Drop in Tween Clubs for Med?

Our "tween" loves Edge on the disney ships -- a place where he can go and hang out with other 11-13s, play video games, participate in some of the activities but not the ones he doesn't like, and go in and out as he pleases.

We're looking to do a med cruise next year, but disney is crazy expensive, so I'm trying to figure out what other lines/ships might have a similar concept for tweens. It's very hard to get a good sense of what's available from the web sites -- Celebrity has great itineraries but looks like they mash all the 12 to 17 year olds together. Carnival looks too focused on structured activities, without a drop in space. NCL puts 12 year olds with the 10-12 group and no apparent flexibility, etc.

Anyone with tweens do med cruising who can give me a sense of what the various options are?

I can tell you that Med cruises are so port intensive that I am not sure your tween will spend a lot of time in any club. They will be exhausted after sightseeing all day.

If you go here, you can read the clubs daily programs and you may find the information you are looking for:

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/cruisinmama06/?start=all

Your tween will have a ball on Celebrity. They do have a dedicated teen zone but there and they do do activities in to groups- the 12-14 and the 15-17. It is not a free for all and there are counselors there. I've never seen a kid sulking on Celebrity! They are very involved and the youth staff does a fabulous job with them.

Your tween will have a ball on Celebrity. They do have a dedicated teen zone but there and they do do activities in to groups- the 12-14 and the 15-17. It is not a free for all and there are counselors there. I've never seen a kid sulking on Celebrity! They are very involved and the youth staff does a fabulous job with them.

Thanks -- good to hear. I guess the question is whether they can just go there and sort of chill out and play games or do their own thing, or whether the 12-14 group is more like, "bracelet making from 12 to 1," and "dodgeball from 2 to 3," etc. He doesn't really love that all the time.

Like others have said, a Med cruise is so port intensive, and COMPLETELY unlike any itinerary like Alaska or Caribbean that the club won't be used all that much. When you're in port, there won't be anything going on, especially for the older kids. But when there is something happening it's not regimented like it is with the young kids. The older ones can come and go as they please. I'm not sure what you mean by playing games, so please elaborate on that.

There is the video game center, but those quarters do add up.

You will almost never see kids in the arcade- in fact, Celebrity may as well get rid of theirs. The kids like the play stations and wii games in the Fun Factory and x-club and being with the kids in there.

I can tell you that RCI is not a cruise line for this. I overheard a mom on Indy having a heated debate with the AO counselors because her son wanted to do what you are describing (play on the computer and do video games)

The AO counselors said that her son HAD to do the program (dodgeball at the time)

As they get older - the program gets more liberal. There is more hanging out - less structure.

I can let you know how much structure when we get back from our cruise in 2 weeks.

Looking at the program pages - they seem to lighten the load on the teens.

Thanks all. Keep 'em coming, just what I want to know.

Like others have said, a Med cruise is so port [/b]intensive, and COMPLETELY unlike any itinerary like Alaska or Caribbean that the club won't be used all that much. When you're in port, there won't be anything going on, especially for the older kids. But when there is something happening it's not regimented like it is with the young kids. The older ones can come and go as they please. I'm not sure what you mean by playing games, so please elaborate on that.

 

There is the video game center, but those quarters do add up.

For example, on Dsney, in Edge, if a few kids want to play connect four, or cup stacking, or wii, while the "bracelet making" is going on, it's no problem. It sounds like on some other lines, until you are a teen, your choice is to do the activity or go elsewhere.

I'm currently on HAL in the Med. The 12-17 year olds are together in one room. I have two children in that age group. One, ds16, never has anything to do with the teens club. The other, dd13, goes to the first night, with the meet and greet, makes a friend or two, and hangs around with them the rest of the cruise, going to the pool, trivia, karaoke etc.

I can't comment on what actually goes on in the teen room, but they have several video games systems available. The programming generally doesn't start until 9 pm on port days and in the afternoon on sea days. None of the programming involves dodgeball. ;)