Kids roaming alone?

Well, first they snatched this elderly lady's tube to go down the toilet bowl and cut in front of her. My father witnessed. Then he caught them jacking around at the kids pool, almost knocking over some young'ns.

In English please? Especially the first sentence.

In English please? Especially the first sentence.

Yikes! My Grammer is way off! :)

What I mean to say is that one of these boys cut in front of this elderly lady as she was getting ready to go down. Quickly asked my dad about his story and they did not take her tube. My mistake. :)

My oldest has traveled quite a bit. At 6.5 years old we let him leave dinner and go to the kids club, unescorted. I have considered that I should print shirts that say. "if my behavior is bothering you please leave a note on cabin door "XXX" Then make sure he understands, there better never be note!!!

My oldest has traveled quite a bit. At 6.5 years old we let him leave dinner and go to the kids club, unescorted. I have considered that I should print shirts that say. "if my behavior is bothering you please leave a note on cabin door "XXX" Then make sure he understands, there better never be note!!!

Did they let him check himself in and out of the kids club himself at that age? I through on our last carnival cruise you have to be 9 or something like that.

Thanks for the info.

Did they let him check himself in and out of the kids club himself at that age? I through on our last carnival cruise you have to be 9 or something like that.

Thanks for the info.

Just in, not out. We had to go up to sign him out.

My oldest has traveled quite a bit. At 6.5 years old we let him leave dinner and go to the kids club, unescorted. I have considered that I should print shirts that say. "if my behavior is bothering you please leave a note on cabin door "XXX" Then make sure he understands, there better never be note!!!

For parents of teenage boys, know that there are girls that will do whatever is necessary to get to your son. Little Susie ain't as sweet as she used to be. I saw the pics posted on Fb after our last cruise ship We need to redefine predators. I am a paranoid mom of a teenage son.

 

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This is a major thing for us as well, in life and on a ship. We talk to our 18yo son often because there have been people in his life that will try to flatter and manipulate. A good kid could wind up with a ruined life if he doesn't protect himself. We are blessed in that he is open with us and will come and be honest and talk to us about what he encounters.

Absolutely :) I found it on one of the threads on here.

 

 

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I'm "stealling" it too! For use with my niece. Thanks for posting it.

Well we have 4 kids 2x 13, 1x 14 and a 17 yo. We set a every hr meet up through the day and a to be in room time if a night if there is a activity the kids want to go to at night. They have to stay to heather and after dark they are only alowed to walk through the promenade not out side. They are pretty good sticking with the rules. If they are late they know it's off thier time of a night for them being allowed to be out of the cabin.

This is a major thing for us as well, in life and on a ship. We talk to our 18yo son often because there have been people in his life that will try to flatter and manipulate. A good kid could wind up with a ruined life if he doesn't protect himself. We are blessed in that he is open with us and will come and be honest and talk to us about what he encounters.

As I said, if you have a teenage son you know there is another kind of risk. I keep pounding it, one accusation and you life as you know it is over. Unlike real statistic on other child predators, which many still seem to ignore, there isn't much to say how often these accusations happens, expect we know they do. At home I don't care for my teen hanging out with other teens I don't know, it scares me more so on vacation. At home I don't use childcare providers I don't personally know, doing so on vacation makes me uneasy.

I am please that we can talk openly but there are days I say, mama really don't need to know that:D. I wouldn't have it any other way!

I -----------------, agree to the following rules and Mom and dad can add rules as they see fit.

 

KIDS CRUISE CONTRACT

This needs to be an exciting and educational trip for all. We want you to have fun, and at the same

time be safe, and courteous to others on the ship. We want to bring you home in the same happy health

condition in which you board the ship. We have set up a few rules that must be followed. Any bending of

these rules, or stretching the interpretation of these rules will result in the remainder of the cruise

spent with none other than your loving mother and dad. Final say will always be your mother and Ryan.

1)The meeting the first night in the teen club is required. Most teens from what I have been reading do not

hang out there but chose that as a meeting point. The first meeting is required as that is when the parents

sign informational papers for each child for you to participate. It is also when and where the introductions

take place of fellow teen cruisers and the staff inside the teen club. This information must be filled out if

you happen to decide to take part in any of the teen activities organized by the cruise ship.

