First time Princess sailing and with two older teens

[Derbie]

Good afternoon,

 

My DH and I along with my sister, are taking our nieces on a 12 day British Isles tour.  We are going to stay two additional days in Paris.  This is a big trip. The girls are 20 and 18.   Their mother is coming along as well.  We have been on 20 plus cruises, but none with Princess.  Any and all suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.  I will be closely watching this board, until we set sail in later June.  I cannot thank you all enough for your time and expertise.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

what kind of suggestions are you looking for? what questions do you have?

Do the "teens" have special needs? Or the adults?

Edited February 10, 2023 by Itchy&Scratchy

[jeromep]

20 is a weird age.  I have fond memories of it, but I was transferring between colleges, moving out of the house for the first time, having roommates for the first time.  I was pretty  busy and going on vacations wasn't something I was doing a lot of.  20 is an odd age because you are an adult, but there are a few things that remain off limits to you, notably establishments that exclusively serve alcohol and renting cars.

 

For the onboard youth clubs, both of the nieces are too old.  You will want to be looking at the Patter when you get on board to see if the cruise director's staff is doing any activities for that age group between 18-20.  If they are, they will list a meeting location and time.  First one will be more of a meet and greet, and depending on the turn out and what the folks that show up want to do, other events will follow... or not.  If they look through their passenger manifest and find enough youth in that "too young to drink, too old to be with the kids" group, they often will arrange for special events for that age group. If you don't see anything you can always find a member of the cruise director's staff and ask them if they have any plans for the 18-20 set.  Of course, if that were so important to the nieces, they could do the same, directly asking somebody on the CD staff if they had any plans for that age group.

 

Setting aside your nieces for the moment, I think Princess does a very good job on longer cruises.  Any cruise they do that is 7 days or longer gives you a good taste for the cruise line and enough time to experience the ship and its venues.

 

You may be get better responses if you let us know what ship you are sailing on.  Maybe what specific itinerary you are on.  And some more specific questions you want answered.  You'll get a lot more detail from the group that way.

[Lady Arwen]

We’re also doing the British Isles itinerary in September 2024 on Regal Princess.  It’s a port intensive cruise, so you’ll be spending most of your time on excursions or walking around new ports of call.  There won’t be loads of extra time to get bored.  Once you return back to the ship, usually everyone wants to have a drink and some snacks and relax before getting ready for dinner.

 

After dinner, Princess does offer numerous entertainment venues for all ages.  You’ll see what’s available each night in your daily Princess Patter.  Honestly, the time flys on these cruises.  I’m sure your nieces will meet up with young people in their age group and you’ll never see them!

 

Have a wonderful time with your family!

[nwnittany]

My family (DW and two sons - 20 and 21) have done Alaska and Caribbean in the last year(ish).   We are lucky that they don't mind hanging with Mom and Dad, but still spent some time on their own. 

 

From what I could tell, the biggest challenge for the kids is meeting the other kids.  Once they know each other, there are lots of things they can do together (shows, pool/hot tub, trivia/games, karaoke, movies, sports, dancing, and the ever-popular 'teenagers walking around in a group to see and bee seen'.

 

My youngest is fairly athletic and met alot of kids of similar age on the sport court, ping pong, and walking track.  From what I could tell, this area was conducive to both shy and extroverted kids.  The friends he met there would often seek each other out when the stumbled across each other later on the ship.

 

Another place they met friends was on the excursions (smaller groups), which then carried over to the ship.  We did mainly active excursions (hiking, snorkeling, etc). 

 

Unfortunately, both seemed to have inherited dance genes from their dad (me) so they were never seen anywhere near the dance floor (resulting in much rejoicing from all...most wanting to avoid an Elaine from Seinfeld moment).  But, I noticed a bunch of young women dancing on the floor and they appeared to have a bonding experience since most everyone else around them dancing was alot older. 

 

I guess the last few places I saw kids meet were the hot tub (they just need to find a way to bust into the group) and the karaoke and trivia events (although it was tough to tell if they actually met at these or if they met up there once they were comfortable). 

 

Interestingly, I didn't see anyone really meet anyone at the gym...everyone kind of kept to themselves. 

[Derbie]

14 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

what kind of suggestions are you looking for? what questions do you have?

Do the "teens" have special needs? Or the adults?

Neither teen has any special needs; nor do the adults. Just looking suggestions on best places to dine, what would be fun for the girls (given age), shows not to miss, etc.  For me....best coffee. :0)

[Derbie]

13 hours ago, jeromep said:

20 is a weird age.  I have fond memories of it, but I was transferring between colleges, moving out of the house for the first time, having roommates for the first time.  I was pretty  busy and going on vacations wasn't something I was doing a lot of.  20 is an odd age because you are an adult, but there are a few things that remain off limits to you, notably establishments that exclusively serve alcohol and renting cars.

