Calling grandparents that bring grandchildren

[Norwaylady]

Hello

 

We are considering bringing our nephew on a cruise in the Mediterranean 2024. He will be 16years old. 

He is having his confirmation ceremony this year and we would like to give him an adventure as a gift. He knows we go on cruises and we have been FaceTiming several times onboard when we are away. He lives in the north of Norway. So we only see him for holidays, Christmas and celebrations. 

 

He has never been on a cruise. 

Any tips or things we should consider?

How has paperwork been and has this been a issue?

I know we need a consent from his parent (his father is dead) , passport. He has the same last name as Mr Norwaylady. 

 

Price is approximately prices from Norway in USD for all of us 3, for the cruise. 

 

We have a timeframe for school holiday we must fit this to. So we have following cruises on the list:

 

Athen X Infinity  7-Greek Island< Concierge 5000USD all-in Drinks, basic wifi and tips>  Sky Suite 8500USD 

 

Athen RCL Voyager 7- Israel and Egypt JS 5000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

Rome RCL Odyssey 7- Greek Isle JS 7000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

All of the cruises are port intensive.

He has never been to any of the destinations.

 

We are Diamond and Elite. So we have some benefits.

 

 

[Bo1953]

While I Am sure he will be surprized, I think you can ask his mother which countries she thinks he would like based on his interests....

 

Then surprize him with a gift or something from that part of the world announcing the sailing for him!!!

 

I think once you get the basic paperwork together and submitted to X (parental consent, Visas, and passport) all should be good.

 

YET, I would contact X in advance, to confirm which paperwork they require to board...

 

This is a great thing you would do for your DN and it will be a great memorable experience for him, regardless of the sailing...

 

Just think of all of the wonderful people he will meet on the sailing!!!

 

bon voyage

[Cruise a holic]

We have taken our grandchildren on cruises- We have ten and have taken one or two at a time.  Youngest was 10.  We had their passports and a notorized letter from their parents giving us permission to take them with us.  Figured necessary for airlines and cruiselines.  Nobody asked to see it- be we had it.  They didn't need any visa's or other documentation in the caribbean then.  But check with cruise line or your travel agent for the latest requirements.  They each loved the cruise and it was a great bonding experience.  We of course took a picture package and when home created an album for each of them from an on-line vendor. Great memories!

Edited March 9, 2023 by Cruise a holic

[southernbreezes]

2 hours ago, Norwaylady said:

Athen X Infinity  7-Greek Island< Concierge 5000USD all-in Drinks, basic wifi and tips>  Sky Suite 8500USD 

I would take the Sky Suite. We have taken our grandchildren on many cruises. With the Sky suite, you get premium wi-fi which he will want, a premium beverage package, and the retreat area on the ship.

Also, look at flights before you make a final decision.

[Norwaylady]

Thank you @southernbreezes @Cruise a holic @Bo1953

 

Flights is not the biggest problem for us, since we live in Norway. it's a short way compared to the US.

 

My biggest concern about Royal, Odyssey  is that the ship has Solstice size but fits 4000 guest.... and it will be full saling since the holiday season in the nordics starts🤪  and we need to pay extras for bev-wifi.

 

We have never done a suite on X. We always sail balcony, concierge and Aqua.

On Royal have we sailed in JS and central park balcony. Voyager x2, symphony and Jewel. JS give nothing extra, just more space and extra points. 

 

We will do numbers what we need to add on Royal and see what we end up on. 

[Essiesmom]

What time of year were you looking at?  I see. Voyager does the Egypt/Israel itinerary in June and august, and I would avoid the August as it will be beast hot there then.  Also, on that itinerary you only get three ports, although you do overnight in Alexandria.  EM

[mariners]

Norwaylady, Celebrity lists the following information in the question section:

 

What do I need to do if I’m traveling with a minor and I am not their parent or legal guardian?

Adults who are not the parent or legal guardian of any minor child traveling with them are required to present the child's valid passport and visa (if required) or the child's government-issued birth certificate (original, a notarized copy or a certified copy) and an original notarized letter signed by at least one of the child's parents. The notarized letter from the child's parent must authorize the traveling adult to take the child on the specific cruise and must authorize the traveling adult to supervise the child and permit any medical treatment that must be administered to the child. If a non-parent adult is a legal guardian, the adult must present a certified Certificate of Guardianship with respect to the child.

