May 30, 2009 - Western Cruise Magic

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

It's been a long time since I've posted but my DH and I are also waiting on our cat 12 GTY room assignment. I still pinch myself every time I remember what we paid - this is the lowest pp price we've paid out of 4 Disney cruises and all the other were 3&4 night ones!!! I looked at travelocity this morning and the inside category is showing sold out. How do you think that will effect our cabin assignments?
Couple questions: Any idea why we can't reserve the Palo brunch on line?
Also, will I need to reprint the signature sheets once room is assigned?
We canceled our room at the Radisson pre-cruise and the early shuttle so that we could go back to POFQ for a few nights. Any comments or suggestions on the DCL transfers would be great - we've never used this service before and are hoping we won't get to the port to late.

I don't think anyone answered you about Palo yet- you can't reserve Palo online right now because all the openings were already booked- some people (in suites) can book at 105 days, castaway club members (return cruisers) can book at 90 days and everyone else at 75 days- we're past all those dates now so I'm sure all the spots are taken.
You can go to Rockin' Bar D when you board though and see if there are any openings. It's suspected that they do save some spots for those to book upon boarding because not EVERYONE gets online or knows about booking it online/etc. so if they opened up all slots for everything online on those dates there would be no one else (but those that booked online in advance) that got to do Palo brunch/etc. So you have a chance of booking that when onboard- just go there first! (and if you don't get a slot- put yourself on a waiting list. I've read that sometimes people can't get a spot but ask to be waitlisted and then if someone else cancels or something they can sometimes get you in later!)
Hope that helps!

OK...showing no more availability for inside cabins means that they aren't selling any more. The ship is slowly filling, and if people want our dates, they'll have to pay more for it. Reality is that they've sold a LOT more cat 12s than exist. Most of us will end up sailing in 11s, some of us will receive more pixie dust. At the moment, they're trying to fill the ship with FL res rates, etc....but ours are much better!

As to DCL transfers, they will get you to port about 1:30-2 pm. If you want to be there earlier, you can rent a car or use a towncar service from POFQ.

I just got home (2 am) from the 7 day Eastern to St. Croix. Christiaan said that Brent will be our CD in May. Christiaan will go to the Wonder on May 10. Also, his son is sailing on the April 4 sailing (first trip) as he will be 12 weeks and 3 days old.

A LOT of people are getting off the ship on May 30--our server, our room hostess, and MANY we spoke with. Seems that it's a big change-over date for the crew.

I'll think clearly and tell you more later...and answer any questions. Tired now.

Ah well, I like them both but figures Christiaan would leave right before our cruise! And how odd so many are getting off the ship on the exact date we get on. Guess it's bound to happen at times but I thought they'd stagger it a bit more. Maybe that means all the crew just coming on will be well rested? LOL I hope Luke is still on the ship though! I want to see if he recognizes us. Although it doesn't seem that long for us since this is the first time we've gone back on a cruise so quickly (instead of 2yrs apart) but to him it's probably felt longer and a WHOLE LOTTA people on/off the ship. It will just be interesting to see if he recognizes/remembers any of us (I won't be upset if he doesn't but I bet he does. We saw him a ton and talked a lot LOL)

hi everyone - my first post My 3 teenagers are going on our first cruise - yea! I hope to meet alot of you on the cruise. does anyone know what page the info is for our meet and greet? what exactly are fish extenders and what do you use them for?

More teenagers!
Welcome to the group!
We have a lot of teenagers- although now that I see brucechase's list I'm a bit concerned with all the 18yr olds. I hope they aren't all in the stack. no wait- I'm sure the DIS'ers 18yr olds would behave themselves around the younger teens so no I'm not worried about that. I just didn't want a repeat of what happened with our teen last time. It better not- she knows if it does she'll be sticking with us 24/7 (or in the room when we're doing adult only stuff) and what fun would that be? So she better behave and not follow peer pressure into trying to "hook up" on the cruise. ugh don't let me get started on all that happened with her on our last cruise since she's such a follower.

 

[dawne577]

Thank you for the response on Palo's brunch. I started looking to reserve almost immediately after the CC time opened and the brunch or tea has never showed any availability. I'm wondering if they aren't going to offer it on our sailing - I'll check on board.

 

[sebamt]

Yes, they are offering them on our cruise. I got brunch and dinner reservations at 90 days out. You should definitely check as soon as you board. Good luck!

 

[CarolinaBlue]

More teenagers!
Welcome to the group!
We have a lot of teenagers- although now that I see brucechase's list I'm a bit concerned with all the 18yr olds. I hope they aren't all in the stack. no wait- I'm sure the DIS'ers 18yr olds would behave themselves around the younger teens so no I'm not worried about that. I just didn't want a repeat of what happened with our teen last time. It better not- she knows if it does she'll be sticking with us 24/7 (or in the room when we're doing adult only stuff) and what fun would that be? So she better behave and not follow peer pressure into trying to "hook up" on the cruise. ugh don't let me get started on all that happened with her on our last cruise since she's such a follower.

I didn't think 18 year olds could be in the Stack. I thought they had to be 17 and under. Oh, well, neither of my girls will be there because the 15 year old won't go without the 18 year old and the 18 year old doesn't want to be in there with a bunch of "kids".

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I didn't think 18 year olds could be in the Stack. I thought they had to be 17 and under. Oh, well, neither of my girls will be there because the 15 year old won't go without the 18 year old and the 18 year old doesn't want to be in there with a bunch of "kids".

If they are still in highschool and/or if graduated highschool but NOT started college yet- they allow them in the stack! I know it's unbelievable- I can't hardly believe it either. Seems Disney is really setting themselves up to at some point have a real issue on their hands- considering if a younger teen in the club "hooks up" with an 18yr old there could be some serious problems with that... not just with the family being upset but legally! But apparently that is how they do it. I can understand like those still in highschool- I'm sure many are turning 18 before graduating but you'd think Disney would be more strict on the age thing much like they are pretty strict on the younger age groupings... especialy when it concerns 14yr olds along with legal adults. KWIM?

(personally? I think the age grouping now isn't optimum. I think they should partly go back to the way it was up to age 12... then put like 13-15 in the OQ or something -seperate the teens a bit more. but that's just my opinion. LOL Or maybe like up to age 11 in lab and then 12-14 in OQ or something like that. you know what I mean? LOL)

My oldest is 15, she was 14 on the last cruise- we weren't happy with her behavior on the last cruise (while some might not be upset about it- we were.. (and it also included her not following instructions and often not being where she said she'd be, having trouble finding her often, etc.) -she may end up with us the entire cruise this time anyway. (depending on her behavior before the cruise most importantly trust issues- if we feel we can't TRUST her to be where she says and contact us if things change and behave in a way that WE feel is appropriate- no matter what other children or parents think about us being too strict or something like that- then we'll let her go in the stack on a trial basis. If not- she won't go. Period. she knows this.

I can understand your elder DD's feelings. I'm sure when I was 18 I wouldn't want to hang out with 14yr olds either! LOL

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Bibbidy - Do you happen to have a copy of the kids cruise contract that was drafted for the EB PC cruise we were on?

 

[voyages]

This is our first Disney cruise (our first cruise ever)! We have had this booked for over a year and have talked about it every day since. We can hardly wait. It will be me, my DH(45), my DD(3 weeks short of 12) and my DS (4).

We have booked all our excursions privately rather than through DCL. With a 4 year old in tow, DCL limits what you can do. We are using Fat Fish tours in Grand Cayman to go to Stingray City and then will go on the submarine that afternoon. In Cozumel, DD and myself will be doing the royal dolphin swim while DH and DS do the regular dolphin thing. We saved big bucks and were able to do what we wanted to do without limitations.

I've been eavesdropping on you folks for quite awhile. We have a Cat. 3 booked as I've decided to treat myself to something special. I have had 4 deaths in my family in the last 4 1/2 years and so I need some R & R away from it all.

