AGE REQUIREMENTS FOR CRUISING
Understanding the guidelines for a seamless travel experience
Families booking more than one cabin may be subject to minimum age requirements for kids staying in a separate cabin. Your GXC cruise counselor can check these requirements for you once you have found a cruise that interests you.
Guests Under 25 Years Of Age
All cruise lines require that at least one person in each cabin meet a minimum age requirement. The lowest minimum age requirement for any cruise line is 18. The information that follows was provided by the cruise lines at the time of this writing, is subject to change and should be verified with your GXC cruise counselor prior to booking.
The Following Cruise Lines Require That At Least One Person In Each Cabin Is 18 Or Older:
American Cruise Lines, Blount, Cunard, MSC Cruises (when departing from international ports), P&O Cruises, Pearl Seas Cruises, Ponant, Pullmantur, Quark Expeditions, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, SeaDream and Star Clippers.
The following cruise lines require that all passengers in a cabin are 18 or older or that at least one person in the cabin is 21 or older:
Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, GAP Adventures, Silversea, and Viking.
The Following Cruise Lines Require That At Least One Person In Each Cabin Is 21 Or Older:
Azamara, Celebrity, Costa (25 for holiday and peak season sailings), Holland America, Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises (when departing from ports in the U.S.), Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn Cruise Line and Voyages to Antiquity.
The Following Cruise Lines Require That All Passengers In A Cabin Are 21 Or Older Or That At Least One Person In The Cabin Is 25 Or Older:
Carnival, Fathom and Windstar Cruises.
An exception may be made for underage married couples, as long as they are both 18. These couples may be asked to show proof of their marriage. This exception is based on individual cruise line policy and should be confirmed by your GXC cruise counselor prior to booking.
Carnival also makes exceptions for qualified U.S. Military personnel who are at least 18 years of age. Proof of military eligibility will be needed when booking, as well as the appropriate verification documents at embarkation.
Carnival guests between the ages of 18 and 21 on a booking may have their own cabin, only if the booking is cross-referenced with the adult relative or guardian's stateroom.
Your age on the date of sailing is generally considered your age for the length of the cruise.
Consumption Of Alcohol
Once you've left port, the minimum age for the consumption of alcohol varies by cruise line. Cruise & Maritime Voyages, P&O Cruises and Pullmantur allow all passengers 18 and older to consume any type of alcoholic beverage they choose. The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on all Azamara, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean ships is 21. However, on cruises departing from European and South American countries, where the legal drinking age is typically lower than 21, a parent who is sailing with his or her son(s) and/or daughter(s) who is between the ages of 18 to 20, may sign a waiver allowing the 18 to 20 year old to consume alcoholic beverages.
Costa and MSC Cruises require passengers to be at least 21 for cruises departing from the US, but passengers 18 and older are able to consume alcohol for non-US departures. Cunard allows guests 18 and older to consume alcoholic beverages, except when in US waters, in which case no alcohol may be purchased or consumed by any passengers under the age of 21. American Cruise Lines, Blount, Carnival, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Fathom, Holland America, Hurtigruten, Lindblad, Norwegian, Oceania, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Pearl Seas Cruises, Ponant, Princess, Quark Expeditions, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaDream, Silversea, Star Clippers, Viking and Windstar require passengers to be at least 21 to consume any type of alcohol.
Gambling Onboard
Gambling, a popular form of entertainment on cruise ships, also has age restrictions that differ between cruise lines. Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Norwegian, Oceania, P&O, Paul Gauguin Cruises, Pullmantur, Regent Seven Seas and SeaDream require passengers to be 18 or older to play in the shipboard casinos. Azamara, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean require passengers to be 18 or older to play in casinos, except for Alaska cruises (passengers must be 21 or older). Crystal, MSC Cruises, Princess, Seabourn, Silversea and Windstar restrict the casinos to travelers 21 and older.