Teens of Mixed Ages

[huskr217]

I am traveling with another family and we are bringing 4 teens - two are 14, one is 17 and the other is 18.  All of them are in high school and all of them would like to be able to hang out together in the teen areas.  The two 14 year olds have late summer birthdays, and are a year younger than all of their peers, which has made them both a bit more mature, thus they prefer to be with older kids.  I don't think they would enjoy being in a group of 12-14 year olds at all.  

 

Long story short, how flexible is RC in allowing mixed ages together?  Would the 14 year olds be allowed to "bump up" to the next age category with parent permission?  Is the 18 year old, who is most definitely still a high school student and not and adult 🙂 going to be allowed in the teen area?

[Biker19]

Just now, huskr217 said:

 Is the 18 year old, who is most definitely still a high school student and not and adult 🙂 going to be allowed in the teen area?

Probably not for long.

[gerif]

The 18 year old is considered an adult and will not be allowed in the teen area at all. Sometimes the two teen groups are combined. Depends on how many are on the cruise. Not many parents who don’t think their kids are too mature for their age groups. 

[mjkacmom]

No 18 year olds allowed, and the teen club is mostly a meet up spot with some activities. I wouldn’t worry about bumping them up.

[katiel53]

The 12-17 year old kids pretty much hang out in the same room.  There are some scheduled activities for the different age groups, such as ice skating, basketball and perhaps a few others.

 

Most of the kids though just hang out in either the room or on the ship having pizza etc.  

[allylily]

It may be ship dependent.  Our daughter was 15 yo this last summer on Symphony and they had the new teen club set up where you can be inside the club area, but there is also an outdoor hang out spot which virtually anyone can walk through.   The teens were all meeting up regardless of age and location - in the pools, hot tubs, promenade areas, Windjammer, sports deck.   It didn't really matter if you were 14 yo or even 18 yo high schoolers.    They had the scheduled events, but the casual hang out time was way more important to the kids (especially sitting silently in a group on their phones!).   I almost never saw my daughter because she got along great with other teens and was happy to be with them instead of us, but when I did come across her randomly around the ship she was with a big group, of various aged kids, all well behaved.   There is security, and curfews, and counselors who watch the teens, too.   

[Merion_Mom]

18 minutes ago, allylily said:

It may be ship dependent.  Our daughter was 15 yo this last summer on Symphony and they had the new teen club set up where you can be inside the club area, but there is also an outdoor hang out spot which virtually anyone can walk through.   The teens were all meeting up regardless of age and location - in the pools, hot tubs, promenade areas, Windjammer, sports deck.   It didn't really matter if you were 14 yo or even 18 yo high schoolers.    They had the scheduled events, but the casual hang out time was way more important to the kids (especially sitting silently in a group on their phones!).   I almost never saw my daughter because she got along great with other teens and was happy to be with them instead of us, but when I did come across her randomly around the ship she was with a big group, of various aged kids, all well behaved.   There is security, and curfews, and counselors who watch the teens, too.   

 

Just curious - how do you know that there were 18 year olds there?

[melski]

If you are cruising during Spring Break, the teen club tends to be very strict about age groups as there are so many kids.

 

My last few ships there was a teen registration and wrist bands given out.  They will not allow the 18 yo in the teen club as they are considered a legal adult.  I do feel your pain as my DD just turned 18 a few weeks before our cruise last year and it was a tough adjustment.  

 

That being said most teens just use the teen club as a meet up area.  Since your teens already have a group, they may not need it as much.  They still may want to go the first night if they want as that is the meet and greet night.

 

  

 

 

[GarlicBread]

So many parents reckon their kids are too mature for the age group designed for them, whether it's the nursery or teens, so why don't you just wait and see how they get on once on-board with all the other very mature 14 year olds....

[allylily]

Merion Mom - the kids all ask each other.   My daughter told me.   The kids are everywhere on the ship.  They don't just sit in the inside registered teen club area. In fact, they may initially meet in the RCI teen club, but they are all over the ship after initial introductions.    Plus, most of the kids had siblings who ranged in ages, yet the siblings regardless of age all hung out together so it's inevitable your teen will hang out with the older and younger siblings.    The kids don't care whether their new friends are older or younger than them, as long as they're having fun.    Nothing nefarious.  But you have to trust your kid.    They can check in or out of the teen club themselves.  They can meet up anywhere on the ship with their new cruise friends - their meetups are not isolated to the club location.  Which is why I mentioned the cruise staff is cognizant of teen activity in and out of the teen club itself.    Security, curfews, group activities ( safety in numbers) are in place to ensure the teens are having fun appropriately and safely.  Also, we were in Europe over summer.   Not US spring break.   But realistically, the RCI teen club wrist band means nothing to kids  - it's a false sense of security for you if you think your teen won't come into contact with an 18 yo.   

 

[ownedbypets]

My 18 year old was not allowed in the teen club even though he was still in high school.

 

[1025cruise]

35 minutes ago, ownedbypets said:

My 18 year old was not allowed in the teen club even though he was still in high school.

 

This would definitely be an exception to the rule. I would not count on an 18 year old being allowed in the teen club.

[Grandma Dazzles]

1 hour ago, 1025cruise said:

This would definitely be an exception to the rule. I would not count on an 18 year old being allowed in the teen club.

 

Poster said just that - 18-year-old was NOT allowed in the teen club. 

[1025cruise]

You're right. I missed the NOT when I read the post. Must have been half asleep.