South America/Antarctica with 12 yr old

[refo]

Has anyone taken a cruise to South America/Antarctica with a tween? We are taking our grandson and altho we have cruised a lot this will be his first. Am concerned about those many days at sea. Any suggestions so we can be prepared?

Thanks!

[yellowbird23]

Has anyone taken a cruise to South America/Antarctica with a tween? We are taking our grandson and altho we have cruised a lot this will be his first. Am concerned about those many days at sea. Any suggestions so we can be prepared?

Thanks!

Don't??

[cb at sea]

Unless the 12 year old has some overriding need and desire to learn about the Antarctic, I would forgo this trip! It's cold, rough, and "learning" intensive...it's not really a "pleasure" cruise.

[room010]

Unless the 12 year old has some overriding need and desire to learn about the Antarctic, I would forgo this trip! It's cold, rough, and "learning" intensive...it's not really a "pleasure" cruise.

 

Totally agree. Take him on a Disney cruise to a nice warm beach somewhere.

[Traveler353]

When I was 12 I would have done anything to go to Antarctica. He is lucky to have such special Grandparents. Think of the stories that he will have to tell at school. He will be the hero of his class. If he showing an interest in going, by all means take him on this trip of a lifetime.

[trainfan]

What a great experience for the child. We had to wait until our 60's to do it! Assuming there is no program laid on for his age group on the ship here are a few suggestions:

 

If he is interested in reading, take along some books about the area he can read. Shackleton's book "South" is an amazing adventure story of Antarctic survival - depending on the child's reading level, it may be a bit advanced - check it out. Take along a bird book and a good set of binoculars - the bird sightings are amazing at sea (albatross and petrels). The South American ports are rich in history - there are some good books for kids about these countries. Take along a map and have him chart the ship's journey - could be a simple map or a more complex one - keep track on the navigation chart that may be posted for passengers to see. If you have a GPS he can do his own charting. Look at the stars at night - get a star chart (available on a web search). The southern sky is very different than the northern sky. Watch how the stars change as you move south. Keep a record of the length of the day (sunrise - sunset). Keep a journal of the weather and sea conditions. Keep a journal in various styles e.g. a ship's captain in the 1880's, a ship's boy (age 13) of the same time - what would he have felt sailing these waters 1000's of miles from home? Keep a journal of his own reflections in a diary form. Take pictures of the ship and learn about the ship he is on - interview crew members. A bit pricy maybe, but if there is internet access on the ship have him do a daily blog or report back to his class mates - perhaps even a live chat at a given time on school days (arrange with teacher before you leave).

 

Involve him in this project as much as you can - before, during, and after the cruise - what is he interested in? If he feels he has a stake in this he will be engaged. Can you arrange for him to give a talk about his experiences to his class, youth group, scout troop, etc. when he gets back? You don't want this to be a "job" but rather a chance for him to share his unique experience with other.

 

I realize kids today are connected to an electronic world (I have grandchildren too). This is a chance for him to experience nature and the world for real - not in a video or video game.

 

You are giving your grandchild a unique educational experience that they will value for their entire life. It is estimated that only about 300,000 people have ever seen the Antarctic (since it was discovered). He is joining a unique group. As a grandparent myself I applaud you for what you are doing.

[Moeve]

I have to admit it depends on the child and if this sort of thing would be something he would enjoy - hey no all kids enjoy the Disney fix.

[Keith1010]

I have been on South America cruises including one that sailed off of Antarctica.

 

It is a wonderful cruise.

 

There will be far less children on board than say a Caribbean cruise but I am sure he will have a wonderful time. There will still likey be some children and how many depends on the dates and length of the cruise and the cruise line.

 

What cruise line are you going on and what are the dates of the cruise?

 

I have been cruising for many years and am in my 50's. My first cruise was also at age 12 and there were very few children on board. I had a wonderful time. Don't worry if there a just a few on board. It doesn't take many children to make another child happy.

 

I am sure this will be a wonderful cruise. Don't worry about those who tell you to take a different sailing.

 

Keith

[refo]

Thanks for the input. I understand the concerns but we thought "what an adventure" this could be!

