If the prospect of the impending Easter holidays is sending you hopping mad, a cruise could be a great way to keep you and your kids occupied in-between all the chocolate eggs.

Many cruise lines offer sailings during the Easter break, visiting a range of destinations. You could get much-needed sun in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, go even hotter in the Caribbean or be dazzled by the northern lights.

Most schools will break up for Easter from 7 April and there are plenty of cruise itineraries running throughout the month. The timing of Easter Sunday is a bit tricky for cruise passengers with school-age children as it is on 20 April and many schools go back on the following Tuesday.

Read more: The cruise holidays you must do in your lifetime

This means many families may opt to travel earlier in the month to be back in time for school. That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate on board though in the build up to Easter.

Cruise lines such as P&O Cruises and MSC Cruises have said they will have Easter celebrations on board including egg hunts and chocolate workshops. There may even be a visit from the Easter bunny.

Many brands also cater for other religions. If you are Jewish and are on a cruise during the festival of Passover on 12 April, cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises may offer Seder Night services.

Here is our pick of the top Easter holiday cruises.

Read more: The cruise holidays you must do in your lifetime

Princess Cruises: Mediterranean with France and Italy

Barcelona, Spain – Gibraltar, Spain – Marseille, France – Genoa, Italy – La Spezia, Italy – Civitavecchia, Italy

Departing from Barcelona, this seven-night cruise takes passengers to the hotspots of the Mediterranean aboard Sun Princess, the newest ship in the brand’s fleet.

You can forget about the unpredictable weather back home as you visit monkeys on the rocks of Gibraltar before heading to the beautiful parks and coastline of Marseille and on to taste the gelato of Genoa.

There is even a chance to visit the leaning tower of Pisa on a stop in La Spezia. The cruise finishes in Rome, leaving time before you fly home to see the Colosseum and even go to the Vatican ahead of Easter.

Onboard, Sun Princess offers more than 29 restaurants and bars to explore and you can relax in its five pools including The Dome, a 9,494sq ft space with a geodesic glass dome that turns into an entertainment venue at night.

Departs 5 April; from £979pp

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Royal Caribbean: Western Caribbean

Miami, Florida – Roatan, Honduras – Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico – Cozumel, Mexico – Perfect Day at CocoCay, Bahamas – Miami, Florida

Head for Caribbean sunshine on the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas.

This seven-night Royal Caribbean cruise departs from Miami for the western Caribbean shoreline to visit the sights and sounds of Puerto Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, plus there is a day on the brand’s own isle for a Perfect Day at CocoCay experience in the Bahamas.

Read more: The best Royal Caribbean cruises

When not enjoying the sun on shore, Icon of the Seas has eight different neighbourhoods onboard and more than 40 dining areas and bars as well as Thrill Island, an adventure zone that boasts the biggest waterpark and waterslide at sea.

Departs 12 April; from £1,672pp

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Las Palmas, Gran Canaria – Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura – Arrecife, Lanzarote – Funchal, Madeira – Santa Cruz de La Palma, La Palma – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife – Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

Island hop across the Canaries on this seven-night sailing with Marella Cruises.

Departing aboard Marella Explorer from Santa Cruz, Tenerife, this week-long cruise will offer a different day each morning that you wake up ranging from stops by the beaches of Gran Canaria, to the volcanic landscapes of Lanzarote and the mountains of Madeira.

Read more: The best Marella ships and Tui cruise deals

Marella Explorer is also a great ship for families to enjoy during the school holidays with a bumper choice of 10 restaurants and 10 bars, an indoor cinema and a sports and family deck. There is even a Champneys Spa onboard if you want to escape the kids.

Departs 5 April; from £1,211.56pp, including flights

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MSC Cruises: Mediterranean

Naples, Italy – Messina, Italy – Valletta, Malta – Barcelona, Spain – Marseille, France – Genoa, Italy

Explore the Med on MSC World Europa, one of the largest ships in its fleet. Starting in Naples, this seven-night sailing provides lots of variety with stops in historic Valletta to a day spent rambling on La Rambla in Barcelona.

Back on board, passengers can relax in a choice of 20 bars and lounges including taking tea at the Raj Polo Tea House. More active cruisers can enjoy the virtual reality water slides and the 11-deck high Venom dry slide.

Departs 14 April; from £769pp

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Miami – Nassau, Bahamas – Great Stirrup Cay – Miami

Be one of the first to sail on Norwegian Aqua during the Easter break. The new ship from Norwegian Cruise Line launches in April and one of its first sailings is in the Caribbean.

Departing from Miami, there are two sun-kissed stops in the Bahamas including on Norwegian’s private island Great Stirrup Cay.

On the new ship, you can enjoy a game zone, LED-lit sports complex and beach club as well as a 10-storey dry slide called The Drop and the Aqua Slidecoaster ride that combines a rollercoaster and water slide on the ship.

Departs 16 April; from £773pp

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P&O Cruises

Southampton – Stavanger – Olden – Innvikfjorden (cruise-by) – Nordfjord (cruise-by) – Alesund – Haugesund – Southampton

April is a great month to see the spectacle of the northern lights and a cruise provides a front seat view.

This seven night sailing with P&O Cruises has the convenience of getting on and off in Southampton and it will sail towards the clear skies of Norway.

By day, you can enjoy the scenic fjords and then go stargazing at night to try to spot the aurora borealis by night.

Onboard, Iona has four swimming pools as well as a gin bar and you can enjoy live music curated by Gary Barlow at the 710 Club.

Departs 12 April; from £899pp

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Read more: Best northern lights cruises