Guidelines for your teenager...

[walkman4]

Do any of you have any hard and fast rules for your children's safety while on a cruise? Do you sit them down and fill them on the rules? We are first timers and want to make sure they will be safe. For instance...age appropriate curfew, or a rule to always be with a friend at night and not alone. What other things do we need to be thinking about and have a plan for? Thank you.:)

[pauline664]

Hello and welcome to an addiction lol.. First off may we ask the ages of the teens?

I am a grandmother and have cruise only 1 other time but will help where i can...

I would say first off lock in some rules basic... never be alone always with a friend or family member

Set up meet times and places.

Curfew i believe is 10 pm on the ships.

Never invite anyone into your room without a relative adult being there.

Never never leave the ship alone...always stay with your group. Port safety is VERY important.

Always mind your manners and be curtious to all. Remember they are on this cruise to have fun as you are.

Report any suspicious behavior to an adult immediatly.

Last but not least....Leave your worries at home and come aboard to have fun and enjoy your family time together with a positive attitude.

 

And join a roll call for your cruise by going to roll call under your cruse date and ship name. If there is no roll call start one. Makes the time go by faster and you make friends before the cruise.

[kat89447]

When my siblings and I were teens (years ago lol) we had to sign a contract with my parents. I can't remember everything, but I will list the ones I remember. Plus, we had a limit on what we could spend on our cards, I think it is still possible to set it up with the purser for a limit.

Rules

We had a curfew to be in our cabins, 14-16 yrs was 11pm and up to 18yrs was 1 am. I am pretty sure the ship has its own curfews now though.

We had to be at dinner, no exceptions.

We were not allowed to go to a friends cabin without permission of both sets of parents (ours and theirs) and my parents always met them first.

Friends were not allowed in our cabin without the same rules above.

We had to leave a note of where we thought we would be during the day. Pool, Arcade, teen disco etc.

We were expected to always be polite and have good manners at all times.

In Port we were expected to be with our parents and not wander off.

 

Most of these are just good common sense, but it amazing how many kids run rampent thru the ships today. Most of the time we stuck together (the kids) so it was safer. We also sat down as a family and picked activities that we all wanted to do with our parents and attended those together as well. Sometimes just my sis and I and the parents or just my bros. you get the idea. We just got off a cruise last week and kept to the same rules mostly. We all have our own kids now so some things changed, but dinner is still together and, of course, now we have an open sail card but the bill goes to us. lol

Have fun with the kids, they will have a blast.

[paul929207]

In addition to rules similar to the above, we set up a signal for the kids to use to let us know they were back on board. That way I was not roaming the ship trying to find them to make sure they were not being left behind.

[cusyl]

We will be taking our 16 year old (almost 17) grand daughter with us. In addition to other rules, we are telling her to watch her drink so that no one can put anything in it. Do not leave it unattended.:eek:

[galavant3]

Hi Amy!

 

We do sit our kids down and discuss the rules and appropriate behavior.

 

We insist that they never enter someone else's cabin or allow someone else to enter theirs. We have always required our kids to stay with us when we leave the ship. I am just not comfortable with them venturing off on their own yet. On the first trip we warned the older ones to not even joke about throwing someone over. I know they wouldn't have actually followed through with it but we didn't want the older ones teasing the younger ones. I like the suggestion of never accepting a drink or leaving a drink unattended. I think the curfew is 1AM but I could be wrong. I know my teens were NEVER back at 10 PM.

 

If they participated in kid's activities, if they left or when they were over, they needed to locate us and give us an update on their whereabouts. I like the idea of always being with a friend but we haven't always had that option. If our 15 year old is out at night, we must know exactly where he is. When he leaves, he must come directly to where we are. Really, after the show, the only place mine ever were was the teen center.

 

Then the obvious. Minding manners. No running on the ship (unless where designated). No playing in the elevators (actually seems to be a problem on cruise ships). etc. Being polite and respectful of other passengers. We make sure they know that breaking certain rules puts everyone at risk for being removed from the ship. My kids are generally well behaved but I want them to understand the consequences.

 

They are not allowed to put a single thing on their card without permission. Strict but for us a necessity. We don't want to end up with a $2000 arcade bill.....

 

Even when we aren't together, it seems as if we are running into them all the time. They like to attend all the shows, games, competitions etc.

 

My kids are getting older now so some of the above doesn't really apply. Now they are mostly where we are.

 

In 5 cruises, we have never had any issues at all. You are all going to have the time of your life!!

 

If you see my kids misbehaving, be sure to let me know!!!

