The 5 best cruises for teens

Traveling with teens who might feel they’ve outgrown family vacations can make any trip a challenge.

High schoolers often want their own space and the ability to explore freely and enjoy time away from their parents or siblings. A cruise can be one of the best ways to allow teens their freedom without completely sacrificing together time with the family.

A cruise ship provides teens space to hang out with their peers in cool venues designed just for them. As teens roam the ship, they can munch on snacks as they please or buy sodas or smoothies with their room key without the need for parental approval.

Whether your teen is outgoing or more reserved, they’ll likely make new friends while on board. Also, thanks to modern technology, friends can actually keep up with one another after the cruise ends.

On larger ships, teens can feel like they aren’t constantly watched by their parents, and adults can enjoy peace of mind that their kids are never too far away.

Also, parents will likely appreciate the ease of vacation planning with a set cost for accommodations, food and entertainment, as well as a preplanned itinerary of exciting ports of call perfect for keeping boredom at bay.

Plenty of cruise lines offer great programming and activities for teenagers, but a few lines go above and beyond. Here, we call out the five best cruises for teens.

Royal Caribbean

With a fleet of more than two dozen cruise ships and more on the way, Royal Caribbean lures travelers with its huge ships, including the largest ships in the world, and an overabundance of onboard attractions and entertainment, many of which will appeal to teens.

The fun starts at the teen lounges, which are tricked out with video games, table games and plenty of seating to chat with new friends.

Teen club counselors run supervised activities, such as themed parties and sports tournaments. These events are great icebreakers for shy teens looking to meet others, with the youth staff on hand to encourage introductions. Some of these events take place in the teen lounge, while others get teens out and about around the ship.

With the teen club’s easy come-and-go policy, teens can stay in the lounge all day or make it a meet-up point for their new friends, then leave to hit the pool deck, sports court and waterslides on their own.

The best Royal Caribbean ships for teens are any in the Oasis Class, which are among the world’s largest. This includes Allure, Harmony, Oasis, Symphony, Utopia and Wonder of the Seas. And, of course, Icon of the Seas and its soon-to-debut sister Star of the Seas, the absolute largest cruise ships in the world, were designed for teens to love.

On these megaships, teens can enjoy onboard activities like miniature golf, waterslides, a 10-story dry slide called The Ultimate Abyss, a FlowRider surf simulator, a zip line, an arcade, ice skating, rock climbing and laser tag.

Related: The 5 best cruise lines for families

Families will appreciate these ships’ fun-in-the-sun destinations, as well as onboard attractions. Many of Royal Caribbean’s biggest and newest ships sail weeklong Caribbean sailings. These itineraries include teen-friendly Eastern Caribbean ports of call like St. Maarten and St. Thomas, where sandy beaches and snorkeling are popular, and Western Caribbean ports such as Roatan, Honduras, offering adventures like off-road Jeep rides and zip lining. (Utopia of the Seas sails shorter cruises for families looking for a quick getaway.)

Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay, will likely keep teens happy with its huge water park, choice of beaches, water sports and multiple free-food lunch venues serving burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, mozzarella sticks and all the soft serve ice cream you can eat.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is another great cruise option for teens, due to its clublike hangouts and active onboard attractions.

Most ships in the fleet have a dedicated teen-only space, Entourage. Here, teens have their own space to hang out, play games and participate in counselor-planned activities. (The exception is Norwegian Spirit, which does not offer any kids programming. NCL built Norwegian Prima without a teen club but added the space back last year. Its new ship Norwegian Aqua will have Entourage from the outset.)

Norwegian’s Breakaway Plus Class ships are among some of the line’s most teen-friendly vessels. Norwegian Encore, for example, allows teens to zip around a top-deck go-kart track, which juts out 13 feet over the side of the ship. At the Galaxy Pavilion, they can challenge each other through virtual reality games, or try to break out of the onboard escape room.

The line’s new Norwegian Aqua also promises to be a teen dream, with a waterslide-roller coaster hybrid called the Aqua Slidecoaster, the truly lit Glow Court with an LED sports floor, a 10-story dry slide and a gaming/arcade area with everything from miniature golf to VR games, bowling and darts.

Related: Best kid-friendly cruises: The 6 best cruise ships for kids

One downside to any of the Norwegian ships is that many of the activities teens will want to do (like the Galaxy Pavilion and go-kart track) cost extra and aren’t cheap. If that’s an issue for your budget, save a little extra or encourage your teens to pitch in on the cost.

Norwegian Encore offers mainly weeklong cruises and spends its summers in Alaska and its winters sailing from Miami to the Caribbean. Norwegian Aqua will alternate seasons sailing from Port Canaveral (near Orlando), Florida, to the Caribbean and from New York to Bermuda. While island cruises have plenty to offer teens with beach time and water sports, cruising north to Alaska can be especially appealing, as wildlife spotting, kayaking and glacier trekking are part of the fun.

Carnival Cruise Line

For budget-conscious cruisers with teens, Carnival Cruise Line is ideal.

With plenty of included dining options, free activities and hangout spaces outside of the teen clubs, teens will find much to love — and parents don’t have to worry about breaking the bank to keep everyone happy.

On board, teens can enjoy a plethora of programming at Circle C, the tween club for 12- to 14-year-olds, and Club O2, for 15- to 17-year-olds. Counselors in these spaces plan themed dance parties and sports and video game tournaments, as well as movie nights for young cruisers.

Teens looking for a thrill will enjoy the Excel Class of ships, which includes Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration and Carnival Jubilee.

On the two current Excel Class ships, teens can hop on the Bolt: Ultimate Sea Coaster and zoom around the ship’s topmost deck at speeds up to 40 mph.

At WaterWorks water park, thrill seekers can choose from three waterslides, including a tame twister and a heart-pounding drop slide. Teens can prove their fearlessness on the ropes course as they walk a plank hovering high above the sea.

Both WaterWorks and the ropes course are included in the overall cruise fare, though Bolt is currently priced at $15 per person, per ride.

Related: The wildest attractions you’ll find on a cruise ship

Teens can also chill at Summer Landing, located at the back of the ship. Here, they can gather on oversized couches to watch sports on multiple TVs. Table games like foosball and shuffleboard are also here, as are complimentary self-serve ice cream machines.

When ravenous teens get hungry, they can head to one of the many included eateries like BlueIguana Cantina, Big Chicken (created by basketball star Shaquille O’Neal) and Guy’s Burger Joint (by celebrity chef Guy Fieri).

Carnival Celebration and Mardi Gras sail to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Miami and Port Canaveral, respectively. Cruises on both ships are typically seven nights, though shorter and longer sailings are available. Carnival Jubilee sails six- and seven-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Bahamas cruises out of Galveston, Texas.

In the Eastern Caribbean, teens can explore old forts or sample local cuisine, while in the Western Caribbean port of Cozumel, Mexico, they might enjoy taking a cooking class or visiting ancient Mayan cities.

Disney Cruise Line

Even though Disney Cruise Line is known as the cruise line for families with younger kids, don’t rule it out as a vacation option for families with teens. The ships offer spaces specifically designed for older kids, where they never have to see a dressed-up character (or their parents).

Disney ships feature two dedicated spaces for tweens and teens: Edge, for cruisers ages 11 to 14, and Vibe, for cruisers ages 14 to 17.

Teens will especially love Vibe on Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream, where they can play games or hang out with new friends for hours at the adjacent teen-only sundeck, complete with splash pools and stylish seating areas.

Inside, teens have dedicated spaces for watching movies and playing games.

Edge on Disney Dream and Fantasy looks like a city loft and wows teens and tweens with video game stations, a lighted dance floor and a cool photo booth. Fun fact: On these two ships, Edge is located inside one of the funnels. (Don’t worry — it’s not an operational funnel!)

Related: Ways to save money on a Disney cruise

Teens who don’t want to hang out in the teen clubs will still find plenty to do on board. On both Disney Dream and Fantasy, kids can ride around the ship on the AquaDuck, a water coaster that goes out over the side of the ship and through the funnel.

They can also gather their new friends and play Midship Detective Agency. This interactive game takes cruisers around the ship to find clues in the “enchanted” artwork and help solve a mystery. After family dinners, teens can head to the onboard movie theater where first-run flicks from Disney’s portfolio of studios, like Marvel and “Star Wars,” are shown.

Disney Fantasy sails short three- to five-night cruises from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas in the winter and three- to 12-night Europe cruises from Barcelona, Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Southampton, U.K., in the summer. Disney Dream sails three- to five-night cruises from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades to the Bahamas and Mexico.

Most Bahamas sailings on these two ships will stop at one of Disney’s private islands, Castaway Cay and Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point. On Castaway, teens can enjoy time on their own at the Teen Hideout, where counselors have an entire day of activities planned.

It’s not a bad deal for parents, either. Both islands offer Serenity Bay, an adults-only beach where parents can get some rest and relaxation.

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions

Expedition cruises are great for teens who are interested in nature, science and photography. If that sounds like your teen, one of the best options is National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, which offers family-friendly adventure cruises with programming for kids and teens called National Geographic Global Explorers.

On every expedition to Alaska, Baja, the Galapagos, Iceland and Antarctica, teens can participate in such activities as getting their “driver’s license” for a Zodiac, snorkeling with sea turtles, teen-only hiking and kayaking alongside penguins.

National Geographic field educators plan and lead the activities and can answer just about any question teens might have in a way that’s relatable and understandable to them. The field educators are also there to encourage teens to go outside their comfort zone to experience the world around them.

On board, teens can learn how to shoot documentary-level photos and videos from a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor and look at plankton under a video microscope. Plus, they can kick back with pizza dinners and game nights.

Families should note that expedition cruises deviate from the typical cruise experience. These expedition ships are small and typically carry fewer than 200 passengers, so teens might not find many other kids their age.

On these cruises, the destination is the main attraction, with little entertainment on board. Because these ships sail in more remote areas, the ship’s Wi-Fi signal might not be strong enough for teens who want access to their social media accounts.

Bottom line

The best cruises for teens offer both staffed teen clubs and plenty of shipwide activities that teens can experience on their own, with their families or with the new friends they meet on board.

But no matter which cruise line you choose, cruising with teens is a great vacation that the whole family can enjoy. Parents can let their teens roam freely around the ship, and teens can feel some independence hanging out with peers.

Plus, after a day spent apart, your family might find a new way to connect by coming together at dinner and sharing the day’s adventures.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories: