cruiser05 Posted May 8, 2009 #1 Share Posted May 8, 2009 So I will be on the Legend with my family on the sailing on the 24th of May. My sons are 13 and going to be 17 (turning 18 on the cruise). I have two questions. 1) Since his birthday will be on the cruise...will he be too old to attend any of the O2 events? He always liked going to the meet and mingle thing on the first night just to get in touch with the other kids. 2) What is this whole "Club O2" thing like? (not just on the Legend but on any ship) What are some of the events they do like? He doesnt want it to be "stupid". Has anyone been a part of this? Any of your children? PLEASE HELP :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaDivaMom Posted May 8, 2009 #2 Share Posted May 8, 2009 We were on the Legend last summer. There was a young lady who turned 18 on the last day of the cruise. She was allowed to partcipate in all activities except the last day. How do we know this, our daughter was 18 last year and she was too old to partcipate at all. He will be old enough to get into the Disco after his birthday! That is a bit danerous though as our daughter and I went one night and I was dancing with her Dad. We came back to the table and she told us that 3 different "older" men had offered to buy her drinks:eek: Dad was fit to be tied. He went over to one man, appeared to be in his late 50s and explained that his teenage daughter was too young to drink but he would be happy to have the gentleman buy him a beer! Sorry, back to your question. His enjoyment will depend greatly on the group of kids on board and their maturity level. My daughter like the club in her earlier teens but grew out of it, said it was lame. Our son never liked it to begin with. I'm sure your son will find some similar aged teens to hang out with and that he will have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHP Posted May 8, 2009 #3 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I have heard about this situation going both ways. The earlier poster said the young lady was able to stay in Club O2 until she turned 18. I know cruisers who were able to stay in Club O2 the entire cruise because they were 17 when they boarded. Sounds like it is handled on a case by case...ship by ship basis. What I do know for certain is that if someone is already 18 when they board...there is no Club O2 for them. As far as the activities....it is just more of a place to "meet and greet" (so to speak). They do have some activities but you can elect what you want to participate in. Basically it is a place for them to hang out and talk. They have Wii and Xbox (I think). Just go and have him sign up at the appointed time in the Caper....they will put a Club O2 sticker on his Sail and Sign card AND they will give him a Club )2 Caper that has the activities for the entire cruise. He can elect what he wants to do. Have a great cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOJO351969 Posted May 8, 2009 #4 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I am taking my nephew who is 16 on a cruise with me in December. I will be taking him out of school for the week and I was wondering....if kids are in school is there going to be kids there in the club? I'm worried he won't find any kids to hang out with that are his age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHP Posted May 8, 2009 #5 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I am taking my nephew who is 16 on a cruise with me in December. I will be taking him out of school for the week and I was wondering....if kids are in school is there going to be kids there in the club? I'm worried he won't find any kids to hang out with that are his age. We have always found that there are a least a few kids even during the school session. Some schools operate all year long so their breaks are different than those who break for the summer. But also, the Club O2 directors are always a lot of fun. Our youngest son was the only teen in Club O2 on the Victory in Sept 2007. He and the Club O2 Director had a BLAST!!! The Club O2 Director did everything and more...just like she had a packed house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #6 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My two sons, 16 and 15, initially were dead-set against doing the whole Club O2 thing... proclaiming it to be "lame and for losers". I told them they had to at least give it an honest chance on the first night, and at least get registered so they would be eligible to participate if something came up in the capers for O2 that they actually found interesting. Well I hardly saw them again the entire cruise!!! They had an absolute blast!! They made a lot of great friends who they're still in touch with, and even as I write this I'm in contact with another one of the mom's from the cruise - we are trying to coordinate another cruise for next spring so all the teens who met can vacation together again!! You can read a little more about their experience in my review of the Splendor - it's very long but there might be some elements to it that can help you in knowing what to expect when cruising with teens - but keep in mind we were cruising during Easter Break and there were over 200 teens in the 15-17 age group on board. I also