Question for parents of teens

[bnjrsmom]

Is there any way to prevent children from leaving the ship in port?

 

My husband and I are thinking about an excursion that my kids have no interest in. They are happier to stay behind on the ship.

 

My mother who is travelling with us wondered for her own peace of mind - if there was any way to 'flag' their 'seapass' so they wouldn't be allowed to leave...if for some reason they decided to get off the ship.

 

Before anyone questions my parenting or the delinquency of my teens (yes, I have read lots of threads.....)....I was just curious if it was possible. Personally I am sure my kids would be afraid to venture into a strange country alone - but...I thought I would ask.

 

Lisa

[Fogfog]

Is there any way to prevent children from leaving the ship in port?

 

My husband and I are thinking about an excursion that my kids have no interest in. They are happier to stay behind on the ship.

 

My mother who is travelling with us wondered for her own peace of mind - if there was any way to 'flag' their 'seapass' so they wouldn't be allowed to leave...if for some reason they decided to get off the ship.

 

Before anyone questions my parenting or the delinquency of my teens (yes, I have read lots of threads.....)....I was just curious if it was possible. Personally I am sure my kids would be afraid to venture into a strange country alone - but...I thought I would ask.

 

Lisa

 

I would think--if their seapass was kept from them--that they would not be able to leave as the pass is swiped through the machine couting them in or out..yes?

 

SO as long as grandma has the seapasses for the day--they are ship board...they can eat at the buffets etc and it wouldn't really limit them at all

 

just an idea

[robntawn]

Taking their SeaPass would probably work.

 

Another option would be enrolling them in Adventure Ocean. I'm told that the programs were recently revamped to be more "hip" for teens. I hope so, since we will have 5 teens with us! Good Luck!

[HNicoleL]

Taking their SeaPass would probably work.

 

Another option would be enrolling them in Adventure Ocean. I'm told that the programs were recently revamped to be more "hip" for teens. I hope so, since we will have 5 teens with us! Good Luck!

 

I thought for the teens Adventure Ocean was a come and go as you please thing.

[Merion_Mom]

First of all, if a teen wants to circumvent the SeaPass problem, s/he can. We have had young cruisers come on this board and brag that a parent took away their SeaPass with this very intention, but they just went to the Purser's Desk and said, "I lost my SeaPass card", and it was replaced on the spot, so that doesn't work.

 

Supposedly, RC has and is enforcing a rule that says that you cannot leave the ship without your parents IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

 

Again, teens have come on Cruise Critic and whined that they were kept from leaving the ship "just because I wasn't with my parents."

 

So the answer may be, YES, you can leave them on the ship knowing that they can't get off without you, but you never know when security could fail.

[Kevbirch]

I would think--if their seapass was kept from them--that they would not be able to leave as the pass is swiped through the machine couting them in or out..yes?

 

SO as long as grandma has the seapasses for the day--they are ship board...they can eat at the buffets etc and it wouldn't really limit them at all

 

just an idea

 

But they wouldn't be able to get their sodas . . . .

[derrick22]

On Disney when my son wanted to go on an excursion with the teen club I had to sign a waiver. (we were on Disney's own island) Otherwise no getting off the ship. I can almost guarantee the same holds true for RCI. Our DS went with us on all the excursions with RCI. I would be hesitant to leave him behind. What if something happened to us on the excursion? What would happen to him? Just some food for thought.

 

Denise

[bnjrsmom]

Thank you to everyone that responded. Yes, taking the seapasses sounds like a good idea. I can't imagine my son would leave. He really enjoyed the teen club on Princess, I know it will be the same on FOS.

 

I guess we will just have to have sodas in our fridge for that short period of time. Chances are the excursion we would be on would be in the am and we would be back before they even wake up. (Hence the reason they wouldn't want to go with.....)

