The Minors Policy protects the safety and well-being of all passengers on board. ‘Minor’ refers to any person under the age of 21 (on voyages that do include a port in the USA) or 18 (on cruises that do not include a port in the USA).

Ages of all guests will be verified during embarkation. Please ensure that you have the necessary documentation, such as a passport or birth certificate, to confirm the ages of any minors traveling.

We have recently updated our Minors Policy, effective May 15^th, 2025.

MSC Cruises welcomes guests of all ages, including minors. For sailing purposes, a minor means any person under the age of:

21 (at the time of embarkation) on voyages that include a port in the USA, or
18 (at the time of embarkation) on cruises that do not include a port in the USA

All minors must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian or authorized adult

Yes, an exception applies for minors under 18 traveling with one parent or legal guardian, provided the following conditions are met:

The parent/legal guardian must specifically request at the time of booking that the minors be assigned a stateroom without an adult and sign a liability waiver, which will be issued from the Contact Center.

The parent/legal guardian is traveling with 2 to 5 minors. The stateroom is occupied by either one minor aged 12 or older, or two minors, with the eldest at least 12 and the youngest at least 8. No more than two minors may occupy a stateroom without an adult.

For MSC Lirica, MSC Opera, MSC Armonia, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Musica, MSC Orchestra, MSC Poesia, MSC Magnifica, MSC Fantasia, MSC Splendida, MSC Divina, MSC Preziosa ships:
Parent/guardian and minors must stay in connecting staterooms, and the balcony of the minors' stateroom will be locked.

For all other MSC ships:
The parent or legal guardian and the minor(s) shall be accommodated in connecting staterooms with the minor cabin’s balcony being locked or in interior adjacent staterooms. The parent/legal guardian must purchase an MSC for Me wristband to have access to the minors' room at any time during the cruise. The wristband along with an informative flyer will be delivered to the parent/legal guardian’s stateroom.

Once your minor policy exception booking is confirmed and approved, MSC Cruises will send you an email containing a liability waiver. Please complete the waiver and return it as instructed to finalize your booking.

Travellers of all nationalities must be at least 21 to travel alone on cruises embarking in the US or travelling to the US. They must have turned 21 by the time they enter a U.S. port. Guests aged under 21 must travel accompanied by their parents or a legal guardian.

Otherwise, a signed authorization letter from the absent parent must be provided when booking, along with the name of a chaperon or a designated individual in charge of the minor. Download the chaperone waiver here.

If a guest that is 18-20 years old is not traveling with their parent or legal guardian, they must travel in a stateroom with a guest who is 21 years old or older, and bring with them an authorized letter from the absent parent identifying by name the chaperone with whom they are traveling. 

If your booking does not comply with the policy, MSC Cruises or your travel advisor will contact you to assist in bringing your booking into compliance. You will be advised of the available options to make the necessary adjustments. Standard penalties may apply.

Yes, provided that the miniclub staff is notified one day prior to the excursion.

You can register your children for the Kids’ Clubs on board or filll in the online form before boarding. Once on board just bring us the printed form, along with your Cruise Card and those of your children.