So my family is thinking about going on a cruise (please read on)?

Question

I'm 14, and my parent's are in thier 40's. I love partying, and I think it would be great to be able to go where I want on the ship while staying safe. My parent's like partying and they don't mind a little drinking, but they don't wanna get drunk or be around drunks EVERY day,or go partying EVERY day. We might be taking some of my friends along to, which are between the ages of 12(or 13, I forget)-16.

What cruise line do you think we would like? I checked out Disney, and it seemed fun, but some of it seemed like it was mostly for little kids, and not much fun for my parents, those that have been on it, what do you think about it? Also please give me other suggestions and I will check it out.

Thank you all for you help!

Answer 1

Carnival is the best. I went on the Carnival Liberty Jan. 13-19 ,2008 and it is great for all ages!!!!!! There are party's almost everyday but it is optional. Go on http://www.carnival.com to check out more and the ships!!!

Answer 2

Disney is good for all ages, but teens seem to like Carnival too. I personally like Princess cruise lines because it is a little more classier then Carnival, the food is better, and you don't have a lot of little kids around, but they always have plenty of teens. They even have like a teen disco and a video arcade too. You would not get bored on a Princess cruise. Lots of fun.

Answer 3

Unless you, your parents or friends are really into Disney, I think there are other options available that would suite you better.

First of all there is cost. Disney is expensive - about 30% more for the same or similar cabin.

Two, you will find other cruise lines have a little more for teenagers than Disney does (unless of course you are a teen that loves Disney).

The Disney water slide ends in the little kids pool (not too many teenagers are going to want to use it in that location).

Carnival's and Norwegian's (NCL) water slides are a lot more fun for teens.

Carnival's two newest ships (Carnival Freedom and Carnival Liberty) also have large outdoor TV screens in the pool area, so you can watch movies or sports while swimming or sunning yourself.

Carnival has a special club for teens called Club O2. Here is what Carnival says about its Club O2 ...

Is there a teen program onboard?

Carnival offers two different teen programs. For our 12-14 year old guests, Camp Carnival offers a wide range of activities from late night movies, sports night, teen disco, Karaoke, late night swimming under the stars, scavenger hunts, and many other age appropriate activities.

15 - 17 year olds have a place all their own as well, it's called Club 0 2. This program, like Camp Carnival, was created for these older teens it was designed and dedicated to our guests in the specific age groups. The older teens get a chance to show off during a Karaoke session, pool parties, late night dances, outdoor sporting events like basketball and ping pong.

Many of our ships feature lounges which are dedicated to both age groups. Some of these lounges feature video monitors with Playstation 2 or X-Boxes, as well as comfortable seating. High energy dance floors with state of the art lighting and sound have also become a mainstay in many of our "Teen Only" lounges.

Due to these programs onboard, it is Carnival's policy to restrict anyone under the age of 18 years old into the main disco after 11 PM. Casino guests must be 18 years of age to play the tables and the slot machines. Guests under the age of 18 are not permitted in the casino. Guests under the age of 16 are not permitted in the spa and gym. Guests between the ages of 16 and 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Here is what NCL says about its teen program ...

Teen's Crew

Break some ice here. Our Teen Program is a great way for teens ages 13-17 to meet each other while engaging in some cruising fun. A member of our Youth Staff supervises all activities. They know what teens want to be doing and design all programs accordingly. Enjoy theme parties, sports events, dining together or taking in a show as a group.

Specifics & Restrictions

Activities are flexible and subject to change based on participants.

We reserve the right to cancel if no teen shows within the first 15 minutes of the scheduled activity. Teens will meet at the next scheduled activity.

Teens not feeling well need to visit the medical center before being admitted to the program.

Guardians must alert the Youth Staff of any allergies, medications or special needs of their teen when registering.

All Teens are responsible for any personal items brought to activities and events.

Because our Youth Staff is not included in onboard gratuities, cash gratuities are divided among the staff and greatly appreciated. Individual gratuities can be made through the onboard Reception Desk.

NCL strongly encourages that no teenagers go ashore alone in the ports of call.

If you have any questions, please see the Youth Program Supervisor.

Teens participating in Teen's Crew are prohibited from smoking, drinking alcohol, and using profanity while attending Teen activities.

Violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, ever.

A Teen exhibiting inappropriate behavior will be asked to stop immediately. If they do not stop, they will be dismissed from the activity.

After dismissal, Parents and the ship's Security will be notified.

Any behavior reported to a Youth Staff member taken outside of the Teen Program will also be reported to Security.

Teens should be advised that all public areas are under 24-hour surveillance.

Still, I think the best teen facilities are on the two newest Voyager class ships (Navigator and Mariner of the Seas) and the three Freedom class ships (Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas - the Independence begins sailing in May of 2008). These ships belong to Royal Caribbean.

The reason I think these ships are the best is because of the expanded teen facilities.  There is the Living Room, which is an area for teens to hang out and there is Fuel, which is the teen disco, complete with a soft drink bar.

While none of the Royal Caribbean ships have a water slide that any teen would use, all Royal Caribbean ships have a rock wall.

All five of the above ships also have an ice rink and a miniature golf course (some of the Carnival ships also have a miniature golf course).

The two Voyager class ships also have an inline skating track. The three Freedom ships don't have an inline skating track. Instead the three ships have a Flowrider, which is a surfing simulator.

Here is what Royal Caribbean says about its teen program ...

Our young teens program is specially designed just for kids ages 12 - 14. It's not some structured program of classes. You can come join activities and games when you want to, or just chill in our Living Room with your friends. And your parents won't worry about leaving you there, because every member of our Adventure Ocean® staff holds a college degree in education, recreation or related field and has experience working with children ages 3 - 17.

Activities are scheduled throughout the day and early evening. The Teen Center is open from 10:30 p.m.- 2:00 a.m. each evening. Young teens are welcome to come and hang out and join in activities, make new friends, and dance or just listen to music.

Activities Include:

Quick. How many one-liners do you know? Test your wittiness with some Improv Games.

Be a dude for a day (or a week) and learn to surf on the FlowRider.

Scratch, mix and spin with the masters at our DJ 101 for teens.

Blend up a batch of your favorite ingredients and enter your concoction in the Mocktail competition.

Dodgeball is on! Do you have what it takes to be the last one standing?

Divas and Divos, the stage is yours at the Open Mic and Talent Show.

From figure eights to free-styling, the ice-skating rink is yours on all Voyager and Freedom ships!

Round up your appetite for the Teen BBQ!

Watch your fave flicks while playing in the pool. Life is good at our Dive-In Movie and Pool Party.

Get a special behind-the-scenes look with a teens-only Meet the Stars Backstage tour.

LOL & LOLA at the DDR! (That's Dance Dance Revolution - just in case.)

Feeling lucky? There's a jackpot with your name on it at the Teen Casino.

The unsung guitar guru in the group has a place to shine at our Unplugged Jam Sessions.

You know what's really cool? A Snowball Fight in the Caribbean. BYOM (bring your own mittens)!

No guts. No glory! Are you up for the challenge of our Rockwall Climbing Competition?

And for the older teens ...

Our teen program isn't some structured set of classes or rules. We know you're almost an adult, and it's your vacation too. So we give you the freedom you deserve. You can join events all day, or come and go as you want. And we have two great places where you can get away from it all. The Living Room is a laid-back place you can just hang with your new friends. And Fuel is the place where the party is. Open 'til 2 a.m., you can dance, listen to music, or just hang out there.

Activities are scheduled throughout the day and early evening. The Teen Center is open from 10:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. each evening. Teens are welcome to come and hang out and join in activities, make new friends, and dance or just listen to music.

Activities Include:

Hmmm, the girls or the boys? Who's going to "bring it" to the Battle of the Sexes?

Drop in, hang ten, catch a wave on our very own FlowRider.

Scratch, spin and mix with the masters at our DJ 101 for teens.

