Leaving 17 y/o on board while going to shore

[Lexi731]

My 2 DS's and I are going on the POA in a few months and there is one day where my youngest DS and I are planning an excursion. My oldest DS (17 y/o) has no interest in what we are doing and would like to stay on the ship instead of going with us.

 

We are traveling with some other family members and I am wondering if my 17 y/o would be able to stay on the ship with them, or would he have to go to the teen club in order to stay on the ship without me?

 

Anyone have any experience with this type of situation?

 

Thanks.

 

Karen

[calmac]

We left our DS on board when DH and I went ashore in Split, Croatia. He was almost 15 at the time. He stayed in our cabin and watched some movies. He had never attended the kids club and we had no other friends or family onboard. No issues at all.

[NYcruzzer]

While it is acceptable to leave your DS onboard please remember that if you miss the ship in port your DS will enjoy some alone time until you catch up at the next port. Have a great cruise !!

[roger001]

No one would ever know his parents are not on board. Not a problem.

[RYMOMA]

I have left my DS and DD on ship before.

At the time they were 15 and 7.

 

They would of rather hung at the kids pool on the Spirit than go I the beaches on Bermuda.

[Starry Eyes]

I cannot imagine a problem. first, there are adults aboard to supervise him if needed. if you missed the ship, heaven forbid, he would not be alone. Second, if it is POA, you are even in US waters...local 17 year olds get relatively limited supervision there.

[Lexi731]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I had read something on the NCL site which lead me to believe it may be an issue. I am glad to hear that it won't be a problem for him to stay on board.

 

He didn't really want to go surfing or to the teen club - he would rather hang out on our aft deck and read his kindle.

 

In the event we miss the ship i am sure that he would enjoy hanging out with his grandma.

 

Karen

[pyrrhus]

While it is acceptable to leave your DS onboard please remember that if you miss the ship in port your DS will enjoy some alone time until you catch up at the next port. Have a great cruise !!

 

I would have loved that at 17.

[NYcruzzer]

I would have loved that at 17.

 

Lol...

[Starry Eyes]

While it is acceptable to leave your DS onboard please remember that if you miss the ship in port your DS will enjoy some alone time until you catch up at the next port. Have a great cruise !!

 

I would have loved that at 17.

 

If parent is unfortunate enough to miss the ship, the 17 year old will be with grandma. And since it is POA, probably cell phone contact with 'rents. Maybe not all the fun you dreamed about at 17....

[OCruisers]

Good Grief! He's 17!

He'll be fine and can do whatever he wishes on the ship. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[NYcruzzer]

Good Grief! He's 17!

He'll be fine and can do whatever he wishes on the ship. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

Chill.. No one implied her son wouldn't be fine heaven forbid they missed the ship.

[punkincc]

Maybe I am not remembering correctly, but I thought it was NCL policy that children cannot be left onboard while both parents are off the ship.

 

It makes sense from the standpoint of a medical emergency which might arise with the child. Grandma cannot consent to medical treatment. I know it is not likely, and I might be tempted to do it myself, but just wondering what the official policy is.

[mpk218]

I would have loved that at 17.

 

17 ? I love it at 48 :D

[ColinIllinois]

Karen, in order to have all the bases covered here perhaps it would be prudent to have some sort of notarized Power of Attorney or some other legal mumbo jumbo document giving authority to one of the adult relatives you are traveling with to take care of your son in the event that (Lord forbid) something happens to him while you are gone or something happens to you and your spouse while ashore.

 

Chances are it wouldn't be needed but heck, you can print out a free PofA form from the web and it's simple to get a notary signature.

 

Just a thought.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[DMLyons]

I would have loved that at 17.

 

I did similar things at 14 and 15, let alone 17. :D At 15, the adults in the tour group were at the casino in Atlantic City. I was just dropped on the boardwalk and told where to meet the tour shuttle to get back to the hotel when I wanted to go. One of my parents and her second husband were part of the tour group. I was only one of three people out of 60 who went back to the hotel AT ALL that night, and I went back at midnight. In Niagara Falls, Canada (when I was 16), I was dropped off on the strip and just told to meet the group again in four hours. I would never allow my own children to do these things...at least not alone, but (despite the dangers in the 80s) parents often didn't think that way about it.

 

IMO, it depends entirely on how responsible your teens are and how dangerous the area is. I was responsible. I would similarly not be distressed at all at leaving my adult teen in charge of my two younger teens aboard ship in a foreign port and wouldn't have been when she was under 17, though the legal responsibilities are clearer now that she's adult. I wouldn't have any qualms about leaving my older two teens alone on the ship, but the youngest? Not unless her older sister was watching her.

 

DML

[Lexi731]

Maybe I am not remembering correctly, but I thought it was NCL policy that children cannot be left onboard while both parents are off the ship.

 

It makes sense from the standpoint of a medical emergency which might arise with the child. Grandma cannot consent to medical treatment. I know it is not likely, and I might be tempted to do it myself, but just wondering what the official policy is.

 

Yes, I had read this somewhere on the NCL cruise web page - which is why i've posed the question. Even though it appears the rule is not enforced widely.

 

My 17 year old is a very mature one, he's 6'7 and built like a line backer so I'm not concerned for his safety. A gentle giant too. If it were my 16 year old - no way would I even consider doing this.

 

On our last cruise, the security system beep'ed like crazy when one of the kids tried to get off before us - however I don't know if NCL's system is similiar or if it would do the same if it the adults tried to leave without the minors attached to them in the computer.

 

Perhaps I will go ahead with the power of attorney just in case and check with the desk when we get on board. Worse case is he will have to read his kindle in the teen club until we get back on board.

 

Thanks.

 

Karen

[bonvoyagie]

In the case of minors, their room cards also have the photos of the parents/legal guardians who are linked to the child - they can not get off the ship without the proper person being with them. I first saw this on the POA in 2006.

 

They are simply trying to keep the child safe.