[walkman4]

Deb:

Thank you so much for the post! Everyone else: THANKS! All of these posts are a huge help. We are going to sit everyone down the night before we leave and have a good talk. We have a girl- 10, boys- 12,14,15,16,17,19,21. The older ones will take good care of the younger ones but they know nothing about being on a cruise ship. We don't know anything either. ha. I have a stupid fear of one of them falling overboard. I am sure it will be fine and dandy, but I am going to compile a list of these thoughts for us to go over with them. Thanks again! Amy

[Jacky4]

One other important rule I made for my son was not only not to go in anyone's cabin but also not to go anywhere with a crew member. I said if they invite you to see their cabin or to see a private part of the ship that is only for crew members you are not to go, even if you are with friends. I also agree with the other post as big as the ships are we always seemed to bump into the kids.

[galavant3]

Jacky4, thanks. That is one I'd never thought of. I'm sure it is unlikely to happen but I think most things are unlikely. Can't hurt to err on the cautious side.

 

Amy, I know how you feel. I was so concerned about someone falling overboard! Once you get on board, you will see how very difficult that would be. Although, you might want to mention not to stand on chairs when on the balcony.

[galavant3]

Jacky4, thanks. That is one I'd never thought of. I'm sure it is unlikely to happen but I think most things are unlikely. Can't hurt to err on the cautious side.

 

Amy, I know how you feel. I was so concerned about someone falling overboard! Once you get on board, you will see how very difficult that would be. Although, you might want to mention not to stand on chairs when on the balcony.

[galavant3]

Jacky4, thanks. That is one I'd never thought of. I'm sure it is unlikely to happen but I think most things are unlikely. Can't hurt to err on the cautious side.

 

Amy, I know how you feel. I was so concerned about someone falling overboard! Once you get on board, you will see how very difficult that would be. Although, you might want to mention not to stand on chairs when on the balcony.

[arlodog]

When our kids were younger we always had a designated meeting place on the pool deck where they knew they could find us if we weren't in our rooms. We would go over the adgenda for the next day on the cruise compass as a family nightly so everyone knew what was going on and where everyone would be. We also always got a spare key to their room once they got old enough to room by themselves (17 and 16)--their room was across from us or within one door down from and we would go in and check on them periodically--we still do that now at 19 and 20! (They can sleep later than I can and we don't want to spend our vacation wondering where they are!) We always made sure our daughter knew to not go out by herself--we made her brother go with her everywhere as an escort. Especially the arcade and other places when they were younger; where someone who is looking for a young single person would lurk. Now that they are older they want to hang out with us for the most part so knowing where they are is not an issue. We put a daily limit of spending on them when they were younger; now they know better! I guess going off the ship by themselves was never a consideration while in port. We still spend lots of time going over options and planning excursions that everyone is interested in. We cruise because it is the one time that we can spend time together as a family; everyone is so busy with work and school that we really enjoy our relaxation time together! Have a great time--it really is a great way to spend time as a family since there is so much to do that meets everyone's needs--you will have a blast!

[walkman4]

Thank you arlodog: I loved your thoughts. We are so excited about all being together. It has been awhile and we plan on enjoying to the fullest! We have had several deaths in the family in the past 2 months and everyone is feeling especially sentimental and we are cherishing the time with each other. What a blessing to be able to take this trip. Thanks again!:)

[cot427]

Hi Amy!

 

We do sit our kids down and discuss the rules and appropriate behavior.

 

We insist that they never enter someone else's cabin or allow someone else to enter theirs. We have always required our kids to stay with us when we leave the ship. I am just not comfortable with them venturing off on their own yet. On the first trip we warned the older ones to not even joke about throwing someone over. I know they wouldn't have actually followed through with it but we didn't want the older ones teasing the younger ones. I like the suggestion of never accepting a drink or leaving a drink unattended. I think the curfew is 1AM but I could be wrong. I know my teens were NEVER back at 10 PM.

 

If they participated in kid's activities, if they left or when they were over, they needed to locate us and give us an update on their whereabouts. I like the idea of always being with a friend but we haven't always had that option. If our 15 year old is out at night, we must know exactly where he is. When he leaves, he must come directly to where we are. Really, after the show, the only place mine ever were was the teen center.

 

Then the obvious. Minding manners. No running on the ship (unless where designated). No playing in the elevators (actually seems to be a problem on cruise ships). etc. Being polite and respectful of other passengers. We make sure they know that breaking certain rules puts everyone at risk for being removed from the ship. My kids are generally well behaved but I want them to understand the consequences.

 

They are not allowed to put a single thing on their card without permission. Strict but for us a necessity. We don't want to end up with a $2000 arcade bill.....

 

Even when we aren't together, it seems as if we are running into them all the time. They like to attend all the shows, games, competitions etc.

 

My kids are getting older now so some of the above doesn't really apply. Now they are mostly where we are.

