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Kids on their own on the boat - 10 yr old

paulfoel

By paulfoel,
in Royal Caribbean International

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TravelGirlinDallas

TravelGirlinDallas

Posted
Posted (edited)

We didn't feel comfortable letting our son do things on the ship without us until he was 12. Even now at 13, he mostly chooses to stick with us and do whatever we're doing, or to hang out in the cabin by himself. He will go get pizza or snacks by himself, but he doesn't just wander around. 

 

Also, he has access to a phone and we always get the wifi package, so he can contact us at any time if we are not together.

Edited by TravelGirlinDallas
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smokeybandit

smokeybandit

Posted
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We let our son (11) roam on his own for the first time just recently by using the app chat via him logging into one of our accounts.  We all know the issues with the app chat, but it worked for the most part. 

But he's been on enough cruises to navigate the ships since although the ship classes are largely different, they're still pretty much the same.

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firefly333

firefly333

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, paulfoel said:

Not so sure. Its a big boat (Wonder of the Seas).....

Shes keen but not sure if I let her go back and forth to kids club to the room etc.

Or how safe it is?

 

Although what the messenger app like?

10 year old isnt old enough to use app and sign in as herself.

 

I sat in the theater next to a 3 and 7 year old who came down early nightly to save seats for their parents. Very mature 3 year old. We had some nice talks lol. Seems they even went to eat alone. 

 

Some kids can and some arent mature enough. 

 

I forget the age to use app but I'm sure it's like 14 or whatever. 

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paulfoel

paulfoel

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yeh ok thanks all.....

 

Must admit I do think its a bit too much for a 10 year old. Looks like her 19 year old brother will be going to get her and taking her around - he'll be pleased about that!

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topnole

topnole

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Posted
49 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

10 year old isnt old enough to use app and sign in as herself.

 

I sat in the theater next to a 3 and 7 year old who came down early nightly to save seats for their parents. Very mature 3 year old. We had some nice talks lol. Seems they even went to eat alone. 

 

Some kids can and some arent mature enough. 

 

I forget the age to use app but I'm sure it's like 14 or whatever. 

3 and 7.   Wow.  Can’t imagine leaving a 3 year old with a 7 year old in charge.   At some point that strategy is going to fail miserably.   

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Scottdalfonso

Scottdalfonso

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Posted

We left our freshly turned 11 year old sign himself out of Adventure ocean, we also logged him in as one of us on the app so he could message us. He basically only did AO for one day, and after 30 minutes sent us a message that he was back at the room. He was free to go get pizza or hit the arcade on his own... he did mini golf on his own one night, as well. We would have had no problem letting him do whatever on his own, but he never really made a friend in his 15 minute stint at Adventure ocean, so we made sure he was with us for all of the activities otherwise unless he asked to wander off, which he only did a few times all week. 

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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I’d treat the ship like you would any town or neighborhood. With the amount of people on the ships there’s bound to be bad apples among them. Crimes do occur on cruise ships and I’m sure they aren’t all made public.

Then my answer remains the same, my kids walked to school starting at 8,  and could walk or ride bikes around town starting at 10 or so. 

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cruiselvr04 Great Review Rare

cruiselvr04

Posted
Posted (edited)

We are taking a 11 year old next summer.  He’ll be with an adult all the time.  He will not be able to sign himself out of AO.  The 14 year old may come and go and he may take the 9 and 11 year old for pizza etc. as long as they stay together. 

 

You know your kids.  You are ultimately responsible for them even if you’re not with them. I’ve seen a lot on ships, kids who had no business running around alone or even 2 younger ones together.  I wouldn’t let ours loose in the mall alone so why would I do so on a ship.
 

I might have yelled at one 2 weeks ago who almost knocked me down running blindly around a corner. They are kids who are excited who lose their heads on a ship.  I get that.  But a parent with them would have hopefully told them to slow down. He almost got a martini dumped on his head but I saved it.  The martini, not the kid.  

Edited by cruiselvr04
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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

I always gave my kids permission to sign themselves out 9 or 10?). I have 5 close in age so they usually had a partner. They couldn’t wander, and had to ask permission to go from A to B.

 

Since you have multiple kids, letting them out and about with a partner or the pack is something I would have done.  It sounds like the OP has one child.  Not sure I would let a 10 yr old wander alone, unless it was to check themselves out at X time and go immediately to Y to meet up with parents.  That movement would be on a designated route with no traveling of cabin corridors.  Only the OP knows their child's maturity level and whether or not they could follow directions or would deviate to the ice cream machine.  Not all 10 yr olds can be trusted alone.  Same can be said about teens, but that is another thread for another day. 😄 

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toxicfairy

toxicfairy

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

10 year old isnt old enough to use app and sign in as herself.

 

I sat in the theater next to a 3 and 7 year old who came down early nightly to save seats for their parents. Very mature 3 year old. We had some nice talks lol. Seems they even went to eat alone. 

 

Some kids can and some arent mature enough. 

 

I forget the age to use app but I'm sure it's like 14 or whatever. 

I would be more worried about the people on board. It's a ship but it's like a small city. You don't know who's on board. People are drinking and having fun but not everyone is nice. Bad guys don't wear signs advertising. 

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Tatka

Tatka

Posted
Posted

Depends on age and a kid.

Our son was coming from school since 8 yo, opening doors and being at home alone for several hours.

 

First cruise was when he was 11. It was smaller than Wonder ship, but still a large ship. We allowed him to walk to club and be with his friends (we checked from time to time).

 

Of course we explain basic rules of behavior on the ship. This is a "small city". Do not talk to strangers, do not go into anyone's room. This is very important.

 

 He enjoyed all cruise lines except for Holland (boring club) and Carnival (too many kids in club). Royal Caribbean clubs were the best for him... then I think Norwegian and Princess. Celebrity was fine till teen years.

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broadwaybaby123

broadwaybaby123

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Posted

My niece is actually her age. She knows she can't go anywhere without telling us first and we have to be nearby. 

 

In the event we do get separated, we do have walkie talkies and give one to her (or whoever is with her). She's not old enough to use the chat feature on the app.

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Tlbecker1

Tlbecker1

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, paulfoel said:

Not so sure. Its a big boat (Wonder of the Seas).....

Shes keen but not sure if I let her go back and forth to kids club to the room etc.

Or how safe it is?

 

Although what the messenger app like?

I think at 10, it would be ok on the smaller ships, but the Wonder?  We only take stairs and walk everywhere, but that is a lot to navigate for a 10 year old. 

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GTO-Girl

GTO-Girl

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Posted

We were on the Wonder last month and I was shocked to see how many 5-7yr olds were roaming the ship alone!!!  We would see these same little ones every day…..all day…..every where……and never a parent in sight.

 

These ships are like floating cities with people you know nothing about.  You can tell little kids not to go into someone’s room all day long but how easy would it be for someone to snatch them into a cabin as they walked down the hall?

 

There were two ladies on an elevator and one said “where in the world is your daughter?”   To which the other replied “I don’t know and I don’t care because I am not a parent this week!”.  And then they laughed and laughed…😳

 

I guess I am old school and believe my job as a parent is to take care of my little ones and protect them even when I am on vacation!!!  

 

 

 

 

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