12 Yr Olds

[disneyagain]

We'll have our 12 yr old son and nephew with us in November on our cruise...How late do you let your 12 yr old stay out? What time do the activities for this age group end? Do you allow them sign-out privileges from the clubs? We want to allow some freedoms, it's a tough "tween" age, but we certainly don't want them just roaming the ship.

Thanks!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

My Ds was 11 on our cruise in Aug. He had such a great time! I think it was the perfect vacation for his age. He enjoyed the clubs which was a bit of a surprise for me. He is a quiet kid and usually chooses to hang with the adults but liked the freedom he could have on the ship. I think 3 nights he went to the club and stayed until about midnight. He also was allowed to check himself in and out. He made a sign in sheet for our cabin for each day. Whenever any of us changed out location we stopped in the room and signed in and wrote where were headed and what time it was. This worked great! Not only could we find each other but we have a log of everything we did on each day! If your kids are responsible they will enjoy the freedom. Ds can't wait to cruise again!

 

[denise5374]

My DD was 11 (almost 12) on our last cruise. She could sign herself out of the clubs. She met a few friends and they "hung out" all week. She had to let us know where she was and what she was doing and we didn't let he wander around the ship. But she was out unitl midnight just about every night.

 

[zacsmom]

Most nights our 12 year old was out till 1:00am. Friday night they closed the lab at 12:00am. Monday and Tuesday the lab closed at 12:00am also. Our son also had sign out privleges but we also had a beeper. We also had a dry erase board on the back of the stateroom door so if he wanted to sleep in, we could go to the pool or spa and he knew where to find us.

I think it is wonderful that you have the 2 -12 year olds , less worries.

 

[LissafromSJ]

When in NOv. are you going? We're on the Easter 7 day leaving on November14th and we have twin 11 year olds and a 9 year old (at that time). Melissa

 

[disneyagain]

Nov 3rd - 3 night Wonder. We've got the 2 boys (cousins) and our daughter (10).

We cruised last summer on the wonder and I was a little nervous about letting him have sign out privileges, so we didn't. He was 11 1/2 it was just him and little sister who was in the younger age club then.

This time all 3 will be in the same age group for the kids club (10-12). Both boys will be 7th graders just a few months shy of 13. DD will be 10 1/2 in the 5th grade. (She might not get sign out privileges, unless she's going with the boys...we'll see how much the boys want her hanging out with them.)

I like the idea of a sign in/out sheet in the room.

Thanks for all of your reassuring comments!

 

[tink1663]

It was our very first cruise and my son was 12. I allowed him to come and go as he pleased but we used walkie talkies. It made it so much easier to and with the push of the button I knew where he was. I allowed him to stay out till 1 am. and he was thrilled with the independence and freedom. It really helped me alot because my daughter is an early to bed kind of kid so I was able to be in the room with her and let him hang out with his new friends. I was alittle worried at first but I did relax after the first day or so.

 

[myboysmom]

Thanks to all of you who are sharing. My oldest son will be 12 as well, so I am interested in how you all handled this.

 

[westjones]

It was our very first cruise and my son was 12. I allowed him to come and go as he pleased but we used walkie talkies.

How do they carry these around? Do you use some sort of holder? I could just see them being laid down somewhere and forgotten.

DJ

 

[mimidedoodah]

Westjones, the ones i have seen have clips on the back so they can be clipped on your waistband. HTH.
Mimi

 

[DonnettaR]

I would like to know what the kids do when they leave the club? My DD is 11 (almost 12). We have been on the Disney cruise several times and I have never given her sign out priviledges. I know she would like to be more independent and go with the other kids when they leave. I just don't know what they do and where they go. I guess I figure when they are in the lab they are busy with activites and won't want to leave. In the past, if they were doing an activity she didn't particularly like, she would page me and Id go get her. She would get her navigator when we checked in and plan what she wanted to do in the lab on what days. I don't know maybe it's a girl thing, an only child thing, or a paranoid mother thing.

 

[ljql_5969]

How old do they have to be to have sign out priveleges?

 

[DonnettaR]

I believe it starts with the 10-12 yr olds

 

[westjones]

I would like to know what the kids do when they leave the club? My DD is 11 (almost 12). We have been on the Disney cruise several times and I have never given her sign out priviledges. I know she would like to be more independent and go with the other kids when they leave. I just don't know what they do and where they go. I guess I figure when they are in the lab they are busy with activites and won't want to leave. In the past, if they were doing an activity she didn't particularly like, she would page me and Id go get her. She would get her navigator when we checked in and plan what she wanted to do in the lab on what days. I don't know maybe it's a girl thing, an only child thing, or a paranoid mother thing.

We only let our girls go back to the cabin if they wanted to leave the lab. We always try to get a room on the 5th floor so we are just around the corner from the lab (we like the secret porthole rooms, but if we couldn't get those we would get one of the Cat. 11 rooms in the hall so we would be close to the lab).

The lab 'pages' us to let us know she has left and then I call the room to see what she is wanting to do. Last time it happened we were in the Cove Cafe and she was wanting to go swimming, so I told her to change into her suit and we would come down when we were done and get her. I stay with her and her sister at the pool at all times.

I don't let my girls (both were 11 at our last sailing--twins) go around the ship by themselves, but MANY of the kids from the lab were able to do so. I don't know what I will do next time (they will be 12 1/2 at that time). I do know the rule will be that they have to be together. We might take those two way radios with us and try those out.

DJ

 

[cookielulu]

DonnettaR - I agree with you. On our last cruise our DD was 11 and we would not let her sign out on her own. She got bored at the labs and did not like to go anyway!

We do not let her wander the ship with "friends" we do not know until midnight - I don't think she could stay awake that late anyway!! I have no idea who the people or the crew are on the ship. Weird things can happen.

We have been on many Disney cruises and we have seen the unsupervised kids sitting on the steps kissing and who knows what else!

Our DD is now 13 and we will be cruising in April - she now is with The Stack group - possible 16 and 17 yr. old boys - don't think so!! They really need an in-between club, maybe ages 12-14?

My Dh and myself enjoy being paranoid parents!

 

[westjones]

Our DD is now 13 and we will be cruising in April - she now is with The Stack group - possible 16 and 17 yr. old boys - don't think so!! They really need an in-between club, maybe ages 12-14?

My Dh and myself enjoy being paranoid parents!

This is our concern too! Next year my twins will be 12 1/2, so they will still be in the Lab. BUT after that they will be in the Stack, and DH and I are not comfortable with that. We had 'thought' about stopping our cruises after next year. We 'thought' about trying the RCCL (they have a 12-14 year old group). But we so love the Disney cruise.

We were just talking about this yesterday (because we were watching a show on the Travel Channel about the RCCL, both of us said it looks beautiful but we love Disney). So we decided that we would try a 4 night cruise with the girls with they are 13 and see how it goes. I just don't know if it will be fun for them onboard if they don't have the organized activities like they did for the lab. BUT we will see.

Having twins does help, because there is always a buddy system (which we insist upon), and one of my twins tells me EVERYTHING in great DETAIL.

There are movies onboard, and some family programs in the evening. They will probably still like swimming at that time. But if that one doesn't go well, we may just have to skip cruising for the teen years.

My girls said they would be happy onboard even without going to the teen thing (but they say that now). But there is NO WAY my 13 year old girls are going to be hanging out with 16 and 17 year olds.

So I would LOVE to hear reports from others who have taken young teens on the ship where they didn't have them go to the Stack--to see how they like the cruise and what they did to pass the time.

DJ