Possibly having teens stay on a different floor?

[Nickles76]

We are a family of 5 (mom, dad, 8, 17, 19). We’re looking at our family vacay next year and we really want to do Icon. We’re planning on getting 2 rooms (one for the teens and the other for us and the 8 year old). I did a mock booking and if we did 2 gty rooms, it’s a $3K difference rather than choosing the rooms

ourselves. That $3K could get us all drink packages and wifi and still have some $ to spare. 
 

Would you be comfortable having your teens in a room possibly elsewhere on the ship? They are very well behaved girls and I trust them completely. 

[cruiseboy89130]

11 minutes ago, Nickles76 said:

Would you be comfortable having your teens in a room possibly elsewhere on the ship? They are very well behaved girls and I trust them completely. 

RCL will not allow it - read the fine print!

[leaveitallbehind]

RCCL indicates that with North American sailings, no one under 21 can be booked in a room without an adult.  So you would have to book on parent with each teen on the GTY.  Once assigned and on board, you may be able to switch who is in the rooms and have guest services provide additional room keys,  But given that the rooms likely won't be near each other, they likely may not allow it. 

 

I'm also not sure it would be good to have the two teens together and away from their parents.  I'm sure they are wonderfully behaved.  What parents wouldn't think that?  So were mine.  But they are teens and I'm not sure that would be a good idea for a number of valid reasons. And as wonderful as mine were, I would not have done that even if the cruise line said it was OK.

Edited June 15 by leaveitallbehind

[mjkacmom]

They’re 17 and 19, old enough to go away to college. Heck my sister and her friends backpacked in Europe for 6 weeks after they graduated high school. They’re grown. Just go to guest services and get extra keys. 

[Billy Baltic]

Personally I don’t see the difference between across the corridor and on a different floor. Either way there could be lots of things taking place that parents wouldn’t be happy with.
Our kids aren’t old enough to have that problem yet but my daughter is staying in our room until she’s at least 30!!

[S.A.M.J.R.]

Of course, these are kids that are old enough (or nearly) to go away to college and be "on their own", but, according to some, they can't be trusted on a ship.

 

OP, you know your own kids.  What others would do doesn't really matter because each kid is different.  

 

If you do decide to do this (and I agree, a $3k difference would make me seriously consider it), just know you have to BOOK it with an adult in each room, but you can go to GS once on board and get extra keys made. 

[goldfish65]

Yes. 

[orville99]

Eldest son and his wife do this every time they cruise. Teen aged sons are usually quite separated from them. On Wonder, the adults were on one side of the boardwalk in a balcony, and the sons were on the other side of the ship in an interior. On Mariner, the adults were mid ship in a balcony and the teens were in a forward facing OV all the way in the front of the ship. They just book one adult in each cabin and then get extra seapass cards once on board.

[firefightermediclasvegas]

Your the parent and know your kids the best. If you feel comfortable, you would have to book with a parent in each cabin.  Then get extra cabin key cards once onboard.

[1025cruise]

Just make sure that the teens have the fear of a deity in them of what happens if they don't behave. While I can't remember where I read it, there was a family that did this, booked one adult in each cabin, but the cabins where heavily separated and then switched on board to put the kids in one, the parents in the other by getting extra keys. The kids decided to enjoy their vacation, to the reluctance of their neighbors who complained quite heavily. The parents were forced to stay in the cabins as they were on paper, supposedly with random checks to make sure they were there.

[Ourusualbeach]

Your 19 yo could sail by herself on Royal in Europe.  Just get extra keys issued on board.

[LobsterStalker]

4 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

They’re 17 and 19, old enough to go away to college. Heck my sister and her friends backpacked in Europe for 6 weeks after they graduated high school. They’re grown. Just go to guest services and get extra keys. 

Exactly                                      1

The only thing OP should need to ask is if it is allowed . If your 19 Y/O is not adult enough for this responsibility you should already know that .

 

Cheers

[mil76]

7 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

They’re 17 and 19, old enough to go away to college. Heck my sister and her friends backpacked in Europe for 6 weeks after they graduated high school. They’re grown. Just go to guest services and get extra keys. 

We did the same thing when our boys were that age a few years ago for a New Years cruise, and our assigned guarantee rooms were right next to each other.  

[Cutigerlady]

I have put my kids across the hall from us in the past, but Royal has gotten stricter with the rules and your children must be in the next to you now.  For our last cruise, we were able to get keys for both rooms, but they would not let me officially swap rooms to put the kids together.  I don’t believe they consider the 19 yr old as an adult for the other teen.  My teens specifically requested an inside room over the balcony next to us!  
 

We had to cancel our Icon trip this summer, but I had booked an ocean view that was next to an inside room on one of the front corners as the cheapest option that wasn’t 2 inside rooms.  

