Safety in Teen clubs

[NLeeB]

Taking a June cruise on Carnival Magic with family. We have two teenage girls who will love going to the teen clubs. Just wondering how safe these clubs really are?

[Host Kat]

@NLeeB

 

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Edited January 19, 2020 by Host Kat
Typo due to fat fingers & skinny laptop keys!

[bahacca]

Yes, they are safe. First off, once in teen clubs, they are allowed to check themselves into and out of the club. Many teens make friends, then hang out in other areas of the ship together. Having the hub app is a nice way to keep in touch, but it isn't flawless. My girls have strict rules. There is NO ONE allowed in our stateroom. Likewise, they are not allowed to set foot in another, even if that is where others decide to "hang out". If one leaves the club, the other has to as well.  They must meet us for dinner every night. Our upcoming cruise will be their 5th. 

[grandmarnnurse]

2 minutes ago, bahacca said:

Yes, they are safe. First off, once in teen clubs, they are allowed to check themselves into and out of the club. Many teens make friends, then hang out in other areas of the ship together. Having the hub app is a nice way to keep in touch, but it isn't flawless. My girls have strict rules. There is NO ONE allowed in our stateroom. Likewise, they are not allowed to set foot in another, even if that is where others decide to "hang out". If one leaves the club, the other has to as well.  They must meet us for dinner every night. Our upcoming cruise will be their 5th. 

All excellent advice. We are cruising soon with our daughter and her family in 3 different cabins. Your advice is very helpful, as one of the grandkids is a teen girl, and wants to go to the clubs. 

[bahacca]

The first night the clubs have a "meet and greet" type event. It is usually around 9pm. This is when most "cliques" form, so I urge teens to attend  this event.

[bury me at sea]

I would say as safe as teenagers are anywhere else.  There are scheduled activities in the club itself, but most kids use it as a place to meet contemporaries to hang out with throughout the cruise.

 

Attending the first night is important.  They tend to form groups that evening.

 

I was never nervous about my granddaughter attending the club or meeting other kids for swimming, lunch, sports, etc.  She had an evening curfew.

 

Do you trust your kids and their judgment?   Establish parameters with them and ask them to check in with you from time to time.  We had three major rules:  Both feet on the floor if close enough to a railing to touch it, no one ever comes to our cabin with you, and you never accompany anyone to his/her cabin.

 

Happy sailing.

[kctwinmommy]

Yep! Like the others have said, they're as safe as most other things you'd go with teens. And like the others, just have rules in place. No one in our room, no going in other's rooms, and yes our son was always back for dinner. However, the teen clubs close up for a few hours during that time anyway, so it's not much of an argument. As far as curfew, we set it depending on what we were doing the next day. When we did our Alaska cruise, our activities were very busy/strenuous, so we did have him back a little earlier. But on a Caribbean one, we basically go to the beach, so if he stays out until 1, and only gets 6 hours of sleep, so be it. LOL!

 

We also know let him know that we may see him at any time around the ship, so act like we would expect him to. No crazy horseplay, being silly is one thing, but acting out of control or disruptive to everyone else isn't tolerated. And we would run into him a few times during the day. And if he was going to do any activity out of the ordinary (like the Flo RIder on Royal Caribbean) then he'd come find us, just so that we knew.

 

Oh, and yes, have them go on the first night so they can meet all the kids and just see who they'll vibe with. Mine would find his group that first night, then hang out mostly with them the whole week.

[Elaine5715]

If your teen says they are "all" going to the whirlpool, make it a point to stop by.  There can be alot of steam coming off the whirlpool if there are teens coupling up

[Joe817]

1 minute ago, Elaine5715 said:

If your teen says they are "all" going to the whirlpool, make it a point to stop by.  There can be alot of steam coming off the whirlpool if there are teens coupling up

Too much information! To much information! Ewwwwww. I don't want my babies to grow up. They might become like.....me. Ewwwww.

[Markmom18]

We cruised with our son, our only kid.  He loved the Teen Clubs!!  He also had rules. I agree with going the first night to form friendships.

 

I like to think that cruising with Carnival was such a positive experience for him, that that is when he decided to apply for his job on the Carnival Fun Squad!  😂😍

 

He came home at the end of July, and after 3 years has decided to stay on land. No regrets! As he said “got to see the world” lol ... the Caribbean anyway. 🏝

 

And I loved cruising on “his” ships. My next cruise will be my first 7 day without him aboard. 😟  I’m more bummed than he is ... wish I would have known about cruise ship jobs in my 20’s. But, back then all we saw was “The Love Boat”! 😁

 

🛳

Bobbi

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Markmom18 said:

We cruised with our son, our only kid.  He loved the Teen Clubs!!  He also had rules. I agree with going the first night to form friendships.

