Do you know what your teens are doing?

[budwmn]

Okay, I'm a little nervous to write this post, but noticed something on our last cruise that really bothered me. When I talked about it with two friends who are also DCL cruisers, they said they've encountered the same problem: RUDE TEENS.

Our cabin was near the midship elevators and it seemed that teens were constantly hanging out and sitting on the steps around the Deck 7 and Deck 8 mid-ship area. I'm not just talking about during the day or evenings -- even at 2 AM. Several times I could not walk down the stairs without asking them to move (fire hazard?). The attitude was fairly typical teen sarcasm.

If it had ended there, I wouldn't be writing this. However, they would ring our doorbell at 2 or 3 in the morning almost every night. Our cruise also had problems with teens jumping up and down in the elevators. Several times during the cruise, they became stuck until maitenance could free them. Once, while I was riding in the elevator with my DH, DS, and another couple, a boy (15-ish) started jumping. I asked him politely to "please stop jumping". He said I had no right to tell him what to do and got off at the next floor. The other passengers were equally shocked by his attitude.

When I mentioned the above incedents, my friends acknowledged similar teen behavior on their cruises (knocking on doors in the wee hours of the morning, hanging out in groups in the stairwells). Have others experienced similar problems on their cruises? ? ?

I remember what it's like to be young, but my parents also taught me to respect adults. While I realize that this is "harmless" stuff, I can't understand why this behavior is tolerated.

 

[bratray]

hi
this behaviour should not have to be tolerated- i have no problem pointing disruptive kids out to the proper authorities.... i don't know what they can do about the problems but if enough people complain they will eventually have to do something (i hope)

otherwise, i hope you had a great cruise- you know the old saying; it only takes a few bad apples to spoil the bunch

 

[inkkognito]

We've been lucky...on all of our many cruises, the disruptive teen behavior that we have witnessed is minimal. We've seen them out in the middle of the night, but not in areas where they are in the way or causing a disturbance. I have seen some bad behavior, like a gang of them running like maniacs down one of the hallways. A crew member saw that and stopped them before they plowed into someone.
Unfortunately, there are ADULTS sitting on the stairs all the time. Very annoying! As we make our way around them, Tony and I always say loudly, "Wow, I didn't know these were chairs...silly me, I thought they were for walking on." Doesn't phase 'em though...thick skulls seem to go hand in hand with rudeness.
Barb

 

[Boaguy]

Well I'm 15 and I was always out till around 3 or 4 in the morning..never did any of the ringing doorbells knocking and running crap but when we hang out at night there isnt much else other then the stairs or halls because they are usually cleaning the deck and the stack is closed..we tried to be quiet and werent in the hallways with rooms..though

 

[moocow35]

We had the crank phone calls this past February cruise at all hours of the night. I had two teen girls with me, and apparently it was some lovestruck boy who hadn't reached maturity yet. The second night it happened, (and I am NOT a happy person when I am awoken) I got security involved and they were able to trace the phone calls to my room. Most of them were made from various public phones around the ship, but the idiot made one last one from his stateroom! BUSTED! Needless to say, the calls stopped.

Robin

 

[travel with kids]

I am a high school teacher and I wish I could say that you have met the only rude teenager left in the world....but I would be wrong. I hear this type of attitude all the time. It is, thank goodness not the norm for all teenagers. I can think of more teenagers who would not behave in that disrespective way then who would. However, just one rude teenage can set a bad tone for the entire group.

I think you and any other person who has experienced behavior and actions as mentioned above, should complain to DCL. While DCL can not "babysit" the teens the entire cruise or stop rude teens from being rude, I do think that if DCL acknowledges this behavior then perhaps they could work towards limiting the promblems. As a teenage poster replied, they sit on the stairs because there is no other place for them to sit. On our last cruise, DH and I encountered a group of teens sitting on the stairs. They were very polite and all stood and waited for us to pass, then sat back down. If they had been rude, I would have probably come unglued. Maybe DCL should look into leaving the Stack open for those that simply want to hang out and talk.

