teen curfew on Oasis

[Cancruizer]

Hi all. Can you tell me if teen curfew is still around and if so is it enforced? We have a 16 year old son who would love to stay out as long as possible (yikes) but we want to make sure he is safe and obviously don't want him out too late.... On past Princess and Carnival cruises he would be out until 1:00 or a bit later.

[galavant3]

The curfew for ages 17 and younger is 1 AM and from our experience it is pretty strictly enforced. If there is an organizes youth activity I think they can stay out later.

[isdoo]

Have never seen it enforced yet

[SelectSys]

Have never seen it enforced yet

 

We have been on many RCCL cruises. While I am rarely up at that time, my son who is a teen says that the crew does enforce the curfew and starts clearing kids from the public places right at 1. This was true last spring on Allure and last summer on Mariner.

Edited January 1, 2012 by SelectSys

[reallyitsmema]

We have been on many RCCL cruises. While I am rarely up at that time, my son who is a teen says that the crew does enforce the curfew and starts clearing kids from the public places right at 1. This was true last spring on Allure and last summer on Mariner.

We have seen the same thing. Security does not let the kids linger at all after curfew unless they are with a parent. I have seen posts here lately stating that curfew has changed to 2am though on some ships.:eek: Haven't seen it on any of our cruises but some say they have.

[Oshawapilot]

My 14 year old was routinely out until 2-3AM on Allure with the gaggle of 20-30 other teens on our sailing, so long past curfew. Often they were in the teen lounge which apparently stayed open all hours of the day..and beyond that, they'd go sit in Sorentos or in a hot tub on the pool deck.

 

We didn't make a big deal about curfew, but told him to be respectful if he was told by someone to call it a night and head towards the stateroom, and to BE QUIET when in the stateroom corridors after hours - nobody wants to be woke up at 3AM by loud kids outside your door.

 

In the end, I figure that if the kids were being respectful and not obnoxious/loud, security turned a blind eye. It seemed all the teens (mine included) in our sailing had zero issues with the curfew and were always out until the wee hours of the morning.

 

Our son would quietly slip in in the middle of the night and crawl into bed. He'd often still be there after we left in the morning to go for breakfast, only to dissapear before we got back. At one point we didn't see him for about almost an entire day, only catching a glimpse of him here and there (sorrentos, sports deck, pool) as he did his own thing - if we needed him back at the stateroom for something we left a note on the door with a time and he obliged.

 

Do your teen a favor - cut them loose for the trip and let them enjoy it - ours had SOOOO much fun that he was devastated at the end of the cruise, and since they the whole group has got together on Facebook, skype, etc etc and they are all reliving the cruise to this day.

 

Respect for others after hours seemed to be the keys, and the teen group on our cruise apparently did well in that respect.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Oshawapilot

[Cancruizer]

Thanks for the info. As long as we know he is safe and like everyone said respectful and not causing trouble we don't mind him staying out. Just good to know there is security keeping and eye and sending them back to cabins if necessary.

[Oshawapilot]

Thanks for the info. As long as we know he is safe and like everyone said respectful and not causing trouble we don't mind him staying out. Just good to know there is security keeping and eye and sending them back to cabins if necessary.

 

I asked one of the security heads one evening exactly how much stuff goes on from a security standpoint (wondering about the free-reign of the kids aspect) and his response was this:

 

1/ For every security camera you see, there are 5 you don't.

 

2/ As long as a passenger has their seapass on person, with the touch of a few buttons they can locate them on the ship and automatically pull up the nearest security camera's live view. (The Seapass cards are RFID active, for those who didn't know...)

 

3/ If a parent ever needs to urgently locate their kid, #2 above is utilized.

 

If the cruise lines wanted to vehemently enforce all the rules regarding curfew they'd need not work very hard to do so, sending out teams to sweep the areas where the seapass cards (and the attached kids) are located. The fact that they don't (as others mention here as well) would sure seem to indicate that they are satisfied to let the rules remain lax as long as there are no problems.

 

I'm confident that if kids were running ram-shot around the ship at 3AM causing all sorts of disturbances they would not only be sent back to their room, but their parents would be receiving a talking to the next morning, or if the situation was serious enough, in the middle of the night.

