Royal Caribbean's ships are packed with lots of activities and entertainment, that include areas just for kids and teens to go without their parents.
The dedicated spaces for kids have grown as Royal Caribbean's ships have gotten bigger, and there's a large emphasis on family-friendly programming.
I've taken my kids on dozens of cruises over the years, and it quickly became our family's preferred way to travel. Without a doubt, there's an art to cruising with kids because like all things with children, you've got to find the right balance of fun, relaxation, and sanity.
While we enjoy family fun with my kids on the ships, the supervised kids clubs in Adventure Ocean, Teen Lounge, and the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery have given a break to all of us.
How the kids club works on Royal Caribbean
On every Royal Caribbean ship is a supervised area reserved just for kids. Parent's drop them off, and it's a win-win for both kids and parents alike.
You'll need to register your kids once you get onboard by visiting the kids club or nursery. You just need to enter some personal information about your kids, who can pick them up, sign out privileges, and authorization for the cruise line staff to supervise them.
Adventure Ocean is the name of the kids club on Royal Caribbean, and it's open every day of your cruise. It's not open 24 hours, but its operating hours mean you can count on it being open most of the day and into the late night.
If your kids are at least 3 years old, there's no cost to use Adventure Ocean up until 10pm. After that, there's an hourly fee.
Adventure Ocean is separated into three groups: Aquanauts (3 to 5 years old), Explorers (6 to 8 years old) and Voyagers (9 to 12/13 years old). This ensures there are age-appropriate activities for everyone.
Sometimes groups will be merged if there aren't a lot of kids checked-in, such as during the morning on a sea day or late at night.
Kids going into Aquanauts need to be fully potty trained, regardless of age. The staff cannot assist with kids using the toilet.
As many parents know, 3-year-olds are usually in the midst of potty training, so my advice is take them to the restroom before drop off and check in often with them to see if they need to go. There's no problem with you stopping by to take them to the bathroom and then the child returning to the fun.
Kids under the age of 3 can go to the ship's nursery, which always has an hourly fee. The nursery will care for, feed, and put the child down for a nap while in their care.
Teens have their own area of the ship. Depending on the ship, the minimum age for teens is 12 or 13 years old, and includes anyone up to the age of 17.
Kids club on new ships vs old ships
You should be aware that Royal Caribbean's kids programming varies considerably depending on which ship you're sailing on.
Since about 2019, Royal Caribbean has steadily been upgrading Adventure Ocean and Teens Club with a new approach. Primarily, the differences include:
- Teen club starts at 13 instead of 12
- Adventure Ocean is more free play, rather than organized activities. There are still activities wit staff, but kids have more choice whether to participate or not.
- Addition of craft rooms (AO Workshop)
- Addition of outdoor teen deck space
- More interactive digital entertainment in the clubs
Ships with "Adventure Ocean 2.0" include:
- Navigator of the Seas
- Oasis of the Seas
- Freedom of the Seas
- Odyssey of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
- Icon of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
- Star of the Seas
Other ships have essentially the original Adventure Ocean approach to programming and spaces available.
What are the ages for kids club on Royal Caribbean?
Kids between the ages of 6 months and 17 years old can access Royal Caribbean's Adventure Ocean program.
Each area is split up by age:
- Royal Babies & Tots: Children 6 months–36 months
- Aquanauts & AO Junior: Children ages 3–5
- Explorers: Children ages 6–8
- Voyagers: Children ages 9–11
- AO Kids (new ships): Children ages 6-12
- Navigators: Children ages 12–14
- Teens: Children ages 15–17
- Social (new ships): ages 13-17
What are the Royal Caribbean kids club hours?
On sea days, Adventure Ocean is typically open 9am - noon; 2pm - 5pm; 7pm - 10pm. After 10pm, Adventure Ocean remains open until perhaps 1am or 2am, but there is an hourly charge for kids that stay past 10pm.
While in port, Adventure Ocean is open continuously while the ship is docked with no breaks. Once the ship departs port, it resumes the normal sea day schedule.
The nursery hours are fixed every day and open 9am - midnight with a reservation.
The teen club has similar hours to Adventure Ocean, but there is no cost past 10pm.
Special kids club rooms
In recent years, Royal Caribbean has added more than just play areas for kids on their ships. You'll find labs, theaters, and more.
Depending on which ship you sail, there could be additional venues part of Adventure Ocean. These are primarily on the newest and biggest ships.
All of these rooms are included with your cruise and there's no additional fee. In many cases, it may only be open for kids checked into their club.
An open play area is an unsupervised room with play toys and climbing toys that is enclosed, with just one entrance. This is where parents can bring their young kids and let them run loose while supervising them.
It's similar to a play are you might see at a fast food restaurant, and it's great for toddlers who can crawl and start to walk and they need to get energy out.
The Adventure Ocean theater doubles as both a movie room and a place for original shows.
Sometimes there are activities held inside the theater for kids signed into kids club, while other times the theater is opened up to parents and kids.
The Science Lab is where Adventure Ocean counselors can take kids to do fun experiments.
Usually it's where kids can build a volcano and watch it "erupt" with the proper combination of chemicals, but it's been used for other activities as well.
Teens usually have an outdoor space for them, in addition to the club.
