Need advice re:cabin selection with teens

[Revnrav]

Greetings,

We have booked our firstcruise and I stressed about choosing the cabins. We are sailing Jan 2 2012 jewel of the seas. I have chosen aft 9658 and an interior cabin for our boys (ages 12 and 16, not thrilled to be cruising without their phones and friends) on the same deck 9627. Should they be closer? It seems strange to have my 2 teens not sleeping with us. Have others ever booked something similar? Anyone have a better suggestion, ie a suite for all of us? Many thanks :)

[Kwaj girl]

...and whether or not you think they might hook up with the 'wrong' crowd, break curfew, etc. Yes, you can request another key card to their room for you to check on them at night but if you're at all uncomfortable, get a suite so that you'll have a little more knowledge of their whereabouts when you want/need to know. Some balcony staterooms have upper bunks & can hold 4 easily though it'll be a little tight. Others have said that they'll use the gym/spa shower so that there's enough time for everyone to get ready for dinner.

[mizLORInj]

We sailed in a balcony cabin and the 2 boys were in the interior across from us. I think it was Princess; they had to be either next door or across the hall as they were not 21 yrs old. It worked out just fine. They spent hardly any time in the cabin. The room steward (same as we had) let me in there any time I wanted since he knew I was responsible for the teens.

[LA_CA_GAL]

Greetings,

We have booked our firstcruise and I stressed about choosing the cabins. We are sailing Jan 2 2012 jewel of the seas. I have chosen aft 9658 and an interior cabin for our boys (ages 12 and 16, not thrilled to be cruising without their phones and friends) on the same deck 9627. Should they be closer? It seems strange to have my 2 teens not sleeping with us. Have others ever booked something similar? Anyone have a better suggestion, ie a suite for all of us? Many thanks :)

 

That is the way to go in my opinion.

 

But, they need to know the rules, especially what happens when they get broken, possibly removal from the ship at the next port.

 

Remember, the Constitution does not apply when at sea.

[cb at sea]

I think that's a bit far away for a 12 and 16 year old.....those hallways are MUCH longer than they appear on the deck plans! I wouldn't mind them being across the hall, but that's too far away for me to feel comfortable! Not that I'd want them in my cabin, either, but closer is better!

[ggto4]

Greetings,

We have booked our firstcruise and I stressed about choosing the cabins. We are sailing Jan 2 2012 jewel of the seas. I have chosen aft 9658 and an interior cabin for our boys (ages 12 and 16, not thrilled to be cruising without their phones and friends) on the same deck 9627. Should they be closer? It seems strange to have my 2 teens not sleeping with us. Have others ever booked something similar? Anyone have a better suggestion, ie a suite for all of us? Many thanks :)

 

I think the idea of a suite for you 4 is a much better arrangement. A ship is so huge, and there are so many places to go, things to do....that I would want my boys in the same cabin with me. Think of a small town and there, you have a cruise ship. You would probably not let your boys live in a home a block away from you, even for a week.....right ? There is so much adventure, so much fun to be had on a cruise ship, but many a kid has gotten himself into trouble due too much freedom in a new and strange environment........and might I add, with a "town" full of strangers. Keep them close so you will have no regrets. The day will come when they will be grown soon enough. gg

[Marie51]

Greetings,

We have booked our firstcruise and I stressed about choosing the cabins. We are sailing Jan 2 2012 jewel of the seas. I have chosen aft 9658 and an interior cabin for our boys (ages 12 and 16, not thrilled to be cruising without their phones and friends) on the same deck 9627. Should they be closer? It seems strange to have my 2 teens not sleeping with us. Have others ever booked something similar? Anyone have a better suggestion, ie a suite for all of us? Many thanks :)

 

In my opinion a 12 yr old is too young to be in a cabin so far away from parents and actually I feel the same way about the 16 yr old. I can't believe a travel agent even let you pick those cabins. Ideally you should get connecting cabins right next door to each other with the connecting door right inside the cabins. A suite will be big enogh for all 4 of you together but if it has a sofa bed then both kids will be sleeping together on that.

I have a feeling you already know this as you say you are stressed out about it. If none of these suggestions is possible you should put the kids in a cabin right across from you, not so far down the hall.

[EGG]

My first choice would be connecting cabins, 2 bathrooms, the extra space and privacy when you want it. My second choice would be a balcony directly accross the hall from the inside cabin.

 

If you have to take 2 inside connecting cabins it is only a short 5 day cruise and you will not be spending that much time in the cabin. You will be off the ship on the 2 port days and you only have 2 sea days. You were probably (I am guessing) sold on the aft cabin which has more space, but your children will be more interested in the pool and the kids club and the other outdoor activities than sitting on the balcony reading or napping. With your cabin being down the hall, they will spend even less time on your balcony, than the quick glance out if they run accross the hall.

 

Do yourself a favor and explore other cabin choices. You will sleep easier and have a great cruise.

[Mike981]

Not sure if your family can pull it off, but we have cruised three times with all four of us in the same room. Last month we had our first balcony, otherwise they were all inside.

 

By the way, we would use dry erase markers on the mirror to keep in touch. Each person had their own color and when they stopped by the room, they put the time and where they were going.

 

Have a great time, we have so many great memories.

[BlueRiband]

It may be possible to have the Purser program your cards so that any one opens both cabins. Then you can pop in for bed check or whatever.

[NorthTXRanchers]

We've done really well with an interior cabin directly across from ours. But even then, Carnival wouldn't allow us to actually book it that way. We had to book the two cabins as though one of us adults were in each cabin, with one of the teens. Then once we were onboard, we just switched ourselves. But we did get an extra key so they'd know we had access at anytime and so if anything happened, we'd have access to help (heaven forbid). Always worked wonderfully.

 

We've sailed an aft balcony and while they were nice, I think I'd swap for a regular balcony with an inside cabin right across the way.

 

I'm sure everything will work out wonderfully. They'll enjoy the cruise and a "taste" of freedom which they'll enjoy.

 

My favorite part of the cruise is that there is no cell phone signals, so my kids actually get to engage with real people on a face to face basis. It's wonderful!!!!

[griffy116]

We've booked with my Grandson and nephew across the hall, 2 doors down. We lay out the rules and the first one is "you are joined at the hip" for the cruise. If one of you leaves the cabin, it has to be accompanied by the other. If both of you don't want to leave the cabin, then neither of you leave the cabin. You MUST call when you are in for the night. You are not allowed to have visitors in the room (especially good for the 16 year old), as some will say they are 16 and could be 14 (illegal) and could ruin your life. If you are hungry or need something to drink, order room service and have a tip ready. We also said that if the rules were broken, there would be no second chances.

[dsrdsrdsr]

There's no reason why a responsible 12 year old and a responsible 16 year old can't share a cabin at the other end of the ship. It's just that the further they are away, the further you have to walk when you're checking up on them.

 

But only you can decide whether they're responsible.

[sherryf]

We sailed in a balcony cabin and the 2 boys were in the interior across from us. I think it was Princess; they had to be either next door or across the hall as they were not 21 yrs old. It worked out just fine. They spent hardly any time in the cabin. The room steward (same as we had) let me in there any time I wanted since he knew I was responsible for the teens.

 

Actually, I think the rule on Princess is 18 years to be away from parent's cabin. On the Golden last week, we were down the hall from the kids, maybe 8 cabins or so away, them in an oceanview and us in an inside. I booked it with one parent in each room, but switched rooms once on board. They did ask if one of the kids was at least 18, which my oldest son is.

 

We did not have any issues with this situation. I did get a key to their room to check on them. The other kids were 12 and 15, but I did feel better with an 18 year old with them, even if he was often out with his friends until 2 - 3 AM. They were literally just a few steps down the hall, not the other end of the ship. I'm not familiar with the ship the OP is on, so cannot comment on the distance in their case. I certainly wouldn't have wanted my kids on another deck or half a ship length away.

