Independent 9 y/o QUESTION!

[Ilivetogo]

We will be going on our very first cruise this summer. We will be on the NCL Star headed on the Inside Passage to Alaska. I am a single mom going with my 15 y/o daughter and 8 y/o son.

 

No questions about the 15 y/o. However, my son is a very "independent" and energetic guy and will have me running ragged I'm sure! He will want to be in a pool, in the video arcade, off to get food somewhere, and who knows where else. The question is ... Do I have to take/escort him everywhere myself and stay there? Is he allowed to go places with his older sister? I'm just not sure how much he's allowed to do himself. (Don't get me wrong ... I don't want to sit in the spa all day and have him run around the ship by himself!! I just need to know that if he wants to run up by himself to grab a drink, is he allowed?)

[crusinmama06]

Yes he is allowed. It will be up to you to determine how much freedom he does have. ;)

 

My oldest is turning 9 in a few weeks. At this point, she isn't allowed to go anywhere on the ship without us. But there is safety in numbers. If your son is with the teen, then he should be fine.

[Ilivetogo]

Thank you! At least now I know!!

Looks like you're having a trip soon ... ENJOY!!!

[crusinmama06]

Looks like you're having a trip soon ... ENJOY!!!

 

Always! :D Any day on a ship is better than on land. :D

 

Enjoy your first cruise. Make sure you come back to tell us all about it.

[Ilivetogo]

Thanks Michele,

Looks like you're "old hat" at this cruise thing.

This won't "technically" be my first cruise, I was in the Navy and traveled around the world. But that was about as far from luxury as you can get!! The entire ship is grey, hard, cold and old. My very own space was about as big as a single bed with a locker. Oh -- a little curtain you could pull around your little single bed. Aaaahhhh -- privacy. :( (note the sarcasm there!) I've spent WAY more time ON the water than actually cruising as we sat off the coast of Saudi Arabia for about 5 straight MONTHS. I have to say, there were some of the most gorgeous sunsets visible by humans on this planet, but at 5 months long, even that got old.

So, this idea of going out to sea and not having to get up at 4:30 in the morning for work will be very nice. So will the fact that I will actually get to see another color other than grey!! Whoopie! :D

I will take PLENTY of pics!!

Kris

[kitty9]

Kris, won't your son be taking part in the kid's club? That would be a great option for you. They really keep the kids busy, do interesting things, and you can make it so your son can't leave the club unless you're there to sign him out. I think that might be an option for you to give you some free time and it will keep your son happy and busy.

[Ilivetogo]

Oh yes! I do believe that he will most likely enjoy the kids club. We have told him about it and we are all interested in it.

Thank you for all the tips!!!

Kris

[napls2]

I have 11 year old twins and the last 2 years we have let them roam as long as they were with each other and called in every once in a while or left us a note in the cabin. It was easier for me because there were 2 of them. They really enjoy the kids rooms and go check it out, and will usually make a friend. I think they were 10 when we let them just hang out with new friends they made on the boat as long as they stayed in public areas. We had our rules and made sure they followed them--to stay off decks that had only railings and not the higher protected glass. The winds could get pretty bad on some decks so they did what they were supposed to. We'd see them here and there and they did pretty good. IF they were to ever get in trouble or have boat security report on them, then they knew it would be the kids room with no sign in or out priveleges or sitting with mom and dad. We gave my son a limit on the arcade as well so he knew what he could do.

[Ilivetogo]

The limits are going to have to be a MUST with me too. He would probably get carried away in the arcade without someone to cut him off! ;)

[NEcruisers????]

The limits are going to have to be a MUST with me too. He would probably get carried away in the arcade without someone to cut him off! ;)

 

The over charging at the arcade is an easy fix, just dont' allow him to have charging priveleges on his key card. :) We are always with our chilldren (except when they are in the kids club) so they really don't need charging priveleges. And it sounds that if he is not with you, he will be with your teenage daughter, than he should be fine without the charge privelege.

[rebeccalouise]

Here is what I have discovered...

 

My son is eight and was allowed to sign himself in and out of the kids program (this is up to the parent). In some regards it worked fine and he knew that if he left the kids club that he had to return to the cabin. I checked in on him at the kids club every couple of hours-like I always do.

 

I would say- don't give your child signing in and out privileges. It actually was more stressful for me because I knew he had the ability to roam the ship and what if he decided to go swimming with another kid ?(which he wasn't allowed to go swimming by himself).

 

While I understand that your older child will be there- do you think that they are going to be joined at the hip? Unlikely. As soon as your daughter meets other teens- the last thing she is going to want is an 8 year old hanging around! Your eight year old will love the kids program and this way they aren't in the video arcade all the time.

[sunandseagirl617]

We have the same scenario as the poster: DS is 15 and DD will soon be 9.

 

DD did not have signing out privileges at our choice. We just felt the ships are getting larger and larger!!

 

The 15 year old attended the very first evening at the teen program and ended up meeting new friends for the rest of the cruise. There were several times thoughout the cruise that the kids were together but they usually checked in with us, either in the cabin or where ever we were. I would always leave a note in the cabin.

 

What usually ended up happening was the 8 year old would want to stay in the kid's program and not want to hang out with the 15 year old:D

 

On our last cruise, for the first time, we gave the 8 year old charging privileges. We also gave her examples of what she could use for that card....ie...a sprite or $10 in the arcade etc.....

