Allowing DD (10) and friend (9) to roam ship?

[Stitch'sCousin]

Kids do not sign in or out of the Edge or Vibe like they do at the Oceaneer's Club/Lab.

 

[jgura]

My DD's (10 1/2) have been anticipating ship freedom for the last year. They have been on many Dis cruises. First, we bought a special bag for them to carry the wave phone. Then what worked well for us on our last cruise was:

They were able to go to a day movie alone, they had to call us when they were in their seats and then we picked them up after the movie. They also did this for one of the musicals. When we had Palo dinner, (we spoke w/ our main dining server in advance & had a private table) we dropped girls off at MD to eat, then when they finished they had to go straight to the room and call us when they got there.

This still may seem like a tight rope, but they felt very cool being on their own those few times and had a lot of fun being without mom & dad. They did compare to us what some of the other kids were allowed to do...but I just explain every parent has their own rules. Take baby steps! I'm dreading next year when they move up a club.
For the future, I would never let them at the pools alone or roam the ship. They need a destination or activity. Hope my 2 scents helps!
The phones work well, but only vibrate, so you have to keep the phone close.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Wow really!!! Even though they are old enough to drive, fight a war get married or have kids of their own.

Mine are 20 and 22, don't even want to take a cruise wirh Mom and Dad.

Have to admit I worry about them. But really!

 

[luv2sleep]

We all come from different life experiences. I can understand being worried about even older children.

 

[Kristina - Mom]

My DD is 11 (DS6) and she will not have sign-out priveleges and won't be allowed to roam around, even if she meets nice friends....I wouldn't let her do it at home so she can't do it on the ship. Kids can still hang out and meet with friends and as a parent you can "keep distance" but keep them in sight.

Just my opinion....I am very nervous about this stuff.

Kristina

 

[Kristina - Mom]

I think we need to not judge what others think......there is no age limit on worry.

Kristina

 

[Bonniec]

I think we need to not judge what others think......there is no age limit on worry.

Kristina

Agreed. I also have a 19 year old in college and I worry about her far more than my 7 year old.

OP, I don't think anyone is judging you. Just wanted to put that out there because it's such a touchy subject. And I know you didn't ask about whether or not it's right to let them roam the ship. You just wanted to know how to keep in touch should you decide to let them. I think most of us, at least myself anyway, are making comments in light of what just came out on the news regarding the Dream. I know I was just posting for awareness.

I've googled cruise ship crimes and there are so many pages The one that freaks me out the most is the 16 year old getting raped in her stateroom from the steward who had a key. I mean....I wouldn't have thought twice about letting a 16 year old be alone I'm our room.

You would expect a cruise ship would be safe thinking where could they run off to? You would certainly expect Disney to be safe and family oriented. But really, I doubt they even do background checks on the employees. How can they when most of them are from outside the US. What better place for sickos to work because it's likely so easy to get away with it.

Things can happen anywhere, and I tend to border on overly cautious. But I think cruise ships are a place to be extra careful.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[MrsScooby]

Well I'm almost 50 and my Mom still worries about me

We let my DD check herself out of the kid's club when she was 9 and we were in Palo. At the time there weren't any wave phones but we brought walkie talkies with us instead. She was instructed on this particular occasion that if she wanted to leave that she had to let the CM know to beep us (they had beepers then) and she could only go straight to our cabin and contact us on the walkie talkie to let us know when she got there. She had to stay in the cabin until we returned from Palo (with strict instructions to stay out of the way of the stateroom host if she happened to interrupt her).

This was our second cruise and we made sure she knew the way from the clubs to our cabin and that she was not allowed to go into anyone else's cabin or let anyone into our cabin.

So yes, not a hundred percent perfect safety, but pretty controlled. On later cruises, as she got older, we made sure we knew where she and her older brother were by stickie notes and a white board in the cabin... but most of the time they were with us.

Not a fan of the pools on DCL so I agree I would not let them swim without one of us there. A few rides on the aquaduck while we were at the pool was fine as long as they came back to us when they were done and didn't go anywhere else on the ship (except restroom).

When you set up the guidelines ahead of time you can let a relatively mature and trustworthy nine year old go to certain spots for short periods of time without you.

It totally depends on the kid and the comfort level of the parent. You can drive yourself crazy with "what ifs.."
The bottom line is your kids need to learn how to be self sufficient in gradual steps so that when they do go off on their own they are capable of navigating the world without you...I'm not saying giving a nine year old freedom to roam the ship on their own for as long as they want...but small amounts of freedom, with specific guidelines, for kids that have proven themselves trustworthy is not a bad idea...

I like the idea of the pouches for the girls to hold the wavephones and shorts with deep pockets for the boys And regular checking in for the teens as well, and reasonable curfews and guidelines...a lot depends on the individual kid

I am going to make sure that my kids know about the recent incident on the Dream and are prepared to make a scene if needed to keep a predator away.

I know my kids roll their eyes when I start to recite my list of rules for on the ship, but they do benefit from reminders and if nothing else it makes me feel better ...

