Tweens - free run of ship?

[jenvin]

This might have been asked before but can't find it...

Will my DS12 be running around freely on the ship, ie check himself in and out of the lab, roam around without a parent pager?

Do you give your kids a key to the room so they can just go in and out whenever they want? Is it safe to do that?

I vaguely recall when I was 12 (a loooong time ago), I was on a HAL cruise with my parents and I was in the club, and I roamed around freely, but didn't have the room key. Then one day I needed to get in the room to get something for a costume party and I went to guest services and told them my name and room number and they gave me a key without even checking for ID (I didn't have any anyway). Mind you, that was decades ago.

I'm just a little concerned about DS going in and out of the room by himself. Am I being paranoid?

I know he'll say he's old enough....

Thanks,
Jen

 

[outahere]

As far as I know, all guest key cards (KTTW cards) can open their respective staterooms. I know you can turn off charging privileges for specific cards, but I have never heard of anyone being able to turn off stateroom access.

My advice would be to set some serious rules with your DS long before the cruise. Include with those rules the punishment for breaking them. Not being able to go anywhere without a parent should be a pretty good incentive for him to follow the rules. The biggest rule we have always had with our DS, is that he is to NEVER go into any stateroom other than ours, or allow anyone into our room.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

At 12, it's a judgement call, you know if your DS can handle the freedom responsibly. I have cruised with my kids a total of five times (so far) and have given them run of the ship three of those times, based on their maturity.

Give your DS his KTTW card, but remove charging (just in case he misplaces it) there is no way to know what stateroom any KTTW opens, there is no room number on it. I bet you will find that he will either be in the Lab, at the buffet, getting ice cream or in the room most of the time. The exploring of the ship is fun, for about a day, then most kids are content to be somewhere doing something.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

[Grandma4ever]

When we were cruising with the grandkids we took a dry erase board and every member of the family had to include where they could be found on this board. We used the number on the list as there were 4 of us on the one small dry erase board See List:
1. Buena Vista Theater
2. Walt Disney Theater
3. Food Court Deck 9
4. Lumiere’s
5. Animator’s Palate
6. Parrot Cay
7. Topsiders
8. Palo’s
9. Promenade Lounge
10. Rock-N-D Bar
11. Preludes
12. Sessions
13. Diversions
14. Studio Sea
15. Oceaneer’s Lab
16. Arcade
17. Ocean Quest
18. Pools
19. Quiet Cove
20. Vista Spa
21. Stores Deck 3
22. Off Beat
23. Character’s
24. Laundry Deck 2
25. Laundry Deck 6
26. Guest Services
27. Shutters
28. Basketball Court
29. Wandering
30.

We have a 12 year old who wanted to see all the characters so we had a time limit on wandering. We had to put the time we would return to the room as well so we would know when to worry.

The 9 year old was the only one to have any issues. She made a friend and did not sign out and we did not know where she was. We had met the friend and her mother and knew where they were staying. So we went to the stateroom and low and behold both grils were present playing cards and ordering room services. She spent the rest of the night attached to me and never had another issue with it.

Kids need to follow the same safety procedures on board the ship that they do at home. This is Disney but these are dangers everywhere now days.

This system worked very well for us. We also had a number of basic expectation such as no one else in our room and they were not to go into anyones stateroom. You can add a time to be in at night or anything else that will help you be comfortable. Some folks have the kids leave a message on the stateroom phone so they can be located at any time.

Only a parent will know how much freedom their child is ready to handle. Remember it is your vacation too and if you are going to be paniced the whole time if your child has freedom do not give it to them. That will mean they will need to be with you more but that may not be a bad thing.

 

[nenner1]

We gave our 9 y/o (then) DS very limited freedom on our last cruise. He was allowed check in/out privileges but he needed to let us know (have us paged) if he was leaving the lab early. He didn't take much advantage of his freedom and it went very well. He had a lanyard that he kept his KTTW card in so it was always easily accessible and not as easy to lose as if he would have had it in - say- his pocket.

