Oasis - How much freedom to give kids to roam?

[AtlFolks]

Two boys ages 13 and 10 who are very independent may want lots of freedom to roam and explore places like Flowrider, golf, sports court, teen lounge, kids clubs, etc. without mom and dad. They are also traveling with two other boys their own age.

 

Past cruisers with kids, how did you balance safety vs independence. I also want to do stuff with the kids too!

[Coralc]

A Cruise Contract for Children/Teens and their Parents:

 

Passenger Code Conduct

 

The following rules are designed to keep me in compliance with the ship’s passenger conduct policy:

 

“A Celebrity cruise provides an ideal environment for partying, but Celebrity expects guests to be considerate of their fellow passengers. The cruise line doesn’t tolerate abusive language or harassment toward passengers or crew members and staff may cut off alcohol service to intoxicated guests. The ships only serve alcohol to guests over 21 and won’t tolerate attempts to use fake IDs or provide alcohol to minors. Passengers must obey the laws of all countries on their itineraries, and guests who bring illegal drugs on board are subject to arrest and prosecution. Celebrity may impose a range of sanctions on violators of its Guest Conduct Policy, according to the infraction’s severity, such as confinement to cabins or the ship’s holding cells, or removal from the ship at its next port of call.”

 

I will be respectful to fellow passengers: this includes walking rather than running, standing back to allow passengers to enter or exit doorways or elevators, no loitering in hall ways or stair wells in the way of fellow passengers, and no climbing on any type of rail, furnishings, or any other inappropriate item.

 

I will not enter or disrupt areas designated as adults only or quiet areas including adult pools or hot tubs.

 

I will keep my voice at an appropriate level at all times so as not to disturb other guests.

 

I will utilize good manners in the dining room including good table manners and respect for other passengers who might be sharing our table or dining near us.

 

I will not play inappropriate games that would diminish the cruise experience for other passengers such as, but not limited to “Knock and Run”, pushing multiple elevator buttons, or misusing the ship’s phone system.

 

I will not splash any guests in the pool area or play games which would disturb others in the pool area.

 

I will be respectful and kind to crew members and staff.

 

I will not drink alcohol in violation of the ship’s policy.

 

I will respect the laws of each country I visit.

 

I will not be involved in any way with any kind of illegal drugs or prescription drugs not prescribe for me.

 

I will respect the ship’s curfew rules, and respect my parents curfew rules which will supersede any of the ship’s policies. For example my curfew might be 11:00 pm when the ship’s rule says the curfew is 12:00 midnight.

 

 

 

Safety Rules

 

The following safety rules are designed to keep me safe in an emergency, from assault or misconduct by other guests or staff, and to prevent accidents or even death:

 

I will pay attention and follow all instructions during safety drills.

 

I will be aware of our muster station and will practice getting there on my own.

 

No other passengers or staff member may enter my cabin when I am present, especially but not limited to members of the opposite sex.

 

I will not enter any cabin other than our own unless accompanied by my parents.

 

I will not enter a balcony with-out a parent present.

 

I will not wander, loiter, or utilize open decks in the evenings or loiter in unsupervised locations during the evenings.

 

In order to prevent the possibility of a drug being slipped into my drink, I will not accept drinks from other passengers and will keep my own beverages with-in my sight at all times. If I loose sight of my beverage I will order a new one.

 

According the ship’s policy I will not leave the ship without a parent.

 

According to ship’s policy I will not throw anything overboard.

 

I will not enter any staff only or restricted areas of the ship unless on an organized pre-approved group tour.

 

I will not climb on any rail, or furniture anywhere near a railing, or any furniture at all.

 

When in my room alone I will hang a do not disturb sign so that staff members should not enter. I will remove the sign upon exiting the room so that staff members may clean my room.

 

 

 

On Board Spending

 

The following rules insure that I am responsible for my finances.

 

I will remember my SeaPass with me at all times and guard it as I would both my house key and cash.

 

I have saved up __________ amount and my parents have given me an allowance of ___________. I am not to exceed spending over this amount throughout the cruise.

 

I will save my receipts and reconcile those receipts with my parents spending account on a daily basis to insure I am not over spending.

 

Sanitation

 

The following rules insure that I am responsible for my own health the the health of others:

 

I understand that I could either spread or pick up NoroVirus and other infectious agents through poor sanitation habits. I will wash with soap and water after all bathroom visits for 2 minutes while singing “Happy Birthday” twice to myself. I will also wash before all meals, and utilize the hand sanitizer in a generous amount for at least 20 seconds when entering a dining facility or youth facility and be careful not to touch surfaces after washing.

 

I understand that spreading NoroVirus or other agents could result in serious illness or even death in other passengers with compromised immune systems.

 

Family Respect

 

The following rules insure that our whole family enjoys a stress free vacation:

 

I will always keep my parents informed as to my location. Each day I will identify a schedule with my parents utilizing the youth schedule and the ship’s activity schedule. If for some reason a planned activity is cancelled or plans change, we will immediately report our location to one another with an update on our activity. Alternatively, if we are unable to immediately locate each-other we will leave sticky notes in a prominent place in our cabin with our locations.

 

Our family will schedule pre-arranged check in times. I will wear my watch to stay aware of these times and the arranged check in location.

 

I will report each evening at the designated time to dress for dinner and attend any pre-dinner event with my parents.

 

I will dress according to the ship’s dress code every evening.

 

I will attend dinner with my family unless I have made pre-approved plans not to exceed more than 1 evening per 7 nights of the cruise.

 

I will be respectful at all times to my parents and show them how much I appreciate them taking me on this fantastic privilege of a cruise.

 

Consequences for Not Following This Contract

 

Depending on the severity of the rules violation parents or the cruise line may impose the following consequences including but not limited to these punishments:

 

Loss of Sea Pass Beverage Privileges

 

This means that we will retain your sea pass card and you are limited to free beverages such as tea and juice for an appropriate period of time.

 

Loss of Youth Program or Teen Program and independent pursuits.

 

This means loss of independence and you would be required to remain with a parent at all times until the period of restriction expires.

 

In Cabin Confinement

 

You would be restricted to your cabin for a period of time, possibly without TV privileges.

 

Loss of Future Cruise Privileges

 

This policy could be enforced by parents or the cruise line.

 

Disembarkation from the Ship.

 

For severe behavior violations, the cruise line reserves the right to disembark passengers at the next port with no refunds or assistance in returning home.

In signing below, I understand acknowledge that I have read the terms of the above contract and agree to abide by the rules and comply with the punishments should I be in violation.

 

Parent/Guardian_______________________________ Date_________

 

Minor Passenger_______________________________ Date_________

 

Wow. That's pretty long. We don't have any kids. I guess, use your own judgement. :-) This was posted online.

[rummenroman]

However you plan on address this with your kids, please remember the Oasis class holds around 6500 guest and crew. Would you let your youngster run around a town of that size at a certain time of day or night? Also remember there a some unsavory people on land, and they can easily take a vacation and still be the same unsavory person at sea.

[LizC]

The ships are safe I do not agree with the poster above. The children have plenty of organized activities . You mention there was more than one child if you are concerned have them go in pairs. My boys now 27 and 19 always were given the freedom to roam, they loved that it is part giving the confidence and showing them you trust them. If you are concerned you can get them a Wilkie talkie on board so if there is an issue they can reach you.

[matj2000]

Just do what most people do.

Give them a sea pass, tell them to stay out of trouble and that you will see them next Sunday....

[akcruz]

If your kids have not cruised before start out small and keep them together. The 13 year old eventually will be able to go from place to place on their own, but I personally would not let the 10 year old roam on their own. Of course only you know your kids and how dependable they are, but regardless set rules and consequences when not followed before getting on the ship. When my kids were younger we used a much slimmed down set of rules like above. Search on the family board and you can find some good reasonable examples.

[sleepless]

I would allow the the 13 year old more freedom then the 10 year old. That being said, I would allow the 13 year old and 10 year old to have some alone time together, as long as they remained together, and the 13 year old is in charge. I would set limits as to what they could do, and how long they were alone. As a reward to the 13 year old, I would allow him some alone time without the little one tagging along. Possibly some extra cash to use to play video games. Age 13 is an appropriate age to be doing child care, as well learning how to be independent.

 

As a parent, I would have a talk with both kids, reminding them of manners and safety measures. I would have them check in frequently, and have them tell me exactly where they are going. I would even check up on them. I would also tell them when I expected them back. I would probably allow more freedom during daylight hours, and keep them closer to me in the evening. We would have dinner together, and do the evening shows together. So that we could have some adult time - bar,casino - I would purchase them a movie on the TV in the stateroom, after having ordered them sufficient snacks to keep them happy. If there was a movie theater on board, I would allow them to go to see a movie during that time. I would also let them know exactly where I would be, and let them know if I were going to be later then expected. I would not institute a contract as suggested by Coralc. Way to complicated to me.

[cb at sea]

Roaming for roaming's sake? No. Going to a specific area for a specific reason? Sure! They would need check-in times and places with you PHYSICALLY....tell them where you'll be, and after they do their activity, they must return to you before going elsewhere.

 

You should know how far you can trust your kids.....that's how I worked it with mine.

[pabrett46]

For our Oasis cruise a few years ago my son was 12 (almost 13) at the time of cruise and my daughter was almost 8. My daughter wasn't allow much freedom at all.. just simple things.. like running back to the cabin to get something.. she stayed with me almost all the time or went to adventure ocean. My son was given more freedom. He went to the teen club and met some boys there.

 

They were usually hanging out on the basketball court the entire cruise. He had one of those wow phones so I was able to reach him when I needed him or vice versa. He wasn't given free reign or anything but similar to being at home.. he asked permission to meet his friends someplace for a few hours and that's what he did.

 

I would periodically check up on him (when he wasn't aware) and he was always where he said he'd be. Port days of course he was with us.

 

Hope this helps.

[crusinmama06]

Roaming - no. My girls are being raised on cruise ships - cruising since they were 7 months old. They are now 12 and 8 - been on more than a dozen ships. There is no "roaming".

 

There IS "Hey mom we will be x, y, z" and when I do a random walk by they ARE at x,y,z. The 12 year old has more freedom than the 8 year old who has none - she is always in my view.

 

The 12 year old MUST always be with the teen club or with other teens or with me and MUST be where she says she is or will lose all privileges.

 

Yes I am strict but they are my kids and I will never be THAT mom in the news that says "I had no idea a cruise ship could be so dangerous". I know a cruise ship can dangerous.

 

I would say it would be different for boys but its not. There was a sexual assault of two boys in a hot tub on Liberty of the Seas. It was done in public in the MAIN pools. No where is safe. :(

[janetz]

Roaming - no. My girls are being raised on cruise ships - cruising since they were 7 months old. They are now 12 and 8 - been on more than a dozen ships. There is no "roaming".

 

There IS "Hey mom we will be x, y, z" and when I do a random walk by they ARE at x,y,z. The 12 year old has more freedom than the 8 year old who has none - she is always in my view.

 

The 12 year old MUST always be with the teen club or with other teens or with me and MUST be where she says she is or will lose all privileges.

 

Yes I am strict but they are my kids and I will never be THAT mom in the news that says "I had no idea a cruise ship could be so dangerous". I know a cruise ship can dangerous.

 

I would say it would be different for boys but its not. There was a sexual assault of two boys in a hot tub on Liberty of the Seas. It was done in public in the MAIN pools. No where is safe. :(

 

 

Well said. We always had the same type of rules for our DD. The ship is a small city and agreed, no where is safe.

[Big Feet]

Two boys ages 13 and 10 who are very independent may want lots of freedom to roam and explore places like Flowrider, golf, sports court, teen lounge, kids clubs, etc. without mom and dad. They are also traveling with two other boys their own age.

 

Past cruisers with kids, how did you balance safety vs independence. I also want to do stuff with the kids too!

99.9% safety--- 0.00% independence.

You would let 6K strangers look after your children?

I want to know what they're doing just like when they're home. Don't you let them know what your doing and where your going?

[sjb317]

Roaming - no. My girls are being raised on cruise ships - cruising since they were 7 months old. They are now 12 and 8 - been on more than a dozen ships. There is no "roaming".

 

There IS "Hey mom we will be x, y, z" and when I do a random walk by they ARE at x,y,z. The 12 year old has more freedom than the 8 year old who has none - she is always in my view.

 

The 12 year old MUST always be with the teen club or with other teens or with me and MUST be where she says she is or will lose all privileges.

 

Yes I am strict but they are my kids and I will never be THAT mom in the news that says "I had no idea a cruise ship could be so dangerous". I know a cruise ship can dangerous.

 

I would say it would be different for boys but its not. There was a sexual assault of two boys in a hot tub on Liberty of the Seas. It was done in public in the MAIN pools. No where is safe. :(

 

I completely agree! There was no "roaming" on any ship for any of my boys, even as teenagers. I always expected them to let me know where they would be and check in before going anywhere else. And they knew there would be loss of privileges if I discovered they were not where they were supposed to be.

 

Our sons are now adults and they tell me that we were known as the strict parents by their friends. :D

 

Sherri:)

[phish tales]

coming from a grandpa who cruises a lot and loves rccl ships without kids, my advise is to leave all kids younger than 18 at home. remember this is my opinion. :D

[gerif]

Would you drop them off at a large mall for several hours to "roam"? A ship is pretty much the same except there are cabins which makes it a bit more dangerous. I agree - they can have "freedom" to go to a specific place or activity TOGETHER and then have to report back before going somewhere else. Yes, I babysat at 14, too, but my parents knew exactly where I was and how to reach me - and vice versa.

[crusinmama06]

coming from a grandpa who cruises a lot and loves rccl ships without kids, my advise is to leave all kids younger than 18 at home. remember this is my opinion. :D

 

And coming from a mom who loves to cruise with kids who love RCI ships - you may want to choose a cruise line without a cartoon character as a godmother and parading penguins or learn to live with cruising with children. Just MY opinion ;) And the opinion of the tens of thousands of other parents who will also cruise this year - we aren't going anywhere - get used to it.

