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Family travel
Starting your family holiday by sailing across the Cook Strait with Interislander couldn't be easier or more fun! On board there's plenty to keep you and your kids entertained, whether a toddler or a teenager, with most ships hosting play areas, cinemas and family lounges.
We also offer special deals and discounts for families to ensure you get the best fare when crossing the Cook Strait.
A magical start to your holiday
At Interislander, we believe your holiday begins the moment you step on board and we want to make sure you enjoy your time together.
During the summer holidays, we have dedicated entertainers on board from magicians, balloon artist and face painters. All our ships will be hosting an entertainer this year, so listen out for the announcement and come and join in the fun!
Our top family travel tips
- Pack a small bag or two to bring on board with some extra clothes, snacks, nappies - all that usual kids' stuff!
- Make sure they've got everything they want from the car - there is no vehicle access during the journey!
- Bring some games and activities
- Bring chargers for electronic devices - we have sockets on board!
- Pack some jackets for exploring the outdoor areas
- Make sure they are wearing shoes when exploring the ship
What's in store on board:
Enjoy family time
With spacious tables and fun ship-shaped children's meals, settling down for some family time in our spacious restaurants is the perfect way to relax and recharge before your onward journey. There's no need to hurry, so grab a kids activity book and settle down for some relaxing family time together!
Fun times for kids
We don't want your kids to be sitting still and being quiet! So let them run themselves ragged and scream till they're hoarse in our dedicated kids spaces. Aratere and Kaitaki have play areas with slides and climbing frames. So bring some super slippery socks!
Go to the movies
Kaitaki and Aratere both have on board cinemas that show family movies. So if you would like to enjoy an hour of peace and quiet, then perhaps the kids could go and watch a movie? Tickets, drinks, popcorn and sweets are sold in the shop.
Play games
Save the electronic devices and eye-spy games for the car! On Interislander, we have room for you to play games, colour-in, do jigsaws and build Lego! So bring a selection of activities with you, or pop to our onboard shop.
Explore outdoors
Stretch your legs, breathe in that clean sea air and watch the incredible New Zealand scenery glide by. All three of our ships feature multiple outdoor viewing decks that you can explore together. So pack a jacket and some sun-cream!
On-board Nurseries
Each of our ferries has an on-board nursery where you can settle your young one down for a proper nap. The nursery also has full changing facilities and a wash station, so you can get baby ready for a comfortable nap and prepared for your journey ahead.
Free activity book
Don't forget to grab one of our FREE kids activity books from the on-board shop. They are a real kids classic, with puzzles, drawing and fun facts about the sea life you will see during the crossing! You may have even had one when you were younger!
Discounted Interislander family fares
You don't have to do anything special to get a discounted Interislander family fare. Simply go to the booking system and book - you'll find our Interislander family discounts are loaded automatically for you! Here's the special fares and deals that we offer families:
- Family discounts: automatically apply to bookings with a vehicle, an adult or senior and one or more children
- Infant fares: under two-year-olds travel free on Interislander
- Child fares: apply to anyone under seventeen
More on family travel
Tips for sailing with kids
If you’re not into airport queues, backseat drivers and ‘are we there yet’ every five minutes, the Interislander Ferry across the Cook Strait is a great way to jump between the North and South islands.
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Must see sights on the Cook Strait
Described by many as one of the world’s most scenic ferry journeys, here's our guide on those unmissable sights from Wellington to Picton.
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