9 year old signing in and out of club?

[Jo and Rob]

Just wondering about this. Our son will be 9 by the time we cruise next year so will have signing in and out priviledges. My question is do they tend to stay in club or sign out? If everyone signs out club wouldn't be much fun! We will be sailing on the Celebrity Eclipse.

 

Also, do you have any rules about if they sign out of club they have to go back to the cabin or do you just let them wander the ship? I would always like to know where my son is. Ideas, experiences and advice please.

[cb at sea]

If they are allowed to sign themselves out, then they won't really care where they go...it's up to you to set the rules for your child. You can opt NOT to allow him free reign, and you can go and pick him up....(and embarrass him, in the process!)

Just give him the rules, if you trust him to follow your instructions. Tell him where you'll be, and have him meet you there.

[Wavesprite]

I have no experience, but from what I read on here once they can sign themselves out, they can do what they want. BUT, if you choose to not let them sign out, then they can't do certain activites in the club like the Treasure Hunt. We also have a 9 year old when we go on our cruise in October. We aren't going to let him sign himself out, and evaluate the situation then maybe let him sign out for the Treasure Hunt. He won't leave the club if we tell him not to, though, even if pressured by friends.

[CanadianTwosome]

The age for sign in/out privileges on NCL is 10, and so far, we've never used it. We might feel differently if we had more than one, but with only one who would be alone 'somewhere' on the ship without our knowledge, we prefer to just check in often in case she wants to leave. Even if she knew where we were and intended to come straight there, if something happened, we'd never even know she was missing until possibly hours later when we went to check at Kids Crew. We also get the schedule on the first day, so we have a very good idea of when she does and doesn't want to be there during the week.

 

As for kids signing themselves out, we've never noticed it being an issue. We've also travelled at low season, though, so I can tell you that depending on your child, they can have a great time even if there are no other kids their age at the club - ours has. :) We went to check on her once and she was sitting on a stool surrounded by little kids, reading them a story.

 

Depending on when you're travelling, also, you might be able to get a pager or phone that is usually designated for toddlers who might need a diaper change. We've been able to carry them when there have been extras, so that our daughter could reach us if she wanted to leave early. We've also used walkie talkies, but they are kind of hit-or-miss on ships due to the metal bulkheads (I think).

[serene56]

You will be given a daily activty sheet for every day.

 

Look it over and decide what your son wants to do-- or not do.

 

You can then decide for him to meet you -- where ever you may be when the particular activity is over that he wants to do.

 

Allowing him the sign out privileges he gets to go do things with the group.

 

Just make suire he stays away from the cabin areas-- and no reason whatsoever is he allowed to go to someone elses cabin.

[Jo and Rob]

You will be given a daily activty sheet for every day.

 

Look it over and decide what your son wants to do-- or not do.

 

You can then decide for him to meet you -- where ever you may be when the particular activity is over that he wants to do.

 

Allowing him the sign out privileges he gets to go do things with the group.

 

Just make suire he stays away from the cabin areas-- and no reason whatsoever is he allowed to go to someone elses cabin.

 

Good advice. I certainly wouldn't want him bringing anyone back to our cabin either.

[stinesheri]

To suggest that a parent should care that it would 'embarrass' a 9 year old to have the parent sign him out is bizzare to me.

 

You'd rather have your young child roam the ship alone, than risk embarrasing them? Do you let you 9 year old roam around town by themselves, go alone to the mall by themselves? I certainly would not let my child just wander around our hotel looking for me, nor would I let them do so on a cruise ship. Do you personally know all 3600 + people on board and know that they have your childs best interest at heart? I certainly don't.

 

Personally, I don't believe that any child under 12 should be allowed to sign themselves out, and even at that age I would not feel comfortable having my child alone anywhere onboard.

 

I for one plan on 'embarrassing' my 8 year old every single night when I pick her up from kids camp, and then I will embarrass her furhter by making her walk back to our room with me where I will tuck her in for the evening.

