Disney Cruise Line for Teens and Tweens
Disney Cruise Line is the best Cruise for teens. We have taken our family on 10 Disney Cruises and it’s one of our favorite ways to take a family vacation. The Disney Cruise Line is famous for the activities available for the guests onboard. It should also be especially known as one of the best cruises for teens. The Vibe (ages 14-17) and the Edge (ages 11-14) are the two areas designated specifically for teenagers on the Disney Cruise Line.
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What is the Edge like for teens on the Disney Cruise Line?
The Disney Fantasy and the Disney Dream are a very large ships. It has two secluded teen areas known as the Edge and Vibe. The Edge is for pre-teens ages 11 to age 14. This is a very large area on the top of the ship. There is one elevator that leads directly into the Edge where you are greeted by two very large televisions, arcade machines, and an open hangout area.
The edge is supervised by a several cast members that seem to know teens pretty well. They are very personable and usually are in their mid-to-late twenties. The Edge is the first opportunity for tweens and teens to be able to roam the ship by themselves (with their parents permission, of course).
When the parent registers your child for the Edge, you will have the opportunity to either put an N or a Y on their key to the world card. If you decide to put an N, your child cannot leave the Edge without you checking them out. If you put a Y they can leave the Edge and roam the ship as they please. This gives the parents the option to monitor their child closely or give them more freedom if they choose.
What activities does the Edge offer that makes it the best cruise for teens?
The Edge is packed with fun activities to do. The two massive televisions are hooked up to game consoles where they can play dancing games, sports games, Super Smash Bros, and can watch movies. Right next to the television, is the Aquaduck. When you ride the Aquaduck, you start on the fourteenth floor, and you ride down to the twelfth floor.
In between your ride, you de-escalate through the thirteenth floor (where the Edge is) and you can see into the Edge, and the Edge can see you rush by through portholes. There is also a Pac-Man Battle Royale 4-player arcade machine in there that is perfect for the tournaments that they do.
The rules for both the Vibe and the Edge are very similar. There is no foul language, if a cast member asks you to do something you should do it, and you should respect others.
Can you make friends with other teens on the ship?
There are a ton of teens hanging out in each of these areas. This is a big reason why this is one of the best cruises for teens. There are so many kids and activities that you can make cruise friends fairly easily. My son made friends with some other teens by competing with them in Smash Bros. every day all week. Now, the Edge is fairly large, but it’s about half of the size of the Vibe.
Where is the Vibe located on the ship?
The Vibe is enormous, and it is comparable to an oceanfront beach house in terms of the layout. The Vibe is located in a secluded corner of the boat accessible on the fourth floor. When you walk in, you are greeted by cast members. This area is a lot more relaxed compared to the Edge. The main area consists of chairs molded into the wall with televisions for the on-demand movies, a presentation center, and a smoothie bar. To the right of the main area, there are four main televisions with game consoles set up to play games or watch movies.
What Activities are offered in the Vibe?
The activity selection is similar to that of the Edge, except there is a bigger variety of games and arcade machines. The four main televisions are where there will be many competitive and recreation-based games being played like Just Dance, Madden, NHL, NBA, and Super Smash Bros.
However, there is one very large expansion to the Vibe as compared to the Edge. There is an entire private pool, private hot tub, private chairs, and an entire private deck in the sun for the teenagers of the Vibe. If your teenager wants a private area to swim and hang out, then this would definitely be one of the best cruises for teens. This private deck area is the nicest one on board and is why you won’t see your teenager very much during this trip.
What activities are offered for teens at the Ports?
It totally depends on what port you will be cruising to, but there are so many excursions offered at every port for families that you will probably have a hard time deciding on what to spend your time doing. They offer beach activities, snorkeling, off-roading adventures, zip lining, or touring historical stops, just to name a few.
And at Castaway Cay, which is Disney’s private island, they offer a teens-only club, called “The Hangout”, for 14-17-year-olds that has a laid-back and relaxed atmosphere. There is also a sports beach that offers activities such as volleyball, boat and kayak rentals, character greetings, and even a Castaway 5k for those interested in being active. But depending on whether you want to be active or just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery, there are many things to do on Castaway Cay day. Your teen could simply splash in the ocean with friends they have met, hangout, or relax in the hammocks and take photos together.
If your teen prefers pampering, you can book a spa treatment for them in “Chill”l. This area of the spa is designed for teens ages 13-17. Teens can choose from facials, massages, manicures, and pedicures.
Food on the Disney Cruise Line for Teens
Teens have big appetites and it seems they can never get full but there is plenty of food on a Disney Cruise. Tow Mater’s Grill is on the pool deck which is where they can grab a slice of pizza, burgers, a chicken sandwich, or healthy wraps or salads. They could also choose to visit the all-you-can-eat buffet at Cabanas, where they offer the ultimate selection of seafood dishes, soups, salads, Italian cuisines, or basically anything you can imagine including a wide variety of desserts. There is an unlimited soft-serve ice cream station on the pool deck. Also, 24-hour room service is offered for the majority of the trip. This is included in the cost of the cruise and everyone will enjoy the many options offered.
Disney Cruise Line is the perfect family vacation and with the amount of entertainment, activities, and family-focused time, DCL is the best cruise for teens.
