Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

would you let 3 teenage girls....

Liza555

By Liza555,
in Royal Caribbean International

 Share

Recommended Posts

VASOXFANN

VASOXFANN

Posted
Posted (edited)

It depends on the maturity of the young ladies.

 

I joined the Marines at age 17 and made my own decisions since that time. DH did the same.

 

Even so, we wouldn't want his daughter of the same age traipsing around a foreign country on her own or with friends her age. She leads a pretty sheltered life and isn't equipped for it. Before the flames start, she doesn't live with us. :o

 

ETA: I was armed and trained 20+ years ago, and I know our ladies in uniform are armed and trained even better today :rolleyes:

Edited by VASOXFANN
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TravelerThom

TravelerThom

Posted
Posted
Thom, thank you so much for finding that, it brought back so many memories, and you proved me correct!!! As long as you have a stamp.

It was easy to find; went to Anthem Roll Calls; searched for posts by you; there was only one Anthem Roll Call thread with posts by you.

 

I proved that YOU didn't make up this story, but I don't believe everything I read on the interne. It MAY be true, but first he "jumps the fence" then he goes through the gate then he talks about being able to speak Spanish. Haitian Creole is not mutually comprehensible with French, much less Spanish (but I know from personal experience that English, Pantomime, a few mutually understood words and US$ will get you a long ways). I have a number of friends whose stories don't always match the actual facts. IMO the veracity of this story is unproven, but if there are multiple unrelated similar reports my confidence would increase.

 

Thom

Link to comment
Share on other sites
grandmarnnurse

grandmarnnurse

Posted
Posted

I'm sure this thread has been talked to death, and the OP are all over whelmed at this point from all the different responses. What we can gather from this is that we, from an older generation, were used to doing things unsupervised, and allowed our children to do so, with no scary consequences. But the world has become a very scary, dangerous place, and parents have become more protective of their children--even young adult children. It is a change in society's beliefs that concur with the turmoil this world now sees. There is nothing we can do to change that. So, even though I let my daughters go on a cruise sponsored excursion without my supervision, that was based on my generations beliefs. Whether today's beliefs or mine are right or wrong, it will ultimately be up to the OP, and what they are comfortable with. If they are having doubts, then by all means, go with them. And, please, enjoy your family vacation, worry free, as that is your ultimate goal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
luvscruising2007

luvscruising2007

Posted
Posted

I am also of the older generation. At 20, one of my kids had been going to college in Boston and the other got married. No way would I prevent them from going on an excursion without me. My advice to them would have been to take a ship sponsored excursion and to remain with the group. Don't venture off on your own.

As parents we need to teach our children to be independent and to make good decisions. You cannot wait until they are legal adults to teach these lessons.

Yes, I would let them take ship sponsored excursions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rala

Rala

Posted
Posted
This thread has gone all over the fruit market. Other people are talking about back packing through Europe, Woodstock, NYC which is also not the question. Many of the posters may have a different opinion if we were not talking about known problems affecting tourists in certain areas.

 

Some were talking about teaching your children to make decisions concerning their safety when traveling. Natalie Hollway appeared to be a well raised young lady who even earned a scholarship for college. My point was, even she made a wrong decision. BTW, she was not at a beach party, she was at a bar with all her high school friends when a young man she had met asked her to go in his car with him. Her high school friends all advised her against it.

 

I posted this yesterday, and am very curious to know what cruisers would do in this case. Let's take Hurricane Matthew out of the equation for now.

 

..and my point was that the Natalie Holloweay situation be it beach party or bar was a party scenario involving drinking and not a cruise ship excursion. You cannot compare the two. I agree that we all should be vigilant in protecting our children.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ocean Dancer

Ocean Dancer

Posted
Posted (edited)
Heck to the no in Jamaica.

 

At 16 a police officer literally tried to snatch me. Seriously, he commented on my "pretty blonde hair", then reached out and yanked my arm. My mom was like OH NO YOU DIDN'T. And she was right there with me! Grand Cayman, absolutely.

 

..and my point was that the Natalie Holloweay situation be it beach party or bar was a party scenario involving drinking and not a cruise ship excursion. You cannot compare the two. I agree that we all should be vigilant in protecting our children.

 

I said "all over the fruit market " as posters were comparing apples to oranges.

 

And I did tell the OP that my opinion to allowing her three teens to go off in Jamaica on a ship's excursion was "NO" just to save money on a tour.

Edited by Ocean Dancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites
HAM

HAM

Posted
Posted
would you allow 3 girls ages 16, 19 and 20 get off of the ship on their own and do shore excursions purchased either through the ship or someplace like shoretrips?? Ports are jamaica, cozumel, grand cayman and costa maya

 

no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mjkacmom

mjkacmom

Posted
Posted
I said "all over the fruit market " as posters were comparing apples to oranges.