The ringing the door bells and jumping in the elevator is a behavior that DCL should address serioulsy with the teens and their parents. It seems that more and more DISers are posting concerns regarding the teens and their behavior. As a parent of a teenager, this is behavior that I would not tolerate from my ds. He would find himself sitting home the next cruise.

 

[jdm]

I'm curious. To the 15 year old poster who said he was out until 3 or 4 in the morning. Did your parents know you were out until this hour, and if so- where did they think you were? I'm not trying to be critical and sounds like you were considerate to others. Call me old fashioned, but I can't imagine allowing my 15 year old out until 4am roaming the ship.

Jenn

 

[TooPure4u]

My 16 (at the time) year old son was out until sometimes 2am when we cruised in January. The stack stays open that late and it was very hard to get him to come in. He made a bunch of new friends and was having the time of his life (it was a Make-a-wish cruise). Anyway, I normally would NOT allow my 16 year old son to be out that late but I knew that he couldn't go anywhere and for the most part...is a very respectable young man. Teenager no...but not an adult either. I couldnt keep my eyes open past 11pm but couldnt very well expect him to be in early because the stack continued with there activities. I guess maybe if I questioned his maturity, things might have been a little different. Anyway....maybe the stack should close a little earlier and then enforce some kind of curfew. That's an idea!!

 

[ohMom]

this a big concern for me -- we'll be cruising with a fresh-turned 13 year old daughter

i have to say NO WAY would she be allowed free roam all hours of the night. I think DCL should put a curfew for minors -- not a horrid one -- say 1 a.m. maybe

 

[sweet angel]

As a parent of a teenager, this is behavior that I would not tolerate from my ds. He would find himself sitting home the next cruise.

I totally agree with this. We were only on the 3-day, but my son was really good. He came back to the room a couple of times with stories of what other kids were doing (throwing ping pong balls off the ship, etc). I made it clear that there was NO WAY I would tolerate him doing that type of thing and he understood. He was only out one night later than we were, and he was at the arcade.

 

[cypress_star]

Hi all, on our last cruise my young daughter was 8 she was in bed by 11 or 12 every night. I have triplets who were at the time 12, they will be 15 on our cruise in February. On our last cruise, it was strictly enforced by me (THE PARENT) what time they would be back in the cabin (we had 2 cabins because we're a big family). They always obeyed. This time I assume will be a little different because they will be 15 so let me state what my guidelines are to them...first of all we go on a cruise so that I feel comfortable letting them have some freedom. I think DCL does an excellent job with activities, food and keeping everyone (young and old) entertained. The parent should enforce what time your child is in their room, not DCL. Come on, this is what is happening in the world today, let someone else do the rules and enforcing and the parents just sit back and complain. My opinion is the parents of these teenagers should be sought out and chastised as well. Cause I tell you what if I were to get a phone call or a visit from someone in authority about one of my children, that would be it, they would be with Mommy and Daddy the rest of the time. They would obey because so far my children know who to respect and who to be reverent too.

 

[moocow35]

Cause I tell you what if I were to get a phone call or a visit from someone in authority about one of my children, that would be it, they would be with Mommy and Daddy the rest of the time.

LOL! I'm hoping that is what happened to the young man who so graciously woke us up every hour all night those two nights!

 

[ivanova]

Wow. Makes me thankful for the kid I've got.

I discourage her from "advertising" our room number (which probably helps prevent the wee hour phone calls) ... she's not allowed to bring any one to our room, or go to anyone else's room ... our rooms tend to be deck 5 or 6 aft, guess not a lot of foot traffic down there for the ding dong thing ... she's to be back in the room within 1/2 an hour of the teen club closing (and she knows good & well that I can call a teen counselor the next day to confirm the time they kicked out the teens) ... and she clearly knows the consequences if we find out she did ANYTHING inappropriate (her worst fear is that we'd cut her off completely from the teen club and make her hang out with her old foggie parents ).

