Sending kids on excursion

[tw67]

My two sons are in a cabin together, next door to my husband and I. When we sail, my older son will be 20 and the second one 15. We are thinking of sending them on a zip lining excursion together in Amber Cove. We were looking at doing something all together, but my husband and I have decided to skip ziplining on this trip, and all the excursions seemed to do that first, then beach or lunch second. So we thought send the boys, and we will just relax.

 

Will Carnival let my 15 year old go without us? I was hoping so, since his brother is 20 . Has anyone ever encountered this on an excursion?

 

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[A&Jfamily]

I believe the answer to your question can be found here:

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2866/kw/shore%20excursion

 

But, as a mom of a 20 and 14 year old who recently visited the DR, I would advise against it. It is not the safest place we have been, though had no issues, and there can be a language barrier. My guess is they will have to go a fair distance from the port to zip line. Plus, there is always the possibility of injury with that activity (I have enjoyed it myself but a couple on honeymoon was recently killed/severely injured when husband slammed into wife). My 20 yo is a junior in college and I would not want him to have to make decisions about his younger brother if anything went wrong. I would spend the money to join them and just skip the ziplining part myself if I wasn't up to it.

[Ziggy7]

Zipline companies usually have the person/parent sign a release of liability for on site, hopefully someone will know if they do this at the one in Amber cove. You might also want to ask this in the "Ports of call" 'Caribbean" "Dominican Republic" : section: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=374

[joepeka]

I would agree with A&JFamily. Even though Carnival's policy for minors accompanied by someone over 18 applies in your case, I wouldn't allow my 20 and 15 year old kids off on an excursion by themselves. But that's me and my kids (or at least, back when my kids were those ages).

[woodman]

:D Been to Amber Cove many times. If the zip line is the one in Amber Cove you are safe sending them alone. The zip line is with in the port area and looks like it's controlled by Carnival as is many ports they visit. Your boys will not be leaving the port area and you can walk along with them and watch. If how ever the zip line in in the interior of the island I wold advise against it.

The D R in not the safest port to visit. Amber Cove is a nice place to spend some time in they also have a nice pool area.

[Drazil65]

Been to DR including Amber Cove area many times (land and cruise vaca), no issues and never felt unsafe in any situation we were in (we are well seasoned travelers and know where to go and not to go). My hesitation is not for safety in the least...but no way do I send my 15 yr old with his 20 yr old brother...just seems like a disaster waiting to happen...not comfortable in case of emergency (especially zip lining away from port area if that is what you are planning)...go with them or do something else as a family I think

[ckpan]

My two sons are in a cabin together, next door to my husband and I. When we sail, my older son will be 20 and the second one 15. We are thinking of sending them on a zip lining excursion together in Amber Cove. We were looking at doing something all together, but my husband and I have decided to skip ziplining on this trip, and all the excursions seemed to do that first, then beach or lunch second. So we thought send the boys, and we will just relax.

 

Will Carnival let my 15 year old go without us? I was hoping so, since his brother is 20 . Has anyone ever encountered this on an excursion?

 

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Amber Cove pool area is free. Great pool and plenty of lounge chairs. There is also a zip line there. Both kids can zip line next to each other and you can watch from your lounge chairs. I believe it's $20pp and you can go as many times as you want.

 

 

 

 

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[Elaine5715]

I saw a number of preteens running back and forth on the Amber Cove zip line.

[xDisconnections]

Amber Cove pool area is free. Great pool and plenty of lounge chairs. There is also a zip line there. Both kids can zip line next to each other and you can watch from your lounge chairs. I believe it's $20pp and you can go as many times as you want

 

The above information is correct however I can’t confirm the pricing either as ours was different when visiting Amber Cove with Princess.

 

It’s a basic zip line located right inside the Carnival-built port area over the pool. They’ll be fine especially if you’re comfortable with them being alone together (which it seems as though you are or you wouldn’t be asking this question). It’s not like they’re leaving the port area and venturing off alone in a foreign country to do the more advanced zip lines in a rainforest.

[BallFour4]

But, as a mom of a 20 and 14 year old who recently visited the DR, I would advise against it. It is not the safest place we have been, though had no issues, and there can be a language barrier. My guess is they will have to go a fair distance from the port to zip line. Plus, there is always the possibility of injury with that activity (I have enjoyed it myself but a couple on honeymoon was recently killed/severely injured when husband slammed into wife). My 20 yo is a junior in college and I would not want him to have to make decisions about his younger brother if anything went wrong. I would spend the money to join them and just skip the zip lining part myself if I wasn't up to it.

Yikes! Aren't you just loaded with positives with no real knowledge of what the port zip lining is about or how the couple was killed compared to the facility at Amber Cove...

 

OP, your kids will do fine. Amber Cove is a safe, fun port. It's controlled access, and you aren't wandering around a port like those in Jamaica. The zip lines are right there. I'm not believing the quoted poster has ever been there.

 

The zip lines are one rider at a time, nothing like those where the death occurred. The problem for that couple is the operator sent them too close together and one slowed down. Amber Cove is nothing like that. One rider, they exit and then they send the next.

 

Save the doom and gloom for Halloween.

 

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[tw67]

Thank you all for the parenting advice. My kids aren't the normal kids apparently. The 20 year old is able to take care of his 15 year old brother, who will actually be two weeks from being 16. The 20 year old is away at college year round due to his internships, and I think it will be good for the two of them to be together without the "rents" in the way. They both speak Spanish to the point where they can carry on conversations without a problem. The 15 year old actually travels to Europe a few times a year for an activity that he is involved in, and does realize that if God forbid something happens to us, the 20 year old is responsible for him!

 

I have already been told that the zip lining at the port isn't very challenging, and both boys have been zip lining before. I would rather spend the money on a challenging course for them.

 

I did try looking for an excursion that we could all do together, but it seemed very limited. The one I am looking at through Carnival was only for 4 1/2 hours, included zip lining, beach and lunch. You seemed to go from one to the other, and you didn't seem to have an option for not doing part of it. I tried looking for a third party vendor that we could do together, but I really did strike out there. I did decide that if they do go together that it would be on a Carnival Excursion, and not through a third party.

 

I did see on the link for Carnival that you just need at adult 18 or older to be there with a minor. I guess I just wanted assurance that this was really true, and that it didn't have to be a parent.

 

Thank you all for the advice. I do realize that sometimes brothers do not always get along (and trust me I will be glad that this is in the beginning of the trip and not the end after they share a small cabin together for a week!) and it is no different for mine. I have heard stories from the two of them on the golf course together! Bad things can happen anywhere, and I really have to sometimes just trust my kids to do the right thing. My boys have lived in a very different world then most of the kids their age. I guess my husband and I became free range parents, that let them learn their limits.

[jakesnana]

Thank you all for the parenting advice. My kids aren't the normal kids apparently. The 20 year old is able to take care of his 15 year old brother, who will actually be two weeks from being 16. The 20 year old is away at college year round due to his internships, and I think it will be good for the two of them to be together without the "rents" in the way. They both speak Spanish to the point where they can carry on conversations without a problem. The 15 year old actually travels to Europe a few times a year for an activity that he is involved in, and does realize that if God forbid something happens to us, the 20 year old is responsible for him!

 

I have already been told that the zip lining at the port isn't very challenging, and both boys have been zip lining before. I would rather spend the money on a challenging course for them.

 

I did try looking for an excursion that we could all do together, but it seemed very limited. The one I am looking at through Carnival was only for 4 1/2 hours, included zip lining, beach and lunch. You seemed to go from one to the other, and you didn't seem to have an option for not doing part of it. I tried looking for a third party vendor that we could do together, but I really did strike out there. I did decide that if they do go together that it would be on a Carnival Excursion, and not through a third party.

 

I did see on the link for Carnival that you just need at adult 18 or older to be there with a minor. I guess I just wanted assurance that this was really true, and that it didn't have to be a parent.

 

Thank you all for the advice. I do realize that sometimes brothers do not always get along (and trust me I will be glad that this is in the beginning of the trip and not the end after they share a small cabin together for a week!) and it is no different for mine. I have heard stories from the two of them on the golf course together! Bad things can happen anywhere, and I really have to sometimes just trust my kids to do the right thing. My boys have lived in a very different world then most of the kids their age. I guess my husband and I became free range parents, that let them learn their limits.

 

So long as Carnival allows it, I'm sure they would be fine. I agree that no one knows your kids better than you do. I had 2 boys who were also mature beyond their years and would have had no problem letting them do this when they were 18 and 16 or 19 and 17. They actually stayed on their own for a week while DH and I traveled when they were 18 and 16 and did just fine. I've let my grandsons (again, mature beyond their years) aged 24 and 18 explore Cozumel on their own for 3-4 hours and they were fine. I have always been a free range parent and as a result my sons are also. Either because of this (or in spite of it), my children and grandchildren have turned into amazing, self-sufficient adults and young adults that we receive compliments about all the time. Let them go and have fun, they will look back on their time together fondly in the future.

[tw67]

So long as Carnival allows it, I'm sure they would be fine. I agree that no one knows your kids better than you do. I had 2 boys who were also mature beyond their years and would have had no problem letting them do this when they were 18 and 16 or 19 and 17. They actually stayed on their own for a week while DH and I traveled when they were 18 and 16 and did just fine. I've let my grandsons (again, mature beyond their years) aged 24 and 18 explore Cozumel on their own for 3-4 hours and they were fine. I have always been a free range parent and as a result my sons are also. Either because of this (or in spite of it), my children and grandchildren have turned into amazing, self-sufficient adults and young adults that we receive compliments about all the time. Let them go and have fun, they will look back on their time together fondly in the future.

 

 

Thank you Bev! I appreciate the comments, and I really appreciate that you understand me! I didn't grow up in a world where I had a chance to ever travel, or do anything far from home. I promised myself that when I had kids, I wasn't going to hold them back.

[joepeka]

Yikes! Aren't you just loaded with positives with no real knowledge of what the port zip lining is about or how the couple was killed compared to the facility at Amber Cove...

 

OP, your kids will do fine. Amber Cove is a safe, fun port. It's controlled access, and you aren't wandering around a port like those in Jamaica. The zip lines are right there. I'm not believing the quoted poster has ever been there.

 

The zip lines are one rider at a time, nothing like those where the death occurred. The problem for that couple is the operator sent them too close together and one slowed down. Amber Cove is nothing like that. One rider, they exit and then they send the next.

 

Save the doom and gloom for Halloween.

 

.

First, I doubt you closely read the post of the person you quoted as she stated she has recently been to Amber Cove with her children very close in age to the OP's. I would say she does have "real knowledge."

 

Second, as the OP clarified, they are not interested in the zip line within Amber Cove (which I agree is very nice, clean and safe area - yes, we've been there) but rather something more challenging elsewhere in D.R.

 

If the OP is fine with her two boys venturing out on a ship sponsored excursion, then that's her call and we wish them well. Some folks would not be so comfortable and it's not up to any of us to criticize their choices.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I don't think that the posters are giving the OP parenting advice but simply saying (me included ) that we wouldn't feel comfortable doing this with our own kids, especially in the DR

 

 

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[Hoosierpop]

This is all about risk tolerance. And that’s different for everyone. If the OP feels like the risk is tolerable, that’s fine. If it’s a formal excursion, and the boys are mature, I’m not sure I see that big of a risk. We left our 16 year old at home one week while we went on a cruise. Some people might think there is no way they could do that. We did.

 

But everyone has to determine that for themselves.

 

 

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[joepeka]

This is all about risk tolerance. And that’s different for everyone. If the OP feels like the risk is tolerable, that’s fine. If it’s a formal excursion, and the boys are mature, I’m not sure I see that big of a risk. We left our 16 year old at home one week while we went on a cruise. Some people might think there is no way they could do that. We did.

 

But everyone has to determine that for themselves.

 

 

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Not to go off topic but is that Gene Wilder (aka "Jim" from Blazing Saddles) in your avatar? Love it if so. ;)

[Hoosierpop]

Not to go off topic but is that Gene Wilder (aka "Jim" from Blazing Saddles) in your avatar? Love it if so. ;)

 

 

 

Yes, I’m the Waco Kid.

 

 

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[BallFour4]

Yes, I’m the Waco Kid.

 

 

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What in the wide world of sports is going on?

[BallFour4]

Second, as the OP clarified, they are not interested in the zip line within Amber Cove (which I agree is very nice, clean and safe area - yes, we've been there) but rather something more challenging elsewhere in D.R.

 

I truncated your post. I did read all of it, and the original post didn’t specify leaving the port area. My answer would have been different.

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