Dawn Review: April 18-24 - Great Cruise!!!

[CHRISTAL]

I see that our friend Nan is on her cruise today in sunny PC. Suesan Jean, I also had my only daughter with me on my 3/20 Dawn Cruise (am Jeanne's neighbor) and lets just say that next time I will leave her at home. Jeanne told me about that sunburn. Mine stayed out all night long that last night and kept us up with frantic worry. The stewards had seen it all: "Don't worry mam - be happy."

 

Chris

[Jett456]

Did she have a good time? My son is staying home next cruise because he had a miserable time. I wish he was having fun and staying up late. He was in bed most nights by ten praying for Sunday to arrive sooner.

[Suesan Jean]

:) That is why as of yesterday, we will be a "party of four" on our next years cruise. We invited Sara's best friend from school to come with us. We actually asked her the day after we got back (on the 25th), the parents have been "discussing" the invitation, asking other people what they thought. I guess they were TOTALLY surprised by it, I don't know, its not such a big deal, I just want my DD to have fun and be happy. A parent gotta do what a parents gotta do.....

Sara really did not connect with any other kids, the "Kids Crew" was a bust, so, bringing her friend insures that she will have a nice time...... (I hope....)

TTFN

 

Suesan

[cruizinwithkids]

I wonder why the kids crew wasn't as big a success as it's been on other cruises. We sailed the Crown last year and my kids are still in contact through IM and e-mails with kids they met, both teen and 10-12 yo. They will probably get together this summer with some. We've also had great luck with the Majesty. We went on the Sky a couple of years ago and since we had taken the kids out of school there were almost no other kids on the ship, definately no one in their age group. As I said previously my DD wasn't able to join the 10-12 and since the friend she brought was 11 I wasn't going to seperate them. I was disappointed because my kids have always loved cruising and this was definately the most boring cruise for them. It was odd with the large number of kids.

[Jeanne S]

I know that as a 16 year old Chris's daughter and her friend refused to have anything to do with kid’s crew. There were hundreds of people their age and they met up with a group of kids who they basically partied with the entire time – they should have been on our cruise so they could meet Jeanette’s son and Suesan’s daughter (not! – they are a little too wild I think).

 

Chris never did get a thank you from her daughter’s friend or her mother which surprised me. But Chris said that she did it for Alyssa that was thanks enough.

 

And there were my niece’s small kids who wanted to go to KC but my niece said no.

[CHRISTAL]

Suesean Jean

 

Well the mother of the friend I invited did not hesitate for a minute and said sure. Jeannie tells me that unlike my daughter, yours is very soft spoken, polite and well mannered :) . (my daughter was taught manners but at this phase of her life only degins to use them when she wants something from somebody:( ). I am not the type to say my kid would never do anything (cause she would) but I was hoping that my daughters friend might - if she could not agree with me - not intefere with my discussions with my daughter . (I have known this girl for a few years and she had previously been always polite - would not have invited her if she had not been) Instead she encouraged my daughter's insolense and talking back - they fed off of each other. I would never take my daughter on cruise again - maybe when she is 40. But maybe this wil be a good thing for you and your daughter having her friend along. My daughter is at the age when drinking is popular with her associates so of course she was drinking on the cruise (don't ask me how - I only let them have a glass of asti-spumante based on Jeannie's advice - at dinner). THen in the casino's my - daughters friend older than 16 - they played the slots and the friend won - they paid her out for $573 - never asked for ID. They and their new acquaintances hung out at the Karaoke Bar and some of them were served. I had always thought there was an indicator on your sign and sail card. Then the two of them discovred that they could order room wine that wine (when they knew I would be out of the room for awhile and charge it to my accont and sign my signature on my sign and sail club. I kept getting these bills for Gatsby's and since we went there to listen to the singers, at first though they were legimate until they started to pile up. It just went on and on.

 

So anyway this November am going with Jeannie and 2 friends of hers from work on RCCL to Bermuda and then I can act silly and not have to be the adult ;) .

