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We just returned from Varadero and stayed at the Hotel Puntarena. On our last two days a group of 55 high school students arrived ages..16/17. They were touring with S-Trip and had a couple of chaperons that were in their 20’s. I was embarrassed to know they represented our Canadian youth. The chaperons watched as they got totally hammered with alcohol and encouraged it with shooters and even filmed it. The disco had to be shut down because they were all throwing up on the dance floor, many were making out on lobby couches and in the halls. When the chaperons were approached with our concerns they said the Cuban drinking age was 16.. what are we going to do about it? I am sure the parents did not sign their kids up to go on a drinking binge instead of a cultural experience! As it turns out the school they attended was Notre Dame in Burlington Ontario. Catholic school I believe. We hear of so many tragedies in foreign countries where young tourists are hurt or killed. Why is this company allowed to throw these children into such circumstances? |
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Send a message to both the school and the newspaper …. |
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The same thing happens every year at the Bahia Principe in Puerto Plata. We missed them by a week but heard the horror stories! Last year one of the kids came on the forum and told everyone that we know they will be there so we should not take our vacations at this time. I cannot even imagine sending my 16 year old on a trip like this!It`s basically a free for all… |
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Our son asked (with already really knowing the answer) if he could go on a "school trip" for grad in June with S trips. It scares me to think that these kids have no adult supervision and none of them have had enough experience with alcohol to know that atleast 2 or 3 of the group should stay sober enough to make sure everybody is back in their room. So many things in life can’t be prevented, why would you let your kid go on a trip like this where you are setting them up for trouble. We’ve been on enough trips to know that the bartenders usually don’t care who they serve. For example, our friend’s 5 year old little guy wanted a strawberry daquiri (smoothie) and we had to teach him to ask for no booze! |
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![]("http://s29438.storage.proboards.com/2099438/a/vO_wKPm9qgRWR0v2TWkF.gif") Send a message to both the school and the newspaper ….Maybe if the kids parents hear about it the next trip will have chaperons who do their job … I agree! 16-17 year old kids don’t have the maturity to behave themselves and it sounds pretty obvious the chaperones didn’t or couldn’t control them. Making the school and parents aware may just save a kid’s life next trip. Also they apparently ruined the week for everybody at the hotel. It was not fair to all the customers to have to put up with this! My thoughts! |
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| The #1 reason we do not vacation during the month of March is to avoid the spring break high school groups and their shenanigans. I work far too hard for my money to have my vacation dollar and time ruined by 16/17 years olds running amok.But, the real question is what the heck are their parents thinking by allowing the teens to participate? Surely the kids’ vacation escapade is partially financed by the parents?- or are these kids all paying for themselves? Are parents so eager to get rid of their brats for a week that they’ll pay whatever it takes or are the parents really just terribly naive?On the one hand, many parents seem to be appalled when their just under 19 year olds get caught drinking booze but sending the child at age 16 to a booze free flowing all-inclusive resort is okay? I don’t get it!Honestly, I really wish parents would take more responsiblity for their offspring which is something that doesn’t seem to happen much anymore. Kids don’t raise themselves to become responsible adults.
I hope that all vacationers at the resort whose vacation was impacted by the S-trip group write and complain to the resort management. |
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![]("http://images.proboards.com/v5/av_default_female.png") But, the real question is what the heck are their parents thinking by allowing the teens to participate? Surely the kids’ vacation escapade is partially financed by the parents?- or are these kids all paying for themselves? Are parents so eager to get rid of their brats for a week that they’ll pay whatever it takes or are the parents really just terribly naive?
. The parents are probably doing the same thing as their kids at the same time.Unless the kids are selling stuff in a small baggie they are being financed by mom and dad.Any normal parent would NEVER allow a 16 or 17 yr old to a free booze resort 2000 miles from home.Yes YVRck we will not be going on vacation on March break anymore ourselves for the same reason.Anyone going on vacation on the March break should look into the schedules of these S club things. Sorry about your vacation jenna06 |
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| It is not only unfortunate but embarrassing as a Canadian to have to put up with this behavior.Saying that it is probably not an official school trip . It is not organized by the school and not sanctioned.But rather an independent for profit travel organization. The responsibility should be on the direct backs of the parents. At 17 many of these kids will be experiencing College and University life on there own this year and it is up to the parents to advice and prepare there children for independence which includes self control. If there young adult children are not mature enough mom and dad should not be forking over the money for them to ruin other,s vacation. | |
| You really should report this to the school as well as send something to the newspaper!!! I went on S-Trip’s website and here’s the link to "Letter to Parents"!!!! Are parents that gullible that they believe this stuff??? Perhaps it should say that they are chaperoned by 20 year olds and this is not a cultural trip – it’s a drink your face off trip!!!!
www.s-trip.com/About/Letter-to-Parents.html |
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| I wish someone would video them … Just imagine the parent faces when it was show on the TV and all over the internet … Perhaps a night in the jail to sober them up and publication of their names might .. just might get them to wise up ..These children and that is what they are .. have no consequences for their actions .. Maybe its time they did ..Yes .. I know that I’m being to hard on these little children .. or so our geneal public will cry .. | |
| We sent this to the company as well as parent council members (couldn’t find an email for the Principal)."It is disconcerting to read of reports of drunken vomiting 16-17 year olds from Notre Dame school, Burlington, Ontario, and the reported inaction by the chaperones during a school trip to Cuba. This report does not reflect well on your company or the participants. Our daughter is going on a trip with Impact Educational Tours, but if we are ever offered a school trip with S-trip this type of report would definitely influence our decision making process to allow her to participate.You may want to investigate and then make a formal response to the following thread, including issue apology to the other travelers who were negatively impacted by the behaviour of the participants as well as the reported inaction by the chaperones, if the report is correct.
debbiesreviews.proboards88.com/index.cgi?board=Cuba&action=display&thread=8508" While we weren’t impacted this time these stories do influence the public perception of the school, and whether our child would be allowed to go on a trip. We attended the info session for her trip to Washington put on by another company that does these trips and are still confident in their reputation/chaperones. |
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| I wish someone would video them … Just imagine the parent faces when it was show on the TV and all over the internet …
This has happened before…"Girls gone Wild"…. ;D |
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There was a whole thread on this last year on several DR forums where many parents and adults supported the trips…The thought was kids will be kids, and we were young once too! I was horrified by some of the comments…I was young not that long ago and I was no angel, far from it! But I also had a bit of common decency and respect for those around me. |
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Follow-up. S-Trips are investigating the report. This type of thing negatively impacts their reputation so I’m sure it isn’t something they want to be associated with either but they can only do so much as well. |
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I certainly wouldn’t allow a |