[MamaParrotHead]

My daughter didn't have signing privileges on our last cruise (she's 10). I don't know when she will...I don't drop her at the mall or the movie theater unattended, I sure as heck am not going to let her roam a cruiseship. She's a smart cookie and very mature...it's the fact that I just don't know who I'm cruising with that's the sticking point to me. A little over cautious? Maybe. But I'd rather be that way than have something happen to one of my most treasured things on earth and live the rest of my life wondering what could I have done to keep my kid/s safe?. I can have all the "guidelines" and "rules" I want, that doesn't do any good when the one pedophile (guest OR crew member) overpowers him/her (and a good chance the one or two kids they're "hanging out" with) and drags my kid into one of the thousand nooks, corners, crannies, cabins and/or holds on the ship and does whatever he pleases with my kid against their will, while everyone around them remains clueless.

 

My kids know their limits and privileges and boundaries at home, and it's no different when we're on vacation. I'm the parent and my job is to make informed decisions, it isn't a democracy in my house.

[A&Jfamily]

My DS has used sign in/out since he was almost 10 - with strict guidlelines. We decided in advance what he wanted to do and if he changed his mind, he had to either come back to me or go to the cabin. It was very easy to check that he was following the rules.

 

Monday will be our first cruise when he will be Cicle C - which has no sign in/out, and doesn't even have morning activities. We will be trying walkie talkies again, since i hate to confine him to the cabin in the morning, when I am sure he will make some friends that want to go to the pool etc.

 

Communication is key - and rules about behavior.

[crusinmama06]

You have to give permission on RCI to allow your 9 year old to sign themselves out. And for me, there was never any reason to give my child permission. I was fully capable of meeting her at the club and signing her out.

 

As stinesheri said, I don't allow my 10 year old to wander our town by herself. She is not going to wander a ship with 5,000 people on it either.

[onthelake]

Our son was not allowed to sign himself out until he was older. The point really isnt' the level of the child's responsibility - it has to do with over a thousand strangers who are also on the ship. We have been on ships where passengers were 'questioned' about the amount of time they spent around the kids room and arcade for no apparent reason. Just because you are on a cruise doesn't mean that there arent' people who pray on children. Don't give them the opportunity to find your child alone. If there are siblings who come and go together, that is a better situation.

 

Just my thoughts

[beachchick]

To suggest that a parent should care that it would 'embarrass' a 9 year old to have the parent sign him out is bizzare to me.

You'd rather have your young child roam the ship alone, than risk embarrasing them? Do you let you 9 year old roam around town by themselves, go alone to the mall by themselves? I certainly would not let my child just wander around our hotel looking for me, nor would I let them do so on a cruise ship. Do you personally know all 3600 + people on board and know that they have your childs best interest at heart? I certainly don't.

 

Personally, I don't believe that any child under 12 should be allowed to sign themselves out, and even at that age I would not feel comfortable having my child alone anywhere onboard.

 

I for one plan on 'embarrassing' my 8 year old every single night when I pick her up from kids camp, and then I will embarrass her furhter by making her walk back to our room with me where I will tuck her in for the evening.

 

Agreed. We expected that through the years we would embarrass our DD in oh so many ways--and we did. We really didn't care if making sure of her safety came at the expense of not being seen as the "coolest" parents. We really didn't care when she did the "eye roll" thing at us. We really did care that she knew we loved her enough to embarrass her from time to time. We really did trust her and did not trust the rest of the world. She needed time to mature and learn before being given freedoms, which she earned and enjoyed.

 

beachchick

[Jo and Rob]

Has anyone got any experience of this age group on Celebrity?