 

Again, these are not 9 and 10 year old kids we're talking about, but 13-19 year old young adults.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Oshawapilot

[LittleMissMagic]

We just got back from the Adventure of the Seas, and curfew was definitely enforced. If they saw minors out and about, they did not "turn a blind eye."

 

I got carded several times (uggg, to have a baby face... can't stand in the casino without someone carding me :rolleyes:). Our tablemates had a 14 year old son, and he said he was reading a book in the library, and security came around and asked the adult beside him if he was his. The adult didn't speak English, so he just started nodding and saying yes, but then the security guard figured it out pretty quickly that they were not together and sent him to bed.

 

Maybe the Oasis and Allure are more relaxed, but in the past, I've always witnessed minors being sent to bed promptly at curfew. There are, however, minors who run and hide from security. You'll often find them under the staircase on the second floor.

[goodmud]

Oshawapilot,

 

Our experience was much the same on Oasis with our 15 year old son. He had a group of kids that hung around together, and they were often out past curfew. When asked to return to their cabins, they would, but generally they were just hanging out chatting with each other. I totally agree in allowing them to have some freedom and to explore the world in a safe way, while showing respect to those around them. My son also keeps in touch with many of the kids he has met on board.

 

Sometimes our expectations, or "fears" of the outside world keep us from really getting to know others. Before anyone says that cruise ships are really cities, the Oasis had more people on board than our small town of 4000. I have done my job to prepare my children to explore their world, and I must say, they have both done just fine. My daughter went on a year long exchange to Denmark (where she has met many wonderful people from all over the world) when she was 15. I am sure that my son is capable of experiencing a bit of independence on a cruise ship.

 

As far as people thinking that I abandoned my kids to run roughshod over the cruise ship, believe what you will. My daughter is in pre-med, and my son is an honor roll student who will probably be billeting out to play hockey next year. They are both prepared for the world, and they are respectful kids.

 

Oshawapilot, I am sure that your kids enjoyed themselves, and they will be prepared for the world by not being bubbled wrapped. I just thought that I would support you, as it is possible to have respectful, good teenage kids.

[Oshawapilot]

I just thought that I would support you, as it is possible to have respectful, good teenage kids.

 

Thank you.

 

Non-parents who automatically assume that any child under the age of 21, left alone, is a recipe for disaster annoy me.

 

Unfortunately it IS the noxious kids out there that leave this impression upon others and cause this stereotype to persist, but people need to take a deep breath and realize that not every kid out there is a little hellian that is intent on destroying the peace-bubble of everyone else around them, and again, I'm we're not talking about a 6 or 8 year old kid here, we're talking teens.

 

These are the same kids that we'll be letting (or already have) give the keys to our cars to and watched them drive off into the distance. We've driven them to parties and wondered what they're up to. They're dating. They're going to freaking college and living alone! They are NOT infants, and to suggest that one is being a bad parent or "ruining everyone elses cruise" because we dare let them out of our sight burns my arse. :mad:

 

Think I'm wrong? Helicopter parents who constantly have their kids (yes, even teens) within 3 feet at all points in time (because god forbid they actually make a decision for themselves) are doing their kids a huge disservice. They grow up to be antisocial withdrawn young adults who can't interact in a normal fashion with the rest of the world because they never learned how to. These are the same kids who's parents go to job interviews with (or for!) them, and who fail to launch when it's times for them to finally go to college. Interesting story here on that topic.

 

Trust me, I was (and still am) a responsible parent that holds my kids to task for their actions. When they WERE young they were never out of my sight. If they kicked up a fuss in a public area I was the first to remove them from the venue in order to minimize the disruption to others. If they were bad, they were punished. To this day they are held responsible for their actions, the results of such actions, praised when they're good, and handled when they're not. They've grown up to be well rounded respectable young adults who have been honoured at school, do little things like hold the door for people behind them, say thank you, etc etc, and they didn't get that way by being attached to my hip every second of every day once they matured to the point where they needed to start spreading their wings.

 

/rant mode off. :):)

Edited January 2, 2012 by Oshawapilot

[galavant3]

I'm not sure I agree that this is a parenting issue. The curfew is clearly published. Even though our kids were well behaved, we had them respect the curfew.

 

Last cruise there was a ship wide search in the middle of the night for a teen that didn't return to her cabin at curfew. Announcements were made in all cabins until the girl was located. I can tell you the Captain was not happy to be woken up in the middle of the night only to find that the teen was just "hanging out".