 

We sailed numerous times with our grandchildren on a variety of cruise lines including Celebrity.  We have been asked to produce the notarized letter by US Border officials, Canada Border officials when we returned, and, a few times, by the cruise lines including once by Celebrity before they would allow us to board the ship.  We were never asked for the letter in a port of call, but that was just our experience.  

 

In choosing the cruise, we always looked at what options there were for things to do in ports, whether we wanted to stay before or after the cruise, the size of the cabin or to get adjoining cabins with a connecting door to allow for more privacy, and read reviews of passengers who had taken children of a similar age on a cruise on each cruise line.   Regardless of what we chose, our grandchildren loved every cruise.  

 

What a wonderful gift for your grandson! 

[Bo1953]

6 hours ago, Norwaylady said:

Hello

 

We are considering bringing our nephew on a cruise in the Mediterranean 2024. He will be 16years old. 

He is having his confirmation ceremony this year and we would like to give him an adventure as a gift. He knows we go on cruises and we have been FaceTiming several times onboard when we are away. He lives in the north of Norway. So we only see him for holidays, Christmas and celebrations. 

 

He has never been on a cruise. 

Any tips or things we should consider?

How has paperwork been and has this been a issue?

I know we need a consent from his parent (his father is dead) , passport. He has the same last name as Mr Norwaylady. 

 

Price is approximately prices from Norway in USD for all of us 3, for the cruise. 

 

We have a timeframe for school holiday we must fit this to. So we have following cruises on the list:

 

Athen X Infinity  7-Greek Island< Concierge 5000USD all-in Drinks, basic wifi and tips>  Sky Suite 8500USD 

 

Athen RCL Voyager 7- Israel and Egypt JS 5000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

Rome RCL Odyssey 7- Greek Isle JS 7000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

All of the cruises are port intensive.

He has never been to any of the destinations.

 

We are Diamond and Elite. So we have some benefits.

 

 

NL - I forgot, I vote for Infinity.... (selfish to be sure)...

 

I Am sure whichever line/itinerary you choose, it will be a great experience, still...

 

bon voyage

[Norwaylady]

34 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

What time of year were you looking at?  I see. Voyager does the Egypt/Israel itinerary in June and august, and I would avoid the August as it will be beast hot there then.  Also, on that itinerary you only get three ports, although you do overnight in Alexandria.  EM

 

It will be in June, as soon as the school goes on holiday. So that means after 21 of June.

Im very aware that the temperatur is flaming hot in august. And also the Germans Italians, Spanish goes on holiday. So an even bigger reason to stay away from August😝

 

For Mr and me the cruise to Alexandria and Jerusalem is very tempting. it's new ports of call for us. But on the other hand, if something is going bad in Israel. It's really not okey to be there....

Last summer a friend of ours had his children on Royal when hell broke loose, so when they arrived Israel and left the ship, the bomb alarm went off multiple times during their 48h stay before they had a flight back to Norway. It was very unpleasant and it was not okey for neither the children or our friend. So that is a big need to think twice destination.

Its one thing to put us in that situasjon, its another thing to bring a youth.

 

The cruise on Odyssey and X is very similar, both are Greek islands as the big thing. Royal starts in Rome and X in Athens. Flights are same price range to both destinations. 

Both cruises can bring us to beach days, there is an aqua park in Kusadasi we can visit during our stay or we kan do the tour to the ruins. So we can get waterslides one day if we want to speed things up. 

Royal has more bells and whistle. But we will share it by 3997 other guests🙄. 

X Infinity is older and due for a refurnish. But we really love Millennium class. Have sailed 3x on Connie, Milli just before the renovation and Summit once. They are old, but gold🥰

 

I will be on Infinity in late may, it's the mother/daughter trip of the year. 

 

Im leaning strongly to X. Im paying the bill at the end of the day.... And it is less money/more value for money on X as of know.

[dani negreanu]

3 minutes ago, Norwaylady said:

Last summer a friend of ours had his children on Royal when hell broke loose, so when they arrived Israel and left the ship, the bomb alarm went off multiple times during their 48h stay before they had a flight back to Norway. It was very unpleasant and it was not okey for neither the children or our friend. So that is a big need to think twice destination.

Its one thing to put us in that situation, its another thing to bring a youth.

 

Living in Israel, I completely understand your concern. For people not "accustomed" to our "situation", it can be very frightening indeed.

 

Personally, I'd go with the Odyssey, since it's a new ship, and would have much more to offer to your nephew.

