Planning a Princess Cruises vacation with children, teenagers, or young adults requires more than checking the sailing date and cabin price. Princess Cruises has age requirements that can affect who may travel, how rooms must be arranged, and which activities guests can use.
The most important rule is that guests under 21 generally need to travel in a stateroom with a guest who is 21 or older, although regional rules and booking terms can vary. Princess also has separate minimum-age rules for infants and additional age limits for alcohol, gambling, fitness facilities, spas, and some onboard areas.
This guide explains the Princess Cruises age policy in simple terms so families and young travelers can understand the rules before making a reservation.
Princess Cruises generally allows infants and children to sail, but there is a minimum age.
For most eligible itineraries, an infant must be at least 6 months old on the date of embarkation. However, cruises with certain longer or more remote itineraries have a higher minimum age of 12 months. This includes transocean crossings and itineraries with more than two consecutive sea days.
The reason for the higher requirement is related to access to appropriate medical care for very young infants during longer periods at sea. Princess states that its minimum-age requirements are connected with the medical facilities available on board and at destinations.
TravelerGeneral Princess Cruises requirement
Under 6 monthsNot permitted to sail
6–11 monthsPermitted on eligible itineraries
12 months and olderPermitted, subject to the normal booking and itinerary rules
Escorted cruisetoursMinimum age may be 5 years
Certain itineraries can have additional restrictions, so parents should verify the specific sailing before booking.
Yes. Princess Cruises accepts children, teenagers, and young adults, but guests under 21 can be subject to accommodation requirements.
For many Princess itineraries, a guest under 21 must travel in a stateroom with a guest who is 21 or older. The older guest is responsible for the care and supervision of the younger traveler.
This means an 18-, 19-, or 20-year-old should not assume that they can book a cabin and cruise alone simply because they are legally an adult in their home country.
Princess provides a specific provision for families booking multiple staterooms. In applicable situations, at least one guest in each stateroom must be 16 or older, provided the guests are traveling with a parent or legal guardian.
Because cabin assignments can affect whether a reservation meets Princess requirements, families should confirm their exact room arrangement before completing a booking.
Princess states that it does not accommodate group reservations that do not meet its minimum-age requirements, including unsupervised student or youth groups. Guests are also responsible for supervising minors in their care.
For a group of young travelers, checking the applicable regional passage contract before paying for the cruise is particularly important.
This question can be confusing because Princess distinguishes between using its website and the rules governing travel.
Princess's age-requirements information states that a person must generally be 18 or older to register on Princess.com, while guests under 21 are subject to stateroom and supervision requirements. Princess also notes that age rules can vary by region; for example, its information identifies Japan as a region where a higher age may apply.
Some regional Princess terms are stricter. For example, the UK passage contract states that a booking may only be made by a person aged 21 or over, and passengers under 21 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent or guardian.
Therefore, young adults should check the terms for the country where the booking is made and the itinerary being taken, rather than relying on a single worldwide age rule.
The drinking age depends on the cruise itinerary.
For many Princess Cruises itineraries, the minimum age to purchase or consume alcohol is 21. Princess identifies exceptions based on the places the cruise travels between. Its current onboard information states that the drinking age is 18 on cruises between Australia/New Zealand, China, Europe, Singapore, and South America ports, while cruises between Japan ports have a drinking age of 20.
Princess may request proof of age for activities or purchases where an age restriction applies. Government-issued identification may therefore be useful when traveling.
Travelers should not assume that turning 21 during a cruise automatically changes their eligibility for alcohol. The applicable Princess rules depend on the itinerary and the relevant age requirement. It is best to check the terms for the particular sailing before departure.
Princess Cruises states that the minimum age for gambling on its ships is generally 18 years. Guests under 18 are not permitted in the casino.
There is a regional exception for cruises between Japan ports, where the gambling age is 20.
Other activities, such as cash-prize bingo and horse racing, can also have age restrictions. Princess may ask for identification to verify a guest's age.
Princess Cruises is designed to accommodate families, with dedicated youth programming for younger guests and teenagers.
Princess identifies three main youth-program age groups:
These programs can give children and teenagers age-appropriate activities while parents enjoy other parts of the ship.
The exact facilities and programming can vary by ship and sailing, so parents should check what is available on their particular cruise.
