Teen Help

[pbutts29]

I was wondering if anyone had experience with the older teen club (15-17) age group. Carnival says they have a strick rule about moving teens up in an age group (i.e. a 14 year old to the the older age group). I will have a 14 year old that will have finished his 1st year of high school and turn 15 a month after our cruise. He wants to be able to hang out with his 17 year old brother. I was wondering if anyone had information on how this is policed or if it is even possible for him to enter that section (club) and participate in those activities.

[klauer]

From personal experience and what I've read on this board, many (most?) 17 year olds don't have any interest in participating in "kids' club" activities. They would rather hang out informally with friends they meet on the ship. The ship does know your teens' birth dates since it is part of the documentation you submit when you book your cruise.

[6rugrats]

They are strict, and they know your child's age because you must furnish this information to them. If he wants to hang out with his older brother, they can, just not in this area.

[Singer4Him]

Originally Posted by pbutts29

I was wondering if anyone had experience with the older teen club (15-17) age group. Carnival says they have a strick rule about moving teens up in an age group (i.e. a 14 year old to the the older age group). I will have a 14 year old that will have finished his 1st year of high school and turn 15 a month after our cruise. He wants to be able to hang out with his 17 year old brother. I was wondering if anyone had information on how this is policed or if it is even possible for him to enter that section (club) and participate in those activities.

When we sailed on the Fantasy a couple of years ago, we were in this same situation. Our son was 14 and his sister was 15. We went in and spoke to the O2 directress and she made an exception but only when his sister was there with him! He couldn't come in by himself.

That being said, he is a "people person" and made several new friends on the first night and some of them were from Circle C, so he hung out there most of the time.

It will probably depend on who the director/directress is. I would suggest that you personally go in and speak to them about the situation and just see if an exception can be made like it was for us.

[pbutts29]

Thanks for the advice...Hopefully that will make a difference. They might not find it as entertaining but want them to have options if they end up meeting people and want to "Hang Out"

[kassimer1]

On our last carnival cruise my son made friends with the 12-14 yr old group even though he was 15. He said they didnt give him a hard time about going to the younger group. He said the older kids were not as much fun. Maybe the older one could hang with the younger one sometimes.

[ilovetheislands]

We are sailing with a Mother/daughter group and there will be five 14 yr olds and one 16 year old girl. The hitch here is the 16 year old would be in Club o2 while the rest will be assigned to Circle C.

What are the chances that she will be permitted to accompany the others to Circle C activities? I know they will not permit the other 5 to move up.

The 16 year old is a foreign exchange student that is traveling along with our group and so there is already a small cultural barrier. I hate to see her separated further from her traveling companions because she just turned 16.

What say you?

[kitty9]

The biggest thing is they DO NOT allow older kids to move down. It's due to security and liability concerns. The only time they allow a move down is if the child is mentally challenged and their functioning is that of a younger person. But they never allow an older person to move down in an age group. Too many concerns with older kids taking advantage of younger kids.

[Onessa]

Moving kids "up" primarily from the pre-teen age to the teen age club pretty much will guarentee that that the teens will stay far, far away. If the teen club is a place where the teens can hang together, it is more likely that they will -- particularly the kids who are into video games. But when the kid's program allows 10 or 11 year olds access to the teen club, then the 12 and up crew will stay far, far away

Most of the 12 up don't really participate in the teen activities, but may use the club are as a meeting point and our just a spot to hang.