2 teenage girls cruisin on visions of the sea

[peggylee]

As a concerned mother I will be traveling on RCCL with a friend. We have teenage girls. Just how safe is the cruise and crew? Do I make them stick by my side (they are both very responsible) or can I let them roam?:eek:

[Enchantment 04]

Let them roam, they will most likely make friends and hang out with them a lot of the time.

[cterry]

As a mother of 2 teenage boys (16 & 19) and a person who works in our local middle school which is filled with 900 teenagers I can tell you the following. We took our boys on a cruise last year and pretty much didn't worry about them. Of course, my guys are pretty shy so I knew they wouldn't get into too much mischief.

 

In respect to your 2 teenager girls only you can answer that question. Are they shy? Are they flirtacious? Will they be hanging out where the male species roam? I don't think you have to worry about the crew...they are professionals. If you trust the girls then give them some freedom but find out there schedules. Sit down in the morning with them and go over the itinerary for the day and see what their plans are. Pop in unannounced to a few places where they are suppose to be and watch them from afar. Act from there. If they are having harmless good time then you do the same.

 

Please remember though that all kids need supervision and guidance. Make sure you arrange a few times a day where you get together and share what you have all been up to. Eating meals together is a great time to hang out together.

 

Hope your cruise goes without incident. Enjoy!

[firstcruise05]

Let them roam but make sure you make some serious ground rules that they will stick to (like stay together, check in with me at a designated spot/time, don't play "I'm the king/queen of the world on the railings", don't give out your cabin number...that sort of thing.)

 

Cruises can be fun and safe as long as common sense is utlized.

[zotzer]

I don't have kids, but I would also recommend that on port days, those girls don't leave the ship without you. On the boat is one thing...port days are another.

 

What itinerary are you taking? How old are they?

 

Tracy

[Cats' slave]

I agree with Zotzer. Make them stay with you on port days.

 

Give them freedom on the ship. I'd ask them to leave messages on your room phone, letting you know where they are or where they're headed. Check them from time to time.

 

I think teenagers are safer on a ship than they are at a mall. However....there were a couple of cruises we went on where young girls wearing next to nothing were dancing with men in their thirties late at night. Without grossing people out, I'll use the term "suggestively". I never saw parents and I worried about those girls.

[Merion_Mom]

As a mother of 2 teenage boys (16 & 19) and a person who works in our local middle school which is filled with 900 teenagers I can tell you the following. We took our boys on a cruise last year and pretty much didn't worry about them. Of course, my guys are pretty shy so I knew they wouldn't get into too much mischief.

 

In respect to your 2 teenager girls only you can answer that question. Are they shy? Are they flirtacious? Will they be hanging out where the male species roam? I don't think you have to worry about the crew...they are professionals. If you trust the girls then give them some freedom but find out there schedules. Sit down in the morning with them and go over the itinerary for the day and see what their plans are. Pop in unannounced to a few places where they are suppose to be and watch them from afar. Act from there. If they are having harmless good time then you do the same.

 

Please remember though that all kids need supervision and guidance. Make sure you arrange a few times a day where you get together and share what you have all been up to. Eating meals together is a great time to hang out together.

 

Hope your cruise goes without incident. Enjoy!

I think that I need to comment on this. Many of the young male crew members LOVE to flirt with young passengers. Assume no more about these young men than about any others. In other words, if you wouldn't want your 16 year daughter "hanging out" with men in their 20's at home, then you probably wouldn't want them to do it on board a ship, either.

 

And let's face it - some American women seem to find a foreign accent well-nigh irresistible.

 

A word to the wise is sufficient............ :)

[TrinaLC]

I would also insist that they never, ever go into anyone's cabin unless and until you have met and approved that person. They should also have a rule that no male is allowed in their cabin. Period.

 

Also, as to the staff remember that lots of these are contract staff and while NCL no doubt does a criminal check (or so I hope!) given the sheer numbers they hire there will be a few bad apples. Also, many come from cultures where male/female relations are different than ours. I would specifically address the potential issues here.

[Captain Crunch]

I think that I need to comment on this. Many of the young male crew members LOVE to flirt with young passengers. Assume no more about these young men than about any others. In other words, if you wouldn't want your 16 year daughter "hanging out" with men in their 20's at home, then you probably wouldn't want them to do it on board a ship, either.

 

And let's face it - some American women seem to find a foreign accent well-nigh irresistible.

 

A word to the wise is sufficient............ :)

 

I would also like to add that most of the crew is from a culture different than most passengers and a culture that finds nothing immoral in sex with young memebers of the opposite sex, females aged 12-15 are considered adult in some cultures.