[Name Of The Game]

I'm not a parent yet but my mother was very protective of me (only child) and I wasn't embarrassed, I just figured that's what moms are supposed to do. I'm sure I embarrassed her though. ;)

[tonit964]

This works well for us. My DD is 10 and wanted to do the scavenger hunts and stuff so we gave her the sign in/out priviledge. We agreed on a meeting place very close to the camp or just outside the camp. She decided what activities she wanted to do and when she wanted to leave we would meet her at the time her activities were done. She was not allowed to wander the ship or go back to the cabin without us. If she wanted an ice cream cone or something to eat we would do that when we met her at our spot.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide and have a great cruise!

Toni

[eRN]

We are getting ready to take our first family cruise with our 10 1/2 yr old daughter in September. Thanks to everyone for a great discussion and various ways to look at this issue. I had planned on signing her in and out of Adventure Ocean, and after reading everyone's posts, I still will plan on doing this. She is a smart kid and has a lot of travel experience, but I agree that our behavior should not be inconsistent with what she is used to- simply because we are on vacation. She has to call me from her friends house to let me know that she arrived safely and that is 3 doors down!!! It is a different world than the one in which we grew up, unfortunately.

[Drummer Dave]

We tell him that it is not unlimited, and there are times he may not sign out and we will come get him. Someone here said that they gave their child the privilege, with clear instructions that there were times s/he could or could not sign out, which is about where we are. We are sailing on the Carnival Splendor in less than a month (woohoo!) and I'm sure my now 10 y.o will have those privileges. In this case, in order to do scavenger hunt and other activities with the group, he needs that ability. I understand others who are more restrictive, and I wouldn't criticize them for that decision, its up to each parent. On what will now be our 5th cruise as a family, I'm confident that my son makes good decisions, and my wife and I agree that so long as he acts responsibly, he can have a bit of freedom on the ship. :cool:

[doctordi]

On our last cruise, I gave my 9yo sign out privledges but didn't tell him. He was able to go on the group activities and he thought it was fun to be able to sign his own name on the sheet. I never told him that he could leave the club at any time. He has cruised many times and understood the sign in/out process and when the time came to leave the club he would sign his name and wait in the room for me. I think the leaders thought that he didn't understand how the system worked, but he understood perfectly how MOM's system worked. I thought it was a good compromise, and it allowed him to home one tiny step of freedom.

[ChiMimi69]

My daughter didn't have signing privileges on our last cruise (she's 10). I don't know when she will...I don't drop her at the mall or the movie theater unattended, I sure as heck am not going to let her roam a cruiseship. She's a smart cookie and very mature...it's the fact that I just don't know who I'm cruising with that's the sticking point to me. A little over cautious? Maybe. But I'd rather be that way than have something happen to one of my most treasured things on earth and live the rest of my life wondering what could I have done to keep my kid/s safe?. I can have all the "guidelines" and "rules" I want, that doesn't do any good when the one pedophile (guest OR crew member) overpowers him/her (and a good chance the one or two kids they're "hanging out" with) and drags my kid into one of the thousand nooks, corners, crannies, cabins and/or holds on the ship and does whatever he pleases with my kid against their will, while everyone around them remains clueless.

 

My kids know their limits and privileges and boundaries at home, and it's no different when we're on vacation. I'm the parent and my job is to make informed decisions, it isn't a democracy in my house.

 

 

YOU GO MAMA!!!! I second everything you said! :D I will have a (barely turned) 8 yr old DS with me at the time of sailing on the Allure (that's 6000+ passengers) and although he's a VERY good kid--he's not yet a leader but a follower. The leader is somewhere in there and by-golly I'll get him out someday! Until then, I'll be his leader and protect him from the unknown. I think 12-13+ is a fair enough age to allow a bit more freedom but, even then, I may scrutinize the scenario further before making a decision. HA!!!!

[Bakincakes]

Has anyone got any experience of this age group on Celebrity?

 

 

Have you contacted Celebrity and asked them what their policies are?

