Cruise with Teenagers

Cruises can be a lot of fun! Every day the ship is at sea there will be lots of on board activities that are free, so make sure to pick a few to do. Some of the cruises will give you points or dollars if you do any of the physical activities and at the end you can trade them in for t-shirts, etc. There are usually lots of activities and contests to choose from and some of the contests are fun to watch even if you don't participate. I would check out the excursion list for Cozumel and find something that appeals to all of you and book in advance, since sometimes they fill up quickly.
I've done two cruises that were family celebrations/reunions (and I'm one of the grandkids). We all did our own thing during the day, usually in small groups then at night we all met up for dinner in the main restaurant. The food was always great there and it was fun dressing up some of the nights and letting everyone catch up. A cruise was a perfect way for everyone to get a chance to do what they wanted, but also to see family and spend some time together.
You will have your picture taken many times throughout the cruise by the cruise staff, if you plan on buying any of the pictures they usually go on sale at the end or there are deals where you can get more than one. We usually just took our own or had someone else take one of us, but we did get a big family picture on formal night.

Good luck and have a great time with your kids! It will be a wonderful trip for all of you.

I think it's a great idea. I don't know how your relationship is with your kids...but I loved going on trips/vacations with my parents even as a teen. I got along very well with them so we had fun. The only thing I can think of is that they may want to go off at times on their own (at least I know my sister and I wanted to do that some times).
I've never been to Cozumel...but I've heard that most cruises there is PLENTY to do to keep you all entertained without spending a ton on excursions (snorkeling, scuba, etc). Just check into whatever the cruise line offers on board and make sure there's plenty for the kids to do too. Have a great time!!!

Cruises are great vacations. Be sure to read everything the cruise line gives you. There are a lot of good suggestions about the ship, what is available, the local customs, if there are any danger area, right down to how to tip. Be sure to figure tips into your budget. Have a plan with the teenagers and stress to them the importance of following the rules. Everyone checks in with each other at specific times because it is a big ship and so easy to become separated as you will all want to be doing your own "thing". You can enjoy them more if you are not worried about them. But be sure you enjoy the trip yourself. There are usually lots of movies and free classes so enjoy all you can.
And very important figure out where all the snack areas are set up and avoid those areas or you will come back with some extra baggage.

Do keep close watch on where you go in Cozumel, it is usually safe in visitor areas but don't get off the suggest route. Some locals resent you being there.

have fun

I think it's a great idea. you can spend time together and apart. we went on cruise last summer out of galveston. THe carnival cruises are so much more affordable than anything out of florida. and you don't have to fly. We got a small lower deck inside cabin. I think our tickets were like $390 each or something. It's really not worth it to pay for better rooms. you get to enjoy the same things on the cruise no matter where you are sleeping. we didn't have a problem with cabin noise or too much moving. (we were up near the front of the boat). I don't know anything about cozemel because the actual week we were on our cruise the usa woudn't let us into mexico because of h1n1 (bummer i know).
Go eat at the actual resturant as much as you can!!! the food is fantastic and you can order whatever you want. and as much as you want. one guy at our table order 3 meals every night so he could try everything. the other places to eat are ok but didn't compare to the food at the resturant. (there is always someplace open to get food and ice cream all day long!) The comedy act was our favorite.
i know carnival has the excursions on their website you can registar ahead of time if you decide to do that. I have heard you can plan the same excursion for yourself using other channels besides the cruise and save some money. Or you might just want to explore cozomel by yourselves. good luck and have fun!

I've heard that Disney Cruises has great family cruises, and they have a port in Cozmel.
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/cruises-destinations/ca...

M.

Cozumel has TONS to do! You can either go through the cruise ship, or you can do your own thing (this is usually cheaper). Shortly after getting off at Cozumel, there is an area filled with taxi cabs (ask anyone where it is and they will know), ask the cab driver to take you to an amazing beach that's close but off the beaten path, and guaranteed he takes you someplace amazing! (This has worked multiple times for us at multiple ports, so I figure it's a guaranteed hit.) If you want to snorkel I suggest buying inexpensive stuff at home and just bringing it with you...they charge crazy amounts to do it at port, and you could easily buy it for about the same price! Cozumel also has some great bargains, so if your kids are looking for a fun gift, they could easily spend $10 and come home with tons of fun things!

As far as a cruise goes, know that your kids will probably want some time at night to go to the club and dance. Make sure you go to the nightly shows...they are SO wonderful and even your kids will enjoy them! Norwegian and Carnival have more reasonably priced cruises, so if you haven't settled on one, I would look into those first. Also, they will automatically add gratuity onto your "bill" at the end of the trip. Go to the front desk and have them remove it, and tip who you want. We normally tip our room steward and our waiter only because they do so much for us. The ship will add on tips for your maitre d (who does nothing for you) and possibly even more. This will save you TONS of money (i.e. they will charge you hundreds of dollars for this)! Finally, don't get suckered into the photo booths before and after dinner. Just have someone else take a nice picture of you, and you will have just as nice of a look!

Good luck and have tons of fun!

Cruises are great! I have only gone with hubby alone, and with hubby and kids (3 and 5). They have kids clubs...things on the boat where the kids can go hang out without parents. I think the teens really seemed to like it. The cruise we went on out of Galveston with Carnival had a disco club for the teens one night and I think a top 40 type club another night. I think that at 19 and 16 you could feel safe with them going to the teen club, and then knowing they can't go off the boat and that they will return to your room. In Cozemel, go to Cozemel, not Xcharet (I probably didn't spell it right) and go snorkling or scub diving...it's BEAUTIFUL!

I also think it is a great idea. They can be let loose on a ship and not get into any trouble. Plus, there are many great things to do, movies, plays, swimming.......I've been on a cruise to the Bahamas, but not to Cozumel. I would see if you can do an excursion there, let all 3 of you decide, with whatever budget you have. Also, you might want to make sure no one gets sea sick. I did and I was raised on a small boat all my life!!! I was shocked.....patches are really good for that. Be sure to take layered clothes, it can get a little chilly on the ship at night, but in the summer, might not need more than a light jacket.
I think you need to make a schedule so you eat together and spend some time together as well as them having some free time.
Good Luck and I think you will find this to be really fun.

Google Holland America. Check out their website. I went to the website & they have a 'special offers' tab. There are few for Mexico cruises. I would say not to splurge on a big fancy suite because you won't spend alot of time in the room anyway. Save that money for snorkeling activities or something like that. The kids will probably want to buy stuff at the ports so that could be another thing you save your money for. I've heard that if you call & try to book a cruise at the last minute sometimes they will give you a really good deal if they are trying to fill the ship. I guess they have to have a minimum amount of customers before they can set sail. Call & see if they have anything like that. Explain what you are trying to do, who knows maybe they might give you a good deal. Good luck!