 

To the OP....you can check the daily Compass for the curfew. Whether or not you have your teen abide but the curfew is up to you.

[goodmud]

debmarie,

 

I was responding to the poster who made the nasty comment to oshawapilot.

 

In our instance, I would say that the curfew was not strictly enforced, as my son was out past curfew, and was not rounded up and sent to bed at 1:00. Of course, he was not following the rules, so I guess that makes me a horrible parent.

 

As for the girl that went missing, the search would not have been started without someone reporting her missing. In that case, I would certainly say it was a parenting issue, as she did not follow the rules her parents put in place, or they were not clear in their expectations for her. So the captain was not woken to find a kid that was hanging out, he was woken to find a kid that did not follow the rules set in place by her parents. There is a big difference there.

 

The OP asked if the curfew is strictly enforced. My answer would be no. If RCI wanted to strictly enforce this curfew, they would have all kids under the age of 18 signed in and out of the teen clubs, and we would all have to escort our kids to their rooms. Because they have chosen not to do that, they have allowed a bit of leeway in the rules.

 

OP, make your own decisions on what works for your family, and have a wonderful trip! My son has already stated that his kids (when he has them - in the distant future) will never go on a vacation that is not a cruise because he sooo loved this trip. And this was our first cruise ever.

[Merion_Mom]

debmarie,

 

I was responding to the poster who made the nasty comment to oshawapilot.

 

In our instance, I would say that the curfew was not strictly enforced, as my son was out past curfew, and was not rounded up and sent to bed at 1:00. Of course, he was not following the rules, so I guess that makes me a horrible parent.

 

As for the girl that went missing, the search would not have been started without someone reporting her missing. In that case, I would certainly say it was a parenting issue, as she did not follow the rules her parents put in place, or they were not clear in their expectations for her. So the captain was not woken to find a kid that was hanging out, he was woken to find a kid that did not follow the rules set in place by her parents. There is a big difference there.

 

The OP asked if the curfew is strictly enforced. My answer would be no. If RCI wanted to strictly enforce this curfew, they would have all kids under the age of 18 signed in and out of the teen clubs, and we would all have to escort our kids to their rooms. Because they have chosen not to do that, they have allowed a bit of leeway in the rules.

 

OP, make your own decisions on what works for your family, and have a wonderful trip! My son has already stated that his kids (when he has them - in the distant future) will never go on a vacation that is not a cruise because he sooo loved this trip. And this was our first cruise ever.

 

That is an interesting conclusion that you draw.

 

Based on what you have written, I would have thought that the conclusion is that Royal Caribbean TRUSTS that people will obey the curfew without draconian police action.

[goodmud]

No police action required. Royal TRUSTS that the kids will return to their rooms when they allow them to leave the teen club at 1:00. Some kids will, and some kids won't. But to say that the curfew is strictly enforced was not what we experienced.

 

Because my son (and the group of kids that he was with) and oshawapilots kid (and the group of kids that he was with) were both allowed to remain out and about after curfew without being approached by security, demonstrates to me that there is some leeway in the way that this curfew is enforced. And if the kids are not causing trouble, security doesn't bother them.

 

I don't care if you judge me or my kids, I was just offering our experience.

[LittleMissMagic]

Guys, I hate to crush your theories here, but I was once a minor hiding from security.

 

From what I've experienced, if security sees you, they will card you and send you to bed if you're a minor. Now, they tell you to go to bed, not take you there. I always went to bed when told, so I was never personally escorted to my cabin or taken to guest relations. However, I was at the bar in the promenade one night on our last cruise (Adventure of the Seas, southern Caribbean departing from San Juan) and watched security bring children to guest relations and call their parents. The parents were never happy to retrieve their children. And these weren't little children either - I would guess around 13 or 14 years old.

 

If your child is up past curfew, they probably just haven't run into security yet. I'm in my 20s and still get carded. On all of the Royal Caribbean cruises (Carnival is an entirely different story), security is always out and about at night.

[Cancruizer]

Well, I guess I will wait until we are on the ship and see.... Honestly, for us we really do want to make sure everyone is safe and not getting into trouble. Just wanted to get an idea if curfew was actually enforced and if teens are really staying out a bit later, so we can be realistic in terms of what to expect. Thanks for the honest feedback.