have the Club O2 Capers, but they're at home and it wouldn't be until Monday that I could have it scanned or emailed to anyone who is interested. Is anyone interested in a copy of that? My review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=54148 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarylandLady Posted May 8, 2009 #7 Share Posted May 8, 2009 We have always found that there are a least a few kids even during the school session. Some schools operate all year long so their breaks are different than those who break for the summer. But also, the Club O2 directors are always a lot of fun. Our youngest son was the only teen in Club O2 on the Victory in Sept 2007. He and the Club O2 Director had a BLAST!!! The Club O2 Director did everything and more...just like she had a packed house. I remember that cruise! I also remember seeing your son and the Club O2 Director sitting out in the chairs on the promenade deck so engrossed in playing on the xbox (I think it was that) that they didn't notice anything happening around them!!! LHP is right -- they were having a BLAST!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser05 Posted May 8, 2009 Author #8 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My two sons, 16 and 15, initially were dead-set against doing the whole Club O2 thing... proclaiming it to be "lame and for losers". I told them they had to at least give it an honest chance on the first night, and at least get registered so they would be eligible to participate if something came up in the capers for O2 that they actually found interesting. Well I hardly saw them again the entire cruise!!! They had an absolute blast!! They made a lot of great friends who they're still in touch with, and even as I write this I'm in contact with another one of the mom's from the cruise - we are trying to coordinate another cruise for next spring so all the teens who met can vacation together again!! You can read a little more about their experience in my review of the Splendor - it's very long but there might be some elements to it that can help you in knowing what to expect when cruising with teens - but keep in mind we were cruising during Easter Break and there were over 200 teens in the 15-17 age group on board. I also have the Club O2 Capers, but they're at home and it wouldn't be until Monday that I could have it scanned or emailed to anyone who is interested. Is anyone interested in a copy of that? My review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=54148 I think i would be intrested in letting him take a look at those capers and letting him see a little of whats all going on...no rush though. Feel free to email me at stlstlm@yahoo.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texarribean Chick Posted May 8, 2009 #9 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I took DD and friend last August on the Fantasy. My daughter was 13 at the time and her friend was 14. My DD was initially denied into Club 02 because she was too young. These girls are very mature for their age and like one poster - they thought the club was going to be for "losers". When denied access by the Director we went to the Concierge desk and asked for an exception - we are Platinum on CCL and I don't know if that had anything to do with the decision - our girls were allowed in the first night on a probationary basis, depending on their behavior. They stayed in the Club all week - absolutely had a blast. Met lots of kids that they hung out with the entire cruise and couldn't wait for dinner to be over every night to go. They mostly talked and just "hung out"; but every time I checked on them - they were "dancin' the night away". They do offer organized events and excursions; but I had a problem with my child going into Mexico without me - so our girls never participated in those events. Our girls were also allowed in the disco before 10:00pm, as long as they were with us - after 10:00pm - they were politely asked to leave. No biggee to them, they didn't like hanging with the "grown ups" anyway. Good Luck! Chick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #10 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I think i would be intrested in letting him take a look at those capers and letting him see a little of whats all going on...no rush though. Feel free to email me at stlstlm@yahoo.com Shall do :) It will be a bit different than the schedule you'll have on your cruise, but some of the activities will be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmtre2 Posted May 8, 2009 #11 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I would also like to see the 02 capers please palmtre2@aol . I'm curious to see what kind of teen excursions there are. Can anyone tell me how they are handled???