 

So sorry to hear about your loss. I have three dogs and three cats so I really can empathize.

 

Chris

[shoreguy]

Chris

Sounds like the old switcharoo. Did the booze charges have your name on the statement or her name. As posted here a way to allow you kid to drink is give them your card. Another way it happens is they "borrow" your card :D

[Jett456]

Christal,

I am jealous, a Bermuda cruise with no kids to complain they are bored. Actually after a few days he didn't really complain. I guess he knew there wasn't anything I could do about it. He did mention once or twice about jumping ship. I wonder if I brought a friend for my son if he would have found a way to get in trouble too. Did you ground her when you got home?

[CHRISTAL]

Shore Guy

 

for the Champagne (she even ordered my favorite vintage) she calls up room service from the cabin and they bring this stuff and she must have told the steward I was in the shower or something and she singed the billl and left him a big fat tip!

:eek: :o I just looked at the bill again and believe my card was borrowed on at least on occasion when she sneaked out at night to go drinking careful to go to only lounges that I had frequented. She won't have an opportunity to con me again.

 

Jett

 

:cool: I have devised a most suitable punishment. My daughter had planned on buying a new car (using her Communion, Baptism and Sweet Sixteen money happily earning interest in the bank) and was planning to taek drivers ed this summer so that by the time she turns 17 in January she shold have her license. I have told her that she may not take drivers ED at age 17, that she will have to wait untill she is "of age." She really did make my life miserable on this cruise which I waited over a year for. I can't print some of the things she said - they are too embarrsaing and painful. The worst was when she stayed out all night - I was so worried cause you hear about people falling overboard. I guess I have no one to blame but my self in many ways since I indulged her as an only child. I was an only child and not indulged so I went overboard. WHen I returned to work when she was one I felt guility and really overcompensated.

 

I think it depends on the friend they bring. Some kinds would never do anything that might upset a friends parents - I was that way.

 

I really need this Bermuda Trip. Her father can deal with her at home!!!

Jett

 

I have never been to Bermuda - Have you? Jeannie keeps taking aout that Dark and Stormy national beverage. Had Spring break for my daughter been when Jeannie's Nephew's was we would have been on the same cruise (And Jeannie could have ironed my outfits too).

 

At present my daughter is schemming to get me to change my mind about her "draconian punishment." :p

[CHRISTAL]

cruzin with kids

 

:) I'll trade you I only wish we had a boring uneventful cruise. They were well behaved?

[Jett456]

Christal,

 

Well, you have to stick to your guns. You are doing the right thing. Kids have to lean that there are consequences for their actions. We told my son, 16 at the time that if he didn't start doing better in school (he was getting Cs and Ds) we would not let him get his permit to learn to drive. It didn't work, his grades stayed in the toilet. So, at that point it was either give in and let him get his license or not. We chose not and he didn't actually have a drivers license until he turned 18 It still worked out better in my opinion because he was older and more mature when he got his license. Good luck, and enjoy your cruise in August!

 

Yes I've been to Bermuda and it is wonderful. I didn't have a dark and stormy. Maybe next time. When is it that you are going? Maybe I can run away from home for a week like that woman in Georgia. I'll leave a note though.

[Julsuz]

Good evening fellow cruisers!

 

How's everyone doing? How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Ottawa's just great, still just a tad cool for this time of the year, but the sun is shining bright... yippee! Yesterday was the first day of the Tulip Festival http://www.tulipfestival.ca/en/index.php.

 

I picked up my cruise pictures today (yes yes, I've not yet entered the digital-age...). The pictures look great! I wish I was back on the ship... and even more so on GSC! But alas there's one thing I noticed when I went through them this afternoon... no pictures of our CC get-together!! I guess I was so busy chatting with all of you that I forgot to take pictures! So, this is my plea to you fellow cruisers... if you took one or two pictures at the get-together, could you send them to me? Greatly appreciated!!

