Being a Teen on an Oceania Cruise?

I suspect that the TS (thread starter) was looking for posters to agree that a lesser cruise line would be better. While I admire the fact that she came onto the Oceania board to ask questions, I am of the mind that she should respect her parents decision. If she wants to throw away this opportunity, so be it -- it would likely be a decision that she would regret. However, I would not to want to be on a cruise with someone that did not want to be there as it would put a dark cloud over the cruise.

Did you see her second post? (Thread post #4)

She sounds rather upbeat and open to everyone's input.

I was on an Oceania cruise where I shared a table once with a mother and daughter team. The daughter was pretty and 22. I think she knew every crew member and they all smiled at her on this grey haired cruise. :) Both were very friendly and polite people, easy to talk to.

When did we decide the OP was a she? I don't believe they've said either way, unless I missed it. Also would be curious to know the age.

My initial thoughts here were hooked, set & landed.

Moonhearts, you are going to have a great time! As far as outdoor fun things to do on the ship, there is an 18 hole putt-putt course, a netted paddle board court, a netted driving range, a croquet field, shuffleboard and ping pong tables. All great family things to do. They also are very seldom used as the "old ones" really don't flock to these very often.

There is also an art class which is conducted on sea days and if you like drawing at all, you will definitely like enrolling in this class. Just make sure you show up early on the first day to guarantee you have a seat throughout the cruise on sea days. They also have hands-on cooking classes (for a small fee). You will also have access to unlimited internet (one account per cabin) which comes in handing if you like visiting social media sites.

So, don't worry and keep thinking positive. You're going to have a great time!!

Hi Moonhearts,

I agree with the other posters who think you will have a great time. Based on your posts, you are intellectually curious about things and one of those is seeing Greece!

I'm on the younger end of the "demographic" at 43 years old and am looking forward to interesting conversations with my fellow cruisers. No, there won't be waterslides and crazy shows. But you will find your off board experience amazing, busy, and fulfilling. Meaning, when you get back on board after a long day of seeing amazing Greek treasures in the hot sun, you might just want to settle in onboard the ship without another hundred things to see and do.

Unless you're 18, typically bars and night clubs on ship are off limits anyway. I was on a cruise with my parents at 15 and had a great time, even though I didn't meet many others my age. The time spent with them (now in their late 70s) was precious.

Glad you're being so thoughtful but take your own advice and just hop on and take advantage of this awesome experience!

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Did you see her second post? (Thread post #4)

She sounds rather upbeat and open to everyone's input.

Agree but she lost me when she something about being upset that she was not part of the decision process. In my opinion, if you are paying for the vacation, you should be a part of the decision process. Otherwise, just be appreciative and do not write letters or go on and on to your parents as to why they should do a different cruise line!

I assume that the TS is a "she" based on women intuition:halo:

TravelCat, I'm not sure I go along with that ...

If she's 12 or 13 (assuming OP IS a she), then no, probably not. But if she's 16 or 17? I don't see why she couldn't have been consulted about what SHE wanted to do.

Yes, it's a gift. She's not paying for it.

I really don't recall if my parents consulted with us about vacations! Probably they didn't, but it was a very different time when *I* was young. At any rate, I was always happy with their choices. And they were always road trips, NEVER a cruise!

Seems to me that OP has come around and does have a positive approach. She was unhappy at first ...maybe some of our comments helped her in this.

Mura

Agree but she lost me when she something about being upset that she was not part of the decision process. In my opinion, if you are paying for the vacation, you should be a part of the decision process. Otherwise, just be appreciative and do not write letters or go on and on to your parents as to why they should do a different cruise line!

 

I assume that the TS is a "she" based on women intuition:halo:

I wasn't raised by parents who felt that children should be seen and not heard. I'm lucky that my parents encouraged their kids to communicate and share thoughts and opinions. It sounds like the OP is rather smart and, in my opinion, writing a letter explaining his/her thoughts seems intelligent and mature and that skill will serve him/her well in the future.

Sure, the parents are paying and should make the final decision. But not being open to a child's feedback seems bizarrely retro in a rather bad, selfish way.

I wasn't raised by parents who felt that children should be seen and not heard. I'm lucky that my parents encouraged their kids to communicate and share thoughts and opinions. It sounds like the OP is rather smart and, in my opinion, writing a letter explaining his/her thoughts seems intelligent and mature and that skill will serve him/her well in the future.

Sure, the parents are paying and should make the final decision. But not being open to a child's feedback seems bizarrely retro in a rather bad, selfish way.

Greetings from South Beach, MarkieMarkNYC. I think it reasonable that the TS's parents listen to her/his opinions, but that's it. Considering TS's verbal skills, college is in progress or in the offing. Either way, it's probably the parents bearing this costly burden. It is also undeniable that Moonhearts is or soon will be among hordes of age mates 24/7. In the meantime, this is a good time to appreciate Mom and Dad. Greece is a great place to do that.

Mary

I wasn't raised by parents who felt that children should be seen and not heard. I'm lucky that my parents encouraged their kids to communicate and share thoughts and opinions. It sounds like the OP is rather smart and, in my opinion, writing a letter explaining his/her thoughts seems intelligent and mature and that skill will serve him/her well in the future.

Sure, the parents are paying and should make the final decision. But not being open to a child's feedback seems bizarrely retro in a rather bad, selfish way.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. I know teens that can score a higher IQ than most of us. They are our future and to dismiss their opinions are wrong. They absolutely should give their personal opinions and then have a discussion with the parents.

Just ignore people who are negative and selfish and yes, very retro.

