At what age did you give your kids "free reign"?

[LincolnLog]

My son will be 11 on our upcoming cruise and since it will be his 6th cruise, I'm worried that he will be bored with the kids club. I'm thinking he's still too young for us to just set him free on the ship (and I haven't even brought this up to my overprotective wife yet :eek:), but it made me wonder how old kids usually are when their parents are comfortable doing this.

[bklynfinest77]

With my kids( but I have twins) we did it at 10 with cellphones and the ship WiFi text package .. they did fine with no issue they had to stay together at all times .. I think I was more comfortable because it was 2 of them not sure how I would feel if it was just one

 

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[RPCVcruiser]

We gave our 11 yo daughter freedom to range on our last cruise. By that she was allowed to go to specific parts of the ship (arcade, our room) by herself. Anytime she wanted to go to another part of the ship by herself she checked in with us before relocating so she could always be located by us. She is a very mature only child and did quite well. We did not give her a card that could be used for charges. That's another conversation. Our upcoming trip in July, she will have free range and a room card she can charge with, but she will be 14 so time to give her more leash

 

 

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[mjkacmom]

11 sounds about right. My oldest 2 were 9 and 11 on our first cruise (DCL). They didn't like the club, so they could go places together, as long as we knew where they were. On the next one, they were 12 and 14, one hung out with kids met in the teen club, the 12 year old had freedom, as well. On our last cruise the youngest 3 were 10, 10, and 12, didn't like the club, so were allowed to go places without us. We had spa passes, so it worked out great.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I suggest you give your child the same amount of freedom you're comfortable giving him or her at home. Not everyone on a cruise ship is someone you'd want your child to encounter anymore than everyone in your home town is. For me, being on a cruise ship doesn't mean my daughter is any safer than she would be walking down the street at home.

[NHL Philly Fan]

My son will be 11 on our upcoming cruise and since it will be his 6th cruise, I'm worried that he will be bored with the kids club. I'm thinking he's still too young for us to just set him free on the ship (and I haven't even brought this up to my overprotective wife yet :eek:), but it made me wonder how old kids usually are when their parents are comfortable doing this.

 

 

I don't give my kids 'free reign' at all. They are my responsibility and I take that responsibility seriously. That is not to say that I do not allow them to enjoy the ship, they just need to let me know where they are going and how long they will be. They know full well if they get out of line that there will be hell to pay. I'd never 'set them free' on the ship or on other passengers. It is not their jobs to watch my kids.

[Sybird]

IMHO, kids sailing with parents should not be set free while on board until the age of 21!!

[elainemasey61]

My son was probably about the same age with cruise experience. I would make sure you set rules, absolutely do not enter anyone's room, no one in yours, stranger danger etc. I think sometimes we get a bit relaxed about safety/strangers on a ship.

 

 

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[mjkacmom]

I suggest you give your child the same amount of freedom you're comfortable giving him or her at home. Not everyone on a cruise ship is someone you'd want your child to encounter anymore than everyone in your home town is. For me, being on a cruise ship doesn't mean my daughter is any safer than she would be walking down the street at home.

 

Totally agree, and by 11, my kids can roam our town. They started walking to school in second grade, and the kids start going out to local eateries for lunch in the 5th grade. Our town of 27,000 people is only 3 square miles.

[funredhead]

It's been our experience that kids over 10 have sign in and out privledges on the ships. My 12 year old son still likes the club particularly on the large ships.

We expect him to check in with us if he's not at the club and let us know where he is at all times. I would agree that not everyone on these ships are people, I'd want my kids to be around. That being said, I don't think kids need to be treated like inmates. If they are responsible and respectful and meet the parameters of your rules, then I'm sure you will all have a great vacation.

 

I don't know which ship you are sailing on, but I would recommend that your son goes and tries out the club. We have met many amazing kids crew employees. They work really hard to make vacations fun. The other upswing is transitioning to the teen club is easier. And, they do an amazing job!

 

Happy sailing!

[Two Wheels Only]

If they aren't payin', they aren't roamin'. :mad:

Edited February 2, 2017 by Two Wheels Only

[mark290]

I suggest you give your child the same amount of freedom you're comfortable giving him or her at home. Not everyone on a cruise ship is someone you'd want your child to encounter anymore than everyone in your home town is. For me, being on a cruise ship doesn't mean my daughter is any safer than she would be walking down the street at home.

 

Completely safe ? No. Much safer on a cruise ship ? Yes. Bad stuff can and has happened on a ship but it is much safer than most cities in terms of crime.

 

In terms of safety concerns other than crime it is also much safer. The vast majority of public areas of a ship are covered by video cameras. You can walk to a medical facility 24 hours a day. You can't say that about where I live.

[LincolnLog]

I didn't realize this was such a sensitive subject. I had just noticed on previous cruises that there were "tween" aged kids around by themselves so I figured it was pretty common on cruise ships. I guess it's like most things when it comes to parenting...assessing the situation, knowing your kids, and deciding if you're comfortable with it.

[bklynfinest77]

I didn't realize this was such a sensitive subject. I had just noticed on previous cruises that there were "tween" aged kids around by themselves so I figured it was pretty common on cruise ships. I guess it's like most things when it comes to parenting...assessing the situation, knowing your kids, and deciding if you're comfortable with it.

Ever single topic is a sensitive subject on here if you ask me ..lol everyone has a different opinions.. all in all its what u think will be best for your son ... that being said if he has a phone or ipod make sure he takes it and get the ship text package I feel this will let you and you wife be a little more at ease cause they can contact you and verse versa

 

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[ncklhaus]

Once the kids are 10, they are allowed to sign themselves out if Splash Academy. But only if you allow it and after they have been there for 2 hours.

On our next cruise our daughter will be 10 and even though she is a very responsible child I don't know that we are comfortable with her roaming the ship on her own.

Yes, when we were at a restaurant on our last cruise, we let her go to the bathroom and back by herself. And we let her go back to the room to get something a few times when we were in the Haven. This was our 3rd time on Breakaway and by the end of the cruise we had spent a total of 5 weeks onboard, so she knew he way around the ship. She also had her cellphone with the app on it in case of emergency.

It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.

 

 

From the FAQ:

 

Parents can allow their 10 - 12 year old to sign themselves out of Splash Academy after two hours of participation.

 

It is recommended for parents to make the first initial drop off so the Youth Staff have the opportunity to meet you. In order to sign themselves in and out of the program, the 10-12 year olds must have their key cards and their parents location.

The authorization ends nightly at 10:30 p.m. Therefore, at 10:30 p.m., the 10 -12 year old will be signed out from Splash Academy, unless the parent registers the child for Late Night Fun Zone.

 

If the child does not wish to remain in Splash Academy for the two hours, the parent or another authorized guardian can pick up the child at any time.

 

Please refer to FAQ regarding authorized pick up people.

 

The sign out authorization does not apply on Port Days.

 

It is recommended that parents decline the authorization if they do not want their 10 - 12 year old unattended or if the child has a moderate to severe special need. It is also recommended for safety purposes, to establish a meet-up plan for 10-12 year old who are given the sign out authorization so you are aware of where they are when not in the program.

[BostonGal35]

depends largely on the maturity of the child. the same things that can happen to children on land can and do happen on cruise ships.

 

i would set basic rules, like checking in, and NEVER under ANY circumstance going into anyone's stateroom other than your own (and never going into your own stateroom with others).

[KeithJenner]

When our son was 10 he started to lose interest in the kids club a bit. When we dropped him off at the kids club we made sure he knew where we were, and if he checked himself out of there then he had to come straight to where we were.

 

We usually have a few meals by ourselves when he is in the kids club, and found that he was sometimes out of there before we had finished our meal, so he would go back to the room whilst we were eating.

 

Last year, when he was 11, he didn't go into the kids club at all. We still had a couple of meals by ourselves and he went to the buffet. He is basically allowed into the kids club, the cabin or wherever we are, plus the buffet for food. At the moment we wouldn't be happy with him being in most public areas or hanging around blocking the stairs with other kids.

 

We're not sure what we will allow yet for this year when he is 12. Probably not much different to last year.

[nomad098]

All kids are different and you know yours best.

 

I have 3 the eldest now 14 we had no problem at 11 giving him some limited

freedoms. He was mature for his age with good common sense, a healthy

cynicism and a understanding of right and wrong.

 

The twins are now 9 and I am not sure if they will ever get the freedoms their

brother enjoyed. They are as mature and understand right from wrong as their

brother did at 9, but they are also in some ways a lot more naive and trusting

they do not have the same cynicism or common sense their older brother has.

Edited February 2, 2017 by nomad098

[newmexicoNita]

our grandkids were about 9 and 13 on their first cruise (way back) they are now both mommies with kids almost that old> Both were pretty responsible for their ages. They had complete rein on the ship and loved every minute of the experience.

[1620rock]

Just came back from Getaway and was shocked how many children were given free range by their parents and am very sure that the parents did not know they were running in the cabin hallways playing tag, trying to sneak in to Spice H20, playing in the elevators, closing elevator doors on folks waiting to get on, screaming and pushing their way through the atrium. Heard lots of panicked small kids 6-9 looking for big brother or sister that were supposed to be watching them. My opinion 13 or older to be given free range with check ins every hour or so which is what we did at AI's with our daughter. When young she was with us or in the kids club.

[KeithJenner]

Just came back from Getaway and was shocked how many children were given free range by their parents and am very sure that the parents did not know they were running in the cabin hallways playing tag, trying to sneak in to Spice H20, playing in the elevators, closing elevator doors on folks waiting to get on, screaming and pushing their way through the atrium. Heard lots of panicked small kids 6-9 looking for big brother or sister that were supposed to be watching them. My opinion 13 or older to be given free range with check ins every hour or so which is what we did at AI's with our daughter. When young she was with us or in the kids club.

 

The problem is that, in my experience, the kids who are a problem unsupervised are in the 14-16 age range.

 

As usual, the problem isn't as much with the kids, but the parents.

[KarimaJ]

On our last cruise my daughter was 11.5. This was the first time we let her out by herself a few times. This only occurred a couple times so she could go "shopping" with her friend, same age. She was told to meet us in 1 hour, and DO NOT under any circumstances go into anyone's room. She had a spending limit which she stuck to so we were happy. I'm not comfortable with allowing too much free roaming time, nervous about her getting pulled into a room by someone, etc.... Anyway a little freedom and responsibility are good for them.

[Sissaaaaaa]

My son will be 11 on our upcoming cruise and since it will be his 6th cruise, I'm worried that he will be bored with the kids club. I'm thinking he's still too young for us to just set him free on the ship (and I haven't even brought this up to my overprotective wife yet :eek:), but it made me wonder how old kids usually are when their parents are comfortable doing this.

 

Yeah, 11 is way too young. We never gave "free reign". There was always check in times and meet ups.

[Sissaaaaaa]

I suggest you give your child the same amount of freedom you're comfortable giving him or her at home. Not everyone on a cruise ship is someone you'd want your child to encounter anymore than everyone in your home town is. For me, being on a cruise ship doesn't mean my daughter is any safer than she would be walking down the street at home.

 

This is exactly right. It floors me how many people think it's ok, or safe, to let their kids just wander in a "city" of 3,000 strangers. :eek:

[LrgPizza]

There's a huge difference between giving kids free reign and giving them some freedom. When my son was 11, he had freedom to go places on his own, but there were a lot of rules in place along with that.

 

1. We always knew where he was. He told us where he was going, and found us to get permission if he was going elsewhere.

2. We communicated via iConcierge.

3. He was not permitted to go into pools.

4. He was not permitted to go into cabin areas. He needed to ask before returning to the cabin, or he needed to ask before leaving the cabin.

5. He had check in/out privileges from the kids club, but was not allowed to check himself out without getting our permission first. If he couldn't reach us to ask, too bad.

6. He also knew exactly where we would be. (We'd give him 1 or 2 places to look for us. If we were going to be anywhere else, we'd let him know.)

 

This worked for us and our son. He is a respectful kid, who doesn't really like breaking rules. He mostly hung at the buffet eating endless amounts of ice cream with friends he'd made in the Kids Club, or hanging out on the ropes course for hours, or doing the slides, or watching movies or shows in the atrium.