Cruising the Baltics with a Teen and Tween on the Getaway; A Review

[Travel R]

Splash Academy - Dolphins Dailies

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

[Are you asking yourself the same question as me - Why are they using the same exact picture for the first and last page?]

[Travel R]

Entourage Dailies

 

Although I am going to be discussing the Splash Academy/Dolphins next, I figured I would post these now so anyone wanting to see it can do so without waiting . . . .

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Up Next: Specifics and for both of these programs will be provided in the next few upcoming posts Teens and Tweens on the Getaway Parts 3 thru 5.

 

 

[Yup, once again, same picture used twice - at least they used different pictures for Entourage and Dolphins.]

Edited July 28, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

TEENS AND TWEENS ON THE GETAWAY: Part 3

 

“Kids” Clubs: Splash Academy

 

My DD is 12+

 

Our first concern regarding the youth clubs was that the cut off between the “kids” club and the “teen” club was 13. My daughter is the youngest girl in her class (some are even a full year older). As such, most of her friends are already 13 years old (and have been so for a while). However, we were told that under no circumstances could she move to the Entourage club unless she was turning 13 on the cruise itself. However, she found a group of friends that were 11 and 12 years old, they bonded, and she had a great time.

 

Signing Up & Rules

 

One of the first things we had done (after arriving aboard ship and after eating at O’Sheehans) was go to the Splash Academy and sign up our daughters. The Splash Academy entrance is located on Deck 12, forward. It is right next to the forward elevators, so easy to find. [Note: the Splash Academy takes up two floors (12th and 13th), however, access is only through the 12th floor.]

 

Sign up was scheduled between 11:30 am to 3 pm and 4:30 pm to 7 pm – we wanted to get her registered sooner than later. Conveniently, we were able to sign up our daughters for both the Splash Academy AND Entourage at the same time. You enter the main room, which is colorfully decorated, and fairly spacious on the 12th floor [adults are not allowed into the Splash Academy during operating hours], with other adjoining smaller rooms. You sit at a very small table (meant for small children) and upon very small chairs.

 

We gave the teenage counselor all of the information and she filled it out on a hand-held PDA – however, the device had an issue and we had to give the information all over again – luckily it really did not take much time. We also were given the various rules of the club.

 

Some of the rules regarding sign-in and sign-out authorization we found a bit odd for the 10 to 12 year olds. Some of these rules are as follows:

• A child can sign themselves out themselves after two hours of participation.
  
  • The parent must give permission (at this registration) for the child to sign in/out themselves – we gave our DD12 this authority.
    
  • The child must have their own key card, and the parents need to provide the club with where they will be while the child(ren) is within.
    

  [*]At 10:30 pm, when the regular hours are hover, the children are signed out (unless they are going to the Late Night Fun Zone (which my daughter never attended). If you did not give them the authority to sign themselves out, then there is a late fee if you get there too late.

  [*]However, for port days, the child cannot sign themselves in or our without a parent.

  • I’ll repeat that – while in port they cannot sign themselves in or out – but they can do so when not in port. I really do not understand the logic behind that, but that is the way it is. Sometimes it can be a pain (like when the girls wanted to go to the clubs at dinner, but before desert, we had to get up and take her). For instance, when not in port, if myself and my DW are not around, my DD17 could take her and she would sign herself in. But when in port, we had to accompany her.
    

  [*]On NCL my DD17 could not receive the authorization to sign her sister in or out, meanwhile, two years ago (at 15) she was able to do just that on Carnival.

[Travel R]

As previously mentioned, the Splash Academy opened up by 8 or 9 am most mornings, however, my DD12 did not take advantage of the early morning hours, and would go to breakfast (sit down) with myself and my DW, buffet with my DD17, or we would all go to the Express Buffet breakfast (in Modern) for our excursions that departed early.

 

During port days they were open during lunch, however, they did charge and additional fee for supervision during that time ($6) – but note, once again, we were always in port during port days, so never used this service.

 

The counselors seemed very friendly during any interactions I had with them (note that they all wore buttons with various made-up names like Boom-Boom, and Obi Juan, etc.)

 

There were a lot of children on this cruise (over 600 youth ages 17 and under), and they stated that they could shut out a child from entering the club if they reached capacity, but she was never kept out. [it did occur in the Entourage club.]

 

Splash Club Activities

 

If you take a look at the Dolphin Daily (see post #128), you can see that the club does offer a lot of different programs for the 10-12 year olds. I had asked my daughter what her favorite activities were (besides socialization), and she provided the following list:

• Island Survivors – which is a type of competition to get off of an imaginary island
  
• Playing the Ball Games – my daughter likes sports, so it is no surprise to me that she enjoys playing ball games
  
• Practicing for Spectacular Circus – the kids are taught different “circus” type tricks and skills each evening. At the end of the cruise they put on a circus/show for the parents. Somehow, something got messed up with my daughter’s routine, and her and her friends decided not to do the show. She was a little disappointed for not doing the show, but still enjoyed learning the skills. [My DW and I were disappointed we did not get to see her in it.]
  

What did she least enjoy, you ask? For her,that was an easy question. She really disliked the “Freestyle Free Play.” This, she said, consisted of people playing with the Wii video games. She likes video games, but would much rather be playing physical games instead. [i’m the video game player in the family.]

 

Afterthe Club Closes

 

As mentioned earlier, we gave our daughter permission to sign herself out, then go with her friends to other areas on the ship. We had given her the rules to follow (e.g., tell us exactly where she was going to be) when not with us, and had her promise that she would stick with her buddies. She enjoyed this freedom. However, for the most part, her and her friends would merely head up to the Buffet and have ice cream, and most likely other snacks, although my DD12 has a soft spot for ice cream).

 

 

I think that this about covers most thinks – if anyone has any additional questions about the Dolphin Club, please let me know.

