Looking for family travel deals that are actually worth considering? Each month we round up a mix of family holiday packages, resort offers, cruises and travel deals for Australian families – from cheap Gold Coast getaways to Bali resorts and bucket-list international escapes.
For May 2026, there’s a pretty broad mix on offer. Think Bali wellness stays, Hawaii beachfront resorts, discounted South Pacific cruises, Gold Coast theme park packages and even a carry-on travel backpack that could help you dodge checked baggage fees altogether.
Here are the best family holiday deals right now.
Best family holiday deals at a glance (May 2026)
- Best Bali wellness escape: The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali – breakfast, resort credits & family perks included
- Best luxury family getaway: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa – Ohana Suite package with breakfast, shave ice and more
- Best cruise deal: Carnival Cruise Line – up to 20% off South Pacific sailings
- Best Aussie family escape: Sea World Resort – unlimited theme park entry included
- Best budget travel hack: Blast Travel Backpack – airline-approved carry-on backpack to help avoid baggage fees
Quick family travel deals by type
Cheap family holidays
Luxury family escapes
School holiday travel ideas
Carry-on travel hacks
Best family holiday deals – May 2026
Bali family wellness escape: The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali
If you’re chasing one of the more relaxing family holiday deals this month, this Bali package is a solid option for families wanting a mix of downtime and activities.
Set right on the beachfront in Nusa Dua, The Westin Resort Bali is particularly well set up for families, with kids’ facilities, spacious rooms and enough on-site activities that you won’t constantly feel the need to leave the resort.
They also have a big focus on wellness, which you can read about in our latest article, “What Happens When Wellness Travel Stops Being About Escaping Your Kids“.
The included daily resort credit also helps soften the cost of meals and extras once you’re there.
What’s included:
- Daily breakfast for up to two adults and two kids (under 6)
- Daily resort credit of IDR 600,000
- Complimentary kids’ amenities
- Family-friendly beachfront resort in Nusa Dua
- Access to kids’ activities, pools and wellness facilities
Valid travel dates: Until 29 December 2026
If you’re looking for a Bali escape that feels easy with kids without going fully all-inclusive, this is one of the better best family holiday deals available right now.
Hawaii family getaway: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa
If Hawaii has been sitting on your family bucket list for a while, this is one of the more tempting family holiday deals around right now.
The Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has packaged together a surprisingly family-friendly offer, combining spacious suite-style accommodation with a bunch of inclusions that actually make travelling with kids easier (and less expensive once you arrive).
Set right on famous Kaanapali Beach near Black Rock, this deal mixes classic Hawaii holiday vibes with enough activities to keep kids entertained without constantly needing to organise day trips.
What’s included:
- Ohana Suite accommodation with separate living area
- Daily breakfast for four
- Daily shave ice for four
- Complimentary self-parking
- Welcome cooler pack with towels, juices and reef-safe sunscreen
- Ocean-themed plush toys for the kids
- S’mores kit for the fire pits
- Access to the lagoon-style pool and beachfront activities
Why families love it:
- Huge family-friendly pool area
- Direct access to Kaanapali Beach
- Spacious suite layout works well for families
- Daily inclusions help reduce on-trip spending
- Plenty of kid-friendly activities on-site
If you’re looking for one of the best family holiday deals that feels a bit more special than your average resort stay, this Maui package is well worth a look.
Family cruise deal: Carnival Cruise Line
If you’re after one of the easiest family holiday deals this month, cruises are still hard to beat – especially when meals, accommodation and entertainment are bundled together upfront.
Carnival is currently offering up to 20% off selected sailings, including popular South Pacific itineraries from Sydney to Vanuatu and New Caledonia that work particularly well for families.
For Aussie families wanting an overseas holiday without the stress of flights between destinations, it’s a pretty appealing option.
Some standout deals include:
- 9-night Vanuatu & New Caledonia cruises from Sydney
- Multiple 2026 and 2027 departure dates
- Options aboard Carnival Splendor and Carnival Adventure
- South Pacific island stops across three countries
- From around A$886 per person twin share
Why families love it:
- Kids clubs and family entertainment included
- Meals and accommodation bundled together
- Multiple island destinations without repacking
- Departures straight from Sydney
- Good value compared to booking flights and resorts separately
There are also themed cruises available – including a Melbourne Cup sailing aboard Carnival Splendor for families wanting something a little different.
Offer ends: 31 May 2026
If you’ve been thinking about a South Pacific cruise, this is one of the better best family holiday deals currently available for Australian families.
Gold Coast theme park escape: Sea World Resort
If your kids measure holidays by the number of rollercoasters involved, this is easily one of the best family holiday deals in Australia right now.
Sea World Resort is currently offering a Gold Coast package that includes unlimited entry for up to four guests to four major theme parks. Considering theme park tickets can add up very quickly on the Gold Coast, this deal takes a lot of the budget pain out of a family getaway.
What’s included:
- 4-night stay at Sea World Resort
- Unlimited entry to:
- Sea World
- Warner Bros. Movie World
- Wet’n’Wild
- Paradise Country
- Daily A$100 dining credit
- Flexible cancellation options
- Travel valid until 25 March 2027
Why families love it:
- Huge savings on theme park tickets
- Stay right next door to Sea World
- Easy access to multiple Gold Coast attractions
- Daily dining credit helps offset meal costs
- Resort pool and family facilities on-site
The recently opened New Atlantis precinct at Sea World is also a major drawcard, with new rides including Leviathan, Vortex and The Trident already proving popular with families.
