Minimum Age for Sailing.
Infants sailing on a cruise must be at least 6 months old as of the first day of the cruise and/or Cruisetour. However for transatlantic, transpacific, Hawaii, select South American and other cruises and/or Cruisetours, the infant must be at least 12 months old as of the first day of the cruise/Cruisetour.
For the purposes of this policy, any cruise that has three or more consecutive days at sea will require infants to be 12 months old on the first day of the cruise/Cruisetour.
Please be aware that guests travelling with a young infant that does not meet this infant policy will be denied boarding. No refunds or other compensation shall be due from the cruise line to anyone as a result of the denial of boarding to an underage infant or other accompanying guests.
Minimum Age to Occupy a Stateroom*
For sailings that depart a port in Europe, Asia, South America, New Zealand or Australia then no Guest younger than age eighteen (18) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult of eighteen (18) years old or older. A guest's age is established as their age upon the first day of sailing. Please note, that for sailings which depart from a port in the US or Canada, the above age limit is twenty-one (21).
This policy will be waived for an underage guest (minor) sailing with their parent(s) or official Legal Guardian, when the minor is in a stateroom which is directly next door or opposite the stateroom of the parent/Legal Guardian. Under this waiver, we can allow an equal number of unrelated minors in the same stateroom, so a child in the stateroom next door to their parent, can bring one friend/family member with them, two children could bring 2 friends/family members etc.
There are no exceptions to this policy, except for married couples aged 16 and above who are allowed to sail together in a stateroom without anyone over the age of 18/21 being required. Documentary proof of marriage will be required in advance.
Minors.
Royal Caribbean International takes the security and safety of its guests very seriously. We consider a minor to be any guest under the age of 21 (18*), although for some rules we consider it to be 17 and under. Our 'Travelling with Minors' policy was incepted primarily to safeguard children and to ensure that the responsible adult with whom they are travelling has the appropriate authority and the legal right to do so throughout the duration of their cruise holiday with us. The reasoning for this is two-fold:-
In the event that a child requires medical attention at any time during their cruise holiday, Royal Caribbean International needs to ensure that the responsible adult with whom the child is travelling has the legal right to authorise that any medical treatment be administered.
In the event that a child is travelling without their custodial parent/legal guardian, Royal Caribbean International needs to ensure that the child's custodial parent/legal guardian has authorised the responsible adult to take their child on holiday; particularly as in the majority of cases, this will be out of their primary country of residence. This applies even when the responsible adult is a member of the child's extended family (i.e. Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles etc.).
Additionally, when a child does not share the same surname as their custodial parent/legal guardian, Royal Caribbean International requires that the custodial parent/legal guardian produce legal documented evidence that the child is in their primary care; this includes, but is not limited to: birth, marriage, divorce, adoption certificates, local government authority, as appropriate.
These measures are in place to protect children and to ensure no child is taken on board a Royal Caribbean International vessel without the knowledge and consent of their custodial parent/legal guardian. We want you to have a happy and healthy cruise holiday experience with us and this is just one of the ways we ensure this is possible.
What is a legal guardian?
In most cases, a legal guardian must be appointed by a court. There are some exceptions to this rule. Parents of a minor child are assumed to be the child's legal guardians, unless the court has taken parenting privileges away out of concern for the child's well-being. It is also possible for someone to designate a legal guardian in a will, as in the case of a single parent who specifies that an aunt will become the child's legal guardian in the event of the parent's death or incapacitation. We will only accept that a minor is travelling with an official legal guardian and this does not include a parent wishing to pass this power on to a friend or family member.
Guest aged 17 or under travelling without a Parent/Legal Guardian
An adult (Guest over 21(*18)) who is not the parent or legal guardian of a minor travelling with them must present an original legally affirmed or notarised letter at check-in. This letter is only required for guest’s aged 17 or younger as of the first day of the cruise. It must be signed by at least one of the minor's parents or their legal guardian and the adult taking the minor on the cruise. It must authorise the adult to take the minor on the specified cruise, sign applicable activity waivers, supervise the minor and give them the permission to authorise emergency medical treatment to be administered to the minor.
Please see below the attached template which can be used for all details required on the letter. This is required as per our terms and conditions. It must be signed by either a Notary, Commissioner for Oaths or a Solicitor for it to be suitable to take to the pier for boarding. It should show an official stamp or be on headed paper to show the authority of the party affirming the letter. Please note, the official affirming the letter may charge a fee, so please ensure that the details are correct at time of request. The letter can be checked for suitability by sending to our Guest Support Unit on 01932-820603(fax) or by email to guestsupport.uk@rccl.com.
Notarised Letter TemplateParent travelling with a child where surnames are different.
In the situation where a parent is travelling with their child, who is 17 years of age or younger on the first day of the cruise, where they do not have the same surname, then the parent must present proof of parentage which may include but is not limited to full birth certificates, marriage certificates or divorce papers etc. The documents should show the trail of any name changes which prove the guests are parent and child.
Please note: An individual's age on the date of sailing determines his or her status for the entire cruise holiday. Royal Caribbean International does not accept reservations for student groups. Please consult a travel agent for Royal Caribbean's group policies.