 

For the onboard youth clubs, both of the nieces are too old.  You will want to be looking at the Patter when you get on board to see if the cruise director's staff is doing any activities for that age group between 18-20.  If they are, they will list a meeting location and time.  First one will be more of a meet and greet, and depending on the turn out and what the folks that show up want to do, other events will follow... or not.  If they look through their passenger manifest and find enough youth in that "too young to drink, too old to be with the kids" group, they often will arrange for special events for that age group. If you don't see anything you can always find a member of the cruise director's staff and ask them if they have any plans for the 18-20 set.  Of course, if that were so important to the nieces, they could do the same, directly asking somebody on the CD staff if they had any plans for that age group.

 

Setting aside your nieces for the moment, I think Princess does a very good job on longer cruises.  Any cruise they do that is 7 days or longer gives you a good taste for the cruise line and enough time to experience the ship and its venues.

 

You may be get better responses if you let us know what ship you are sailing on.  Maybe what specific itinerary you are on.  And some more specific questions you want answered.  You'll get a lot more detail from the group that way.

Thank you so very much!  I figured if I put the ports on the question, the administrator would move it to the England board.  I will come up with a better list of questions, based on the ship, etc.  Many thanks again.

 

[Derbie]

12 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’re also doing the British Isles itinerary in September 2024 on Regal Princess.  It’s a port intensive cruise, so you’ll be spending most of your time on excursions or walking around new ports of call.  There won’t be loads of extra time to get bored.  Once you return back to the ship, usually everyone wants to have a drink and some snacks and relax before getting ready for dinner.

 

After dinner, Princess does offer numerous entertainment venues for all ages.  You’ll see what’s available each night in your daily Princess Patter.  Honestly, the time flys on these cruises.  I’m sure your nieces will meet up with young people in their age group and you’ll never see them!

 

Have a wonderful time with your family!

Thank you very much.  Have you cruised on this ship before, or visited any of the ports?  

[Derbie]

12 hours ago, nwnittany said:

My family (DW and two sons - 20 and 21) have done Alaska and Caribbean in the last year(ish).   We are lucky that they don't mind hanging with Mom and Dad, but still spent some time on their own. 

 

From what I could tell, the biggest challenge for the kids is meeting the other kids.  Once they know each other, there are lots of things they can do together (shows, pool/hot tub, trivia/games, karaoke, movies, sports, dancing, and the ever-popular 'teenagers walking around in a group to see and bee seen'.

 

My youngest is fairly athletic and met alot of kids of similar age on the sport court, ping pong, and walking track.  From what I could tell, this area was conducive to both shy and extroverted kids.  The friends he met there would often seek each other out when the stumbled across each other later on the ship.

 

Another place they met friends was on the excursions (smaller groups), which then carried over to the ship.  We did mainly active excursions (hiking, snorkeling, etc). 

 

Unfortunately, both seemed to have inherited dance genes from their dad (me) so they were never seen anywhere near the dance floor (resulting in much rejoicing from all...most wanting to avoid an Elaine from Seinfeld moment).  But, I noticed a bunch of young women dancing on the floor and they appeared to have a bonding experience since most everyone else around them dancing was alot older. 

 

I guess the last few places I saw kids meet were the hot tub (they just need to find a way to bust into the group) and the karaoke and trivia events (although it was tough to tell if they actually met at these or if they met up there once they were comfortable). 

 

Interestingly, I didn't see anyone really meet anyone at the gym...everyone kind of kept to themselves. 

HA HA HA...I chuckled out loud with the Elaine reference!  I believe they will hang with us a lot, and there are a lot of ports on this cruise, so this may not be an issue as it were going to be a lot of days at sea.  Thanks

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, Derbie said:

Thank you very much.  Have you cruised on this ship before, or visited any of the ports?  

We’ve sailed on Royal Princess, sister ship to Regal, many times.  Lovely ship and not too large.   Food was always quite good.  I love the International Cafe!  Entertainment is not bad, depending on what you enjoy.  Lots of little lounges all over to relax and have a drink.  My husband is a Brit, so he’s familiar with all of the ports.  My first time to Scotland and Ireland and I’m so excited.  My husband says the scenery is breathtaking and he’s looking forward to sharing it with me.  We have excursions booked for all except for Portland.  We will get the bus into Weymouth, where I’ve been to previously. A lovely seaside town with lovely little shops and cafes and a Boots!

 

Wishing you and your family a sincere Bon Voyage!  Please report to us when you back and let us know about your adventures!

[wowzz]

15 hours ago, jeromep said:

or not.  If they look through their passenger manifest and find enough youth in that "too young to drink, too old to be with the kids" group

Don't forget, on European cruises, the minimum drinking age drops to 18.

