Looking for teenage perspective on Vibe

[Never to old]

Hi! My 14 year old nephew will be sailing on his first Disney cruise on the Dream. Can anyone tell him what to expect? Do they have organized activities? Do they have any kind of a meet and greet activity? I would also like to know if there is any kind of supervision? Thank you!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi! My 14 year old nephew will be sailing on his first Disney cruise on the Dream. Can anyone tell him what to expect? Do they have organized activities? Do they have any kind of a meet and greet activity? I would also like to know if there is any kind of supervision? Thank you!

Well, there's the tween club, Edge, that's ages 11-14. As well as the teen club, Vibe, ages 14-17. They have activities. He should check out both on the first night at the Open House.

Also, a good place to check out what other activities that may be onboard, would be the Navigators (under the Staterooms tab above).

 

[Never to old]

Well, there's the tween club, Edge, that's ages 11-14. As well as the teen club, Vibe, ages 14-17. They have activities. He should check out both on the first night at the Open House.

Also, a good place to check out what other activities that may be onboard, would be the Navigators (under the Staterooms tab above).

Thanks he would fit better into the Vibe.

 

[lady9]

My DS has cruised twice and both times been in the Vibe. He loved it and spent most of his time with his new friends. It is important he go the first night to the meet and greet and planning for the week. It is usually held about 10pm the very first night. DS met the kids he hung out with that first night. They planned some video game tournaments, smoothie nights, sport's deck activities/games, scavenger hunts, and other activities. The last night they signed t-shirts (provided by Disney) and had a party. We went to check out Vibe shortly after lunch the first day just to meet the counselors and see where he would be spending his time. It is a very nice space. There is supervision while in Vibe or during Vibe activities. We let our DS have a lot of freedom but set rules, and we did check on him (i.e. he is where he said he was going to be). He checked in throughout the day and had to join us for breakfast and lunch (of course being a teen boy, that didn't stop him from having a 2nd breakfast with his friends an hour later!)

 

[Never to old]

My DS has cruised twice and both times been in the Vibe. He loved it and spent most of his time with his new friends. It is important he go the first night to the meet and greet and planning for the week. It is usually held about 10pm the very first night. DS met the kids he hung out with that first night. They planned some video game tournaments, smoothie nights, sport's deck activities/games, and other activities. The last night they signed t-shirts (provided by Disney) and had a party. We went to check out Vibe shortly after lunch the first day just to meet the counselors and see where he would be spending his time. It is a very nice space. We let our DS have a lot of freedom but set rules. He checked in throughout the day and had to join us for breakfast and lunch (of course being a teen boy, that didn't stop him from having a 2nd breakfast with his friends an hour later!)

Sounds like we might not see a lot of him. We are going on a 3 night cruise, do you think they would still go through the planning process? Do they do something special as a group on castaway? I thought I saw something on a 5 night navigator that had Cookies BBQ listed for vibe.

 

[debsters41]

They still do the planning on a three night cruise. I barely saw my 15 yo either, and she still raves about the best vacation she ever had (on DCL at the Vibe)

 

[Never to old]

They still do the planning on a three night cruise. I barely saw my 15 yo either, and she still raves about the best vacation she ever had (on DCL at the Vibe)

Thank you! It sounds like he is going to have lots of fun.

 

[lady9]

I think there is a shore excursion on Castaway Cay for teens only. I am not sure about other Vibe activities. Our cruises were to Alaska and Canada so we haven't been to Castaway Cay yet-looking forward to it this summer though!

I doubt you will see a lot of your nephew. My DS just wanted to be with kids his own age. We felt that between breakfast and dinner and the shore excursions he spent with us, it was fine to let him do his thing without us, too. I think that is one reason a cruise vacation is so appealing to us-time with the family and time as a couple while the kids are having fun as well.

 

[keryia]

Last year we took ous son on the Fantasy and we dragged him to vibe. At dinner he announced that Vibe was open until 2 am and not to wait up. After that we saw him for breakfast and dinner and any trip but that was about it. They had kids in there who where 17 and they had just as much fun as the 14 year olds. After this trip he basically told us he would love to go on a disney cruise every year until he is too old for Vibe. So we're planning on doing just that. And it was great not just for him but for us as well.

Liana

 

[GBBTomorrow]

My DD16 is a very quiet person. She's not "shy" exactly, but just not a very in-your-face social kind of person. Has anybody had an experience with a quiet teen in Vibe: like it, hate it, problems, hints?

 

[LoriV]

My DD16 is a very quiet person. She's not "shy" exactly, but just not a very in-your-face social kind of person. Has anybody had an experience with a quiet teen in Vibe: like it, hate it, problems, hints?

