Are the kids THAT bad during meals?

[rogerwaters]

I have been reading a lot of threads where people are telling horror stories about unsupervised kids, rowdy kids at meals, tables of kids with no parents, etc. Is it THAT bad? How can kids be allowed to sit at a table without a single adult?

 

Are there certain areas of the dining room that is sectioned off for families? Will our party of 4 adults be forced to sit next to rowdy tables of children or can we asked to be seated away from them?

 

We are all in our late 30's and really do not want to spend our evening meals dealing with unsupervised children. And why on earth would any parent allow their children to be so disruptive to others without intervening and disciplining them? :(

[Johnthed0g]

Never had this myself, but then we have gone mostly on ''Adults only'' ships from the UK.

We would not care to sit down to waiter served formal style dinner with children at the table...sorry just don't want to, doesn't make us anti -kids, just want to have dinner & conversation in adult company.

[firefly333]

Iv been on 9 cruises in 12 months and never saw a table of just kids. Not in the buffet or in the MDR. Iv hardly ever even been sat with kids in the MDR, once or twice a teen who was in and out.

 

Sounds greatly exaggerated about only kids at tables... but kids do generally not get what Id expect of supervisor. I sat and watched a mom with 4 kids, a little boy pulling a flower arrangement apart, leaf by leaf, and I guess she was glad he was occupied, because she said nothing. Even a little thing like that drove me crazy, I hate waste.

[MedicKen]

Kids are kids. That profound statement made. I don't think kids act any dofferently on a ship than they do on land. One caviat to that is that there are probably more kids in the dining rooms and public areas of a ship than your local "family-style" venue. The last 3 cruises we went on had no issues with kids nearby. You cann always asked to be moved if there is a problem nearby.

[cb at sea]

My kids were never wild and crazy during meals...I can't imagine that anyone would allow that sort of behavior!

However, we sail alone (2 adults) and have never been seated with small children....most I've observed have been well-behaved, tho!

[clackey]

Never happened on any of our nine cruises. We had a couple of young people at our table (10 to 13 years old) that were very well mannered. In fact my wife stated that they were better behaved that I.:rolleyes:

[MrsPete]

I don't think the rowdy children are large in number -- but they are memorable. Too many parents today simply aren't disciplining their children and are raising them to believe that anything they choose to do is pefectly fine. They use all sorts of excuses: They're too young to do better, boys will be boys, dinner is so long, they don't like this kind of food -- they're all just excuses.

 

In all honesty, I've never been seated with badly behaved children onboard -- though I have observed them at nearby tables. The worst with whom I've personally shared a table was a teenaged boy who didn't appear to have the capacity to use a fork. If my teens ate salad with their fingers (and then licked them), their father and I would correct that behavior!

[PattyG12]

We had a table for 6 a couple years ago. A family from Brazil. Mom, dad and 2 boys. Dad spoke no english, mom spoke very limited english. Kids ran around unsupervised. Kids played under the table with our feet. We skipped the rest of the dinners because, as the time, we didn't know we could change tables. It was pretty obnoxious. Mom and dad just chatted amongst themselves and smiled when their kids were grabbing our ankles.

[rogerwaters]

Well I'll just keep my fingers crossed that since I am cruising the end of September, that will keep the number of kids down. Too many times on vacations I see children allowed to run free & be disruptive with no discipline. Not sure if this is how they act at home, or if parents simply think on vacation kids should be able to roam free & be disruptive to others. Let's hope not. I don't know which thread it was, but someone spoke of a table filled with kids only, ranging in age from 6 to 15, and the poor waiter was running ragged with their rudeness and crazy food requests. How dare a parent allow that to happen? That just astonishes me.

[silentbob007]

On my last cruise we were unfortunate enough to be places next to a large family with many kids. The kids ran around, screamed, and beat on the windows throughout dinner. On New Year's Eve, noisemakers were placed on the the tables, so every 20 seconds or so there was a large blast from the table next to us. We would have moved, but we liked our waiter and table-mates. So we stuck it out ... for 17 days. ;)

[Johnthed0g]

I really hate those noisemaker things at dinner, what on earth are THEY about?

[uppitycats]

We do our best to avoid venues with kids..and would move at dinner if there was a group of them nearby. But to be fair -- it's not generally the kids that are the problem...it's the parents who think "their little darlings" can do no wrong, and "isn't it cute that they're turning the dinner rolls into bird food", or "well if we let them play under the table they'll not disturb folks" as the kids are chewing on someones ankles, or letting the kids run around the dining room, or hang over the back of the chair and grabbing at people going by, or...

 

If the parents kept track of what the kids were doing and disciplined them, they'd be fine. But too often the parents are oblivious, pay no attention, and the kids get rowdy.