At age 12 your DS will be in Ocean Quest or Out and About (Magic/Wonder) or Edge (Dream). You are correct in that they do not have check/in out and that they are free to come and go as they please. There is also no paging of parents done at that age. So yes, I agree with the other posters that you will have to make your expectations clear and develop a system prior to boarding. Maybe we have just been lucky but in our 3 prior cruises on DCL and also one on RCCL we have never observed any obnoxious tweens or teens (there were some that liked to hang out behind the midhship elevators but nothing toward was going on).

Have a wonderful time!!

 

[rtkane]

We gave our kids (12 and 9) much more freedom on this cruise than previous ones and it worked out just fine. We all went through the Navigator together to let them pick what they wanted to do. They could either do that activity or go to another select area on the ship (deck 9, Quartermasters, kid's clubs, etc.) that was on the "ok" list. This gave them freedom but they knew that they had to be in one of those places so we could find them. We also told them the three places that we would be so they could find us (or have us paged if it was adults only).

We also gave them a specific time that they needed to meet us, typically in our stateroom, at which point we'd figure out what we were all doing next. They were told that their future freedom depended on them following the rules and being on time...not once did they mess up or miss a curfew (they are both very responsible and mature for their ages). They even went down to dinner in Parrot Cay by themselves the night we were in Palo.

We did lay some ground rules (reiterating some of the above):

- always stick together
- avoid the hallways with rooms as much as possible
- no going into anyones else's room
- nobody in our room
- no going into our room if other adults were right by them
- no opening the door for anyone when they were alone in the room
- not allowed on the verandah
- must be on time (on their own they agreed to leave 15 mins early to get back)
- must be at one of the places we agreed to
- go to kids club if they had a problem and page us
- no charging except sodas, etc. on KTTW card
- polite and courteous at all times including no horseplay or running

Probably some other minor things I'm forgetting about, but I was really proud
of them and they did great! You do need to consider the maturity of your own kids (and as a matter of fact, my 9 year old would not have the same freedom alone) before letting them off the leash and, of course, drill into them that their behavior has to be good because it should not negatively impact other guests (running through hallways, yelling, etc.). Good luck!

 

[KSDisneyDad]

See this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2541793&highlight=rules+for+kids

Post #9 has a sample "contract" with your kids that a fellow DISer created for our Panama Canal cruise in 2008.

 

[Scooby3x1y]

Here's my take:

I'm very protective, and with some ground rules in place, we were fine with them having some free reign. However, we always sat in about the same place on the pool deck, between the ping pong tables and topsiders, or around the ping pong tables. We had 4 kids, so we paired them up. If you don't have a pairing situation, we had our kids check in with us. We would say, what are your plans? Where are you going to be? Posey boards help, but our kids knew they could always find us within a short time. Even if we went to a club (we were not tied to the deck) within a while we would wind up back on deck. If we went to a show, we would look for them and tell them where to find us.

If they were going to go do something after breakfast, we'd say, meet us back here by this time. Or, time to get ready for dinner at this time, get back to the cabin.

Now the rules - common sense to me, because my kids know it is for safety's sake.

Do not go into anyone else's cabin. Do not let others into our cabin. Do not go anywhere with people you don't know, unless it is in the kids club. You need to check-in with parents every 2 hours. One of our boys would eat his weight in chicken strips. One of his things was you could eat whatever you wanted as long as you ate all your dinner. (and he did) Don't go anywhere with a crew member (I doubt this would happen, they don't want to jeopardize their jobs - but I'm not taking any chances), stay in common areas.

My kids have traveled quite a bit, so there have been lots of lessons along the way. So, considering it's probably a safer ship than most, if your child can follow the rules, I say go for it.

 

[tvguy]

Depends on you and your kids. Wasn't an issue for us, we did everything together, kids were always with us, which is why we cruise, to spend time together.

