On all cruises and cruise journeys, minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied and share a cabin with a parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult over the age of 21. We reserve the right to limit the number of minors under the age of 18 years on board.

On most major cruise lines (such as Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian), a minor is anyone under the age of 21. This distinction is critical for several reasons. First, guests under 21 must usually be accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 25 in the same or adjacent stateroom. Second, the legal drinking age on ships departing from U.S. ports is strictly 21, even when the ship is in international waters. For cruises departing from Europe, South America, or Australia, the drinking age often drops to 18, but the passenger is still considered a "minor" in terms of "boarding authority" until they are 21. Additionally, those under 18 have specific "curfews" in certain public areas like the casino or adult-only lounges. For the purpose of "kids' club" registration, "minors" are further subdivided into age brackets, but the 21-year-old threshold remains the standard for general shipboard legal and drinking policy on most North American-owned lines.