April 12, 2008, 4-12-08, 4/12/08 Eastern Magic

[motherofsons]

Thanks for the update. Funny you mention braces because my DS is going to the dentist next week and I think he might be sporting braces on the cruise as well. How funny. Familiar with Webster we grew up in Newburgh.
Is your son dreading the cruise? Mine is. He has his mind made up that it is for 7yr olds (like his brother) and he is going to be bored. He is not one to start talking to people. I hope I do not have 14 year old shadow for 7 days.

 

[motherofsons]

We were on the Magic last year and this excursion was not available. It is new I think. We have it booked. I did read reviews on it and it sounds great. We are just trying to avoid the nude beach in St Maarteen with a 14 yr old DS and a 7 yr old DS.

 

[aprince&princess]

Has anyone here been on a cruise to these islands before? I'm wondering if instead of going on a beach excursion, if it is a close walk to any of the beaches from the ship.
Thanks for your help!

Hi, when we did our cruise last summer there was a beach in St Maarten that was right near the shopping. When we exited the boat there was a water taxi that we took across to where the shopping was and the beach was right there, although I'm not sure how many people were swimming and the beach wasn't that big. We had already booked a tour that included going to Orient Beach so we weren't in that area too long. We are still debating what we want to do for this cruise.

 

[aprince&princess]

This is our second Disney Cuise. We cruised alone last year but this time we are bring our DS's 7 and 14. Looking for other 14 year olds on the cruise. My son is shy till he gets comfortable and then the ship better watch out.
Help if you are cruising with a 14 year old. He loves sports, Videos and his Ipod, I guess like all other 14 year olds. Anyone from Mass, we are in Grafton

My DS is 13 (turns 14 during the summer) and also loves sports, video games and his Ipod. My kids DS13 and DD10 are excited that the cruise is coming up. We did a RC cruise last summer and they had a great time.

 

[dsnyfangoofy2]

Welcome, motherofsons! I'm one, too, only mine are 15 and 16. We also have 14-year-old girl in our family group of 36, and your son might actually like meeting her! She is very cute, smart, athletic, and out-going.

We took the boys on a Carnival cruise in 06 and they were in heaven. They can't wait for this one. We made them eat dinner with us each night, but otherwise we seldom saw them. They did things with the other teens, both officially and unofficially. When they liked the planned teen activity they did it, and when they weren't interested, the same group of teens their age did their own thing, including just sitting around talking.

I think the important thing is to register the 14-year-old as a teen (I think you do this when you do your online boarding papers -- does anyone else know about this?) Anyway, then he can choose to do the official teen things or not.

BTW -- mine was 14 when we did the Carnival one, and he was at that stage where he made it perfectly clear that he was NOT happy to have to have dinner with the family. His goal was to make sure we were just as miserable as he was about it! So, your 14-year-old may be at about the same stage! What can ya do?

Bev

 

[aprince&princess]

When I did my online paperwork, I saw a place to register my 10 year old DD, but I didn't have a link for my DS. I just assumed that we don't register those that are the teen program.

I will have to have my 13 year old read the thread. They are both brainwashed into listening to the podcast with us, but neither has been on the boards. My DS will be glad to know there will be other boys. I mentioned that there was going to be girls his age, but that didn't seem to matter. More into the sports and video stuff.

 

[dsnyfangoofy2]

So, about registering the teens.

I called DCL the other day because there wasn't any place to register them online, like you can register the littler kids for the Club and the Lab. The rep told me that we would register them when we did our online stuff.

Maybe the online stuff just identifies them as teens and automatically registers them? Or do they not need to register at all?

I know we register the littler ones so that they can be checked in and out by their parents, which the teens don't need to do. But on Carnival we had to register for the teen program, too, in order for them to participate.

Has anyone taken teens before and do you have the definitive answer to this?

Bev

 

[motherofsons]

I believe my son's goal is to make us miserable on this trip, he is a teenager. Thanks for the advice. I know after he plays the first basketball on ship we will not see him for the remainder of the trip.

We have tortured (teased) him about what costume he was going to wear on pirates night and other little things like that.

Kath

 

[Skuba2]

We went to the St. Maarten beach you are talking about. It is not a smooth sand beach. We rented jet ski's there. It was fun.

The teen group is much more left to their own devices. I looked at the navigators and I remember their stuff not starting until dinner time or later. My daughter is hoping to find someone to hang by the pool with although that small pool can get awfully crowded. I have a feeling the arcade is going to see a lot of my money on this trip. LOL!