[Oshawapilot]

What I'd do, and what I plan to do again on Explorer in a few weeks?

 

Tell your kids to do what they're asked to do by the staff, and do it respectfully. If they get told that they're running afoul of curfew, then they need to call it and night and retire, simple. Don't try to bend the rules once they've been told they aren't following them.

 

They'll have ZERO issues.

 

Honestly, I think that the first issue with this is that teens completely and totally loose track of time (and heck, the days) once they get into the groove aboard the ship. Even if they have good intentions to follow the rules, they'll quickly find curfew having come and gone without even realizing it.

[LittleMissMagic]

What I'd do, and what I plan to do again on Explorer in a few weeks?

 

Tell your kids to do what they're asked to do by the staff, and do it respectfully. If they get told that they're running afoul of curfew, then they need to call it and night and retire, simple. Don't try to bend the rules once they've been told they aren't following them.

 

They'll have ZERO issues.

 

Honestly, I think that the first issue with this is that teens completely and totally loose track of time (and heck, the days) once they get into the groove aboard the ship. Even if they have good intentions to follow the rules, they'll quickly find curfew having come and gone without even realizing it.

 

Very good advice. I completely agree.

[SelectSys]

...

 

2/ As long as a passenger has their seapass on person, with the touch of a few buttons they can locate them on the ship and automatically pull up the nearest security camera's live view. (The Seapass cards are RFID active, for those who didn't know...)

...

 

I did not know that seapass cards had RFID chips in them. I can see why they would like this for a variety of reasons.

[bgrdfn]

The time of the curfew is irrelevant but whatever it is, it should observe it.

 

This is not an issue about good/bad kids or good/bad parents. This is simply an issue of.... OMG, could it actually be this simple...Will you make your kids obey RCL rules or not?

 

Many of you, wonderful parents with wonderful children, think....

 

A smoker is a terrible person because they smoke on their balcony, or the casino, where it is not against the rules. Based on your feelings on the teen curfew, you shouldn't have a problem if they light up in the dining room. You certainly shouldn't care if someone wears shorts to dinner on formal night.

 

Flame me AS YOU WILL but this really is an issue of right and wrong. If you allow your teens out after curfew, you are wrong. Nobody is saying they are doing anything wrong. They are just saying it's against policy. You expect others to do so. Maybe you should as well.

[Hunwolf]

They should taser anyone out after curfew.

[Oshawapilot]

I did not know that seapass cards had RFID chips in them. I can see why they would like this for a variety of reasons.

 

Ever wonder how those photos that get taken at random all over the ship (and even ashore) magically end up in your photo album on the ship without them ever having asked your name or stateroom number? ;)

[Hunwolf]

Ever wonder how those photos that get taken at random all over the ship (and even ashore) magically end up in your photo album on the ship without them ever having asked your name or stateroom number? ;)

 

That explains why all my pictures for the whole week were associated with a girl who sailed the previous week. I guess it isn't full proof.;)

[Oshawapilot]

A smoker is a terrible person because they smoke on their balcony, or the casino, where it is not against the rules. Based on your feelings on the teen curfew, you shouldn't have a problem if they light up in the dining room. You certainly shouldn't care if someone wears shorts to dinner on formal night.

 

I can see this from both sides, so if you want to call me on the fact that I didn't "require" my teen to rush back to the cabin at the crack of 1AM, then I can accept that. I would not, however rush around the ship like a madman at 12:45AM looking for him, either, nor would I punish him for loosing track of time and not coming back until 1:30AM - it's not worth the potential cruise-ruining conflict unless there was another part of the equation - AKA, he was out past curfew and got in trouble - different story.

 

We went on this trip with one agreement amongst all family members - to not sweat the small stuff, not argue over stupid things, and to enjoy ourselves.

 

That said, comparing a few teens sitting in a quiet spot on the pool deck or in Sorrentos chatting until 1:30 breaking curfew (gasp!) to someone smoking in the main dining room is a big stretch. One thing is very unlikely to directly impact other guests, at least no more so than any other person sitting there chatting at 1:30 AM. Smoking on the other hand directly effects plenty of others, has negative health effects, and damages the ship when done in areas not designated for smoking.