I was curious as to what the best dinner rotation is to have? We will be participating in formal night as we never get to do anything like that at home, plus no one will no us on the boat and can make fun of us.

I would love to participate in the FE exchange, but will have to bow out this time around. The less things I have to think about, I think the better I will do. It sounds like a ton of fun though.

Can hardly wait to see the "Big Mickey Boat"!

Laurie

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Bibbidy - Do you happen to have a copy of the kids cruise contract that was drafted for the EB PC cruise we were on?

Unfortunately I do not. I regretted not making a copy of it at the time of that cruise and so I don't have it now either. If you happen to find someone who has it- let me know? sorry....

This is our first Disney cruise (our first cruise ever)! We have had this booked for over a year and have talked about it every day since. We can hardly wait. It will be me, my DH(45), my DD(3 weeks short of 12) and my DS (4).

We have booked all our excursions privately rather than through DCL. With a 4 year old in tow, DCL limits what you can do. We are using Fat Fish tours in Grand Cayman to go to Stingray City and then will go on the submarine that afternoon. In Cozumel, DD and myself will be doing the royal dolphin swim while DH and DS do the regular dolphin thing. We saved big bucks and were able to do what we wanted to do without limitations.

I've been eavesdropping on you folks for quite awhile. We have a Cat. 3 booked as I've decided to treat myself to something special. I have had 4 deaths in my family in the last 4 1/2 years and so I need some R & R away from it all.

I was curious as to what the best dinner rotation is to have? We will be participating in formal night as we never get to do anything like that at home, plus no one will no us on the boat and can make fun of us.

I would love to participate in the FE exchange, but will have to bow out this time around. The less things I have to think about, I think the better I will do. It sounds like a ton of fun though.

Can hardly wait to see the "Big Mickey Boat"!

Laurie

Welcome to our cruise! (our- hey yours too!)

I can't answer the dining rotation- I think everyone has their own preference on that for various reasons. I think a lot of people prefer Lumiere's on formal night- for both reasons (either they want to dress up on formal night- or they don't). Let me explain- it's SAID that Lumiere's is fancier on all nights- so those that don't want to dress up anymore than just formal nights prefer to have Lumiere's as their formal nights so that's the only nights they feel they need to dress up. Those that really want to dress up on formal nights feel that Lumiere's is the one place everyone dresses up more on formal nights. that is just what I seem to notice thru posts (ps. I'm the first one- NOT the latter reason LOL) Although I don't really find that people dress up a whole lot more at LUmiere's on nonformal nights- I'll be honest I don't pay attention to what others wear. I have us 5 to worry about if we're dressed appropriately or not under dressed/etc. to worry about other people and their clothing and once I go thru getting us all ready and gathered up and there- I'm ready to EAT (and visit with tablemates- which we had on the last cruise) and don't even glance at others in the room or care about what they wear. LOL But that's what I hear others saying- that they feel people dress up more in lumiere's even on nonformal nights.

So I guess if someone wanted to be around others "dressed up more" on MORE nights on the cruise- they'd prefer not having Lumiere's on formal nights. LOL As you can see it's really just a personal preference on time and rotation that is preferred.

we've booked everything on our own EXCEPT for snuba in cozumel is thru DCL. we had to- it was the only port we could get in snuba (promised to our DS who was supposed to dive with his daddy on this trip however I found it was too much of an extra hassle and cost to do so for an 11yr old (paying for an extra dive master just for him) AND all of them wouldn't let him go further down than 40ft anyway- so we're just doing snuba with him this time. Anyway couldn't find shoretrips/etc. that do snuba there- so we booked with DCL for that (oh and our eldest DD the teen wild side excursion at CC but ofcourse if you book ANY excursion there that has to be thru DCL so that one really doesn't count in my book LOL)

Yes we also had the age problem- although probably not as difficult as your youngster. But even with the 8yr old we had to book things outside of DCL because their age restrictions are higher. Ohwell- works out cheaper that way too!

