Cruising with teens on a separate deck?

My family (2 adults, 2 14yo kids) is scheduled to go on our first cruise this summer, taking NCL Bliss to Alaska. We're really excited to take the Bliss (kids really want to go-kart on top of a ship). At the time we booked, I was not able to choose cabins because it was already close to sold out. We've been assigned cabins on deck 5 and deck 11. The idea is to have the kids in one cabin and the adults in the other (although we had to book an adult in each cabin).

Having never been on a cruise before, having the kids so far away seems like it might be an issue, but I'm not really sure. My kids are very well behaved in public and pretty well behaved in private so I'm not worried about their ability to act appropriately on their own.

Questions

1. Is this a big deal? Or will we be fine to be on different decks?

2. If this is a big deal, any tips to getting cabins moved? I've tried calling and they said to check again at 120 days out which is when some passenger payments are due, and then again at 90 when the remainder of payments are due.

3. If I can't get cabins moved, should I try for a different sailing? I've only paid the deposit so far - should I see if any other sailing is a possibility? The prices have gone up since I initially booked. I assume I'd be on the hook for the difference?

4. One of the cabins that is booked is a larger family cabin. While we wanted the kids in a different cabin, could we just cancel the extra cabin and have the 4 of us in the larger cabin?

Of course, we could just stay as booked (1 kid + 1 adult per room) but that's really my last resort.

Thanks!

I think you should ask this on the NCL board. Obviously you couldn't book them alone or you wouldn't have done an adult in each cabin. But you got caught doing a gty. If you need cabins close to each other, you need to book specific cabins. EM

Post on the NCL board to get accurate info for that line.

I thought that children under 18 had to be in the same cabin as an adult or next door to one.

once you get on the ship, go to Guest Services and get key cards swapped, or ask for cards to the kid's room. The steward doesn't care who sleeps where.

You should probably put rules in place way before you get on the ship. No child should invite anyone into the stateroom nor should they go into any one else's stateroom.

I just wouldn’t do this for many reasons.

Just one is the life boat situation.

If you choose option 4, it’s going to be a lot less expensive, and it’s safer. I’d take that.

Six decks apart? Even if you have total trust in your kids, that's some seriously laissez faire parenting in terms of any emergency situation. It's a teeny-tiny risk that you'll actually run into an evacuation event, but could you live with yourself should anything happen? Would you be happy on a land vacation if your kids were 6 floors up from you? Your fellow pax don't all magically become perfect, non-criminal types just because you're on a ship...

Plus, you are 100% in breach of the rules of carriage so if anyone onboard finds out and decides to make an issue of it, they could chuck you off at the next port...

Six decks apart? Even if you have total trust in your kids, that's some seriously laissez faire parenting in terms of any emergency situation. It's a teeny-tiny risk that you'll actually run into an evacuation event, but could you live with yourself should anything happen? Would you be happy on a land vacation if your kids were 6 floors up from you? Your fellow pax don't all magically become perfect, non-criminal types just because you're on a ship...

 

Plus, you are 100% in breach of the rules of carriage so if anyone onboard finds out and decides to make an issue of it, they could chuck you off at the next port...

I have never been on a cruise before (hence the posting on the FIRST TIMER board) which is why I'm asking. I didn't intentionally book it this way, as I said initially. Your snarky response is rude and uncalled for.

I just wouldn’t do this for many reasons.

Just one is the life boat situation.

If you choose option 4, it’s going to be a lot less expensive, and it’s safer. I’d take that.

This would not be happening in my family. I have great kids but no way I would trust two teens that far away from me. I like the 4 suggestion.

No way.

I don’t think the poster was being rude, their just trying to explain why two 14 y/o in a cabin alone so far away is a very bad idea. Each cabin is assigned to a muster station (lifeboat). If you’re cabins are not very near one another, they will have different stations. The above poster was indicating that in the case of an emergency, you won’t be with your kids. And technically you would be in breach of your cruise contract and could possibly be put off the ship at the nearest port.

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no way in hell. you need to keep on them , escalating NOW. otherwise you WILL be sleeping as booked.

There is no way I could ever leave two 14yr olds alone, six floors always from me in a floating city of 4000+ people!!

Sorry but I guess I am just surprised you would even contemplate this....

Too far away , asking for trouble nowadays .

Retreat to all into the family cabin then continue to watch for availability close by .

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I once read a story (here I think) where the parents did this. The "well behaved teens" weren't so well behaved. The ship made them stick to their assigned cabins, and I believe did bed checks.

No way.

Our kids have cruised often and are familiar with the ship.

They are usually across the hall in an inside, we are in balcony.

Only other way I'd consider is adjoining.

Too many risks otherwise. Also, rather inconvenient just for day to day getting around. Easier to go on excursions or to dinner if they are right there. 6 decks away is way to far. You would constantly be trying to meet up.

If the ship doesn't have space, cancel and pick another. Or move all 4 to the one cabin.

