Is there enough to keep my 16 yr old son entertained?

[Oceansounds11]

We are going on our first cruise in under 3 weeks.:) We will be travelling on Independence of The Seas. Is anyone else travelling with teenagers? Mine are age 14 and 16. I believe there are lots to do on board ship but my 16 yr old son feels unsure. He says he's mainly looking forward to visiting the ports but on sailing days he is convinced that there won't be enough for him to do. Can anyone advise me?

[serene56]

We are going on our first cruise in under 3 weeks.:) We will be travelling on Independence of The Seas. Is anyone else travelling with teenagers? Mine are age 14 and 16. I believe there are lots to do on board ship but my 16 yr old son feels unsure. He says he's mainly looking forward to visiting the ports but on sailing days he is convinced that there won't be enough for him to do. Can anyone advise me?

 

 

There can be enough to do-- if he wants to do it.

 

(if you allow him to stay in the room --he will do that too.

 

I had friends who took their sons and allowed them to stay in the room-- wgeb I tool my kids-- I made them get out and about.

 

There is a kids club-- make it mandatory that he go and check it out the first night-- he will make friends in his own age group that he will hang around with the rest of the week.

 

Its summer and there will be tons of kids. May I also suggest that you check the roll call boards to find people with kids on your sailing.

 

I dont know your week or I would look for you

[OCruisers]

There will be lots of others his age this time of year.

Encourage him to go to the first Teen Club meeting to at least see who else is there and if they are planning anything he doesn't consider lame. :D

LuLu

[Silver Sweethearts]

We are going on our first cruise in under 3 weeks.:) We will be travelling on Independence of The Seas. Is anyone else travelling with teenagers? Mine are age 14 and 16. I believe there are lots to do on board ship but my 16 yr old son feels unsure. He says he's mainly looking forward to visiting the ports but on sailing days he is convinced that there won't be enough for him to do. Can anyone advise me?

 

For starters - from the Independence of the Seas website:

 

"Like the other Freedom-class vessels, Independence of the Seas features an interactive water park, the H2O Zone, a dedicated sports pool for volleyball and basketball, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides. It houses an internal shopping "street", the Promenade, lined with shops, pubs and wine bars. The Promenade features a "sky bridge" which can be lowered from the ceiling to provide a performance space above the crowds during parades. There is also the two story Alhambra theater, seating 1,200, and a complete conference center. The show cabaret lounge, called the Pyramid Lounge, is themed to ancient Egypt. On a lower level is an ice skating rink named Studio B, which home to a series of professional ice shows and is also available for personal skating. This facility was first featured on the Voyager-class and Independence of the Seas is the eighth ship to feature a rink. The ship also features a range of eating outlets, Wi-Fi and mobile phone connectivity throughout, and flat-screen televisions in all staterooms. Independence of the Seas is also the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature heated, fresh water pools, although the pools are only heated when sailing from the UK. On the Sports Deck, there is a rock climbing wall, a basketball/hockey court, a mini golf course, and a FlowRider for surfing. It also has 3 seating areas around the FlowRider to allow people to watch".

[Oceansounds11]

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. We will get him to the Teen Club on the first night. (All 6' 4"of him with size 12 feet UK size!) :D

[OCruisers]

Good plan! Remind him there will be girls there! :D

LuLu

[cb at sea]

Of course! He will be very involved in meeting the females! No worries! If ANY child feels "bored", it would be their last cruise on my dime!

[luddite]

Don't 16 yr old boys still chase skirts?

[leaveitallbehind]

We are going on our first cruise in under 3 weeks.:) We will be travelling on Independence of The Seas. Is anyone else travelling with teenagers? Mine are age 14 and 16. I believe there are lots to do on board ship but my 16 yr old son feels unsure. He says he's mainly looking forward to visiting the ports but on sailing days he is convinced that there won't be enough for him to do. Can anyone advise me?

 

If you haven't already, join the Roll Call for your cruise date and you can talk with others that will be with you. Very possibly other families with children of similar ages may on the Roll Call and you can plan to meet them once your Roll Call sets up a Meet & Mingle.

 

Here is a link to the search tool to find your Roll Call:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/rollcalls/?cruise_line_id=32&ship_id=414

 

And as others have mentioned there will be plenty for him to do on board - Independence is a great ship!

Edited June 25, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[wifeNmommy]

We just got a few days ago from our kids 1st Carnival cruise. I encourage you to sign your teens up for the kid camps and have them try it out.

 

Prior to the cruise, both my children were hesitant about attending the kids camps, esp my 16 yo daughter - who is quite a social butterfly. We attended the family orientation and my daughter sat there unimpressed. She agreed to attend the 1st activity that night. The older teens are allowed to leave and return, and from what my daughter and the staff told me that alot of the teens did that. When I peeped in, there were around 20 15-17 yo teens present. She met several other teens that night. Those who attended several of the events got to know one another - and as can be expected in this age group, fell into their "cliques". By the 2nd night of our cruise, my daughter was eager to attend the activities and hang out with her new friends throughout the cruise. The staff also expect more of the teens to participate as each day passes, and that is what my daughter found to happen.

