A Board 15 Year Old?

[thefog]

Is there a lot for my two daughters age 15 and 11 to do because the soon to be 15 year old gets bored very easily if you know what I mean.:eek:

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

It's all about making friends. And friends both of them will make if you sign them up for whatever "kid/teen" groups are on board. Unless you're taking them out of school and cruising when everyone else is in school, there should be plenty of kids on board. It's very rare for a kid to be bored....onboard.

 

BobK/Orlando

SEA PRINCESS MAY 2005/ yeah baby!

[pastfacesfuture]

I have to be honest - I went on a Disney Cruise when I was 16 I think, and it wasn't the most fun thing in the world. I had fun, but I didn't make any friends my age. Most of the people in the "teen" area were way younger than me, like 12, 13, and 14. Most of the 15 and up crowd are too "cool" to hang out with those kids. You have to be 18 to have the REAL fun, but the younger child will have a blast. On the same cruise, my little brother was 6 and he loved every minute of it and cried when we had to leave.

 

I was never the talkative, make new friends type though. I mostly hung out on the decks, working on my tan and read books or magazines. 15-17 is a tough age though, because you feel like you're old enough to hang with adults, but still forced to hang out with "the kids". In my xperience with both Disney's cruises and carnival's, the adults have a blast, the younger children have a blast, but teens are just lost somewhere in the middle.

 

They will enjoy the trip for sure, especially if it is their first, but there will be a few times when a gameboy or some magazines will come in handy.

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

A couple years ago when our son was then 15, we took a cruise to the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan. It was "Fall Break", a week off that not many school districts do. So there were hardly any kids his age on board and the few that were on board all were from Puerto Rico so they hung out with their own friends. So he's coming up on his 18th cruise later this month and the above mentioned incident was his only "lonely" one. He had a GREAT time at age 16 on the Disney Wonder. I think it just depends when you go and who else happens to be on board. Most ships do have video game rooms to occupy time, plus arcades.

[GrannyJ]

If she's anything like my granddaughter on our cruise last summer, she'll immediately find a "posse" of girlfriends, will have to be pried away from them to spend a few minutes a day with the family and will have a great time. They'll drop in at the teen club whenever there's something really fun going on and the rest of the time they'll be found hanging out at the pool, checking out the "talent" at the basketball court and huddled up on the deck giggling (re: the afore-mentioned talent, cute crewmembers, clueless parents....) Expect to be ignored if you happen to pass them and above all else, PUH-LEEZE don't do anything embarrassing like pretend to be related to her. You will be allowed to meet the friends once. Asking their names and where they're from is the maximum amount of interactive socialization permitted. As I said before, she'll have a good time and will allow after the cruise that it "wasn't too lame" and "can we go again next year?"

[cali-croozer]

Your 14 year old will be bored, only if she wants to be. There's so much to do, IF she wants to participate. Make her go to the first night's meet and greet for her age group and she should meet up with some friends. That should take care of the whole week. This is not the time to be shy or to be "too cool" for activities. The "too cool" kids are the ones who end up not having a good time. The same goes for your 11 year old-----tons of stuff to do, first night's meeting is a must. Have a great cruise!:)

[morriscats]

My 15 year old granddaughter met up with another family we met here on Cruise Critics who had a 15 year old and they were inseparable. They did regret not going to the teen group though - they went the last night and met other really "cool kids". Your daughter will have a great time.

[thefog]

thankyou so much for this information the first night meeting is a must for these kids.

[elaineof6]

Does your daughter have a friend (that you can stand) that might want to come onthe cruise with you? If it doesn't inconvenience your family too muchwhy not make the offer? Of course, the guest would have to cover her own expenses, but I know I'd be willing to let my teens go on this kind of trip with their friend and friend's family (privided I knew the family, of course).

 

I'm not suggesting you pick up any of the expense for this friend- but if it doesn't throw too much of a monkey wrench into your works, it's a thought. If you have enough adults on your cruise, you could book a separate room and let the teens have it to themselves.

[morriscats]

You might want to try what we did - go to the roll call and see if any other families are going with kids your daughters age. The family we started corresponding with had a 15 year old daughter, same as my grandaughter and a 11 year old son who hung out with my 2 grandsons. We met at the Hotel and the kids were together from then on. We also enjoyed the parents and now we all email, call, and will get together when we can.

[jckvpa0]

My sixteen yro son did not go the meet & greet the first night. He was a little bored the second night & wondered into the teen center He met a group of kids all within an age difference of 1 to 2 years in both directions. These kids had a blast! Granny has it down on how it will be once they do make friends.One little tip, If you can't find them once they do make friends always check the pizza area, you will more than likley find them there. One night my son was not in his room by the time he was suppose to be. I sent my husband out looking for him, I was getting a little worried because he was taking longer than I thought. He had checked the whole ship first than went up to the lideo deck to the pizza area last :eek: ! Of course that's where they were, playing cards & eating pizza, duh!

[cali-croozer]

One little tip, If you can't find them once they do make friends always check the pizza area, you will more than likley find them there. One night my son was not in his room by the time he was suppose to be. I sent my husband out looking for him, I was getting a little worried because he was taking longer than I thought. He had checked the whole ship first than went up to the lideo deck to the pizza area last :eek: ! Of course that's where they were, playing cards & eating pizza, duh!

 

My 15 year old turned into a ping pong maniac with a bunch of other teens he met. That's where we could always find him!:)

[serene56]

http://community.webshots.com/album/299741566PLYKOu

here is the camp papers for Miracle. If your daughter wants to be active she will be. First meeting is VERY important.

 

early dinner is also easier to do things too.