Cruising with minor children
Anchors up, families. Making memories cruising with children!
Cruising with minor children offers an incredible vacation experience where kids can have nonstop fun and create lasting memories, all within a safe and exciting environment. Modern cruise ships are practically floating resorts built for young passengers, boasting an array of activities to keep them entertained.
Children can spend hours enjoying thrilling waterslides, engaging in friendly competition at the mini-golf or putt-putt course, or playing the latest games in the onboard arcade.
The supervised kids’ clubs are a major highlight, providing age-appropriate activities, themed dances, and opportunities for children to meet new friends from around the world.
Adding to the fun is the endless supply of complimentary soft-serve ice cream, a perennial favorite among young cruisers.
While the kids are having a blast, parents do need to be aware of certain essential rules regarding supervision and safety.
If parents wish for their minor children to stay in their own separate cabin, cruise lines impose strict restrictions based on the children’s ages and the proximity of the parents’ cabin. The distance allowed between the two cabins is limited and rigorously enforced by the cruise line’s security policy to ensure the immediate safety and accessibility of the children.
Furthermore, a rule that cruise lines are absolutely strict about concerns sanitation in the water areas. For the health and safety of all guests, children who are not completely and reliably potty trained are strictly prohibited from entering any of the ship’s pools, splash pads, or water play areas. This rule includes infants and toddlers, and cruise lines explicitly state that swim diapers are not an acceptable exception, as they do not provide adequate containment to prevent contamination of the shared water systems. Parents must plan accordingly, understanding that only children who are fully toilet trained are permitted in the ship’s aquatic areas.
Minor guest policy on Carnival Cruise Lines
Carnival minor guest policy
Guests under 21 years of age MUST¹ travel with a relative or guardian 25 years of age or older.
- The guardian does not need to be a legal guardian
- The bookings must be cross-referenced with the relative or guardian's stateroom and documented properly
- Guests who are 21 to 24 years of age may travel with their minor children
- Minors traveling together must have 1 chaperone for every 8 minors
- Minors traveling together, 8 ore more staterooms must be booked through the group department and a $100 damage deposit will be charged PER MINOR
- Minors must be aged 12 or older to cruise in Terrazza accommodations
- Minors must be aged 12 or older to cruise in Havana accommodations
When traveling with a minor where one parent or both parents or legal guardians are not cruising, it’s strongly recommended to bring an original, signed letter from the absent parent/guardian authoriazing the minor to travel with you.
If there is no second parent/guardian with legal claims to the minor due to sole custody, deceased, etc., other relevant paperwork such as a court decision, death certificate, birth certificate naming only one parent would be useful to bring. This will expedite processing by the Department of Homeland Security.
¹Exceptions
Guests under 21 years old may travel without a relative or guardian that’s 25 years old or older under the following conditions:
Legally married couples
- Proper documentation must be provided at embarkation. Failure to provide documentation or not conforming to this policy will result in denied boarding and no compensation will be provided.
- Documentation includes: Marriage license application or certificate signed by the official that performed the ceremony.
Qualified Military Personnel
- Applies to United States Military Personnel and Canadian National Defense personnel (and their traveling companions in the same stateroom 18-20 years of age.)
- Copy of proof of service must be provided at embarkation. Failure to provide documentation or not conforming to this policy will result in denied boarding and no compensation will be provided.
Which cabins can minors be booked in?
Guests 14 and younger
Guests 14 and younger must be booked with a relative or guardian aged 25 or older in the same cabin, or a connecting cabin.
Guests 15-17 years old
Guests aged 15-17 can be separated by up to 3 cabins from a relative or guardian aged 25 or older. The cabins must be linked as “travel with” and must be noted and cross referenced.
Guests 18 and over
Guests 18 years of age and older do not have any restrictions on stateroom location and may book whatever location they prefer. Their reservations must be linked with a “travel with” a relative or guardian aged 25 or older. The reservations must be noted and cross referenced.
