Keeping track of kids

We would like to give our kids some freedom to roam the ship but would like to be able to keep tabs. We are travelling with another family who also has two kids. The girls will hang with each other (they have phones) and the boys will hang with each other (no phones). How can we keep track of them? Even if they all had phones, they are of no use while they are wearing bathing suits (most of the day).

Any ideas on keeping tabs? I thought of looking for some cheap devices that are wearable like a watch that can be tracked with an app I can download on my phone. I don't think I would need to buy a data package since a device like that would communicate directly with the phone.... I think??:confused:

You can use the Carnival HUB app on your phones (give one of the phones to the boys). There is a fee but it gives you the ability to text one another through the app (in airplane mode so no data required).

You can also set up check in times with the kids making sure they know where you will be and you know their plans. Leaving notes in the cabin helps with this also.

When ours were still cruising with us, we always set up meeting times/places every so often.

It's good to actually SEE them to know for sure they are all right. :)

You can use the Carnival HUB app on your phones (give one of the phones to the boys). There is a fee but it gives you the ability to text one another through the app (in airplane mode so no data required).

 

You can also set up check in times with the kids making sure they know where you will be and you know their plans. Leaving notes in the cabin helps with this also.

We're definitely getting the HUB (already on my phone) but I don't trust the 11 year old boys with a phone (I barely trust our daughter to bring hers)... I can already see lost phones in our future. That aside, they are really of no use while the kids are going on waterslides, etc.

I do like the "notes" in cabin idea and pre-arranged meets sounds like a good idea but my kids have NO sense of time and it would be just the adults showing up. In a quick search, I saw a "watch-like" product that worked as a GPS and could be tracked with my phone BUT they were $130/each. I was hoping someone may have used a cheaper version or a technique that offered the same freedom.

Ideally, the kids can just roam and when we need to find them, we can just check our phone and head over to them.... of course with multiple decks on the ship, we could be on top of each other...lol

I think I'm out of luck on this and may have to keep it old school... meet times, notes in cabin and HUB when not in bathing suits.

When ours were still cruising with us, we always set up meeting times/places every so often.

It's good to actually SEE them to know for sure they are all right. :)

Yes, both you and trvlgirl seem to have it. We could be mean and tell them that if they need us, we'll be in the adult only area.........just come get us....rotfl!

I was ok for awhile until you said they were 11 years old. Ships are filled cities of people from all over and like any city, would you let you kids roam around it? Best way to keep track of them is to let them go on the slides etc, while you are nearby watching.:D

Before cell phones we used the hand held radios with each other. Set to station and substation for each and you should be good. Your son and you will both need one.

It really depends on the kids. We did the buddy system. None of the tweens were allowed to go anywhere alone. They always had to tell us where they would be and we had set "check in" times.

We also had sticky notes and pens in the cabin so we could leave notes. They also did a lot of kids club activities.

That worked well for us. We found that they pretty much liked to hang out around us most of the time.

We had a "contract" that spelled out the rules....like no going into anyone's cabin, no allowing others in our cabin, do not go into any crew only areas, don't leave your drink sitting out, if you walk away from it....just get another......etc. We also spelled out the punishment should they break a rule.

Never had a problem and we were so worried about it our first cruise.

We have used the walking talkies and we have also done the check in, notes, Etc. My 10 year old met friends at Camp Carnival and hung out in large groups, too. With the checking in, we made a rule that if they showed up on time and checked in, they could continue. If they were late or anything, they would be with us the rest of the cruise. They were VERY good about watching the clock! ;)

I was ok for awhile until you said they were 11 years old. Ships are filled cities of people from all over and like any city, would you let you kids roam around it? Best way to keep track of them is to let them go on the slides etc, while you are nearby watching.:D

That's what I generally do. Usually, we're all together (since mine can get a bit anxious if he's not with somebody he knows well) but we have let him play in the water slide/splash zone area all by himself with one of us parked nearby.

ALTHOUGH..he can be a sneaky little toot. On our last cruise, I was parked on a lounger next to the splash zone with a book and I told him, "IF you want to go downstairs to get a bite to eat or something, it's fine, but YOU NEED TO TELL ME FIRST!"

He didn't tell me. DH came off one of the slides and was like, "You know our son is down there by the pool right?"

:eek:

He got a LONG talk about not telling me where he was going after that.:rolleyes:

I guess you didn't go for the embedded GPS chip option at the hospital when they were little.:cool: You know in case the aliens come! lol.:p Also here to check out some ideas as well. Thx.:D

There aren't that many places for them to go besides the sports deck, pools, and kids area. Letting your kids have free reign of the boat is an easy way to make a lot of people mad at you. It's best to give them time constraints when they're allowed some free time away, but not enough to get bored and cause trouble.

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I was ok for awhile until you said they were 11 years old. Ships are filled cities of people from all over and like any city, would you let you kids roam around it? Best way to keep track of them is to let them go on the slides etc, while you are nearby watching.:D

Honestly, they're fine. I think of what I was doing in Toronto at 11 years old... I was taking the subway 5 stops and one bus to go to school (though there's no way I would let my kids do that now...lol).

We may place limits on how far they go (ie. While we are on the lido deck, they can only be on lido, waterworks, spa levels, etc. They are fine to be out of our sight provided I don't have to walk the entire ship to find them. One rule that is non-negotiable however is NO swimming in any pool or hot tub unless we are there to supervise.

We have always had one meeting spot for the whole cruise that kids and adults could periodically show up at and usually someone would be there. We like the aft pool area on most ships. Our kids started cruising around 11 and they learned very quickly to watch time. We had a check in every couple hours. Buddy system and rules about going to other cabins are both very good rules to have.

"Roaming" isn't a good idea. They should have specific reasons to go to specific places.

Make plans, so you'll know where they are...tell them where YOU'LL be so they can come and find you if their plans change....it's not hard!

We have always had one meeting spot for the whole cruise that kids and adults could periodically show up at and usually someone would be there. We like the aft pool area on most ships. Our kids started cruising around 11 and they learned very quickly to watch time. We had a check in every couple hours. Buddy system and rules about going to other cabins are both very good rules to have.

I like the "no going to other cabins" rule. However, I think we'll actually tell them that unless they are going to our cabin, they need to stay on lido deck or higher. We're on the Sunshine so unfortunately, there is only one pool and that will likely be the main HUB for our party of 10 and the "meeting" spot.

"Roaming" isn't a good idea. They should have specific reasons to go to specific places.

 

Make plans, so you'll know where they are...tell them where YOU'LL be so they can come and find you if their plans change....it's not hard!

Actually, that's precisely what I'm looking to do. We will most definitely be on the Lido deck every day... almost all day. However, it would be nice to have a way of checking my phone to see exactly where they are in case we decide to go for a walk and can go get them.

I guess now that I think about it, Lido and higher is pretty small and shouldn't be too hard to find them.

I like the "no going to other cabins" rule. However, I think we'll actually tell them that unless they are going to our cabin, they need to stay on lido deck or higher. We're on the Sunshine so unfortunately, there is only one pool and that will likely be the main HUB for our party of 10 and the "meeting" spot.

In that case they will likely be there a lot of the time anyway. But, the thought of a little freedom for tweens is great practice and they love it! I love my "vacation kids". They are so much better behaved and more fun than my "at home kids" [emoji12][emoji12][emoji12]

Actually, that's precisely what I'm looking to do. We will most definitely be on the Lido deck every day... almost all day. However, it would be nice to have a way of checking my phone to see exactly where they are in case we decide to go for a walk and can go get them.

 

I guess now that I think about it, Lido and higher is pretty small and shouldn't be too hard to find them.

I agree, it should be easy to find them. It's funny how often you run into the same people you don't even know on a ship. At 11, I would not allow them unlimited reign over the ship, but that is not what it sounds like you are planning to do. Yes, it's like a small city, but by 11, I let my kids ride their bikes to the gas station or ice cream place for a treat as long as they had someone else (friend or brother) with them. They played outside all day only coming in when they were hungry. So, a ship being a confined space is a reasonable occassional to allow a bit of freedom.

Our first cruise when we allowed our boys a bit of freedom, they were ten and eleven. They had to stay together, but they could leave the stateroom to go get ice cream or a soda, or leave the Lido area for the same. They and their sister who was 15 all went and played mini golf and chess together while we did something else.

The thing I disliked most about the clubs was that the teen ones regularly had activities that went until 1:00 a.m. or later. We didn't want our daughter coming back alone at that time and we didn't want to stay up that late. Heck, this next trip she is 19 and is still the one I am most worried about. She and I will hang out together most of the time, but she may want to go to the 18-20 yo activities and again, once you reach late night, this momma starts to worry.

In that case they will likely be there a lot of the time anyway. But, the thought of a little freedom for tweens is great practice and they love it! I love my "vacation kids". They are so much better behaved and more fun than my "at home kids" [emoji12][emoji12][emoji12]

They probably think the same thing about their "vacation mom." 😉 I know I am a lot more fun for them to be with on vacation too. LOL

We would like to give our kids some freedom to roam the ship but would like to be able to keep tabs. We are travelling with another family who also has two kids. The girls will hang with each other (they have phones) and the boys will hang with each other (no phones). How can we keep track of them? Even if they all had phones, they are of no use while they are wearing bathing suits (most of the day).

 

Any ideas on keeping tabs? I thought of looking for some cheap devices that are wearable like a watch that can be tracked with an app I can download on my phone. I don't think I would need to buy a data package since a device like that would communicate directly with the phone.... I think??:confused:

I'm interested in this device you've found. Every one I have seen requires you to log into a GPS account, which means you would need an internet package. And i have never seen one that would pinpoint a location within a place like a cruiseship. With the exception of the toddler clip on that transmit up to 150 feet. But that one doesn't show you a location, it just beeps and sounds an alarm.

One rule that is non-negotiable however is NO swimming in any pool or hot tub unless we are there to supervise.

How are you planning/hoping to enforce that?

We began cruising with our girls when they were 4 and 7 - way before cell phones where so common. (20 years ago) Of course, they didn't have any freedom to wander then. As they got older (around the 10-13 year range) we began giving them more freedom. We used post-it notes, and set times to meet. Even though they didn't carry watches with them, they knew to 1. ask a crew member the time - they always have watches, or 2. Look on the walls of the ship. There are clocks around - especially on Lido deck. Now that they are 24/27 (and still cruising with us Christmas week) the cell phones get locked up in the safe when we board, and we still use post-it notes!

How are you planning/hoping to enforce that?

By telling them not to and having repercussions if they break any rule. Why do you assume all kids break rules when their parents aren't around? I'm not saying my kids were angels. I know they did things they knew I wouldn't have approved of (my oldest has told me stories years after the fact), but I'm sure they never did anything I specifically told them not to. They each learned the hard way not to test mom's rules.

I'm interested in this device you've found. Every one I have seen requires you to log into a GPS account, which means you would need an internet package. And i have never seen one that would pinpoint a location within a place like a cruiseship. With the exception of the toddler clip on that transmit up to 150 feet. But that one doesn't show you a location, it just beeps and sounds an alarm.

Haven't actually found one.... only found the ones requiring GPS log on.