children up late

[flamingokidz]

Hmmmm, serving kids at the midnight buffet? We had kids once..............

but we ate them!:D

[chasetf]

Im 15 years old at the time and will be 16 by the time we go on our next cruise. Me and my sister were allowed out till as late as our parents allowed us when we were 11. I knew to stay with my sister at all times...and to be back AT the exact time (if not earlier) that my parents told me. I think you got to give your kids credit for making the right choices and let them stay up alone till a reasonable time. However, i dont think its smart to let them go out alone (like no brother or sister to be with) Now that im 15...my parents really dont set much of a limit for me as long as im back by like 3 am, or tell them im pulling an all nighter. They know im not going to go do something stupid that will ruin my privlage for the rest of the cruise. I can honestly say the stupidest thing i did on a ship is throw a ping-pong ball over the deck.

Playing too much the dumb kid routine. ;)

[michmike]

the "stupidest" thing I ever did on a cruise was to throw 3 post midnite, 12 and 13 yr old marauders "over the deck" *wink*

 

That having been said, this thread is a perfect reminder of why we cruise on HAL and avoid school vacation periods like the plague. Have never been on a ship with more than dozen or so kids aboard and the thought of a hundred or more running loose gives me the willies..

[caprcorn28]

After all the activities of the day and all the fresh air and sun...my kids were too tired to be up too late for it to even be a concern!!

 

We once had to make an "emergency" stop in San Juan, we were docking at midnight to let a sick passenger off...we tried our darndest to wake them to go up on deck to see the port...nope...couldn't rouse them!!!

 

Just as all the posters have said - use good parental judgement and be courteous to others.

 

Let the kids try Camp Carnival as well. There are a lot of fun activities for them to be part of!! My son, that doesn't normally like participating in "organized group stuff" made the very most out of CC and LOVED it!!! (I think that the cute staff members had something to do with it! hahaha) Up til 10pm CC is free and after that until 3am there is a fee. It may be worth it a night or two to take advantage of it and have some alone parent time!!! (And...you will get disapproving looks from some passengers for even bringing kids on the cruise to begin with. Ignore them. They are the same people that would probably look at you disapprovingly if you brought them to the grocery store!!)

 

Enjoy your family vacation!!

[CruiseFan13]

Playing too much the dumb kid routine. ;)

 

Wow, what can i do to prove im 15 yrs old. Honestly, im tired of you cracking on me. Why the heck would i lie about being 15?!?! Are you going to follow me around and call EVERYone of my posts a lie.:(

 

There...maybe its proof.

[SailAways]

Now that im 15...my parents really dont set much of a limit for me as long as im back by like 3 am, or tell them im pulling an all nighter. They know im not going to go do something stupid that will ruin my privlage for the rest of the cruise. I can honestly say the stupidest thing i did on a ship is throw a ping-pong ball over the deck.

 

Are you kidding? 3AM.. What do you do and what in the world would you

do "pulling an all nighter"? What exactly does that entail?

 

This is incredible news; that parents would allow a 15 year old this sort of

"freedom".

[Keishaw]

On our last RCCL cruise on Mariner of the Seas, my son (12 at the time) was allowed to stay up late (midnight or so) ONLY as long as he was in the teen area or involved in a teen group activity somewhere on the ship. That way I knew he wasn't just roaming around. If there was ever a problem with getting back to the cabin at a predetermined time, we would leave messages for each other on the cabin voicemail.

We are firsttimers sailing on the Mariner in 6 days (wooohooo!!) and this is the first I've heard of the Cabin voicemail. I'm curious, are there phones available all over the ship to leave messages for your cabin voicemail? So my 15 and 12 year old boys can check in from wherever they are, to update us on any changes in plans? If so, that's making me feel much better about keeping track of them. I will also be adopting the same policy of sticking to the group activities when it's late, otherwise the curfew will get earlier. We also have the 2-way radios, but we only have 2 of them, so we'll only be able to give a set to one boy. But the voicemail sounds like a great option. Thanks for the info.

 

Karen

[zqvol]

Age 15 - curfew 3:00 a.m. What is wrong with this picture?

 

Better yet what world are these parents in to allow this to happen?

