Hi Patricia! It's nice to see a fellow Ohioan getting ready to plan a Disney cruise!
Your teen will have a great time onboard. Be sure that he heads to
Vibe, the teen-only club on the Dream, on the very first night. That's when the teens meet up and plan their activities for the cruise. Counselors are always there encouraging mingling and participation in the activities. They have many set activities planned, but the teens will get to help plan their own itinerary for the cruise as well, which is always fun!
When you stop at Castaway Cay, your son might want to join a bunch of his new friends from Vibe on the
Wild Side Teen Adventure on the island. Quite often the teens decide while on the ship to do this adventure together. I've heard great things about it, especially when the teens go with their new friends from the ship!
Be sure to have him check the Personal Navigator each day for a listing of all the teen events that will be going on onboard both in the Vibe and elsewhere on the ship. He'll also not want to miss the final night party on the Dream with the Vibe kids. It's a chance to relive the fun they had all week and participate in one last party before disembarking the next morning.
Disney is always known as a great cruise line for young families, but many people don't know about all the wonderful things Disney offers for teens, so I'm thrilled for you that your son will be able to experience all that Disney has to offer these older kids!
Have fun planning your cruise, Patricia! Please let me know if I can help you with any other questions!