taking my 16yo son on Constellation

[bakdok]

we are booked on Celebrity Constellation this December 2008.
we have cruised many times before, but I'm concerned that at 16, my son is past the kids category, and not quite the adult category.
anyone with advice, ideas or experience on this ship?
thanks

[Paul Motter]

At 16 he still qualifies for all the teen programs onboard. Get him onto those programs and he will do fine. Justmake sure you always know where he is - preset meeting times to have him check in with you, even if it is just calling your stateroom.

[Triton]

Our daughter was just turning 17 on our cruise in February, on the Millie. She loved it. Her second cruise on Celebrity and she too was in that "in between" stage. She enjoyed hanging out by the poos and going into the kids disco. There are not a lot of kids on the Celebrity cruises, especially during the school season.

She can hang out in the pool area, kids arcade, disco, movie theater, etc. She'll have a good time. Kids are like magnets too...hopefully she'll find and befriend another her age.

[bakdok]

thanks

[Kristina99]

Im sailing on the Constellation from October 30- November 10... when i get back ill be sure to tell you how the teen program is =]

[gunner]

he will do just fine, teenagers seem to find each other on board and gradually start hanging out, you might end up trying to find him all cruise long, just kidding, maybe not, we had the same experience with our then 15 yr old, he didnt want to get off the ship.

[Rev22:17]

bakdok,

Originally Posted by You

we are booked on Celebrity Constellation this December 2008.
we have cruised many times before, but I'm concerned that at 16, my son is past the kids category, and not quite the adult category.
anyone with advice, ideas or experience on this ship?
thanks

Teens on Celebrity tend to be very well behaved and respectful, so they are very well received by the adults onboard. If you are going during the holiday period, he will find lots of other teens with whom to hang out and there will be a lot of activities for his age group. In fact, your greatest challenge may well be to pull him away from the teen activities for long enough to eat dinner with your party! Even when school is in session, there tend to be at least a few other teens who hang out together and find plenty to do without causing or getting into trouble.

Advice? Here goes....

>> 1. Make sure he knows the cruise line's rules (no climbing on rails, etc.) and your expectations before you go.

>> 2. Don't be a "killjoy" -- relax your normal rules somewhat. If he comes back to the cabin at "oh-dark-thirty," don't worry -- either he will sleep late in the morning or he will "crash" to make up for burning the candle at both ends when you return home. On Celebrity, he'll be with a good crowd. It is reasonable to expect him to eat dinner with your party unless the teen center has a separate teen dinner, but let him have breakfast and lunch with other teens if he prefers.

>> 3. Let him have a say in picking shore excursions and activities in the ports of call. It's your call as to how much independence he should have while ashore.

>> 4. Be flexible. If he meets another teen who is doing a similar activity ashore and they would like to do it together, try to coordinate with the other teen's parents so that can happen. This could be as simple as getting your "stickers" for a shore excursion as a larger group or meeting to share a minibus rather than taking separate taxis.

>> 5. Finally, be aware that the ship's dress code for children and teens is the same as for adults. The "formal" evenings really are quite dressy on most Celebrity cruises, so be sure that he has either a tuxedo or a dark -- and I do mean DARK -- business suit with the proper shirt, shoes, and accessories. Also, be sure that he has shirts with collars and slacks or "khakis" for the "casual" evenings.

>> 6. And pick one evening that is NOT a "formal" evening for your party to dine in the ship's specialty restaurant. Yes, there's a price (#30.00 per person), but your son will remember this experience!

I'm sure that your son will have a fabulous time!

Norm.