Looking advice for taking teenager

[tiamar]

Thanks akcruz for posting your contract. We took our teenage son (will be 16 in March) for his first cruise last February. We thought we had covered everything until we saw a $30 charge for the arcade on our seapass. Yes, we had discussed this and why it happened is as simple as teenagers are - it happens. We've been on a few more since then and it's never been an issue. The thing I find most surprising is how other teenagers will charge things to their seapass card for just about anyone (I wonder how their parents react, if at all), but how I've had to turn away quite a few teenage girls from our cabin after hours. Come knocking on my cabin door at night, especially when he is on "lockdown" for breaking the rules and you won't see him, believe me. He likes to push limits as most teenagers do, but thankfully he is a nice young man, but not everyone is the same. I have seen and heard things I wish I hadn't, which lets me have new conversations with him. I think as long as you check your account each day, you'll be fine.

[akcruz]

Love the above rules..thanks for posting. Been cruising with Kids and their friends (Now 16 and 18) since they were little and have used similar rules each time. I print them out and go over them with everyone before we go. So far so good although my daughter mentioned the casino the other day....need to revamp the rules for her...Yikes!

 

Was thinking the same thing myself. DD was 19 on our last cruise and tried the slots, they didn't interest her, but you never know when that's gonna change.

 

To all who said thanks, your welcome. I only have this because of others here on CC. Started with one I found here and have been adding on as new things come up.

 

Each kid is different and only you as the parent know what is best for them as far as rules. Some kids need them others not so much. My DD never really did, but boy does DS :eek: he'll try bending each and every one.

[MrsPete]

. . . go over them with everyone before we go . . .

This is soooo important! Talking to the kids ahead of time makes sure that everyone's on the same page and has the same expectations. For example, I know that my daughters consider the "stay out of other people's cabins" to be completely silly -- no one they'd meet onboard would ever do anything bad! -- whereas I consider it to be the #1 safety rule. They follow the rule just because they know that the consequences are severe.

[01Sweetpea]

All my teen-age kids (including my step-daughter) are given a $100 budget for a 7 night cruise. With that $100 the have to survive for the week. That means if they wants the soda card, THEY buy it, if they want to play in the arcade THEY have to pay for it, if they wants souviners from port, THEY have to buy it.

 

They each give me $100 at the beginning of the cruise to cover their spending, and I link their sea-passes to my credit card, and hold onto their cash. This way I get prepaid for their expenses. Mid-way thru the cruise I get a printout of where they are money wise and review it with them. At the end of the cruise I figure out their final tallys, give back cash to whoever gets it, and put the rest on my sea-pass account. So far this has worked the best for us.

 

I will admit, that I did try the cash system on one of the cruises, and it didn't work for us. The kids put $100 cash on each of their cards, but somehow all the cards got linked together, and money that one kid spent was showing up as a charge from another kid.

[malackym]

We always buy our kids a soda card and give them a preset spending limit and whatever they have left after the cruise is over they get to keep. It's amazing how frugal they can be with their spending when they know they get to keep the remainder. :p Of course if they go over, then they have to pay us back. This has only happened once.

 

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for all the information, my wife and I will be crusing this fall with our kids on the Freedom and are looking forward to it. They will be 16, 13 and 10.

 

I'm a little confused and have a question about the soda package. From what I've read at RCCL, you can buy a soda card that gives them unlimited purchases on soda for $28 plus 15% grautity. Can you also get them a card (maybe thier Sea Pass card) that you put money on that will spend down as the use it?

 

Also, how much do soft drinks cost on the Freedom of the Seas? I think it would be worth getting the soda package the works out to $4.60 a day.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Mark.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

You don't need a soda package. Kids can get lemonade all day long. There is the kids club for his age where he will meet friends.

 

I felt the same way but toward the end of the cruise, my son kept seeing his friends get shirley temples from the bar on their soda cards and wanted one so he asked if could get a soda card and since it was toward the end of the cruise, it didn't cost very much. Next cruise he got a soda card and everytime we saw him, he had a shirley temple in hand.:) Kid loves them. If you drink 3 soda's a day, the soda card pays for itself.

 

My teens were very good with spending. I told them each that they would get $5/per day (son-for arcade room/daughter specialty coffee), a soda card, and a one time $10 misc purchase. My DD bought a purse for $10 and DS bought a watch for $10. They followed the rules very well. You can see that it didn't break my bank account and they knew if they went over they had to pay me back.

