Cruising with teens on a separate deck?

Originally posted on the First Timer board, but folks there thought you all might have better insights...

My family (2 adults, 2 14yo kids) is scheduled to go on our first cruise this summer, taking NCL Bliss to Alaska. We're really excited to take the Bliss (kids really want to go-kart on top of a ship). At the time we booked, I was not able to choose cabins because it was already close to sold out. We've been assigned cabins on deck 5 and deck 11. The idea is to have the kids in one cabin and the adults in the other (although we had to book an adult in each cabin).

Having never been on a cruise before, having the kids so far away seems like it might be an issue, but I'm not really sure. My kids are very well behaved in public and pretty well behaved in private so I'm not worried about their ability to act appropriately on their own.

Questions

1. Is this a big deal? Or will we be fine to be on different decks?

2. If this is a big deal, any tips to getting cabins moved? I've tried calling and they said to check again at 120 days out which is when some passenger payments are due, and then again at 90 when the remainder of payments are due.

3. If I can't get cabins moved, should I try for a different sailing? I've only paid the deposit so far - should I see if any other sailing is a possibility? The prices have gone up since I initially booked. I assume I'd be on the hook for the difference?

4. One of the cabins that is booked is a larger family cabin. While we wanted the kids in a different cabin, could we just cancel the extra cabin and have the 4 of us in the larger cabin?

Of course, we could just stay as booked (1 kid + 1 adult per room) but that's really my last resort.

Thanks!

QUOTE

Zero chance that I'm going to have my young teenage kids in a cabin six decks away from mine. No way. They very well may be well behaved but they will be staying around adults who have been drinking and can cause problems.

Nope. Not a chance.

I would never be that far away, if it were me. Even if your kids are amazingly well behaved, that is a lot of distance to run between cabins. If you can’t get rooms that are reasonably close to one another (think about how far you could walk in 60 seconds or less), then I would squish everyone into one cabin.

Zero chance that I'm going to have my young teenage kids in a cabin six decks away from mine. No way. They very well may be well behaved but they will be staying around adults who have been drinking and can cause problems.

 

Nope. Not a chance.

Agreed.

I would look at other sailings for two rooms together.

No way.

Not worried about what my kids might do, but other people.

Plus if the crew picked up on it I think you’d have problems.

No way, no how even if they are the best behaved angels on earth. I would trust my kids but trusting other drinking adults that may be in their vicinity, when I'm not within shouting distance, is not something I would ever do.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Sorry agree with the other posters, we are going on the Pearl this July and we booked 2 balcony connecting rooms. Plan is to have the 3 teens (18,15,16) in one room and then DH, me and our 8 year old in the other. Also, they don't do head counts but if you get complaints, or someone says that there is not an adult staying in the room you could get in trouble since teens have to be within so many doors of the parents.

I would either move everyone to one room or look to upgrade to something larger that you all can get into. We went with the Pearl over the Bliss because we wanted to see Glacier Bay and Bliss had more sea days than we wanted for Alaska :) love Sea Days in the Caribbean though.

NCL don’t mind if your kids are next door or across the corridor but if the steward wants to report it he can. Try to get them nearer, even if you’ve to volunteer to drop down to 5.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Also, on the very small chance that there would be a ships emergency, you would be on different life boats.

As long as they’re well behaved and won’t cause damage to the room or make a ton of noise, I don’t see a problem with going down to their room at bed time and saying goodnight and telling them not to leave the room. Obviously allow them access to the TV (maybe put on child protection if you don’t fully trust them) and to room service, but I don’t see what could really go so wrong that they couldn’t handle themselves or call you or guest relations if they needed something. Additionally, I think as a vacation you and your adult partner deserve some time alone without the kids.

Are they 2 girls, boy and girl, or 2 boys? May make a difference in the trouble they can get into, haha.

Disclaimer: I don’t have kids of my own (yet).

I have 5, the only issues my kids have ever had on cruises is ignoring curfew as teens. All 5 have had a parent come and fetch them (not doing anything wrong, just on the pool,deck, game room, etc. with their super fun new best friends). We do connecting balconies so that I can wake up and panic. Trust me, there are tons of teens still out after 1 am. They are good kids, never in trouble, great students, well behaved, but I’d never have them that far away (and I’m pretty free range).

First, I don't have kids, so everything I say comes from the POV of a person that likes adults in adult areas and kids in family areas.

You said the kids were good and didn't get in to trouble? Will they stay out of adult areas when you are not around?

If the answer to both of those is yes, then I don't see an issue with where you have them.

But...

And this is a big but and was already mentioned: if something happens you are a long way from your children. That would be my biggest concern for you and your children. In an emergency even a mature 14yo is unlikely to respond correctly to random commands, this could put them, and others, in danger if they decide to act other than as instructed.

Personally at 14 I was pretty reliable and mature, trusted to be home alone etc., but I know not all kids are like that (including some of my siblings). I think this is up to how much you trust your kids really, although I'd call the cruise line and ask about switching at the 120/90 day marks to get something closer since that makes it much less of a headache.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Forums mobile app

Some of you are going to make them more nervous than necessary. I would not worry about adults as much as mischief teenagers of a certain age can get into. Your kids are in that age and only you know how they’ll behave.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I disagree with almost everyone in this tread because I don't see an issue with this. When I cruised as a teenager with my parents, sometimes the cabins were close together, sometimes not. My parents had me meet them at their cabin before dinner every night, but other than that I was always in the team club or exploring the ship. It's a cruise to Alaska, so I highly doubt the party atmosphere will be like that of a cruise to the Caribbean where everyone is on the deck drinking all day. If you already have a sailing that fits your schedule, I wouldn't hassle with changing it. Talk to your kids beforehand about potential dangers and set some ground rules, meeting places, etc.