[EllieinNJ]

As I previously mentioned, I am looking at other places before or after my cruise next May. In researching air prices, the only two airlines that seem reasonable are SAS and Icelanair, which both got scathing reviews on Trip Advisor and other online review sites. How did you find Icelandair to be? Many reviews said they are so terrible, hours of delays, crowded terminal, boarding & debarking on tarmack and having to wait for a bus to terminal in the cold, cancelled flights, no seating with others in family, no food, indifferent employees, etc. I've never booked air with a foreign airline before and this seems scary. But United, Delta, etc. are double the price. Do you get what you pay for?

[pr0pel]

As I previously mentioned, I am looking at other places before or after my cruise next May. In researching air prices, the only two airlines that seem reasonable are SAS and Icelanair, which both got scathing reviews on Trip Advisor and other online review sites. How did you find Icelandair to be? Many reviews said they are so terrible, hours of delays, crowded terminal, boarding & debarking on tarmack and having to wait for a bus to terminal in the cold, cancelled flights, no seating with others in family, no food, indifferent employees, etc. I've never booked air with a foreign airline before and this seems scary. But United, Delta, etc. are double the price. Do you get what you pay for?

 

Did you check out Norwegian Air Shuttle? I paid about $500 RT and direct from JFK.

[Highpeaklad]

Icelandair and SAS are both good airlines. Boarding from tarmac is to be expected in Europe with any airline.

Not saying they are perfect but no worse than others.

Also if your flight is delayed you are entitled to EU 261 compensation of up to €600 per person plus hotels etc.

[bookreader2017]

Travel R, do you have any info on activities on the ship for older teens/young adults? Our daughter is 20 and wondering if the ship provides activities for this (you're right) oft-forgotten age group so she can meet new friends.

Another question: did you pre-order your soda package on myNCL prior to the cruise or is this something I can do after we board?

Thanks for your help and really enjoying reading your review.

[Travel R]

As I previously mentioned, I am looking at other places before or after my cruise next May. In researching air prices, the only two airlines that seem reasonable are SAS and Icelanair, which both got scathing reviews on Trip Advisor and other online review sites. How did you find Icelandair to be? Many reviews said they are so terrible, hours of delays, crowded terminal, boarding & debarking on tarmack and having to wait for a bus to terminal in the cold, cancelled flights, no seating with others in family, no food, indifferent employees, etc. I've never booked air with a foreign airline before and this seems scary. But United, Delta, etc. are double the price. Do you get what you pay for?

 

I was very pleasantly surprised by IcleandAir.

 

Our flight had a 20 minute delay leaving Copenhagen to Reykjavik. However, they made up some of the time in the air, and we made our connecting flight with no problems. We had no issues with timing.

 

Although they did charge for food (even snacks), they came around with ample amounts of beverages during the flights - including an individual bottle of water (melted from a glacier in Iceland) at the start of the longer flight (Reykjavik to Newark). [Note: Kids 11 and under do get a free snack. - and they gave my 12yo a kid's activity bag, although she was over 11 (although no food)]

 

I found the stewards/stewardesses to be very friendly.

 

As mentioned earlier in this review, there was a mess-up with the seating (human error - admittedly on my part) my whole family on one flight was going to be sitting by ourselves - and the airline was able to rectify it to our satisfaction - sitting all of us together). For that, I am very grateful to them.

 

Getting on/off the plane on the tarmac I did not find it out of the ordinary. I have taken many flights internationally and even domestically where I have had to do the same. If you are going to land in Iceland, there is going to be a good chance that it will be cool/cold outside.

 

Although just note - years ago, when I used to travel a lot for work. I used to fly the now defunct Continental almost exclusively (gotta accumulate those frequent flyer miles). I had some flights which were fabulous, and some that were horrendous. So, we may have lucked out with good flights this time.

 

At this time, I would strongly recommend IcelandAir, and I would not hesitate to fly with them myself in the future.

Edited July 31, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Travel R, do you have any info on activities on the ship for older teens/young adults? Our daughter is 20 and wondering if the ship provides activities for this (you're right) oft-forgotten age group so she can meet new friends.

Another question: did you pre-order your soda package on myNCL prior to the cruise or is this something I can do after we board?

Thanks for your help and really enjoying reading your review.

 

The ship offered a "Get Together" for 18 to 21 year-old passengers each evening. From my recollection, that was the only "official" activity/programming for this age group.

 

From what I understand (and this is hearsay, so you wold need to confirm with the ship) is that the parent/guardians for this age group can sign a consent form to allow a 18-20 year old to order/drink alcohol aboard the ship. [FYI - some of the countries on our itinerary have varying rules for the age of minors and alcohol, such as Germany, where a 16yo can legally purchase beer.]. I am unsure if there are similar waivers for gambling aboard ship.

 

We did pre-order the beverage/soda package online (MyNCL) beforehand. Once we boarded the ship and went to O'Sheehans, we were able to order the sodas along with our lunch. [Note: when you get your room cards make sure that the package is imprinted on the card.]

 

However, it is possible to order the package once aboard the ship.

 

Caveat - I believe that the package is advertised as coming with soda cups/containers, but we did not get them. When I inquired, they said that they do not give them out anymore. Also, if you order the package for one passenger in the stateroom, you have to order it for everyone in the room.

[Travel R]

I've never booked air with a foreign airline before and this seems scary. But United, Delta, etc. are double the price. Do you get what you pay for?

 

And . . . .

 

The first time I had ever booked a non-domestic airline was to Rome for the family a few years ago. I went with TAP Portugal because they were by far the cheapest. They were terrible. However, as mentioned, we were fine with IcelandAir.

 

Although note, now that I think about it, the terminals were a bit crowded for boarding the planes (or the shuttles to go to the planes). It was not any big inconvenience for us, but it is something I would suggest they improve upon.

