Communicating with tweens on board

[CanMeg]

I am cruising with my whole family (20 of us!) In August on the norweigan dawn. There are 10 kids, ages 7-17. 2 are 13 year olds, who are old enough for the teens club, but not old enough to download the NCL app. I'm wondering how people have communicated with their tweens on board? They obviously want to be able to roam the ship with their cousins!

(Also, we are android users)

Edited April 15, 2023 by CanMeg
Extra info

[spenecer]

If you are all Android users, you should be able to communicate using Google Messages for SMS text messages only (no pictures or video).

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by spenecer

[hallux]

@spenecer I wouldn't say "should", I would say "may".  It seems some ships have allowed some things through that others haven't...

[rj59]

The app has the $5 messaging service, although it's not terribly reliable and doesn't notify effectively, in my experience. I found out on here on a Joy cruise in February that my sister and I could message each other using imessage on our iphones, and she could message people at home without using her internet minutes. 

[1025cruise]

I'm going to go old school. For the kids that are old enough to roam on their own, they get told a time and place they need to be if they wish to continue to have that privilege.

[mjkacmom]

58 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

I'm going to go old school. For the kids that are old enough to roam on their own, they get told a time and place they need to be if they wish to continue to have that privilege.

I’ve cruised many times with teens, after breakfast I usually don’t see them again until we are getting ready for dinner, except in passing. I can’t imagine all of us staying in one spot all day long, and they’re usually not with siblings.

[MoCruiseFan]

17 hours ago, CanMeg said:

I am cruising with my whole family (20 of us!) In August on the norweigan dawn. There are 10 kids, ages 7-17. 2 are 13 year olds, who are old enough for the teens club, but not old enough to download the NCL app. I'm wondering how people have communicated with their tweens on board? They obviously want to be able to roam the ship with their cousins!

(Also, we are android users)

 

I no idea in hell what a tween is (nor do I care) but just install the app on everyone's (that you want to keep in touch with) and pay for the on-board phone/message plan for each.  Better yet save the money and set up specific times and meeting places for everyone to be so you can keep contact.

[hallux]

1 minute ago, MoCruiseFan said:

 

I no idea in hell what a tween is (nor do I care) but just install the app on everyone's (that you want to keep in touch with) and pay for the on-board phone/message plan for each.  Better yet save the money and set up specific times and meeting places for everyone to be so you can keep contact.

One problem with that - the passenger needs to be 13 to have an account to then use the messaging feature.  A "tween", while you said you don't care what that is, is a person 10/11/12 years old, or generally someone younger than is eligible to have their own account for the NCL app to use the messaging service.

[ceilidh1]

We just got off Bliss and were pleasantly surprised to find that we could text each other on our iphones while in airplane mode/without data or cell sharges.No idea how that voodoo magic worked, but we kept in touch perfectly all week.

[mjkacmom]

29 minutes ago, hallux said:

One problem with that - the passenger needs to be 13 to have an account to then use the messaging feature.  A "tween", while you said you don't care what that is, is a person 10/11/12 years old, or generally someone younger than is eligible to have their own account for the NCL app to use the messaging service.

The OP said the kids are 13, so not tweens, it looks like they can download the app, but if younger, it looks like they can get the app with parental permission. https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/why-do-i-need-give-consent-my-child-use-cruise-norwegian-app

[CanMeg]

5 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

The OP said the kids are 13, so not tweens, it looks like they can download the app, but if younger, it looks like they can get the app with parental permission. https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/why-do-i-need-give-consent-my-child-use-cruise-norwegian-app

Yes, I can download it on her phone,  but I'm not able to give her permission to use it. How did you make that happen?  (Plus,  she's 12 until the day before the cruise  😉)

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/15/2023 at 2:35 PM, hallux said:

One problem with that - the passenger needs to be 13 to have an account to then use the messaging feature.  A "tween", while you said you don't care what that is, is a person 10/11/12 years old, or generally someone younger than is eligible to have their own account for the NCL app to use the messaging service.

 

Just give the kid one of the parents phones.