[Ilivetogo]

ALL very good tips and ideas for "control". I'm sure we'll have to just wait and see how he likes the Kids Club in the first place. (My thought is that if he can be in the pool, he will. Which means I'll be there anyway.:rolleyes:)

Anyway, thanks everyone for sharing their methods of doing things. It helps a lot!!

[rebeccalouise]

Yes, my son is a typical eight year old.

 

Here is how our day takes shape. 7:30AM he is up and wants breakfast. 9AM he is chomping at the bit to go to the youth program. 11AM I check on him and he wants to stay. 11:30 I return and drag him to lunch. 12-2 we swim. He goes back to the kids club until 5PM.

 

We chill out in the cabin until about 6:30 and then go to dinner somewhere.

 

At 7PM he is back with the kids in the youth program

 

I do my thing until 10PM, then its back to the cabin. We watch a pay per view movie and I fall asleep before its over. He watches the whole thing!

 

He has way more energy than me!:):p

[Ilivetogo]

Yes, my son is a typical eight year old.

 

Here is how our day takes shape. 7:30AM he is up and wants breakfast. 9AM he is chomping at the bit to go to the youth program. 11AM I check on him and he wants to stay. 11:30 I return and drag him to lunch. 12-2 we swim. He goes back to the kids club until 5PM.

 

We chill out in the cabin until about 6:30 and then go to dinner somewhere.

 

At 7PM he is back with the kids in the youth program

 

I do my thing until 10PM, then its back to the cabin. We watch a pay per view movie and I fall asleep before its over. He watches the whole thing!

 

He has way more energy than me!:):p

 

 

Wow! I can only imagine my day will be almost EXACTLY like yours!! (Except I didn't even know they had pay per view movies!! How much are they? Curious because I've never heard anyone mention them before.) Thanks!!!

[rebeccalouise]

On Independence of the Seas the movies were $ 11.95 but the good news is that the ones you buy are stored in the saved movies section- so if you want to stop and start them- they are there. Or if, like in my case, you fall asleep during the movie. You can go to saved and watch it the next day.

 

Most cruise lines offer pay per view movies. Holland America also has DVD players in the room and movies for rent in the library.

[chipmaster]

We will be going on our very first cruise this summer. We will be on the NCL Star headed on the Inside Passage to Alaska. I am a single mom going with my 15 y/o daughter and 8 y/o son.

 

No questions about the 15 y/o. However, my son is a very "independent" and energetic guy and will have me running ragged I'm sure! He will want to be in a pool, in the video arcade, off to get food somewhere, and who knows where else. The question is ... Do I have to take/escort him everywhere myself and stay there? Is he allowed to go places with his older sister? I'm just not sure how much he's allowed to do himself. (Don't get me wrong ... I don't want to sit in the spa all day and have him run around the ship by himself!! I just need to know that if he wants to run up by himself to grab a drink, is he allowed?)

 

Only you can decide how much freedom you'll be comfortable with. I have let my two son's ( 2 years apart ) go to and from kids club, to their cabins, to and from the pool, video arcade when they were as young as 8 and 10. There was always the comfort that they were going as a pair with clear expecations of what and where they were going. I personally would likely not allow my 8 year old to wander by himself without set guidelines. It isn't a question of safety or lackof on a ship. To me the question is similar would you allow your 8 year old to do his own thing in the large local shopping mall in a new city for the day, or only with clear rules and guidelines.

 

For things like going to room, going to the video arcade, or getting a drink would be something I'd be pretty comfortable and can't imagine anything to worry about that would be different if I had been with them. To do his own thing say at the pool while I did tea for example, no. It simply isn't just prudent as ships are large and full of strangers and you can't really count on the crew to be safety monitors for the kids, nor kids that age to understand nor be responsible enough to manage by themselves either. Also, I've seen many times simply outrageous behavoir from kids and adults go un policed and who's to say my kid wouldn't somehow go off and have too much fun too :eek:

 

Sound like you got it all planned and will have a blast

[Ilivetogo]

Only you can decide how much freedom you'll be comfortable with. I have let my two son's ( 2 years apart ) go to and from kids club, to their cabins, to and from the pool, video arcade when they were as young as 8 and 10. There was always the comfort that they were going as a pair with clear expecations of what and where they were going. I personally would likely not allow my 8 year old to wander by himself without set guidelines. It isn't a question of safety or lackof on a ship. To me the question is similar would you allow your 8 year old to do his own thing in the large local shopping mall in a new city for the day, or only with clear rules and guidelines.

 

For things like going to room, going to the video arcade, or getting a drink would be something I'd be pretty comfortable and can't imagine anything to worry about that would be different if I had been with them. To do his own thing say at the pool while I did tea for example, no. It simply isn't just prudent as ships are large and full of strangers and you can't really count on the crew to be safety monitors for the kids, nor kids that age to understand nor be responsible enough to manage by themselves either. Also, I've seen many times simply outrageous behavoir from kids and adults go un policed and who's to say my kid wouldn't somehow go off and have too much fun too :eek:

 

Sound like you got it all planned and will have a blast

 

 

I think you hit the nail on the head! Originally my question was merely to find out if it was ALLOWED for a kid to be walking without someone with him/her. Like you said, I would not be at tea, while he was somewhere other than the Kids Club or something like that. THANKS!