If you rebook 2 cabins: Choose your cabins, mark them no upgrades and link the reservations.

You'll have to book with one adult in each room, but once onboard get everyone room keys to both rooms and sleep where you like.

My teens are experienced cruisers, and well.. a lot older than 14 now! They would be (almost) 20 and 16 if they were sailing this year. Even at those ages, I would not allow them 6 decks away from us. Of course.. I wouldn't even let them have their own room to begin with but meh, I am cheap :D Don't think of it was a cruise ship, the Bliss is big. Would you let your kids stay alone in a hotel 2-3 blocks away from where you were sleeping?

If one of the rooms sleeps 4, I would say see if you can all move in there. You will hear a lot of "Oh it will be sooo crowded!!" but if your teens are like mine, you will see them for check-ins, excursions and when they are asleep and that is it. My kids had strict curfew times on board, and we would go out looking for them if they were late! Yes, you and your husband might not get the alone time in the room you could want... but I think that is a small price to pay to make sure your kids are safe.

And no matter what rules you tell them, they could always "forget". I still remember my DS's last cruise with us, we got lucky with a Haven upgrade on NCL. He actually brought his new GF back to the room to see it. Our #1 rule was always no strangers in the room unless mom and dad are there! He was just excited to show off and I get that but still.. we are speaking about years of telling him this.

Just remember, no matter how well behaved kids are in public or private, that doesn't mean teenagers can't be stupid!

Putting two 14 year olds in their own cabin is against Norwegian's rules unless there are adults in a connecting cabin.. If you do put those 14 year olds in their own cabin, their cabin steward is obligated to report the rule violation (or they can lose their job). What would they do? At the least you would have to have each teen in a cabin with an adult. Worse case, if you willingly violate their rules is that they could "ask" your family to leave the ship at the next port.

Hank

no way in hell. you need to keep on them , escalating NOW. otherwise you WILL be sleeping as booked.

The cruise line will say the cabins as assigned (one adult and one teen in each) fully comply with the contract and won't own any of the OP's dilemma.

correct/ which means if they try and switch around on board they will be denied. they will have to sleep one parent one kid in each cabin. there is NO way a responsible parent would allow unsupervised teens 6 decks away.

We just booked the family ocean view on Bliss for 2019. Our family of 5 will be staying there (kids will be 9, 14, and 15). We would’ve preferred 2 cabins but it was just too pricey on that ship. We have another cruise booked w two cabins but they are directly across from each other. I wouldn’t put my kids that far away, especially since you have a family cabin that’s big enough. Keep looking for a closer cabin knowing you have a backup if one doesn’t become available. I personally wouldn’t book any cabin more than 2 or 3 doors away.

correct/ which means if they try and switch around on board they will be denied. they will have to sleep one parent one kid in each cabin. there is NO way a responsible parent would allow unsupervised teens 6 decks away.

I think it's not uncommon for the desk to quietly facilitate a switch when the kids are across the hall or not much further away even though officially each room must have an adult at the time of booking. This exceeds what either the line or the parents would normally be happy with (IMO).

No one is being rude, simply pointing out how reckless this would be, never mind the fact that its against NCL policy

I would never, ever do that and I trust my kids fully. At that age, too many thing can and will go wrong

I think it's not uncommon for the desk to quietly facilitate a switch when the kids are across the hall or not much further away even though officially each room must have an adult at the time of booking. This exceeds what either the line or the parents would normally be happy with (IMO).

'zactly. hell we on these boards will often say no problem to put all the kids in the same cabin but in every case that someone has asked, the cabins have been right next door or across the hall.

I have never been on a cruise before (hence the posting on the FIRST TIMER board) which is why I'm asking. I didn't intentionally book it this way, as I said initially. Your snarky response is rude and uncalled for.

My assumption is that the rudeness you perceive is because you think I'm judging your parenting abilities - I'm not, merely pointing out that this is a great example of a particular parenting style. Note that I did not actually say you should not do this - instead I asked that you think about the repercussions of choosing to do so and gave you a useful framework to help you make the decision (comparing to a land-based vacation). If you actually would do this on a land vacation - well, that's pretty much a textbook example of laissez faire parenting and aside from the cruise rules being broken I see no harm if it's consistent with how you've already been raising them.

Cruises are no different than any other form of vacation in terms of the other humans you are onboard with - unless you'd be happy with leaving your kids sleeping in a different place from you, unsupervised and out of sight, in a small town they are unfamiliar with you shouldn't do so on a ship. If you are happy to do that on land, more power to you - your kids obviously survived the previous occasions just fine so there's no reason they shouldn't on a cruise, and after all on any rational level kids are in far more danger of harm from friends & family than from total strangers.

Tjfo9. I figured out which date you are sailing and the site I used does not show this cruise sold out. I saw cabins in several areas very close to each other. It is possible one of the cabin classes you are using is sold out.

If you post what cabins you have or at least the type Luke I Side; outside or balcony I could check for you.

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