[lauren0309]

We took a cruise last year with my teenage son and his friend both 18. We let them roam but told them they had to meet us back at the room to get ready for dinner and have dinner with us. After dinner when they went back to their friends they met on the ship, we expected them back in the room by 1:30 a.m. Our 13 year old son and his friend also roamed but with 2 way radios so we can always be in touch with them. Just warn the girls not to go off alone with anyone or into anyone's cabin.

[JulieMcCoy]

I don't know how it is on Royal Caribbean, but on Disney minors cannot get off the ship in port without an adult.

 

When I had 15-year-old daughter and 14-year-old nephew in my cabin, the cabin rules were:

-No doing anything that might put you in danger of falling off the ship

-Must be clean, properly dressed, hungry and on time for our dinner seating

-Must be back in room by 2 a.m. or call to tell me what you're doing and that you're OK

-Must not do anything to disturb other passengers, especially after most folks have gone to bed

-Do not go into anyone else's cabin, and no one else comes into ours

[cb at sea]

Just use common sense. If it's not allowed at home, it's not allowed on the cruise. These are HUGE ships--you need to keep tabs on your kids because they are your responsibility. Teenagers simply don't have the ability to look into the future and predict the consequences of their actions. (especially when they are away from home and having a blast!) Even if you consider them "mature". Give them some freedom, with strings attached! And then, have fun!

[handful4mom]

:confused: Peggylee-

Which date are you going on with Vision of the seas? I too have two teenage daughters going with me. We're on the 2/12 to Mexico.

[ROWSE]

We will be going on Vision of the Sea April 2-9. My daughter is 15 and

she is already balking at all the rules I want to set down. Thanks for

some of the earlier suggestions. The last cruise she went on was two

years ago so she wants way more freedom. In a way I even want to

give her less. My protection mode is on high. We'll work it out in the

end. Keep adding ideas everyone. Thanks!

[HurricaneSally]

It's really hard to give your kid rules when others give their kids none. I guess you can just pray that nothing happens.

[caviargal]

I don't know how it is on Royal Caribbean, but on Disney minors cannot get off the ship in port without an adult.

 

When I had 15-year-old daughter and 14-year-old nephew in my cabin, the cabin rules were:

-No doing anything that might put you in danger of falling off the ship

-Must be clean, properly dressed, hungry and on time for our dinner seating

-Must be back in room by 2 a.m. or call to tell me what you're doing and that you're OK

-Must not do anything to disturb other passengers, especially after most folks have gone to bed

-Do not go into anyone else's cabin, and no one else comes into ours

 

 

Wow, times have surely changed! I cannot imagine being allowed out til 2am unsupervised on a ship or anywhere else, at only 14 or 15 years old.

 

I see packs of teens on cruises these days hanging out smoking and drinking in the public areas and on the decks, very late in the evening. I have seen behavior I found shocking, including public groping in the hot tubs by young people with no parents in sight.

 

I would never allow teenagers to be out alone til 2am, period. Trouble can be found anywhere, and cruise ships are most certainly not immune.

[Leejnd4]

I'll be taking my two teenagers along on a cruise this summer, so I understand your concerns.

 

Remember that the ship is a small city, with all the inherent danger. In any group of two to three thousand people, some small percentage of them will be bad apples. Don't assume that just because you are on a cruise ship, you are any safer than you are at home. Criminals exist everywhere, in every walk of life.

 

Girls are especially at risk, especially ones this age (my daughter is 15). At this age they think they are invincable, they trust everyone, and they just don't believe that bad things can happen to them. PLEASE remind them not to EVER go anywhere alone on the ship with anyone. I can't stress this enough. Remember also that on a cruise ship, especially at night, you have the alcohol factor -- a lot of people will have been drinking.

 

Speaking of drinking, it seems that teenagers on cruise ships often somehow manage to get their hands on booze. I know of too many teens who had their first drinking experience on board a cruise ship. Be aware of this, and monitor their behavior and actions.

 

Set boundaries and rules, and stick by them. Don't let the fact that other teenagers on the ship are allowed to roam freely impact the boundaries that you set with your own. There are plenty of bad parents out there, you don't have to be one of them just because other parents make bad judgements.

 

Also, please be sure to include thoughts of the other passengers when you set the rules. Unruly teenagers can really screw up the cruise for other passengers. Remind them that they need to be considerate of others.

 

LeeAnne

[trish1c]

As a concerned mother I will be traveling on RCCL with a friend. We have teenage girls. Just how safe is the cruise and crew? Do I make them stick by my side (they are both very responsible) or can I let them roam?:eek:

 

It depends on the kids. What kinds of rules / boundaries do they have at home? Do you let them go to the mall alone? Can they roam around amusement parks by themselves? Vacation shouldn't be that radically different.