[elainemasey]

As others have said... Make him go the 1st night.... That is really important. Check your roll call. We arranged with other families to meet in a lounge after the lifeboat drill with the thought that there would be familiar faces for the kids when they walked in to their respective clubs. The 3 teen boys, wanting no part of hanging around with their parents at this meeting, quickly took off to explore. My 6'4 16 yr old had a blast and still talks.... Facebooks..... Snapchats... Etc with a few of the kids he met... 2 years ago!!!

 

Also, set some rules. No one in your cabin, don't go in other cabins etc... What ever is appropriate for your family. I found the program VERY loosely run.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[TruckerDave]

A 16yo boy with a Scottish accent.....if he is even remotely outgoing with girls he will have nooooooooooooo problems. You on the other hand. :D

[jammen]

There is plenty to do, dance, shows live entertainment, sports, & social times with other one his age.

[Calgon1]

A word of warning though . . . Cell Phones.

Despite whatever he may claim to have heard from "other people", there are very high charges for cell phone use on board, to include TEXTING. Since all cell use goes through the nearest cell tower, that will be the ship's antennas. The signal is then converted and sent, via sattelite, to the shore based provider's network. The reverse is true for incomming calls. The cell phone sends out a ping to the nearest cell system, identifying itself so it can receive incoming calls.

All cell usage is charged at sattelite rates . . . approximately $9.75 PER MINUTE (or portion thereof). :eek:

When he texts his new best bud, on the other end of the ship, that 2 second burst costs you $9.75 to send, and $9.75 for his friend to receive.

So, I suppose the question is: How many texts and calls does he send/receive on an average, non-school/work day? How much are you willing to spend? :D

[Oceansounds11]

Thanks once again for ALL the advice. I was planning on leaving his phone at home, and I think my mind is made up now after reading previous post regarding cell phones charges.

Good advice!

Really looking forward to it now , 12th July can't come quick enough! If my teenagers are engrossed in all the activities mentioned above, I should have some 'me time' to read a good book :D Just need to choose one, any ideas??

[insanemagnet]

When he texts his new best bud, on the other end of the ship, that 2 second burst costs you $9.75 to send, and $9.75 for his friend to receive

 

The costs are expensive, but nothing like that expensive for UK passengers on a cruise ship anywhere in the world. Using a UK mobile phone on a cruise ship would cost -

 

EE/Orange/T-Mobile - £2 per minute to make or receive a call, 50p to send a text, free to receive.

O2 - £1.50 to make a call and £1.25 to receive, 40p to send a text, free to receive.

Vodafone - £1.65 to make a call and £1.30 to receive, 35p to send a text, free to receive.

 

If Americans are being charged €9.75 (£5.72) to send and receive a text, then they are being utterly ripped off.

[Calgon1]

The $9.75 is the charge for the satellite portion of the call. That's in addition to whatever your costs are for cell service. The cruise line doesn't charge you anything. They pass the costs on to your cellular provider, who pays them, and you get the bill 4-6 weeks after the cruise.

[insanemagnet]

The $9.75 is the charge for the satellite portion of the call. That's in addition to whatever your costs are for cell service. The cruise line doesn't charge you anything. They pass the costs on to your cellular provider, who pays them, and you get the bill 4-6 weeks after the cruise.

 

American companies may behave that way, but UK telecoms companies can't as they are legally obliged to clearly show clear pricing to their customers.

 

If you don't believe the prices, have a look here and select "cruise ships" under country - http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/travelling-abroad/

 

Or here and pick Ships/ferries/Airplane networks - http://international.o2.co.uk/internationaltariffs/travelling_abroad#

 

Or here http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming/ee/maritime

Or here http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming/orange/maritime

Or here http://explore.ee.co.uk/roaming/t-mobile/maritime

 

And to pick one example from the Vodafone forums, no mention of a retrospective $9.75 charge - http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Pay-monthly-services/using-phone-on-a-cruise/td-p/1606554

 

So as I say, it may be the case that American users get stung for exorbitant $9.75 charges for sending and receiving texts, but UK users don't.

[myusernametaken]

"Is there enough to keep my 16 yr old son entertained?"

Yes, A 16 year old girl.

[serene56]

Really looking forward to it now , 12th July can't come quick enough! If my teenagers are engrossed in all the activities mentioned above, I should have some 'me time' to read a good book :D Just need to choose one, any ideas??

 

Cruiseship confidential

[Jeff L]

Show him a picture of the pool on the Lido deck and let him know there will be plenty of girls his age that he can look at!:eek:

[big al]

We are going on our first cruise in under 3 weeks.:) We will be travelling on Independence of The Seas. Is anyone else travelling with teenagers? Mine are age 14 and 16. I believe there are lots to do on board ship but my 16 yr old son feels unsure. He says he's mainly looking forward to visiting the ports but on sailing days he is convinced that there won't be enough for him to do. Can anyone advise me?

