Paranoid Dad?

My wife, my son (15) and I are sailing on the Carnival Sensation on Sept. 6th.

I know there will be a few times on the cruise when my wife and I will want to spend time in the casino or have a few drinks.

Am I being too paranoid to ask if it's totally safe to let my 15yr old son roam the ship on his own?

He is not allowed to step foot into the casino correct?

My wife, my son (15) and I are sailing on the Carnival Sensation on Sept. 6th.

 

I know there will be a few times on the cruise when my wife and I will want to spend time in the casino or have a few drinks.

 

Am I being too paranoid to ask if it's totally safe to let my 15yr old son roam the ship on his own?

 

He is not allowed to step foot into the casino correct?

Only you know how your son will (hopefully) conduct himself on his own. Google the Carnival Sensation and take a look at the on board amenities. Will there be enough things for someone his age to keep him occupied for a while while you and your wife are in the casino or having a few drinks? Yes, he can sit with you in the casino, but he won't be allowed to gamble. He can even sit with you in one of the lounges and have a soda.

No you are not being paranoid to ask such a question.

However the answer is only one you and DW know.

Only you know how your son will (hopefully) conduct himself on his own. Google the Carnival Sensation and take a look at the on board amenities. Will there be enough things for someone his age to keep him occupied for a while while you and your wife are in the casino or having a few drinks? Yes, he can sit with you in the casino, but he won't be allowed to gamble. He can even sit with you in one of the lounges and have a soda.

Thank you for the info!

However the answer is only one you and DW know.

Not sure I understand this?

Not sure I understand this?

We don't know your son, so in all honesty we can't comment on if he will be safe or not.

There are so many things that will impact.

Is he a risk taker.

Will he follow the rules, either set by you or the ship.

All sorts of issues that may impact on his safety that we don't know.

The environment on a cruise ship is pretty safe however for a 15 year old boy on his own there are a lot of distractions. I think the question is something like how is he at home on his own late at night in town etc in terms of being streetwise?

Regards John

Not sure I understand this?

Basically, you know your child best. Do you feel you're being "overly paranoid" about letting him have the run of the ship? That's question only you can answer with certainty.

We don't know your child.

Can he be trusted to not go into someone's room he doesn't know? Will he pick up partially finished, abandoned beverages (alcoholic) and sample them? Is he the type to push all the buttons in the elevators?

I'm not worried about him.

He's very responsible and not a risk taker.

I guess I'm more paranoid about the environment of the ship.

I appreciate all the advice/comments.

I wouldn't have a problem with him being in a specific place for a specific reason...like the arcade or kids club....sports deck, etc. I don't think anyone should just allow their child "run of the ship"....roaming leads to trouble. I don't have a problem with kids doing stuff on their own...but I'd certainly keep tabs on them, and insist on frequent physical check ins with you!

No...he cannot come in the casino and watch you gamble.

No you are not being paranoid to ask such a question.

 

However the answer is only one you and DW know.

It might help CruisingCuisine if he knew that DW = Darling Wife. GUT is just saying you and the wife know your son best, and are the best judge of his character.

It might help CruisingCuisine if he knew that DW = Darling Wife. GUT is just saying you and the wife know your son best, and are the best judge of his character.

Thank you I didn't consider that DW may have caused confusion, except in our house it means Darned Wife.

BTW;

Most likely the question will be moot after a day or two onboard. He will probably find someone his own age to hang around, and your problem then is how to keep track of him. :)

Thank you I didn't consider that DW may have caused confusion, except in our house it means Darned Wife.

That's what I meant with the ?

I didn't know what DW was.

That's what I meant with the ?

I didn't know what DW was.

This may help you in the future, I copied it onto a word doc for future reference.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_acronyms

Have a great cruise !:)

That's what I meant with the ?

I didn't know what DW was.

It's a genuinely multi-purpose designation: DEAR WIFE, DARNED WIFE, DEMANDING WIFE, DESIRABLE WIFE, DOMINATING WIFE, DEMURE WIFE, DELECTABLE WIFE, DEVELISH WIFE, DULCET WIFE, etc.; only the user of the term knows for sure.