From: A$1,379 total for four nights
If you’re planning a Queensland family getaway, this is one of the more practical best family holiday deals currently available – especially for families with younger kids or theme park fans.
Travel smarter & save on flights: Blast Travel Backpack
Not every family holiday deal involves a resort or flights. Sometimes the biggest savings come from how you travel in the first place.
If you’ve ever been stung by checked baggage fees on a budget airline, this airline-approved Blast Travel Backpack could actually save families a decent amount of money – especially on shorter trips.
Designed to fit within most airline personal item limits, it’s aimed at travellers wanting to go carry-on only without playing luggage Tetris at the airport.
Why travellers like it:
- Airline-approved carry-on sizing
- Expands from 28L to 38L
- Separate shoe compartment
- Laptop-friendly design
- Compression straps for extra packing space
- Water-resistant and machine washable
- Lightweight at just 900g
The expandable sizing is particularly handy for family travel because you can keep it compact for flights, then open it up for extra space on the way home once souvenirs somehow magically appear.
At just over A$100, it could easily pay for itself after a couple of flights if you regularly travel with budget airlines.
From: A$100.80
Savings: 10% off, plus additional bundle offers available
If you’re trying to make family travel cheaper overall, this is one of those smaller best family holiday deals that can genuinely cut costs long-term.
How to find the best family holiday deals
Finding genuinely good family travel deals isn’t always about booking the cheapest option – it’s often about finding the best overall value once you factor in things like meals, kids’ activities, flights and accommodation.
For families, package deals can sometimes work out significantly cheaper than booking everything separately, especially when things like breakfast, theme park tickets or kids’ clubs are included.
Some of the best ways to save on family holidays include:
- Travelling just outside peak school holiday dates
- Looking for all-inclusive family resorts
- Booking cruises departing from Australia
- Taking advantage of bonus resort credits and kids stay free offers
- Travelling carry-on only to avoid baggage fees
- Booking shoulder-season travel in destinations like Bali or Hawaii
It’s also worth comparing package inclusions carefully. A deal that includes meals, transfers or entertainment can often save families far more than a cheaper room rate alone.
Cheapest destinations for family holidays in 2026
If you’re trying to stretch the family travel budget further in 2026, some destinations continue to offer particularly strong value for Australian families.
Bali
Bali remains one of the best-value international family destinations thanks to affordable resorts, cheap dining and shortish flight times from Australia.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is still one of the easiest family holidays for Australians, especially when theme park tickets and accommodation are bundled together in a package.
South Pacific cruises
Cruises to destinations like Vanuatu and New Caledonia can offer surprisingly good value because accommodation, meals and entertainment are included upfront.
Thailand
Thailand continues to be popular for affordable family resorts, cheap food and family-friendly island holidays.
Japan (outside peak seasons)
Japan can become much more affordable for families when travelling outside of cherry blossom season and major holiday periods.
Are family holiday packages worth it?
For many families, package holidays can make budgeting much easier.
Rather than paying separately for accommodation, meals, activities and transfers, bundled family holiday deals often lock in many of the major costs upfront. This helps avoid surprise spending once you arrive.
This is especially useful for:
- family resorts
- cruises
- theme park holidays
- all-inclusive stays
- international travel with kids
Of course, not every package deal is automatically good value. It’s always worth checking:
- what’s actually included
- blackout dates
- school holiday surcharges
- cancellation policies
- whether kids stay free offers apply year-round
Sometimes the best family holiday deals aren’t the cheapest upfront – they’re simply the ones that make travelling with kids easier and more predictable overall.
FAQs about family holiday deals
Some of the best family holiday deals right now include Bali resort packages, Gold Coast theme park stays, South Pacific cruises departing from Australia, and family-friendly resort deals in destinations like Hawaii and Thailand. The best value often comes from deals that include extras like breakfast, kids’ clubs, theme park tickets or resort credits.
They can be. Package deals that bundle accommodation, meals, transfers or activities together can sometimes save families hundreds of dollars compared to booking everything individually. This is particularly true for cruises, all-inclusive resorts, theme park holidays and Bali family packages.
For peak periods like school holidays, it’s usually best to book several months in advance. However, travelling just outside major holiday periods can often unlock much cheaper family travel deals while still offering good weather and fewer crowds.
Bali continues to offer some of the best value for Australian families thanks to affordable resorts and relatively cheap flights. Other destinations that often provide strong value include the Gold Coast, Vietnam, Thailand, cruises from Sydney or Brisbane, and Japan during the shoulder seasons.
Cruises can be excellent value for families because accommodation, meals, entertainment and kids’ activities are usually included upfront. For many families, cruises also simplify travel logistics, as you can visit multiple destinations without constantly repacking or booking transport between them.
Some of the easiest ways families can reduce travel costs include travelling carry-on only, flying outside peak dates, booking midweek departures, using flight comparison tools, and bundling flights with accommodation packages. Even avoiding checked baggage fees can make a noticeable difference for families.
Those are our picks for the best family holiday deals this month, from quick Aussie getaways and cruises to Bali escapes and bucket-list international holidays.
We’ll continue to update this guide regularly with new family travel deals, resort offers and holiday packages that genuinely stand out for value, inclusions or family-friendly experiences.
And while some deals look amazing at first glance, the best family holiday deals are usually the ones that make travelling with kids easier, less stressful and a little more affordable overall.
If you’re planning a family holiday later this year – especially around school holidays – it’s worth checking back regularly as new offers are released and seasonal sales begin rolling out.
Or better yet, join our newsletter so you don’t miss the next round of family travel deals, destination inspiration and practical travel tips for families.
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