If you are asking the question, then you already know the answer. Book another.

My boys are 13 and 15. I would absolutely trust them to behave and not take advantage of the situation in any way. That being said, I’m not sure that they would be 100% comfortable. But, if they were, I’d be fine with it. They are seasoned cruisers and know protocol.

My point is - it’s up to you and your kids whether this would work. Or if it would make the vacation is any way stressful. My guess is that just at final payment you would get some cancellations that a TA could jump on a cabin move to get you on the same floor.

BUT - I’d highly recommend staying in the one family cabin. We always share a cabin with our kids. Alaska cruise means you are outside or on shore all the time anyway.

Originally posted on the First Timer board, but folks there thought you all might have better insights...

 

My family (2 adults, 2 14yo kids) is scheduled to go on our first cruise this summer, taking NCL Bliss to Alaska. We're really excited to take the Bliss (kids really want to go-kart on top of a ship). At the time we booked, I was not able to choose cabins because it was already close to sold out. We've been assigned cabins on deck 5 and deck 11. The idea is to have the kids in one cabin and the adults in the other (although we had to book an adult in each cabin).

 

Having never been on a cruise before, having the kids so far away seems like it might be an issue, but I'm not really sure. My kids are very well behaved in public and pretty well behaved in private so I'm not worried about their ability to act appropriately on their own.

 

Questions

1. Is this a big deal? Or will we be fine to be on different decks?

2. If this is a big deal, any tips to getting cabins moved? I've tried calling and they said to check again at 120 days out which is when some passenger payments are due, and then again at 90 when the remainder of payments are due.

3. If I can't get cabins moved, should I try for a different sailing? I've only paid the deposit so far - should I see if any other sailing is a possibility? The prices have gone up since I initially booked. I assume I'd be on the hook for the difference?

4. One of the cabins that is booked is a larger family cabin. While we wanted the kids in a different cabin, could we just cancel the extra cabin and have the 4 of us in the larger cabin?

 

Of course, we could just stay as booked (1 kid + 1 adult per room) but that's really my last resort.

 

Thanks!

 

QUOTE

If you were traveling on land, would you have your teen children 5 or 6 floors away in a hotel? I think not. But why do you think it's ok on a cruise ship? Kids that age simply do not have the ability to make adult/rational decisions AND it's the drunk adults you need to beware of.

I just re read your original post. If you’re never cruised before... I would say no. But still keep trying to get moved to same deck or share a room

And quite frankly, in our 6 family cruises we have never encountered the “drunks” folks keep referring to. We found a land based All Inclusive to be much more alcohol influenced

I wouldn't if the one cabin is a family room I would just book everyone in there, or all of you sleep in the one and use the other cabin for showers and storage. We usually have been across the hall from our kids. And it's not just your kids you have to think about but also the other kids on the ship that you don't know anything about.

As an adult (and yes, I cruised with our daughter), I can say if unaccompanied teens in a cabin came to my attention (larking about in the hall or for some other reason), I would be on a the phone to guest services.

I have no reason to put up with misbehaving kids.

Also, as an adult, I would feel that I might need to help a child having a problem ( I am not referring to misbehavior, just some type of crisis where help is needed) and that simply should not be my responsibility because the parents are too far away to be of use.

Originally posted on the First Timer board, but folks there thought you all might have better insights...

 

My family (2 adults, 2 14yo kids) is scheduled to go on our first cruise this summer, taking NCL Bliss to Alaska. We're really excited to take the Bliss (kids really want to go-kart on top of a ship). At the time we booked, I was not able to choose cabins because it was already close to sold out. We've been assigned cabins on deck 5 and deck 11. The idea is to have the kids in one cabin and the adults in the other (although we had to book an adult in each cabin).

 

Having never been on a cruise before, having the kids so far away seems like it might be an issue, but I'm not really sure. My kids are very well behaved in public and pretty well behaved in private so I'm not worried about their ability to act appropriately on their own.

 

Questions

1. Is this a big deal? Or will we be fine to be on different decks?

2. If this is a big deal, any tips to getting cabins moved? I've tried calling and they said to check again at 120 days out which is when some passenger payments are due, and then again at 90 when the remainder of payments are due.

3. If I can't get cabins moved, should I try for a different sailing? I've only paid the deposit so far - should I see if any other sailing is a possibility? The prices have gone up since I initially booked. I assume I'd be on the hook for the difference?

4. One of the cabins that is booked is a larger family cabin. While we wanted the kids in a different cabin, could we just cancel the extra cabin and have the 4 of us in the larger cabin?

 

Of course, we could just stay as booked (1 kid + 1 adult per room) but that's really my last resort.

 

Thanks!

 

QUOTE

I wouldn't be comfortable with different decks at all, unless one parent will be in the same cabin with a kid. So, if you can't get cabins close to each other, I would pick another sailing.

And quite frankly, in our 6 family cruises we have never encountered the “drunks” folks keep referring to. We found a land based All Inclusive to be much more alcohol influenced

Have met plenty. Although if I were to place a bet on who would win in the "who gets taken advantage of and made a fool" game, my bet would be that the 14yo comes out ahead of the drunk.

Very few violent drunks on cruises that I have seen. The latest issue with Carnival not withstanding.

I wouldn't want my 14 year olds that far away. Across the hall...fine...2 doors down...fine....many decks away? NO chance.