Hey everyone- what did we decide on the wristbands or something to identify us? we talked about it but I can't remember how it was resolved and I think we're running out of time to do that now?

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

This is our first Disney cruise (our first cruise ever)! We have had this booked for over a year and have talked about it every day since. We can hardly wait. It will be me, my DH(45), my DD(3 weeks short of 12) and my DS (4).

We have booked all our excursions privately rather than through DCL. With a 4 year old in tow, DCL limits what you can do. We are using Fat Fish tours in Grand Cayman to go to Stingray City and then will go on the submarine that afternoon.

I have twin DD's who will be 12 a week before the cruise. We are also using Fat Fish tours for the wave runner tour to Stingray City. What time is your excursion booked with them? I believe our's is at 8:30.

 

[voyages]

I have twin DD's who will be 12 a week before the cruise. We are also using Fat Fish tours for the wave runner tour to Stingray City. What time is your excursion booked with them? I believe our's is at 8:30.

Sounds like we will be seeing each other then as our time with Fat Fish is at 8:30 also. We wanted to do the wave runners also, but with DS being 4 we had to do the boat. They said they would also take us to Starfish point to see the starfish since we couldn't do the snorkeling with DS. They seemed to be extremely accomodating for us. We are also doing the Atlantis Submarine at 1:30 which gave us enough time to possibly go back to the ship to eat lunch. Not sure if that will happen or not.

It sounds like our DD's will be together since they are so close in age. I'm trying to give mine some freedom to do things outside the club with other kids she meets without me hanging around, but I don't like not knowing where she is or who she might be with. Not sure DH will let this happen either. What is your experience with this on the ship?

 

[kcashner]

I didn't think 18 year olds could be in the Stack. I thought they had to be 17 and under. Oh, well, neither of my girls will be there because the 15 year old won't go without the 18 year old and the 18 year old doesn't want to be in there with a bunch of "kids".

We were on the Magic last week and specifically asked about this as DD just turned 18 but will not graduate from high school until May. We were told by the CM in the Stack that it depends a little on the number of teens on the cruise--in general, 18s who have not started college can choose whether to be in the "teen" stuff or the "adult" stuff. If there are too many, they won't be able to allow them to participate. DD basically laughed at the idea of choosing one or the other as there is no way to enforce that--there is no signing in or out of the Stack or the adult stuff. They do make a minimal attempt to control the conversation topics and swear words in The Stack, but it is quite limited. She did sign up to participate in the teen stuff but never went. From a legal standpoint there is no difference between an 18 year old in high school and an 18 year old not in high school.

There is also at least one "college" activity each day specifically listed as 18-21 year olds. These are usually 30 minute things more to allow that age group to have a chance to meet each other. DD was asked her age twice while in adult activities.

DCL does seem to have picked up on the recent thread about kids in adult activities. I did see a mother bring a kid (maybe 8-10 years old) into an adult program--a CM spoke to her and she left. They have installed a water dispenser with cups near the tram stop on Serenity Bay so bikers can get a drink without entering either the food or the beach areas on Serenity and they were strictly enforcing the "adults only" policy in those areas. They were also better about policing teens in Diversions for "adult" activities on the Wii--the teens have their own equipment and times.

As to a "best" rotation--there isn't one. Some people really like to eat in Lumiere's on formal night, but that means you won't be there for semi-formal night. Parrot Cay fit best with the theme when they had "Tropicali" night, but since it is pirate night, it really doesn't totally fit any room. Some people care whether their dining starts at 8, 8:15, or 8:30. I can't see that a 30 minute difference is that huge. The other thing to keep in mind is that they can always choose to change the activities based on weather--if the weather reports for Pirate night aren't good, they will move it in hopes of having clear skies for the deck activities and fireworks.

 

[loveysbydesign]

Sounds like we will be seeing each other then as our time with Fat Fish is at 8:30 also. We wanted to do the wave runners also, but with DS being 4 we had to do the boat. They said they would also take us to Starfish point to see the starfish since we couldn't do the snorkeling with DS. They seemed to be extremely accomodating for us. We are also doing the Atlantis Submarine at 1:30 which gave us enough time to possibly go back to the ship to eat lunch. Not sure if that will happen or not.

