Teen paradise at sea: Royal Caribbean sails the South Pacific

Setting sail for the South Pacific might just be the family holiday of your dreams: where everyone gets to live their best life.

Mum, we’re going to a surf lesson, then laser tag, then the swimming pool and lunch. Message me if you need me. Love you!” And with that, 13-year-old Emmie raced off with her new friends to explore Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.

What does cruising really mean for a teenager?

We were sailing to the South Pacific, and Emmie’s independence meant I’d soon be fulfilling my dream of lazing in a hot tub with a piña colada. After cruising the Mediterranean with Royal Caribbean earlier in the year (it was amazing, you should put it on your list), I’d booked us a balcony stateroom on an 11-day tropical getaway from Brisbane.

My only niggle was that Emmie was too old for the Adventure Ocean kids’ club and spending the entire holiday with her mum was not appealing to her (or me either, to be honest). Then I discovered that kids’ club doesn’t end when your children get a little older, and those piña coladas in the hot tub went back on the agenda. Royal Caribbean’s teen lounge, The Living Room, is a private space for 12- to 17-year-olds to hang out together – parents are most definitely not invited (don’t worry, it’s chaperoned!).

There’s a spacious hangout space for teens. (Image: Michel Verdure)

Building meaningful friendships

Emmie joined the meet-and-greet on our first night onboard and began friendships that were all in, with kids knowing they’d be around for the whole holiday, unlike resorts, where families come and go. As long as she checked in with me through the onboard messaging app, I was happy to let Emmie roam with her little group.

Together they explored the ship, swimming, rock climbing and surfing, riding dodgems and playing table tennis, foosball and cornhole. They scoffed ice-cream cones, dined together at the ship’s restaurants and cafes and stayed out late, grabbing pizza from Sorrento’s on the way back to their rooms.

Experience whimsical dining at the Wonderland Restaurant. (Image: Michel Verdure)

Parents enjoying their ‘me-time’

With kids having the time of their lives and parents enjoying their time without them, it’s no wonder so many families choose to cruise. Just about everything is included once you’re onboard, and there’s no expectation that you do anything except relax. But if you’d prefer to be busy there’s an abundance of activities to try, from trivia and basketball to line dancing and pool games, cooking classes and skydiving.

Adults can lounge by the open-air pool onboard.

I started each day with a stretch session and dance class and then, after an impressive amount of time in the hot tubs gazing out at the ocean, I would meet Emmie for afternoon family time. We raced around an inflatable planet fighting aliens at laser tag, played bingo and trivia and competed in treasure hunts, and I even managed to drag her along for a daggy dance at the silent disco.

Hop aboard Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas

While Emmie was with her friends after dinner, I’d meet up with mine for drinks at the piano bar. We’d then watch a stage show, comedy act or play theatre sports, and later we’d see a band or sing along at karaoke. The days at sea were so much fun, it felt like the visits to tropical islands were a fabulous bonus.

Swim a few laps at the indoor pool.

Royal Caribbean: Cruise itinerary

Vanuatu

We joined a tour of Lelepa Island and swam and snorkelled in crystal-clear water from the white sands of a palm tree-fringed beach. We also devoured a homemade lunch and hiked to Fels Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with rock walls adorned with 3000-year-old paintings.

Iririki Island Resort is set amongst the sea and tropical landscapes.

Emmie found her friends from the ship at the spectacularly beautiful Blue Lagoon where we swam and she spent hours swinging from ropes into clear turquoise water. We also stopped at Rarru Cascades, a tropical swimming hole, where we floated in inner tubes down the softly flowing rapids and crouched behind a thundering waterfall as it roared over the rocks in front of us.

Cool off in the refreshing turquoise waters of Blue Lagoon in Vanuatu.

Noumea

We took a shuttle to the family-friendly Baie des Citrons (Lemon Bay), where we snorkelled over plate and branching corals and spotted turtles, parrotfish, butterflyfish and clownfish nestled in sea anemones. We swam out to the pontoon moored just off the beach and jumped and played before eating flower-shaped gelato at one of the bustling cafes across the road, sun-kissed and happy.

Spot diverse marine life beneath the clear waters of Noumea, South Pacific Ocean.

A fun yet independent family time aboard

Emmie and her friends would meet in The Living Room back on the ship and parents would be set free. Cruising gave us the perfect complement of family time together and free time to do our own thing – Emmie had her friends and independence, while I had mine, completely confident that she was safe and enjoying herself.

Royal Caribbean sails to Port Vila, Vanuatu, on a South Pacific cruise. (Image: Tim Faircloth)

Our South Pacific cruise was so much more than I expected. After being onboard together for so long, faces became familiar and families became friends. Emmie and I had reached the pinnacle of cruise life: we made new friends and we’re heading to New Zealand with them in December with Royal Caribbean. We can’t wait to be back onboard.

The writer’s daughter, Emmie, made many new friends during the cruise. (Image: Evie Farrell)

Discover more about Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas.