Will 15 yr old boy be happy?

[RKB]

I have friends that would like to take a DCL cruise. Their young daughter would absolutely love it. However, their 15 yr old DS is balking at the thought of a Disney Cruise and doesn't even want to go. Do you have any stories about teen boys not wanting to go then ending up having fun? Are there any teen boys here that have any feedback? I will forward your answers to this family so that the mom can show them to her reluctant DS! TIA

 

[RonnieJo66]

RKB

I have a 15 yr old DS...and he can't wait to get back onboard!! This will be his 6th Disney cruise and he is NEVER bored. Between the ports, "The Stack" (club for teens), "teen only" excursions, video games and basic running around the ship...my DS has a great time. It's his vacation too, so we let him do most anything he wants. He has proven to be responsible with the freedom, so no harm no foul. Besides, they can't go very far...you're on a ship...LOL!

In all seriousness, I'm sure my DS would be happy to answer any questions you may have. pm me if you would like to get his answers to any questions.


Hugs,

RonnieJo

 

[Skatermom23]

Just want to give this a little bump...
My son will also be 15 when we cruise. I am going to surprise him. I think he will be thrilled but then again he loves WDW! (he just won't admit it to friends!)

 

[maryisme]

I took my nephew with me last year when he was 15 years old and he loved it! He did not participate in any of the club activities but simply hung out with his auntie and cousins. He loved it so much that I added him to our cabin for this August's repo cruise. He is, at 16, still very excited to be going back on the Magic.

 

[Belle2667]

My middle son was 14 on our cruise last month. He was not excited at all about teen clubs or activities. However, after the first day or so, he was hanging in the Stack, playing basketball and participating in the other teen activities. Most nights we were in bed before him. I was a little apprehensive at first with him roaming and made him take a walkie-talkie, but as the week went on, we realized that the ship really isn't that big and we bumped into him all the time.

 

[RKB]

Thanks for the replies - keep 'em coming!

 

[logan1_2000]

1. Does anything make a 15 year old happy, or is that the age of discontent no matter what for many? (Thinking of my own brooding 14 yr old nephew who I would not take on any trip).
2. Or is he a great kid who is just apprehensive because the word "Disney" sounds babyish and all about Princesses?
3. If #2 applies--forget the mouse, it is still a cruise to the Caribbean or Bahamas (I apologize if I missed which itinerary you are considering). Bottom line him--would ANY cruise sound good with hot tubs, pools, beaches on the islands, independence from the older generation during many portions of the day and night, ice cream, burgers, fries, chicken fingers, basketball, an arcade, etc. (many of the movies might not thrill a 15 yr old, I'll give him that).
4. My precocious DS 9 wasn't into the clubs much, he found a friend last cruise close to his own age, and they were frick and frack the rest of the cruise, and we didn't have apprehension about not knowing where on the ship he was (there have been long and heated threads on this, and I ask the flame throwing readers among you to save the sterno for someone else, I am not a derelict parent and my child is a model citizen and DW teaches in his school, and I respect that there are many who disagree on this point, as well as many who view the DCL ships as I do in terms of children being on their own).
5. Or take him at his word, save the $, and don't include him, his loss. May seem harsh, but at 15 he is old enough to bear some responsibility for saying "no" if that is what he chooses to do. I do think there is plenty for a 15 year old to like.
6. What is his alternative? Hanging out at the mall? Watching the intellectually challenging programming on UPN?

 

[dizneefreak29]

My younger brother was 15 on our last Disney Cruise. We do a brother/sister trip every year for his birthday and a Disney Cruise is what he wanted to do again! He will be turning 17 on our trip....which is in 7 more days!

 

[HooKooDooKu]

From my experience on the boards, I would say the general wisdom is that the "worst" ages to be on a Disney Cruise are 2yo and 19-20yo.

The 2yo is too young for the children's programs, and several people have claimed the nursary is geared more towards infants and 1yo.

The 19-20yo crowed is too old for any of the kids clubs, and not old enough for the adult entertainment.

But having said this, every situation is different and everyone is different. For example, we just finished the 14 day repo with a 2.5+yo. He did so good in the nursary, that by the last days of the cruise, the staff didn't even bother to give us a pager.

[Edit]
And by the way, when I say the "worst" ages, I mean something like "there's only a 95% chance that people in this age group will enjoy a Disney Cruise, while there is a 99% chance that people in other age groups will enjoy a Disney Cruise.
[/Edit]

 

[jrabbit]

Will 15 yr old boy be happy?

Better be. Ours will be 15 on the August Repo cruise and that's for two whole weeks. (He's actually very excited about going on this trip - it's going to be great - even if he won't like the whole "Stack Sceen"

 

[dgaston]

My DS was 16 on our February cruise. He says it was the best vacation ever. He did enjoy the Stack and we rarely saw him. We insisted he join us for dinner each night and he did, but always left before dessert, much to the servers' dismay. Not even dessert could detract him from his friends. He even did DDR, something he wouldn't have gone near prior to the cruise. The counselors, El and Michelle were great!

 

[minniemoms]

We were on the 1st West Coast cruise, and I took our 13 and 15 yr old boys, they loved it. My 15 yr old, hung out with his DAD and brother most of the time, but did do the stack at night. He met some cute girls. Now these were 17 year old girls, and my son is only 15, but he is 6'2 and very cute, so I guess they had fun. I dont' know if I like the fact that my 15 yr old, had a crush on a 17 yr old girl, but no harm done. But yes, they did have a good time. Now my 13 year old, watched movies everyday, and ate and ate , he didn't care for the stack that much, but he did go in every once in awhile.

 

[jrabbit]

DDR

Sorry I'm brain dead this morning - What's DDR?

 

[nehdeh]

My nephew, 15 went on the Wonder with us a few weeks ago. He really wasn't sure he wanted to go, but went along with a "What the heck" attitude. He had a great time! He thought the teen club was lame, he attended the 411 party, and a couple other activities and just decided he had a better time on his own: shooting baskets, swimming, going to the game room, laughing at kaoroke (sp?), getting food ALL THE TIME from the various places and he really loved Castaway Cay and snorkeling.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

My DS is 15 (will be 16 during our cruise) and we are going on the August repo cruise. This will be our 5th Disney cruise and he can't wait. He loves having out in The Stack, really enjoys the counsellors. We usually only see him for meals and excursions.