It sounds like our DD's will be together since they are so close in age. I'm trying to give mine some freedom to do things outside the club with other kids she meets without me hanging around, but I don't like not knowing where she is or who she might be with. Not sure DH will let this happen either. What is your experience with this on the ship?

How do they charge...per person per hour? Also is there an age limit for the Jet Boats? We're looking for a cheap, short excursion for that day and all I see on their website is $100 per hour charge.

 

[voyages]

How do they charge...per person per hour? Also is there an age limit for the Jet Boats? We're looking for a cheap, short excursion for that day and all I see on their website is $100 per hour charge.

Here is the information they originally sent us:

Thanks for contacting us, my name is Carolyn Jervis.
Let me tell you a little bit about our tour.

The stingray City Tour takes 2 1/2 hours to complete. The tour includes a
visit to Stingray City- where you can feed and pet the stingrays, a
snorkeling stop along the reef- at a less traveled area- very beautiful, a
tour through the mangroves (Cayman's natural wetlands) and a stop at Kaibo,
a beach bar/restaurant on the other side of the island- if time permits.

You can do the tour either with our 24 ft. boat, jet boat or jet skis.

The jet boat can only hold 3 passengers and has a maximum passenger weight
of 500 lbs. The jet boat comes with a driver/guide and the cost is $100 US
per hour.

The 24 ft. boat can hold 4 to 6 people and is $100 US per hour.

The cost of the jet skis are as follows; 1 rider on 1 ski is $125 US, 2
riders on 1 ski is $175 US, and 3 riders on 1 ski is $200 US. Each jet ski
can hold 2 adults and 1 child. These prices are for the 2 1/2 hour tour.

Your 4 year old is too young to ride on the back of the skis- our minimum
age is 5 years. Therefore my recommendation would be either our 24 ft. boat
or our jet boat.

All prices include transportation to and from the George Town Harbor. We
pick up our guests at the entrance to the Hard Rock Café. This meeting spot
is very easy to see and is a 2 minute walk from the cruise ship terminal.

Our tours are sometimes private by chance but during high season it may be
likely that you will be sharing your tour with a few other people. Our
groups rarely exceed 12 people- often they are less.
If you are interested in a private tour for your group or family only,
please let us know. It depends on our schedule as to whether or not we can
accommodate this request.

To confirm a reservation a 20% deposit of the total tour is required. We
accept Visa and MasterCard. Credit card details are taken over the phone and
our number is 345-327-4973 or if you prefer we can call you if you send us a
contact number. Once we have confirmed a reservation a confirmation sheet
will be sent to you by e-mail with the details of the tour, transportation
information and our cancellation policy.

If you cannot do the tour for any reason beyond your control, illness,
weather, ship schedule, etc...., then your deposit of 20% is fully refunded.


If you have any other questions please let us know.

Thanks for your consideration.
Take care,
Carolyn
Fat Fish Secretary

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Here is the information they originally sent us:

Thanks for contacting us, my name is Carolyn Jervis.
Let me tell you a little bit about our tour.

The stingray City Tour takes 2 1/2 hours to complete. The tour includes a
visit to Stingray City- where you can feed and pet the stingrays, a
snorkeling stop along the reef- at a less traveled area- very beautiful, a
tour through the mangroves (Cayman's natural wetlands) and a stop at Kaibo,
a beach bar/restaurant on the other side of the island- if time permits.

You can do the tour either with our 24 ft. boat, jet boat or jet skis.

The jet boat can only hold 3 passengers and has a maximum passenger weight
of 500 lbs. The jet boat comes with a driver/guide and the cost is $100 US
per hour.

The 24 ft. boat can hold 4 to 6 people and is $100 US per hour.

