Recently we have been sadened by the news of the gang-rape of a 15 year old girl on board a cruise ship. While the full story still remains to be determined, it remains clear that even on a fun vacation, you must remain on guard for your personal safety.
If you are a teen so fortunate to be taken on a cruise vacation, you must still be so aware of your surroundings and of those around you. The size of many of today's cruise ships enable them to carry upwards of 4,000 passengers and unfortunately, within a group that large there may be a few individuals who deep down are just plain bad people. Don't get into a situation that you may regret. It only takes one bad decision to turn your world upside down.
In the challenging years of the teenager, your put out so much effort to assert your independence from parents, so much effort to gain greater levels of freedom. That is what teens have done throughout the centuries and believe it or not, although you may feel your parent's teen years were hundreds of years ago, they too went through many of the same challenges that you feel today. Believe me that to them their teen years also feels to have been hundreds of years ago. So when a parent implements rules or restrictions on the activities of our teen sons and daughters that may seem unfair to the teen, it is done so with love and out of their want to keep you safe. They have plenty of life's lessons from also having been a teen. Please listen. Your parents want for you to have all the fun in the world but they also want more than anything for you to be safe from harm.
One of the biggest rules for teens on a cruise ship is: DO NOT GO INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S CABIN. No way, no how. Surely the new friends you have met may seem cool and you naturally want to appear cool to them too but you do not really know them. Do not go to their cabin. Even in a group that you have just met, do not go into someone's cabin. Do not let peer pressure lead you into a situation that you know would not be approved by your parents. You are smarter than that.
Additionally, if a person of legal drinking age is offering to provide you with alcohol, even if you are with a group of teens, that is a huge red flag of a potentially dangerous situation. Why would someone you don't know offer to provide you drinks? Are you really such an intriguing person that they just want to be your firend? Why would they feel thay had to load you up on alcohol to be a friend if they didn't have suspicious intentions. If you ask yourself one quick question, "what would Mom and Dad think?", you would have your answer if it was a safe, smart thing to do.
Bottom line is, if the actions that you are about to do on a cruise would not be acceptable back at home then it is still unacceptable. Do not let your guard down, stay safe. Do not put yourself in a situation that can change your life forever in a bad way. Listen to your parents. They want you to have fun. They want you to be safe. They want you to have greater independence so show them that you can handle greater independence by doing right and by making smart decisions. Cruise vacations can still be a great, fun filled vacation with parental rules in effect. Don't focus on the rules but instead focus on the safe, fun activities and you will ahve fun. Attitude is everything.
I am not your parent but please listen to yours. They have much more life experiences that you can learn from if you talk to them. Please do at least follow this advice about safety. I am speaking as a parent of a pre-teen and a former teenage boy. Like your parents I know what peer pressure is like and doing the right thing is tough sometimes but in the long is well worth it. Don't let one poor decision turn your life upside down. Cruise safely my young friends.
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