 

If you don't think you can trust the kid with "unlimited" spending, then don't do it. If you would have trouble paying the bill if they overspent, then don't do it. I totally trust my kids and they have been good with money since they were little. In fact, they started paying their own cell phone bills when they were 13.

[Caribbean Allan]

Contrary to popular belief, you never have to give the cruise ship a credit card. It is possible to only pay in cash for everything. This is what you do: After you board, simply go to guest services and set up your seapass account with cash on deposit. Your son will withdraw from the cash on deposit. He can monitor his remaining balance from the TV in his stateroom.

 

The downside to the cash account is that you MUST settle the account, such as getting unused funds back into your hands.... on the last night of the cruise. You could easily spend 45 minutes in line waiting to do so.

[jenrie]

When we travel as a family we always ask at check-in to have the kids sea pass cards de-activated we then purchase a soda card each for them which they are happy with, if they want to buy anything in the shops on board then we have a family shopping meet-up time which we all enjoy they have there own spending money for when we go ashore to buy trinkets etc. This has worked well for us in the past and will be doing the same when we board Freedom in Oct.

[MrsPete]

This will be the first cruise for DD as a teenager. Reading those rules... scares the crap out of me!

Don't worry! If she's a good kid at home, she's going to be a good kid onboard.

 

I lay down the law with my kids ahead of time not because I think they're going to do something wrong, but because I want them to fully understand their boundaries. My kids have never, ever done anything wrong onboard, and I am sure it's because I've let them know up front what I expect. As I said in a previous post, things like "stay out of other people's cabins" wouldn't occur to my kids, but it matters a great deal to me!

[amybeth4]

Some parents allow their teens to drink soda :cool:

 

And some of us drink beer at 11:00 in the morning...when we're on a cruise! But would NEVER even think of doing that back home.

 

:cool:

[Kaboochi]

Here is a tip I read on another post. Should you decide to go ashore and your stepson wants to stay on the ship, take the sail card so he can't get off on his own. I have a responsible 14 year old and she will be with us on outings but I know she will want to go back onboard to be with new friends at some point, especially if we are doing something that is not fun, like shopping. I just don't want her to even have to opportunity to get off of the ship w/o us. You never know who in the group of teens may be adventuresome. I never want that ship to set sail w/o her. Probably would never happen, but..... it's a precaution.

[Jeanne55555]

i agree to a point.....everyone has made a poor choice, and teens make their fair share. To alleviate temptations does not mean that you don't have a good relationship with a child. I applaud the parent for thinking ahead.

I agree with you 100%. We are going on a cruise 5/2/10 and taking our 19 yr. old son. We have a very good relationship with him but we are definitely going to put a limit on his spending. At 19 yrs-he can gamble in the casino, so I will probably give him $100.00 to spend there for the 7 days. I am thinking that I will give him about $20.00 day for general spending. After all, he will be on vacation!!

[dreamboat43]

Would you consider allowing your stepson to take a friend (or cousin) on the cruise? We allowed our daughter to invite a friend on two previous cruises. The girls had a blast! My daughter had someone hang out with. Granted, it was a huge expense but it made everyone's vacation more enjoyable. My two younger sons keep each other company. I'm spending time with hubby. Everyone was paired up except for big sister - inviting a friend worked out great. The last thing you want on a cruise vacation is a crabby teenager. We had some basic rules, similar to a previous reply on this thread. We still had plenty of family time - dinner, excursions, shopping, lounging by the pool.

[85phillipian]

Oh, I appreciate the guidelines for teens so much! Very similar to what I was going to give my son, and already written up (and written very well)!

[Kaboochi]

I agree with you 100%. We are going on a cruise 5/2/10 and taking our 19 yr. old son. We have a very good relationship with him but we are definitely going to put a limit on his spending. At 19 yrs-he can gamble in the casino, so I will probably give him $100.00 to spend there for the 7 days. I am thinking that I will give him about $20.00 day for general spending. After all, he will be on vacation!!

I wish I was cruising with you, I'd love to have $100 for the casino:D. Seriously, cruising 4/18 with a 14 year old girl with ADD and w/o dad this time will be interesting. I am trying to cover all of the ground rules but I know she will find at least 1 loop hole. Love her, want her to have a great time but I am very cautious.

[doemichael]

I have enjoyed reading the replies, thanks.