The cost of the jet skis are as follows; 1 rider on 1 ski is $125 US, 2
riders on 1 ski is $175 US, and 3 riders on 1 ski is $200 US. Each jet ski
can hold 2 adults and 1 child. These prices are for the 2 1/2 hour tour.

Your 4 year old is too young to ride on the back of the skis- our minimum
age is 5 years. Therefore my recommendation would be either our 24 ft. boat
or our jet boat.

All prices include transportation to and from the George Town Harbor. We
pick up our guests at the entrance to the Hard Rock Café. This meeting spot
is very easy to see and is a 2 minute walk from the cruise ship terminal.

Our tours are sometimes private by chance but during high season it may be
likely that you will be sharing your tour with a few other people. Our
groups rarely exceed 12 people- often they are less.
If you are interested in a private tour for your group or family only,
please let us know. It depends on our schedule as to whether or not we can
accommodate this request.

To confirm a reservation a 20% deposit of the total tour is required. We
accept Visa and MasterCard. Credit card details are taken over the phone and
our number is 345-327-4973 or if you prefer we can call you if you send us a
contact number. Once we have confirmed a reservation a confirmation sheet
will be sent to you by e-mail with the details of the tour, transportation
information and our cancellation policy.

If you cannot do the tour for any reason beyond your control, illness,
weather, ship schedule, etc...., then your deposit of 20% is fully refunded.


If you have any other questions please let us know.

Thanks for your consideration.
Take care,
Carolyn
Fat Fish Secretary

I got that exact same email minus the 4 year old comment!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I'm trying to give mine some freedom to do things outside the club with other kids she meets without me hanging around, but I don't like not knowing where she is or who she might be with. Not sure DH will let this happen either. What is your experience with this on the ship?

I know you didn't ask me but.... hehe
Our first cruise our daughter was 12 and she was in the lab. We allowed her check in/out privileges for ONE DAY ONLY. Then we changed it back- we got tired of trying to hunt her down all the time! (that time SHE was not telling the counselors to page us when she left the lab- we hadn't told her to because we really didn't think she'd be leaving it that much) She had a blast even without being able to leave- a total blast!

Things have changed quite a bit though.
Our 2nd (and most recent) cruise she was 14. She was in the stack- had I known that other DIS'ers kids that were 14 had asked to be put in the OQ I'd have done that with her- I didn't think she could though and didn't find out till later. Anyway- it was a mess. the counselors in the stack (nor in the OQ with our son! we had a pager though since we had a younger one in the club) are NOT good -at all- about paging you even if your child asks them to page you to let you know where they are going. And they didn't seem to care when we later asked them upon finding out our child said they asked the counselor to page us- they'd just shrug and say we must have forgot or thought we did and didn't/etc.
sigh

So here's my point- (pointers I was given by other DIS'ers with teenagers after the fiasco we went thru with our teen never knowing where she was and spending a lot of time trying to find her.. and the counselors being less than helpful about paging us even if the child asked them to) -- have some kind of plan or you might spend a lot of time trying to find your child when you need to (and/or worrying about where they are/what they are doing).

Others mentioned like having SET/SPECIFIC TIMES to meet so you can check in with your child, find out where they are going/etc.
Also instead of us having our kids ask the counselors to page us -since the counselors obviously won't do it!- we're going to enforce a rule that if they leave the stack or OQ they have to first go to our room and write on the erase board where they are going. (or call the room and leave us a voice message- one or the other!)If they are going somewhere else- sorry gotta go back to the room and update the info on the erase board. If we go to the room and read where they are and go there to find them and they aren't there, then they will be grounded and will have one or two choices- NOT leave the stack and/or OQ at all (which would be our rule- the counselors won't enforce it ofcourse-but we'd check to make sure at various times) or stay with us 24/7. I'm not playing around this time. Our issues were not only just knowing where they were and trying to find them (that issue was for both of them) but also with our oldest we had a "spy" (the son of our tablemates who was also in the stack and slightly older than her LOL) who told us of her participating in things we did not approve of (long story- will elaborate further if so desired LOL) -- so we're not playing around this time. We want to know where she is if she's not in the stack (same for our son in the OQ) and if that's any problem- they can just never leave those areas or they can hang with us. And we even told them if it comes down to that- and we want to do adult things.. guess what they are staying in the room. Mom is laying down the LAW this time. LOL

We are not going to spend our vacation wondering where they are (and what they are doing!) and/or spending a lot of time trying to find them ever again......

