Best choice for 17 year old boy?

[AuntLucky]

Hi! I am hoping to get some input on what line and ship to choose for a cruise I'm planning. Details are:

• It will be an (early) graduation present for my son . He'll be 17 years old.
  
• It will just be me (47) and my son traveling.
  
• We are planning early December, due to less expensive cruise & air fare.
  
• 7 night Caribbean, hopefully balcony cabin.
  

I'd like a great older teen program and amenities for my son as he'll be alone. We took a cruise on the Disney Magic when he was 14 and he loved the activities and the ability to "be on his own". I liked the safe environment and ship size.

 

We both like excellent dining. He is athletic and likes video games. Not into discos, karaoke and dancing. He loved the Disney Magic's staff and how beautiful the ship was and the drink & ice cream stations!

 

I was hoping to try another cruise line, but the mega ships, although appealing in some ways, may be just too huge for our tastes.

 

I've looked at Royal Caribbean, NCL and Holland America (he is half Dutch and thought it would be cool.) We don't want Carnival.

 

Any suggestions on ships that may offer lots for an older teen, but not one of the giants ships? Promenades and shopping are not our thing, but stuff like zip lines, rock walls and other active fun are definitely a plus.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Gonzo70]

A Radiance Class RCI ship may be best for what you are seeking. They have some of the activities Royal is known for that would likely appeal to your son such as rock climbing, but are much smaller than RCI's newer ships. While they lack ice skating rinks, floriders etc. they do have mini golf, rock wall, a decent size arcade and some other amenities. RCI tends to attract much more people in his age group than Holland America (which has the highest average age of the major cruise lines and the least number of venues geared towards teens). There are also specialty restaurants available on Radiance class ships, so you can enjoy some of the excellent dining you are interested in.

[janabm81]

Royal Caribbean has a great kids program based on the ages of the child...I know 17 isn't really a kid anymore but...(my oldest will be 18 this year and it breaks my heart) Royal also has a lot of stuff to do outside of the kids programs like the rock wall and sports court.:)

[Liz54]

I traveled with my 17 year old. Since it will not be a school holiday try for a cruise that is port intensive. There are some great excursions available for the active and athletic. Check out the Ports of Call boards for the ports to see what's available.

[Colorado Kat]

I would also choose Royal Caribbean with your son in mind.

 

I agree to go to the Ports of Call thread, and research your ports.

 

Good ziplining on several islands, but Roatan has an Extreme zipline that is great. Belize has great snorkling.

 

In early December, there will not be a ton of other teens on board.

[SuiteTraveler]

I think he might like Royal Carribbeans Oasis of the Seas or Allure of the Seas - he can even zipline onboard! There are flowriders and climbing walls and sports courts - just a ton of stuff to do! They also have fantastic specialty restaurants and lots of entertainment that people of all ages would enjoy.

[AuntLucky]

Thanks to all who have replied. It is clear that RCI will be the best option for us. I am excited! Now, I just have to sort out the ships and destination and of course, budget the money!

 

Thanks again!

[DonnaK]

Freedom of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, even Explorer or Navigator or Adventure of the Seas would offer plenty of activities for a sporty 17 year old boy. (They have the promenade too, but you can "avoid" that and stick to the activities he'd enjoy, like the flowrider and ice rink) Come on over to the Royal Caribbean board for ideas to refine your options.

[searay22sd]

A Radiance Class RCI ship may be best for what you are seeking. Could not have said it any better. Look into the Jewel of the Seas or the Serenade of the seas we had our favorite cruise on the Serenade. I personally am not a fan of those overly large exacerbated cruise ships. As the Adventure. I thought there were way too many people, fights on deck people throwing life jackets off the ship it was ridiculous. The radiance class is a beautiful class though not too big and its 20 % larger than the grandeur class though the same amount of people. You can’t go wrong!

[DonnaK]

A Radiance Class RCI ship may be best for what you are seeking. Could not have said it any better. Look into the Jewel of the Seas or the Serenade of the seas we had our favorite cruise on the Serenade. I personally am not a fan of those overly large exacerbated cruise ships. As the Adventure. I thought there were way too many people, fights on deck people throwing life jackets off the ship it was ridiculous. The radiance class is a beautiful class though not too big and its 20 % larger than the grandeur class though the same amount of people. You can’t go wrong!

 

But what do these ships offer teenagers, compared to the larger ships? While I'd love Serenade, my kids would be bored to death, longing for Freedom or Adventure.

[Jimnbigd]

I see from your profile that you like Disney. I suggest the RCCL Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral. And if you can, also stop at Disneyworld before or after your cruise. What dates are you considering? Prices in the summer are some of the higher ones -- supply and demand.

 

However, you might want to save some money by driving instead of flying. I see you are in Dutchess County, NY. So check out the RCCL Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, New Jersey, either May 26 or June 9 (9 day Caribbean), or June 4 (5 day Bermuda). This is a Voyager class ship -- very nice. Ice rink, rock climing wall, mini-golf. (But no flowrider.)

 

There is also the Carnival Miracle from Manhattan. The 8-day June 7 (Tuesday) cruise has an age 55 rate, if you happen to be 55 or older -- and the rate would apply to both of you. And Carnival will have teen activities. Heck, he'll probably hook up with other guys and girls the first day and you'll never see him again!

[Gonzo70]

 

But what do these ships offer teenagers, compared to the larger ships? While I'd love Serenade, my kids would be bored to death, longing for Freedom or Adventure.

 

Because the OP says she does not want a mega ship, so it is not helpful to recommend mega ships to her, even if the mega ships have more venues geared towards teens. The RCI Radiance Class ships will still have significantly more activities and similarly aged people than will a cruise on Holland America (another line the OP said she was considering). Radiance class ships do have rock climbing wall, mini golf course, decent size arcade, basketball court and pool games.