Dodgeball is on! Do you have what it takes to be the last one standing?

Start perfecting your game face now! There's Blackjack and No Limit Poker at our Teen Casino.

Are you a closet comedian? The next "dream girl"? Flaunt it at open Mic Night.

From figure eights to free-styling, the ice-skating rink is yours on all Voyager and Freedom ships!

Watch your fave flicks while playing in the pool. Life is good at our Dive-In Movie and Pool Party.

Get a special behind-the-scenes look with a teens-only Sneak Peek Backstage.

The unsung guitar guru in the group has a place to shine at our Unplugged Jam Sessions.

The wall of fame, or the wall of shame? Are you up for the tall challenge of our Rockwall Climbing Competition?

Who's the next Royal Caribbean Idol? Take to the stage on Karaoke night. It may be you!

Answer 4

i went on a disney cruise and i was 13 at the time.  i thought it was a little cheesey and focused more on ages 4-10.  if you're 14 you probaby wont like disney.  i think royal caribbean the best.  hope this helps.

Answer 5

I agree with Time Traveller - I went on the Caribbean Princess cruise ship and it was really fun. =D All of the Princess cruises are really good =)

Answer 6

I suggest that you and family go on one the  new Royal Caribbean ships, Freedom of the Seas or Liberty of the Seas.  The Royal Caribbean cruise line has the most on board activities on its ships; more than any other cruise line.  The activities on these ships would be more geared to teens.

The ship has a mall area down its middle with shops on both sides, including a barber shop, coffee shop, and a place where you can get free food 24/7. That's in addition to the 24/7 free room service.

The ship has some features that other ships don't have. The rock climbing wall is on many RC ships. But the new "flow rider" is unique to RC's Freedom and Liberty of the Seas ships. It is a place where you can go surfing on a boogie board right on the back of the ship. It works great, although I didn't try it. There is stadium seating for people to watch or sit while awaiting their turn. The ship also has an ice skating rink and during the week there are two days when there is a free ice show that is great, kinda like the Ice Capades. The ship also has a full sized basketball court and mini-golf.

This ship is great for kids and families with kids. On the pool deck there is one area called the H2O Zone which is essentially a small water park for kids; but us big kids can play there too. It has water cannons, a small lazy river, a pool, and falling water all over. Kids will love it. Then the middle of the ship has another pool where everyone can get wet or use a hot tub. Then up further there is an adults only area called the Solarium with a pool and two hot tubs that extend over the sides of the ship. These tubs are huge, can hold maybe 12 people and you can look over the side of the tub at the ocean.

The ship has THE best gymnasium I have ever seen on a cruise ship. All of the latest equipment, including weight machines, rowers, steppers, treadmills and each has its own TV screen so you can watch TV while you workout. It also has a boxing ring and some other new high tech stuff. Also has steam room and sauna for those who use the gym.

In addition to the ice shows there was a show in the main show room each night. There is a casino and there are bars and lounges all over the ship.  

The rear of the ship on one of the top decks has a place called Adventure Ocean which is for kids only and a place just for teens to hang out that's called Fuel.  They have music and food there and a ship's staff person to organize games and activities.  Then next to that is the video arcade and the Johnny Rockets diner.

So this (or either of these) is the ship to go on.  In addition, the ships makes a port stop at a private Island called Labadee, Haite for an all day beach party.  That place is the best cruise line  private island I have ever been to. There is lots of beach areas, and shade and things to do.

You can look at the cruises and the ship at this web site:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis...

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis...

Just click on the name of the ship and then click on "virtual tour" to see all of the ships' features.

When we cruised on the Freedom we loved it and I am sure your parents will also.

Answer 7

I would have to say Norwegian Cruise Line from experience. They have all types of programs for all ages, parties on deck most of the time (but you don't have to go to it, of course), also you are not restricted to sitting with people you and your parents don't know and you can do whatever you like onboard. It's great! I hope you enjoy whichever cruise your parents decide on!!