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

DD basically laughed at the idea of choosing one or the other as there is no way to enforce that--there is no signing in or out of the Stack or the adult stuff. They do make a minimal attempt to control the conversation topics and swear words in The Stack, but it is quite limited.

So true!!!!
they do a VERY minimal attempt (if any) to control ANY behavior in the stack, from our experience (and no my daughter didn't tell us- other older teens did! LOL) and they certainly do not enforce who is there that should or shouldn't be. Half the time they didn't even know if our dd was in there- or not (they didn't know she was there- when she was.. and certainly didn't know if she wasn't there either). From my experience (and yes I even went up the stairs and tried to get a counselors attention to find out if she was there when trying to find her... see my previous post!) the counselors are just hanging out doing nothing up there. Not trying to offend them- I honestly don't know what their job entails so perhaps they were doing exactly what their job entails. All I know is they were sure allowing behavior I didn't approve of (told by older teens as well as witnessed myself a few times when I got to the top of those stairs!) and had NO IDEA who was there/who wasn't. That's for sure. Most of them (all but one!) didn't even know who Ruby was- they'd just shrug and say they don't know who that is/etc. I'd have to try to grab the attention of other teens (sometimes ones I knew of- DIS'ers kids) and ask them if they'd seen Ruby.

Your DD is right- there is absolutely no way for them to enforce 18yr olds only doing one or the other-they can easily do both the stack and the 18-21 activities no problem!

(ps my personal opinion is that it's WAY too young at 11- in the OQ- to allow kids to come/go as they please without allowing the parents the right to choose that they can't leave and enforce that if the parents desire that. And I'm not happy that they aren't ATLEAST willing to be sure to page the parents if the child asks them to because that's their "rule" with their parent. I'm also not happy with how they have 14yr olds in the stack with legal adults and are so lenient in not only the behavior they allow there but also having no clue who the kids are, if they are there or not/etc- as well as also not willing to page the parent if the child asks them to. Basically on the Magic now from 11yrs up the kids are on their own and they make it where the parents are very limited on what they can control with their kids coming/going. I think 11yrs is too young for that. Sure allow the parents to allow the child to sign themselves in/out if they want to in the OQ- but to FORCE the parents to allow their children in/out from 11yrs up is really not a good idea IMO. To me it smacks of laziness. It used to be up to age 12 and now it's only up to age 10 that you're given the choice about sign in/out privileges- and the reason I say it smacks of laziness is because it's like they want to not have to bother with it- proven by the fact that even if the kid asks the counselor to page their parents they still don't do it! They don't want to mess with that. I just think 11 is too young for that and I think 14yr olds with legal adults is not a good idea either. Maybe I'm a prude or too strict or something- but that's how I feel LOL And I know I'm nowhere near as strict as my mom was- so I can't be that bad! LOL)

 

[voyages]

Maybe I'm a prude or too strict or something- but that's how I feel LOL And I know I'm nowhere near as strict as my mom was- so I can't be that bad! LOL)

You are not a prude at all. This has been one of my main concerns about this cruise. I was hoping it would be a little more controlled. My rule usually is...if I take you someplace and leave you there, then you better be there when I get back and not go anyplace in between. At home, she has her cell phone on her, but on the ship, that won't work. I'm not comfortable leaving her in the room by herself either. Too many weird and freaky things can happen. She normally likes to hang with us which I don't mind, but might prevent us from doing some of the adult activities. If I have to not participate in the adult activities to keep my DD young and innocent and safe, then that is a price I'm willing to pay.

