Keep daughters from texting?

[big_duck]

I sure would love to have a phone that can stay on an entire week with out recharging lol

 

Maybe that is the answer to the OPs dilema; don't confiscate the phones, confiscate the chargers.

[buddybean11]

Both my DDs 18 and 23 have smartphones that I pay the bill for.

when my oldest daughter went on a cruise last year with her fiance I told her that her phone was to stay at home or in the car in Florida. I didn't want any mistakes with something not getting turned off or on by accident. Her fiance had his phone so in case of emergency while in port they had access to a phone. When we went labor day with my youngest daughter her phone stayed in the car at port.

 

I have a dumb phone and always take it as my mom is in pretty bad health and I send texts home every night to check on her while I'm gone. Our first cruise My bill was about $2.65 for 5 days. It was worth that to know everything was ok at home. When we went labor day last year I call verizon before we left port to make sure mu international roaming was activated they assured me it was on and everything was good. I lost signal about an hr after we sailed and didn't get service til dinner on the last night of the cruise. I was so annoyed as I had told my niece I would check in to make sure everything was ok.

 

My point is that no smart phones on my plan are allowed on a cruise ship as I am not going to pay a huge bill in the end. If they can't deal then they can stay home with the phone and keep each other company while I'm gone.

[Frank12]

Yes, Elvis has left the building.

 

When I first read the thread I remembered this news story.

 

"Dad gets $22,000 data roaming 'shock' from Fido"

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/03/01/bc-rogers-roaming.html

 

 

Elvis did not like the obvious, common sense solution!

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

Maybe that is the answer to the OPs dilema; don't confiscate the phones, confiscate the chargers.

 

It is a good bet that they will make friends on the cruise who will have a charger.

[babyher]

Assuming one is available on that particular ship.

 

I would say if you aren't willing to take the phones then show them what the costs are and tell them they will be personally responsible for those costs in perpetuity.

 

I'm always amazed at how frugal my daughters become when it is their money, not mine.

 

 

 

Oh God now that my two oldest have moved out and live on their own , they are like Ebenezer Scrooge himself. *LOL*

 

 

They sure weren't like that when they lived in my house :)

[Noelchristian92610]

Confiscate their phones. Turn them off and put in the safe.

 

Yeah.....no brainer.

[KatPem]

The one thing I wonder is how so many take the chance and let their child pay for it. My 15 year old has no way to pay for the bill, I don't have the extra to let her work it off either. So, while it is great that some offer to explain and let them deal with the consequences and pay for it, how is a teen going to come up with several hundred dollars in a timely manner to pay a bill on their parents account? Most aren't. I am all for teaching my kids lessons but not at the expense of hundreds of dollars on either of our parts lol

[loujerb]

I saw serveral teenage girls and boys on our last cruise running around with thier iphones with them, some talking on the phone and others texting on them. I'm sure when their parents get the phone bills shortly, they would have wish they would have taken their phones away from them. But one thing for sure is the phone companies sure enjoy teenagers on a cruise.

[Buffalofirsttimer4]

Travelling with our teenage daughters on Victory in June, one of which would think nothing of amassing 5,000 texts while at sea, regardless of cost. they are staying in their own stateroom. How is texting paid for? I was planning to attach a credit card to our S/S cards, but I'm not interested in an "oh, by the way" at the end of my cruise. I suppose the same problem exists with wifi usage. How do I protect myself?

 

take their phones away from them, turn them off and lock them in your safe. My oldest was texting and calling on our first cruise from NYC to the Bahamas and back-I almost lost it when we got our cell phone bill after that cruise- nothing shows up on your sign & sail. If memory services me correctly it's called "Cellular at Sea" and the pricing is not cheap.

 

Happy Sailing!!!

[poptart]

My sister--who is 50 by the way and pays her own bills. Was sitting on her balcony while in port and since her phone was picking up wi fi she though oh boy! She sat there and played Bubble Shooter, just a game for an hour or so.

 

You guessed it her game cost her over $500 to play :eek:

 

My smart phone stays in the safe in air plane mode and turned off. My husband has a "dumb" phone and I check it daily for emergency texts.

 

Thru Verizon texts are 5 cents to receive and 50 cents to send.

[poptart]

A good solution is to talk about it well BEFORE the cruise so she will be expecting to turn her phone over when you leave port.

 

That way it will be a non issue on the cruise, you can hash it out ahead of time.

[ShanteS]

A good solution is to talk about it well BEFORE the cruise so she will be expecting to turn her phone over when you leave port.

 

That way it will be a non issue on the cruise, you can hash it out ahead of time.

 

This is a good suggestion though I doubt the OP will see it since s/he has disappeared. I guess the truth hurts. Either way hopefully they take the advice of simply taking the phones away. That seems like the only sure way to "keep daughter from texting" and to avoid "accidents" like the phone magically switching off of airplane mode etc.

