The phrase “bored to death” doesn’t exist on these teen-friendly cruise lines.
Teenagers can be some of the hardest people to please. They’re at that time in their lives where the worst thing in the world is to be seen with their parents. So being stuck with the family on a cruise ship can seem like a nightmare.
If that’s the case with your teen, then turn their frowns upside down with the plethora of activities on these cruise line.
They offer everything from wicked waterslides to teenage lounges, so they won’t have to “hang” with you if they don’t want to.
1. Carnival Cruises via CruiseAway
High schoolers get to be independent onboard and onshore with Carnival Cruises’ specially designed teen-only shore excursions.
Some cruises have stacks for teens to do onboard on their own, but when the ship docks it’s likely they’ll be moaning and groaning about having to do boring tourist stuff with the folks. Not with Carnival. This cruise has supervised shore excursions exclu
- Teenage lounge? Circle C for 12–14 year olds, O2 Club for 15–17 year olds
- Teen activities: Dive-in movies by the pool, sports deck, WaterWorks, Hasbro – The Game Show
- Teen-only parties? Occasional pool parties
Go to Carnival Cruises via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for Carnival Cruises via CruiseAway
2. Royal Caribbean via CruiseAway
With its award-winning youth program and separate youth clubs for kids and teenagers, pleasing everyone in the family is a breeze with Royal Caribbean.
The kids will be happy to know that inside the teens-only lounge, there are no set activities or programs. All there is are spaces to hang out, games to play and parties to attend. If they choose to sit in a corner and twiddle their thumbs, that’s their p
- Teenage lounges: Yes
- Teen activities: Teen spas, video arcades, rock climbing, DJ academy
- Teen-only parties? Yes. Theme dinners, pool parties, teen-only nightclub
Go to Royal Caribbean via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for Royal Caribbean via CruiseAway
3. Norwegian Cruise Lines via CruiseAway
Dedicated family cruise packages and unique activity programs is only the tip of the iceberg for teens sailing with Norwegian.
If artistic and fun is your teenager’s style, then Norwegian is the perfect fit. On top of its supervised hangout space, which is filled with video games, music and movies, the liner offers activities from sports and music jams to circus tricks and graffi
- Teenage lounge? Yes
- Teen activities: Music jams, balloon sculptures, graffiti workshops, circus skill workshops, acting workshops, dodgeball, soccer, swimming
- Teen-only parties? Norwegian hosts supervised College Night, White Hot Party and Glow teen-only parties
Go to Norwegian Cruise Lines via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for Norwegian Cruise Lines via CruiseAway
4. P&O Cruises via CruiseAway
Hailed as the Best Family Cruise Line by Out And About With Kids magazine in 2014, P&O Cruises caters to all members of the family with four dedicated kids clubs to suit various ages.
For tweens 11–14 years old, the place to be is HQ. It’s the ultimate chillout space with movies, video games and karaoke sessions. For teenagers 15–17 years old, there’s HQ+. It’s a more adult version of HQ that features a movie-making studio and teen jam
- Teenage lounges: HQ and HQ+
- Teen activities: Jam bands, movie-making, movies
- Teen-only parties? No.
Go to P&O Cruises via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for P&O Cruises via CruiseAway
5. Celebrity Cruises via CruiseAway
From dedicated XBox stations to GoPro movie projects, the tech-savvy iGeneration is bound to flip when they get wind of the interactive experiences that await them on a Celebrity Cruise.
The fun begins once they get their hands on the console. From there they can participate in gaming theme parties and tournaments against their peers. They also have a private hangout space where they can make friends, play sports and chill.
- Teenage lounge? The X-Club
- Teen activities: iTake GoPro video projects, Cooking@Sea, gaming time
- Teen-only parties? Celebrity Cruises hosts late-night teen-only dance parties
Go to Celebrity Cruises via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for Celebrity Cruises via CruiseAway
6. MSC Cruises via CruiseAway
Teenagers aren’t kids. Fact. So MSC doesn’t treat them like they are. Instead the cruise line gives them the freedom to play it their way.
MSC offers a teens-only club space, which is open until 11pm, as well as activities such as sports, video games and spa and hair treatments. Teen-only events include a white teen party, MSC flashmob and formal night.
- Teenage lounge? Yes
- Teen activities: Sports tournaments, dance contests, teen spa treatments
- Teen-only parties? Yes. Includes a white teen party, formal night and special Generation Dinner
Go to MSC Cruises via CruiseAway website View coupon codes for MSC Cruises via CruiseAway
Top teenage friendly cruise features and which lines have them:
If your teen things cruising is for an older crowd, just refer to this list of teen-approved activities you can do onboard ships. Depending on the line and package you book, they're not all included in the cruise fare, so we'd recommend checking with the line directly to see if there are any extra costs associated with the activity.
| Activity | Cruise line(s) |
|---|---|
| Zip lining/Flying Fox |
|
| Laser tag |
|
| Rock climbing |
|
| Waterslides/Waterpark/Splashpads |
|
| Segway obstacle course |
|
| Surfiing |
|
| Ropes course |
|
| Indoor Skydiving |
|
| Dodgems/Bumper cars |
|
| Ice skating |
|
| Basketball court |
|
| Video arcade |
|
Top teenage-friendly tour deals and flights
Gate1 Travel
Up to $1,100 off European river cruises
Valid on select dates from March 2019 - November 2019. Destinations include Budapest, Munich, Prague, Berlin, Krakow and more. Note: Deposit must be paid by 7 November 2018 to receive discount.
Last verified
Deal expires
City Sightseeing
Up to 30% off Melbourne hop-on hop-off tour
Valid for travel on select dates. Includes river cruise, 24 hour hop-on hop-off bus tour and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to 33% off cruises + free dining voucher with Princess cruises
Valid from November 2018 - March 2020. Destinations include Noumea, Mystery Island, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
30% off all guests + free balcony upgrade with Royal Caribbean
Valid for cruise on select dates from October 2018 - January 2020. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, South Pacific and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
$85 deposit + $85 OBC with P&O cruises
Valid from November 2018 - December 2019. Destinations include Noumea, Mystery Island, Sydney, Brisbane, Tasmania, Auckland, Christchurch and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to $400 OBC with Carnival cruises
Valid for cruise from 7 September 2018 - 30 December 2019. Destinations include Noumea, Mystery Island, Sydney, Christchurch, Bali, Singapore and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Fred. Olsen
Europe cruises from £899
Valid for travel on select 2019 dates. Destinations include Spain, Norwegian Fjords, Denmark, Baltic, Portugal, Caribbean and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Flight Centre - Cruises
Free flights + up to $600 OBC with Carnival cruises
Valid for cruises from October 2018 - January 2019 and free flights from Brisbane or Melbourne, credit available for other cities. Destinations include Noumea, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Sydney and more.T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Flight Centre - Cruises
Up to $400 OBC + free upgrade with Royal Caribbean
Valid for travel from November 2018 - February 2019. Destinations include Noumea, Auckland, Bay of Islands, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Fred. Olsen
Europe cruises from £499
Valid on September 2018 cruises. Destinations include Spain, Portugal, Southampton and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Groupon
33% off 7-night Vietnam and Cambodia cruise
Valid for travel between 25 September - 13 November 2018 and 29 January - 5 March 2019. Destinations include Saigon, Tan Chau, Phnom Penh, Oudong-Kampong Tralach and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to US$700 OBC on luxury cruises
Valid for cruise on select dates from November 2018 - December 2019 with Azamara, Oceania, Silversea, Seabourn, Star Clippers and Regent Seven Seas. Destinations include Singapore, Bangkok, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Los Angeles, Sydney, Athens and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to 50% off on second passenger with MSC cruises
Valid for cruise from December 2018 - March 2019. Destinations include Caribbean, South America, Central America and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Travel Talk
Up to 50% off Croatia sailings
Valid for select sailings until 12 August 2018. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Flight Centre - Cruises
Up to $2,600 off Vietnam cruise
Valid on 6 April 2019 with Peregrine Adventures. Destinations include Danang, Halong Bay, Hanoi and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Flight Centre - Cruises
Up to $800 OBC on Princess cruises
Valid on 17 February 2019 and departs from Brisbane. Destinations include Airlie Beach, Port Douglas and Willis Island. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to 33% on Royal Caribbean sailings
Book a Royal Caribbean sailing with CruiseAway and get up to 71% off the brochure price.
Last verified
Deal expires
CruiseAway
Up to 46% off river cruises
Valid for select 2018-2019 departures. Destinations include Passau, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Groupon
33% off 15-night Sydney to Honolulu cruise
Valid on 17 April 2019 with Royal Caribbean. Destinations include Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Fred. Olsen
Fjords cruises from £679 + up to £100 tour credit
Valid for travel on select 2018-19 sailings. Choose from a complimentary all-inclusive drinks upgrade or up to £100 pp shore tour credit. T&C's apply.
Last verified
TourRadar
10% off Croatia sailing tours
Valid on select 2018 Croatia sailing trips with Busabout.
Last verified
Deal expires
Groupon
11-day European Christmas market cruise from $2,298
Valid for cruise on 10 December 2019. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Let's Ferry
20% off Super economy tickets
Valid on routes to Mykonos, Greece. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Let's Ferry
Greece: €20 passenger tickets with Blue Star Ferries
Valid on select dates of sailings. Destinations include Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Karpathos, Leros, Samos, Lesvos, Kea and more. T&C's apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
Fred. Olsen
No single supplement
Book select cruises as a solo traveller and pay no single supplement.
Last verified
Fred. Olsen
Europe river cruises from £799
Valid from August - December 2018. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Deal expires
