Something different for family w/ teens -ideas?

[famcruisefun]

Hello all. Checking out this board after much time over on the RCCL board. We are facing a question - what to do for vacation this summer. We can't come up with an idea we all like. I'm voting either a Galapagos cruise or a Provence/Tuscany land tour. Hubby will agree to anything with poor cell phone reception so the office can't get him. DD (16) wants France or a warm weather cruise. DS (13) votes for Alaska cruisetour.

We have travelled a lot - maybe that's the problem - and everyone has their own opinion as to what makes a great vacation. We've done many Caribbean cruises, Bermuda twice, London twice, and last year some adventure-ish travel Helihiking in the Canadian Rockies.

I'm looking for a suggestion of something someone else has done that was great - I'm hoping if I can plant an idea of something different and exciting sounding we can all agree on one thing. (Yes, I know agreement doesn't come easily with teens - but I'm trying.)

Thanks so much for the help!

Happy traveling

Kelley

[nancyhelen]

How about an African Safaris? Our teens loved the idea. We were thinking about doing one -- but it may be out of our price range. Now I'm thinking about a Baltic cruise, but I'm concerned there won't be many other kids. A few years ago we did Med. Cruise and the kids loved it -- of course there were over 500 kids and teens on board.

[Tomm]

Hi all. My wife and I did our first cruise last Feb. On our next one we'd like to take our teenage daughter with us, which means summer. We didn't see many kids her age in Feb(school). She'll be 16. What do you think will be the best month to go?

[Travel bug]

We always cruise in Feb. with 2 teenage girls and have found it doesn't matter where we go as long as we stay on RC's big ships. There is always tons to do.

[Girlsnightout]

We went here a few years ago

http://www.ariauamazontowers.com/ in January, and thought it was one of the most awesome trips ever! The monkeys will come right up to you and snuggle, let you give them a drink (from your water bottles). You can go piranha fishing (we baited with chunks of beef), see pink dolphins, which are absolutely amazing, and really pink, and look for alligators. They have guides to take you to all of these things, and on jungle hikes where you'll see the largest insects that you've ever imagined. It's not for the squeemish, the bats are flying all around at night and you'll probably have a few frogs stuck to the walls of the shower when you're in there, but it was very, very cool.

 

The kids will probably never have another experience like it, nor will you. It's a fabulous adventure.

 

As for Tuscany/Provence, I think Tuscany would be great - we went to Florence, Tuscany, Rome and Positano last summer, but didn't bring the kids, because we planned a lot of wine tastings (my H is a collector), and the kids would have been bored senseless. We also moved around too much, but we're definitely bringing them back, staying a few days in Rome so they can see the Roman forum and the Vatican, which is fascinating, and then renting a villa with a pool in Tuscany so the kids can hang out...I highly recommend Montalcino, which is a gorgeous hilltop town that's incredibly beautiful (not to mention an area overflowing with great wine), and kind of in between Florence and Rome.

 

I love planning trips, especially family trips, in fact, I'd love to do it as a business.

 

I'd also recommend the Grand Canyon, you can do a river rafting trip, or camp out at the bottom (my kids hiked all the way down and up when they were 10 and 13), and then finish up at a really nice resort in Phoenix - oh, and stop in Sedona on the way there or back. The kids loved it, and so did we. If you book early enough you might even get a room at El Tovar, which is the beautiful old hotel right on the rim of the canyon. If you can't get reservations, at least eat in their dining room, it's incredible!

[FrankieSayRelax]

Or, take the silver spoon out of their mouths and put them to work for an entire summer. Let them see how the other 90% live.

[Girlsnightout]

I was with you all the way with your other post, but I have to disagree with you here. Just because families place a high priority on travel and have the means to do so, does not mean they don't make their children work or learn the value of a dollar....speaking for myself, my children have been working for years, and will continue to do so.

[lauren123]

...I do travel a lot, but my parents both own their own companies, and work very, very, very hard (usually 11 hours day), my brother, 18, also is a very hard worker, who helps my dad at his storage shop...although I do not have a job (i do in the summer, though, everyday) I don't think i'm spoiled because I go on vacations, I am very thankful that I do get to vacation....I also think that the parents should pick the cruise, and if their children don't like it, they can stay home...my parents have always pick everything for the vacation, and I have never been disapointed...how can I? i'm traveling!

[daisee]

Our friends who travel extensively, really raved about Corcovado in Costa Rica. It's all inclusive with boat, plane and jungle trips. Check it out on the web.