[jaskie]

This! My dd literally has the phone attached to her hand 24/7- except on our cruises. The phone goes in the safe. We buy a small internet package for her to facebook with. She spends about 5-10 min. on the computer each day - that is it. The rule was set when she was on her first cruise with us, and every one after that. (12 for her with us) She went on one cruise with her friends for college spring break, and used her phone "sparingly" - so she said. We received - or should I say - SHE was presented with the $400 phone bill when we received it. DD also says that she'd rather be without her phone, as she doesn't see what she is "missing" at home. It definitely gives us more enjoyable family time - we actually hear her speak, and see her eyes when she talks to us!!:p:D

 

Had the same thing happen, when I got home there was an 800 phone bill from my daughter's texting, phone calls, and internet options.

 

My daughter also has the phone attached to her 24*7. But on cruises I get them, they are locked in the safe. The only time they got it on the last cruise was the day we were in Key West.

 

No matter is they think they use it sparingly the bill will be large.

 

Penny

[MrsJones02]

Tell the Princess that YOU are the Queen!

 

I second this.

[mac4cruise]

Buy them a prepaid phone and when the minutes or data plan runs out thats it no more texting/talk.

That way you can have your cost under control.

[Hawaii697]

Taking my 15 year old daughter on a cruise in August. We leave out of San Juan. I will be turning her phone off at 10:00 pm when we set sail. There will not be any discussion about using the phone during the cruise. Why, because the discussion will have taken place prior to us going on vacation. There will only be one discussion. She knows technically her phone, is "my phone". I believe the bill is in my name. She is merely, borrowing "my phone". THE END!

 

[blondietink]

Also, a totally free option of keeping in touch with home is to start a thread on the Carnival Funville Forums and post daily, or even more often if you want and friends can reply. Connecting to this while on the ship does not cost anything.

[MrsJones02]

Taking my 15 year old daughter on a cruise in August. We leave out of San Juan. I will be turning her phone off at 10:00 pm when we set sail. There will not be any discussion about using the phone during the cruise. Why, because the discussion will have taken place prior to us going on vacation. There will only be one discussion. She knows technically her phone, is "my phone". I believe the bill is in my name. She is merely, borrowing "my phone". THE END!

 

 

YES! Totally agree. Plus, it's great to just get that family time in without all the technology getting in the way.

[classylady59]

I would definitely put the phones on airplane mode and lock them in the safe. You will be sorry you did not take everyone's advice. They can live for a while without texting. No way I'd take a chance and end up with an astronomical bill.

[nremtb90]

We are sailing in Oct on the Pride, my 12 year old was told before we booked out cruise that her cell phone was staying in the car when we board the ship. It was part of the deal of her traveling with us.

[DirtyDawg]

Oh God now that my two oldest have moved out and live on their own , they are like Ebenezer Scrooge himself. *LOL*

 

 

They sure weren't like that when they lived in my house :)

 

I remember when our middle son stated to play goalie in ice hockey at age ten. He had a bad temper back then and in his first season as a goalie he used to get upset if the other team scored a goal on him To vent, he would BASH his goalie stick on the goal posts. I kept telling him that if the stick broke because of this he would have to pay for a new one. Sure enough, after a few more games, and lots of stick bashing it broke. After that game we went home and I made him get the balance of his birthday money and we went off to the sports store. Boy it was sad seeing his anguished face as he handed over that $100 to the sales clerk. That was a lot of money for a 10 year old.

 

 

Was he mad at me? Yes

Was I sad to discipline him this way? Yes

Did he ever bash his goal stick again? No

 

 

If there was any way to limit the costs of texting and data on the ship, say to a maximum of $500 per week I would tell a teenager to not use the phones but let them decide to or not. And "pay the piper" afterwards.

 

 

Life is full of teachable moments.

[Big_G]

If you don't want to confiscate the phones then give them a choice. Either their phones cruise or they cruise, not both. Their choice. That way you avoid the begging once you lock them in the safe.

[babyher]

I remember when our middle son stated to play goalie in ice hockey at age ten. He had a bad temper back then and in his first season as a goalie he used to get upset if the other team scored a goal on him To vent, he would BASH his goalie stick on the goal posts. I kept telling him that if the stick broke because of this he would have to pay for a new one. Sure enough, after a few more games, and lots of stick bashing it broke. After that game we went home and I made him get the balance of his birthday money and we went off to the sports store. Boy it was sad seeing his anguished face as he handed over that $100 to the sales clerk. That was a lot of money for a 10 year old.

 

 

Was he mad at me? Yes

Was I sad to discipline him this way? Yes

Did he ever bash his goal stick again? No

 

 

If there was any way to limit the costs of texting and data on the ship, say to a maximum of $500 per week I would tell a teenager to not use the phones but let them decide to or not. And "pay the piper" afterwards.

 

 

Life is full of teachable moments.

 

 

 

Good for you. I am sure that it was hard to see, but you needed to follow through on what you said. And the best part is he learned his lesson and never did it again.

[gh1088]

Two questions:

1. What if they want to use the camera on the iphone?

2. If you are in port in say, Miami or Key West...do you need to get off the ship so that you don't incur the cellular at sea charges?

[Hawaii697]

Two questions:

1. What if they want to use the camera on the iphone?

2. If you are in port in say, Miami or Key West...do you need to get off the ship so that you don't incur the cellular at sea charges?

 

I believe your phone can be in airplane mode for pictures and you are not charged.