 

I wouldn't worry about crowding, since most of the days will be spent ashore....

 

Mr Norwaylady and you are more than welcomed during the month of September - mid October, best times to visit Israel 😎

[mauimary]

We have taken two grandchildren with us on Alaska cruises twice now.  We have taken them in Sky Suites in Sunset staterooms.  It was very nice having the extra room and we got the third person discount as well.  They loved cruising and it was very enjoyable to eat in Luminae dining room with them.  

[kwokpot]

54 minutes ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Living in Israel, I completely understand your concern. For people not "accustomed" to our "situation", it can be very frightening indeed.

 

Personally, I'd go with the Odyssey, since it's a new ship, and would have much more to offer to your nephew.

 

I wouldn't worry about crowding, since most of the days will be spent ashore....

 

Mr Norwaylady and you are more than welcomed during the month of September - mid October, best times to visit Israel 😎

The JS on the Odyssey has an extra half bath which would be very convenient in your situation and the half bath could be his private bathroom.  

[southernbreezes]

2 hours ago, kwokpot said:

The JS on the Odyssey has an extra half bath which would be very convenient in your situation and the half bath could be his private bathroom.  

Are you sure about the extra half bath?

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by southernbreezes

[kwokpot]

49 minutes ago, southernbreezes said:

Are you sure about the extra half bath?

 

https://www.nuvo360.com/3d-model/odyssey-of-the-seas-junior-suite/fullscreen/

[Arizona Wildcat]

Absolutely bring the notarized letter.  Chances are you will never be asked to show it.  Unless there is a problem of some sort.

[RTR 21-0]

No answer to any of your questions.  Just posting to say you are wonderful grandparents and I’m up for adoption if you’re taking applications for additional kids or grandchildren 😂 I look forward to the day when we can take our grands on special adventures to make memories of a lifetime.  Cheers 🥂 to you! 

[LeeW]

Odyssey has the most onboard activities (bumper cars, iFly) and larger teen facilities but for port-intensive cruise you don't really need this.  Our 15 yr old granddaughter just loves to hang out with others her age.

 

Your prices seem kind of high but might include travel to the ship.  For us we shoot for $1000-1300US per person for two for a balcony.  Three people in a cabin can be as much as $4000 for bookings we have done recently.  You might want to look at booking him is separate cabin (across the hall or adjacent is allowed).  Since you are Diamond you can book one of you in his cabin and get Diamond discount for balcony and up cabins for both cabins.  

 

You may or may not need wifi for all three - we share one login.  Celebrity doesn't have a soft drink package any more but Royal does.  So do you need drink packages?

 

You might want to discuss what shore excursions he might like. I was studying Greek and Roman history at that age.

 

Enjoy your trip!

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, LeeW said:

Odyssey has the most onboard activities (bumper cars, iFly) and larger teen facilities but for port-intensive cruise you don't really need this.  Our 15 yr old granddaughter just loves to hang out with others her age.

 

Your prices seem kind of high but might include travel to the ship.  For us we shoot for $1000-1300US per person for two for a balcony.  Three people in a cabin can be as much as $4000 for bookings we have done recently.  You might want to look at booking him is separate cabin (across the hall or adjacent is allowed).  Since you are Diamond you can book one of you in his cabin and get Diamond discount for balcony and up cabins for both cabins.  

 

You may or may not need wifi for all three - we share one login.  Celebrity doesn't have a soft drink package any more but Royal does.  So do you need drink packages?

 

You might want to discuss what shore excursions he might like. I was studying Greek and Roman history at that age.

 

Enjoy your trip!

Yes, X does have a non-alcoholic package....

 

Cheers and bon voyage

[wrk2cruise]

It may not be required by the cruise line but you should probably have some power granted by the guardian for you to be able to approve any medical treatment which might be required in case of emergency.

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

It may not be required by the cruise line but you should probably have some power granted by the guardian for you to be able to approve any medical treatment which might be required in case of emergency.

Totally agree, re the letter allowing him to go with you should include decisions on emergency medical care. Also make sure he has appropriate insurance. Friends of our took their granddaughter to Tenerife believing she had holiday insurance as she was on her parents annual policy. However, it didn’t cover her when not travelling with her parents (small print). Fortunately it wasn’t a major medical emergency simply a few stitches needed not at major cost.