[sandyoftheseas]

You or your nieces my want to go on your roll call board and "meet" friends before you get on the ship. 

[nini]

We sailed the British Isles last May and it was a fabulous trip; all that we had hoped it would be.

 

My first thought was about your genealogy/ heritage. Both DH and I have our majority of heritage from the British Isles (me, mostly Scottish). So, we really enjoyed doing a bit of research and then exploring when in port. We visited some "Campbell Clan" castles and I purchased a Campbell tartan scarf to bring home.

 

Regardless of heritage, I think your nieces are old enough to learn about England, Ireland and Scotland. Edinburgh is enchanting. Your nieces could do some separate research and then be instrumental in booking your shore excursions. Obviously, I do not know them, but they are old enough to appreciate the ports.

 

BTW- We love the Regal! Have a great trip.

[deultgen]

My own additions.

 

I agree with the note above that the drinking age on this cruise will be 18 .  "Premier Beverage Package Package is valid only for guests who are of legal drinking age. When sailing from North America, the legal drinking age on Princess Cruises is 21. However, when sailing from Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand, the legal drinking age is 18."

 

If they are looking for more people their age on the ship, either before hand in someplace like a roll call or FB page for their cruise, they can link themselves with friends on the app for texting, communicating, and locating each other on the ship.  

 

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, nini said:

Obviously, I do not know them, but they are old enough to appreciate the ports.

And old enough to enjoy British pubs !

[nini]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

And old enough to enjoy British pubs !

 

Score!!!

[Derbie]

It sounds like you had a grand time!  Yes, we do have Scots in our heritage.  We are of the Anderson clan by birth!  So, we are very much looking forward to seeing Scotland.  DH and myself have been to Ireland, so it will be nice to return.  I am hoping we can visit some ports on our own.  I had a cap on what I wanted to expend, and we have already surpassed it, with the cost of the cruise, airfare and insurance on the four of us. So, we will now look for ways to visit ports quite a lot on our own. If you have any advice, I would be so glad to hear it.  

 

[Derbie]

21 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

We’ve sailed on Royal Princess, sister ship to Regal, many times.  Lovely ship and not too large.   Food was always quite good.  I love the International Cafe!  Entertainment is not bad, depending on what you enjoy.  Lots of little lounges all over to relax and have a drink.  My husband is a Brit, so he’s familiar with all of the ports.  My first time to Scotland and Ireland and I’m so excited.  My husband says the scenery is breathtaking and he’s looking forward to sharing it with me.  We have excursions booked for all except for Portland.  We will get the bus into Weymouth, where I’ve been to previously. A lovely seaside town with lovely little shops and cafes and a Boots!

 

Wishing you and your family a sincere Bon Voyage!  Please report to us when you back and let us know about your adventures!

Thank you.  This is off topic, but I have to ask if the dog in the picture you have a Keeshond?  We had a lovely girl years ago, and when our current dog crosses the rainbow bridge in the future (I hope a long way off) we would like another.  They are wonderful dogs.

 

[Lady Arwen]

1 hour ago, Derbie said:

Thank you.  This is off topic, but I have to ask if the dog in the picture you have a Keeshond?  We had a lovely girl years ago, and when our current dog crosses the rainbow bridge in the future (I hope a long way off) we would like another.  They are wonderful dogs.

 

This is Loki and he’s a Samoyed we rescued 8 years ago.  We recently said goodbye to our other Samoyed, Nikita at 12 years.  We’ve been able to foster rescued Samoyeds when we retired and moved to the country.  Very rewarding, but hard to give them up.  Thank you for asking!

[dave_k58]

On 2/11/2023 at 5:03 AM, Derbie said:

Thank you very much.  Have you cruised on this ship before, or visited any of the ports?  

Regal is my very favorite Princess ship. I think the girls will have a wonderful time. But - all our cruises on the Regal have been TA's and there were no kids on the ship. At least that I ever saw. 

[Cruise Raider]

I am far from a teen but really enjoyed all the crafting projects and competitions they has onboard.  

We took my 20 year old twin nephews o a cruise once and they liked it but that was an awkward age as they couldn’t yet legally drink.  They did attend one of the 18-20 year old meet and greets they had onboard but were the only two to sign up.  Other than that, they did go shoot some hoops and went to the gym, followed by the hot tub.  Gambling is legal for anyone over 18 onboard so, they partook in a little of that.  One win a jackpot and was offered a drink until they noticed he wasn’t old enough for the drink but old enough to pay out for his jackpot.  
 

 

 

[jeromep]

On 2/11/2023 at 3:00 AM, Derbie said:

Thank you so very much!  I figured if I put the ports on the question, the administrator would move it to the England board.  I will come up with a better list of questions, based on the ship, etc.  Many thanks again.

 

I would hope not as your questions seem to be more about Princess than the ports.