How to keep tabs on teens

[cruiser with teens]

If cell phones don't work, how do you manage to keep tabs on people from your group (kids, especially) Thanks for any suggestions.

[serene56]

In port I keep the kids with me..no way were they allowed off in their own.

 

Walkie talkies work- get the kind with recharable batteries and teach the kids about using them in the public areas. do not use your real names..and mom & Dad--pick another name besides Mom or dad

 

on the ship-- the telephones have voice mail- when you get into the cabin you want to set the voice mail for your own. You can then call the phone using public telephones throughout the ship. Calls are free cabin to cabin

[scubagirrl]

Although most walkie talkies work in the bahamas. There is a lot of interference in the area, since the there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them working in the marina/ atlantis area as well as marine radios, airport interference etc. Use them, but don't depend on them.

[momof4boys]

We stay together in a foreign country! My 19 yo wanted to stay in Nassau when we went back to the ship (45 minutes before we had to). NO way. He kept saying what a good student he was in college and how he was smart. We told him there are a lot of smart dead people. He actualy was fine with it. Just so you know we aren't helicopter parents, he is presently on a road trip to Minnesota (staying in a cabin) with his college roommates. At least he can't get left in a foreign country when his ship leaves! :eek: LOL

[brickiemom]

I'm with Momof4boys! We are not helicopter parents either. Next cruise is in 2/2006 ( Cozumel is one of the ports) this trip my sophomore in college and his roommate will be with the fam and I do mean with the fam. It's an easy law to lay down we pay you obey! LOL. I kill my self. But seriously they did not even bat an eyelash. They know the safety issues.

[judyjbest]

We've been to Nassau several times. Everyone, including teens, are offered illegal drugs and alcohol all over the island, even in front of their police. My kids will never be apart from me on that island, until they are on their own.

[eyzwdeshut]

When i went to jamaica with my parents, my dad & i "lost" my mom (she was really at the bus, but we didn't know she'd gone there after we split up to go to the restroom). While we were looking for her, all sorts of things were going thru our heads. Once we were all back together, my mom said she was a little scared being there alone with the all the jamaicans coming up to her. She was even offered drugs! There is no way i would let my kids out on their own in a foreign port. i'm not sure i'd let my mom out on her own again :)

[Hootsie]

Our teens stay with us on port. They have no other option.

[lilonepaula]

I feel soo niave. I thought the poster was talking about on the cruise ship. No way would I ever let ANY family member go off by themselves anywhere foreign. I really thought the OP wanted to know how to keep tabs as they make plans on the ship. I have this same question. My DD (14) will share a room w/her granny and me and DH in our room and we will all dine and do almost everything together. I know there will be some times we will want to catch a late night comic show,etc. and there is teen movies Ive heard for them to go to.

[jasm8449]

In ports...everyone stays together...especially teens who are targets for cons. Even if nothing 'bad' happens.....if something causes them to be late for sailing time, just imagine what you would be feeling as the ship is about to sail and the kids are not back, and there's no way to communicate with them. The ship will not/may not wait.

 

That being said, given the possibility that someone could get separated from your group, make sure they each have a note on them that lists the name of the ship, the sailing time, the contact information for the ship's port agent who can be contacted if they are in trouble. The port agent info is usually printed in the daily activity sheet.

[serene56]

I feel soo niave. I thought the poster was talking about on the cruise ship. .

 

it isnt you--im sure the poster was asking about how to keep tabs ON the ship. They never came back to let us know.

[hadleys9538]

We've been on several cruises with our 17-year-old son. This past Spring break we went on RCCL's Vision down the Mexican Riviera. At every port, we went on family excursions together, but he had made a large posse of friends on the ship as well. They were pretty much inseparable when he was on board. A couple of months ago, I was cleaning his room and noticed the screen saver on his computer was a picture of him (wearing a giant sombrero) surrounded by this large group of friends. When I looked closely at the picture, I noticed the background looked completely unfamiliar, and featured several signs for Corona.

 

I asked him about the picture when he returned from school that day. He admitted that he and his group of friends got off the ship in Puerto Vallarta and went "bar hopping." I had absolutely NO idea he had gotten off the ship. Our ship had docked there until 11:30 that evening. We had returned from our family excursion at around 4. He came to dinner that night and everything. It's pretty sobering to think what could have happened. He and his friends were all under age. The ship never asked any questions when they left, and then they all got a bunch of cabs and off they went. He said they made sure they were back in plenty of time for the ship's sailing -- by 11:15 :eek:. Ignorance is definitely bliss -- I would have had a coronary if I'd known he was off the ship in Mexico. Instead, we were watching that night's entertainment, and I figured he and his friends were somewhere in the theater watching it as well.:o