HS friends DCL trip - but they are <18

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

Is what I thought
So what PrincessShmoo linked to, namely DCL saying "must be accompanied by an adult 21 years of age or older in the same stateroom.".... is a technicality. In practice other configurations are made.

That's what we've done. With 3 teenagers 16+, it wasn't practical this last Western to have us all in a CAT 4a. When I booked the connecting rooms, I was in one room & DW in the other. Yeah, we didn't sleep that way, but the KTTW cards were coded accordingly. It was a lot of gymnastics with guest services to get her a blank KTTW card to open our door & another blank for DD2 to open hers (as she was 'in' my stateroom). The SR host didn't care a whit.

 

[auntlynne]

 

[cmph]

Thanks. I assumed this would be the case across the cruise industry. And no, they only want DCL, all these teenagers are huge Disney fans.

oh i totally get it and figured! We are branching out to NCL b/c they have a Baltic itinerary completely unlike any other line, but initially mine were opposed to the thought of anything other than DCL.

NCL has the beds that can be put together to make a king or separated into twins. You tell them in advance on your res which to do, so I told my "personal cruise consultant" one of each, didn't matter which room was which. He didn't care in the slightest, so I think the whole room switcheroo is common all over and really not monitored.

 

[TreeFalls]

TY - Given all this info, I told my DD to make other plans as this is too complicated, we don't feel like going just out of the blue, we have other plans and she wanted to go without her parents...
That said, would SR hosts 'snitch' on the occupants of the SR? They obviously know who is sleeping where and what names are on each SR. Do they tell DCL? As someone else said on the thread, and I agree with them, there could be potential legal connotations to moving ppl around...Just basic curiosity.
Thanks for all the replies.

I asked a phone CM if it was OK for me and my husband to sleep in one room and kids in the connecting. She said, "Mickey doesn't do bed checks."

 

[Mle8308]

I asked a phone CM if it was OK for me and my husband to sleep in one room and kids in the connecting. She said, "Mickey doesn't do bed checks."

Exactly. But the concern for the OP is that 2 of the teenagers aren’t hers. Highly unlikely anything would ever happen or anyone question it, but you never know. Connecting cabins are the best bet, though I believe they are considering other options.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Exactly. But the concern for the OP is that 2 of the teenagers aren’t hers. Highly unlikely anything would ever happen or anyone question it, but you never know. Connecting cabins are the best bet, though I believe they are considering other options.

I believe 3 of the teenagers aren't hers. The (proposed) trip is her daughter and 3 of her friends.

 

[Mle8308]

I believe 3 of the teenagers aren't hers. The (proposed) trip is her daughter and 3 of her friends.

Exactly.

 

[Girl of the South]

“I know DCL is extremely safe”

I have to be honest here. Do you think that just because a person is a Disney fan, they are “safe” to be around? Because I wouldn’t send three 17 year old girls on a cruise ship unsupervised with 4000 strangers. Not to mention hundreds of crew members.

 

[cmph]

“I know DCL is extremely safe”

I have to be honest here. Do you think that just because a person is a Disney fan, they are “safe” to be around? Because I wouldn’t send three 17 year old girls on a cruise ship unsupervised with 4000 strangers. Not to mention hundreds of crew members.

I understand your point, but as another mom of a 17yo girl graduating in May who happens to also have a friend group with mostly summer birthdays - they are no different than the other seniors who happened to have earlier birthdays. We're about to launch them to college a few months later, where they may/will live far away from us on their own. Heck, some classmates with late August birthdays are going to still be 17 when they start college. It is bum luck that they have late birthdays in the school year, but they are no different maturity-wise from their classmates who happened to already turn 18 and could book a res and sail on DCL (whether their parents wanted them to or not).

Of course, you could have the same safety concerns whether they are 17, 18, 19, and that is valid.

 

[tvguy]

I understand your point, but as another mom of a 17yo girl graduating in May who happens to also have a friend group with mostly summer birthdays - they are no different than the other seniors who happened to have earlier birthdays. We're about to launch them to college a few months later, where they may/will live far away from us on their own. Heck, some classmates with late August birthdays are going to still be 17 when they start college. It is bum luck that they have late birthdays in the school year, but they are no different maturity-wise from their classmates who happened to already turn 18 and could book a res and sail on DCL (whether their parents wanted them to or not).

Of course, you could have the same safety concerns whether they are 17, 18, 19, and that is valid.

Ages 18-21 are challenging for parents and kids. For kids, you can vote, but you can't drink (or buy tobacco in California). In many cases, your parents are still financially responsible for you. But your parents have no right to know your medical information or grades in College, even if they are paying the bill. You can't rent a hotel room or a car.
All those things can be tough for both parents and kids.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Ages 18-21 are challenging for parents and kids.

Agreed. I'll also point out, when the group starts turning 18, it can put those who've already made the adult age of 18 at risk when socializing with the under 18s. It's quite possible, depending on what kind of, if any, trouble they get into as a group, the 18 year olds can be held accountable for "contributing to the delinquency of a minor".

 

[mjkacmom]

Interesting. Didn't know this at all.
So large families that have lots of kids and book 2 SR's, there's always a 21+ staying with them?
Say a family with 4 teenagers, ranging from 14-19, and they book a 2nd SR for them...does one of the parents need to stay in the same SR as them?

That would‘ve been my family, 5 kids, we book me with some and my husband with some, and get duplicate key cards after boarding (Kids were 14, 14, 16, 19 and 20 on our last cruise).

 

[mjkacmom]

“I know DCL is extremely safe”

I have to be honest here. Do you think that just because a person is a Disney fan, they are “safe” to be around? Because I wouldn’t send three 17 year old girls on a cruise ship unsupervised with 4000 strangers. Not to mention hundreds of crew members.

They are high school graduates who will be drinking in frat basements in a few months, taking road trips with friends, spring break trips. My sister and her friends backpacked through Europe for a month after high school graduation.

 

[DisneYE]

“I know DCL is extremely safe”

I have to be honest here. Do you think that just because a person is a Disney fan, they are “safe” to be around? Because I wouldn’t send three 17 year old girls on a cruise ship unsupervised with 4000 strangers. Not to mention hundreds of crew members.

They are high school graduates who will be drinking in frat basements in a few months, taking road trips with friends, spring break trips. My sister and her friends backpacked through Europe for a month after high school graduation.

Exactly. All comes down to trust and information. If you know a certain place is mostly safe you'd be ok with your older kids to go there. I'd be 100% OK with my DD17 to go by herself to most countries in Europe, Australia, NZ & Canada.
My DD has been going to WDW and other parks with her friends since she was 15 - it's overwhelmingly safe.
I consider DCL way safer than WDW, Universal, etc, where there are tons of teenagers by themselves.
But I can understand why they don't allow <21yo to travel by themselves.