 

And I did tell the OP that my opinion to allowing her three teens to go off in Jamaica on a ship's excursion was "NO" just to save money on a tour.

 

I think folks were saying they have had young adults in riskier situations than cruise line organized tours.

 

How many US citizens have been killed or kidnapped on excursions? Wouldn't one be more likely to get in a car accident on the way to the ship than be harmed by strangers on an excursion? Maybe the OP wants some alone time? Maybe she thinks giving her daughters' a relatively safe way to experience some self reliance and independence would be a positive?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ocean Dancer

Ocean Dancer

Posted
Posted (edited)
I think folks were saying they have had young adults in riskier situations than cruise line organized tours.

 

How many US citizens have been killed or kidnapped on excursions? Wouldn't one be more likely to get in a car accident on the way to the ship than be harmed by strangers on an excursion? Maybe the OP wants some alone time? Maybe she thinks giving her daughters' a relatively safe way to experience some self reliance and independence would be a positive?

 

I do not think Jamaica would be the opportune place to teach anyone self reliance. You may as well throw them to the wolves.

Edited by Ocean Dancer
Link to comment
Share on other sites
klct39lg

klct39lg

Posted
Posted
Because your sons are adults.

 

So are the 19 and 20 year old women in the original post.

 

My sons don't require my permission and would go if they chose to, but I would still worry. My husband is a police officer and I asked him if it would bother him and he said it would until they were safely back on the ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
exbiologist

exbiologist

Posted
Posted (edited)

Basically no, I would not allow three teenage girls to go on shore excursions in the Caribbean alone. And yes, I might feel different if they were boys, but you also mentioned one of the girls might have some trust issues. I realize crazy stuff can happen anywhere and to any one, but having one who might be looking for a little more "fun" might set the others up for trouble too. While two are adults, it's only barely and does not mean they will make smart decisions.

Case in point, I was in my 20s and in Tallinn, Estonia alone (I'm a man). While it is known for having a lively party scene, Tallinn isn't as a high crime place as most of the Caribbean. Still, I was wary, and yet, made a mistake. Got caught up on my last night hanging out at a bar while having a few drinks with some English speakers. I was aware of the propensity of English guys to throw big parties in Tallinn, but didn't think anything of the two guys that I was with would be any kind of problem. They were there for a cyber security conference, not for a bachelor party.

I first started chatting with them when I saw them eyeballing some hookers and warned them that was what those women were. Still, we hung out and drank together, then went to a strip club. Big mistake.

I don't know if it was one of those guys or if it was the bartender or strippers at the club, but I have little doubt that I was drugged. Yes, I was drinking, but I know I had my wits about me going into there and throughout my time in the strip club. In fact, when the two guys didn't come back from their "private dances" in about 15 minutes, I got up and left. I distinctly remember walking towards my hotel, but nothing after leaving the town square.

I woke up naked ( I don't sleep naked), puke all over my bathroom (better than the bed I guess), horrible hangover and weakness and overslept my boat from Tallinn to Helsinki. I don't know how I got into my hotel room given that I had to get buzzed into the lobby after 10pm. I have no recollection of it and I was not robbed or raped. I don't know what exactly happened, but either the guys I was with slipped me something or, more likely, the strip club slipped me a drug. I suspect it was for setting me up for a robbery, but I don't really know why else someone would have done that. I don't think it was one of the British guys I was hanging out with as I don't know when they would have had the opportunity to handle my drink, but also they ended up in some backroom and weren't around when I headed home anyway.

I know it would be easy to say I just had too much to drink, but I'm an experienced drinker with a far higher tolerance than most, was not drinking hard liquor at all, and was under enough control to know that the feeling I had the next morning felt like no hangover I had ever had, nor did the suddenness of the blackout experience line up with any bad drinking experience I have ever had. I've blacked out plenty before, but when I would recreate the night, it was always gradual blackout from drinking, not the sudden stop in memories. I can remember details of every aspect of the conversations, women, drinks, etc even until when I decided to call it a night (which I likely wouldn't have done if I was anywhere near drunk enough to suffer a black out if I still had cash in my pocket and was hanging out at strip club).

I fully admit I put myself in this situation. Not knowingly of course, but in a situation where there was a higher likelihood of something like this happening. So the reason I'm saying this is because weird stuff happens when you go looking for too much fun. Maybe the 19 year old suggests the girls hang out in a cantina for lunch, the 20 year old thinks it would be fun too, 16 year old goes along for the ride, some exotic guys start hitting on them, they are flattered, next thing you know....

So I think what you've described is a bad combination. While no guarantee for disaster, it has the beginnings of a recipe for it.

Edited by exbiologist
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...