 

I like to think that cruising with Carnival was such a positive experience for him, that that is when he decided to apply for his job on the Carnival Fun Squad!  😂😍

 

He came home at the end of July, and after 3 years has decided to stay on land. No regrets! As he said “got to see the world” lol ... the Caribbean anyway. 🏝

 

And I loved cruising on “his” ships. My next cruise will be my first 7 day without him aboard. 😟  I’m more bummed than he is ... wish I would have known about cruise ship jobs in my 20’s. But, back then all we saw was “The Love Boat”! 😁

 

🛳

Bobbi

Did he finding his Fun Squad experience helpful with new employers?

[RWolver672]

I have been a member of this board for twenty years and I don't ever recall reading where there was any trouble in the teens club.  

[Sagittarius traveler]

I have a 5 year old and I'm just going to say I never experienced bad kids on the ship to be honest. Even the teens were nice if they see me trying to carry food and guide a excited 5 year old they offer to help and be polite.

 

So don't worry parents you guys have raised good kids isn't that why you gifted them the gift of cruise lol. But to be honest the kids are well behaved on the cruise than on land in my opinion.

[Willwork4cruises]

My teen and her friends love going to the kids club. Towards the end of the last cruise, several girls from the club complained to the counselor about a creepy older guy hanging around the entrance area and making nasty comments. After receiving the complaint, there was a security guard posted in the hallway just outside of the clubs.  I was glad to see Carnival took their concerns seriously.  

[SERK]

I wish the teens on our Christmas cruise a couple years ago were as well behaved as ya'lls kids.  They were running around like animals knocking into people, hitting all the elevator buttons, throwing objects from the top floor down into the main lobby  and one night there was a group by the elevators near the lobby were cussing up a storm.  That will be the first and last Christmas cruise for us.  Think there were around 900 kids on board the Dream then.  The Thanksgiving cruises were pretty good with most kids well behaving.  

[Markmom18]

22 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Did he finding his Fun Squad experience helpful with new employers?

 Yes.  If he wanted to go back on a cruise ship.  But, Mark decided  (being 28) to join our family business (30 years) for a higher salary & for his future (his own family one day, buying a house, etc).
 

Is a member if your family interested?  
🛳

Bobbi 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Markmom18

[Markmom18]

1 hour ago, SERK said:

I wish the teens on our Christmas cruise a couple years ago were as well behaved as ya'lls kids.  They were running around like animals knocking into people, hitting all the elevator buttons, throwing objects from the top floor down into the main lobby  and one night there was a group by the elevators near the lobby were cussing up a storm.  That will be the first and last Christmas cruise for us.  Think there were around 900 kids on board the Dream then.  The Thanksgiving cruises were pretty good with most kids well behaving.  

 
  Ok .... I know Mark & the Teen cruise friends would hit the elevator buttons. Guilty. They’re immature.  And Yes, would pass gas in the elevators & leave !   
 

 But, destruction, endangering others, behaving like wild animals ??  Nope.  He was easily seen during this time of his life. Purple hair, green hair, blue .... we spotted him!  😁

[doctordi]

11 hours ago, Markmom18 said:

 Yes.  If he wanted to go back on a cruise ship.  But, Mark decided  (being 28) to join our family business (30 years) for a higher salary & for his future (his own family one day, buying a house, etc).
 

Is a member if your family interested?  
🛳

Bobbi 

I hate to hijack this thread, but I can't seem to send you a DM. My son is starting college this fall for hospitality and Hotel/tourism management with the goal of being on the Fun Squad and maybe becoming a Cruise Director. Did your son follow a similar path?

[Markmom18]

3 hours ago, doctordi said:

I hate to hijack this thread, but I can't seem to send you a DM. My son is starting college this fall for hospitality and Hotel/tourism management with the goal of being on the Fun Squad and maybe becoming a Cruise Director. Did your son follow a similar path?I

3 hours ago, doctordi said:

 

  Hi,

  Actually he was just active in the Theatre all through school .... elementary to Junior College.  He applied, did a live interview over the phone, waited a couple weeks and he got the phone call that he was hired. 
  His co-worker was recently promoted to CD. IDK the guys background.

 Best of luck to your son!

  🙂🙂

  Bobbi 

Edited January 21, 2020 by Markmom18

[Cricket551]

My son at first did not want to go to the meet and greet (shy) his older brothers and I talked him into going the first night to the meet and greet and told him he could stay or leave as we decided!  He made instant friends with a group and they hung out all week!! He still messages with some in the group! As others have mentioned they can check themselves in and out, so they spent a lot of time at the ball court area!  We also had the rule he had to met us each evening for dinner!! He loved it!!

[outdoors27]

On 1/19/2020 at 6:43 PM, bahacca said:

Yes, they are safe. First off, once in teen clubs, they are allowed to check themselves into and out of the club. Many teens make friends, then hang out in other areas of the ship together. Having the hub app is a nice way to keep in touch, but it isn't flawless. My girls have strict rules. There is NO ONE allowed in our stateroom. Likewise, they are not allowed to set foot in another, even if that is where others decide to "hang out". If one leaves the club, the other has to as well.  They must meet us for dinner every night. Our upcoming cruise will be their 5th. 

These are the exact same rules we have for our older daughter almost word for word. I thought I was reading a post from m. Wife. Lol Happy cruising!