 

Traveling as a Family

I understand that cost is important. When I travel (or used to travel) with only myself and my DW, it is not as much of an issue to pay a little extra for tickets. However, with a third and a forth person to pay for, it begins to add up. For instance, if you are looking at tickets for $800 round trip. It is $1600 for 2, and paying even $100 more per person for a "better" airline, only brings the cost to $1800 - nothing to sneeze at, but still fairly manageable. For a family of four - the four tickets alone cost $3200, which is already considerable (at least for me) - then bringing it up to $3600 is a considerable jump.

 

I completely understand when you ask if I got the best bang for my buck (Did you get what you paid for?). So yes, we did get what we paid for. Just make sure you bring enough of your own snacks on the plane - and if you stop over in Reykjavik, thinking you can pick up something to eat there, remember that the food in the airport is expensive, even for airport food.

[Travel R]

The ship offered a "Get Together" for 18 to 21 year-old passengers each evening. From my recollection, that was the only "official" activity/programming for this age group.

 

From what I understand (and this is hearsay, so you wold need to confirm with the ship) is that the parent/guardians for this age group can sign a consent form to allow a 18-20 year old to order/drink alcohol aboard the ship. [FYI - some of the countries on our itinerary have varying rules for the age of minors and alcohol, such as Germany, where a 16yo can legally purchase beer.]. I am unsure if there are similar waivers for gambling aboard ship.

 

We did pre-order the beverage/soda package online (MyNCL) beforehand. Once we boarded the ship and went to O'Sheehans, we were able to order the sodas along with our lunch. [Note: when you get your room cards make sure that the package is imprinted on the card.]

 

However, it is possible to order the package once aboard the ship.

 

Caveat - I believe that the package is advertised as coming with soda cups/containers, but we did not get them. When I inquired, they said that they do not give them out anymore. Also, if you order the package for one passenger in the stateroom, you have to order it for everyone in the room.

 

Travel R, do you have any info on activities on the ship for older teens/young adults? Our daughter is 20 and wondering if the ship provides activities for this (you're right) oft-forgotten age group so she can meet new friends.

Another question: did you pre-order your soda package on myNCL prior to the cruise or is this something I can do after we board?

Thanks for your help and really enjoying reading your review.

 

The ship offered a "Get Together" for 18 to 21 year-old passengers each evening. From my recollection, that was the only "official" activity/programming for this age group.

 

From what I understand (and this is hearsay, so you wold need to confirm with the ship) is that the parent/guardians for this age group can sign a consent form to allow a 18-20 year old to order/drink alcohol aboard the ship. [FYI - some of the countries on our itinerary have varying rules for the age of minors and alcohol, such as Germany, where a 16yo can legally purchase beer.]. I am unsure if there are similar waivers for gambling aboard ship.

 

We did pre-order the beverage/soda package online (MyNCL) beforehand. Once we boarded the ship and went to O'Sheehans, we were able to order the sodas along with our lunch. [Note: when you get your room cards make sure that the package is imprinted on the card.]

 

However, it is possible to order the package once aboard the ship.

 

Caveat - I believe that the package is advertised as coming with soda cups/containers, but we did not get them. When I inquired, they said that they do not give them out anymore. Also, if you order the package for one passenger in the stateroom, you have to order it for everyone in the room.

 

 

Follow-up to what I had already written -- when I asked my daughter what activities she enjoyed in the Entourage Teen club (see next post), she said that she did not participate in most of them. The Teen club was, for her, a place that enabled her to meet others in her own age group and the formal activities were not really needed for her to meet friends and enjoy herself. My two cents is that the 18-21 meet-ups provides the same functionality. It provides a means for this age group to get to meet each other, then enjoy the other activities the ship has to offer with their new friends.

 

For those of you with sons & daughters in this age group - what do you think?

[Travel R]

TEENS AND TWEENS ON THE GETAWAY: Part 4

 

Entourage Teen Club

 

Do you want the good or the bad first? I usually prefer the bad first. It is hard to wait when you know something bad is coming, but if you know something good is on the way, it makes the waiting easier. So, I will write about what my DD17 disliked about the Entourage Club first. If you do not want to read it,then skip right to the “Good.”

 

The “Bad”

 

Well,not really so “bad,” just a few things that my daughter disliked about NCL’s teen club.

 

Age Groups

 

Remember a few days ago when I asked you to think about your definition of a child, and the image you had formed in your mind? Now is the time to recollect what you had seen in your mind’s eye. I’ll give you a few moments . . . . Got it? . . . . Good. Now think about the definition of a “teenager” and think about what comes to mind. Does the image of the “child” and “teenager” match? Would a 13 year old fit under either of your definitions/images? For me, I guess I think of my DD17 when I think of a teenager, and my DD12, who is on the cusp of teenhood, as a child. Even when my DD17 was 13 or 14, I still really considered her as a child. However, NCL groups the 13 year old with the 17 year old. Whereas the Splash Academy recognizes that there are educational,sociological, mental, and physical differences in pre-13 year old children that occur every few years, they do not recognize these differences in the five year gap between those aged between 13 and 17. I guess if a kid is X-teen years old, regardless of being a boy or girl, they are all the same. In my image of teens, they would not go together, and it is so (IMHO) in reality as well.

 

As you can expect, gripe #1 was that the demographic spectrum for this age group was too broad. According to my DD17, most of the activities were geared for those at the earlier end of the spectrum (the 13-15 year olds). [Note :As an adult, looking at the programming, it does not look like that to me, but I am an adult, and many years removed from being a teen.] However, she did state that there were a lot more teens on the younger side teens that attended the club [which, I guess, should be expected]. Although my daughters get along (well,mostly get along), their interests are extremely different. Even my DD17’s interests at 13 and 14 are a lot different than they are today at 17, so I can see validity in my daughter’s gripe. In addition, if there are dissimilar interests between a girl of 17 to a girl of 13 – you can imagine how much as a void there is between a 17 year old girl and a 13 year old boy.

