete-guide-to-multi-generation-vacation-planning)
Before you book:
Have a frank talk about the vacation hopes. Before anything is booked, find out what a good family vacation looks like through the eyes of adult children — those with and without kids— and the grandparents. This can include how parents manage kids’ routines on vacation, any activities family members are hoping to do together and any potential challenge, such as cranky kids, parents who need adult time, mobility issues for elders and considerations for other issues among family members.
Discuss financial arrangements. Find out what everyone is expecting to contribute, and what they can realistically afford. If one party, say the grandparents, are footing the majority of the bill, discuss how this may affect expectations among the parties involved, and how to resolve any potential conflicts.
Research accommodations. What will work best for everyone involved. Do parents want separate spaces so they can create a more normal routine or deal with any discipline issues? Will elders need some down time to recover from big activities together? What about meals, bed and wake-up times and other considerations? Make those issues part of the research.
Think about transportation. How will people arrive? Will you need vehicles? How many?
Research travel details. This can include document needs such as passports, medical letters, any vaccinations and accommodation for medical needs.
The trip itinerary
During the trip
Columnist Kathy Romeyn, writing for the travel website AFAR in May of 2025, also stressed the importance of working with a travel advisor or a professional coordinator when planning a multi-generational trip. These seasoned professionals have knowledge and experience that can help prevent unexpected bumps along the way, and, once all parties are on the same page in terms of vacation expectations, can help make sure the basic trip details unfold as smoothly as possible. (afar.com/magazine/tips-to-enjoying-a-family-trip)
Altamirano stressed that planning a multi-generational trip does take more time than a typical vacation.
“For my group to Ireland, we started about a year in advance,” she noted, adding it “takes a lot of work” to get all the details in place for a larger group.
“It’s passports and following up on all the requirements of travel” beyond booking flights and hotels or cruise ship passage, Altamirano said. These requirements can include special documentation for certain destinations — such as the new temporary visa charges for some European countries — as well as information on immunizations and safety warnings.
“They need to know everything before they go,” Altamirano stressed.
And both Anderson and Altamirano stressed the importance of working with a travel professional when planning those memory-making trips that involve multiple age groups and families, not just for the details, but for the ideas.
“We want to bring new things and ideas so they can create these memories they never thought they were going to have, “Altamirano said. “It’s endless, the possibilities we can offer as advisors.