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluehenfan Posted May 8, 2009 #12 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Would love to se the 02 Capers too. Just don't hear much about 02 club other then kids liked it or didn't like it. I'm taking two 17 y.o. girls on the Pride in June and they keep asking about the club. Thank you for sharing! sandeem@udel.edu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #13 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I would also like to see the 02 capers please palmtre2@aol .I'm curious to see what kind of teen excursions there are. Can anyone tell me how they are handled???? I had read about the teen excursions, but as far as I know they didn't actually have any - I think there has to be enough interest to make them happen. Personally, I prefer to have my kids with me when we go into port - it's part of the "family" experience, and aside from supper each night, it's the only other time I was assured of seeing them during the week!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #14 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Would love to se the 02 Capers too. Just don't hear much about 02 club other then kids liked it or didn't like it. I'm taking two 17 y.o. girls on the Pride in June and they keep asking about the club. Thank you for sharing! sandeem@udel.edu I know... I was in the same boat, so to speak :D As we approached the cruise date, we really had no idea what kind of events or activities to expect for our sons. My youngest tells the story best of how they managed to hook up with the kids they eventually hung around with all week... "So mom, when you forced us to go in and give it a try, most of the other teens were just kinda sitting around, looking a little nervous, trying to look cool, not sure how this was going to be a cool or fun week, thinking it's all gonna be real lame. Then Ashley (the O2 Coordinator) walked in the club and introduced herself and all us guys were thinking 'Man, she is hot!!'. She started to tell us about some of the stuff she was planning, when this jerk walks in the club, says 'What a joke this place is - LOSERS IN THE HOUSE!!' Ashley immediately said 'Get the f*ck out and don't come back!' The guy left mumbling about what losers we all were, while we're all thinking Ashley's got big kahunas!! Once all the hushed murmuring settled down and we all got over the shock of Ashley telling that guy off, one of the biggest teens already sitting in the club shouts out 'WISCONSON IN THE HOUSE!! WOOOT!!!' Well EVERYONE burst out laughing and we all very quickly got to know one another after that!! That same guy, Tyler, was one of the coolest guys and we ended up hanging out with him and and a couple of siblings from a few other families the rest of the week. Though Ashley had some stuff scheduled, she mostly left it up to us to choose what kinds of things we wanted to do all week, and more often than not, it was dancing the night away in the club - what a blast we all had!! And that jerk that got kicked out the first night, we never saw him again." So there you have it... I think if the kids are all honest with themselves, they'll all see that they are all thinking the same way - they just want to have fun, meet other kids and not feel like freaks doing it. I think the Carnival staff are VERY good at their jobs, and as long as your kids are willing to give it an honest try and step out of their comfort zone in order to meet others, it will all pay off for them in a big way and it could trun out to be the best vacation of their lives!! My kids sure changed their tune about what it was going to be like, and they both agree it was because they were willing to "give it a try". With their new-found friends on the cruise, they played a lot of b-ball, wen to the gym, watched movies on the upper deck at night, danced a TON, went to the late night deck parties, snacked at all hours toghether, suntanned, played mini-golf, went to a few of the shows together, including the talent show on the last night, since Ashley had to step in as Madonna - the original passenger who was supposed to be Madonna got sick at the last moment - so my kids and their friends had a blast preparing her for her starring role, with the girls in the group doing her hair, wardrobe and makeup, and the guys making signs to hold up during her performance to try and crack her up - and it worked!! LOL!! I think Ashley was a big part of why my kids and their friends had such a great time, and we thanked her for her efforts with a generous tip at the end of the cruise. My kids, along with all of the ones they've stayed in touch with, are really hoping that she's the teen coordinator on our next cruise, assuming it all comes together and we can all cruise again next year in the Caribbean. Our cruise - April 12-19 - was her last one for that contract as she stated she was going to the East Coast cruises for her next contract. Hmmm... wonder if I can find out which ship she'll be on next Easter - my kids would be thrilled to get on board and discover she was there!!!:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseinNJ Posted May 8, 2009 #15 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Send to me too please- janddbell@Verizon.net My daughter is mature for her age and always ends up with us (we don't have anyone we cruise with). I'm hoping since she's old enough now for o2 it will be better for her. She turns 16 day after our next cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmtre2 Posted May 8, 2009 #16 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Thanks for the info, Nucnuc - I had posted about the teen excursions before and never got any replies, I guess that's because they don't really have them. We usually travel with a large group and the there are quite a few teens, some of the parents are curious about how they are handled. I generally insist on my DD accompanying her parents ashore but truthfully since we travel with a crowd I never see her anyway!!!! We do insist in the kids spending dinner with the parents though or we would NEVER see them!