Princess maintains a youth curfew. Its age-requirements information states that guests under 18 must be in their staterooms by 1:00 a.m. unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
This is important for families with older teenagers who may want to participate in late-night entertainment.
Princess also states that entry into the disco after 10 p.m. is limited to guests who are 18 or older. Special dance events may be provided through youth and teen programming.
Some facilities have their own age restrictions.
According to Princess's onboard information:
There may also be additional restrictions for particular ship facilities, so parents should check onboard signage and the rules for their specific ship.
Pool rules are not based only on age. Princess also has health and supervision requirements.
Children who are not toilet trained, including those wearing diapers or swim diapers, are not permitted in the pools or spas. Parents and guardians are responsible for supervising children when using pool areas.
Princess also states that toilet-trained children accompanied by a parent or guardian may use certain saunas and hot tubs unless otherwise specified.
Because individual ships and facilities can have additional restrictions, always follow the posted rules onboard.
Age requirements are only one part of traveling with children. Families also need to make sure every passenger has the required travel documents.
Princess advises that documentation requirements for children can vary depending on the countries visited. In some situations, a child traveling with only one parent or without either parent may need additional authorization or documentation.
For certain voyages governed by the U.S. Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Princess states that when a minor travels with only one adult who is 21 or older, all guests in the party must have a valid passport.
Travel-document rules can depend on nationality, itinerary, ports, and immigration requirements, so families should check Princess's current documentation guidance and the requirements of each destination before sailing.
Yes. This is one of the most important points to remember.
Princess Cruises operates internationally, so age-related requirements can vary depending on the booking region, departure area, destination, and itinerary.
For example, Princess's published information shows different adult and alcohol ages for some regional cruises. In Japan, certain requirements use age 20, while other itineraries commonly use age 21 for adult-related requirements.
Australia also has special requirements for some cruises. Princess's Australian information, for example, includes different rules for guests under 19 on certain seasonal sailings.
For this reason, the safest approach is to check the Princess terms that apply to the exact cruise and booking region instead of applying a general age rule to every sailing.
Before paying for a Princess cruise with children or young adults, check these points:
This checklist can prevent a common problem: assuming that an age rule from one Princess itinerary automatically applies to another.
For itineraries covered by Princess's general under-21 rule, a guest under 21 must travel in a stateroom with a guest who is 21 or older. Regional terms can differ, so the applicable booking conditions should be checked before making the reservation.
It depends on the booking region and applicable Princess terms. Princess's website registration information says users generally must be 18 or older, but travel and stateroom requirements for guests under 21 still apply. Some regional terms require the person making the booking to be at least 21.
The general minimum age is 6 months at embarkation. Certain transocean, remote, and other longer-sea-day itineraries require passengers to be at least 12 months old.
No. A 6-month-old may not meet the minimum age for an itinerary requiring guests to be at least 12 months old. Always check the sailing-specific requirements before booking.
The standard age is generally 21, but Princess lists 18 as the drinking age for certain cruises involving Australia/New Zealand, China, Europe, Singapore, and South America, and 20 for cruises between Japan ports.
The normal gambling age is 18. For cruises between Japan ports, the gambling age is 20.
Yes. Princess states that guests under 18 must be in their staterooms by 1:00 a.m. unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Yes. Princess offers youth and teen programming for ages 3 through 17, including separate age groups for younger children and teens.
Family groups booking multiple staterooms may have a separate-room arrangement where at least one guest in each stateroom is 16 or older, provided the guests are traveling with a parent or legal guardian. The exact conditions should be confirmed for the booking.
Potentially. Requirements depend on the itinerary, nationality, and whether the child is traveling with one parent, a guardian, or another adult. Princess specifically notes additional passport requirements for some minors traveling with one adult.
The Princess Cruises age policy is not a single rule that applies to every traveler or every itinerary. The most important requirements concern the minimum age for infants, arrangements for guests under 21, and separate age limits for activities such as drinking, gambling, spa access, and fitness facilities.
For most itineraries, infants must be at least 6 months old, while some transoceanic and remote cruises require a minimum age of 12 months. Guests under 21 generally need to share a stateroom with a guest who is 21 or older, while family bookings involving multiple staterooms can have additional provisions.
Because Princess applies different requirements in different regions, the best way to avoid a booking problem is to check the current terms for your exact itinerary and booking region before making payment. Age requirements can affect not only whether someone can sail, but also where they can stay and which onboard activities they can use.
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