At 16 your grandson is old enough to enjoy the culture and history of the sites being visited on any of the itineraries. When our son was this age we varied the types of activities in different ports…A boat trip in one, historical site in another, city/port tour, beach.

 

Re ships, with no previous cruise experience and a port intensive cruise I would go with the itinerary and price that suits you.
 

Please don’t take this wrong but he may be apprehensive of sharing a cabin with you. Privacy is important for boys of this age. When our son hit 14ish we started booking rooms with some curtain separation. I think on Voyager the JS and GS have a dividing curtain between the bed and sofa bed and in the GS the bathroom is big enough to get dressed in. I suggest you look at the price difference. Unsure on Infinity if any rooms have similar until CS level…This additional privacy isn’t just useful for changing if you or he wants to stay awake later at night on tablets etc there is less likelihood of disturbing each other…I hope this doesn’t sound negative…not intended to be.

 

Final thought, with  birthday and Christmas’s before your cruise other relatives may welcome the opportunity of buying him a camera, binoculars or paying for a special excursion or giving € for holiday spends. 16 year olds are usually notoriously hard to buy gifts for!

 

[terrydtx]

We told our 3 Grandkids when they turned 12 we would take them on a cruise. We took our first grandson to Alaska in 2019 and he had a fabulous time. In June we are taking our granddaughter on a Caribbean cruise and in 2025 our youngest will go on an Alaska cruise with us. In all cases we will be booking suites for the larger cabins and room for 3 people. On the 2019 Alaska cruise we had all the notarized paperwork for our grandson to travel out of the country with us.

[luv4cruises]

On 3/9/2023 at 1:07 AM, Norwaylady said:

Hello

 

We are considering bringing our nephew on a cruise in the Mediterranean 2024. He will be 16years old. 

He is having his confirmation ceremony this year and we would like to give him an adventure as a gift. He knows we go on cruises and we have been FaceTiming several times onboard when we are away. He lives in the north of Norway. So we only see him for holidays, Christmas and celebrations. 

 

He has never been on a cruise. 

Any tips or things we should consider?

How has paperwork been and has this been a issue?

I know we need a consent from his parent (his father is dead) , passport. He has the same last name as Mr Norwaylady. 

 

Price is approximately prices from Norway in USD for all of us 3, for the cruise. 

 

We have a timeframe for school holiday we must fit this to. So we have following cruises on the list:

 

Athen X Infinity  7-Greek Island< Concierge 5000USD all-in Drinks, basic wifi and tips>  Sky Suite 8500USD 

 

Athen RCL Voyager 7- Israel and Egypt JS 5000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

Rome RCL Odyssey 7- Greek Isle JS 7000USD, must add beverage and wifi

 

All of the cruises are port intensive.

He has never been to any of the destinations.

 

We are Diamond and Elite. So we have some benefits.

 

 

RCL - best for kids and teens. 

[chemmo]

54 minutes ago, luv4cruises said:

RCL - best for kids and teens. 

You know, it depends what the kids are like…Whilst for babies and toddlers I would agree simply because of the pool situation our son enjoyed Celebrity more than RC by the time he was the age of the OP’s nephew. I think this is especially true on a port intensive cruise.

[luv4cruises]

True - but most teens are social. Without a doubt there will be many more young people on RCL in addition to all the activity options for young people- rock climbing, slides, wave runners etc. I gifted a Princess September med cruise to my daughter and her fiancée when she graduated from vet school.  There were only a handful of people close to her age on board. Yes, it depends on the youngster- but most options will be available on RCL. Either way - a wonderful gift for a young relative. 
 

[Bo1953]

2 hours ago, luv4cruises said:

True - but most teens are social. Without a doubt there will be many more young people on RCL in addition to all the activity options for young people- rock climbing, slides, wave runners etc. I gifted a Princess September med cruise to my daughter and her fiancée when she graduated from vet school.  There were only a handful of people close to her age on board. Yes, it depends on the youngster- but most options will be available on RCL. Either way - a wonderful gift for a young relative. 

While I think you are generally correct about RCL in terms of options, personally I think that the quality of teens sailing on X, in terms of 'behaviour' will be a much better influence.

 

On most of our X sailings there were a good number (upwards of 15) of teenagers aboard, while there were times when they appeared out of control, out of no where a parent appeared and all was under control for the balance of the day.

 

Some sailings on X there are organized activities for that age group, which gives them an opportunity to meet others in their age range... which is a good thing IMO...

 

bon voyage