Cruise Activities for Teens: Discover Fun Outside the Teen Club
Five Cruise Activities for Teens
Having just recently gone on a cruise aboard the Oasis of the Seas, I came to the realization on the first day that I did not want to spend much time in the teen club area or doing organized cruise activities for teens.
Oasis of the Seas.
For one, at 17 1/2 I was one of the oldest at the first event in The Living Room. Also, I felt this cruise was just meant for me to enjoy some downtime and relax. I had just finished my Junior Year of high school with all of the stresses that entails — AP courses and exams, ACT exams, touring colleges, and so on. And I was TIRED and BURNED OUT.
The Living Room space is for teens only!
On previous cruises, I had spent time participating in the organized teen activities from early in the day until 1:00AM, which is usually the ship’s curfew time for under 18 cruisers. Those were some good times and I’d recommend you give it a try. On this trip, I was still out late because there was so much to do on the Oasis that I kept busy even without stopping by the teen club. Flowrider, Comedy Shows, Stargazing, Miniature Golf, Rock Climbing, Diving Shows, and more kept me entertained on the ship.
Try the Rock Climbing Wall!
This time, I wanted to have some fun on my own schedule. So without doing any teen activities, I found out very quickly how to have a good time on the cruise ship. The following list can also apply to those who are in that weird age gap (18-20) where you cannot be part of the teen group, nor can you take part in having a couple of drinks at the bars. For the casino, you’ll need to be 18 on all sailings, except Alaska where you’ll need to be 21. The adult night club requires proof of age (21) as well.
Find adventure aboard the Oasis.
So in no real order of importance, here are my five ways for older teens to have fun on a cruise ship.
Shows
There are plenty of shows to go see on board a cruise. Whether it’s a stomach cramping comedy show, a Broadway performance, or anything in between, there’s always a show going on for anyone’s taste. And the best part about it, they are all free. So, get some popcorn and enjoy the show.
The adult comedy show in the Opal Theater on Oasis were hysterical!
Come Fly With Me Show.
Beverages
Go to the bar. Don’t worry, all bars can make any mixed drink without alcohol (otherwise known as virgin). Got a hankering for a fruity drink? Go up to the bar and order a virgin Strawberry Daiquiri, Lava Flow, or any others you can think of. In my experience, the Lava Flow is certainly one to try. Delicious! I also enjoyed quite a few strawberry daiquiri mocktails. Look for mocktails on the bar menus for more options.
Strawberry Daiquiri on Oasis. Teens can order it as a mocktail!
Get your favorite beverage at Starbucks and watch a sports game at On Air.
Starbucks Coffee on Oasis of the Seas.
Swimming and Other Activities
Most certainly, the cruise ship you will be on will have at least one swimming pool. So put on some swim trunks and cool off in the pool. Maybe you’ll be on a ship that has a slide or some other sort of water attraction, such as the FlowRider (simulated surfing) on the Royal Caribbean ships (Freedom class and higher) or the water slide (AquaDuck) on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
Go surfing on the Oasis!
The AquaDuck on the Disney Dream is amazing.
I’ve been on Disney Magic but not since they installed the AquaDunk, a thrilling water slide. And, it looks like other cruise lines like Carnival have some cool slides too.
Carnival Cruise ship with cool water slides.
If your ship offers rock climbing, ice skating, miniature golf, FlowRider, or ziplining, try them out!
Try ziplining on Oasis of the Seas.
Food
On a cruise ship, there are no such thing as calories (it’s vacation!), so go exploring for some snacks. Whether it’s a small sandwich from a café, such as the Café Promenade on Royal Caribbean, or an ice cream cone that you can acquire from the free dispensers on most cruise lines, there’s always something you can find to eat.
These sandwiches were delicious for a late night snack.
And don’t forget to try new foods. At dinner, order a new-to-you appetizer. Don’t like it; no problem. You can order a replacement or move on to the next course.
Relaxation
Tired of dealing with your peers, exams, a busy schedule? Then take the time on your cruise to relax and enjoy being away from reality. Go up on deck and enjoy soaking up the sun (just be sure to put on sunscreen). Take a nap in your stateroom. People watch. Read a book. The possibilities are endless.
A great time to find a quiet place on deck 15 aboard the Oasis is in the late morning while in port. We like to go ashore after enjoying a crowd-free morning on the ship.
Find a quiet place to read on the Oasis, deck 15.
Oasis had awesome fixed binoculars that worked well for looking at the moon at night. You’ll find them by using the port side stateroom corridor and heading forward (not aft) on Deck 14. I think there were signs pointing to the Observation Decks.
Fixed Binoculars are mounted on the forward wings on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis, Deck 14.
Full Moon lights up the sky on Oasis sailing.
I hope you found this short list to be helpful to you in some way. On your sailing, you’ll discover lots of cruise activities for teens.
And as this is my first post on the blog, you can expect to hear more from me in the future. Have a great day and Bon Voyage!
Teens — share your favorite cruise activities. Parents — what do your teens like to do when cruising?
