HELP, elderly mother taking 18yr old on cruise
 

Need help. My 77 year old mother who does not walk well wants to take my daughter on a cruise for her high school graduation present this summer. Can anyone suggest one that would work for this combination? My daughter is very artsy, loves music and dancing but my mother is not going to be able to keep up with her so am concerned as far as what will be safe for them to do when they dock, etc. Should I worry if my daughter went off on excursions without her? They are wanting to do maybe an eastern carib. cruise. As you can probably tell, I have not been on a cruise so any ideas, thoughts, etc. will be much appreciated.

Personally, the only place I would feel real comfortable letting a 17 year old run around alone is in Cozumel (and then with great reservations in today's world). I have felt very safe there.

Only you know how mature your 17 year old is. Your mother could go to Paradise Beach in Cozumel. It requires very little walking to the beach and your Mom could relax in the shade while your daughter enjoys the water activities and the beach.

Of course this isn't the E Cab. I have done that as well and while I am comfortable there...not as much as in Cozumel.

flit,
how is your mother's mental capacities? is she confused or would she be scared alone? Read my post on "taking elderly parents on cruise" to give you an example of some concerns. There are handicapped cabins and she can use a motorized wheelchair, but she needs to be able to find her way around if your daughter isn't there, etc. Most important, your daughter should not have to feel like she's "babysitting". There are plenty of excursions fit for seniors that she could do by herself, such as tours, glass bottom boats, etc if your daughter wants to be more active.

Thanks for the replies. Mentally she is fine. She has bone spurs and it is getting more and more difficult for her to walk though and she is still refusing the wheelchair idea. Not having been on a cruise I didn't know if any of the port stops had group sightseeing tours etc., so I would feel more comfortable letting my daughter go off without my mother. What about cruises that leave from CA, are they more party type or would they be an option too?

ANY OF THE SHIP'S TOURS WOULD BE MORE THAN SAFE FOR YOUR DAUGHTER. ON SHIP'S TOURS THE GROUP IS ALWAYS TOGETHER. THERE MAY BE QUITE A FEW TOURS THEY CAN TAKE TOGEHTER. CHECK OUT THE SHIP'S TOURS ON THEIR WEB SITE. OR, BETTER YET, WHY DON'T YOU GO WITH THEM?

I would go but my mother is really wanting to take her by herself. They are close and I think she feels this might be her last chance to do something with her alone.

You are fortunate to have a mother who wants to do this for your daughter, and a daughter who wants to spend a week with her grandmother. The memory of this week will probably be a lifelong treasure for your daughter. They sound like an ideal pair to take care of each other. I would suggest that the first thing your daughter does, on boarding the ship, is to sprint over to the spa and sign them both up for their treatments of choice (prime appointments book up fast). Your daughter can get the more active times she needs by going on a couple of the ship's excursions--I agree with the previous poster that she will be safe with the large group, and will have a blast. Obviously your mother would not permit her to choose one of those pirate ship excursions where people drink all day; a snorkelling trip might be better. Your mother could do something less demanding, like a bus tour of the area; or just relax in the shade on board ship, and then the two of them could browse through souvenir shops afterward. I'm not an overprotective mom (I hope), but I wouldn't want my teenaged daughter to hang around the ship without a chaperone late in the evening. If grandma is ready to go to bed at 10, then your daughter should stay with her.

There will be a lot of families and kids on ships in the summer. Chances are good that your daughter will make some friends and have opportunities to meet them and do teen things. They may be seated with another family at dinner with kids of similar ages.

Thanks everyone. I am feeling better about the trip now. I think they are looking at Carnival or Royal. Any thoughts on which may be better for the two of them?

My 75 year old mother took our 14r year old on a cruise 2 years ago - a great memory for both.

Only thing I can add to above is to have some discussions with your daughter about what her limits are so Grandma does not have to play bad guy. She probably can get served alcohol at any port, and likely on ship as well (despite what ship says).

How often does she need to check in with Grandma, does she have a curfew while on ship or when off-shore, etc. I know she will be either in college or on her own next fall - but you can still set rules for now. If Grandma spends the whole cruise worrying about her, it won't be fun for anyone.

Carnival is very much a party ship - I'm not sure your mother would enjoy that, and there'd be more trouble for your daughter to get into ; >

I've not cruised on Royal, so I don't know the scoop on them.

And I concur on your daughter being safe on any excursion booked from the ship. If she's 18, she should be able to go unaccompanied (I know a 17 year old can't!)

Okay, I think they have narrowed their choices to Adventurer of the Sea with RC and the new Crown Princess with Princess. I know the Crown is brand new so no one will have any ideas on it but does anyone have ideas how Adventurer compares with Princess in general? My daughter is leaning to Adventurer, do you think that is a wise choice? Thanks for your comments.

A great resource for you is www.cruisecritic.com
They have evaluations of the cruises and the ships. Also, once you choose a cruise ship and destination, you can check on line for the excursions offered and sign up for them ahead of time. In fact, it is better if you do that since some will fill up by the time they get on board. This should be an ideal vacation for the two of them since they can both pursue activities that are fun for them and still have plenty of time for fun together. I agree that the 2 of them will be happier on Royal Caribbean or Princess (check out Celebrity, too!) than on the Carnival line.

Walkie talkies.....

I have cruise extensively all over the Caribbean. Of your two final choices, I would choose Adventure and cruised with her 2 years ago.

The Southern Caribbean is a great itinerary, my favorite in the Caribbean. That ship is very large and open in design so your mother will feel very comfortable. Also she is more likely of a smooth ride due to the size.

The teen disco aboard is a hot spot and the ship will have lots of kids her age.

There are many options for dining and the gym, sauna and steam room are fabulous! If your daughter enjoys those things, she will be very happy. And the ShipShape program on RCI is excellent.

I am not a fan personally of ships this size but Adventure was better than the others I have cruised with an excellent staff and crew. I think it is a perfect choice.

Thanks everyone. Great idea on the walkie talkies, we have some for skiing and I just never thought about them for this trip. I think it is decided, RC Adventure. Will report back on how it goes. One more question though, should they fly in the day before or day of? There is a flight that arrives in San Juan at 3:30pm.

She does not sail until 10pm so 3:30 works. That being said, I alwasy enjoy Old San Juan and think it is great place to spend some time!

<<There is a flight that arrives in San Juan at 3:30pm.>>

No idea where your mother and DD will be flying out of, but it's summer - what if there's a storm (and these days, weather in a hub or major city can tie up air traffic all across the board). My own comfort level (and most TA and vet traveller advice, I think) would be to fly out the day before.