6th cruise with kids, first for them as Teens

[Cruise Arizona]

We are cruising with our kids in March. It will be our 6th cruise with them, but their first as full fledge teens. On their last cruise they they were 11 and 13, on this one they will be DD 15 and DS 16.

 

It will be back to back cruises on the Celebrity Silhouette during spring break. Any suggestions are appreciated. I am usually pretty strict with them but now that they are teens I could use some hints on what to be strict about and when to let them have some more freedom.

[topspot]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1199310

 

This thread has some great ideas. The thread was started with a "preteen"

question, but the suggestions would hold true for teens also. ;) You may already do many of the things.

[Keith1010]

We are cruising with our kids in March. It will be our 6th cruise with them, but their first as full fledge teens. On their last cruise they they were 11 and 13, on this one they will be DD 15 and DS 16.

 

It will be back to back cruises on the Celebrity Silhouette during spring break. Any suggestions are appreciated. I am usually pretty strict with them but now that they are teens I could use some hints on what to be strict about and when to let them have some more freedom.

 

Celebrity is an excellent choice for the kids.

 

My experience is at this age the kids will not want to do the official children's program but will want to be with other kids.

 

Everyones child is different so not knowing yours it's hard to give advice but here goes anyways.

 

Have rules for them so there are no misunderstandings. As good as the kids might be sometime there is temptation.

 

So, rules such as not letting others into whatever room they are staying in might be a good idea and also for them not to hang out in others rooms. No drinking if someone tries to offer them a drink. Having guidelines as to how late they can be out is good plus checking in with you. We used to have designated times and places to meet.

 

Keith

[seashinesunshine]

We are cruising with our kids in March. It will be our 6th cruise with them, but their first as full fledge teens. On their last cruise they they were 11 and 13, on this one they will be DD 15 and DS 16.

 

It will be back to back cruises on the Celebrity Silhouette during spring break. Any suggestions are appreciated. I am usually pretty strict with them but now that they are teens I could use some hints on what to be strict about and when to let them have some more freedom.

 

When we were with Carnival I was told the teen group gets together and takes an off boat excursion together. They somehow decide which one to do. Ours decided not to, but it sounded fun.

My strategy for keeping track of my teens (last time they were 13 and 15) was to tire them out. We had only one sea day, so in port we were busy, did a lot of walking etc, and had late dining, they were more than ready for bed by time we were done eating. :D

My other rule, they had to stay together. Not fun all the time for a 15 year old girl and 13 year old boy, but they went along with it fine and had a great time. Carnival also made my room key compatable with thiers so I could open thier door, and I think we had one of thiers that could open ours.

[junglejane]

Keith has already outlined the most important ground rules, such as never going in someone else's room or inviting them to yours, etc. People always worry about predators or criminals on cruise ships, but I think the more likely risk is your teen being inadvertently caught up in misbehavior caused by other teens. With my older DD (who just turned 16 and got her driver's license on Friday! :eek:), I always reiterate the importance of walking away from questionable situations. Obvious examples are kids who are raiding their parents' minibar (happened on our last Princess cruise), sneaking cigarettes, or otherwise breaking rules. I remind DD that there are cameras everywhere and she could get in trouble just for being around when something bad happens. Every time I read a story on CC about some family being kicked off a ship, I drag her over to the computer and read her the story. She always says, "I know, Mom!" :rolleyes:

 

Our last cruise was on the Equinox in June 2011 when DD was 14. She really enjoyed participating in the teen activities then and it seemed to be a good group of kids. Sometimes they liked the organized activities but other times they prefered to just hang out together.

 

My younger DD will turn 12 on the second day of our upcoming Silhouette cruise for Spring Break. This will be her first time in the teen program and she is not the independent type. I will be keeping much closer tabs on her!

[Cruise Arizona]

Thanks for the replies, I have a pretty extensive list of rules that I have put into a contract and I keep on file, and most of the things mentioned above are already on that list, but good to know that most of what applied at 11 and 13 will still apply at 15 and 16.

 

I guess what I'm having trouble with is the "hanging out". I am very concerned about the kids being courteous of other passengers, and because a teens perception of the world is not so wide, they may confuse the appropriateness of the location to hang out and the activities. I'm sure some teens seem to think that playing hacky sack in the starway is pefectly appropriate, but who of us grown ups would understand that. So I'm hoping that they will really put on their thinking caps when choosing their places to hang out and the activities to pursue. They are too fair to lay out by the pool, so hopefully they'll find appropriate activities. Bocce ball is always a good choice.