 

[Topscot]

My DD's (10 1/2) have been anticipating ship freedom for the last year. They have been on many Dis cruises. First, we bought a special bag for them to carry the wave phone. Then what worked well for us on our last cruise was:

They were able to go to a day movie alone, they had to call us when they were in their seats and then we picked them up after the movie. They also did this for one of the musicals. When we had Palo dinner, (we spoke w/ our main dining server in advance & had a private table) we dropped girls off at MD to eat, then when they finished they had to go straight to the room and call us when they got there.

This still may seem like a tight rope, but they felt very cool being on their own those few times and had a lot of fun being without mom & dad. They did compare to us what some of the other kids were allowed to do...but I just explain every parent has their own rules. Take baby steps! I'm dreading next year when they move up a club.
For the future, I would never let them at the pools alone or roam the ship. They need a destination or activity. Hope my 2 scents helps!
The phones work well, but only vibrate, so you have to keep the phone close.

Thanks! That was exactly what I was looking for. I want to be start off slowly or "baby steps" like you had said. She is finally allowed to play on our driveway with her basketball hoop without me there and was just allowed this year to ride her bike 5 minutes to school as long as she is with friends. I just wanted to know the best way of knowing where she was while going from point A to point B with her friend. She would never be by herself. Simply, did people feel ok with letting a couple of kids go from the lab to a movie by themselves!

Agreed. I also have a 19 year old in college and I worry about her far more than my 7 year old.

OP, I don't think anyone is judging you. Just wanted to put that out there because it's such a touchy subject. And I know you didn't ask about whether or not it's right to let them roam the ship. You just wanted to know how to keep in touch should you decide to let them. I think most of us, at least myself anyway, are making comments in light of what just came out on the news regarding the Dream. I know I was just posting for awareness.

I've googled cruise ship crimes and there are so many pages The one that freaks me out the most is the 16 year old getting raped in her stateroom from the steward who had a key. I mean....I wouldn't have thought twice about letting a 16 year old be alone I'm our room.

You would expect a cruise ship would be safe thinking where could they run off to? You would certainly expect Disney to be safe and family oriented. But really, I doubt they even do background checks on the employees. How can they when most of them are from outside the US. What better place for sickos to work because it's likely so easy to get away with it.

Things can happen anywhere, and I tend to border on overly cautious. But I think cruise ships are a place to be extra careful.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Thanks for that. I too would be worried if she was by herself, and would actually never let her go off by herself. But, as I had put in my original post, it would be her and her friend (who is turning 10 on the ship) together, never apart.

Well I'm almost 50 and my Mom still worries about me

We let my DD check herself out of the kid's club when she was 9 and we were in Palo. At the time there weren't any wave phones but we brought walkie talkies with us instead. She was instructed on this particular occasion that if she wanted to leave that she had to let the CM know to beep us (they had beepers then) and she could only go straight to our cabin and contact us on the walkie talkie to let us know when she got there. She had to stay in the cabin until we returned from Palo (with strict instructions to stay out of the way of the stateroom host if she happened to interrupt her).

This was our second cruise and we made sure she knew the way from the clubs to our cabin and that she was not allowed to go into anyone else's cabin or let anyone into our cabin.

So yes, not a hundred percent perfect safety, but pretty controlled. On later cruises, as she got older, we made sure we knew where she and her older brother were by stickie notes and a white board in the cabin... but most of the time they were with us.

Not a fan of the pools on DCL so I agree I would not let them swim without one of us there. A few rides on the aquaduck while we were at the pool was fine as long as they came back to us when they were done and didn't go anywhere else on the ship (except restroom).

When you set up the guidelines ahead of time you can let a relatively mature and trustworthy nine year old go to certain spots for short periods of time without you.

It totally depends on the kid and the comfort level of the parent. You can drive yourself crazy with "what ifs.."
The bottom line is your kids need to learn how to be self sufficient in gradual steps so that when they do go off on their own they are capable of navigating the world without you...I'm not saying giving a nine year old freedom to roam the ship on their own for as long as they want...but small amounts of freedom, with specific guidelines, for kids that have proven themselves trustworthy is not a bad idea...

I like the idea of the pouches for the girls to hold the wavephones and shorts with deep pockets for the boys And regular checking in for the teens as well, and reasonable curfews and guidelines...a lot depends on the individual kid

I am going to make sure that my kids know about the recent incident on the Dream and are prepared to make a scene if needed to keep a predator away.

I know my kids roll their eyes when I start to recite my list of rules for on the ship, but they do benefit from reminders and if nothing else it makes me feel better ...

I agree with not letting them go to the pool on their own. It's too crammed with kids. The idea about a little backpack for the wave phones is great! Just wonder about the cubbies at the Aqua Duck, if someone would steal the phone. They would definitely have a long list of rules and wouldn't be out of sight for very long. As long as they are together, I think it's ok to loosen the rope a bit. They will not be wandering around by themselves at night.

