We went on the Eastern 7 day last April and our 16 year old son was the one we worried about. Our daughters, aged 9 and 12 went right to the kids activities and there they stayed. Our son is shy and not one to easily meet other kids. He did go to Common Grounds (for about a minute) the first day, but he felt that the kids there seemed to all knew each other already, which did turn out to be somewhat true because there was a group of 7 families traveling together. On day two he and my husband were eating in Topsiders and began talking to a man who had a 17 year old son who was also feeling a little "out of the loop" and was in their cabin. To make a long story short, the two met and actually ended up having a great time together all week. It seems that there are always kids around who don't "do" the large group activites and would love to have one or two others to hang out with. The other suggestion I would have is to spring for the unlimited internet access for your son. It's a little pricey, but well worth it if he is feeling lonely. It is pretty cool to talk online to friends at home from the ship, and that is also a way to meet other teens.
We all (including our son) can't wait to go back ! Good Luck!