 

[clawmachine]

We plan to have our kids with us all the time too except for some club time, but this begs a question: is there a minimum age that DCL requires kids to be with an adult at all times? We will be just a stairway down from the drink station and I'm wondering if it would be allowable to let our 8 year old go up there just to get a drink and come right back (while we wait in the cabin..)

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Does anyone have pix or info as what the new tween area will be like on the Wonder? Thanks!!

 

[insureman]

Crime does happen on the ships even Disney. Our kids are not allowed to move about the ship at unless we are with them or we know where they are.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2402542

 

[KSDisneyDad]

We plan to have our kids with us all the time too except for some club time, but this begs a question: is there a minimum age that DCL requires kids to be with an adult at all times? We will be just a stairway down from the drink station and I'm wondering if it would be allowable to let our 8 year old go up there just to get a drink and come right back (while we wait in the cabin..)

No minimum age unfortunately. On our cruise about two weeks ago, our table mates told a story of finding a lost 3 year old. We let our youngest to get a drink from the drink station while we were at the Goofy pool. That's was about as much "freedom" as he had when he was 8 years old.

Our older two could roam free on our last two cruises (ages 10 and 12 once and ages 12 and 14 the other time).

Does anyone have pix or info as what the new tween area will be like on the Wonder? Thanks!!

I think it'll be very similar to Ocean Quest on the Magic. here's a link

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/magic/youth-clubs/ocean-quest/

 

[Scooby3x1y]

Depends on you and your kids. Wasn't an issue for us, we did everything together, kids were always with us, which is why we cruise, to spend time together.

I agree to a point, however, if there is inference that our kids don't like to be with us, that is wrong. By the age of 12, and they are in pairs, there is no need for them to sit and chat with us for 2 hours. They can swim, get a drink, their own chicken strips, and go back and forth to the clubs. Many hours of the day we do stuff together, like play cards, eat, talk about what excursion we will be doing "together", or have just done. As they get older, and we're talking 12 - 16, there is no need for them to hang with the old folks. If they are younger and not in pairs, I would have a definite problem with it. I was often surprised how young some kids were allowed to wander by themselves.

We plan to have our kids with us all the time too except for some club time, but this begs a question: is there a minimum age that DCL requires kids to be with an adult at all times? We will be just a stairway down from the drink station and I'm wondering if it would be allowable to let our 8 year old go up there just to get a drink and come right back (while we wait in the cabin..)

Again, as TV Guy said, it is up to you and your comfort level. If it is straight to the station and back, you could say, okay you have 5 min to be back. Also, some 8 yo's are more experienced, wise and mature than others.

Crime does happen on the ships even Disney. Our kids are not allowed to move about the ship at unless we are with them or we know where they are.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2402542

Crime happens everywhere, very true. However, sometimes keeping them totally sheltered and not teaching them how to be smart and safety saavy can backfire. You didn't mention the age of your kids, but again, depending on their age and what they've been taught can make a big difference. Now, with that being said, I have a bit of a double standard. My first 3 are boys, my dd is the youngest. She STILL is not allowed to be by herself. Sorry, non-negotiable. 4 kids has worked well for pairing off. However, now two of them are now adults, dd has some extra restrictions....... The kids are all good about being together, doing the give and take thing with doing each others interests.

Totally individual. What works for some may not work for you.

ya TV Guy.

 

[Grandma4ever]

We plan to have our kids with us all the time too except for some club time, but this begs a question: is there a minimum age that DCL requires kids to be with an adult at all times? We will be just a stairway down from the drink station and I'm wondering if it would be allowable to let our 8 year old go up there just to get a drink and come right back (while we wait in the cabin..)

It is really up to the parent to deside how much freedom to give to each child. Only a parent know how mature each child is.

