sail-away2015 Posted April 1, 2015 #1 Share Posted April 1, 2015 If we all have iphones is it free to text? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted April 1, 2015 #2 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Best way to communicate? Set times for your teens to check in with you. Many ships will have cabin phones with voice mail. They can call in from courtesy phones and leave a message. But you may have to check messages from your cabin and not remotely. For our last cruise, the three of us used the paper method. My hubby would leave a message when he returned to the cabin to change from his workout clothes and say that he's going with his guitar to Skywalkers. I would note down that I finished with hula class and is now on my way to lunch. My teen would write ok, will return to the cabin at such and such time. I don't recommend walkie talkies as they won't work all over the ship and can be annoying to the other passengers. Don't know about the phones as I turn off my phone until we reach a port. My daughter doesn't bring her phone (she's not calling her friends while on a cruise) and my hubby doesn't bring his work phone (he doesn't have a personal cell phone) on a cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted April 1, 2015 #3 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) The best way is in person! Talk to your kids...find out where they will be...tell them where YOU will be, and require them to FIND YOU when they change their plans. "Touching base" via phone or walkie talkie is not good enough. You should physically SEE your kids and find out their new plans! They can text or tell you anything when they are not in your view...so require meet up times....for their benefit! Wandering kid are trouble...they should have specific reasons to be places! Edited April 1, 2015 by cb at sea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted April 1, 2015 #4 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Talk. Plan. On most cruise lines, cell phones are NOT free. Calls are about $2.50 per minute and texts are about 50 cents to send. Cruise lines are moving toward providing free texting between passengers on the ship. I believe Princess has it on a ship or two and is expanding it this year to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDawg Posted April 1, 2015 #5 Share Posted April 1, 2015 OK, you're on vacation. You've taken a cruise to relax. How badly do you really want to communicate with your teens?:p ...................................REALLY WANT TO?;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luddite Posted April 1, 2015 #6 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Verbal intercourse is the best way to communicate with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail-away2015 Posted April 1, 2015 Author #7 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Haha DirtyDawg! [emoji6] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warm Breezes Posted April 1, 2015 #8 Share Posted April 1, 2015 The best way is in person! Talk to your kids...find out where they will be...tell them where YOU will be, and require them to FIND YOU when they change their plans. "Touching base" via phone or walkie talkie is not good enough. You should physically SEE your kids and find out their new plans! They can text or tell you anything when they are not in your view...so require meet up times....for their benefit! Wandering kid are trouble...they should have specific reasons to be places! This. We always knew where our kids were and they knew where we were. If that was to change you found the other party and let them know in person. Took responsibility on the part of the kids and the parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOVINCRUIZIN Posted April 1, 2015 #9 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Best way to communicate? Set times for your teens to check in with you. Many ships will have cabin phones with voice mail. They can call in from courtesy phones and leave a message. But you may have to check messages from your cabin and not remotely. For our last cruise' date=' the three of us used the paper method. My hubby would leave a message when he returned to the cabin to change from his workout clothes and say that he's going with his guitar to Skywalkers. I would note down that I finished with hula class and is now on my way to lunch. My teen would write ok, will return to the cabin at such and such time. I don't recommend walkie talkies as they won't work all over the ship and can be annoying to the other passengers. Don't know about the phones as I turn off my phone until we reach a port. My daughter doesn't bring her phone (she's not calling her friends while on a cruise) and my hubby doesn't bring his work phone (he doesn't have a personal cell phone) on a cruise.[/quote'] I think this is perfect advice. The walkie talkies are indeed annoying to me. It is best to leave notes and have regular meet-up times and places Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottbee Posted April 1, 2015 #10 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I don't recommend walkie talkies as they won't work all over the ship and can be annoying to the other passengers. You'd need the higher power GMRS radio (5W) in order to be useful on a ship made of mostly steel; but; GMRS radios are illegal in pretty much all foreign ports' date=' and some channels are even restricted near the borders of the USA,[*']GMRS radio requires a license from the FCC (which most people ignore) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA_CA_GAL Posted April 1, 2015 #11 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Communication with teens on a cruise is overrated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruising Golfer Posted April 1, 2015 #12 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Leave them at home, you can talk when you get back!!!:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted April 1, 2015 #13 Share Posted April 1, 2015 This. We always knew where our kids were and they knew where we were. If that was to change you found the other party and let them know in person. Took responsibility on the part of the kids and the parents. This approach is also a good idea for the rest of the year, when you are not on a ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyDawg Posted April 1, 2015 #14 Share Posted April 1, 2015 (edited) Communication with teens on a cruise is overrated. Leave them at home, you can talk when you get back!!!:eek: Agree with both of you. But if you have to take the teens here are Dawg's basic rules; 1. Tip the teens' cabin steward and extra $50 bucks early in the week because they WILL earn it! 2. They (the teens) know how to use the card to open their door, 3. They know where the buffet is, 4. They know where the pizza, ice cream, drinks places are, 5. They know when dinner is (and hopefully can tell time by now), 6. They know how to use my card to get me a drink, 7. They know if they need a pre-dinner dinner, they can go to the buffet, 8. Same as 7 above for pre-breakfasts and pre-lunches. 