[CruiseFan13]

Ok, im sorry i give up. All I wanted to do was chat and make a couple of friends before i go on a cruise. Obviously, because i made the mistake of telling everyone i was only 15, i was under estimated. What most people dont know about me is im a very responsible person that loves to have fun. Just because i stay out till 3 am (with my sister who is 18) and my parents are most likely out too, dosnt make me (or my parents) bad people. There are plenty of things to do on a cruise into the late hours. Including dancing, lounging, and playig cards/board games, not to mention get some late night room service..or a quick slice of pizza So go ahead and rip me apart all you "cruise experts" but just because the site is called "cruise CRITIC" dosnt mean you have to judge me too.

[mcfaddensfarm]

Karen, my son and I tried the two way radios, but it was always too loud to hear them if you had them turned to a beep. We had the ones that also vibrate, because I didn't want to disturb people around me. But half the time one or the other of us wouldn't feel it vibrate because they didn't vibrate very hard. Also, you frequently pick up other people's transmissions. So I was kept answering, thinking it was my son and it was someone else. There are phones at various places around the ship in public areas, if I remember correctly. I know for a fact there are phones in the teen area because I called one night when my son ran late when we had tickets for the ice skating show. (He had gotten caught up in the activity they were doing and didn't notice the time.) I just called and asked the counselor (or whatever they call them) to let him know he needed to meet me at the ice show asap. He was there when I got to the rink!:) Hope this info helps! I'm sure you and your sons will have a great time.

[Keishaw]

Jane,

 

Thanks, that's good to know that I'll be able to phone the teen lounge or wherever they are to get a message to them. And that they can leave a message for us. How to track them down has been kind of bugging me, so I'm really happy to hear it's easy to do. I assume you can also check it from anywhere?

We've experienced that aggravation with the 2-way radios when skiing - it's really annoying to stop skiing, take off a glove, dig out the radio and answer the call - only to find out it's not your party. Even with the multitude of channels available, there always seems to be someone else on the one I pick. Plus the beeping/ringing of them gets really annoying for everyone after awhile. We try to set up a prearranged time to check in, but that doesn't always work either.

 

Cruisefan13 - I think you have every right to be on here and sharing your thoughts, so don't let people get to you. IMO, if your family has an arrangement that's your business, as long as you're responsible and not causing trouble. I personally would give someone the benefit of the doubt, and I know a few 15 year olds that are more mature than some 50 year olds, so it's all relative. Keep posting on here, I'm sure you'll meet lots of people before your cruise. We have 75 on our list that's been chatting pre-cruise, and I'm really looking forward to meeting them in a few days!

 

Karen

[CruiseFan13]

Well i hope you all have fun on your cruise. I noticed a trend here, those who dont post negative comments and remarks in these threads, seem to have the most fun on their cruises. You guys are the same people who dont look for the "bad things" on the cruise..and when writing your reviews, you tend to focus on the fun times. Thanks for understanding me, along with all the other people who havnt doubted me. I can say from experience, with a postive laid back attitude like yours...your kids are going to have a BLAST. And its only because you will let them. They will also remember how much responsibilty you gave them...and it will cross their mind before they even CONSIDER doing something stupid.

[usgoobers5]

Age 15 - curfew 3:00 a.m. What is wrong with this picture?

 

Better yet what world are these parents in to allow this to happen?

 

We are sailing with our three children 13,10 and 17. I will let them have the run of the ship until they decide to call it a day. My husband and I feel that they should enjoy the vacation. Rest assured, if and when they abuse the freedom allowed they will be put on a tight leash. As fas as the world we live in my husband is in law enforcement and is very aware of the "real world". Our children are well mannered and intelligent enough to know right from wrong. I appreciate the 15 yr. olds honesty, and maybe you should give the kid a break!:(

[SailAways]

We are sailing with our three children 13,10 and 17. I will let them have the run of the ship until they decide to call it a day. My husband and I feel that they should enjoy the vacation. Rest assured, if and when they abuse the freedom allowed they will be put on a tight leash. As fas as the world we live in my husband is in law enforcement and is very aware of the "real world". Our children are well mannered and intelligent enough to know right from wrong. I appreciate the 15 yr. olds honesty, and maybe you should give the kid a break!:(

 

It doesn't seem that anyone has been too tough on the "kid".

It is good that you have so much confidence in your children, but being a parent myself, I know that what children do out of your sight is not always exactly what they would do when you are with them.

Not to say that they should not be allowed to be on their own, but don't believe that they are always perfect when out of your sight.

Kids will be kids, regardless of manners and intelligence.

On our recent cruise, there were three children, who I believe were with a Nanny, about the ages of your children. When she was with them, they were perfect gentlemen. The moment she was out of sight, they became three entirely different kids.

I was almost knocked over by one as he was chasing his older brother, who was trying to toss his towel into the pool. Then, another did knock down a different person. They were not being "bad", just should not have been running around the pool, but without supervision, they were having their sort of fun.

When you say that your children will have the full run of the ship, exactly what does this mean? Will they not be under your supervision while onboard? I am not questioning your parenting, I am truly interested.

My own kids are now giving me grand children, so I am just a curious granny.

Thanks.

[palmtre2]

Last year our group consisted of 3 families that together had 11 children, the youngest which was 10. There were a couple nights the parents were at the aft Lido bar into the wee hours and the kids were there as well at the cafe seating nearby. One of the kids brought a guitar and they had sing alongs going all nite. They were up late, yes but not running around the ship like nuts, and they were under our watchful gaze. They met many friends this way and really enjoyed those evenings (until a parent or two tried to sing along!!!).

[usgoobers5]

[When you say that your children will have the full run of the ship, exactly what does this mean? Will they not be under your supervision while onboard? I am not questioning your parenting, I am truly interested.

My own kids are now giving me grand children, so I am just a curious granny.

Thanks.

 

Hello curious Granny,

Perhaps "run of the ship" was poorly worded. Our children will be allowed to spend time without us (most likely not the ten year old, she is still a bit young). We want them to enjoy meeting new friends and any and all activities the ship has to offer teenagers. I completely agree with you on the "when the cats away" theory. I feel we should allow them to act a little crazy, as long as they keep respect for all other cruisers in check. Almost knocking you down, well I would have to say that is not on our "okay to do" list. Not saying mine wouldn't be the ones doing it. Although they had better learn to ocean swim quickly because we would have to throw them overboard! Just kidding. As far as supervision on board, one of our children is a level headed almost eighteen year old, so a minimal amount of supervision will be needed. The other son (13 yr.old) will hang out with his brother, and hopefully will stay out of trouble with him. :D

[SailAways]

Thanks, Usgoobers5 for the reply.

I feel much better now.

I'm such an overprotective old soul, that the very thought of

a ten year old having the run of a ship made me nervous.

You have responded beautifully - Glad that the older one will be supervising part of the time. That sounds like a good thing.

Wish we could have taken our three on cruises when they were growing up,

but it was never financially possible then. Cruising is such a bargain these days, and a wonderful way to be with family and truly enjoy each other.

I hope your family has a wonderful cruise. Happy Holidays!

[walkswife]

I let my 14 yr old have free reign during the day with regular check in's and she carried a 2 way radio with her. At night she wanted to eat dinner with us in the dining room and she went to the shows. She rarely went to her room until after 12am. I will tell you my hubby and I were in room U243 at the back of the ship and she and her 20 yr old sister were in room E6 at the front of the ship, we booked inside guarantee. Both girls are very well behaved and responsible. Never had a problem.

[usgoobers5]

Thanks, Usgoobers5 for the reply.

I feel much better now.

I'm such an overprotective old soul, that the very thought of

a ten year old having the run of a ship made me nervous.

You have responded beautifully - Glad that the older one will be supervising part of the time. That sounds like a good thing.

Wish we could have taken our three on cruises when they were growing up,

but it was never financially possible then. Cruising is such a bargain these days, and a wonderful way to be with family and truly enjoy each other.

I hope your family has a wonderful cruise. Happy Holidays!

