What to know about cruise ship minimum age policy for solo bookings
As families and young people prepare for spring break and summer travel, cruise lines' policies on the minimum age for travel from the United States have the potential to impact their plans.
For some cruise lines, 18 is the minimum age to travel solo, while others require solo travelers to be at least 21 years old, with some exceptions.
Ahead of spring break and summer travel, here is what to know about four major cruise lines' age policies.
Royal Caribbean
For Royal Caribbean cruises that originate in North America, the minimum age to sail alone is 21, according to the company's website.
Passengers below the legal drinking age in the U.S. must be accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult age 21 or older.
Certain exceptions apply including for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms; for underage married couples; and for active servicemembers, according to Royal Caribbean.
For sailings originating in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the minimum age to sail unaccompanied on Royal Caribbean is 18 years old.
Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival Cruise Line requires that guests be 21 or older to sail on their own, according to the company's website.
Guests ages 20 and younger must travel with an adult who is 25 years or older.
As of Feb. 1, Carnival Cruise Lines now also requires that guests age 20 and younger be linked in their booking reservation to a relative or guardian who is 25 years of age or older. The reservation "must be noted and cross referenced," according to the website.
Carnival also allows exceptions to its minimum age policy for legally married couples and qualified military personnel.
Disney Cruise Line
To sail unaccompanied on a Disney Cruise, travelers must be 18 years of age.
Minors under 18 who are not traveling with a parent or legal guardian must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older in the same stateroom, the policy states.
Norwegian Cruise Line
The solo travel requirement for Norwegian Cruise Line states that passengers must be at least 21 years old.
For those under 21, they must stay in the same stateroom or a connecting/adjoining stateroom as an adult who is at least 21 years old.
The cruise line notes that two people under the age of 21 may travel together in the same stateroom if they are married and provide proof of marriage prior to boarding.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that some cruise lines had recently changed the minimum age for solo travelers; those cruise lines have observed a 21-and-over policy for solo travelers for some time.
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