Others have said it before, but I will re-iterate - It's really important to go to the icebreaker event on the first night. On our last cruise I had 2 kids eligible for Vibe (17 and 15 at the time). They did not go to the icebreaker. They stopped in on day 2, stayed for 10 minutes, and decided it was "lame." Their word, not mine. On the last day, DD15 decided to give it another try. She met a nice group of kids and we didn't see her for the rest of the day, other than dinner. She really regrets not going on the first day. I expect our cruise next month to be very different. She is already talking about Vibe and how she will most definitely be there for the icebreaker activity. She also is not necessarily shy, but not the most outgoing either - until she gets to know someone.

I will add that DS17 never warmed up to Vibe. However, he was almost 18 at the time and felt the crowd on that particular cruise was a bit young for him.

 

[CT Mom of 3]

When we went on our first cruise on the Dream, my daughter was 13, didn't go on the first night and then when she went later in the cruise she was intimidated because everyone had already formed their friendships. This past summer on the Fantasy, she went the first night and had a BLAST all week. Apparently this was the largest group of teenagers they had on the Fantasy at that point - she was gone from right after dinner until early in the morning!Her vibe pals have a facebook page now and they all keep in touch and are trying to get all the parents to plan another cruise for them1

 

[Weedy]

Someone posted this a few months ago. It really shows how much fun the kids have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBnkn2tQdt0

 

[ranidayz]

Hi! My 14 year old nephew will be sailing on his first Disney cruise on the Dream. Can anyone tell him what to expect? Do they have organized activities? Do they have any kind of a meet and greet activity? I would also like to know if there is any kind of supervision? Thank you!

My teens thought there was almost too much supervision. Several times during our last cruise they wanted to hang out with their friends in the water area. When they got there, they were told they couldn't hang out and do their own thing - they had to do the structured activity that was happening -- which always seems to be "Just Dance." Finally, they decided just to use the Vibe as a meeting place with their new friends and they all left and hung around the ship....until they were told they couldn't come into the Vibe if all they were going to do was meet people and leave. Apparently you can't have your cake or eat it sometimes.

 

[ALSBC91]

My boys (both on the quiet side) have loved their time in the Vibe. They had to join us for dinner and pictures beforehand, but other than that, they were free to explore and hang out with their new friends. We had a Facebook page for our cruise, so they "knew" quite a few of the others before we ever sailed.

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Others have said it before, but I will re-iterate - It's really important to go to the icebreaker event on the first night. On our last cruise I had 2 kids eligible for Vibe (17 and 15 at the time). They did not go to the icebreaker. They stopped in on day 2, stayed for 10 minutes, and decided it was "lame." Their word, not mine. On the last day, DD15 decided to give it another try. She met a nice group of kids and we didn't see her for the rest of the day, other than dinner. She really regrets not going on the first day. I expect our cruise next month to be very different. She is already talking about Vibe and how she will most definitely be there for the icebreaker activity. She also is not necessarily shy, but not the most outgoing either - until she gets to know someone.

I will add that DS17 never warmed up to Vibe. However, he was almost 18 at the time and felt the crowd on that particular cruise was a bit young for him.

Thanks for this reply. We will urge her to participate on the first night, and after that we'll see what she prefers. Perhaps she will meet some like-minded kids and hang out with them, but if not I know she will also be happy reading by the pool and going to movies. Thanks again!

 

[trj010014]

I have gone to vibe and would deffinitly recommend going to the ice breaker activity. I am naturally shy, but have never had problems making friends. I still talk to my friend from a cruise two years ago. My friends and I just wanted to hang out at vibe. If someone didn't want to hand out at vibe you could just use the wave phones to meet up.

 

[Never to old]

I have gone to vibe and would deffinitly recommend going to the ice breaker activity. I am naturally shy, but have never had problems making friends. I still talk to my friend from a cruise two years ago. My friends and I just wanted to hang out at vibe. If someone didn't want to hand out at vibe you could just use the wave phones to meet up.

What was your favorite activity in the vibe? Not sure if my nephew is into dancing.
Thanks

 

[Never to old]

Others have said it before, but I will re-iterate - It's really important to go to the icebreaker event on the first night. On our last cruise I had 2 kids eligible for Vibe (17 and 15 at the time). They did not go to the icebreaker. They stopped in on day 2, stayed for 10 minutes, and decided it was "lame." Their word, not mine. On the last day, DD15 decided to give it another try. She met a nice group of kids and we didn't see her for the rest of the day, other than dinner. She really regrets not going on the first day. I expect our cruise next month to be very different. She is already talking about Vibe and how she will most definitely be there for the icebreaker activity. She also is not necessarily shy, but not the most outgoing either - until she gets to know someone.

I will add that DS17 never warmed up to Vibe. However, he was almost 18 at the time and felt the crowd on that particular cruise was a bit young for him.

Thanks I will definitely try and remember to encourage him to go the first night.

 

[pjacobi]

Last year we took ous son on the Fantasy and we dragged him to vibe. At dinner he announced that Vibe was open until 2 am and not to wait up.

Even Cinderella has a 12:00 AM curfew!

Seriously, nothing good can happen to teens running around at 2AM, even on a Disney ships.


-Paul