That's what I meant with the ?

I didn't know what DW was.

Sorry for that.

It's a genuinely multi-purpose designation: DEAR WIFE, DARNED WIFE, DEMANDING WIFE, DESIRABLE WIFE, DOMINATING WIFE, DEMURE WIFE, DELECTABLE WIFE, DEVELISH WIFE, DULCET WIFE, etc.; only the user of the term knows for sure.

When I use it it is definitely

Dear :rolleyes:

Desirable :D

Delectable ;)

Basically, you know your child best. Do you feel you're being "overly paranoid" about letting him have the run of the ship? That's question only you can answer with certainty.

 

We don't know your child.

 

Can he be trusted to not go into someone's room he doesn't know? Will he pick up partially finished, abandoned beverages (alcoholic) and sample them? Is he the type to push all the buttons in the elevators?[/QUOTE]

 

That's not limited to 15-year-olds. There is no age limit on being a little ornery.:o:D

Yes, he can sit with you in the casino, but he won't be allowed to gamble....

Are you certain of this? I would beg to differ but having never sailed Carnival, I can't say for sure. It's usually not a problem for a minor to sit with adults in a lounge and have a soft drink, but the casino is a completely different situation.

We have 4 kids 15, 13, 10 and 8. The 15 and 13yo are able to roam on their own. We just ask that they let us know where they are and how to find them. Calling and leaving a message on the room phone is fine for that. We do occasionally "spy" on them.

The 10yo can go with the 13 or 15yo as long as they stay together. The 8yo stays with us or at kids camp. If any of them violate the rules (they know "the rules") they loose their independence for a day. That has never happened. They are good kids, respectful, independant and well behaved.

The worst case has been the 10yo getting dropped back to the room by her older siblings because she was "annoying"

-Sean

This is a worry that many people have who have not yet cruised.

The key is to have rules for your son on the ship as you would have rules on land and at home.

We always felt fine with our children but just like adults each child is different too.

Keith

Just a suggestion. When my kids were younger, they used to love going to the lido deck to watch the big screen movie of the night. Carnival used to provide blankets and a bag of popcorn....not sure if they do that anymore. Maybe someone could chime in about that, but they usually show good movies and lots of kids attend.

Roaming the ship at night at the age of 15 would make me nervous....even if he is a responsible kid. There are many on the ship that are NOT. I would hate to see your son "bump" into a bad situation.

My wife, my son (15) and I are sailing on the Carnival Sensation on Sept. 6th.

 

I know there will be a few times on the cruise when my wife and I will want to spend time in the casino or have a few drinks.

 

Am I being too paranoid to ask if it's totally safe to let my 15yr old son roam the ship on his own?

 

He is not allowed to step foot into the casino correct?

Having sailed with a 15 year old (and several other teens since we have 5 sons) this is what we did after we made sure they understood the ground rules. He can't go into the casino but he can use the arcade and the ships store if you leave the charging privileges on his sail and sign card (and order non-alcoholic drinks). We turned our sons' cards off (after ordering the soda package for each of them).

The ground rules were simple- 1) best behavior at all times is expected, no cutting up, no rough housing; 2) no going into anyone else's cabin, even with permission from the parents; 3) no bringing anyone into our cabin; 4) remember that the public areas are monitored by camera and assume that your actions are being recorded; 5) you must be in the cabin by midnight. We always left a note in the cabin outlining where we would be if they needed us.

 

Am I being too paranoid to ask if it's totally safe to let my 15yr old son roam the ship on his own?

 

Yes and no.

Nothing is TOTALLY safe. However, if he is a good kid, mature, he should have no problem going to specific public places, like the arcade, pool deck, shops, movie, etc.

Just establish the rules, define a specific time that you will meet/check in with each other, and make sure he knows that certain bad behavior will result in all of you being thrown off the ship at the next port.:eek:

My experience with our son at that age was that he was permitted to go off on his own with the common sense rules (only public areas) and DBAA ... Don't Be An A.........