 

[brucechase]

We also have a DD12 and DD10. I was very nervous on our last cruise (a 3 night), but both of them showed that they were very responsible. The 12 YO spent most of the time in the clubs, but she always paged us letting us know where she was going. Usually she paged us and asked us to come to the club to pick her up. Once there, she then asked if she could go do this or that with some new friend. I felt a lot better by the end of the cruise. Our 10YO spent most of the time with us (she is a little shy), but I hope she will get a little more involved this time. I never felt like there were in a position where they could get in trouble or do something wrong. Now the Magic is a little different with her age group ( a lot more freedom), but I think it will be alright.

We need to get our DD to talk to each other so they will at least know someone on the ship. This might make the club days easier since most of us here are probably a little stricter than some of the parents I've seen (both on the ship and off).

 

[loveysbydesign]

You are not a prude at all. This has been one of my main concerns about this cruise. I was hoping it would be a little more controlled. My rule usually is...if I take you someplace and leave you there, then you better be there when I get back and not go anyplace in between. At home, she has her cell phone on her, but on the ship, that won't work. I'm not comfortable leaving her in the room by herself either. Too many weird and freaky things can happen. She normally likes to hang with us which I don't mind, but might prevent us from doing some of the adult activities. If I have to not participate in the adult activities to keep my DD young and innocent and safe, then that is a price I'm willing to pay.

I totally agree with you, it is better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to our precious children!

 

[kcashner]

It has been my experience that there is a HUGE difference between what goes on in the Stack vs. the other program areas. We'll each have our own opinions as to how much control/notification is appropriate at what age. My DD may have been the first kid on DCL to be in all 3 of the programming levels available at that time--she was in the Club on the maiden voyage, many times in the Lab, and celebrated her 13th birthday in The Stack (obviously, before Ocean Quest). She's done many sailings at Stack age.

First, The Stack does not have the pager system available at all. I don't mean that you don't get pagers. What I mean is that the CM doesn't have the computer system to access the pager system even if you have one for a younger kid. The only way they could have you paged would be to place a phone call to the club or lab and ask the CM there to page you. Obviously, running something thru 2 CMs increases the possibility of error.

Secondly, there is no sign in or out at the Stack. They really may not know whether or not your kid is there if it is a busy teen cruise. We've been on one cruise where there were only 15 teens on the ship, and others where the list of teens was 5 pages long. It looks like we're going to have lots of teens. I never had a problem with calling and having them put my kid on the phone IF they answered the phone...or telling me that she wasn't there. OK, if they tell you that your child isn't there, I don't know if I can believe them. I also never had a problem with going up to the Stack to get my kid...or talk to her. I've seen it reported as a "no parent" area, and I totally agree that they don't want parents hanging out. But I was NEVER denied the ability to walk thru and see if my kid was there.

We also like the system of a dry erase board or post-it notes in the room--if you leave the Stack, go to the room and leave me a note as to where you'll be. We also set up meeting times and places, but not too many.

Generally, my daughter will meet a couple of kids that she gets along with. She'll then tend to hang with them during the cruise. We've sometimes had lunch with their families, etc. We've found that they like some of the "game" type activities in the Stack during the day (Gotcha, Brains vs. Brawn, Guitar Hero, etc) but that it gets more sexual than she is comfortable with in the evenings. There has been dirty dancing, make out sessions, etc. at night.

You know your teens--are they leaders or followers? Will they go with the flow if they are seeing things that don't fit with your family values or will they leave the area? Not many kids will stand up for what they believe in the group, but some might talk with the CM about what's happening. There's a huge difference between a 14 and a 17 or 18 year old, just as there is a huge difference between a high school freshman and a senior. One set of rules does not fit all teens or all families.

That said, we've always had a few basic rules--you NEVER go into anyone's cabin and you NEVER invite anyone into our cabin. You don't accept a beverage from anyone unless it is in a sealed can and you don't leave any beverage sitting somewhere and then drink it. If it leaves your hand, it is no longer able to be consumed...and you hold it with your hand over the top. Maybe I'm paranoid, but.....