[luckyprincess]

I don't have kids but I would think it was a terrible idea to let them away from you (not in an organized activity) on a ship full of 6,000 people! Don't you think pedophiles, murderers and creeps cruise? Not to mention so many adults are totally drunk all the time! Alcohol contributes to things like rape and other crimes so I wouldn't want my kids wandering around without my knowing (for sure, not just trusting them, kids have poor judgement) where they are and who they are with. My friends daughter lost her virginity on a cruise ship with some 17 year old boy that she didn't even know! :(

 

Also, didn't they just arrest some guy with kiddie porn on a ship? I'm sure he wasn't the only one.

[happietraveler]

First the "organized activities" are pretty slack regarding supervision. Second one of our friends 17 year old daughter saw a couple of 15 year olds in the hot tub on the second night. The girl was straddling the boy. When she asked them how long they had known each other the girl replied they had met that day. :eek: Before our cruise we talk to our dd who will be 13 and set out some rules: never go into any ones state room. Always travel in packs/groups. If you think I will be upset if you do it, don't because I will find out. And finally, if you think you wouldn't do what ever you are about to do in front of your grand father, then don't do it. The intent is to have fun with great memories that last a lifetime. Oh yeah, just tell those kids your dad is 6'2 and he runs and works out and you are his only daughter. He can find them any where. You are your children's best defense so give them freedom with you as a backup. Have an amazing trip and do book the flow rider for a one hour private session. Best thing we did on our last oasis trip.

[teddie]

The ships are safe I do not agree with the poster above. The children have plenty of organized activities . You mention there was more than one child if you are concerned have them go in pairs. My boys now 27 and 19 always were given the freedom to roam, they loved that it is part giving the confidence and showing them you trust them. If you are concerned you can get them a Wilkie talkie on board so if there is an issue they can reach you.

 

With all due respect, you are very naive if you think it is safe for children of 10 and 13 years of age to independently traverse the ship unsupervised, especially for the younger one. Thank goodness all parents with children sailing a ship of the size of the Oasis do not agree with you.

 

Teddie

[AtlFolks]

Thanks to all for your responses - lots of good tips from my peer group (Moms and dads with kids who have recently cruised). Yes, the bottom line is setting limits, establishing ground rules, and expecting appropriate behavior. We are all experienced cruisers and have seen weird stuff on ships before.

 

For the record, it is never my intention to let my kids roam about at-will unchecked or unsupervised. The 13 year old for example can go to Flow Rider, but must return at a particular time to check-in. The 10-yr old may be able to venture away for minutes at a time with his buddy to specified places.

 

I merely wanted to see how others handled this; and I like the idea of a contract - if not so formal. I also understand this is a small city and there are bad people lurking about too.

 

Thanks again - see y'all on the ships!

[phish tales]

And coming from a mom who loves to cruise with kids who love RCI ships - you may want to choose a cruise line without a cartoon character as a godmother and parading penguins or learn to live with cruising with children. Just MY opinion ;) And the opinion of the tens of thousands of other parents who will also cruise this year - we aren't going anywhere - get used to it.

 

thanks for the heads up. please keep them out of the CL. :eek:

[luckyprincess]

thanks for the heads up. please keep them out of the CL. :eek:

 

Lol! And the adults only solarium...

[crusinmama06]

Lol! And the adults only solarium...

 

thanks for the heads up. please keep them out of the CL. :eek:

 

You obviously haven't read any of my reviews but let me clue you in - the CL and the solarium would be the last place you would find my kids. I would be the one who would be asking other parents to remove their kids from the solarium (and I have - then posted pics here)

 

And when RCI added kids to the CL - I went to Adam's blog to argue against it. But they are still allowed in there. So respect the rules please - kids ARE allowed in the CL. You just won't find mine there. I choose to keep them out.

[trev71]

Within reason I shouldnt see it being a problem. I dont know your kids so i cant make that decision for you, your the parent. now me if i had a kid that age, no way would I let them roam, yes Cruise ships are safe, but I dont trust everyone out there

[luckyprincess]

Just out of curiosity (I don't have kids) what is it people think is so 'safe' about cruises? Is it because it's contained? I would think that 6000 people, a majority of them drinking heavily, would never be considered a safe environment for kids to have free reign to wander. I know everyone here always says their kids don't wander at all but I've seen kids as young as 5ish wandering around on the elevators at 11pm alone. I guess I don't understand the idea of letting down your guard with so many people around that haven't passed any type of background test or sobriety test around your kids without you watching them.