Trainfan, you sound like a former teacher--loved your ideas and will definitely try some--we too are in our 60's and are sooooo excited about the trip.

Keith, thanks for your viewpoint. 12 seemed like the perfect age to introduce the 'travel bug' to our grandson, hope he responds the way you did!

Rita

[Happy ks]

I say to take him, what a great learning experience.

 

How many times have we read threads here on CC where people state they take their kids out of school to cruise, but it is a "learning experience"? I doubt a Disney cruise or any other cruise to the Caribbean, Mexico or any other 7 day cruise (other than Europe) will be educational. It's merely just a money saver for the parents.

 

To those who doubt a child will be bored or not learn from this experience...I put a whole lot more faith in youth than that. I think it can and very probably will create a whole new outlook on life and education for a young person. If we had the opportunity to take our children when they were younger, you bet we would have.

 

What a lucky grandchild!

[alicam]

If he doesn't want to go...you can take......ME!!!!!!!!

[trainfan]

Good guess Refo - I was in education for 45 years - from classroom teacher to Curriculum Leader for a school district with almost 100 schools.

 

I would love to hear how the experience turns out. Antarctica was probably one of the best cruises my wife and I have taken.

[PennyAgain]

Check to see if the ship you want to book allows children. Many of the 'expedition' catagory ships have a minimum age requirement.

[pg.]

When I was 12 I would have done anything to go to Antarctica. He is lucky to have such special Grandparents. Think of the stories that he will have to tell at school. He will be the hero of his class. If he showing an interest in going, by all means take him on this trip of a lifetime.[/quote

 

Nowadays kids travel alot,, and going to pretty well anywhere makes NO kid a hero ... they all seem to have had great vacations. My 12 yr old has already been to many Europeon cities..

 

Op.. .don't. There will likely be NO other children on such a cruise. And long sea days ,, with no other kids.. boring. You have cruised alot,, why not choose a destination with your grandson in mind,, a week or 10 days in the Carribean will be a good choice. It may be something you have done a few times already,, but, your grandson will never be 12 again, and sharing time with him is priceless. Just not all the time like on an Antartic cruise, which,, frankly,, will be filled with seniors or nearly seniors. And, I AM in latter catergory,, so not putting age down.

 

NOw,, if kid really WANTS to go,, then by all means go for it,, as long as HE understands what that will mean( sea days and likely no other kids or kid activities).

[cruisemom42]

Having traveled internationally with my son from the age of 6, I can say that as long as he's reasonably gung-ho to go, he'll be fine on the trip. When I was 12, there's no way I would've passed up a chance to see Antarctica for a trip to Disney World!

 

I think trainfan's suggestions are great. My son finds it easier to keep a journal or log of trips on his laptop than writing it out, so if your grandson has a laptop (or you do), definitely bring it. Encourage him to take pictures, download them, and write about them. Just don't plan on having internet connectivity everywhere.

 

Not every moment has to be educational, if your grandson is like my son (i.e., electronically inclined), make sure he brings all the usual gadgets (Ipod, PSP, GameBoy, whatever he likes).

[Lirio]

My daughter is 20 and doesn´t want to go with us to Antarctica next February. She prefers to go with friends to a sunny beach with lot to do at evenings (disco).

[Jade13]

Which ship? Is this one with landings or a driveby?

[nybumpkin]

I think it very much depends on the child. Our oldest son would have done great on a cruise like this when he was 12 - but then, he was born with a sense of wanderlust, is currently a plebe at the US Merchant Marine Academy, and is planning to go to sea for a living. Our next son, on the other hand, would go absolutely nuts if he couldn't keep up with all his sports teams.:rolleyes:

[Cruisin' Chick]

I didn't see any mention of when the cruise is. It could be that the tween may be one of only a few kids onboard and would that be fun for him?

 

On one of our cruises, my daughter was 5 and there were only two other 5 year olds, but she did get along with the boy. But I noticed there were fewer activities than normal (it was mid-February so most kids were in school, at least on the west coast).

 

She seems to have more fun when with more kids and with more things to do.

 

You might want to check on the number of kids his age and then talk to him about it to see if he's really interested. If not, consider a cruise when kids are out of school and an itinerary that would interest him. After all, it will be his vacation too.