Youngsters could make or break your loved ones cruise. In the event that they’re bored and hate the meals choices, they’ll loudly and repeatedly categorical their displeasure. Decide the fallacious cruise ship, and oldsters will really feel as trapped as in the event that they have been stranded on a abandoned island … with biting crabs underfoot.
The perfect cruises for teenagers reap the benefits of ships with countless enjoyable for the under-18 crowd, plentiful eating that appeals to each younger palates and bottomless teen tummies, lodging and ship providers that hold households in thoughts, and alternatives to satisfy and hang around with friends. Regardless of your loved ones dimension or worth vary, you’ll find some unimaginable holidays at sea that may have children exclaiming, “Greatest cruise ever!” by the top of the week.
Discover the highest ship on your subsequent journey with our checklist of the six finest cruise ships for teenagers (and their dad and mom).
Disney Future
Nobody is shocked that Disney is such a kid-friendly cruise line — however what is likely to be stunning is how much there is for adults to do and enjoy, too. That is very true on the brand new Disney Destiny, which debuted in November 2025.
Disney Future has 4 children golf equipment divided by age, and the principle Oceaneer Membership for 3- to 10-year-olds has an thrilling grand entrance. Youngsters get to enter the membership by slide — and as soon as inside, they’ll discover the membership’s areas themed to “Star Wars,” fairy tales, Marvel and Disney Imagineers.
Together with the youngsters membership on Disney Future, junior cruisers will discover two film theaters displaying first-run Disney films, Broadway-caliber exhibits telling the tales of “Disney Hercules” and “Frozen: A Musical Spectacular,” and eating experiences themed across the film “The Lion King” and the Worlds of Marvel.
Along with enjoyable bars themed round Disney rides (suppose: Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean) and adults-only wonderful eating eating places, grown-ups will recognize the little touches on Disney Future that make household cruising simpler — break up bogs in most cabins, a drop-off nursery, a splash space for toddlers and restaurant employees members who will provide excessive chairs and minimize up your child’s meals.
Disney Future sails four- and five-night Caribbean and Bahamas sailings from Fort Lauderdale, together with a handful of seven-night Caribbean cruises. Most embody a cease at Lookout Cay or Castaway Cay, Disney’s private beach destinations, with separate adults-only and household seashores, supervised little one care, splash pads and strollers to borrow.
Associated: Ways to save money on a Disney cruise
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
Two practically equivalent sister ships, Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, sail quick Bahamas cruises and weeklong Caribbean cruises, respectively, from Port Canaveral (close to Orlando).
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, which debuted in August 2025, is the most important ship afloat and positively one of many prime cruise ships for teenagers (together with practically equivalent sister Icon of the Seas). Younger cruisers won’t ever be bored on a ship with a six-slide water park, a surf simulator, a rock-climbing wall, a sports activities court docket and Surfside — a half deck of watery play areas and eating places dedicated to little children and their households.
Youngsters (and oldsters) who like a superb present can gasp as ice skaters land jumps on a rocking ship and acrobatic divers flip and splash within the AquaTheater up excessive on the ship underneath a glass dome. Do not miss pizza and parades on the Royal Promenade, Icon’s indoor purchasing strip, or Royal Caribbean‘s tackle “Again to the Future” in the principle theater.
The child-friendly cruise ship options revolutionary household cabins and suites, some with separate children rooms, to raised accommodate company of all ages. The Final Household Townhouse is an enormous three-floor dwelling area with a screening room, a karaoke machine, an in-suite slide and a yard that leads out to the Surfside household neighborhood.
Associated: Best Royal Caribbean ships for kids
Star of the Seas sails weeklong Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral.
Norwegian Aqua
Norwegian Aqua has a extra grown-up vibe than lots of the family-focused ships on our checklist, however its onboard sights make it an enormous hit with teenagers. Its prime decks lure older children with a hybrid waterslide-roller coaster, a drop slide, indoor and outside recreation areas, miniature golf and a sports activities court docket with a high-tech LED flooring. Little children have their very personal water play space with pint-size waterslides.
At evening, teenagers can feed their rising our bodies with worldwide avenue meals, hibachi, countless smooth serve, and burgers and luxury meals obtainable 24 hours a day at The Native. Afterward, they will comply with be seen in public with their dad and mom at a present as cool as “Revolution: A Celebration of Prince” — even when they do not know the enduring musician. It is a straightforward concession, as they know they’ll at all times escape to the teenager membership, Entourage, to hang around with the cool children late at evening.
Associated: Best cruise lines for families
Norwegian Aqua’s finest cruises for teenagers are all about enjoyable within the solar. The ship sails seven-night Caribbean cruises from Miami and five- to eight-night Bermuda cruises from New York.
Carnival Celebration
Passengers and crew members on Carnival Cruise Line ships come prepared to satisfy new mates or share fun, a narrative and a drink with their shipmates. Social children will match proper in and love the road’s large Carnival Celebration. They’ll make mates on the Household Harbor Lounge, Camp Ocean and Dr. Seuss Bookville; older children will benefit from the teen and tween golf equipment conveniently situated close to Man Fieri’s burger stand and the video arcade.
For those who’re searching for the most effective cruises for teenagers, Carnival Celebration and its practically equivalent fleet mates, Mardi Gras and Carnival Jubilee, are the one cruise ships boasting a top-deck curler coaster known as Bolt. A journey right here is Instagram gold and the last word bragging rights for teenagers on trip. The coaster dominates the Final Playground space of the ship, the place younger cruisers can problem their new mates to miniature golf, waterslide races, basketball and ropes course domination.
Youngsters who love a superb meals court docket can meet up with mates or household at a number of no-fee, informal eateries, together with Shaq’s Large Hen restaurant and a trio of Avenue Eats venues that includes dumplings, meat on a stick and loaded french fries. Late-night pizza and ice cream will hold the entire household fueled up for the interactive “Household Feud Dwell” present.
Associated: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line ships and itineraries
Carnival Celebration’s kid-friendly cruises embody weeklong Japanese and Western Caribbean cruises from Miami. Its sister Mardi Gras sails related Caribbean itineraries plus shorter Bahamas sailings from Port Canaveral. Carnival Jubilee relies out of Galveston, Texas, and presents six- and seven-night Western Caribbean cruises and eight-night Bahamas cruises to the road’s two non-public seaside locations.
MSC World America
MSC Cruises launched considered one of its largest ships to the U.S. in April 2025. The floating megaresort has extra family-friendly choices than another ship within the fleet, making MSC World America probably the greatest cruise ships for teenagers.
The ship stands out from its sisters due to its large top-deck family-friendly enjoyable zone. It targets households like no different MSC ship with sights like a large water park with 4 waterslides, a two-level ropes course with “sky rails” (like zip traces), a 10-deck-high dry slide, a first-of-its-kind overwater swing journey known as Cliffhanger and a playground modeled after the lighthouse at MSC Cruises’ non-public island within the Bahamas.
Indoors, the Doremiland children space has seven rooms for kids of all ages to take pleasure in actions and crew-led packages. The MSC Sportplex has an indoor, multiuse area for family-friendly actions, corresponding to bumper automobiles and rollerblading.
Across the ship, children and their households can benefit from the ship’s a number of eating venues serving Italian, Greek, Mexican and Asian fare. However younger cruisers will probably be most enthusiastic about Candy Temptations, a dessert venue shelling out over-the-top milkshakes, make-your-own ice cream bars, crepes, doughnuts and sweet.
Associated: MSC Cruises vs. Royal Caribbean: Which big-ship line is right for you?
MSC World America sails weeklong Japanese Caribbean and Western Caribbean voyages from Miami. All itineraries will cease at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, MSC Cruises’ chill non-public island within the Bahamas.
AmaWaterways’ AmaLea
The standard river cruise attracts numerous retirees — besides when Adventures by Disney partners with AmaWaterways. The 2 journey firms have created a river cruise trip that’s enjoyable for grown-ups and children.
AmaLea makes our checklist of the most effective cruise ships for teenagers as a result of it is one of many ships AmaWaterways custom-built for household cruises. Sure twin balcony cabins sleep three, suites sleep 4 and connecting cabins present further choices for households who want more room. In contrast to many river ships, AmaLea has a pool, in addition to a shock child hit: large outside chess.
Whereas different AmaWaterways family-friendly ships sail the Rhone and Rhine rivers, AmaLea travels the Danube by way of Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Adventures by Disney makes essentially the most of your time with shore excursions deliberate to entertain children and adults, with choices for supervised child actions whereas dad and mom head out on extra grown-up excursions. Your loved ones would possibly discover caves in Hungary, play hide-and-seek in a palace’s labyrinth maze in Austria and dangle round in a treetop playground in Germany.
Associated: Best river cruises in Europe
On board, children menus can be found, and the occasional pajama celebration whisks children away for pizza and a film whereas adults linger over dinner. Journey Guides give everybody a serving to hand to make touring as a household as simple as potential.
Planning a cruise? Begin with these tales:
Trending Merchandise
