Best ship for 12 year old and 17 year old

[cruzilove]

I am taking my 12 year old nephew and my 17 year old niece. This will be the first time i am cruising with kids. Which ship/cruise line do you think is the best?

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Honestly most kids are going to "wow'd" by any cruise. I just took a 15 year old (seasoned cruiser) and a 17 year old (first time cruiser) on the Regal Princess 7-night Eastern Caribbean and they loved it. The 17 year old girl enjoyed trivia, the game shows at night and the entertainment- comedian and production shows very much. There was so much to do on that cruise and the food was top notch. We all enjoyed movies under the stars. It was a hit with all of us.

Edited April 22, 2016 by rebeccalouiseagain

[kitkat343]

You should talk to them, as some teenagers have a preference as to which amenities they'd like, and which type of vacation they'd like (a beach vs museums and palaces in Europe). Most of the major cruise lines have a lot of family friendly amenities (RCL, NCL, Princess, Carnival) so you have a lot of good options. If you can afford it, the newer ships are more likely to have more amenities for teenagers, but the kids are likely to have a lot of fun regardless of what you choose. Last summer, I booked a trip for my mother's friend and her teenage son. I booked her exactly what she requested - "the cheapest cruise possible" which meant an older ship with fewer amenities and only one port - Bermuda. They both had a wonderful time. She never saw her son the entire cruise, as he had so much fun running all over the boat with his friends. They just asked me to book another cruise for them again this summer. So please don't worry - you have a lot of good choices and it will be a wonderful trip.

[cb at sea]

I think you should pick by what YOU want...where you want to go, what you want to see...and the kids should consider themselves to be lucky to have very thoughtful relative to take them on such a nice vacation! ANY ship and cruiseline will have ample for those ages...no worries!

[#1TravelMom]

We cruise quite often. NCL Getaway is our favorite for sure. There is so much for every age. Lots of great food options. Our DD11 just loves it. So does our nephew who is 16. Lots of great innovative features and very budget friendly many dates throughout the year.

[A&Jfamily]

My kids are right at this age now, and have been cruising for the last 10 years on both Carnival and Princess. We prefer these two lines as it is where we seem to find the best prices for the times of year we are cruising. RCI and Disney (likely too old for this age) are just too pricey as we always get two rooms, a balcony for us and an inside for the kids. I can't recommend this plan enough. It is easy to get keys made for each others rooms once you are on board and you double the floor space and bathroom number. Also, at those ages, the kids activities run often past midnight and they can come and go without waking anyone.

 

As for ship preference, I think my kids tend to prefer the larger ships with more bells and whistles. Carnival Sunshine is our favorite cruise so far because there is so much to do and tons of dining options. So I would recommend her, or the Magic or Breeze for similar amenities. I can't comment on RCI because the one cruise I took with them was disappointing - the staff was very indifferent and the food mediocre. Nor does the mega ship with the indoor shopping mall layout appeal to my family. My boys would much rather be up on sports square or outside in general.

 

Alaska was a great, relaxing family cruise and Princess seems to do this better than anyone. Those ships are still large but not overbearing. But that cruise is much more about the destination than the ship.

 

The good news is whatever you pick, they don't have any point of comparison and will have a great time.