Crime does happen on the ships even Disney. Our kids are not allowed to move about the ship at unless we are with them or we know where they are.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2402542

With 2000 guest on board it is clear that there will be those who would do others harm. If the child has good stranger danger skills they will be fine on board. These are the skills we all need to get by day to day to prevent us from being taken advantage of. I hope each parent will feel comfortable giving there child a similar level of freedom as they are able to have at home. If they can walk down the block to a friends house then they can mostly likely walk safely from place to place on board.

Each parent is the only one who can decide how much to allow their child to do or not to do. DCL is very good at creating activities at will meet the needs of all different famly types. Go enjoy

 

[Luvstocruise]

Since we will be on deck 2, and Ocean Quest is on deck 2, we will give our 12 year old son some freedom to move back and forth from there if we are in the cabin. During the day, we will try to set some typical places to meet on a regular basis, but I suspect we will keep him around us, when he is not at Ocean Quest activities. I want to give him some freedom, but as others have suggested, good solid ground rules are critical. Most parents have a good feel for what their kids feel comfortable with, and just make sure family rules are followed. As others have said, there is always a risk with that many people on board, and as shown on Cruisebruise.com , there is a possibility of crew members taking advantage of a young passenger, male or female.

In a nutshell, more freedom during the daylight ours on busy decks like deck9 and 10, and much closer supervision from Suppertime onwards into the evening (we suspect we will be together as a family from Supper onwards with the shows, Pirate show, and maybe a movie after the shows). I believe that its the isolated, deserted areas of the ship in the later evening and night that would be the riskiest.

Just my 2 cents...

Luvstocruise

 

[clawmachine]

Thanks everyone! DS is very mature when it comes to safety issues so I'd feel comfortable allowing him a quick trip (like 5 mins) if he was only going a short distance from us physically. What really surprises me is that there are not minimum ages for supervision set by DCL. Are there not even restrictions by the pool? I know at our community pool you will not be allowed in if you are without an adult. I think the minimum age to come alone is 12 or 13. I'm thinking a lot of hotels would have similar rules..

 

[Scooby3x1y]

Thanks everyone! DS is very mature when it comes to safety issues so I'd feel comfortable allowing him a quick trip (like 5 mins) if he was only going a short distance from us physically. What really surprises me is that there are not minimum ages for supervision set by DCL. Are there not even restrictions by the pool? I know at our community pool you will not be allowed in if you are without an adult. I think the minimum age to come alone is 12 or 13. I'm thinking a lot of hotels would have similar rules..

I guess it's like anything else in life. Some people are less cautious. I'm overly cautious. I've seen 5 yo's wandering to and from school 2 miles away. I've seen 5 yo's as latch key kids. (don't flame me, I know that it is not necessarily the parents choice) It's just not my style of parenting.

 

[zoom8942]

my problem is ds12 will be the only child in our group in that age range. I have dd18 and ds4. So dd will do as she pleases, and ds in oceanear club. Im looking forward to the tween club as he is very social. We have only cruised once on a 3 day wonder, so im more afraid of him getting lost than anything.

 

[Scooby3x1y]

my problem is ds12 will be the only child in our group in that age range. I have dd18 and ds4. So dd will do as she pleases, and ds in oceanear club. Im looking forward to the tween club as he is very social. We have only cruised once on a 3 day wonder, so im more afraid of him getting lost than anything.

Is there a meet thread organized for your cruise yet? One cruise, my dd was able to develop a pen pal that she wrote for several months before the cruise. Then they planned their own meet... They pal'd around the whole cruise, she was also the only girl in her family, another one was the only one that age and had nobody to pair with. The rules still applied, public areas only. Etc etc. The other girls parents weren't as strict, so my dd would be dropped at our cabin 1st, then the other girl would leave. Or, she'd come find one of our family and we'd go with her to meet her friend. We were very strict about not being alone, then all the other rules follow.

Maybe your ds can find someone going to write to, if not, he very likely will find a friend once there. Start discussing rules way before you go, so they are ingrained by the time you cruise.