 

We have adjoining cabins, I like to know where our kids are even when they are exploring their freedom. I don't think you can ever be too protective, better safe then sorry. We also have two way radios to keep in contact. I am hopeful that even our little one will meet some girlfriends to "party" with.:)

[Hot Hockett]

Alright, im going to back up cruisefan. Im 14, 15 in one month, and i'm plenty responsible of being out til 3 and im sure he is too. I'm pretty sure my parents have enough confidence in me to do the right things. I mean, theres not alot wrong i can do besides hang out with my friends on the boat. My dad is going to be on here and read this and i hope he agrees with me. Anyway, i think if you trust your kid let them do what they want and if you dont, keep them under control. I'm not parent, but thats a "kid"'s perspective

[Hot Hockett]

Well, Hot Hockett was right because his dad is reading this message!

 

It is hard for any parent to "let go" of their child and allow them freedom. However, it is not Hot Hockett that I am worried about - it is other people (adults included) on the boat that concern me. I have explained that reality to my son and trust that he will make the right decisions and not "be in the wrong place at the wrong time".

 

In just a few years, he will be going off to College...I certainly do not want that to be the first time that he feels he has had any freedom! You must begin to trust your kids once they develop a sense of responsibiliy if you ever want them to be responsible.

 

He will have plenty of freedom on the cruise because he has earned it and never gven me reason to doubt him, but that doesn't mean that I will not know his whereabouts.

 

Don't screw up boy! :')

[Hot Hockett]

hey look, he likes me! ^

[dyslexic pirate]

Crusiefan 13 and Hot Hockett and his dad seem to have good heads on their shoulders!

 

My kids cruise responsibly. They are given freedom and inside cabins near mine. (we all work and save together for our cruises) I have card keys to their rooms. We all keep in touch via the phone system. And yes the older kids stay out till the wee hours, although my Dh and I have been known to track them down and shoo everyone to bed if we have a strenuous early morning excursion planned.

 

And yes we spy on them from time to time. Not in a mean way but in a fun "look how special this vacation is for them" way. We have spotted them up on deck in a secluded area in the middle of the night with all their new cruise buddies, strectched out on deck chairs, staring at the stars and contemplating life etc. We've also caught them peeking in at us making fools of ourselves at Karaoke or trying to shake our groove things at 70's Disco night.

 

The rules are pretty strict and I don't play around. Disrespect the staff, other cruisers or the ship and that's it. This will be your last cruise. They are also told to be on the look out for perverts and report any strange behaviour they see immediately. They understand that people of all ages have been assualted and have even disappeared off the sides of cruise ships which is why I require them to travel in pairs or packs.

 

I agree with Hot Hockett's father. My kids have practice making intelligent decisions. It's the kids who's every moment and thought that's controlled that freak out and completely misbehave when they are left to think for themselves. Each cruise I've been on I've witnessed the kids with overbearing parents sneak off to drink or they are caught fooling around inappropirately, it's almost like they are anxious to catch up on everything they think they are missing out on.

 

Enjoy your cruise! Don't look down on teenagers!! That 17 year old boy that you are being rude to on this years cruise could be the 18 year old next year who takes a bullet for you fighting for his country. Teenagers deserve respect too!:)

[Amandez]

My children went with us last year on the conquest 10 & 12 we let them run the ship with the other kids on the ship no problems at all. where are they going to go? lol there are 3000 + people around.......relax let them have fun. we are going on the valor in Jan now they will be 11 & 13

same thing they can stay up as late as they want & have fun. we check on them Often through out the evening. & everytime we check they are being well behaved & dancing & playing at the arcade. if people dont like kids around then they should sail on cruise ships that are not family oriented. happy holidays :)

[kitty9]

Interesting that every parent here has wonderful, responsible kids. Let me tell you parents, as a teacher, your kids change into things you cannot imagine when they are not in your eyesight---I cannot tell you the things kids do in school that their parents would not be proud of. I'm sure that the mother who's daughter is missing in Aruba never thought that something would happen to her, as she was a very responsible child, but look what happened to her very smart and responsible teenager----you take a child away from the parent and they do a 180 degree turn. In my 42 cruises, I've seen unaccompanied kids all over the ship, not behaving particularly well and doing things that I'm sure their parents didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. All it takes is ONE very misbehaving kid to lead other kids in the wrong direction, and causing trouble. Like I said, in all my cruises, I've seen some pretty bad behavior by kids, who were supposedly "good" kids, behaving really nasty on cruises.