 

Lisa

[bplazo]

I have mentioned this before that my daughter left the ship with her friend (they were 16). My husband thought it was safe for us to leave them on the ship for an hour while we went out to do some shopping. The did not want to go because it was 9:oo am and they did not want to get up.

 

I took one seapass card so they could not get off the ship. I told them that we had to be ready for an excursion at 12:00. When my husband and I came back we could not find them. We called the pursers desk and they informed us that they had gone off the ship. My daughter had gone to guest relations and told them she lost the her seapass card.

 

We alerted security and they marked their card so they could not enter the ship. We left the ship and found them on their way back. I let them both have it in front of everyone on the pier. It seems that they mingled with another family leaving the ship.

 

They can flag their card because my daughter was stopped when she tried to re-enter the ship.

 

I always thought that my daughter had more sense than to leave the ship without me. Now when we cruise she has to get off the ship and stay with me in all the ports.

[bplazo]

Oops double post!

[MrsPete]

I would be sure to give them explicit instructions about where they COULD be: the pool, the buffet, the teen club area, etc. And I'd explain that they were EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN to leave the ship and enter a foreign country without me. I'd explain that I'd be able to check at the purser's desk to see if they'd left (I'd be hoping that's the truth), and finally I'd explain that if they did leave they would be restricted to the cabin for the remainder of the cruise -- it'd be room service meals and no friends would be allowed in.

 

My kids know that I would follow through on this, even though it would also mean that I would be partially grounded for the remainder of my cruise too. Raising my kids right is more important than any vacation.

 

My daughers are generally good girls, but I wouldn't put it past them to try to leave the ship without me. I can imagine them being with a group of slightly older kids, being told that I'd never find out, being persuaded that no harm could possibly come of just staying in the dock area . . .

[Tranquil Waters]

I don't want to seem negative but just remember that a cruise ship is like any city. It has all types of passengers and employees - good and bad. And those less than savory types can prey on teens left on their own just as easily on a ship as ashore. Caution is always a good thing. Needless to say you know your teens and how saavy they are to this kind of thing but just thought it was worth mentioning.

[limbogirl]

bnjrsmom,I understand your concern, because all of us feel that we do what we can to protect our kids and empower them with knowledge of dangers, but teenagers will always surprise us! We think we know them but they are at risk from their own naivety (?spelling) Its a challenge to see if they can get through security! They don't mean to disappoint us but they are possessed! You're not a bad parent because you can't control your kid you are a great parent for recognizing room for error! Don't leave them!

[bnjrsmom]

This will be our 3rd cruise. One the first one I was a nervous wreck because I never knew where anyone was (including my husband). On the 2nd cruise, I vowed to have a little faith. Not only had I been worried about the kids' safety but I was also nervous about their ability to charge anything on their cruise card. My daughter spent most of her time with us and my son spent all of his time in the teen club. After we were home stories trickled out about wild girls from Canada that he met....and 1 story about a drunk adult offering to get them into the night club. But, I think my son would rather play video games then hang out with 'old people'.

 

I would never let them on the internet, drive a car or ever go away from me....if I didn't have a little faith in the way I raised them.

 

If I can 'block' them from leaving the ship - I definitely will for my mother's peace of mind but I am okay with just making it clear if they disobey me - they will be grounded to their stateroom for the remainder of the cruise.

 

Lisa

[dirtgirl]

If you took away their Seapasses, they wouldn't be able to get into their cabins.

 

I would maybe ask that their passes be flagged so if they try to get off the ship, they won't be allowed to.;)

[CastawayCruisers]

I'm 17 and on 5 cruises whenever my card is swiped it beeps to notify security that I am under 18 and they always ask which adult I am going with. Also, the seapasses of people under 18 are punched to indicate they are not adults. It is possible to slip through the gaps, but they've always made sure I was with my parents.

[cantwait2cruize]

Just take their shoes,sandles and wallets. They can't get to far!:D

[banderboo]

How about just telling them not to get off the ship without you. Always worked with my kids. :D

[KC_fn]

Whenever I've left the ship with my teenage daughter, her card has never beeped, nor has she ever been asked which adult she's with.

