Can a 14 year old leave ship in port alone?

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

Personally, I cant imagine letting a 14 yr old off the ship unaccompanied in a strange country. I dont think I would do it here in the USA and I dont care how responsible they are. Thats just way too dangerous for me. Castaway Cay might be a different thing, but still not even sure about that one.

Just want to agree and add that, I would not let them off at CC either without my wife or me; unless it was for a Disney planned event for teens. Maybe it is a little safer on CC but the water is just as dangerous at CC as it is anywhere else.

 

[Heyriddle]

Hi! I am planning my Fantasy trip for this summer and a student of mine just rushed in and said he and his grandma will be sailing the Fantasy a few weeks before us. He is 14 and really responsible, but was worried that his grandma (who is not super-mobile) may not want to get off the ship in port. Can he get off and explore a port unaccompanied? Would he be allowed to book a ship-sponsored excursion to Sting Ray City without his grandma? I had no idea how to answer his questions, but I know my Disers will! Thanks!

On our last DCL, my 14 year old son did a port adventure with the cruise staff in Cabo San Lucas. It wasn't on the original port items; it was something that was brought up at the teen club. He paid for it himself and had a great time.

 

[jjje]

I can't imagine ever feeling comfortable letting my 14 year old get off the ship and then take transportation to a water based port excursion and then swim around in the ocean for 45 minutes all without me there to keep an eye on things. There is way too much that could go wrong. Maybe this kid's grandmother could look into going on an excursion as an observer?

 

[gotomu212]

My niece was 15 and got off the ship with another girl she met on board and the girl's older sister. This was in Oslo on the Baltic cruise, and we did have to sign a form on the gangway.

I would echo that its an individual decision for each family based on the person in question and the specific port. I was a high school exchange student when I was 15 and was sent to wander Paris alone with only a host family that i saw each evening. It was a amazing experience. I hope to provide my son with the same opportunities when he's a bit older.

 

[BeeTeacher]

While we were in Cozumel last month there was a general annoucnement that anyone under 18 wanting to debark without an adult had to have the proper permission forms at the gangway. They DO allow teens off, with permission, NOT with an excursion.

 

[n8nally]

You're kidding right? What people SHOULDN'T forget is that there are predators everywhere. Children are being taken right out of their own homes (within the past month in Calif.) Just last week it was reported that an employee at WDW was arrested for child porn. Anything, accidental or otherwise, could happen to a child (yes, 14 is still a child) roaming on his own in a foreign place, even his own city.

I agree that the world is a dangerous place. Much more dangerous it seems, than when I was growing up in NYC in the 70's.

I remember taking the subway across town by myself at 12. It was a different time.

However, as you pointed out, children are even being taken from their own homes/rooms/beds. So, nowhere and nothing is 100% safe and/or controllable. Bad things will happen whether you are there (sleeping in the same house one room over) or somewhere else.

For me, (and this is just me, my opinion, and in no way means I recommend it to a parent who doesn't feel comfortable) I feel like there is a point where you just have to let go and trust. I cannot control everything that is going to happen. And I don't want my kids to be so fearful that they don't get to have any experiences or independance. In just a few years they will be off in college doing their own thing and they need to have learned how to navigate on their own by then. A 14 yr old is in HS already. I think back to my HS years, and I was given a lot of freedom. By 15 they are getting ready to be driving here in Florida. In some states they can already have a DL even!

In my case, my son is very street smart and often is more careful than I am when it comes to being aware of his surroundings and removing himself from situations where he feels unsafe or where it is sketchy. I have always taught my kids to listen to their inner voice that signals them that something is......off, and to follow their instincts and play it safe. I would have no problem letting my son off in CC without me. Depending on which port and the circumstances, I would let him go alone in a foreign country as well. My baby sister was 16 when she went on a European trip and while she was with an adult, she was allowed to do some exploring on her own as well. In my area of Florida, there are a lot of exchange student programs and these kids are 15-18 years old, being sent across the globe to spend a year with a family of strangers.

It really depends on so many things. Ultimately, it is up to each family to make the call on what they feel comfortable doing.

 

[n8nally]

My niece was 15 and got off the ship with another girl she met on board and the girl's older sister. This was in Oslo on the Baltic cruise, and we did have to sign a form on the gangway.

I would echo that its an individual decision for each family based on the person in question and the specific port. I was a high school exchange student when I was 15 and was sent to wander Paris alone with only a host family that i saw each evening. It was a amazing experience. I hope to provide my son with the same opportunities when he's a bit older.