 

In 5 cruises, we have never had any issues at all. You are all going to have the time of your life!!

 

If you see my kids misbehaving, be sure to let me know!!!

 

I am a teen and as you can see sailed several times. The curfew on most RCI ships is 1am, not 10pm. I couldn't even imagine being in the room on a cruise ship at 10pm, thats INSANE, I mean after all, its vacation. Most of the time I would make it back around 12:30, or a little after, by 1am. After all, they even hold teen activities all the way up til curfew, they had a pool party on the Freedom very very late at night, but I can't remember what time. They hold so many activities late at night, at 10pm, you would miss all the fun.

 

I would say, at least for younger teenagers to stay away from the edge of the ship at night, walk around with a friend if possible, and possibly set up a time and a place to meet if the parent is worried and wants to check in with the teen.

[walkman4]

Cot427- thanks for the comments. I am sure that Pauline just accidentally put 10 oclock...or she might wish that we all could have our children and grandchildren in at 10. ha. As a parent it is so good when everyone is finally home and safe from wherever they have been. Good point on being around the ships edge at night. That is my biggest concern. Thanks!:D

[srlafleur]

Basically, they (or anyone) should as diligent about their own safety on a ship as they would be if they were on land.

Regarding falling overboard - you wouldn't try climbing around balconies on a 10+ story building, so it's not smart to do it on a ship either...the building isn't moving :eek:

 

Oh...I didn't notice if anyone mentioned it, but walkie-talkies are great for keeping in touch.

[okgirl]

Sister and I are well beyond our teen years, but we follow most of these same rules as stated above since they apply to single women as well......

We don't always enjoy doing the same things, but we do keep in touch by leaving notes for each other in the cabin, your kids could leave notes for you in the mailbox outside your cabin door....we generally sit in about the same area in the show lounge, at the buffet etc....so it's easy to spot each other.......

If we've been apart for a while I generally will call the room and if she's not there, I'll go there and leave a note that I'm looking for her, and where I'll be if I don't find her.......Our cabin is usually in the forward part of deck 6, so I'll leave there go to the show lounge, then up to the promenade to see if she's reading, up the mid-ship elevators to the lido, through the buffet area then out to the pizza place. Almost 100% of the time I will cross paths with her somewhere on this circuit......:p

I do go ashore by myself, but never much beyond the shops right at the pier unless I'm on an excursion with a group. Your older boy's will undoubtedly be approached while in port to purchase drugs.......I've seen more than one young man arrested while trying to get back on the ship in Montego Bay........

[G'ma]

Do any of you have any hard and fast rules for your children's safety while on a cruise? Do you sit them down and fill them on the rules? We are first timers and want to make sure they will be safe. For instance...age appropriate curfew, or a rule to always be with a friend at night and not alone. What other things do we need to be thinking about and have a plan for? Thank you.:)

 

My grandson has been cruising with me once a year since he was 8 years old...he's 17 now.

 

When he was younger, he spent a lot of time in the kids area enjoying the activities going on there. He's be there pretty much from opening until mid-afternoon. I'd check him out and we'd go to the pool for awhile. If there were activities for the youngsters in the evening, he was ready to go.... At the younger ages, they have to be signed in and out so really no problem. In the evenings, he'd want to play in the arcade or go get pizza with his new friends. I left him alone but checked around on him every coupla hours. Curfew was 11:00PM until he turned 12...then it was midnight. He was always back to the cabin on time....

 

Once he turned 13 - and until today - he has no curfew and no restrictions. He is a well behaved young man; not the kind that would get in trouble or cause trouble at all so I have no worries. We always meet for dinner in the main dining room...which means we spend some time together in the cabin getting ready. After dinner, he can go where he wants and do what he wants with his friends. He has a better social life onboard than I do and it's not unusual for him to come back to the cabin at 2/3 in the morning.

 

He always has such a good time. Makes some good friends and makes friends with the crew and staff of the ship. Usually, after the kids leave the "dancing" venue, they all head for Lido deck for pizza and other food and sit around yakking until the early hours.

 

Each child is different. My grandson has always traveled with his parents...all over the place and knows how to behave. He is polite and courteous - no behavioral problems at all. So, he gets the freedom.

 

Now, if I had been taking my darling daughter (his Mom) on cruises at those ages, I'd of had a harness on her until she was 18....and I would be holding the other end...HA!!!:D :D

[notentirelynormal]

My firm three rules were:

Dinner - every night - be there. If by some wild chance you wanted to eat with friends, which they rarely did, then fine. But I better see you at the dining room to clear it first.