[kitty9]

Here's another point to ponder if those cabins are far apart. What if you're in different lifeboats? What if there is an emergency and the fire doors are locked and you're unable to get to your kids and help them in an emergency? That would concern me more than worrying about whether they'll sneak out in the middle of the night---although that's worry enough.

[beachchick]

I think that's too far away (15 cabin lengths) for even the best behaved, most mature teens that age. While I understand your desire to have an aft balcony, I also think you need to either change your cabin so that you're across the passageway from your sons or book them into a balcony cabin next to you or book a suite or book the four of you into a quad balcony cabin. As an FYI, there is simply no way we would select that last option with two teens, girls or boys, but some people have no problem with it. The thing is that a standard balcony cabin is 1/2 the size or less of a standard hotel room. You'd really need to consider whether you could enjoy the four of you being in one cabin that's going to have a total dimension of 180-200 sq ft (think 12 x 16 ft room), including closets and one tiny bathroom.

 

In any case, I think you need to change your cabin(s) to keep your sons nearer to you.

 

beachchick

[LA_CA_GAL]

Greetings,

We have booked our firstcruise and I stressed about choosing the cabins. We are sailing Jan 2 2012 jewel of the seas. I have chosen aft 9658 and an interior cabin for our boys (ages 12 and 16, not thrilled to be cruising without their phones and friends) on the same deck 9627. Should they be closer? It seems strange to have my 2 teens not sleeping with us. Have others ever booked something similar? Anyone have a better suggestion, ie a suite for all of us? Many thanks :)

 

Just read this whole thread. Some folks have incredible imaginations. Lifeboats and firedoors locking you apart from your children while the ship sinks? Hey, happens all the time.:eek:

 

You have a 16 year old. He probably has a drivers license and drives a car (or soon will be). You know your children. You know if they are responsible. I know some kids 14, 15, 16 that I could trust in this situation with no problem whatsoever, and I have known 19, 20, 21 YOs that would be nothing but a horrific problem.

 

Relax, do not fret, as I am sure that everything will be just fine, that is, if the ship doesn't hit an iceberg and sink.

[Marie51]

There's no reason why a responsible 12 year old and a responsible 16 year old can't share a cabin at the other end of the ship. It's just that the further they are away, the further you have to walk when you're checking up on them.

 

But only you can decide whether they're responsible.

 

You have quite an imagination.

[ggto4]

There's no reason why a responsible 12 year old and a responsible 16 year old can't share a cabin at the other end of the ship. It's just that the further they are away, the further you have to walk when you're checking up on them.

 

But only you can decide whether they're responsible.

 

You are kidding, right ? Responsible 12 and 16 year olds is a totally different thing than being "mature" enough to be on a cruise ship, the size of a small town, with 1,000 - 3,000 STRANGERS, and knowing what to do should a serious problem arise, and knowing what to do and how to act or react from the experience that only age can bring.

Why would anyone take a chance, be it a small chance or what....with the most precious possessions in our lives....our children........and yes.........they are absolutely children !!!! gg

[tracyanns]

We have sailed with 4 of us in a cabin and while it is tight, I like to know where my kids are at all times. I know when they are there and what they are doing. We use the bathrooms in the spa to shower so we can all get showered and ready at once.

 

It's not that I don't trust my kids, but there are some other kids that have gotten good kids into trouble...and I have seen families removed from ships at the ports and booted off the cruise because of one bad decision.

 

Another poster said if they break the rules, there is no second chances...that would be the LEAST of my worries.

 

Only you know what is right...the ONLY time my kids have slept in a different cabin from us is when my mom sailed with us and they wanted to stay in her cabin...

 

If you are comfortable with it, then do just that, but I would ATLEAST have a connecting room, and if I had to give up an Aft or the entire balcony to have that than I would...these cruiselines want an adult in each cabin for a reason...

