Teens on a boat

[Rametteperegrine]

We are planning on taking the kids (8,12,15) with us on our next cruise and I'm trying to figure out what the rules are. Carnival's website says the 11-14 and 15-17 age groups can sign themselves out of the kid's program whenever they want but the age restriction section it says "Guests under the age of 18 should be accompanied by an adult in all public areas of the ship"

 

So am I supposed to stay with them all the time or are they allowed to go around on their own?

[simplelife]

On every cruise I have been on I have seen teens and preteens on their own. Mostly, they behave. I've occasionally seems kids playing at elevators, but in general they keep busy. Loud drunken adults cause more disruption

 

 

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[april_4_us]

I belive you have to sign a form letting them sign themselves out of they are a certain age. My kids usually go to the teen group meet some people then hang out with them. Do some group activities and hang out together as a group.I think as long as they are not creating trouble not much is said.

 

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[E&B]

The key word in their policy is "should". As long as you monitor them - and a diligent parent can, even if they're unaccompanied- you should be fine. You know your child best. If they can't be trusted without you, don't leave them alone.

 

 

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[Rametteperegrine]

I'm not worried about them behaving badly, I wouldn't bring them if I was. I just don't want to end up being called in and chewed out with them walking about unattended.

[coevan]

called into where and chewed out by whom? The 8 year old might be a too young to be unsupervised but the 12 and 15 will be fine.

[cb at sea]

Kid's over 9 can sign themselves in and out of the kid's club. They are talking about AFTER curfew....late night. No worries.

[xitappers2bx]

Our next cruise will be the first time my daughter is old enough (in my opinion) to 'roam' around the ship without immediately checking in with me... but in the past once she was old enough to sign herself out, she followed the rules. For the most part the kids behave themselves, and when they don't there is usually a parent (unrelated to the group of misbehaving kids) who will put the kids back into their place. I can only think of one time where kids were an actual problem, and it was a group of teens creating dangerous situations trying to have fun.

[birdy]

My kids were 8 and 13 when they began cruising and they enjoyed the ability to go in and out of the kids club. Every year since they cruised with their cousins and would just hang with them. The older they became, the more they hung with us :) They are now 17 and 20 and still love cruising. No one will call and chew you out. Enjoy your cruise. The memories you make with them will last forever.

[dill9900]

We just got off of our cruise over thanksgiving and aside from our port days I didn't see my 14 and 16 year olds (not that I didn't want too). They went to the club the first night and made friends and were with them when we were on the boat, except for dinner!

The kids were all well behaved and at one point were Christmas Caroling on all decks!

My kids cannot wait until our next cruise!

 

 

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[Havingfun2010]

I absolutely cringe every time I hear a parent say they only saw well-behaved kids on a cruise and never had or saw a problem. First, let me say, I have kids, grand kids, and been around hundreds of kids. Will your kid, pop open a beer, or pull out a cigarette in front of you? No, they won't, but turn your back, and they will. Sure, maybe not all, but I can assure you, once they get into a "cruise gang" on the ship, and the parents are hiding in the casino, things happen.

 

The other thing I cringe is that the very same parent that won't let their kids walk to the bus stop in the morning for fears of being snatched, allow their kids to roam freely with 3500 International strangers on a ship and with "friends" they just met.

 

Yes, I allowed my kids to hang out, but I would never say, they were angels, or well behaved always. They were like me, my cousins, my brothers, and all my friends. We just always hoped they would make the right decisions.

[asalligo]

I have cruised for years with my two girls who are now 19 and 16 and yes they can be around the ship on their own just fine. Our rule was, we have to know where you are and what you are doing at all times and if for any reason you leave one venue for another we have to be alerted first. That is a two way street of course, we made our whereabouts always known also.

 

We used radios for this function, but the hub app would make it that much easier.

[bamagirl16]

My teenage boys went off without us on our cruise in March. We had rules. They had to check in with me every so often. They had to be back at the room in time to get ready for dinner and they did have a curfew imposed by me at night. And they all had to have an idea where each other was if they weren't together. And they knew the consequences of breaking those rules and breaking any of the ships rules. I will not say my boys are perfect little angels but they do know how to behave in public without their mom around. They only like to embarrass me if I am standing right there:)

 

We had the social media app so we could message each other at other times.

 

They had a great time.

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

I absolutely cringe every time I hear a parent say they only saw well-behaved kids on a cruise and never had or saw a problem. First, let me say, I have kids, grand kids, and been around hundreds of kids. Will your kid, pop open a beer, or pull out a cigarette in front of you? No, they won't, but turn your back, and they will. Sure, maybe not all, but I can assure you, once they get into a "cruise gang" on the ship, and the parents are hiding in the casino, things happen.

 

The other thing I cringe is that the very same parent that won't let their kids walk to the bus stop in the morning for fears of being snatched, allow their kids to roam freely with 3500 International strangers on a ship and with "friends" they just met.

 

Yes, I allowed my kids to hang out, but I would never say, they were angels, or well behaved always. They were like me, my cousins, my brothers, and all my friends. We just always hoped they would make the right decisions.

 

Having cruised over spring break many a time I can, unequivocally, say that kids are more well behaved on cruises than the adults who are with them. Kids, are for the most part, results of their upbringing and if they are well behaved on land a cruise ship isn't instantly going to change their natures. If they have been nurtured well they will act accordingly.

 

We, as the adults, make sure our kids have something to do. We bring along board games and meet up as an extended family to play on "boring" sea days. We invite them to join us for meals and they usually tag along even if "together" time isn't mandatory.

 

Our kids "know" that a cruise, or any vacation for that matter, is a treat and that their behavior will be the measuring stick as to whether they are "invited" again in the future. Trust your kids to act responsibly, even on a ship full of all sorts of people, and they will. Helicopter them and restricting them because of the "what ifs" isn't creating good kids...its showing distrust and lack of faith in one's own parenting skills.

 

To the OP...if you feel your kids have learned their life lessons let them enjoy the cruise and let them "free to fly". They won't disappoint.

[DirtyDawg]

Hmmmm? Teens on a Boat :confused:

 

Is that like Snakes on a Plane? :eek: