Marching Band Cruise Trip

[clo]

1 hour ago, MCC retired said:

By the overwhelming negative response to this idea for the Annual Band Trip , 

another good old amusement park trip would be best for chaperones and especially the 

unfortunate cruise guests subject to this bad idea,

I saw the OP when there had been no replies and thought it was likely the worst idea of its type I'd ever heard.  A foregone nightmare.  Impossible to pull off.

[squick64]

"our kids and parents would NEVER ........ "

 

Any time I see people suggest that their kid would never do X, I laugh. Yeah, there are reasonably "good" kids, but I guarantee that everyone has done something they weren't supposed to at some point in their youth. Most of the time, they're restricted by the availability of an activity or the inability to drive to it or pay for it--a cruise erases a lot of those lines. More or less 24/7 amusements and food, all for the taking. And there's always somewhere to hide where a supervising adult won't be able to find you.

 

Having a chaperone per cabin is an undertaking, as most cabins can only fit 3 or 4 people. So you'd have to pay for and organize the kids and all of the extra adults. You'd end up with either "bad" parents, as mentioned above, or good parents who do a proper job...but then the kids are annoyed because it's not much of a cool trip with their friends if they have to share a cabin with their mom every night. If it were me, I'd want to share one with my friends and no one else so we could stay up chatting and stuff.

 

As mentioned, even if the cruise line allows instruments, the passengers will end up staging a coup and throw you all over the railing by day 2. 😄 I can't even imagine trying to have a nice time by the pool and having halftime football marching band music blaring at me. The only thing worse would be my most hated instrument of all time, the bagpipes (I would throw a bagpiper over, or at least go to Guest Services instantly). Also, I may be alone in this, but I've sometimes been more annoyed by teenagers on ships than by little kids, I guess because little kids are just...being kids. Teenagers are old enough that you feel they should know better. And they're not cute anymore.

 

By the way, are y'all sure the kids have never broken and then replaced the tape when you've traveled?

[mom says]

10 minutes ago, squick64 said:

By the way, are y'all sure the kids have never broken and then replaced the tape when you've traveled

How would they be able to do that? It can only be done with the door closed. Sure, they could get a buddy to do it for them, but then their buddy would be faced with the same problem. There's a reason why the tape trick works.

[Mommyof3sweetboys]

Thank you all for your comments. Some of them have been very helpful. I will assure you that all of the cruise lines that offer this program for high school bands handle the program professionally. They have performances scheduled in the auditoriums like any other musical performance and there are practice rooms that all the musicians use where the instruments are stored. So don't worry that there will be kids running around the ship with their instruments playing at all hours. I don't doubt for a second that kids will try to misbehave which is why I'm asking for advice from other chaperones on how to lessen the possibility of that happening in this environment. We may do Disney instead, but the director liked this possibility. Just wanted a few opinions from people who have actually participated in the band cruise program. Thanks and happy cruising!

[Lady Chew]

Mommyof3 … good luck & have fun with your trip, wherever & however it takes you!!

[MCC retired]

34 minutes ago, Mommyof3sweetboys said:

Thank you all for your comments. Some of them have been very helpful. I will assure you that all of the cruise lines that offer this program for high school bands handle the program professionally. They have performances scheduled in the auditoriums like any other musical performance and there are practice rooms that all the musicians use where the instruments are stored. So don't worry that there will be kids running around the ship with their instruments playing at all hours. I don't doubt for a second that kids will try to misbehave which is why I'm asking for advice from other chaperones on how to lessen the possibility of that happening in this environment. We may do Disney instead, but the director liked this possibility. Just wanted a few opinions from people who have actually participated in the band cruise program. Thanks and happy cruising!

Wow , looks like the only positive posting about this idea , is from the OP ?🤔

[Capt_BJ]

BTW

 

for the next two years when I booked with Royal I'd get an e-mail 'warning' that my name was on file as having been 'a problem' on a previous cruise and they would be watching my behavior .... all because of issues with the lil darlings and the other chaperones  . . . but I was associated with the group ....

 

for OP:

 

I'm curious ... what cruise line are you looking at?

Edited August 21, 2019 by Capt_BJ

[Mike981]

3 hours ago, Mommyof3sweetboys said:

Thank you all for your comments. Some of them have been very helpful. I will assure you that all of the cruise lines that offer this program for high school bands handle the program professionally. They have performances scheduled in the auditoriums like any other musical performance and there are practice rooms that all the musicians use where the instruments are stored. So don't worry that there will be kids running around the ship with their instruments playing at all hours. I don't doubt for a second that kids will try to misbehave which is why I'm asking for advice from other chaperones on how to lessen the possibility of that happening in this environment. We may do Disney instead, but the director liked this possibility. Just wanted a few opinions from people who have actually participated in the band cruise program. Thanks and happy cruising!

 

I wish you luck and only the best in your travels.  Since my wife runs a large in-home daycare (24 years), good on you for doing this. It ain't easy.

[clo]

5 hours ago, mom says said:

How would they be able to do that? It can only be done with the door closed. Sure, they could get a buddy to do it for them, but then their buddy would be faced with the same problem. There's a reason why the tape trick works.

I was under the impression that the door are metal and that tape will pull the paint off the metal.  No?

[leaveitallbehind]

9 minutes ago, clo said:

I was under the impression that the door are metal and that tape will pull the paint off the metal.  No?

 

Duct tape, maybe.  The cellophane type tape that likely is being considered for this master spy trick, not as likely. 😉

[mom says]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I was under the impression that the door are metal and that tape will pull the paint off the metal.  No?

Painters tape would likely be safe, plus, unlike cellophane tape, it won't be as likely to leave a residue behind. 

