Best Cruise Line by Age Group

Deciding which cruise line is the best is a tough question. It is very subjective and really depends on you. Its also quite a touchy subject amongst cruise enthusiast. Message board debates between Carnival and Royal Caribbean lovers have been known to turn ugly.

For this post I’m going to stick with the more mainstream cruise lines and not discuss the high end cruises such as Crystal and Silver Sea. While those are no doubt exceptional cruise lines they are out of the reach of many pocket books.

Best Cruise Line for Young Adults – Royal Caribbean

I can already hear the Carnival fans yelling at me, but while Carnival touts themselves as the fun ship, its RCL that delivers the fun. Many of the larger RCL ships include wave riders, zip lines and larger sport decks allowing for more than just half court basketball. To be fair you do pay a bit more on RCL but in my opinion its worth it.

Best Cruise Line for Kids – Disney

This one is almost unfair with Disney in the mix. Its hard to compete with a ship that has Mickey Mouse walking around and a fireworks at sea display. Disney is also your newborns first shot at cruising. Children only have to be three months old to cruise on Disney while most of the other lines start at six months.

Best Cruise Line for Seniors – Holland America

If you talk to older cruisers their eyes light up when you talk about Holland America. The ships pride themselves on delivering premium cruise experiences and exceeding expectations. You aren’t going to find the rowdy Carnival crowd here or too many kids running the hallways.

Honorable Mentions – Celebrity & Princess

If you are looking for a good mix of all age groups then I would suggest looking at Celebrity and Princess. These lines give you a little more elegance than their owners signature line while still providing a great family atmosphere. I have been on both of these lines and give both top marks. In fact I even rank Celebrity as my overall favorite cruise line.