Many lines cater to teen cruisers

Q. I have a 16-year-old I’d like to take on a cruise. Can you give me information on ocean liners that accommodate teens?

A. With more than a million children sailing each year, your daughter will have plenty of company.

“Many cruise lines have programs onboard that cater to kids, from toddlers to teens,” says Robert Sharak, executive vice president of Cruise Lines International Association (www.cruising.org).

Most cruise lines have children’s programs; even Carnival’s party-hearty Fun Ships organize Club O2 for ages 15 to 17. Many programs provide teens with a separate space where they can hang out sans parents, as well as activities such as scavenger hunts, disco parties and casino nights.

“With morning, afternoon and night programs, parents can have three or four hours at a time to themselves,” says Else Daniels, a cruise specialist with Washington, D.C.’s, Vacations at Sea, singling out family-friendly Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess.

Luxury lines such as Seabourn often attract older crowds, as do Alaskan cruises.

As for destinations, Daniels recommends the Caribbean, because of its vast number of diversions, from exploring Mexican ruins to snorkeling in the Cayman Islands.