 

The rules/contact is a great idea, have run a few of them past stepsona dn no problem at all. He is just so excited I think he will agree to anything lol

 

Unfortunetly taking a friend is not an option, we would not want the responsibility of someone elses child for almost 2 weeks.

 

Thanks again

[beachchick]

Here is a tip I read on another post. Should you decide to go ashore and your stepson wants to stay on the ship, take the sail card so he can't get off on his own. I have a responsible 14 year old and she will be with us on outings but I know she will want to go back onboard to be with new friends at some point, especially if we are doing something that is not fun, like shopping. I just don't want her to even have to opportunity to get off of the ship w/o us. You never know who in the group of teens may be adventuresome. I never want that ship to set sail w/o her. Probably would never happen, but..... it's a precaution.

 

While this sounds like a good idea, I don't think it's a safe or reasonable one. What happens during the time the parents/adults are off the ship? With no Sea Pass, the teen will either have to stay in the cabin the whole time, stay out of the cabin the whole time, or go down to passenger services and try to get someone to let them into the cabin. And what's to say that he or she won't go down to passenger services and ask for a new Sea Pass?

 

You don't need a soda package. Kids can get lemonade all day long. There is the kids club for his age where he will meet friends. Have him keep all of the elecctronics at home and enjoy a trip with the family.

 

I can see the logic of that, but not all kids like lemonade (or ice tea or milk) all day or even at all. Some parents don't allow their children to drink soda on a regular basis, but do allow the splurge on vacation. The same way that we allow ourselves to splurge on an extra drink or dessert. If they want to get him the soda package, why not?

 

beachchick

[doemichael]

Should you decide to go ashore and your stepson wants to stay on the ship, take the sail card so he can't get off on his own. I have a responsible 14 year old and she will be with us on outings but I know she will want to go back onboard to be with new friends at some point, especially if we are doing something that is not fun, like shopping. I just don't want her to even have to opportunity to get off of the ship w/o us. You never know who in the group of teens may be adventuresome. I never want that ship to set sail w/o her. Probably would never happen, but..... it's a precaution.

 

While this sounds like a good idea, I don't think it's a safe or reasonable one.

 

eachchick

 

 

Oh I forgot to add I would not leave him on the ship on his own. Although he would get some freedon onboard as long as we know where he is we would not leave him alone.

[akcruz]

Here is a tip I read on another post. Should you decide to go ashore and your stepson wants to stay on the ship, take the sail card so he can't get off on his own. I have a responsible 14 year old and she will be with us on outings but I know she will want to go back onboard to be with new friends at some point, especially if we are doing something that is not fun, like shopping. I just don't want her to even have to opportunity to get off of the ship w/o us. You never know who in the group of teens may be adventuresome. I never want that ship to set sail w/o her. Probably would never happen, but..... it's a precaution.

 

I agree with a previous poster, I would not take away the sea pass card. Too much on the ship relies on it to leave them without it. Besides they can always go to the pursers desk and say they lost it and get another one.

 

On the other hand, not sure that this is as much of an issue any more. On our last cruise, DS (14) was ahead of me when leaving the ship. They stopped him before leaving and asked who he was with to make sure he wasn't leaving on his own. I've heard they are starting to check, maybe not all the time, but more often than they used to.

 

As for the soda card, my kids don't drink a lot at home but when we go on vacation it gives me a little bit more piece of mind that they have the option of getting a new drink at any point in time no matter where they are. One of our rules is never let your drink out of your sight. If it does, do not drink from it but get another. With the soda card they can go to any bar and get a new soda whenever needed. Do they 'get their monies worth' I don't know but its worth it for my sanity!

[danvinson]

Thank you so much for the 'contract' you posted, AKCRUZ. I really hadn't thought about any of that kind of thing. We are taking our kids (17/15) on their first cruise 01/2011 and are just trying to figure out what type of room to get so this wasn't even on my mind yet. Now I can print it and have a good resource when the time comes to go over that kind of stuff. Great Idea!!

[MrsPete]

I'm a little confused and have a question about the soda package. From what I've read at RCCL, you can buy a soda card that gives them unlimited purchases on soda for $28 plus 15% grautity. Can you also get them a card (maybe thier Sea Pass card) that you put money on that will spend down as the use it?

All cruisers receive a SeaPass; it is your door key and your onboard "credit card". It doesn't really have money on it that will spend down -- rather, it's connected to your VISA card, and at the end of the cruise they'll charge you for whatever you spent during the week. You can either allow your children unlimited spending OR you can have a hole punched in their cards, which indicates no spending is allowed.

 

What's typically referred to as "the soda card" isnt' a separate card; it's a sticker that goes on the SeaPass. When the kid wants a soda, he shows the sticker. If you order ahead of time via internet, the soda card option'll be pre-printed on the SeaPass before you arrive, and you won't receive a sticker-sticker.

If you don't think you can trust the kid with "unlimited" spending, then don't do it. If you would have trouble paying the bill if they overspent, then don't do it. I totally trust my kids and they have been good with money since they were little.

Yeah, I could say the same thing. My kids have their shortcomings, but none of them deal with spending money foolishly.

 

The kids you're taking on the cruise are the same ones who live in your house. You already know whether they're responsible with money or not. If at home you can regularly give them a $20 and tell them that you expect change, then you can tell them, "These are the rules" and expect them to abide by them. On the other hand, if your kids haven't yet caught onto the idea of budgeting, then this isn't the best time to teach them how to manage their money. You'll be stressed and you might open yourself to heartache.

Here is a tip I read on another post. Should you decide to go ashore and your stepson wants to stay on the ship, take the sail card so he can't get off on his own. I have a responsible 14 year old and she will be with us on outings but I know she will want to go back onboard to be with new friends at some point, especially if we are doing something that is not fun, like shopping. I just don't want her to even have to opportunity to get off of the ship w/o us. You never know who in the group of teens may be adventuresome. I never want that ship to set sail w/o her. Probably would never happen, but..... it's a precaution.

I personally wouldn't allow this. My kids can have some age-appropriate freedom onboard, but on the islands we stick together. No arguments about it. Leaving a child on the ship without a SeaPass doesn't sound like a great idea either; he wouldn't be able to come and go from the cabin.

 

I heard -- actually, I read it on this board -- about a couple enterprising teens who were left onboard without parents. The parents thought they were being smart: They took ONE of the girls' SeaPasses ashore, which meant that the girls could come and go from the room, but the parents figured that one wouldn't leave the ship without the other . . . but the smarty-pants teens went to the Purser's desk, claimed they'd LOST a SeaPass and were given a replacement card . . . they then each had a SeaPass and left the ship alone. In theory, a minor shouldn't be allowed to leave the ship alone, but in reality, I think that's MY responsibility not the ship's.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Thank you so much for the 'contract' you posted, AKCRUZ. I really hadn't thought about any of that kind of thing.

 

I did that with my kids on their first cruise. (14 & 17). They laughed at it cuz some of what I "copied" as rules were :rolleyes: silly. Such as don't push all the buttons on the elevator to be funny. They were like "seriously mom, like we would do that?" They had a point. My kids are a little more mature than that but I still put it out there so they know I meant business. They also hated the rule about the walkie talkies. When I pulled out the walkie talkies I bought they were like, I am "NOT" going to carry that thing. We had some words.:D But in the end, they understood the serious ones like never leave a drink unattended, keep together or use the buddy system whenever possible, nobody in your cabin & you don't go into anyones cabin etc. I also told them don't go with a ship staff member just because they say so. You immediately tell them you aren't going anywhere without being able to talk to your mom & dad and what to do in that situation if a someone that seems to have authority says come with me.

 

And we just don't feel comfortable getting off the ship and leaving our kid onboard. We either get off as a group or we stay on the ship. Only one time did 3 of us get off and leave my son behind but that was literally to get off the ship in Ensenada to walk on solid ground. We didn't leave the port. We shopped in the little shopping area next to the ship and we had a drink at the cantina then got right back on (maybe 30 minutes max). Our DD wanted to get off the ship badly and DS didn't. She's not a cruiser fan like us. LOL

[TEXASMUNK]

Video games: You would be astounded how fast a $10.00 bill disappears in the Arcade. So, plan on $$$$ if you give kids free reign in the Arcade.

[Triciabrownbear]

Wow! Our children are older now, so this doesn't apply to us directly, however, I love this contract! Not only for our future grandchildren, :D we can hope... but for all of the other guests onboard, with and without children. Great job and thanks for sharing!

[LS6Caddy]

The thing about the sea pass cards is that it is easy to just "swipe" the card and sometimes lose sight that there is actual money tied to the other end of the card. This can be especially difficult for teens to comprehend at first. But the funny thing here is how many adults on these very boards have gotten there bill at the end of the week with the "I spent how much this week" expression on there face. Thinking that some of these suggestions would be could for managing that bar bill.