 

NCL, if you are listening: Split up the 13 to 17 year old group into even two smaller divisions of 13 to 15 and 16 & 17.

 

Music

 

 

Her second gripe was that she did not always enjoy the music. My DD (and her friends) believed that the club played an overwhelming amount of Spanish music compared to music in English or other languages. Before you begin thinking anything – last year she spent almost an entire month in South America. During that time she listened almost exclusively to Spanish music. In fact, soon after she had returned, I spent a week with her in a car on a college road trip (covering 1300 miles) – and when it came time for her to play music, she would play a lot of the Spanish pop music off of her phone (it hooked into the speaker system). She is not English/American centric; she just thought that the Entourage club DJs were not being very diverse in their music selections. Although my daughter knew most of these songs,she said would have liked a little more of a change [Note: this may be my own opinion, but I do not believe that the teens she was hanging out with were not familiar with this music, so the group did not enjoying staying in the club.]. When she and her friends requested the English songs, they would play one or two, then return to playing a long string of Spanish music. This is her gripe and not mine, so wanted to mention it. This is an International ship, with passengers from all over the world, but she has been on cruises up to Canada,and in the Western Mediterranean (which included Spain), and did not remember the music selection weighing so heavily towards one genre.

Activities – Cancelled and Age Appropriate

 

Another gripe was that some of the evening activities were cancelled because not enough people showed up. Usually they were the ones that she and her friends wanted to do (e.g., attend Burn the Floor), and also happened to have been the activities that were scheduled later in the evening. She said it happened a few times – not that it was the worst thing in the world (she still did something with her friends), but it was enough for her to mention it to me.

 

As mentioned above, the age grouping of this group was large, however, as per my DD17, the activities were geared toward the younger set of teens – so she felt “too old” and out of place.

 

Because of the age difference (described above), and the cancelled activities, she did not really take part in most of the activities throughout the cruise except for the Karaoke (which she enjoyed).

 

In some ways, I know my daughter would have enjoyed hanging with the 18 year olds who are no longer allowed to enter Entourage. Although note, some of the 18+ kids would still hang out with her group outside of the club.

 

 

Another note to NCL: Think about the older teens when creating your activity schedule.

[Travel R]

The “Good”

 

Socialization

 

If there were no scheduled activities at all on this trip at the Entourage, if my daughter has a group of people to hang out with, she is happy. Although shy at first, she enjoys meeting people her age, and just “hanging.” She likes the fact that she gets to meet other teens from all over the world as well as from other areas of the United States. She gets to make use of her broken Spanish outside of the classroom with people from South America and Spain, as well as her limited use of other languages kids of other origins.

 

The first (or on this cruise, which has two embarkation ports) and the second evenings are the most important. Everyone is new (if not doing a BtoB), and looking for a group to hangout with. Even if your DD or DS is shy, the counselors (group leaders) do try to help the loners to find others. My DD17 found a group, and stayed with them most of the cruise. However, the groups would increase and decrease in size throughout the voyage. One morning (at sea) I happened to have been in the buffet area munching on a brunch burger when a larger group of eight kids sit down at a large 8-top not far from where I was dining. I had noticed that my DD17 was amongst them.They were just sitting and eating [Observation:it looked like the guys had some food on their plates and the girls only had drinks.] While they were eating another group of 3 joined them (they pulled up chairs from other tables and squeezed in or the girls sat 2 on a seat). At one point a few left, but a few minutes later a different group had replaced them.It was good to see that although there were set “groups” they were not being so cliquish that they stayed exclusively with each other.

 

Although the older teens organically gravitated towards their own age group and the same occurred for the younger teens, they did sometimes intermingle outside of the club (especially those in the middle 15 year-olds). However, my DD17 stated that it was not always easy to tell someone’s age. There were two girls that would occasionally join her group that were only 14/15 but were well developed could easily pass for 19. And as mentioned above, they would sometimes befriend other youth of the 18-20 year old variety outside of the club.

 

When she would tell us where she was going – it was usually to various venues that served food – such as O’Sheehans, or more often to the Garden Buffet. On one occasion about 10 of them got dressed up and dined at the Tropicana. I also found it interesting that one of their “hangouts”was at the H2O area in the evenings after it lost its 21+ designation. But they would also go around the ship for other activities, such as Trivia Games, music in the Atrium, the Arcade, Bowling at O’Sheehans, Rope Course, etc. [more on non-club kid/family activities is coming up in Part V]

 

Entourage– A Meeting Point

 

For my daughter, the Entourage Club was used more as meeting point than a club for activities and entertainment. It was a central place for her to meet up with her friends. It was a venue to hang out at times, on occasions had things for them to do – like a movie or Karaoke. Its greatest asset was to act as the catalysis and provide an initial place for her and other teens to meet each other and form friendships. It also gave them a place to “hang”until they decided what they wanted to do (or where to go eat).

 

Note: Although the club space itself is rather large, it can fill up to maximum, which did happen on our cruise. If that happens, teens will not be able to enter until it begins to empty out. If the teen leaves,they may not be able to reenter if more teens come in. My DD did not like this because there was a bathroom in the club which always had lines, but there was a bathroom outside, but near the entrance which had no line – so if you went to the WC outside the club, there was a chance that you could not gain admittance, even if your friends are still inside.

 

Suggestions to Parents

 

You know your teen best, so listen or not listen to the suggests below:

 

Have your teen tell you where they are going to be, and make sure they know where you are going to be as well.

 

Get the room number for one of the friends they are most likely to hang out with – then put it somewhere in your room. It may be the quickest way to find your teen . .. just in case.

 

We hooked up our credit card to their room cards – that way they will have access to funds (aboard ship). But that is to your discretion.

 

Especially for those with daughters – if they ever lose sight of their drinks, even for a short time, do not drink it and order a new one. Do not let someone they know “buy” a drink for them.