2)Under no circumstances are you to go to anybody’s cabin nor is anybody allowed to come to ours.

3)You will not go through any of the cabin areas/hallways. There is absolutely no reason for you to be in any of

these locations except to return to your own cabin.

4)You will not be playing around on the elevators. For example: pushing the buttons to every floor.

5)You do not accept a drink of any kind from anybody other than mom, dad, or anyone in our group or one that you

have ordered and is brought to you by cruise ship staff. Nor will you leave your drink unattended. If it is

left unattended you are required to order another one. There are sick people out there......

6)You will be required to check in at a specific time set by mom and/or dad and different intervals throughout the day.

You will also tell us where you are going, what you will be doing and who you will be with. This is so if plans change for

us we can find you to tell you.

7)If you are in our cabin alone, you will be required to have the do not disturb sign posted. Not even crew members (room steward)

are to be in there when you are by yourself.

8)You will be required to join us for all evening meals in the dining room. We have the early seating so you will be required to

be back to the cabin and ready to go at the assigned time. Make sure you allow enough time to get ready.

9)If you decide to swim, you will be courteous to the adults in the pool. No splashing or “cannon balls” to be cute.

Be courteous of adults swimming laps for exercise. Stay out of their way.

10)You will not be obnoxious whether we are with you or you are without us. We expect you to be well mannered using please,

thank you, and excuse me at all times. Hold the doors for adults that are passing through at the same time as you,

allow people to get off of the elevator before you step on. Just because somebody is rude does not give you the right to be rude.

11)Absolutely no running on the ship!

12)No butting in line at the buffet. And do not take more than you can eat. If you are still hungry you can go back for more.

There is plenty of food. I’m sure they plan for people with bigger appetites than yours.

13)Absolutely no cell phone!!!I will have mine.

14) No excessive amount of sugar and junk food. (You know what is exceptable and what isnt)

 

Signed, Mom____________________________

Signed, dad___________________________

Signed, kid_________________________

I borrowed this too - thanks!

Okay, I agree but my kids are teens and know not to use the phone when we are not in the regular service area. We actually put all of our phones on airplane mode when we were at sea. They were only allowed to use them on the ship the day we left the port and the night before we returned. We also used them at the ports because there was free Wifi where we would eat lunch. What can I say, we are all addicted to social media! ;)

 

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off topic, but if we are using free wi-fi while in port in the Bahamas will we not be charged anything? I'm still so confused on how international calling etc works. Thanks!

off topic, but if we are using free wi-fi while in port in the Bahamas will we not be charged anything? I'm still so confused on how international calling etc works. Thanks!

No, you won't be charged if you leave the phone in airplane mode and only use wifi. You may have to ask for a password in order to access the business' wifi network. And some public wifi networks are super slow because of all the cruisers accessing it at the same time. At some ports we hopped around until we found a place that had the fastest wifi.

So the key is to keep it in airplane mode then...

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So the key is to keep it in airplane mode then...

 

 

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I was told by Verizon to make sure the data option is turned off. I was able to use my wifi on phone in Jamaica without charge.

Do you allow your child to "roam" at the mall alone? at what age? in groups? For how long and checking in every how often? The people on a cruise will offer the same mix of people (good/bad/scary)as in a random mall. The same caution should apply...people are speaking of kiddnaping, but should also consider vulnerability for all kinds of danger and predators. The people on your cruise are STRANGERS!...not intending to be gloomy but better safe than sorry, and having a false sense of safety is never good. Buy a walkie talkie if you must let you child roam, keep tabs on them always.

Do you allow your child to "roam" at the mall alone? at what age? in groups? For how long and checking in every how often? The people on a cruise will offer the same mix of people (good/bad/scary)as in a random mall. The same caution should apply...people are speaking of kiddnaping, but should also consider vulnerability for all kinds of danger and predators. The people on your cruise are STRANGERS!...not intending to be gloomy but better safe than sorry, and having a false sense of safety is never good. Buy a walkie talkie if you must let you child roam, keep tabs on them always.

Out of interest, how would a walkie-talkie help?

Out of interest, how would a walkie-talkie help?

