cruises for teens

[alldian]

Want to take the kids, ages 15 and 17, on a cruise for spring break. what ships do you recommend? we have been on Norwegian Dawn and they loved that. Would like to go somewhere other than eastern carribean. Any help would be appreciated.

[Dave]

Hi alldian,

I feel certain the teenagers would love the western Caribbean. The western itineraries offer some nice ports with water activities being a key draw. Lots of snorkeling in some of the best places in this hemisphere for it, and also lots of beaches. There are also the tours of Mayan ruins in Mexico to consider. Personally, the western run is my favorite.

Don't daudle on your booking though. Spring break is a big booking season and a lot of people have already gotten a head start on you!

[alldian]

Thanks Dave,

Can you recommend any specific lines or ships

[NancyN]

Dave is certainly right about moving quickly if you are interested in a cruise during Spring Break. That is an extremely popular cruise time and some ships are already close to selling out.

As for ship recommendations, with teenagers ages 15 & 17 - there is no question that the best choice (in my opinion) would be any of the Voyager Class ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet. They are a perfect fit for families with teens and they offer western caribbean itineraries over spring break.

Nancy

[Dave]

alldian,

As Nancy notes, you can't go wrong with one of RCCL's Voyager class vessels. If you book a cruise on one of them, all I can say is prepare to be impressed. These ships have huge areas set aside for the youth programs - and also for teens to hang out without adults messing it up for them . Then you have Johnny Rockets burger joint, a huge arcade, an ice skating rink, a mall running almost the length of the ship, a rock-climbing wall, a 9 hole minature golf course, a full size basketball/volleyball court.....it is really incredible and I have to think it would be a dream cruise for any teenager - and their parents! We cruised on the Mariner Of The Seas last year and had a great time. Despite the size of the ship and the number of passengers, it really never seemed to be crowded. The food in the dining room was very good too. The buffets are huge and have everything a kid would want.