On Odyssey of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, there's actually a teen sun deck space for them. Other ships have clubs for teens only.
On the newest Oasis Class ships, there is a Playscape area on the back of the pool deck (Utopia and Wonder of the Seas).
There's no registration or sign ups required, just bring your kids and let them explore and play. Kids of all ages are welcome, but it leans heavily to favor under 7-year-olds.
Do you have to pay for kids club on Royal Caribbean?
Adventure Ocean and Teens Club is included with your cruise fare, and there is no additional cost. The exception is after 10pm for Adventure Ocean.
After 10pm, there is an hourly rate of $10 per child, per hour.
The nursery always has an hourly cost and costs $6 per child, per hour between 9am and 6pm; $8 per child, per hour between 6pm and midnight.
How the nursery works on Royal Caribbean
Most Royal Caribbean cruise ships have a nursery, and while it has an extra cost, I've found it to be a tremendous value for parents.
The nursery onboard is for toddlers and infants between 6 months and 36 months old, and you'll need to register your child in order to get a time slot.
Time slots are limited because the nursery has very limited capacity. Royal Caribbean maintains a strict counselor-to-child ratio because young children of this age require far more attention than older kids.
When you register, you'll provide information such as feeding schedule, nap preferences, and more. Unlike the older kids clubs, the nursery can feed children, change their clothes or diapers and allow them to nap.
Parents can drop off a bag of supplies, which includes formula, diapers, outfits, and anything else the staff might need.
On most ships, the nursery will limit the amount of hours you reserve in advance to ensure everyone has a chance to book times. Usually after 2 or 3 days, they'll open time slots up without any restrictions.
While the nursery requires reservations, you can still drop your kid off if they have open slots. My tip is to call the nursery and ask if they have availability at the moment, and they can advise if there's an opportunity.
Once in the nursery, the kids will interact with the counselors and other kids. The very young kids might simply be held the entire time, while older kids can play with toys, watch a movie, or play with counselors or other kids.
There is a nap area with cribs. Newer ships have more separation between the cribs and the play area.
Can the staff contact me if there's a problem?
There are various options for contacting parents if there's an issue, problem, or question about their kids.
Parents that drop children at the nursery will automatically get a phone to carry with them. The dect phone works anywhere on the ship, and it's a way to contact parents or parents contact the nursery.
At Adventure Ocean Aquanauts/AO Juniors, parents can request a phone. It's not automatically given, but they have some to use for parents who have concerns with their kids.
Otherwise, the staff can always call your stateroom phone and leave a message. In the case of an emergency, you would be paged over the ship's public address system.
Kids club tips and advice
There are a few good bits of advice I can offer after taking my kids on many cruises and using Adventure Ocean.
Read more: 50 cruising with kids tips
Go to the open house on the first day
Held in the afternoon (usually 1pm) on embarkation day, you can register your kids and both parents and kids can explore the kids club.
You can meet the staff, get questions answered, and it's the perfect way for you and your kids to feel more comfortable before the first session later that evening.
You can drop kids off while you are off the ship
It might sound crazy, but you can leave your kids in Adventure Ocean while you are off the ship on a shore excursion or just walking around.
The kids club remains open anytime the ship is in port, and it's a great way to enjoy a more adult-centric shore excursion while your kids get to play in the club.
Why Royal Caribbean is the best cruise line for kids
While a lot of cruise lines advertise they're family friendly, Royal Caribbean stands out as the clear best choice for a cruise if you have kids.
For as long as I've been cruising, Royal Caribbean has been a family friendly brand that not only offers things for kids to do, but their parents as well.
I started cruising with I was in my teens, and as I got older, I graduated through various experiences. Now, I'm taking my kids onboard and my parents are the ones sailing with us to be with their grandkids.
The reason why Royal Caribbean is the best cruise line for families is they offer the most for kids on their ships, at a great value, and without compromising the adult experience.
Other cruise lines may seem better for kids, but leave their parents wanting more. Or the price is unreasonable.
The balance Royal Caribbean has for what they offer for every member of the family stands out to me.
Best Royal Caribbean ship for kids
There is not a Royal Caribbean cruise ship I wouldn't recommend for kids, but there are definitely a few ships that simply offer more.
By picking a ship that has more activities, larger spaces for kids, and more dining choices, you're increasing the chances that they'll have a good time (and you by proxy).
Think of it like choosing a city to visit. If you select a small town, your kids might love it, but there will be a larger variety of options to keep them occupied in a big city.
In choosing the best Royal Caribbean ship for kids, I think you want a ship with these features:
- A nursery
- Updated Adventure Ocean
- Many top deck activities
- Newer cabins that offer more family room configurations
- More restaurants
My top choices for a family with kids to sail on is Icon of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, or Utopia of the Seas.
All three are big ships with the latest and greatest features onboard, tons of activities, and expansive dining choices. In fact, Icon of the Seas is in a class by itself if you're cruising with young kids because the have an entire area dedicated to children.
If you're on a budget and want to cruise while saving money, I'd recommend Independence of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, or Mariner of the Seas.
All three ships have been recently updated, and they're still "big ships". However, they're all over 20 years old, and that means the price will be far less than my top 3 ships.
