Kids Own Room on Princess?

[JennAngel9]

I posted this on the Princess thread, but I thought their might be more knowledgable people here. Am I correct in understanding that Princess allows families to book staterooms for children with no adults in it, as long as the parents are onboard somewhere (as opposed to having to have 1 parent in each room)? If so, do the rooms have to be nearby/connecting?

 

My parents are considering taking their two younger kids on a cruise this summer and it seems on many sailings the 4 person stateroom are already sold out. I think they would be OK with connecting balcony staterooms, but as the kids are 11 and 13, I thought princess would not allow this. Any info/advice is appreciated.

[6rugrats]

I think Princess requires you to book adjoining cabins. It really wouldn't be safe to have them anyplace else.

[JennAngel9]

Thanks, assuming there are adjoining cabins available, I think that would be a fine solution. I was asking because somebody had posted on a Princess thread that they had a balcony and their kids were across the hall in an oceanview.

[notentirelynormal]

You book one adult and one child in the cabin. Once you are on board you go to the Purser's desk and ask them to switch the adults to one cabin and the kids to another. Also ask for an additional room key for the kid's cabin.

[JennAngel9]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I wasn't aware that the purser could/would switch rooms onboard. The extra key idea is brilliant.

[rebeccalouise]

It is ok to have the kids in connecting rooms but I wouldn't have them too far away. 13 is an especially problematic age for boys. Boys become more risk takers at this age and can get into trouble. Unfortuneately there are preditors on cruise ships and younger teens needs supervision.

 

I witnessed an Indonesian grill cook on Holland America flirt with and get the cabin # of a young girl in braces. So I wouldn't trust kids 11 and 13- they definitely need supervision- in fact, more supervision than 12 and under. And I don't want to hear, not my kids. Kids can be very naive when given too much freedom. They are not yet mentally prepared to deal with some of the situations they encounter. I thought my 15 year old son was pretty smart. When I downloaded my trip photos there were pictures of him drinking in a cabin with a group of teens. It never occurred to me that this would be going on. So don't kid yourself.

[lizi116]

I am pretty sure Princess does not have connecting rooms. We booked 2 rooms side by side - officially 1 adult per room. TA said Princess does not have a problem with 2 kids in a room. TA advised Princess that we were a family of 4. When we arrived, 1 room was set up as a double bed and the other was 2 single beds. Princess knew what we wanted. Kids were 9 at 12 at the time and I felt safe with them in their room. We did not let them roam around. One of us always went back to the room with them and we always went to bed at the same time - except once when after the kids were asleep for a while my husband and I went to a midnight show. The kids knew we were going and we had walkie talkies just in case.

[rebeccalouise]

9 and 12 are still pretty good ages. Take my word for it though, 13 is a pivitol age. This is the age when they are defiant and take risks. Many parents operate under old assumptions and I just caution you that 13 and up tend to be rebellious- run in the halls, push the buttons on the elevator, congregate in the stairwells and basically are looking for trouble. If your 12 year old gets involved with the older kids- they may get sucked into this behavior.

 

I saw really misbehaved kids around the pool on Zuiderdam. I don't know where there parents were. I think parents tend to think that older kids won't get into trouble and they would be wrong. The problem with the pool area is that someone could get seriously hurt. Don't let your kids run wild on the ship. Have them involved in youth program activities or be with them.

[lizi116]

Thanks for the advice. My former 12 year old son will be 14 next month and you are correct - 13 was (is) an eye-opener! I think that 9 and 12 were good ages for what we did. As a 14 yr old, I agree - common sense has seemed to decrease, and I do need to worry about him more. I wonder what 15, 16 17 will bring:(!

[Ula]

Jenn,

Did a Princess cruise in November with my sister and her boys ages 14 and 11. Princess does not have ajoining rooms. They had two balcony cabins with the divider open. One parent was booked in each room and then keys were switched around at boarding.

The boys spent a lot of time with friends they met in the youth clubs. Also Princess has a "soda" card delux that costs extra but includes Mocktails, hot chocolate and soft serve icream.

I have no idea where the soft serve ice cream is, that is new. Princess has free ship made ice cream in the Buffet every afternoon. I have never eaten the ice cream. But know it is there and people love it.

Booking I do not know. The family booked this to suprise us on the cruise with a family get together. My mom had to let on when she learned we do not do formal night and they wanted a get together at the steak house on Thanksgiving night. Instead we practiced acting suprised when we saw the kids and brought formal clothes.

They had a great time.

[mjmalino]

We actually booked 2 rooms on our last Princess cruise, and have already done the same for this years as well. My 2DS (were 10 and 9 last year) slept in an inside cabin right across the hall from both my balcony and my in laws balcony. They did fine. We actually found walkie-talkies that have a monitor function so we used that to keep tabs on them in their cabin, making sure they don't get too loud, etc. However, my kids were really only in their cabins to sleep and get dressed. MY DH and I do not allow them to roam the ship. In fact, we allow our kids to check themselves into the kids camp, but not out, that way we have a bit more control over their movements around the ship.

[Ula]

You always have to be aware with what your children are doing. But your kids can make some very good friends in the kids clubs. The cruise I was on over Thanksgiving we had just a wonderful thing happen. My sister lost her youngest and only girl to meningitis some years ago. Something we have all had to live with.

Her youngest Bobby in the kids club met another 10 year old boy who had lost his dad in a freak at home accident just before the cruise. Those two made great friends and would shuffle board together all the time. The other boys mother who had thought of cancelling the cruise was happy she did keep it. She brought her brother instead, just for the interaction her boys had especially with Bobby who could relate.

The kids clubs are good, and knowing where your kids are also works. They can make some nice friends. There is an age where they can sign themselves out.

[boating girl]

I would not advise allowing children to sleep in cabins without an adult. I am probably more cautious than most but think of it this way........a cruise ship has the population of a small town. If you wouldn't leave your child alone at home or in their own hotel room, don't do it on a cruise ship. I have always been amazed at seeing children under 12 running around in the hallways and public areas late at night without adults. Someone could easily pull them into a cabin. Predators and pedophiles are everywhere.

[JennAngel9]

Thanks everybody for your thoughtful replies. I will pass this information along to my family. It's very surprising to me that Princess offers so few cabins with sufficient berths/spaces for families and no connecting cabins!! I just looked at Ruby Princess deckplans (thinking, "surely they have figured this out by now") but I still can't believe it!

 

Hopefully by the time I have kids who are old enough allow DH and I some privacy, Princess will have built some ships with more plentiful dividers inside the cabin (or at the very least, adjoining rooms).