 

julie_charron@sympatico.ca

 

Have a super evening and weekend everyone... and Happy Mother's Day to all!!!

 

 

j. :)

[judyf]

Nice tip, I;'m going to remember to take pictures at our M & G.

[cruizinwithkids]

cruzin with kids

 

:) I'll trade you I only wish we had a boring uneventful cruise. They were well behaved?

 

They really were very well behaved. I am extremely lucky with my DS, 14. He has really deep strong morals. I'm very proud of him and while neither my husband nor I were horrible when we were growing up, we're not sure where he came from. He doesn't like his math class because the kids behave badly. He has a good friend who has a pink mohawk and piercings. A few days before they started high school my son tried to convince him to give up the look because they were starting at a new school and "they wanted to make sure they made a good first impression."

For now my daughter idolizes her big brother so she's good. I know she will be our challenge.

[Jeanne S]

Tara: Your kids were so polite, thoughtful and well behaved. The only kids I have ever seen sit through a Cruise Critic meeting!

[Jeanne S]

Julie: Thanks for the Tulip Festival - awesome. I forgot to bring my camera to the CC Meeting. Unfortunately NCL does not have a QUEST adult scavenger hunt like RCCL does. The CC group from that cruise was a group - we came in second (to a group of 35 to our 9) and I still love looking at those photos of us doing all these silly, fun things.

[CHRISTAL]

CRUSIN WITH KIDS

 

They sound like Angels. Mine needs to think about morals - does she ever :rolleyes:

 

JETT:

 

Your kind advice has made my day and I am inspired and this has re-affirmed my decesion. We are on the last one I think Nov 13th. I really need this cruise in the worst way and hope I can hold out till then. Join us. Any recommendations for Bermuda (not that Jeannie and Lorraine don;t have a laundry list of activities planned my interests are more with shopping which is why I am thrilled to be on this ship with a mall) :)

[mmceachn]

Did she have a good time? My son is staying home next cruise because he had a miserable time. I wish he was having fun and staying up late. He was in bed most nights by ten praying for Sunday to arrive sooner.

 

 

Two years ago when my youngest two sons were 18 and 16 we scraped the money together to book two seperate cabins on the brand new Dawn. Our kids did not act out or anything like that, but they spent a lot of time rolling their eyes and saying that there was nothing to do.

Being teens, they would sleep unil noon and then complain that they were no longer serving breakfast. Then, when we were going on tours and to GSC they decided to stay on board because they were too cool to be seen with mom and dad. We had a couple of nice dinners in LeBisto which they liked, but both said that while they appreciated the fact that we took them on a nice vacation, they were not interested in cruising again any time soon.

I think that part of the problem was that they were too old for the teen program and too young for most of the other actvities on the ship.

 

We returned to the Dawn this past June and used the xtra money that would have gone toward thier cabin and gratuities to book ourselves a nice balcony

cabin

No more cruising with teens for me:)

My twently three year old son has gotten past the "I can't be seen with my parents" stage and is accompanying us to Disney next month

The youger two prefer to stay home and feed the cats:)

[Jeanne S]

Chris said she would rather bring her puppies next time. (Not the Rat Terrier, Susean Jean, the Chinese Crested). You actually can bring your pets on Cunard which has Kennels.

[NJcruiser21]

Nice tip, I;'m going to remember to take pictures at our M & G.

 

Judy,

 

I'll be taking tons!

[nycglitter]

Tim - Me too! Can't wait to put the faces with the names!

[CHRISTAL]

Sammy

 

I feel as if you were talking my thoughts. They are way too cool for us :rolleyes:

 

Jack my Rat Terrier is a very bad boy. He and my daughter are always getting into trouble - it finds them or they find it.

[nannyny2002]

Jeanne -

 

We did have a wonderful time on the Dawn! and one rough day at sea:( blah, was I sick, again! what a wind storm. I am hoping not to make a pattern of stormy weather following me. Just loved Colin Kerr, what an awesome guy.

 

May the sun gods be with you.

 

Nan