Cruise Ship Kids' Clubs: Everything You Need to Know | Lask Travel Advisors August 24, 2024

Cruise Ship Kids’ Clubs: Everything You Need to Know

Cruise vacations are a popular choice for families, offering a blend of relaxation and a wide range of family-friendly activities. One of the most attractive features of cruising is the kids’ club—a safe, supervised space where children and teens up to age 17 can engage in fun activities and forge new friendships.

The kids’ club gives parents the opportunity to enjoy some well-deserved downtime while knowing their children are having a fantastic time.

As someone who has been cruising since the age of four, I practically grew up in the kids’ club.

In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about kids’ clubs on cruise ships. From age ranges and activities to safety protocols, this guide is perfect for both new and seasoned family cruisers looking to learn more about what cruise kids’ clubs have to offer.

What Are Kids’ Clubs on a Cruise Ship?

Cruise ship kids clubs provide age-appropriate and engaging activities for children and teenagers, making cruising a great vacation for the whole family. On all major cruise lines, designated areas are set aside for these kids’ clubs, which are staffed by qualified youth counselors who create a safe, supervised, and fun environment.

What Is the Age Range of the Kids Club?

Most cruise line kids’ clubs cater to children between the ages of 3 and 17. However, some lines offer programs for younger children:

Age groups are typically divided as follows:

3 to 5 years
6 to 8 years
9 to 12 years
13 to 17 years

It’s worth noting that during off-peak seasons, age groups might be combined due to fewer children on board.

Which Cruise Lines Have Kids’ Clubs?

All contemporary and premium cruise lines have kids’ clubs. Each cruise line offers different activities and an experience for its youth programs, but they’re always fun, safe, and enjoyable for kids and teenagers.

Here are the mainstream cruise lines that offer a kids club:

Which Luxury Cruise Lines Have Kids’ Clubs?

Furthermore, certain luxury lines offer a kids’ club, although the experience will differ from mainstream cruise lines as fewer kids are on board. Luxury cruise lines such as Explora Journeys and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection have a youth program for kids.

Although luxury lines like Oceania, Azamara, Seabourn, and Silversea allow children on board, they do not have a kids’ club.

Mainstream Cruise Line Kids Club Information:

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Lines Camp Ocean accommodates children as young as two years old. It also has a youth program (Turtles group) for children between the ages of six months and two years old.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Carnival:

Penguins (ages 2 to 5)
Stingrays (ages 6 to 8)
Sharks (ages 9 to 11)
Circle C (ages 12 to 14)
Club O2 (ages 15 to 17)

Carnival’s kid’s clubs have great activities, video games, arcade games, and more! Furthermore, themed parties and other group activities will keep the kids busy throughout the cruise vacation.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s kids club, Adventure Ocean, is great for kids and teenagers to meet new friends, participate in activities, and have fun. Onboard certain Royal Caribbean cruise ships, there’s a nursery for kids between 6 and 36 months.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Royal Caribbean:

Aquanauts (ages 3 to 5)
Explorers (ages 6 to 8)
Voyagers (9 to 12)
Teen Spaces (ages 13 to 17)

Since Royal Caribbean is known for being a family-friendly cruise line, it offers some of the best kids’ clubs and onboard activities at sea. Furthermore, it offers activities like family movie night, family-friendly dining, and a family-friendly library so families can spend time together while cruising.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Lines’ youth program, Splash Academy and Entourage (for teens) offers a range of activities, such as sports, creative arts, team-building games, and circus school. These activities are a great way to keep young cruisers busy and have fun throughout their cruise vacation.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Norwegian Cruise Line:

Splash Academy (ages 3 to 12)
Entourage (ages 13 to 17)

The kids and teens club onboard NCL is tons of fun and a great place for children to make new friends.

One of the benefits of taking a Norwegian cruise is that they offer a late-night “Fun Zone” from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM for a small fee. This allows parents to attend a light-night show, the casino, or bar.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Lines Oceaneer Club is a great place for young kids and teenagers to meet, participate in activities, and experience the magic of Disney. They can meet their favorite Disney characters throughout the cruise and make lifelong memories.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Disney Cruise Line:

It’s a Small World (6 months to 3)
Ocean Club / Lab (ages 3 to 10)
Edge (Ages 11 to 14)
Vibe (14 to 17)

Disney is known for being a fun cruise line for the whole family. With state-of-the-art kids club facilities, kids of all ages will enjoy a Disney cruise.

Related: What to Pack for Kids on a Cruise

MSC Cruises

On every MSC cruise ship, there’s a complimentary kids’ club designed for different age groups, ranging from 1 to 17 years old. The kid’s club is a fun place and a safe and secure environment where kids and teenagers can make new friends and participate in interactive activities.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard MSC:

Baby Club (0 to 3)
Mini Club (3 to 6)
Junior Club (7 to11)
Young Club (12 to 14)
Teen Club (15 to 17)

Whether your children or teens are into sports or video games, there is something for everyone. There will also be themed parties and competitions throughout your voyage to keep things fun and exciting.

