Will a 17 y/o LIKE the ports in Europe?

[SheriNtexas]

Hi! My name is Sheri and my daughter jordan and I are booked on the maiden voyage of Carnival Splendor July 13, 2008. I was very excited when i found this cruise and we even got a 9A wraparound! The ports look wonderful: St. Petersburg Russia, Germany, Helsinki Finland, Amsterdam, among others. I talked it over with my daughter before i booked and she said it sounded like fun. I have only done 3 cruises out of Galveston, we are going on the Conquest July 1st, which will be her first cruise, and we will be on Voyager of the Seas in April 2008 also. She is very mature for her age and can hold her own in a conversation with any adult. While I am SURE she will love cruising as much as i do,:D , I got to thinking about this Splendor Cruise and how many teenagers will be on a cruise like this. I guess i need some advice from those of y'all who have gone on these type of cruises in this area of the world with your teens. This cruise will obviously be different than going to Cozumel and Jamaica which she is fine with, but I'm not sure what there will be to do on the excursions that she will like. They don't list any excursions for these ports yet, but after looking at the descriptions of some of these ports, it seems like it will be a lot of looking at historical buildings, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love that kind of stuff and she does too, but i'm wondering if she will get bored. To ME, just the THOUGHT of being in Russia just blows my mind!!

Sorry for the rambling, i guess i am looking for others whose teens go on cruises like this one will be and how they liked it. Of course there will be plenty for her to do onboard and she certainly doesn't mind hanging out with her mom, just want to make sure in MY mind that we have chosen a fun cruise that we will really enjoy!! thanks for any help or advice you can offer!!:)

[pattyj 1204]

Sorry,. don't have a teen, (young lady), but I'm betting that there will be enough for her to choose from that she will find something to suit her interests in those ports. I'm going for the first time and can hardly wait for 2008. We were in the Med and saw many historic sites with teens in our groups. They were not only interested, but offered interesting comments on the places and things we saw. Enjoyed their company.

[Tania]

My nineteen year old has been travelling with me to Europe since she was 11. The intense itineraries alone preclude from much socialization although she usually disappeared after dinner with some new friends. Always had plenty to keep her busy.

[Keith1010]

All of this comes down to your daughter.

There will be lots to see on a Baltic Cruise and of course it's always fun to sail on a cruise to begin with.

The major difference in say a Baltic cruise and one of the Mediterranean will be the weather. It can be much cooler in the Baltic so if she wants an area with warmer weather for more time to sit out at the pool it will be more challenging to do so on a Baltic Cruise.

But, when our children were teenagers I know they would have enjoyed a Baltic Cruise. While we didn't do the Baltics with them (we have since by ourselves) we did take them on numerous cruise including a couple in Europe (British Isles and one to the Med) and they enjoyed them all.

Have a great time.

Keith