A few Qs @ selecting a Spring Break cruise with our teens

[lifesabeachbum]

We cruised last May for the first for our 20th anniversary and loved it! (Monarch of the Seas - Bahamas) This April we are considering a Spring Break cruise with our teen sons who will then be 17 and one month short of 15. Lots of questions! First: it seems teen clubs are divided into under 15 and 15 and up. My 14 year old is 6 ft 2 and would not want to be with the "little ones" especially with his smaller, older brother hanging out with the cool teens. Would a ship wave the age requirement or is it set in stone? Can you recommend a ship where they would be together? Second: One itinerary and cruise line that looks affordable and interesting is the 7 night on the Carnival Dream to Grand Cayman, Roatan Honduras, Belize City, and Cozumel. Can someone offer their thoughts on that trip and that ship? Any other thoughts/recommendations? Thanks so very much, in advance, for your help! : )

[cardbucfan]

The age rules are pretty rigid. You can age down but not up-even if you are only a week away! Last time we were on HAL (last summer) they started their teen club at 13-(killed my 12 year old to not be with his older brother!) but you might want more bells and whistles than HAL offers. Don't know about the other lines so can't help you there. We are doing our first Carnival cruise over our spring break on the Legend but pretty much same itinerary which will be good for teens.

[GORDONCHICK]

It's pretty much set in stone, especially when there are tons and tons of kids on board. They won't care how big he is or how old he looks, everyone will have his DOB from his passport and when you book. All of that has to match or there would be a pretty good chance that he wouldn't be allowed to board.

 

They can certainly hang out together outside of the organized activities (and most teens do), but the younger one wouldn't be allowed in the teen disco/club in the evenings.

[forwardcabin]

...Would a ship wave the age requirement or is it set in stone?

They may or may not allow it. Once you board, take both to the club for registration and ask the person in charge there. On our last cruise they allowed our 18 YO DGD to come into the 15-17 club with her 15 YO cousin. Maybe it was because she was short in stature (her cousin was taller than she!) or because she had just turned 18 or because both parents were there with them to register--who knows? If they say no, you have no other recourse. Good Luck.

 

...Can you recommend a ship where they would be together? Second: One itinerary and cruise line that looks affordable and interesting is the 7 night on the Carnival Dream to Grand Cayman, Roatan Honduras, Belize City, and Cozumel. Can someone offer their thoughts on that trip and that ship?

We are taking three of our grandkids on a spring break cruise out of NOLA on Triumph Mar 13-20. So far, from the posts on this and other sites, it is shaping up to be a really great spring break cruise for kids as well as adults. Bon Voyage!

[hightownCO]

Princess teen group ages are usually 13 to 17. I have seen one sailing when there were just loads of teens where they put the 13year olds with the lower group but they also made some exceptions and allowed 13 year olds to move up.

 

We tried Princess out when my daughter was 13 and bored stiff with Carnival's 12 to 14yr old group. She had a great time and we've been cruising with Princess ever since.

 

The newer Princess ships - Caribbean Princess, Crown, Emerald and Ruby have large teen centers with lots to do. Plus she love the outdoor "Movies at Sea" (MUTS). They generally had a 10pm movie for the teens or others - not just the PG13 but some Rs.

 

Have found that the older your teen is, the less likely they will participate in the organized activities but instead just hang out. Still if you cruise princess, register them both the first day and have them go to the meet and greet the first night.

[paul929207]

The ships are rigid on their age groups.

 

Princess has a 13 to 17 grouping.

[pg.]

Just want to add my kids enjoyed their Princess cruise alot,, they were 10, 14, and 16 at the time. My two older kids( both boys) did not hang out in the teen club at all, and were not interested in it,, BUT, I made them go to the first day meeting and that did the trick , they met other kids that they ended up hanging out with the entire cruise.

[kitty9]

I'll be honest with you, the older teens to not like those teen programs, and tend to hang around with each other, doing their own thing. Most teens see those clubs as being for the little kids, and think the organized activities are lame, for the most part. They tend to find each other very easily within a day or two, and they tend to have a lot of fun in their own groups. And, during Spring Break, when the ships are full, the cruise lines do not allow cross ages in the clubs. FOr the most part, it's a matter of liability.