[Jimnbigd]

Oops...Sorry...I see you said early December. Great time and great prices. So I'll start over.

 

Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, NJ, has a 10-day Dec. 1 cruise at a good price, and you would save money by driving instead of flying. The roads should not be bad then (we hope). If they are bad, they are probably bad to get to the airport too, and airlines would be delayed as they are right now. The weather from New Jersey would be chilly, but you'd get to warmer weather in a day or two, and there are nice activities to do inside. There is also a 12-day Dec. 11 cruise on this ship which stops at more Caribbean ports.

 

There is also the Celebrity Silhouette from Manhattan, but I have heard there are not as many teen activities. Carnival does not have any New York area cruises then. Your cheapest would be the 7-day Norwegian Jewel (Saturday departure) or Norwegian Gem (Sunday departure) from Manhattan, but I'm not sure of the teen activities available, and you would not get to the really warm Caribbean weather.

 

So, if you can take the time off, I suggest the Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, New Jersey. The price for the Explorer is good, and you'll save money by driving instead of flying.

[Friend100]

Another option could be the Enchantment of the Seas departing from Baltimore. They have a 12-nights going to S Caribbean on Dec5 and a 7-nights going to Bahamas on Dec17. I have been considering about these ones lately.

 

edit: there is a bungee trampoline on this ship.

[Jimnbigd]

 

Because the OP says she does not want a mega ship, so it is not helpful to recommend mega ships to her, even if the mega ships have more venues geared towards teens. The RCI Radiance Class ships will still have significantly more activities and similarly aged people than will a cruise on Holland America (another line the OP said she was considering). Radiance class ships do have rock climbing wall, mini golf course, decent size arcade, basketball court and pool games.

 

Good point. Enchantment of the seas out of Bayonne, NJ, is Voyager class. I'm not sure if Voyager class is "mega". I guess I was thinking more of the Oasis and Allure of the Seas.

[Gonzo70]

Enchantment is Vision Class, not Voyager Class. She was "stretched" a few years ago, so she is a bit larger than other Vision Class ships, but still much smaller than Voyager Class.

[Jimnbigd]

Enchantment is Vision Class, not Voyager Class. She was "stretched" a few years ago, so she is a bit larger than other Vision Class ships, but still much smaller than Voyager Class.

 

Oops...I meant Explorer of the Seas, not Enchantment. It's been a long and busy Friday. :o

Explorer of the seas is out of Bayonne, NJ, and is a Voyager class ship with Cafe Promenade and Studio B (a small ice rink).

[skibyrd]

We just got off Radiance and although we (as adults) enjoyed it, our kids would have not as much. There were some teens but not like on the larger ships. Our older teens had a blast on the Liberty -flowrider was a HUGE draw for them - plus there were more kids their age.

[AuntLucky]

Wow, I have a lot to consider now. I priced out the Explorer of the Seas out of Bayonne and it did come out at better per night rate than some of the others I am considering. Plus the added benefit of being able to drive there versus flying.

 

So many great choices and so many excellent suggestions. Thank you all.

My son and I will be going over our options tonight and hopefully we'll decide soon as I want to book asap. It is all very exciting! :D

[Jimnbigd]

Wow, I have a lot to consider now. I priced out the Explorer of the Seas out of Bayonne and it did come out at better per night rate than some of the others I am considering. Plus the added benefit of being able to drive there versus flying.

 

That's the one I'd pick. I hate "luggage fees" that most airlines now charge. Ship's don't have any such fees or restrictions (that I know of), so you can overpack if you want when you drive. I would suggest driving down the day before the cruise if you can, just in case you have any car problems. Plus that way you will be fully rested to enjoy the first day of the cruise. Another advantage of driving -- sometimes ship's are delayed returning the last day. I've had fog, and once an immigration delay. If you are driving, you won't start worrying about missing your return flight. Of course, you do have to worry about driving itself, and road conditions, but I guess life can't be all worry free, can it? You will have a parking fee, but you'd likely have one at the airport too, and cruise parking is cheaper than airport parking for me. And there is gas and wear-&-tear on the car, but again for me this is much less than an airline ticket. And with flying you still have to get from the airport to the cruise terminal and back, as opposed to driving all the way to the cruise terminal.

 

Suggestion: Assuming you can afford the $250 per person deposit (or you would not be booking a cruise), book the Explorer OTS now. You can always cancel before final payment date (about 2 1/2 months before sailing) for a full refund. But if you wait, the ship could fill up, or you could end up with a not-so-desirable cabin location (like under a public area or at the very front of the ship).

 

Also check out November. Often the first 3 weeks in November are a good price -- and hurricane season should be over by then.

[searay22sd]

One of my kids went to the teen thing and another to one of the younger kids club

onboard. I never really saw my kids only at dinner and when we took them off the ship

[Captain Canuck]

having been a 17 year old boy once I suggest a 16 or 17 year old girl.

 

going off school break time minimizes the amount of kids on a ship. so although your preference may be for smaller ships I would go for the Allure or the Oasis...more people more chance of a target rich environment

 

side benefit of the bigger ships is more to do

[griffy116]

I know you said you aren't interested in the mega-ships, but my 17-yr old grandson will be on the Freedom with us this summer. One of the reasons we chose Freedom is the amount of activities he can enjoy such as the rock climbing, basketball, mini-golf, ice-skating. He enjoys the ship as much as the ports and this is his 9th cruise. When you sit down to compare the ships, don't leave the mega ships out of your discussions.