 

Another posted mentioned something about breaking the rules and not getting a second chance, god forbid something happens where there is an injury and then a second chance doesn't matter.

[sofaman61]

hmmm that's a little too far down the hall for me. Is there any way to get a room right across the hall? We alway bring our boys along on our travels, 12 & 15. If you can an adjoining room is the best. Like I said ...if you can. Our last cruise was last month. We did not book until 2 weeks prior to sailing, so our options were very limited. We ended up with 2 balconies side by side that were not adjoining rooms. The room steward opened up the divider on the balcony and it was the next best thing to having real adjoining rooms.

[kitty9]

Just read this whole thread. Some folks have incredible imaginations. Lifeboats and firedoors locking you apart from your children while the ship sinks? Hey, happens all the time.:eek:

 

You have a 16 year old. He probably has a drivers license and drives a car (or soon will be). You know your children. You know if they are responsible. I know some kids 14, 15, 16 that I could trust in this situation with no problem whatsoever, and I have known 19, 20, 21 YOs that would be nothing but a horrific problem.

 

Relax, do not fret, as I am sure that everything will be just fine, that is, if the ship doesn't hit an iceberg and sink.

 

Until you've actually experienced an emergency on a ship, you have no right to ridicule anyone. It's terrifying, and totally unexpected. One cannot afford to have a cavalier attitude with their child's safety. There can also be emergencies that don't involve a problem with the ship.

[quincytoo]

Until you've actually experienced an emergency on a ship, you have no right to ridicule anyone. It's terrifying, and totally unexpected. One cannot afford to have a cavalier attitude with their child's safety. There can also be emergencies that don't involve a problem with the ship.

 

Well Said as were the posts of tracy, beachchick ggto4 and others :)

 

Our youngest son last cruised with us when he was 16 (and has been trying to get back on a cruise with us every since) and there is no way I would have him anywhere but close to us as in he was in our room with us, when he wasn't with us, he was in the teens club.

Maybe if his 19 year old super responible brother or 22 year old sister were with us I would have considered a cabin close by but since that was not an option ...well....we slept better knowing he was safe and sound with us.

[Cruisin' Chick]

There's no reason why a responsible 12 year old and a responsible 16 year old can't share a cabin at the other end of the ship. It's just that the further they are away, the further you have to walk when you're checking up on them.

 

But only you can decide whether they're responsible.

 

Here's another point to ponder if those cabins are far apart. What if you're in different lifeboats? What if there is an emergency and the fire doors are locked and you're unable to get to your kids and help them in an emergency? That would concern me more than worrying about whether they'll sneak out in the middle of the night---although that's worry enough.

 

And those who think this is over the top, there has been at least a few emergencies at sea in the last few years, including a middle-of-the-night fire on the Star Princess. Our daughter is always in our cabin, but if you think it's too much of a squeeze having two teen boys in your cabin...book one across the hall from you, and then mark both bookings "no upgrade" to make sure the cruiseline doesn't try to move either of you. And emphasize this to your TA.

[goodmud]

I think that you have to look at your children and you will know if they are responsible enough to stay that far apart.

 

I tend to agree with the poster that said that a 16 year old is driving, and here 17 year olds are off to university. I sent my daughter on a year long exchange over seas when she was a month shy of 16. Oh yeah, it was a big city (2 1/2 MILLION people), and we live in a small town of 3500. Was I worried? You bet! Did it stop me from letting her go? NO WAY! We PREPARED her for whatever emergency situations would come up. She knew what to do if there was a fire, or a flood, or a lock down situation, because WE PREPARED HER!

 

Babysitters only have to be 12 here to leave other kids with. If a parent will trust a 12 year old to watch their younger child, then having a kid down the hall, WHO IS PREPARED, is not that big a worry.

 

But to each their own. Our kids will be staying in a cabin that is not across from us, and they will be alright.

 

My favorite quote: Do not prepare the path for the child, PREPARE the CHILD for the path.

 

Make the decision that works for your family. Don't let others make it for you.