Has anyone done the Med with teenagers?

[mitaxi]

Carole,

 

I have booked the Brilliance for June 2006 -and am taking twin sons that will be 18+ at the time of cruise- would love to hear from you- what shore excursions have you booked and thru whom?My boys also love to travel although this will be their first venture to Europe.

Thanks, Michele

[mmmmm]

I took my 13-year-old on a Princess cruise to Greece/Italy, etc. last May, and we liked it so much we're going back with my older son, 17, and husband on the Grand Princess leaving June 7. My son likes travel and appreciates ancient sites, but he liked the museums to much he's anxious to see them again and happy that the museum in Athens will be open this time. He liked the little archaeology museum in Corfu, the little museum at the top of the Acropolis, and the prehistory museum in Santorini particularly. He didn't like the one at Delos as much. He loved the ship's teen club even though it was very low-key in May 2004.

[drmikemd]

We have taken our daughter on several Mediterranean cruises. Our first cruise was in the Mediterranean and she was eleven (on Holland Amerca). We went the next year to China on a 2 week mission trip--just our family of three. The next year we took her back to the Mediterranean (again Holland America, she was 13) and she roomed with one of her grandmothers (my mother-in-law).

 

The following year when she was 14 we went on Crystal to the Mediterranean just the 3 of us again. Later that fall, she joined my entire family (my parents, my sister and her husband, my brother and his wife) and my mother-in-law as we went on a ten day land trip to Israel & Jordan.

 

When she was sixteen, my parents joined us and she roomed again with my mother-in-law as we all went to the Mediterranean on Celebrity Millennium. The last time we went together, the 3 of us crossed the Atlantic on the QE 2 all in one room--she was 17.

 

Each trip allowed us to experience new cultures, new cities. It widened all our horizons and gave us more of a global view. It created a bond between us that wouldn't have been there otherwise. We were already a close family but traveling abroad together causes you to be dependent on one another, tolerant of one another and exposes you to societies that live very differently. You appreciate the conveniences and standard of living you enjoy and take for granted back home.

 

On a cruise of course, you all eat together slowly each night and that was especially meaningful for us to have our teenaged daughter spend that time with her three living grandparents and grow closer to them.

 

We prepared for each trip by reviewing where we would go and watching travel videos (Rick Steves, Rudy Maxa, John Guerracio) to give us an overview of what we would be seeing. We read travel books, engaged private guides from time to time and made sure we included Amanda's input in planning our itinerary in each city.

 

We know we are very blessed to be able to travel to this degree and to take her (an only child) but it has been a tremendous education quite different from that she is now receiving at the university she attends. It also provides a quality of family time you cannot achieve when one of you can be distracted by the phone, computer, friends, business, school, or other everyday life schedule.

 

We are lall three ooking forward to July when we cruise the British Isles on Crystal stopping for the first time in Ireland and Scotland with our daughter, now twenty years old, and my mother-in-law.

 

Take your teenager! It will create great family memories and provide an education like no other.

 

Cindy

[vacationhappy]

lina1 -

 

From what I understand the waterpark is easily reached by taxi from the port - approx 7-8 km away. Here is the website http://www.aqualand-corfu.com

 

I think after all the ruins and history, my kids are going to need a break and have some kid-fun. Have fun!

[lina1]

hmg - thanks, you made me smile! :)

 

Vacationhappy - thanks for the web link.

 

Michele - give me your e-mail address and I can let you know how it went once we get back. Or, my kids (ha, ha) can tell your kids what they liked and didn't like from their perspective.:D Several ports we are doing on our own, but, we did hire private drivers for the following:

Livorno - driverinrome (they also booked the Uffizi and Accadamia for us)

Naples - Sorrentolimo

Civitavecchia - diverinrome

 

Carole

[Snackdaddy]

sebasco,

 

Thanks for the information. We checked out Allesandro at alecamma@hotmail.com and he is already booked July 1-10, 2006. We'll keep looking. Thanks again.

 

Tania,

 

Thank you for your encouraging post. We hope we do create the same type of travel fiend as you did. We'll keep you posted.

 

drmikemd,

 

I especially enjoyed your statement, "Each trip allowed us to experience new cultures, new cities. It widened all our horizons and gave us more of a global view. It created a bond between us that wouldn't have been there otherwise." The bond between parents and their children just doesn't seem to exist in many modern-day families. It is truly a blessing when that special bond can be created and thus exist.

 

Thank you for your warm and encouraging thoughts.

 

mitaxi,

 

Which June 2006 Brilliance have you booked for you and your twin sons? We'll be on the June 28 run.