 

I don't care if you stay up late, but if I pay for an excursion, you better be up and functioning and happy and on it. Or you can pay me back the money. Funny, they were always up. We always did shore excursions together unless there was something really special, like one time my DD wanted to go horse back riding and went with a couple we had met on board since she was under 18. The hardest one to get them up for was the transit of the canal. They were not happy, but it was too funny, they kept passing their friends with the same look on their faces.... "your parents made you get up too".

 

The firmest rule of all: I don't care where you go (well except for the obvious) but if you say you're going to be at the pool until 3pm and I come up there at 2:30 and you aren't there BIG TROUBLE. That's it, no more freedom. If you want to change locations, simply let me know and fine.

 

Like a previous poster said though, even when they were wandering we still ran into each other all time time. They basically I knew where we would be as well.

 

We also had a card for their room so we could check on them.

[galavant3]

My firm three rules were:

Dinner - every night - be there. If by some wild chance you wanted to eat with friends, which they rarely did, then fine. But I better see you at the dining room to clear it first.

 

I don't care if you stay up late, but if I pay for an excursion, you better be up and functioning and happy and on it. Or you can pay me back the money. Funny, they were always up. We always did shore excursions together unless there was something really special, like one time my DD wanted to go horse back riding and went with a couple we had met on board since she was under 18. The hardest one to get them up for was the transit of the canal. They were not happy, but it was too funny, they kept passing their friends with the same look on their faces.... "your parents made you get up too".

 

The firmest rule of all: I don't care where you go (well except for the obvious) but if you say you're going to be at the pool until 3pm and I come up there at 2:30 and you aren't there BIG TROUBLE. That's it, no more freedom. If you want to change locations, simply let me know and fine.

 

Like a previous poster said though, even when they were wandering we still ran into each other all time time. They basically I knew where we would be as well.

 

We also had a card for their room so we could check on them.

 

 

Notentirelynormal, I think there is a very good chance we are twins, separated at birth. We also have the dinner every night rule. To date, they have not missed or asked to miss. I laughed when I read the transit anecdote. We had a similar situation when my daughter actually fell asleep on an excursion. I guess the crew had seen it before because they were quick to point out what a great photo op it was. We got some great shots of her with the crew, sound asleep.

[cruiselover57]

Do any of you have any hard and fast rules for your children's safety while on a cruise? Do you sit them down and fill them on the rules? We are first timers and want to make sure they will be safe. For instance...age appropriate curfew, or a rule to always be with a friend at night and not alone. What other things do we need to be thinking about and have a plan for? Thank you.:)

 

Our son is 19 and we've always told him while he technically doesn't have a curfew on board the ship, he can have free range - however, if he chooses to go off in port, he must not go alone and always go off with at least one other person. We also tell him to be back on board the ship no later than 1 hour prior to sailing and so far, those rules have been obeyed. Although I try to tell him to come in when it's not the "wee hours of the morning," that rule is not as strictly enforced - more of a suggestion! What can I say? The teens like to "hang" until the cleaning crew starts working!

 

Laurie

[4cruizers]

My boys, now 21 and 16, pretty much can do what they want. Of course, the 21 year old can, he lives on his own and is in his last year of college, but I am still paying for the cruise, so I do expect him to be at dinner and every excursion that we have booked. I think that is fair enough. We have told them if they don't want to abide by those rules they can stay home, but they are both more than willing to adhere. Those are the only two major rules. Both have always been well-behaved. I know they are not perfect by any means. They do realize there are consequences for every action they take. Plus, they know we are usually up pretty late and will be sure to run into them on the ship, they can't get away. LOL

[Fergus]

These are great - I didn't even think that I needed to make a list of rules until I saw this post! I've been cutting and pasting and making my list as I've read all the responses. In our party will be 4 girls with mild developmental disabilities celebrating their high school graduations, along with the 4 moms. My dd and I have cruised many times, the others are all newbies!

 

Couple of questions for our upcoming trip:

 

-Does anyone know how the arcade games work - do you purchase tokens and use them individually? (We're on the Imagination.)

-Is it possible to have the ss cards/room keys fit both of our party's rooms, so if we're all out and the girls return to the cabins they can get in both of them?

 

If you have any input or suggestions for us, I'd love to hear them!!

[satxdiver]

I am not sure about the arcades but suspect they take coins.

 

As for the sea pass/room key, they will open one room that the holder presumable resides. I do not believe they can be keyed to access more than one room. The same would be true of hotels that use the digital room keys. I do not believe they will give you more than one sea pass/room key. Maybe someone else has more information.

[notentirelynormal]

You should be able to ask the Purser's Desk for a duplicate card. Explain that it is a duplicate and not a lost key otherwise they will deactivate the first one. It will be a key only, and you will not be able to use it for purchases. We have always had a key to our room and one to our kids.