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HesitantCruiser Posted May 8, 2009 #17 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My teens also had a blast - but just as a place to hang out and be with other kids. I'd say 80% of the activities on the O2 capers did not happen as planned. Well, they happened, but a dance where no one dances isn't really a dance, it's just hanging out. Kids looking for very structured activities with lots of participation will be less happy than those who just want to meet people, talk and "chillax." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #18 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I would also like to see the 02 capers please palmtre2@aol .I'm curious to see what kind of teen excursions there are. Can anyone tell me how they are handled???? Hi again... is that email with a dot com at the end? Some of the email extensions I use have .ca or .org or .net extensions, so I just want to be certain I've go the right one. :) I'll send the O2 caper out on Monday, but I'm assembling my list for the email now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #19 Share Posted May 8, 2009 My teens also had a blast - but just as a place to hang out and be with other kids. I'd say 80% of the activities on the O2 capers did not happen as planned. Well, they happened, but a dance where no one dances isn't really a dance, it's just hanging out. Kids looking for very structured activities with lots of participation will be less happy than those who just want to meet people, talk and "chillax." Yup, that was true for our cruise too... Ashley let the kids decide what they wanted to do, or at least modified the activities to accomodate the wishes of the teens - she used the capers as a guideline, really, and put it up to a general vote for a lot of the activities. Having said that, though, my boys did say that some of the activities did go ahead as planned, and some kids participated and others didn't - it was such a relaxed schedule and so open to the "drop-in" types too... there was truly something for every personality type - they really liked the set-up, and I think it was amazing how well it all worked out with that many teens on board - over 200 in the 15-17 age group!!:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmtre2 Posted May 8, 2009 #20 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Sorry - brain fart and didn't finish the thought. It is .com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzinismyname Posted May 8, 2009 #21 Share Posted May 8, 2009 We will be going with some 18, 19 and 20 year olds. Are there any clubs for them to go to? The 21 and over crowd have the bars and under 18 have their clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #22 Share Posted May 8, 2009 We will be going with some 18, 19 and 20 year olds. Are there any clubs for them to go to? The 21 and over crowd have the bars and under 18 have their clubs. Unfortunately, the impression I get is that the 18-20 crowd is largely forgotten on the cruiselines. You're right... they can drink or hit the bars over 21, and can get in the teen clubs up until the end of 17, but inbetween is a big blank. I think there's the opportunity to try and arrange mixers for that age group, but I don't believe there's anything formal to help facilitate this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LHP Posted May 8, 2009 #23 Share Posted May 8, 2009 We will be going with some 18, 19 and 20 year olds. Are there any clubs for them to go to? The 21 and over crowd have the bars and under 18 have their clubs. Carnival has been batting around some ideas for the 18-20 year old crowd for about a year. They have been "testing" some ideas over the past few months but definately nothing set in stone or fleetwide. Since 18 is the minimum age to get into the casino and disco....they will be able to go anywhere on the ship that they want to. The only thing they can not do until they are 21 is drink. Some of the "test" projects have been the Entertainment Staff hosting a "meet and greet" every night for th 18-20 year olds. Not a dedicated room ... just an opportunity to meet others their age without it being a "singles" situation. No one looking for a date....just to chat!!! If they have this on your ship, it should be listed in the CAPERS. Have a great cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare nunuc2000 Posted May 8, 2009 #24 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Sorry - brain fart and didn't finish the thought. It is .com Got it, thanks :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzinismyname Posted May 8, 2009 #25 Share Posted May 8, 2009 Thank you nunuc2000 and LHP. So, they can go anywhere on the boat including other bars such as the piano bar or sports bar, but they just cant drink? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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