Why: ''Junior Sailors'' are treated to storytelling, arts and crafts, a treasure search, pizza-making party, splash pool and other activities in a special area from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For certain activities, children must be potty-trained. Group baby-sitting is available at $6 per hour; $4 for second child.

ELEMENTARY-SCHOOLERS

AND TWEENERS

TOP CHOICE: Disney's Disney Magic, seven-night cruises from Port Canaveral, $999-up.

Why: Disney characters -- always a hit with young children -- turn up just about everywhere. Snow White teaches kids to dance, Captain Hook teaches how to be a pirate, Detective Goofy teaches kids how to track clues. And how can you have a Disney stage musical without characters?

New are 3-D movies with in-theater effects such as lasers, fog streamers and special lighting -- the only 3-D movies at sea. On the stage is Twice Charmed, a twist on the Cinderella story, and other musicals.

The Disney Magic also has a separate area for Tweens 10-14 called Ocean Quest, where kids can take a turn at steering a ship simulator into port.

Drawbacks: Disney cruises are more expensive than other cruises. And there's that four-hour drive from South Florida . . .

ALTERNATIVE: Carnival Imagination, three- and four-night cruises out of Miami, $339-up on three-nighters, $349-up on four-nighters.

Why: Camp Carnival has a wide range of activities in three age categories for children 2 to 11, including watercoloring, picture bingo, movie time for ages 2-5; arts and crafts, Play Station, dance class, scavenger hunt for ages 5-8. And for 9-11 year olds: card and mind games, dance class, karaoke, swimming under the stars. All three groups can take kid-type dinner with their friends at 6 p.m.

TEENS

TOP CHOICE: Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas, seven-night cruises out of Miami. $649-up.

Why: Teens never run out of things to do aboard RCCL's megaships; think rock-climbing wall, water park, ice-skating rink, boxing ring and surfing machine. The Liberty also offers supervised activities for various age groupings; for teens ages 12-14 and 15-17, that means scavenger hunts, pool parties, dancing, a talent show and two teens-only nightclubs.

Current deal: Book selected summer cruises by June 30 and get $50-$150 per person onboard credit.

Drawback: If your teen is a complete bookworm, you might need to bring a Kindle; while there's a library on board, that's definitely NOT why you go on this cruise.

ALTERNATIVE: Carnival Liberty or sister ship Carnival Valor, both seven-night cruises out of Miami, $729-up Liberty, $759-up Valor.

Why: Carnival also splits teens into two age groups, Circle C for ages 12-14 and Club O2 for those 15-17. Each of these Conquest-class ships offers dance and pool parties, sports, games, music hangs and other supervised diversions.

Carnival also organizes special teen-only shore excursions, so that teens can explore ports of call with their peers. (These involve a fee.)

And don't forget the three-story-high water slide atop the ship.

(Note: The Carnival Freedom, with similar facilities, offers six- and eight-night cruises from Port Everglades.)