How to keep in contact with kids.

[the griswolds]

Hi, we are sailing on Explorer in August. Now the wife and i can't find each other in our local supermarket and the mobile phone is the only way we can find one another. We also have our son who is 11 and loves to wonder off. Is there any way we can keep in touch somehow or is it the case of, once we board i will see you in 2 weeks??? Do walkie talkies work on the ships?:confused:

[chichi7]

Hi! Our family is the same! LOL! We bring Motorola Walkie talkies every time we cruise. You do sometimes come across some interference with other people that are using there's on board. My husband just switches our channels up if there's too much interference. Have a great vacation!!

[AtlantaAlly]

The walkie talkies work well- as long as the person on the other end is listening for it! Sometimes, depending on where your room is, there may be some interference, but not often, and if you move to the decks/balcony, you should be fine.

[TBone2K]

Walkie talkies work most of the time, just please don't be annoying with them. Trying to hold a conversation on on of those is like talking on your cell on speaker in public when you have a bad connection.

 

Many parents will just set a time and meeting place and let their kids have at it, but that depends on your child.

[cb at sea]

I would not allow my 11 year old to "wander off"....I would allow him to come and go to and from specific places for specific reasons...but that's it. Once he's completed the approved activity, then he would have to come to me and get permission for the next thing. Roaming and wandering leads to trouble.

 

A child is not going to want to carry a walkie-talkie around Just give him his boundaries and then you'll know where he is. And, always be where you said you'd be, so he can find you to PHYSICALLY check in.

 

You wouldn't allow him to wander in a downtown area alone, would you? You shouldn't on the ship, either.

Edited June 10, 2015 by cb at sea

[brenderlou]

I would not allow my 11 year old to "wander off"....I would allow him to come and go to and from specific places for specific reasons...but that's it. Once he's completed the approved activity, then he would have to come to me and get permission for the next thing. Roaming and wandering leads to trouble.

 

A child is not going to want to carry a walkie-talkie around Just give him his boundaries and then you'll know where he is. And, always be where you said you'd be, so he can find you to PHYSICALLY check in.

 

You wouldn't allow him to wander in a downtown area alone, would you? You shouldn't on the ship, either.

 

 

I have to agree. Our daughter is 11. She is with us all the time if not in kids club. Could your child fin the cabin or you? So many people.....I would keep in sight.

Edited June 10, 2015 by brenderlou

[bouhunter]

I have to agree with a couple other replies. At 11 our kid wasn't wandering around wherever she wanted without a plan, not even out "alone" much at all on the ship. There's really no reason for it at that age.

 

But I guess if you choose to cut them loose, it sounds like walkie talkies should work.

[brenderlou]

Also don't forget there are a lot of different people. Can an 11 yr old excuse themselves from people talking who have had to

much to drink? I am comfy in the pool area and our child wants to walk to get ice cream or look at ping pong. But there is a time limit and she knows all rules to talking to people and being back on time. I'm more careful on cruises.

[the griswolds]

Thanks for your replies, when I say wonder off, of course he will tell us where he was going it's just he might want to do it now and again. I just wanted to make sure we could contact him at all times.

[meripour]

Think of the cruise ship as a City; lots of people from all over the world with backgrounds and habits you know nothing of. Add to that liquor and conversations or behavior that is not kid appropriate. While you are on vacation, things can and have happened as you will find on this site if you read long enough. Its not that you have to be paranoid, but aware. If he is not in one of the kid or teen group activities supervised by the ship, then there really is not a reason for him to go off alone without rules. Hopefully he will meet someone in the activities where you can pair up with another parent in this effort.

 

A couple of years ago there was an incident discussed on these boards; a young boy, who on his own, decided he should go to the men's steam sauna and was molested. Young girls, 12 to 15, out on their own at night, all over the ship venturing to places they should not, flirting with boys or staff did not end well. . . Lets just say, young folks don't possess the skills or knowledge to not make a risky choice that puts them into a position they should not be in. Not to mention the kid (I am sure not yours) who is the little brat that disrupts everyone else's trip because he has no boundaries of acceptable behavior. We just love rooming next to that family! :eek:

Parenting never takes a holiday.

 

I do think the walkie-talkies are appropriate, and while they do not work everywhere, it will at least let you touch base with each other if you decide to go elsewhere. The ship is big and trying to find someone is almost impossible which is why my husband and I use them. They have a neck chain.

I seem to remember they used to have these at the Purser's desk, first come, first serve.

[meripour]

Here is the link.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=426587

[the griswolds]

Here is the link.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=426587

 

Point taken Meripour, and thanks for the link.

 

Sean

[lovethesun1960]

We won't have a child with us but I be travelling with just my 78 yo parents who both have sight problems, in Feb 2016. I think we will be taking along some walkie talkies and I will be tagging them with their suite number so people can point them in the right direction. I plan on spending most of the time on the balcony of grand suite 11330 or at the solarium and they can wander the ship at will.

[meripour]

This is from an older email in a walkie-talkie discussion from a poster off Mariner. Thought this might help you. I don't know if they still do this but you could check - We were on the Mariner in June and rented ship phones for the week. They work just like cell phones, and you can call anywhere on the ship, to the concierge, etc. as well as to each other if you rent two. They were 25.00 each for the week, unlimited calls and came with chargers. Hope this helps

 

Another footnote on the walkie-talkies, these do come in very handy when on excursions if you don't want to use your phone in roaming/international mode. Plus your kid will have a ball with these when camping in the backyard with his buddies.

[biomedbob]

I sure wouldn't "point" them. They are vertically polarized antennae. :)

[serene56]

AS big as a ship sounds-- most of the area is cabin decks so you will not be on any of those.

 

You will get an activity sheet highlighting stuff you are interested in. (ask the steward for 2- take along a highlighter of two colors-- blue and green so you can easily see what you are doing together.

It is not hard to get lost on a ship.

 

walkie talkies with kids--- there are over 3000 strangers onboard with you-- some which will be able to listen to your private conversations-- never say when you are going back to the cabin- or your cabin number.

 

and the kids should never say where they are going. Keeping it touch with the kids--- use the cabin phone- leave voice mails. Leave post its. etc

Edited June 17, 2015 by serene56

[reedl]

I recommend just setting boundaries and meeting times with your kid. Walkie talkies do not always work, and cell phones are expensive (as you know).

 

Just tell him he needs to be at XX at time yy and everything is fine.

 

I am always amazed at the helicopter parents who simply will never let their kids out of their sight. My kids have been on cruises at the ages of 10 up, and are quite capable of handling themselves in public. They know what to do and where not to go. Perhaps it is because I have not been a helicopter parent and let them actually do things on their own, including riding their bikes to the center of my town, or hanging out with friends, and going out of my yard.

 

On a cruise ship, there is always a very public place nearby so no one is truly alone.

 

But that is just my opinion raising two very well adjusted kids who are doing very well in life.

[reallyhooked]

I recommend just setting boundaries and meeting times with your kid. Walkie talkies do not always work, and cell phones are expensive (as you know).

 

Just tell him he needs to be at XX at time yy and everything is fine.

 

I am always amazed at the helicopter parents who simply will never let their kids out of their sight. My kids have been on cruises at the ages of 10 up, and are quite capable of handling themselves in public. They know what to do and where not to go. Perhaps it is because I have not been a helicopter parent and let them actually do things on their own, including riding their bikes to the center of my town, or hanging out with friends, and going out of my yard.

 

On a cruise ship, there is always a very public place nearby so no one is truly alone.

 

But that is just my opinion raising two very well adjusted kids who are doing very well in life.

 

 

good advise. Some let their kids run wild. Riding elevators with every floor punched, running in the halls.

Cruise safe, have fun

[yolanda1]

Hi, we are sailing on Explorer in August. Now the wife and i can't find each other in our local supermarket and the mobile phone is the only way we can find one another. We also have our son who is 11 and loves to wonder off. Is there any way we can keep in touch somehow or is it the case of, once we board i will see you in 2 weeks??? Do walkie talkies work on the ships?:confused:

 

 

 

I would strongly advise against allowing an 11 year old child to wander off on a cruise ship full of thousands of strangers. Anything could happen.

 

The kids clubs are really good at keeping them occupied and safe, and not wandering around unattended. They are signed in and out and you can have peace of mind that they won't come to harm, or be bothering other people.

 

We have used Wilkie talkies fairly successfully with much older young people, but wouldn't allow an 11 year old to wander on a ship.

[ehfl]

Get the kid a watch. Let them know what time/location to meet for lunch or other activities. By this age, they should be responsible enough to follow a schedule, and if not, now is a good time to learn.

[newgrange]

Get the kid a watch. Let them know what time/location to meet for lunch or other activities. By this age, they should be responsible enough to follow a schedule, and if not, now is a good time to learn.

 

This.

Don't run the risk of using walkie talkies on who knows what frequencies in other countries. Make sure you know the emergency frequencies of where you are going and are able to adjust the frequency you are using on your walkie talkie.

[serene56]

On a cruise ship, there is always a very public place nearby so no one is truly alone..

 

 

right-- there is no reason at all anyone should be in the cabin area of the ship. My kids were NOT allowed to walk new friends to their cabin at all. Nope- not even to wait by the elevator- they were to stay in public areas at all times.