 

Having some rules & others have suggested good ones makes sense. You should absolutely have them check in at various times during the day & do not let them go into port alone.

[Clarkk W Griswald]

If you decide to let them roam, don't blame RCI if something bad happens. Would you let your kids roam free anywhere else on vacation? Sorry, no offense, but IMO 15 is too young to be given free reign, even if she balks at the rules, especially on a cruise ship full of young crew men.

[Merion_Mom]

Wow, times have surely changed! I cannot imagine being allowed out til 2am unsupervised on a ship or anywhere else, at only 14 or 15 years old.

 

I see packs of teens on cruises these days hanging out smoking and drinking in the public areas and on the decks, very late in the evening. I have seen behavior I found shocking, including public groping in the hot tubs by young people with no parents in sight.

 

I would never allow teenagers to be out alone til 2am, period. Trouble can be found anywhere, and cruise ships are most certainly not immune.

I agree with you completely, caviargal, BUT............the worst public groping and exhibitionism I have ever seen was displayed by ADULTS.

[caviargal]

I agree with you completely, caviargal, BUT............the worst public groping and exhibitionism I have ever seen was displayed by ADULTS.

 

 

Agreed, MerionMom, but adults are responsible for their own behavior, even if it is abyssmal. Teenagers still need to be supervised. Parents think cruise ships are safe because they are in a fixed environment, but I think this is being naive.

[zotzer]

We will be going on Vision of the Sea April 2-9. My daughter is 15 and

she is already balking at all the rules I want to set down.

 

I'm sitting here about to turn 40, but I can tell you what my mother would have done in this situation.....call grandma to come visit and take my name off the cruise reservation. :)

 

Tracy

[rgnok]

Would you let your kids roam free anywhere else on vacation?

 

Over an area of less than 1/5 of a square mile? Of course I would let my responsible 15 year old "roam" around a restricted access resort of less than 17 acres (and that is what a cruise ship is) with a clear set of rules (like many suggested in this thread) and expectations.

 

Remember -- I said RESPONSIBLE, despite what some here would like to suggest, there IS such as thing as a responsible teen ager, but it takes an involved, responsible parent or guardian to know if any particular kid is up to any particular responsibility.

 

Remember -- I said clear rules and expectations. And well known, dire (to a teenager) consequences for violating them.

 

Some teens will be fine in this scenario, others can't handle it, and it is up to the adult to know there child and proceed accordingly.

[ROWSE]

If you decide to let them roam, don't blame RCI if something bad happens. Would you let your kids roam free anywhere else on vacation? Sorry, no offense, but IMO 15 is too young to be given free reign, even if she balks at the rules, especially on a cruise ship full of young crew men.

 

I agree, my daughter will have strict rules. The teens program is okay.

Being in the hall alone after dark is not. We will meet her at all times. I

even have an a problem with her sleeping in and we leave her alone in the

room. I have decided to have her get up as we leave and put a wedge

under the door. I know that no matter what, locks or not, someone in RCL

could get in and that is what scares me. She is a responsible young lady,

but a girl alone on a ship with, as you stated, many young men, doesn't seem advisable to me. I am hoping she meets another young lady in the

teen group that they can buddy up. Two are always preferable to one.

What other ideas do you all have to keep them safe.

[OPSoccermom]

I don't know how it is on Royal Caribbean, but on Disney minors cannot get off the ship in port without an adult.

 

When I had 15-year-old daughter and 14-year-old nephew in my cabin, the cabin rules were:

-No doing anything that might put you in danger of falling off the ship

-Must be clean, properly dressed, hungry and on time for our dinner seating

-Must be back in room by 2 a.m. or call to tell me what you're doing and that you're OK

-Must not do anything to disturb other passengers, especially after most folks have gone to bed

-Do not go into anyone else's cabin, and no one else comes into ours

RCI WILL allow your teens get off the ship without an adult. We were on Mariner last spring and witnessed a mom begging the security staff to put a block on her 16yo daughter's seapass to prevent her from leaving. DD and some new acquaintances had left the ship and had gotten drunk at Carlos and Charlies. The parents had to go ashore to haul them back to the ship. After the parents tucked her away in her bed, she did it again!

 

Security staff did tell the parent that they could block her from leaving, but it had to be at the parents' request. It is not standard to require an adult accompany a minor ashore.

 

I would definitely lay down the law when it comes to alcohol, whether onboard (yes, they will have plenty of access to it) or ashore. We witnessed many, many teens of you daughter's age being carried back to the ship in Coz and in Jamaica.