 

A cruise ship is like a small city and is not immune from crimes (of all sorts) –so make sure your kids do not fully let their guard down (but no reason to be too protective).

 

My DDs would strongly suggest that all teens go to the first teen meet-up for their cruise to make friends.

 

If you have any other questions about the Entourage club, please ask. Also note that I had posted copies of the Entourage scheduled activities above.

Up Next: Just one last posting about teens -- the non-club activities for Teens, Tweens, and families on the Getaway. Then more port reviews and pictures.

[Travel R]

For those of you waiting for the review of the ports, please hang on for a little while longer. I will be posting about Germany before you know it. In the mean time, here's a quick peak at the train station in Warnemunde . . . .

 

[fabnfortysomething]

TEENS AND TWEENS ON THE GETAWAY: Part 4

 

Entourage Teen Club

 

Do you want the good or the bad first? I usually prefer the bad first. It is hard to wait when you know something bad is coming, but if you know something good is on the way, it makes the waiting easier. So, I will write about what my DD17 disliked about the Entourage Club first. If you do not want to read it,then skip right to the “Good.”

 

The “Bad”

 

Well,not really so “bad,” just a few things that my daughter disliked about NCL’s teen club.

 

Age Groups

 

Remember a few days ago when I asked you to think about your definition of a child, and the image you had formed in your mind? Now is the time to recollect what you had seen in your mind’s eye. I’ll give you a few moments . . . . Got it? . . . . Good. Now think about the definition of a “teenager” and think about what comes to mind. Does the image of the “child” and “teenager” match? Would a 13 year old fit under either of your definitions/images? For me, I guess I think of my DD17 when I think of a teenager, and my DD12, who is on the cusp of teenhood, as a child. Even when my DD17 was 13 or 14, I still really considered her as a child. However, NCL groups the 13 year old with the 17 year old. Whereas the Splash Academy recognizes that there are educational,sociological, mental, and physical differences in pre-13 year old children that occur every few years, they do not recognize these differences in the five year gap between those aged between 13 and 17. I guess if a kid is X-teen years old, regardless of being a boy or girl, they are all the same. In my image of teens, they would not go together, and it is so (IMHO) in reality as well.

 

As you can expect, gripe #1 was that the demographic spectrum for this age group was too broad. According to my DD17, most of the activities were geared for those at the earlier end of the spectrum (the 13-15 year olds). [Note :As an adult, looking at the programming, it does not look like that to me, but I am an adult, and many years removed from being a teen.] However, she did state that there were a lot more teens on the younger side teens that attended the club [which, I guess, should be expected]. Although my daughters get along (well,mostly get along), their interests are extremely different. Even my DD17’s interests at 13 and 14 are a lot different than they are today at 17, so I can see validity in my daughter’s gripe. In addition, if there are dissimilar interests between a girl of 17 to a girl of 13 – you can imagine how much as a void there is between a 17 year old girl and a 13 year old boy.

 

NCL, if you are listening: Split up the 13 to 17 year old group into even two smaller divisions of 13 to 15 and 16 & 17.

 

Music

 

 

Her second gripe was that she did not always enjoy the music. My DD (and her friends) believed that the club played an overwhelming amount of Spanish music compared to music in English or other languages. Before you begin thinking anything – last year she spent almost an entire month in South America. During that time she listened almost exclusively to Spanish music. In fact, soon after she had returned, I spent a week with her in a car on a college road trip (covering 1300 miles) – and when it came time for her to play music, she would play a lot of the Spanish pop music off of her phone (it hooked into the speaker system). She is not English/American centric; she just thought that the Entourage club DJs were not being very diverse in their music selections. Although my daughter knew most of these songs,she said would have liked a little more of a change [Note: this may be my own opinion, but I do not believe that the teens she was hanging out with were not familiar with this music, so the group did not enjoying staying in the club.]. When she and her friends requested the English songs, they would play one or two, then return to playing a long string of Spanish music. This is her gripe and not mine, so wanted to mention it. This is an International ship, with passengers from all over the world, but she has been on cruises up to Canada,and in the Western Mediterranean (which included Spain), and did not remember the music selection weighing so heavily towards one genre.

Activities – Cancelled and Age Appropriate

 

Another gripe was that some of the evening activities were cancelled because not enough people showed up. Usually they were the ones that she and her friends wanted to do (e.g., attend Burn the Floor), and also happened to have been the activities that were scheduled later in the evening. She said it happened a few times – not that it was the worst thing in the world (she still did something with her friends), but it was enough for her to mention it to me.

 

As mentioned above, the age grouping of this group was large, however, as per my DD17, the activities were geared toward the younger set of teens – so she felt “too old” and out of place.

 

Because of the age difference (described above), and the cancelled activities, she did not really take part in most of the activities throughout the cruise except for the Karaoke (which she enjoyed).

 

In some ways, I know my daughter would have enjoyed hanging with the 18 year olds who are no longer allowed to enter Entourage. Although note, some of the 18+ kids would still hang out with her group outside of the club.

 

 

Another note to NCL: Think about the older teens when creating your activity schedule.

 

this reminds me so much of our first cruise with our then 17 year old daughter

we went along to the sign up for the teen club but after seeing mainly 15 year olds there she didn't go again-at that age when you are almost an adult there is a big difference between a 15 year old and 17!

she ended up spending most time with us and accompanying me to the theatre shows

 

the next year she was 18 and had been legally able to drink alcohol in the UK for a few months

we signed the waiver so she could purchase wine and beer

she also spent a lot of time in the nightclub with other young people and they had a large sociable group by the end of the cruise

however it was meeting up with similar age people at our meet and greet that gave the confidence to meet up beforehand so they didn't feel awkward walking in by themselves

[Travel R]

this reminds me so much of our first cruise with our then 17 year old daughter

we went along to the sign up for the teen club but after seeing mainly 15 year olds there she didn't go again-at that age when you are almost an adult there is a big difference between a 15 year old and 17!

she ended up spending most time with us and accompanying me to the theatre shows

 

the next year she was 18 and had been legally able to drink alcohol in the UK for a few months

we signed the waiver so she could purchase wine and beer

she also spent a lot of time in the nightclub with other young people and they had a large sociable group by the end of the cruise

however it was meeting up with similar age people at our meet and greet that gave the confidence to meet up beforehand so they didn't feel awkward walking in by themselves

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences with 18+ travelers.

 

I am glad my daughter met a group of other kids to hang out with during the cruise. Although she loves us, I am not sure she would have been as happy spending 10 days without other kids her age to hang out with (and no Internet). [Note: From my perspective, it would have been nice to have seen MDQ or Burn the Floor with either of my daughters.]

 

I would have figured that NCL would have figured out that by now that 13 year olds should not be in the same group with those of 17. The space if definitely large enough to split off the 16 & 17 year olds.

 

Hopefully NLC (or other lines) will continue have the 18-21 meet ups on future cruises that we sail.

[Travel R]

TEENS AND TWEENS ON THE GETAWAY: Part 5

 

“Kids” Clubs: Family Programming and Non-Club Youth Activities on the Ship

 

There is more to do on the Getaway and a Baltic Cruise for teens and tweens besides the Splash Academy and the Entourage. There are also a few things that can be done as a family. [Note: This post will be focused on teen and tween activities; there are a number of activities for younger kids (and their families), but that is beyond the scope of this thread.] I guess the best way to do this is to list each event/activity and then provide a summary of each.

 

Excursions – First let’s begin with some family time off of the ship. All excursions do not need to be dull and boring for the teens and tweens. On the Baltic itinerary, it is not easy to get around the whole museum-historical venture. Take a look at all of the ship sponsored tours, the private tours, and what you can do on your own (DIY) to see what is available, and what makes sense for your family (and your budget). You have to match your kid’s interests with that there is to offer.

 

Cirque Steam and Dreams – This is a highly recommended show for yourself and your whole family. Unfortunately there is an upcharge for this show (which comes with dinner), but the show is very enjoyable and the dinner is not too bad. This was something that everyone in my family (adults and kids) had enjoyed.

 

Escapethe Big Top – A very enjoyable activity which the whole family could enjoy together (although I think DD12 and DD17 enjoyed more than us adults). It isa great way to spend an hour working together to solve riddles.

 

Onboard Entertainment – There are a number of entertainment options throughout the cruise. There are a number of options that teens and tweens would enjoy, such as:

• Million Dollar Quartet – My daughters were raised on all types of music, but I have been playing this type of music for my daughters since they were only knee high. My DD12 did not see this show (she opted to spend time with friends), but my DD17 enjoyed the music.
  
• Burn the Floor – Neither of my daughters saw this show, although I think they would have enjoyed it, especially my DD12, who enjoys dancing. I am sure that most teenage boy would enjoy some of the outfits the female dancers were wearing.
  
• Movies in the Atrium – The genres of the movies and their target audiences was very diverse. There were animated movies for kids, and a number of movies geared towards adults. The one thing I did observe that the animated/teen oriented movies were playing in the Atrium during the afternoon, and usually on port days, so it would have been hard for that age group to watch, unless they did not go to port.
  
• Comedy Shows – I cannot fully comment on this (I did not get to see any comedy shows on this cruise) – but some are under-18 rated shows, which older teens may enjoy
  
• Musical Performances – Each cruise has a number of miscellaneous performers appear throughout the ship. Teens and tweens may enjoy some of these, but it would depend on their individual tastes.
  

Athletics& Physical Activities – There area great number of physical outlets for a teen and tween to enjoy with friends in their age group, or with their family, such as:

• Pool – Although the weather was not very conducive to using the pool on this cruise (it’s just too darn cold in the Baltics), it is hard not to notice that the pools are very small on this ship, especially for a ship of this size.
  
• Water Slides – They have some amazing water slides on this ship, but once again, it was not used much do to the temperature.
  
• Rock Wall – This depends if your child/family enjoys this physical challenge
  
• Rope Course – This was an activity that both of my daughters enjoyed doing (my DD17 did it twice). This was my one big disappointment, that I was unable to do it (whenever I had the time, it was not open, or the weather was not great).
  
• Basketball Court – They could play some hoops
  
• Bungee Trampoline – This looks like fun
  
• Miniature Golf – Always a fun family activity on any cruise
  
• Misc – there is also a fitness center and a jogging track, but I did not see any teens or tweens using either. [Note: Fitness center has a minimum age of 16.]
  
• Mini-Bowling – There is a mini-bowling in O’Sheehans. [cost = $5/game]
  

Arcade – There is an arcade, where the teens and tweens do accumulate at times (my DD17 even took my DD12 there at one time to hang out together). The games are not cheap, and kids can use their room keys as money for these transactions – so make sure that they are cognizant of how many games they play.

 

Television – Every stateroom has a television. This cruise was not unlike most of our former cruises – we hardly watched TV. Usually it is just put on as background noise while getting ready early in the morning or getting ready for dinner. However,the selection of movies was usually lacking. Although I did put on the station that tracked our geographic progress from time to time. Also note that there is a kid’s TV channel, but it is targeted towards very young children.

 

Internet – We had made the conscience choice not to pay for the Internet on this cruise. We are all connected to the World Wide Web almost constantly while at home. This was a chance to cut the umbilical cord,at least temporarily, while on vacation. However, we did not fully break away. In some ports, hotels, and the airports we were able to connect if WiFi was available. Unplugging from things like television and the Internet helps make a family vacation truly a family vacation.

 

Moderno – It is not the normal restaurant, and if you and your family have never visited a Brazilian Churrascaria, it is an interesting experience. I will review this at a later time. Although we did not love the food, if you have never been to one, it is an enjoyable family experience.

 

 

As you can see, if your teen or tween son or daughter does not want to go to the club,there are still plenty of activities to keep them occupied. If they meet some friends and do not want to do any of the above, there are still a number of food venues for eating, or just doing nothing.

Windows are not only used for seeing out, but can also be used for seeing within . . . .

Edited August 1, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Warnemunde ["Berlin"] (Sat 7/1) 7:30 to 10:00

 

Warnemude - Warnemünde is a German port town on the Baltic Sea, near Rostock. It's known for its long beachfront and marina, a cruise-ship stop. Nearby, the Alter Strom canal is lined with shops and fishing boats. The Edvard Munch Haus, former home of the renowned expressionist painter, runs exhibitions and events. The late-19th-century lighthouse and neighboring Teepott building display distinctive East German architecture. It is like a smaller version of a Seaside Heights.

 

Rostock - Rostock isa city straddling the Warnow River on the north coast of Germany. It’s known for Rostock University, founded in 1419. Rostock Botanical Garden has an arboretum and alpine gardens. *In the old town, the Gothic St. Mary’s Church features a 15th-century astronomical clock. Nearby is the cobblestone Neuer Markt main square and Rathaus (town hall), which mixes Gothic and baroque styles. This town has more of the German feel. (website)

 

 

Day’s Summary: Today will be a Do-it-yourself (DIY) walking tour. The town of Rostock is not very large, so we will be through with the entire town by the afternoon (including the Max-Samuel Haus/Jewish Heritage Museum (10-10:30)). Maybe we can pick up some German food as well. We have the option of also visiting Wanemunde (where we dock) in the afternoon. The ship does not leave until 10 PM, so we can have the entire afternoon to chill out on a half-empty ship. Tonight we see the big show – Million Dollar Quartet.

1. Ship Docs @ 7:30 AM

2. Breakfast – Taste/Savor sit down option (no rush)

3. Walking DIY Tour of Rostock. Note: We can skip any you would like.

·Train to Rostock; Tram into town [basic transport info]

·Max-Samuel Haus [Between 10 and 10:30] (website)

·Stone Gate (website)

·St. Nicholas Church [optional] (website)

·St. Peter’s Church [optional] (website)

·Sunflower Tower [optional] (website)

·St. Mary’s Church (website)

·Town Hall (website)

·Neuer Markt (website)

·University Square (website)

·Early Snack or Lunch - Pizza– L’Osteria- or Vapiano

·Cultural History Museum (website)

·Kropelin Gate (website)

·Stasi Document Center & Museum (website)

·German Supermarket - Penny [optional] (website)

·Rostock Synagogue [optional] (website)

·Train to IGA Park [optional]

·IGA Park [optional] (website)

·Train to Port

 

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by Travel R

[twruger]

Thanks.

 

I am trying to get this review written and published as soon as possible. I do also work in publishing, so I am trying to meet a few deadlines as well, which take precedent. I do also write as a side-hobby, and I have deadline for an upcoming article looming over my head to boot. But I will try to get as many of the port reviews written by the end of the upcoming weekend.

 

If you have any specific questions now, please feel free to ask. I am writing this review in order to help people by sharing information, so let me know how my recent cruise experiences may be of assistance. There have been a great many cruise critic members that have helped me, and I am just paying it forward.

 

I appreciate your insight! It is coming at a great time for me as I have booked this same trip 355 days from now, so just beginning all of the planning, planning, planning...

[Travel R]

I appreciate your insight! It is coming at a great time for me as I have booked this same trip 355 days from now, so just beginning all of the planning, planning, planning...

 

Thank you!

 

The year goes by very quickly. Luckily there are a lot of reviews for this itinerary (and the Breakaway is the sister-ship to the Getaway), so you will have a lot of specific information for this ship and most of these same ports.

 

Although we are all writing a review about the same itinerary, we all take our own separate journeys, so each of our experiences and opinions will differ at times.

 

Confession: I have been reading everyone else's reviews/threads on this itinerary since I want to see through their eyes what I may have missed - or see the same things with a different point of view.

 

I will continue with my review (probably tomorrow) and hopefully will be completed before your voyage begins.:D

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge.

[Travel R]

[i had almost forgotten to post the second half of our proposed itinerary]

 

 

Berlin (Sat 7/1) 7:30 to 10:00

[continued]

 

 

4. Lunch – On ship or in Warnemunde (German)

• 
  
  • German food – Min Herzig Stromblick (food hut – cheap & good)
    

5. Chill out on Ship – maybe do the rope course

6. Afternoon walk into Warnemund

• Alter Strom (Old Harbor) (website)
  
• Warnemunde History Museum (website)
  
• Lighthouse (website)
  
• Teapot Building (website)
  

7. Dinner: Garden Buffet or O’Sheehans

 

8. Show @ 7:00 Million Dollar Quartet

 

 

The best laid plans of mice and men . . . .

[Travel R]

TO BERLIN OR NOT TO BERLIN

 

Leisurely Breakfast and Travelling to Rostock

 

Upon awakening upon the shores of Warnemunde, Germany, I made my way to the balcony to get a glimpse of the outlay of the land. I was welcomed by a dark and dreary sky. Under the darkened heavens lay the seaport city of Warnemunde. If there was beauty here, it was hard to admire beyond the construction, industrial-like buildings, and large sign for a bowling alley taking a forefront to the railway station, and the hazy outline of the ocean beyond the town.

It was decided long ago that we would not venture inland to the big capital city of Berlin. Lengths of two and half to four hours each way had been reported on these threads, and even at two and a half(each way), it would make for a long traverse for my teen and tween. Instead of taking a coach to the metropolis,we decided to explore the hamlets closer to shore. One benefit of such a decision was that breakfast could be had at a slower and more relaxing pace. Although I had been awake by the hour of six, and the rest of my cabin-mates were up by a quarter past seven, we did not venture out to break our fast until after eight.