 

OP: I wouldn't risk it. I'd either make them go with me (getting up early won't kill them), or forego the excursion. It's good that you have faith in your kids, and it sounds like you've done a good job raising them. However, even the "best" teens like to push the envelope sometimes, and the possible consequences of wandering around in a foreign port are just too scary. Among other things, what if they lose track of time and miss the ship?

[Hobie1976]

We have never had our son questioned when leaving the ship. He was under eighteen on all of our cruises. This past summer we left the ship before him, and had him meet us when he woke. We had our cells to keep in touch. He was not questioned at all. He also continously misplaces his seapass and has no trouble having it replaced. My problem is that they often forget to punch the hole to show he is under eighteen.

 

You know your children and you know what is best for them. I imagine they could flag their card for you. Enjoy the excursion.

[Sue L]

Not sure if you posted it or if I missed it, but how old are your kids?

 

I just took mine on their first cruise and when we were in port we all stayed together and got off together. We had all decided together what excursions to do so everyone would enjoy them. There was a little grumbling when I told them to be ready at 7 am some mornings in port, but they were up, dressed, maybe not awake yet but we all had a great time. On sea days I didn't care how late they slept. Besides I was spending a ton a money for the cruise and I wouldn't have wanted them to miss any of the ports. I kept telling them they could sleep when they got home.;) BTW mine are 19 and 21.

[MaryZ]

My boys have gone off the ship by themselves. They wanted to go back and do some shopping right at the shops by the port, so we let them. We could see them from our balcony. They were 17 and 13 at the time.

Nobody flagged them. We've seen parents looking for their teens because their kids got off the ship without the parents knowing.

Personally, when we go off on an excursion our kids go with us. We pick things we enjoy doing together as a family.

I would not go off on an excursion and leave them on the ship. Teens tend to do first and think later. Even when they have always been shown to be trustworthy. You just never know. And on a cruise ship in a foreign port is not where I want my teen to suddenly decide to test his/her limits.

[Merion_Mom]

Not sure if you posted it or if I missed it, but how old are your kids?

 

I just took mine on their first cruise and when we were in port we all stayed together and got off together. We had all decided together what excursions to do so everyone would enjoy them. There was a little grumbling when I told them to be ready at 7 am some mornings in port, but they were up, dressed, maybe not awake yet but we all had a great time. On sea days I didn't care how late they slept. Besides I was spending a ton a money for the cruise and I wouldn't have wanted them to miss any of the ports. I kept telling them they could sleep when they got home.;) BTW mine are 19 and 21.

 

Hey, mine, too, Sue! Some days it's like herding cats, isn't it?

 

And mine HAVE missed ports because of too much "enjoyment" the night before!

[bplazo]

How about just telling them not to get off the ship without you. Always worked with my kids. :D

 

 

Are you sure? If I hadn't caught my daughter, I would have never thought in a million years that she would have gotten off the ship. She has paid the price for that stunt, I still check everything she says and she is now in her second year of college. I think I must have too much time on my hands.

[lucky99]

Is there any way to prevent children from leaving the ship in port?

 

My husband and I are thinking about an excursion that my kids have no interest in. They are happier to stay behind on the ship.

 

My mother who is travelling with us wondered for her own peace of mind - if there was any way to 'flag' their 'seapass' so they wouldn't be allowed to leave...if for some reason they decided to get off the ship.

 

Before anyone questions my parenting or the delinquency of my teens (yes, I have read lots of threads.....)....I was just curious if it was possible. Personally I am sure my kids would be afraid to venture into a strange country alone - but...I thought I would ask.

 

Lisa

 

If you leave them with the childrens/teen program people that is fine. The ship and the rest of the passengers are not responsible for your children. I have seen children of all ages just running a muck on cruise ships.