 

[MikeAndNick]

Wow. Words escape me.

I am in the same boat. I would hate to think I could not trust my child to know how to handle themselves. I have spent my sons life teaching him how to handle himself in public. Now that he is 16 I know he can do without me I he had to.

 

[shmoogrrrl]

Kids do not sign in or out of the Edge or Vibe like they do at the Oceaneer's Club/Lab.

I was about to ask how people were signing their kids out of Edge at 11 and 12.

Of course, you can just tell them to Wave Phone you when they want to leave, and walk up to meet them, I guess.

When we sail, my daughter will be 12 and her best friend (their family will be sailing with us) will also be 12. I imagine that we would let them go together alone to a specific place like from the room to Edge, or from the dining room to Edge. I wouldn't let her (them) go wandering aimlessly. Never by herself anywhere.

I am too paranoid to let my daughter swim without her Father or me up there. I was before that little boy almost drown, and I still am.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I was about to ask how people were signing their kids out of Edge at 11 and 12.

Of course, you can just tell them to Wave Phone you when they want to leave, and walk up to meet them, I guess.

When we sail, my daughter will be 12 and her best friend (their family will be sailing with us) will also be 12. I imagine that we would let them go together alone to a specific place like from the room to Edge, or from the dining room to Edge. I wouldn't let her (them) go wandering aimlessly. Never by herself anywhere.

I am too paranoid to let my daughter swim without her Father or me up there. I was before that little boy almost drown, and I still am.

Edge & Vibe are come and go as you wish, no sign ins or outs.

 

[dbarker]

We let DS12 (at the time) have freedom of the ship. But, with rules and dire consequences if he broke the rules.

Rules:
He could be in the tween club.
He could be in the pool area.
Period.

He did not want to spend the rest of the cruise attached to Mom (me), so he obeyed.

We have been talking about our upcoming cruise on the Fantasy and he asked the question: You mean I can get a snack at Flo's without you?? The answer was "Yes, you could have done that last time". He took the "Rules" very literally....gotta love it.

On another note: By the time DS#1 was 21, he was in the USMC and had already spent 2 tours in the war zone. Having freedom on the ship at that age is not a worry.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I am not saying that I do not worry about my older children (aged 24 and 22), but I would no way be at all concerned about them roaming alone on a cruise ship!!!!! They are independant adults!!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

My 2 DD are 19 and 21 and I hate it when they roam alone-like someone said it is a city and there has been plenty of info regarding crimes on cruise ships.

No way!


Linda

Guess it depends on the adults. My brother was 19, his wife 18, and they had a baby by the time she was 19. My aunts and uncles were married right after high school, and had 4 children by the time she was 25, (none lived at home with their parents either.) Might have been the "Greatest Generation matured faster, as they'd helped their families during the Depression. Not coming down on teens today, just saying it depends on the young adults.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We're on the Wonder right now. Too many bored kids running down the hall, playing with the elevator buttons, whining! That they don't need a nap. For the sake of the curmudgeons on board, puhleeze make sure your kids will act responsibly before giving them the option to check themselves out of the clubs.

 

[SapphireMind]

We're just off the Magic. My DD (10.5) had roam privileges. She had to call me if she was changing locations ever. We would set up times for her to check in if she was at the pool (we'd use the movies playing in funnelvision as a guide since clocks aren't easy to find) It worked very well with us. If she was out after dinner, it was with the other girls from our dinner table to go to Edge, and she would come straight back to the room.

You have to judge yourself what your child is capable of

 

[Topscot]

We're just off the Magic. My DD (10.5) had roam privileges. She had to call me if she was changing locations ever. We would set up times for her to check in if she was at the pool (we'd use the movies playing in funnelvision as a guide since clocks aren't easy to find) It worked very well with us. If she was out after dinner, it was with the other girls from our dinner table to go to Edge, and she would come straight back to the room.

You have to judge yourself what your child is capable of

Thanks for this.

 

[MikeAndNick]

I asked my 16 year old son that has been cruising since he was 9, how old a kid should be before they have privileges to run around the ship. He answered very quickly 8 or 9. Then he thought about what he said and changed what he said. He clarified that it all depended on how mature and responsible the kid was and how they were raised. He said some kids are ready for the responsibility at 8 but he has some friends at 16 that he questions their decision making. So I asked him, "Then you cannot give a age unless you know the kid?" and he agreed that was a good statement.

 

[jpeppers]

I just got off the Dream on 5/16 and gave my daughter (almost 12) free range on the ship but she had to carry the wave phone and had to check in regularly or I would with her and I was very comfortable. That being said, I don't let my daughter walk around my neighborhood alone. That is how comfortable I was on board. I've worked in a prison for 24 years so I would say my level of concern is higher than most but found the ship to be very comfortable. Once we left the ship we went right back to not leaving Dad's sight. I think it depends on the child, not sure she would have been roaming at 9 or 10 because I wasn't faced with it then but feel really good about my decision to give her some freedom this trip at her current age.