[DirtyDawg]

High Schools in the States have Marching Bands? I've seen them when I watched U.S. College Football and I assumed they were College Marching Bands. Aren't High School aged teenagers too loud and obnoxious all by themselves, even without adding in loud and obnoxious musical instruments? 🤔

 

BTW. Proud father of three former loud and obnoxious teenage boys. 😉

 

Edited August 22, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[SRF]

Wow.

 

I wonder how you chaperone all those kids when they are at home?  And going out?  On dates, or just with friends?

 

MANY years ago, our HS seniors trip was to Nassau.  A number of teachers went along as chaperones.  One manned a desk in the lobby almost 24/7 rotating.  If you needed help, one was there.

 

Since Nassau did not care how old you were when you drank, we drank.  With the teachers, when they were off duty.  No curfew.  No taped doors.  Not separating by floor and patrolling the halls.

 

Did girls go to boys rooms?  Yes.  Did boys go to girls rooms?  Yes.  But they do that when at home also.  Or they go SOMEWHERE.

[mjkacmom]

4 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

High Schools in the States have Marching Bands? I've seen them when I watched U.S. College Football and I assumed they were College Marching Bands. Aren't High School aged teenagers too loud and obnoxious all by themselves, even without adding in loud and obnoxious musical instruments? 🤔

 

BTW. Proud father of three former loud and obnoxious teenage boys. 😉

 

Most high schools have marching bands, larger high schools have bands with more clout that the football teams, it’s very competitive. They perform at football games but also travel to competitions. Ours starts practicing a month before school starts, just like other fall sports (my kids dropped out of band by age 12 and played sports instead). All of our elementary schools and middle school have bands, but they don’t march (except parades) until high school. I know a guy who is majoring in marching band in college.

[Mike981]

5 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Best marching band was Cal vs Stanford in 1982.  

 

When I see this I imagine yelling at the band members to stay back and wait for the whistle, of course they didn't. Just like my wife telling her daycare kids to not run in the house, they still do it.

[sprint180]

I have 5 kids and sponsored every trip or field trip they went on.  But there is no way I'd touch this one with a ten foot pole.  Way too many things to go wrong.  

[Jjbraid]

By taping the door, it is not to tape it shut. It is used as a means to see who "broke the seal" and snuck out of the room

[h-sar]

23 minutes ago, Jjbraid said:

By taping the door, it is not to tape it shut. It is used as a means to see who "broke the seal" and snuck out of the room

 

The kids who typically run down the halls, pulling off do not disturb signs or room service cards, will have a field day with the tape 😁.

Edited August 25, 2019 by h-sar

[LA_CA_GAL]

[Jjbraid]

On 8/25/2019 at 6:04 PM, h-sar said:

 

The kids who typically run down the halls, pulling off do not disturb signs or room service cards, will have a field day with the tape 😁.

Unless you are looking for the tape on the door one would not see it. Scotch tape is clear and if you put it at the top of the door no one will be the wiser. Happened to me when I was in 8th grade during our D.C trip

[Nic6318]

On 8/21/2019 at 4:23 PM, mom says said:

How would they be able to do that? It can only be done with the door closed. Sure, they could get a buddy to do it for them, but then their buddy would be faced with the same problem. There's a reason why the tape trick works.

 

Hi

 

And these kids wouldn't be able to find anybody else on the ship to help them out? Sure.

 

It's a nightmare waiting to happen. I can't imagine anybody in their right mind agreeing to be the person who would be considered "responsible" if something goes wrong. 

 

Chaperones in each room, because you don't know what will be going on in there. Hall monitor might keep them in their rooms at night. How are you going to police them during the day?

 

What are you going to do in port? Someone just needs to get away for a few minutes to get in trouble. So what if they have signed some document saying they will be good or else. If something bad happens (and we know nobody wants that) it will be too late to undo. 

[donaldsc]

53 minutes ago, Nic6318 said:

 

Hi

 

And these kids wouldn't be able to find anybody else on the ship to help them out? Sure.

 

It's a nightmare waiting to happen. I can't imagine anybody in their right mind agreeing to be the person who would be considered "responsible" if something goes wrong. 

 

Chaperones in each room, because you don't know what will be going on in there. Hall monitor might keep them in their rooms at night. How are you going to police them during the day?

 

What are you going to do in port? Someone just needs to get away for a few minutes to get in trouble. So what if they have signed some document saying they will be good or else. If something bad happens (and we know nobody wants that) it will be too late to undo. 

 

This is sort of relevant.  My daughter went on a land trip with her synagogue when she was in high school many years ago so I am sure that rules have changed.  Regardless - one of the kids misbehaved (actually got caught shoplifting) on their  out-of-country stop in Vancouver.  They informed the parents and put him on the next plane home.  With current rules I would guess that you could not do that now.

 

If this trip actually happens, I would definitely require that all of the kids and all of the parents have a passport even if it is not required by the cruise line.

 

DON

Edited September 2, 2019 by donaldsc

[Mike981]

1 hour ago, donaldsc said:

 They informed the parents and put him on the next plane home.  With current rules I would guess that you could not do that now.

 

DON

 

Year and YEARS a go my high school band toured Canada every other year. Two years before my trip, a young smart @$$ smarted off to the border patrol when they came on the buss about having some prohibited items. He was sent home on his parents dime and unfortunately it significantly effected the rest of the trip for everyone else.

[Capt_BJ]

my former secretary, a single mom, was quite willing to admit that her dd was product of a church retreat!

 

[DarrenM]

We took an under 15 football(soccer) team to Amsterdam via ferry to a football tournament.

 

It was carnage.

 

And I mean carnage.

 

They ran riot round the ferry all night and we had no idea who ended up in who's room. If they even ended up in a room.

 

All ended well though. We won the tournament.

 

Moral of the story. If you want to win let em run riot first.