[embug97]

You could do that, or you could also use a walky talky system. You can carry one and your son can carry one and every time he needs you, he can just call you on the walky talky. And I'm not sure about Celebrity, but I know that on Royal Caribbean, only the old kids can sign them selves out. And if you have any older children (12+) they don't have to be signed in or out. They can just go to the activities that they wish to go to and leave after that if they would not like to stay for the next activity. But that might not be for Celebrity, it might just be for Royal Caribbean. I am not very sure, you could also try calling Celebrity. Or maybe looking on the website. But for your 9 year old, I do recommend the walky talky system. :)

[msbrandeel]

On our last cruise, I gave my 9yo sign out privledges but didn't tell him. He was able to go on the group activities and he thought it was fun to be able to sign his own name on the sheet. I never told him that he could leave the club at any time. He has cruised many times and understood the sign in/out process and when the time came to leave the club he would sign his name and wait in the room for me. I think the leaders thought that he didn't understand how the system worked, but he understood perfectly how MOM's system worked. I thought it was a good compromise, and it allowed him to home one tiny step of freedom.

doctordi, my son had the privileges last year and im sure he will this year to check himself out but he must come find us either at the pool or leave a note at the room exactly where he is going, im just sooo fearful he will be bored this year. Do u have ideas outside of camp carnival for your kids? I know we will hang out with ours at the pool but the pools look sooo small..... My son wants to bring his ps3 but i already told him i didnt think the rooms t.v. had the connections and I want him to interact and not stay in the room. R U going on any excursions? I signed up thru the carnival ones even though they are more expensive I feel safer. Hope to hear from u and meet u all :)

[Nebr.cruiser]

On our recent Navigator cruise with grandchildren ages 5-11, we didn't allow sign out privileges for those old enough because logistically (there were 7 of them) it would have been a nightmare. Besides, I prefer to know where they are at all times.

 

I'm not sure that they even knew it was possible for the 8-11 group to sign themselves out, and as far as I could tell no one was the least bit embarrased to have parents/grandparents sign them out. It was just the norm. Why should they be? I really don't get this. Maybe if they were 15, but 9?

 

They didn't actually use the kids club all that much, just occasionally. I was a little underwhelmed with the activities, but most of them seemed to enjoy it when they were there.

[doctordi]

I don't think that the TVs have the right slots to attach a PS3. Can you tell that I'm not a techie! We take travel games - have a checkers-chess combo, Monopoly deal, Sorry travel game - and there are usually games in the library that you can use like checkers and dominos. I take a travel DVD player sometimes and a few DVDs. They always have their DSs and a book.

The pools are small but usually fun. The main pool is often a little on the cool side since it is not heated and the water is changed daily. The problem with the main pool was the depth - it is usually around 4 feet deep. They are able to handle that now, but when they were smaller, it was a problem. Now that Carnival has waterslides, the kids are very happy.

[sduprie]

Has anyone got any experience of this age group on Celebrity?

 

We just took a Celebrity cruise over the 2010 December/January school break. We have a 9, 7 and 4 year old. We were traveling with our extended family; therefore, my 9-year old had the lucky privilege of going to "kid's camp" with his 10-year old cousin. (The 7 and 4 year olds were in different age groups at camp.) This wasn't our first cruise but it was for my brother's family. We allowed our son to sign out with the expectation that he would go straight to our location upon signing out, whether it was a cabin or pool deck, etc. My brother did not allow his 10-year daughter to sign out initially. She was unable to participate in the Scavenger hunts the kid group hosts. She was left in the Kid's club without any other kids her age. (Usually, they transferred her to the younger age group where she colored or sulked as 10-year olds do!) After 5 or 6 days, my brother allowed her to sign out only when she left with our son. This system worked well.

 

Once the kids sign out, the staff is not responsible for their whereabouts. We were on the Constellation and found it to be really easy to locate our child should we miss one another en route from location to location. There are house phones all over the ship (and phones in the kid camp) that my 9-year old used regularly to ask us questions, check in with us to discuss current plans before checking out or to let us know he was with other family members.

 

As some members have posted, if you set the ground rules in advance, it's generally o.k. And, you can always change your mind and take away the sign in/out privilege away.