Princess Cruise Line

Princess Cruise Line’s youth program begins with children between the ages of 6 months old and 2 years. Young cruisers can enter Camp Discovery with their parents and participate in age-appropritate activities activities.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Princess:

The Treehouse (ages 3 to 7)
The Lodge (ages 8 to 12)
The Beach House (ages 13 to 17)

Onboard Princess, the kids and teens can participate in interactive activities, scavenger hunts, arts & crafts and video games!

Celebrity Cruises

Although Celebrity generally attracts fewer families, they still offer a very fun youth program. Camp at Sea is a great place for kids 3-17 to meet cruise passengers their age, participate in exciting activities, and play sports.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Celebrity:

Shipmates (ages 3 to 5)
Cadets (ages 6 to 9)
Captains (ages 10 to 12)
Teens (13 to 17)

Onboard Celebrity cruise ships, the kids club has various fun activities. The teens club is great for teenagers to hang out, listen to music, and play video games.

Holland America Line

Holland America tends to attract an older demographic. However, Holland America has a great kids’ club, Club Hal, perfect for multi-generational families and families cruising together. Club Hal offers activities like video game tournaments, arts & crafts, movie nights, and sports competitions.

Here’s how the age groups are separated onboard Holland America:

Kids Program (ages 3 to 6)
Tweens Program (ages 7 to 11)
Teens Program (ages 12 to 17)

Since Holland America has fewer onboard attractions catered towards younger children, the kids club is a great place to keep children and teenagers busy throughout the cruise. The kids club has amazing activities and friendly staff to ensure the children have a great time.

What Activities are Offered in the Kids’ Club?

Kids’ club activities can vary depending on the cruise line. However, typically, they range from group activities like scavenger hunts and arts and crafts to free play, where kids and teens can hang out, listen to music, and play video games.

At times, the kids’ club reserves the sports court for activities like dodgeball, soccer, and basketball. They also offer arts and crafts and educational activities like science experiments for younger children.

Teenagers have fewer activities and more free time to hang out and mingle. There will be themed parties, gaming tournaments, sports, and foosball and air hockey tables for teenagers to have fun in the evenings.

Is There Food at the Kids’ Club on Cruise Ships?

Most cruise ship kids’ clubs close during dinner time as it allows for families to eat together. Although, certain cruise lines offer dinner parties, special lunches, and snack times throughout the cruise. If your child does have allergies, it’s essential to disclose them to the youth staff to avoid any potential issues.

When Is the Kids’ Club Open?

Most kid’s clubs open between 8:00 and 9:00 AM and close at 10:00 or 11:00 PM. Throughout the day, the kids club may close for short periods during lunch and around dinner time. Many cruise lines offer late-night supervision for a small fee.

Is the Kids’ Club on Cruise Ships Safe?

Kids club youth staff must be first aid-certified, undergo background checks, and be carefully vetted.

Cruise ships have strict protocols on what to do in an emergency is children are still in the kids club. Youth staff will bring the children to their muster station or central pickup point to ensure no child is left unattended.

Furthermore, the kid’s clubs have strict rules for fire safety and maximum occupancy. During busy travel times, your child may need to wait for a room inside the kids’ club before entering.

Overall, the cruise ship kids club is extremely safe and secure. When it comes to children’s safety, the cruise lines take it very seriously to avoid any potential issues.

Are Kids’ Club Free on Cruise Ships?

Yes, all kid’s clubs are complimentary on cruise ships. The youth program is a safe and secure place for kids to have fun and make new friends. Certain cruise lines offer late-night childcare after 10:00 or 11:00 PM for a small extra charge.

My Experience With the Kids’ Club:

As someone who has been cruising since I was four and spent a ton of time at the kids club, I can say that it’s always been a great experience. Whether it was on a Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess, or Celebrity cruise, the kids’ club was always the highlight of my vacation.

Throughout the years, I’ve met many people and friends at the kids club with whom I still keep in touch with.

Since I grew up cruising, I’ve had the chance to experience the kids club as a young kid and into my teenage years. Growing up, my parents couldn’t get me out of the kids club because I had so much fun there.

The kids’ club was one of the major reasons I enjoyed cruising, whether participating in activities, playing video games, or hanging out with friends.

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Final Thoughts on Cruise Ship Kids Clubs

A cruise vacation is a great way to visit new destinations while enjoying fun activities that the whole family can enjoy. Cruise lines provide a complimentary kids’ club, which allows parents to relax and do their own thing while their kids are having fun in a safe and secure environment.

Have you or your children ever tried the kids club? Please let me know your questions and tips in the comments below.

Happy Cruising!

Ethan

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Author Bio: Ethan Schattauer has been cruising with his family since he was four years old and has been on more than 30 cruises. As a frequent traveler, Ethan shares his unique perspective on what cruising is like from a young person’s perspective. Ethan also writes about men’s fashion, travel and college advice on the website WhatToWearMen.com.

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