I will have to re-check the sign up part to see if they have added the teen group. I have a feeling since they don't have to check in or out, that registration isn't really necessary but more as a formality to know who is onboard.

Deb

 

[okwmember92]

Hi all new fellow cruisers, I too am a mother of boys, our first cruise our oldest son was 14, it was a 4 night, he stayed in the room watching movies, only to go up on deck to get chicken fingers, multiple trips, (didn't know about room service). At first I was kind of upset with him, and then realized it was his vacation too and he wasn't complaining. He did go to dinner and shows with us every night and loved our servers. Even took 9yo brother to dinner just the 2 of them while dh and I went to Palos. He did the teen excursion on castaway cay and had a fun time. The last night he met up with a boy (on one of his chicken finger runs) same age as him, same name and they played pingpong all night. Even tried to hook up after getting home to go to Bush Gardens together. Had fun on 2nd cruise which was a 7 day. He loves cruising and so does his brother. They are both jealous that DH & I are doing our anniversary cruise. Oh well...

See ya real soon, Kim

 

[cnb]

Hi Mother of Sons!! I have a 14yo teenage boy who also loves video games, ipods, etc. We should try to get them together! He is looking forward to the cruise, however, it's my 16yo DD that's making me nuts! She, too, thinks this is for kids. I think she's in for a big surprise--even her friends are telling her she'll have great time. I'm sure in both cases, though, I will not be seeing much of either of them. 9yo DD will have a classmate on the cruise with her. They are already planning their week! (Right, Cin? Anyway, DS will head for the teen club, I'm sure, and there he will be all week. Personally, I can't wait!

 

[Skuba2]

My 13 yr old will have her ipod as well as her nintendo ds.

Everyone is registered online but there isn't a club to register your teen into. You may have to sign them up onboard so they can use the teen space.

Anyone doing the teen excursion on Castaway Cay? I think someone asked that already but I am too lazy this morning to read through. My daughter wants to do it but I understand that sometimes it doesn't go for lack of interest. Maybe with our huge group here, we'll have enough.

It is hard to grasp that it is so close seeing how cold it is out. When we go it should be warm!!! Yeah!!

Deb

 

[aprince&princess]

Is anyone dressing up in Pirate costumes for Pirate night? Or clothes that seem pirate themed?

I think my 10 year old DD wants a costume. My 13 yo DS wants no part of dressing like a pirate. But maybe he will wear an eye patch and bandana. Or pirate Mickey ears if they have those onboard.

 

[cindyd1@optonline.ne]

We are going to dress up. Kids are looking forward to it. DS5, DD9, DD13

 

[motherofsons]

We are dressing up.

We does not include my 14 yr old DS wants nothing to do with it either. My 7 yr old DS can not wait to wear his Pirate gear.

 

[dsnyfangoofy2]

Our large group will have our bandanas (provided by DCL) and eye patches and, we hope, something else like a vest. A few will have more elaborate costumes.

Our teens will not be doing any teen group things on CC. Most are already signed up for stingrays, floats, snorkeling, bikes, glass bottom boat, banana boats, and/or parasailing with their various cousins.

I'm with Skuba2 on the weather. Here in Utah we have been having a new snow storm every-other-day. Brrrrr!

 

[cindyd1@optonline.ne]

We haven't had any significant snow just cold and rainy very rainy and windy

 

[dsnyfangoofy2]

A couple more questions for you experienced DCL-ers.

Do you have to sign up for the cooking demonstrations, or do you just show up?

Can you bring along a kid to the cooking demonstrations?

When you do a snorkel excursion, do they provide fins as well as the other stuff? I'm guessing they provide the mask, snorkel, and life vest, but my DSIL wondered about the fins.

Thanks!

BEv

 

[aprince&princess]

We haven't picked any excursions yet. I can't make up my mind if I want to book excursions through Disney or just find a taxi and go to the beach before or after some shopping. I am leary of the taxi thing because there will be so many boats there at the same time. 3 in st Marteen and either 5 or 6 is St Thomas. The last time we cruised we were one of two boats in both ports.

I think our plan for Castaway Cay is to just wait till we get there and then rent some floats if we want to. I thought that since Castaway Cay is the last day the kids might have other kids they have met on the boat that they may want to hang out with. On our RC cruise the private Bahama Island was the first day and they hadn't met anyone else yet, so they hung out with us or just each other.

 

[cindyd1@optonline.ne]

We didn't plan anything for the islands. We are just going to do our own thing. On CC we are going to do the parasailing and the banana boat.