So that junior can call you when a strange man tells him he has a puppy and some candy in his cabin, asking if it's okay?

The difference between a cruise ship, and the mall, is that someone who causes harm in a mall can walk out, and drive away. On a cruise ship, that person can be located ASAP. It's a lot less expensive for a child predator to walk into a mall, vs. a cruise ship. And the danger is rarely strangers - it's uncle Bill, coach Jeff, Father Pat, Jimmy's brother, etc.

Kids shouldn't be alone (travel in at least 2's), enter someone else's cabin, go with someone other than their parents, and should follow the rules. Dd17 and ds15 were off with their teen groups (including Nassau) on our last cruise, and our dd10, ds10, and dd12 were given some freedom (but mostly were with us, or in the cabin). At home, all are allowed age-appropriate freedoms (the youngest are allowed to go out to lunch with friends once a week, walk a few blocks to their friends' homes, and walk to school, the oldest allowed to take public transportation to the city or shore).

The walkie-talkie is in relation to the side conversation about people not being able to use a cell phone because of expensive charges...

To the post after that...i stand by what i said...my opinion!

15 years old ..

I -----------------, agree to the following rules and Mom and dad can add rules as they see fit.

 

KIDS CRUISE CONTRACT

This needs to be an exciting and educational trip for all. We want you to have fun, and at the same

time be safe, and courteous to others on the ship. We want to bring you home in the same happy health

condition in which you board the ship. We have set up a few rules that must be followed. Any bending of

these rules, or stretching the interpretation of these rules will result in the remainder of the cruise

spent with none other than your loving mother and dad. Final say will always be your mother and Ryan.

1)The meeting the first night in the teen club is required. Most teens from what I have been reading do not

hang out there but chose that as a meeting point. The first meeting is required as that is when the parents

sign informational papers for each child for you to participate. It is also when and where the introductions

take place of fellow teen cruisers and the staff inside the teen club. This information must be filled out if

you happen to decide to take part in any of the teen activities organized by the cruise ship.

2)Under no circumstances are you to go to anybody’s cabin nor is anybody allowed to come to ours.

3)You will not go through any of the cabin areas/hallways. There is absolutely no reason for you to be in any of

these locations except to return to your own cabin.

4)You will not be playing around on the elevators. For example: pushing the buttons to every floor.

5)You do not accept a drink of any kind from anybody other than mom, dad, or anyone in our group or one that you

have ordered and is brought to you by cruise ship staff. Nor will you leave your drink unattended. If it is

left unattended you are required to order another one. There are sick people out there......

6)You will be required to check in at a specific time set by mom and/or dad and different intervals throughout the day.

You will also tell us where you are going, what you will be doing and who you will be with. This is so if plans change for

us we can find you to tell you.

7)If you are in our cabin alone, you will be required to have the do not disturb sign posted. Not even crew members (room steward)

are to be in there when you are by yourself.

8)You will be required to join us for all evening meals in the dining room. We have the early seating so you will be required to

be back to the cabin and ready to go at the assigned time. Make sure you allow enough time to get ready.

9)If you decide to swim, you will be courteous to the adults in the pool. No splashing or “cannon balls” to be cute.

Be courteous of adults swimming laps for exercise. Stay out of their way.

10)You will not be obnoxious whether we are with you or you are without us. We expect you to be well mannered using please,

thank you, and excuse me at all times. Hold the doors for adults that are passing through at the same time as you,

allow people to get off of the elevator before you step on. Just because somebody is rude does not give you the right to be rude.

11)Absolutely no running on the ship!

12)No butting in line at the buffet. And do not take more than you can eat. If you are still hungry you can go back for more.

There is plenty of food. I’m sure they plan for people with bigger appetites than yours.

13)Absolutely no cell phone!!!I will have mine.

14) No excessive amount of sugar and junk food. (You know what is exceptable and what isnt)

 

Signed, Mom____________________________

Signed, dad___________________________

Signed, kid_________________________

Thanks I will use this next year when I plan on taking my two kids for the first time.

Bumping this thread as we are sailing on the Allure in a little less than 5 weeks, and for the first time my husband and I are contemplating a small dose of freedom for our oldest, who will be 8 when we cruise (her birthday's two weeks prior). We have sailed on the Freedom and the Liberty previously with our kids, when they were 5, 3, and 1 and then 6, 4, and, respectively. On those cruises, they were all pretty much glued to our sides unless in Adventure Ocean or the nursery. The younger two still need to be, of course, but I feel like an 8-year-old should be given a small measure of room to test her wings a bit.

What we are thinking about is that she would not be allowed to "roam" freely, but for example, if we are all out on the pool deck and she wants to go climb the rock wall (she is an excellent rock climber and eager to spend a lot of time climbing on the ship), she would be allowed to go directly there and climb, and then either return to where we are, or wait for us there. Or she could go by herself to get a smoothie (we're getting all 3 kids Royal Replenish) or a snack and come back.

We're not helicopter parents but not totally free-range either, and I'm trying to decide if this feels reasonably safe and yet gives her an early dose of freedom. She is reasonably mature for her age but not one of those preternaturally sensible and well-behaved children.

I used the contracts that had been posted previously to adapt something for our use, and here's what I came up with so far:

A's Cruise Contract:

1. If I am allowed to go anywhere on the ship by myself, I will only go to the specific place I have talked about with Mommy and Daddy—for example, the rock wall. I will stay there until they come to get me, or I will come back to wherever we said we would meet.

2. I will be polite and respectful when walking around on the ship. I will walk and not run. I will say please, thank you, and excuse me. I will be courteous at the rock wall, in line for ice cream, or anywhere else I go.

3. If I am by myself, I will not go anywhere with anyone except Mommy or Daddy. I will not go into anyone else’s cabin. I will not accept drinks or food from anyone. I will use the stairs and not the elevator.

4. If I am getting food for myself I will use good manners and be clean. I will use hand sanitizer before getting in line at the buffet.

5. I will not climb anything like railings or balconies. I will only climb things that are meant to be climbed, like the rock wall.

6. I am allowed to get my own drinks and food. I am not allowed to buy anything that costs extra money without Mommy or Daddy’s approval.

Does this sound like a reasonable strategy?

I was with a group of four 8 year olds on our last cruise. Two (one boy, one girl) were allowed similar freedom you're considering and it worked out great - they also could play mini-golf, go get a burger, go 10 minutes ahead of us to wait in the atrium before dinner, etc. One of the other 8 year olds (my special needs child) was only allowed to go off if she was with her sister or a friend. The fourth was not allowed any freedom as he's proven to wander, lose track of what he's doing, get involved with anyone with a video game/ipad, etc. He's a very smart boy, but hasn't matured enough to earn the freedom - so basically it was different based on each child's ability/the responsibility they've shown. I did shadow them here and there, or go check on them, and they were always behaving wonderfully. They absolutely loved being trusted to go out on their own a little bit.

Best,

Mia

My kids were allowed to roam around- meaning if I was in the cabin and they wanted to go somewhere and come right back- it was no biggy. Other than that they were with me or in the youth program.

Now that my son is 13, he can do as he pleases really. I go my way and he goes his and we end up meeting at an assigned time in the cabin mid day. It hasn't been an issue. At night he is to return to the cabin before curfew- by midnight.

Well, I started this thread, so let me tell you what actually happened over our thanksgiving cruise on Epic. We did give our 10 and 7 now 8 YO a little freedom. We would allow them to go to the arcade throughout the day as long as they were back at a specified time. Usually 30-60 minutes. Around the pool area, we set up 'camp' on a couple chairs and they could do as the pleased around the pool. There were 3 water slides that they took full advantage. Plus, it was pretty easy to keep track of them given the layout of Epic's pool area. The third bit of freedom we gave them or should I say gave our selves is we allowed them to stay in the cabins for a couple hours at night when we went out. Usually 9-11pm We had 2 connecting cabins so the youngest would sleep in one and the oldest would watch TV in the other. The main reason we felt comfortable with this is because NCL has a wonderful app for the iPhone that allowed us to talk and test to my sons iPhone and ipod. So we would either txt or call him every 30 minutes or so to check in and he had the ability to do the same. Great feature with NCL.

Everything worked out great. The iPhone app feature alone is really making us consider NCL again.

thx