 

[n8nally]

And also, if you have a teen around the age of 14 or so and you are saying you would never let them get off the ship without you, well, I understand and think that should be respected 100%.

If, however, you do not have a child near that age, then might I suggest you wait until you do, and see how you feel then.

I know that if I had looked at my 8, 9, 10 yr old son, I would probably have felt exactly the same way "No way, would I let him go alone!!". But with time and age and experience, sometimes your opinions may change. I know mine have about a lot of things throughout my parenting career!

My son was NEVER going to shave, or have an Adam's apple, or go to HS, or have a job, or know people I don't know, or make snarky comments on FB when he was "my baby" at 5 years old, lol!

 

[TLSnell1981]

Double post

 

[TLSnell1981]

I think if the child looked like a young adult, no one would quesiton it. .

Yes, they will question it. The KTTW knows all ..

 

[bats]

On our last DCL, my 14 year old son did a port adventure with the cruise staff in Cabo San Lucas. It wasn't on the original port items; it was something that was brought up at the teen club. He paid for it himself and had a great time.

Sounds like a good compromise if the grandma needs one.

 

["Cinder" Ella's Mom]

Hi! OP here. Thanks for all of your responses and concerns. Remember, this is just an excited freshman talking to his teacher. Who knows if Grandma would let him go anywhere without her. He was just really wanting to see Grand Cayman in particular and wondered what options he had. He is a great kid and responsible, but I doubt he would go out of any of the gated port areas alone even if he were allowed. The options with the teen club sound great, and perhaps Grandma can do at least one excursion as an observer ( he says she won't go on the water, but maybe she would stay on the boat at Stingray City so he could go. Too bad he isn't on our cruise...I would take him around with us!!!

 

[lbgraves]

All passengers under 18 need to be accompanied by an adult in order to get off the ship.

As noted after this, there is a form that you can fill out to allow him to do this. It lists each port and you can check which ones he can get off the ship on his own. I planned to get this done early in the cruise for DS since last cruise he stayed in the club late and wanted to sleep in on CC day. We got a form in our room on the first or second sea day. I filled it out and went to GS to turn it in. DS was in line for pictures but the GS CM said they didn't need to see him. They made a copy for me so that he would have it with him just for backup. He ended up getting off the ship with us in CC since we arrived later than we have in the past, but that is the only port I would let him get off the ship alone. This form would be a great way for a child to get off the ship with another family to do an excursion and walk around the port, however, IMO.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Personally, I don't feel that even the most mature 14 year old has the life experience/street smarts to wander around unaccompanied in a foreign country (or even in an unfamiliar city in their own country).

Bad things can and do happen in foreign countries - have you people never seen the movie 'Taken' starring Liam Neeson?????

 

[crundell]

I allowed my 12 and 11 year olds to get off the ship together at CC last week. They wanted to do the search for atlantis but their younger sister was tired and needed to get out of the sun. You just fill out a permission form at the gangway, it has check boxes specifying which ports they have permission to get off at.

 

[LemonPie]

I left for a year abroad when I was 16 and traveled around Europe with little to no supervision. It was a wonderful experience. At 14 I would have been fine off on my own. My sons? I doubt it. Like the OP stated you have to know your own children and if they are mature/responsible enough. As a labor and delivery nurse I have seen (unfortunately) many 13, 14, 15... year olds in labor. Many handle it MUCH better than "mature" women. We are all different.

 

[LemonPie]

Personally, I don't feel that even the most mature 14 year old has the life experience/street smarts to wander around unaccompanied in a foreign country (or even in an unfamiliar city in their own country).

Bad things can and do happen in foreign countries - have you people never seen the movie 'Taken' starring Liam Neeson?????

Bad things can happen in your own neighborhood. Yet we let our children out.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

Bad things can happen in your own neighborhood. Yet we let our children out.

There's a HUGE difference between your neighborhood and a foreign country with a ship waiting to leave.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[DeniseMarie526]

My 11 year old is very street smart and can take public transportation around our city alone when absolutely necessary. I don't think I would let him off alone at a port but I have let him have a run of the World on his own....so who's to stay in advance what I would actually do.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Bad things can happen in your own neighborhood. Yet we let our children out.

And they know where your house is and how to get home, and who your neighbors are, and which streets and alleys they should avoid, etc.

I do find it interesting that you equate an unfamiliar and unknown environment with your own neighborhood that your children know and (presumably) feel safe in, and in which they know where and who to turn to if they need help?

To each their own...