How Old to Go on a Cruise: Age Rules by Cruise Line
How old you must be to cruise on each line: to sail without someone 21 or older, to drink on board, and the youngest baby, in the lines’ own words.
No: Royal Caribbean does not take an 18- to 20-year-old with no one 21 or older from North America — not without someone 21 or older in the cabinDrinking age on board: 21. Of the 9 lines, 1 takes this traveler.
| Line | Sails? | The rule | Drinking age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Not stated | Its new policy (effective October 1, 2026): see its page | — |
| Royal Caribbean | No | Not without someone 21 or older in the cabin | 21 |
| Norwegian | No | Not without someone 21 or older in the cabin | — |
| Princess | No | Not without someone 21 or older in the cabin | 21 |
| Celebrity | No | Not without someone 21 or older in the cabin | 21 |
| MSC | No | Not without someone 21 or older in the cabin | — |
| Disney | Not stated | Its page did not say | — |
| Virgin Voyages | Yes | Adults only: everyone on board is 18 or older | — |
| Holland America | Not stated | Its page did not say | — |
In the line’s own words
- “Royal Caribbean’s minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings originating in North America is twenty-one (21).”
- “Royal Caribbean’s minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings originating in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is eighteen (18).”
- “No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older.”
- “Underage married couples (proof of marriage required)”
- “Active duty members of the United States or Canadian military (proof required).”
- “On cruises originating from North America or the Caribbean, the minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships is twenty-one (21).”
- “On cruises originating from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the minimum age to consume alcohol on Royal Caribbean International ships is eighteen (18).”
- Royal Caribbean’s own page (read 2026-10-04)
Each line’s own page, read 2026-10-04 (Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, MSC, Disney, Virgin Voyages, Holland America, Carnival’s baby rule). Lines change these rules: check your line’s page when you book.
Quick answer: On most big lines you must be 21 to sail without someone 21 or older in your cabin on cruises from North America, and 21 to drink on board; from Europe, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity let 18-year-olds sail alone and drink. Babies must usually be 6 months old, or 12 on long-haul cruises. Virgin Voyages is 18 and over.
How to use it
Pick the cruise line and who is going: a baby, a child with a parent or another adult, an 18- to 20-year-old alone, with someone older, married or in the military, or anyone 21 or older. Choose where the cruise starts; for a baby, give its age in months and the kind of cruise. The answer is the chosen line’s rule, then every line side by side, then the line’s own words with a link.
The rules, in the lines’ own words
Royal Caribbean: Royal Caribbean’s minimum age to sail unaccompanied on sailings originating in North America is twenty-one (21).
No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older.
Celebrity has the same rule, and both waive it for parents in connecting staterooms, for underage married couples; and for active duty members of the United States or Canadian military.
Norwegian: Norwegian Cruise Line’s policy dictates that a minor or young adult under the age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stateroom (or a connecting/adjoining stateroom) by a guest 21 years of age or older at the time of boarding.
Princess: Guests under the age of 21 must travel in a stateroom with a guest who is 21 years or older and who will assume responsibility for their care during the cruise.
MSC counts anyone under 21 as a minor on a cruise with a U.S. port, but For sailings within the US, guests aged 18-20 can be accommodated in a cabin alone, provided they are traveling with a guest aged 21 or older.
Virgin Voyages: Because of that you must be at least 18 to sail with us.
Carnival lists a new minor guest policy, effective October 1, 2026, which its page would not show our reader; until it does, the tool gives only Carnival’s rule for babies.
Every line side by side
| Line | Age to sail without someone 21+ (North America) | Elsewhere | Drinking age | Youngest baby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
| Royal Caribbean | 21 | 18 | 21 (18 elsewhere) | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
| Norwegian | 21 | 21 | Not stated | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
| Princess | 21 | 21 | 21 | 6 months; 12 on most other cruises |
| Celebrity | 21 | 18 | 21 (18 elsewhere) | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
| MSC | 21 | 18 | Not stated | Any age; 12 on 11+ nights |
| Disney | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
| Virgin Voyages | 18 (adults only) | 18 (adults only) | Not stated | No one under 18 |
| Holland America | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | 6 months; 12 on long-haul cruises |
“Long-haul” means each line’s own list: ocean crossings, Hawaii and 3 or more sea days in a row for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian; more than 2 sea days in a row and ocean crossings for Carnival and Holland America; the South Pacific, Transatlantic, Hawaii and Panama Canal repositioning cruises for Disney. Princess allows 6 months only on Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico and Trans-canal cruises. Read 2026-10-04.
Worked examples
Two 19-year-old friends on a Caribbean cruise. No: Royal Caribbean does not take an 18- to 20-year-old with no one 21 or older from North America. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess and MSC all need someone 21 or older in the cabin; Virgin Voyages takes them.
The same friends on a Mediterranean cruise. Yes: Royal Caribbean takes an 18- to 20-year-old with no one 21 or older from Europe or elsewhere — Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC let 18-year-olds sail alone from Europe.
A married couple, both 20. Yes: Norwegian takes a married couple under 21 from North America; so do Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, with proof of marriage.
An 8-month-old on a transatlantic crossing. No: Royal Caribbean does not take an 8-month-old baby: on Royal Caribbean a crossing needs a baby of 12 months.
Common mistakes
- Booking two 18-year-olds into their own cabin on a North American sailing: most lines refuse them at the pier.
- Counting the baby’s age on the booking date. The lines count it on the first day of the cruise.
- Assuming 18 means a drink. On North American sailings Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess serve alcohol from 21.
- Sending a child with a grandparent and no paperwork. Norwegian asks for a Parent/Guardian Consent Form signed by both parents.
Related
Price the trip with the Cruise Cost Calculator, check what you may pack with Can I Bring It on a Cruise? and plan the evenings with the Cruise Dress Code guide. Read our first-time cruise tips, the Alaska cruise guide and what to pack for an Alaska cruise.
FAQ
How old do you have to be to go on a cruise?
To sail without someone 21 or older in your cabin, 21 on most big lines’ cruises from North America; 18 from Europe and elsewhere on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC. Younger travelers sail with an adult 21 or older in the cabin. Virgin Voyages takes no one under 18.
How old do you have to be to drink on a cruise?
21 on North American sailings of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess’s U.S.-based ships; 18 on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises from Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
What is the Virgin Voyages age limit?
18: you must be at least 18 to sail with us.
No children sail.
What is Royal Caribbean’s age requirement?
21 to sail without an adult 21 or older in the stateroom on cruises from North America, 18 from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand; married couples and active-duty U.S. or Canadian military under 21 are exceptions. Babies: 6 months, or 12 on long-haul cruises.
What is the minimum age on a Disney cruise?
6 months for most itineraries, and one year for South Pacific, Transatlantic, Hawaii and Panama Canal repositioning cruises.
Is there a cruise age limit for babies?
Usually 6 months on the first day of the cruise, 12 months on long-haul cruises; MSC takes babies under one except on cruises of 11 nights or longer.