Moonhearts,

Not to discourage you, but I just returned from Marina on a 34 night back-to-back. On our cruise, there was exactly one teenager (she may have been early twenties) on the first leg. (I didn't see any on the second cruise.) She ended up hanging out with another British couple she liked so she didn't have to stay with her parents 24/7.

I am 52 years old and was called "the infant" on this cruise by many of my fellow cruise mates. As you already knew, Oceania is not a cruise line many of us would choose for our children (mine are 24 and 28 and I wouldn't even consider taking them - they would be bored with the ship and the extra cost would just not be worth it).

That being said, to me, there are 2 parts to a cruise vacation - the ship and the ports. The Greek Islands are amazing and I'm sure you'll have an awesome time there. While there probably won't be an abundance of teens for you to hang out with (though maybe a few more than on our itinerary which was South Pacific/Panama Canal), the ship is beautiful with awesome food and amazing staff. If you adjust your expectations (it will NOT in any event be the party atmosphere you'd find on Carnival or Royal Caribbean), I would think you could have a pretty awesome vacation. If your parents are older (maybe you arrived late in life?), I don't see Royal Caribbean or NCL being a very good fit for them, so maybe you can consider it a free opportunity to see an amazing part of the world at a very young age (we did not take our kids on any of our European cruises - you're very lucky really). You'll have lots of opportunities to do vacations exactly as you wish to in the future!

First, you didn't say how old you are. That really matters. If you are a younger teen look at this as a last vacation with your parents where you will be going to interesting places.

I also agree with the posters who ask about port days. If the vast majority of days are in ports AND your parents are going to be off ship those days then the ship is really just transport and hotel (you are there for breakfast and dinner, sleeping and transport overnight to the next port of call) and you will be spending most of the time on shore with your parents. Look at sea days the same as a rainy day at home where you can't go anywhere.

If however, there are many sea days then you might want to try and convince the parents to find a different cruise ship. I was on a Princess cruise out of Florida when school was in session and the very few teens on-board seemed bored out of their mind's. The few young children (grammar school and younger) didn't care because they were having fun with their parents.

something to consider, this will be a very port intensive cruise with very little shop time, mostly to eat and sleep. . No art classes, trivia, cooking, lectures, It 8 to 10 hours a day in port no sea days I would assume. I am wondering about the parents decision to cruise to that part of the world at that time having to endure heat, and crowds along the way. Possibly the worst time to visit the region for a quality experience ??? Too, research by the parents might have resulted in a more kid friendly line if they indeed want to take their child.

Let me add another suggestion about bringing a friend along....I know is is probably way too far in advance to figure out who would be the right person to ask, but that is often a solution for the lonely only child on family vacation situation, which I know since I am the mom of an only child! But on a cruise, there is the question of cabins.....adding a fourth person in a cabin is very economical, but it can be pretty tight. And only certain cabins have the bed arrangements to accommodate four people. If you want to be able to do that, even if you are uncertain whether you will or not, it is wise to make sure you have one of those cabins that can handle 4 people. They don't cost any extra if you only end up with three in the cabin.

We did a cruise in the Greek islands when our son was in his mid-teens. It was on a line called Louis, which specializes in that area. It did not have the teen programs or fancy entertainment that a Royal Carribean ship might have, but honestly it didn't matter since those are most relevant when the ship has "at sea" days. We didn't have any of those since we went from one island to another every day. Most of our time was spent on the islands where we stopped each day, and our son fell in love with them. I still remember the spot where he told me "this is when I fell in love with Greece." I took a picture of him at that moment!

Look at it this way: you will only eat and sleep on board. The rest of the time will be having an adventure in various ports. Don't use the ship tours you will get stuck on a bus visiting sites and museums. Do some research on-line for activities you and your parents can book that are exciting and interesting. They should be less expensive than ship tours as well. This way once you are off the ship you can have a great time and meet like minded young people in Greece.

The OP hasn't replied in 3 weeks, yet people keep posting. Huh?

Moonheart,

Please post a summary of your cruise on this thread (either during the cruise or when you get back) or a link to your blog. Your are very fortunate to be going on such a cruise, and though maybe not the best choice for you in terms of social interaction, its a good choice if you enjoy food and travel. As an earlier poster mentioned, see if you can get a friend to come along. That would be ideal. If not, you will find an opportunity to meet many interesting people. When I went on my first cruise at age 14, in the late 1960s, my parents, grandmother, sister (age 17) and I shared a table with a retired Colonel (in his 90s) and another elderly gentlemen. Such an opportunity to talk to people that had lived in a very different era and have wonderful food! In addition, much of the time was spent on excursions with my family, so even if I did not find the stories of the older people fascinating, it would have been a great cruise. If you look focusing on getting the most out of your Oceania cruise you will do just fine. By sure to take pictures! I have very few pictures to look back on in my childhood to help refresh memories -- fifty years from now, such pictures will be very much appreciated by you. Also, either keep a journal or post daily entries on a blog about your trip. That will also be something to enjoy far into the future.

Also have fun talking to the crew! Most of them are from Asia, Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Central America, South America or Africa and love to talk about their cultures and their experiences working on the ship.

My 13 yo is going with me on the Baltic cruise in Aug. I chose Oceania just because I wanted a stop in Riga (my mother was Latvian). My kid is very social and she is prepared that there may not be any other kids on this trip but she is focused on the day trips (she has been to over 25 countries herself) and shopping. When a teen, there is nightlife -- other kids, or shopping. You could find some cool things on those Greek Islands. And good snorkling.

I brought my 2 sons on Seabourn with only 200 guests - they were 16 & 18. They said it was their favorite cruise yet because they found the people so interesting. I did too. I always enjoyed sitting with other passengers and hearing their story. I believe Oceania with be similar. My 16 y.o. did say that the only thing that would have made the trip better would be a few more kids.