[2wheelin]

6 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

Just make sure that the teens have the fear of a deity in them of what happens if they don't behave. While I can't remember where I read it, there was a family that did this, booked one adult in each cabin, but the cabins where heavily separated and then switched on board to put the kids in one, the parents in the other by getting extra keys. The kids decided to enjoy their vacation, to the reluctance of their neighbors who complained quite heavily. The parents were forced to stay in the cabins as they were on paper, supposedly with random checks to make sure they were there.

If you need to resort to fear (threats etc) for them to behave appropriately,  you have already missed the parenting boat.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, Cutigerlady said:

I have put my kids across the hall from us in the past, but Royal has gotten stricter with the rules and your children must be in the next to you now.  For our last cruise, we were able to get keys for both rooms, but they would not let me officially swap rooms to put the kids together.  I don’t believe they consider the 19 yr old as an adult for the other teen.  My teens specifically requested an inside room over the balcony next to us!  
 

We had to cancel our Icon trip this summer, but I had booked an ocean view that was next to an inside room on one of the front corners as the cheapest option that wasn’t 2 inside rooms.  

Rooms do not have to be "next to each other"  One room can also be directly across the hall from the other.  This opens up a lot of balcony and inside cabin combinations.

[ATG]

We often cruise with our adult son. We book a JS and an interior. Since we have over 340 points we get a reduced single supplement. We book me and son in interior and DH in JS. The only thing I need to do is carry 2 cards.  RC doesn’t care who sleeps where.

 

if you are comfortable as a parent with your kids further away, go for it. Just get extra keys.

[ONECRUISER]

18 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

They’re 17 and 19, old enough to go away to college. Heck my sister and her friends backpacked in Europe for 6 weeks after they graduated high school. They’re grown. Just go to guest services and get extra keys. 

Shoot in 1981 at 16yrs old I joined US ARMY after Graduating High School, though my Father had to sign my papers allowing me to do this. Besides having my Kids was best Decision of my life

[loman]

Apple air tags would keep track of them .🙂

[firefly333]

15 hours ago, Cutigerlady said:

I have put my kids across the hall from us in the past, but Royal has gotten stricter with the rules and your children must be in the next to you now.  For our last cruise, we were able to get keys for both rooms, but they would not let me officially swap rooms to put the kids together.  I don’t believe they consider the 19 yr old as an adult for the other teen.  My teens specifically requested an inside room over the balcony next to us!  
 

We had to cancel our Icon trip this summer, but I had booked an ocean view that was next to an inside room on one of the front corners as the cheapest option that wasn’t 2 inside rooms.  

What many are suggesting is booking a parent in each cabin and once onboard switching so the kids have their own cabin.

 

Or even kids get a gty inside, to save money. Give the parents a balconys gty. But book them originally with a parent in each cabin. Get a extra key once onboard. People obviously do this all the time, reading other posts. 

[firefly333]

28 minutes ago, loman said:

Apple air tags would keep track of them .🙂

Unfortunately not. A apple iPhone with service has to be turned on near them and even then still doesnt work well.

 

Was being discussed on another thread how this doesnt work very well. Someone had a HC child they wanted to keep track of. Air tags got a bit to go to really work on a ship.

[Nickles76]

23 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

If you do decide to do this (and I agree, a $3k difference would make me seriously consider it), just know you have to BOOK it with an adult in each room, but you can go to GS once on board and get extra keys made. 

 
I’m gonna pull the trigger and do it. The price difference is great enough to justify it. I spoke to my girls about it and they are good with it, as the only time we’d be seeing them is at meals and during shows anyway. I’m excited at the chance to sail Icon! It’ll be my 4th RC cruise but the kids’ first, so they’ll be wowed for sure. Can’t wait!! 

[Scottdalfonso]

1 hour ago, Nickles76 said:

 
I’m gonna pull the trigger and do it. The price difference is great enough to justify it. I spoke to my girls about it and they are good with it, as the only time we’d be seeing them is at meals and during shows anyway. I’m excited at the chance to sail Icon! It’ll be my 4th RC cruise but the kids’ first, so they’ll be wowed for sure. Can’t wait!! 

Absolutely do it! 

[silentbob007]

I had a discussion with my 16-yr old niece when we took her on her first cruise ... I pointed out all of the cameras and told her that there were eyes everywhere in public spaces and that she would be held accountable not just for her actions but anything that happened if she found a group of kids that started acting like ... well ... a group of kids.

[VacationLove15]

On 6/15/2024 at 8:49 AM, Nickles76 said:

We are a family of 5 (mom, dad, 8, 17, 19). We’re looking at our family vacay next year and we really want to do Icon. We’re planning on getting 2 rooms (one for the teens and the other for us and the 8 year old). I did a mock booking and if we did 2 gty rooms, it’s a $3K difference rather than choosing the rooms

ourselves. That $3K could get us all drink packages and wifi and still have some $ to spare. 
 

Would you be comfortable having your teens in a room possibly elsewhere on the ship? They are very well behaved girls and I trust them completely. 

Edited to delete because OP already decided

Edited June 16 by VacationLove15
update