RCCL's (Oasis) kids club for 12-14 year olds

Hi! We've gone on several RCCL cruises with our sons and they have loved Adventure Ocean. We are thinking about a cruise on Oasis next Spring Break, and I just realized my older son will age out of AO and be in the 12-14 year old group. Can you tell me what I can expect with that group on RCCL? Are there organized activities like in Adventure Ocean, or is it more just giving them a place to hang out? Can they come and go as they want or would he have to stay until I come pick him up? I'm guessing I could give him sign in/out permission. If I don't give him sign in/out permission, is he going to be the only one left behind while his new buddies go off (in other words, does it seem like most parents let their Tweens sign in/out?). He's responsible and I trust him, but my overprotective nature would love him to stay put where I know where he is, of course! Thanks so much for anything you can tell me!

The teen club is less structured than Adventure Ocean. There are some planned activities but they get cancelled if there aren't enough kids that want to participate. The teen area is come and go as you please, there is no signing in an out. At times, especially during the day, the 12-14 and 15-17 yr old groups are combined. If there aren't many kids, they will combine the groups for the whole cruise.

Make sure your son goes to the first night meet and mingle. The kids will get to meet each other and find someone to hang out with for the week. Don't be too concerned if they do combine the ages as the older ones really don't want anything to do with the young ones and vice versa.

Just set boundaries up front. Our son would tell us what activities he was interested in and where he would be, the living room, sports court, etc. If he was going to go somewhere else, he would leave us a message on the cabin voice mail or he would leave a sticky note on the mirror. We would also do the same so he could come find us if there was an issue.

Our son was older so he got more freedom than he would have at 12. He will find someone his own age and then you can see how it works out. We always met the kids our son hung around with and usually also met the parents at some point too.

Ages 9 and up may "check themselves out"...so set ground rules...tell your son where you'll be, and have him come to you before he goes elsewhere. At his age, he's old enough not to have mommy or daddy come and get him!

My middle DDhas just aged out of all the youth activities, and is sad about it lol. She had a great time with Royals teen program, and is now in that hard 18-20 age range. The first night always has ice breaker games, and often the kids make friends then, and if they don't want to do the planned activities often end up hanging out the rest of the cruise. She was always expected to join us for meals, check in either by phone or note every few hours...any phone onboard can be used to call our room and leave a message, but most often she and her friends would be in The Living Room area of the teen zone. Spring break is a very busy time, I'm willing to bet there will be many teens willing to be in on the activities, it's the off season that things get cancelled because there aren't as many kids.