9. They know there will be serious consequences for throwing their little brother off the balcony this time, and 10. Now bugger off, I'm on vacation! :D:p Edited April 1, 2015 by DirtyDawg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warm Breezes Posted April 1, 2015 #15 Share Posted April 1, 2015 This approach is also a good idea for the rest of the year, when you are not on a ship. Yes. My son is now 20 going to a local university and he still tells us where he is going. Which is great because it cuts down on the Mama worry. We've never had to ask because they always told us. He was actually calling me up and asking me for permission to go somewhere at 18/19. I finally got it through to him that he doesn't have to ask for permission anymore, he's an adult :D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toberman Posted April 1, 2015 #16 Share Posted April 1, 2015 OK, you're on vacation. You've taken a cruise to relax. How badly do you really want to communicate with your teens?:p ...................................REALLY WANT TO?;) That was my initial reflex as well. :D But I'm not sure whether the 'teens' are on the ship or back home. I'm assuming on the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail-away2015 Posted April 1, 2015 Author #17 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Yes on the ship! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueEyesMI Posted April 1, 2015 #18 Share Posted April 1, 2015 As the mother of a 17 year old, I do love the other responses you've got! :D If you are on Princess, they have a free on-ship texting app. http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6004 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail-away2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Author #19 Share Posted April 2, 2015 My son and his friend are both 14 Im sure they will live the freedom they will have but i do like to know where i could find them if i need them. I guess the notes back at the room and the meet up times will have to do. I thought texting would be free on royal Caribbean! Thanks everyone for your ideas! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted April 2, 2015 #20 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Agree with both of you. But if you have to take the teens here are Dawg's basic rules; 1. Tip the teens' cabin steward and extra $50 bucks early in the week because they WILL earn it! 2. They (the teens) know how to use the card to open their door, 3. They know where the buffet is, 4. They know where the pizza, ice cream, drinks places are, 5. They know when dinner is (and hopefully can tell time by now), 6. They know how to use my card to get me a drink, 7. They know if they need a pre-dinner dinner, they can go to the buffet, 8. Same as 7 above for pre-breakfasts and pre-lunches. 9. They know there will be serious consequences for throwing their little brother off the balcony this time, and 10. Now bugger off, I'm on vacation! :D:p This is fabulous. I really did LOL..... :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted April 2, 2015 #21 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Agree with both of you. But if you have to take the teens here are Dawg's basic rules; 1. Tip the teens' cabin steward and extra $50 bucks early in the week because they WILL earn it! 2. They (the teens) know how to use the card to open their door, 3. They know where the buffet is, 4. They know where the pizza, ice cream, drinks places are, 5. They know when dinner is (and hopefully can tell time by now), 6. They know how to use my card to get me a drink, 7. They know if they need a pre-dinner dinner, they can go to the buffet, 8. Same as 7 above for pre-breakfasts and pre-lunches. 9. They know there will be serious consequences for throwing their little brother off the balcony this time, and 10. Now bugger off, I'm on vacation! :D:p We don't do#1 (no pre-tipping, but certainly at the end of the cruise on top of the auto tips), but our girl does get to know where everything is quickly -- in fact, she was the one who guided us through our first experience with MUTS, including where to find the popcorn.:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducklite Posted April 2, 2015 #22 Share Posted April 2, 2015 We cruised with our son when he was 16. This was before iPhones and texting and all that. It was simple. We did this archaic thing called leaving notes in the cabin. He was expected to join us for dinner each night--appropriately attired. He had a curfew each night that was a few minutes before the teen club closed, I left a light on and he would turn it off when he got in so if I woke up and it was still on after curfew... Fortunately that didn't happen. I just see no reason to be helicoptering over teens. If you don't trust them, keep them with you. If you trust them, then trust them. Have times/places that they need to check in with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail-away2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Author #23 Share Posted April 2, 2015 What is the teen club all about! My son doesn't think he will participate! I told him it was a requirement! LOL sshhhh! What kinds of things go on? What can he expect? Did your son love it or hate it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail-away2015 Posted April 2, 2015 Author #24 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Its not a matter if trust. And i wont be helicoptering Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducklite Posted April 2, 2015 #25 Share Posted April 2, 2015 What is the teen club all about! My son doesn't think he will participate! I told him it was a requirement! LOL sshhhh! What kinds of things go on? What can he expect? Did your son love it or hate it? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk He loved it. They had computer games, music, hanging out, games, scavenger hunts, sports, never a dull moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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