We're doing the repo cruise in August, and we'll have 7 kids in our group of 21 ... 6 of them will qualify for the teen club (two barely) ... we're having a group gathering 6 weeks before the cruise to "lay down the law" ... based on another thread I read, I'm thinking the parents might draw up a contract for the kids to sign (maybe we should do this now; and if they refuse to sign they don't cruise ) ... my concern with that cruise is that it's 14 nights long ... and we have something like 8 days at sea ... the teens will probably get bored ... which lead to shenanigans by a handful, and give all teens a bad rep ... I don't normally encourage my DD to "tattle" but if she witnesses inappropriate behavior (especially anything dangerous, like jumping overboard in the harbor) I'd want her to tell a CM immediately!!

 

[Boaguy]

The 4 am thing was on the 3 nights to sea that we didnt have anything to do the next day, and yes my mom knew about it..but on days we had islands to go to it was 2.

 

[yamahaboy]

i typed a really long post out last night but it didnt go thru! oh well...im a 15 year old kid also...ive been on two disney 7 night western and will be going on eastern in either march or nov. i am always out untill 2 or 3 in the morning on the cruise. we would either hang out on the stair ways, or out on deck 4 out side in those chairs by the running track. there is almost like 2 groups of teens on the ship. the "good kids" which have fun but are doing it with out bothering anyone els, and then the "bad kids" who go out of their way to bother other people. the stack gets boreing after being there alot of the day so when it gets late most people go their own ways on the ship...i really dont think its that bad staying out utnill the wee hours in the night. i mean where are u going to go? your not going to get kid naped or ne of that....my parents want me to be in by 3 but i cant say up past then anyways lol. the cruise is only 3,4, or 7 days long and i would like to get the most out of it i could.

I think the parents on this board should see the teens point of view...you just meet new friends and you wanna have a good time. if you know your kids are good and responsible then they should beable to stay out untill at least untill 2....

Eric

 

[cypress_star]

I totally agree with you Eric, I want first and foremost for everyone to have fun. Staying up late is what kids do (Not old folks like moms and dads ;0), but it's always the bad ones that screw things up. Like I said before I trust my children until they give me a reason not too. There isn't a curfew on the ship, because DCL doesn't need to regulate that, it's up to the parents. If staying up late is fun and you're being polite, respectful and considerate of others, then it is ok, as long as you're ready to go up the next morning and go go go.

Have fun, but not at the expense of others.

 

[inkkognito]

Personally, I remember what it was like to been a teen, so if I were that age, I know that I'd be wanting to stay out all night. That's not an excuse for bad behavior, of course, but if the kids are behaving, what the heck...they're on vacation! We had dinner with a Make A Wish family with a teen and a young girl. The little girl was the Make A Wish child, and we saw her at dinner every night. The parents assured us the teen existed, but we never saw him once! He was having the time of his life with friends, and they have him some freedom. I'm sure he appreciated it and needed it because I'm sure it's stressful having a gravely ill sibling. As long as the teens behave and Mom & Dad know where they are, I think it's okay for them to stay up all night. I have many fond memories of all-nighters as a kid myself.
Barb

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

I think the teenage posters should think of some alternative activities they would enjoy and recommend them to DCL. It can't be that much fun sitting on the stairs and talking until 3AM. If it is then they need an alternative lounge or dance club that they can hang out in.
It is my experience that the troublesome kids travel in a pack and the pack should be pointed out to the crew, if they are behaving in an unsafe manner.

 

[yamahaboy]

to tell you the truth...if there was a club open at 3 in the morning I would not go in it....at night its fun just to get away from everyone and just hang out with your own lil group of friends....at two or three in the morning there is NOT alot of people out....its really not that hard standing up every half hour or so for people to walk by.

 

[Boaguy]

Talking is fun because there new friends and you want to get to know them before the end of the cruise, and to tell you the truth the stack is pretty lame other then meeting new friends, after you meet your friends you dont want to sit in the stack with the mostly crappy music played very loud (so you can really talk) and the video games always being hogged.