 

I think most 16 yr. old boys would LOVE the Flowrider (surf simulator) at the back ( aft) on deck 13..also the rock climbing wall..the video arcade is pretty cool & teen club is right next to it on deck 12...Johnny Rockets has burgers, fries & milk shakes, also on deck 12 and the waiters sing & dance to 70's disco songs..speaking of disco & retro, there is a 70's retro party on the Royal Promenade one night on the cruise- lots of fun, even if it's not his era of music...ice skating show in Studio B NOT to be missed..Schooner Bar has trivia ( sports, music, movie, etc..) on deck 4...of course, the British Pub on deck 5 ( Royal Promenade) has a singer who sings all kinds of songs ( love that place)..and what 16 yr. old wouldn't like FREE pizza ( Sorrento's) & sandwiches & cookies ( Cafe Promenade) in the Royal Promenade...there is also a Cupcake store where cupcakes cost $2.25, but they are quite yummy...BTW, if you would like a special dinner one night, try either Chops Steakhouse ( $35 pp) or Gianvanni's Table ( $20 pp)...Chops has great steaks with amazing side dishes you can share

and you can get a table for 4 by the window over looking the sea- very, very nice!! Giovanni's is Italian cuisine and more family style...very good & lots of food for $20 pp...a great idea for a special occasion ( like celebrating your 1st cruise together!!)..the main dining room ( MDR)

food can be mediocre or just plain to "OK"..I like to treat my wife to something better & more romantic like Chops and enjoy a great steak, crab cakes, lyonnaise potatoes, and creme brulee- all of which you cannot get in the MDR...DON'T MISS sitting in the canti-levered hot tubs in the adult Solarium pool on deck 13 ( adults over 16 only, sorry..)- very cool views, especially on a sea day! Viking Crown Lounge on deck 14 also has great views and at night has soft music & nice atmosphere ..

 

BTW, a few years ago I took my 15 yr. old nephew on a sister ship, the Freedom Of The Seas, and when we went to see the teen club the first night, there were about 10-12 teen girls, ALL decked out in shall we say..short skirts, dresses & shorts, and my nephew turned to my wife & I said, " I think I'm gonna like this cruise, Uncle Alan!"..and he too, was worried he'd be bored..as we walked out, my wife said, "did you see all those hot teen girls in there? He's gonna have a great time, wouldn't you if you were 16?" I smiled and said, "were they hot?"..LOL.LOL...

 

Big Al

 

P.S. My ex-wife is from Brechin, near Dundee..I used to go to Scotland a lot from '90-94 ..lovely country..I miss my "melee pudding"...

[Oceansounds11]

Thanks for all the above information. I have taken note of the activities mentioned and I read them out out to my son.

I know he feels a lot better as he has said he's actually looking forward to the holiday now. :)

My husband and I and our other teenager ( she's 14) are extremely excited.i have packed everyone's clothes already and have forbid them to enter the cases for anything!!

We're heading down South tomorrow and staying with family en route to Southampton?

I am English and my husband is Scottish, we relocated from England to Scotland last year , I personally haven't tried meelee pudding yet, but my husband explained to me what it is. Sounds very Scottish, up there with Scotland's deep fried pizza and deep fried Mars Bar.

If anyone is interested I will post how our cruise went when I get back.

[big al]

Thanks for all the above information. I have taken note of the activities mentioned and I read them out out to my son.

I know he feels a lot better as he has said he's actually looking forward to the holiday now. :)

My husband and I and our other teenager ( she's 14) are extremely excited.i have packed everyone's clothes already and have forbid them to enter the cases for anything!!

We're heading down South tomorrow and staying with family en route to Southampton?

I am English and my husband is Scottish, we relocated from England to Scotland last year , I personally haven't tried meelee pudding yet, but my husband explained to me what it is. Sounds very Scottish, up there with Scotland's deep fried pizza and deep fried Mars Bar.

If anyone is interested I will post how our cruise went when I get back.

 

Please DO post your cruise review on the RCI boards...make sure you encourage BOTH kids to go to the Teen's club and hang out there a lot...your daughter will LOVE the ice skating show, so don't miss that- get those on line on the RCI site BEFORE you go, so it's not sold out..

...British Pub is very cool ( maybe not as much for Brits, but for us, yes!) , and sometimes they have Guinness on draft there or Boddington's...70's Retro party in the Royal Promenade a lot of fun with music like Dancing Queen, Y.M.C.A, I Will Survive, Bad Girls ( Donna Summer) and the crew do an imitation of the Village People all decked out and sing "In The Navy" ( a Top 20 hit in the UK in '79)...everyone sings & dances on the floor...check out the "Cruise Compass", a guide to what's happening every day & night on the ship- it is delivered to your cabin every night, the night BEFORE the next day, so you can plan your activities for sea days or at night ...anymore questions, please ask, I've cruised this class ship 4 times, so I know them well..**TIP- soft ice-cream can be found on the pool deck ( deck 11) in the middle of the walkway**..I know most kids love that ( my wife does,lol)..FREE cookies & croissant sandwiches in the Cafe Promenade ( deck 5) & FREE pizza in Sorrento's, also Deck 5...Have a great cruise- Cheers!!

 

Big Al

Rockin All Over The World ( I'm friends with Status Quo..)

[Cruising Golfer]

16 year old girls would do the trick!!!:cool: