Single Mother cruising with 15 and 16

[Luvsdaislands]

I will be travelling with my 2 sons (15 and 16) on the Elation in April 07. This will be their first cruise and my second, so I have a few questions:

1. I was thinking about getting walkie talkies so I can located them, just wondering if NEXTEL walkie talkie services works out in the sea? If not I will go with my orginial plan.

2. I can't remember seeing any children eating in the dining room, Do the children eat at a different time? Do we have to chose the early dining? (we normally eat late)

3. I am booking an oceanview on the Carnival Elation, do they have pullout overhead beds or pullout couch?

I know I will have more :D

[CaptData]

I would ask on the Carnival board. You can eat late if you wish, tell your TA that you would perfer late dining. Make sure the kids go to the teen meet and greet the first night.

[I_Live_2_Cruise]

1. For your first question about the walkie-talkies I have no idea if they will work. When we travel with kids 13 & 15 we don't ever need the walkie talkies. Usually everyone plans in the morning where to meet a few times during the sea days (once you get used to the ship you will be able to locate them, everyone finds a few places to hang out and will usually be there or somewhere around that area... stop and check up on them every once in a while if you wish). The family always meets before dinner at the room at a certain time to get ready for dinner so there's another way to be sure everyone meets up. Sticky notes on the mirrors of the room work great for writing down meeting places, and changes of plans throughout the day.

 

2. Any aged person is allowed to eat in the dining room (provided they are dressed the part). Some families let the kids eat alone (as in kids eat at the buffet/24-hour pizzaria and adults in the dinning room), however others (including mine) require a family dinner each and every night. It's one of the few times that everyone actually meets up! It's also great for formal nights so that the family can snap some fabulous pictures at the photo booths set up around the ship.

 

3. Sorry to say, I don't know about the layout of the oceanview rooms.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Carnival is a wonderful cruiseline!

[sweetpea-2]

I will be travelling with my 2 sons (15 and 16) on the Elation in April 07. This will be their first cruise and my second, so I have a few questions:

 

1. I was thinking about getting walkie talkies so I can located them, just wondering if NEXTEL walkie talkie services works out in the sea? If not I will go with my orginial plan.

 

2. I can't remember seeing any children eating in the dining room, Do the children eat at a different time? Do we have to chose the early dining? (we normally eat late)

 

3. I am booking an oceanview on the Carnival Elation, do they have pullout overhead beds or pullout couch?

 

 

I know I will have more :D

 

make sure they go to the teen meet & greet....most likely they will not be hanging around you much..not sure about the walkie's/ I know some people had them on our last cruise and they got to be out of hand and very annoying for the other passengers as some kids didn't know enough not to have them on in the dining room and shows.....but I can see where they would come in handy for your peace of mind

[jlp20]

>>>I will be travelling with my 2 sons (15 and 16) on the Elation in April 07. This will be their first cruise and my second, so I have a few questions:

 

>>>1. I was thinking about getting walkie talkies so I can located them, just wondering if NEXTEL walkie talkie services works out in the sea? If not I will go with my orginial plan.

 

We have taken them three times and only used them once, to take a picture of the ship while one of us was ashore. If you want to take them go ahead, but they may be on the desk for a week.

 

>>>2. I can't remember seeing any children eating in the dining room, Do the children eat at a different time? Do we have to chose the early dining? (we normally eat late)

 

You ask about children, but you say your children are 15-16. Make them attend the first dinner in the dining room. You may be surprised by their reaction. After that, check out the menu each day and decide from there. Why should any of you go if there is nothing being offered that you like.

 

>>>3. I am booking an oceanview on the Carnival Elation, do they have pullout overhead beds or pullout couch?

 

The only time I have heard of the sofa bed is in large suites. I am sure you will have a bed that “folds” out of the ceiling.

 

***With all that being said, you are aware that some cruiselines demand paper work when “children” are traveling with only one parent. Princess demands a notarized letter from the other parent giving permission to named children to go on named cruiseline during a certain time frame. Contact your T/A or cruiseline. Explain you circumstances and they will let you know what to bring when you leave.

__________________

Anything that doesn't kill you, just hurts a hell of a lot

 

Sea Princess

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[prarie cruiser]

Parent takes 2 teens to cruise.

 

Teens discover teen center.

 

Teens meet other teens.

 

Parent does not see them much until disembarkation. Parent had a great time. Teens had a great time.

 

Seriously, most teens will press you to let them run the ship with their new friends. They prefer not to dress for dinner, so after the first night they will want to eat in the food court or get pizza. Sometimes the teens even have their own formal dinner night on some ships. If you lose them, look in the hot tub, teen center, pool, basketball court. Sticky notes are a great idea.

 

Encourage your teens to join you for dinner at least one formal night just for the experience and photos!

[Happy ks]

1. I have no idea about the Nextel service working, perhaps ask on the Carnival board.

 

2. While I see children in the dining room every night at both seatings, I hardly consider teens in the same category as children. They are approaching adulthood and should eat with you every night, learning important lessons such as table manners (probably have learned this by now :) ) and the social graces to be out to dinner.

 

3. You will probably have two single beds and a pull out bunk (pullman).

 

Have a great time with your kids, this time is so precious to spend with them.

 

Take the advice of jlp20, get the permission slip from their other parent. If the second teen will be 16 before the cruise (at least a few months before) wait until then to get the passport for them. Before they are 16, the passports are only good for 5 years, after 16 it goes up to 10 years. You will need the other parents permission for the passport, too. Disregard all this if they already have passports :) .

[Darcy03231]

1. We use the COBRA 5 mile range walkie talkies and found they work great. I got them at Walmart and got the ones with the recharger base so we don't have to carry a lot of batteries. My kids have to check in every hour by walkie talkie and every two hours in person.

 

2. Our children have dinner with us every night in the dining room. They enjoy trying new foods. They also attend the show with us after dinner (we have the early seating as we find it works best for us).

 

3. Sorry, can't answer that for you.

 

We cruise with teens and while they want their freedom, just be careful. Remember, you are on a ship with 2500-3000 people you don't know. We treat being on vacation like being at home, and there are rules. Some of ours are: Don't give out any personal info without a parent's approval, no one in their room, don't go to anyone else's room unless we know about it ahead of time, if they get a soda and leave it, get another one, at night they are either in an organized teen activity or with us, in port we all stay together, no running and shouting in the halls, no playing in the elevator, or disturbing other passengers in general. They know if they're caught breaking the rules they are by our side for the rest of the trip.

[Luvsdaislands]

Thank you all for the responses. I have changed and will now be sailing on the Liberty.

Yes, I know about the consent from the other parent if traveling out of the country with children. I have a letter that I got from singleparenttravel.com that I will be having their father sign and then have it notarized and I have one from state.gov for the passports.

My 16...well his is 15 now, but will be 16 in September so on his birthday we are going to the DMV for his license and then to the post office to apply for both of their passports.

My oldest already has said that he wants to tour the ports without me...I told him he must have fell and bumped his head...not happening!!!! And I gave them the speech about family bonding and unity and eating together, right now we rarely eat together as a family because we all have busy schedules, so I stressed that dinner on the cruise will be spent together. Also, thanks about the tip with viewing the dinner menu.

Luvsdaislands

[seamama1]

Thank you all for the responses. I have changed and will now be sailing on the Liberty.

 

Yes, I know about the consent from the other parent if traveling out of the country with children. I have a letter that I got from singleparenttravel.com that I will be having their father sign and then have it notarized and I have one from state.gov for the passports.

 

My 16...well his is 15 now, but will be 16 in September so on his birthday we are going to the DMV for his license and then to the post office to apply for both of their passports.

 

My oldest already has said that he wants to tour the ports without me...I told him he must have fell and bumped his head...not happening!!!! And I gave them the speech about family bonding and unity and eating together, right now we rarely eat together as a family because we all have busy schedules, so I stressed that dinner on the cruise will be spent together. Also, thanks about the tip with viewing the dinner menu.

 

Luvsdaislands

 

You sound like a good mom with a coupla good kids. And, I agree; never let them "tour" the port alone. I take darling grandson once a year (he is 15 this year) and the only time he goes ashore without me is the shore excursion put together by Camp Carnival. In that case, the Camp Counselors are the chaperones! I let him eat where he wants to - he loves the buffet and the pizza. The only exception is he comes with me to the Captains Party and dinner that evening. He seems to enjoy the one night of "dress up".

 

You will have a great time. Let us know how it goes!:p

[sweetsixteencruisers]

make sure they go to the teen meet & greet....most likely they will not be hanging around you much..not sure about the walkie's/ I know some people had them on our last cruise and they got to be out of hand and very annoying for the other passengers as some kids didn't know enough not to have them on in the dining room and shows.....but I can see where they would come in handy for your peace of mind

 

 

How do you know when the meet and greet is? I have 3 daughters 16, 14 and 12.