 

It was to Taste that we dined, and were able to take our seats without any wait. Much of the ship had already emptied, taking them upon their own journeys. For breakfast, I had ordered a bowl of grits, which was to my liking with a dash of brown sugar, to which I also melted some butter, a dish of Peaches and Berries,which was served with an overpowering sauce I did not much care for, and one of my staple dishes on sea voyages – Eggs Benedict, which I enjoyed, although the bread was on the hard side. After our hunger was quenched, we returned to the room for our outer wear. Today’s temperature and weather called for layers to be worn upon our bodies (long pants (jeans), a t-shirt, sweat shirt, and rain jackets).

 

Our departure from the ship was quick and easy. Upon leaving the terminal, we walked to the right towards the train station, which is but a few minutes to the north. On our stroll, I had tried to purchase our tickets through a kiosk, and after a few minutes without success(and with help by a local), I moved on. I tried my luck at a second kiosk, but identical results were once again received. Our next move was to our queue for the help window. Although we were not taking a speedy time of it, we did have an appointment to be kept at 10:30 in Rostock. With some fear that there was an issue with my card, we finally approached the charming lady at the window, that was able to use the card to purchase our tickets. But as luck would have it, our train had just left and we needed to wait for the following locomotive to Rostock (Rostock Hbf Sation). [Note: Once you purchase the ticket, it needs to be validated on the platforms.]

[Note: photo of part of the train station, which can be seen from our stateroom]

 

Directions from Warnemunde to Rostock Hfb (main station):

The fastest connection from the Cruise Centre in Warnemuende, Rostock's sea spa, to downtown is by S-Bahn(metropolitan train), starting at Warnemuende terminal station, 5 min walk from the Cruise Centre, 20 min train ride to Rostock Hauptbahnhof (=main station), from. Take any train, down until main station they all follow the same route.

 

The railway station, as well as the train was modern-looking and clean. The ride was uneventful, although my family noticed a lot of wall art on buildings and other structures that were fleeting by the windows. Whereas everything seemed so clean in the previous two ports, this was the first sign of civilization being unkempt on this side of the Atlantic.

 

 

 

We made it to Rostock quickly and safely, and made it to our first stop, the Max-Samuel Haus. Although the museum is not opened on Saturdays, I had made arrangements for someone to meet us there. Unfortunately due to miscommunication (that morning he had emailed us that he was going to be late, but we did not bring our phones to access our emails). To our chagrin, we did not meet up – it seemed something that would have been interesting. In relation to this museum, around the city of Rostock you may see plaques with the names of people in front of miscellaneous houses. These plaques have been placed by the museum to designate the people or families that were forced out of Rostock and placed into Concentration Camps during WWII.

[Max-Samuel Haus]

 

Wet and already tired, we trudged back to the main station and made our way to the tram system (which is included in the price for the ticket for the train). We headed towards Old Town on the #3 tram and took it two stops, to what looks like the middle of the street, but across from one of the original town gates (Steintor).

Edited August 3, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

A Wet Walk In Rostock

 

The town of Rostock is a menagerie of old and new. There are ultra-modern cafes and retail shops in stores built years ago. The old houses all have fresh coats of paint in vibrant colors and hints of the Soviet era occupation contemporaneously meld in with both the antiquated facades of the buildings and décor that is in vogue. In hindsight, I should have taken more pictures of the blasé, but instead focused on the older charm of this European town.

 

 

We passed by these ancient sentinels into what is designated as the “old town.” We walked along the brick-lined streets towards the town center (Neuer Mrkt), which my DD12 exclaimed “this is something out of Harry Potter.” It is interesting standing in this large area with modern vendors selling various food, and modern statues standing in its wake. But the rain was already beginning to weigh upon us, and my DD17 began complaining of being ill.

We ducked out of the storm and into the warmth of Saint Mary’s Church, a large beautiful Lutheran church that is much more formidable from the inside than out. It is believed to have been erected in the 14th century(although a former structure (possibly another church) had originally been on this site as early as 1232). The inside is ornately decorated with ornately decorated walls, alters, doors, and archways (as well as a large beautifully carved world clock from the 13th century). There is also a beautiful stained glass window. [Note: there are cards at the entrance way in different languages that explain some of the sites within the church, and there is also a suggested donation.]

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2017 by Travel R

[Travel R]

Due to the rain, my own notes were getting wet, and the dour mood of my compatriots,we more walked to browse the city than to actually learn about it. Within my backpack my trusty Rick Steve’s guidebook was hiding, but I dare not take it out to be ruined in the weather. We stopped for a quick something to eat, and for the WC, at the local McDonalds. The menu was no different than the offerings in the United States, and the food tasted no different either. However, the restaurant was brightly decorated, and clean. [Note: There are a number of pay toilets throughout the town, but no public toilets we could find. McDonald’s allows customers to use their facilities – they provide a security code on their receipts for entering the WC area.]

 

 

 

German McDonalds

 

 

 

 

After a little rest, we went on down the main drag (Kröpeliner Strasse),quickly stopping for some pictures in front of the “Joy of Life” fountain built during the Soviet era, that actually showed some gaiety and merriment – which was rarely displayed in their art. [Note: Although I did not capture it in the pictures I am displaying, it is also called the “Porn Fountain” for some of its depictions.]

We continued to walk, taking a few pictures taking cover under the awning of the trees aligning the part as we came near the University of Rostock (built in 1419, it is one of the oldest in the world). As we made our way past all of the shops we stopped at one or two souvenir places, as well as a quick stop in a Claire’s (one of my DD12’s favorite stores) to see if it any different from the ones in the US. However, since my DD17 was under the weather, we did not stop for long, and decided to forego a visit to the Rostock Heritage Museum.