[Johnthed0g]

We do our best to avoid venues with kids..and would move at dinner if there was a group of them nearby. But to be fair -- it's not generally the kids that are the problem...it's the parents who think "their little darlings" can do no wrong, and "isn't it cute that they're turning the dinner rolls into bird food", or "well if we let them play under the table they'll not disturb folks" as the kids are chewing on someones ankles, or letting the kids run around the dining room, or hang over the back of the chair and grabbing at people going by, or...

 

If the parents kept track of what the kids were doing and disciplined them, they'd be fine. But too often the parents are oblivious, pay no attention, and the kids get rowdy.

BUT....haven't you read the posts by people with children?? theirs are perfectly well behaved & everyone admires them......

[rogerwaters]

BUT....haven't you read the posts by people with children?? theirs are perfectly well behaved & everyone admires them......

 

 

Haha. Agreed. Seems most parents think their little darlings are precious in our eyes! Too often they overlook the fact many of us are annoyed by their behavior! Haha!

 

Well, I have no problem approaching an adult and asking them to settle their child down. Nor do I have a problem asking a group of kids to behave. I know many parents would say "how dare you ask my child to settle down", but then, if you think about it, how embarrassing it SHOULD be to a parent to realize their children are behaving soooo badly that a stranger has to ask for them to settle down.

 

Again, just keeping fingers crossed that my late September cruise has very few children on board.

[silentbob007]

I really hate those noisemaker things at dinner, what on earth are THEY about?

 

I definitely left comments about them being handed out during "formal" dinner several places for the cruiseline to read. :)

[sealady1]

We do our best to avoid venues with kids..and would move at dinner if there was a group of them nearby. But to be fair -- it's not generally the kids that are the problem...it's the parents who think "their little darlings" can do no wrong, and "isn't it cute that they're turning the dinner rolls into bird food", or "well if we let them play under the table they'll not disturb folks" as the kids are chewing on someones ankles, or letting the kids run around the dining room, or hang over the back of the chair and grabbing at people going by, or...

 

If the parents kept track of what the kids were doing and disciplined them, they'd be fine. But too often the parents are oblivious, pay no attention, and the kids get rowdy.

I couldn't agree more. My husband and I eat out occasionally and it seems we always get seated right near the family with 2 or 3 ( or more ) little ones who can't seem to stay in their seats, use their inside voices or not throw their food around. And all the while Mom and Dad are nonchalantly chatting and drinking their wine, oblivious to the chaos going on around them or else they are trying to reason with little Suzy or Timmy with empty warnings of no TV or something like that. It seems to me that parents nowadays are trying too hard to be their childrens' friend and it has resulted in a loss of authority and the kids are running the show. Every once in a blue moon, we encounter a family where the children are VERY well behaved and I make a point of complimenting the parents on what a lovely family they have. I wish it were just as easy to let people know when they ( and their children ) are being disruptive. Instead we just eat quickly and suffer in silence. :mad:

[Happy ks]

Some kids are great and don't run around and make a lot of noise. Their parents taught them how to behave at an early age. I know our kids were picked up and we exited many a restaurant in their early years, we either got the food to go or finished quickly and left ASAP, one parent staying behind to pay the bill. We were the ones senior citizens would stop by while exiting the restaurant and thank us for having such well behaved kids by the time they were 2-3 years old.

 

My belief is the kids who misbehave when they are 3,4,5 will also be the ones who are rude to others when they are 7,8,9 and the pre-teens who are going to think it's funny to push all the elevator buttons or the teens who think destroying property and yelling at the top of their lungs is amusing and clever. In other words, if you don't have a handle on it by the time they are 2...forget it you have lost the game.

 

While I have seen kids misbehaving on cruise ships at dinner at times, it's not the norm. I think the rotten ones just make all the others look bad.

 

My BIL one time spoke to a little boy (probably 5-6) and told him to go sit down and stop running around. He explained to him the danger of tripping servers with large platters of food or drink. That little guy not only sat down, he never got up the rest of the cruise. Why couldn't the parents achieve that? Why don't some parents realize it's not clever, amusing or safe to allow their kids to be wild? Most people hate it, even those of us who love kids.

[cruzer452]

I have seen my share of adults that are acting like children on cruises or land vacations. Some so drunk that they do not even know what they are doing. I have seen kids acting bad but usally there is an adult not far from them, sometimes acting worse. I have four kids under 11 and can not tolerate some of the bad behavior no matter the age.:)

[Happy ks]

I have seen my share of adults that are acting like children on cruises or land vacations. Some so drunk that they do not even know what they are doing. I have seen kids acting bad but usally there is an adult not far from them, sometimes acting worse. I have four kids under 11 and can not tolerate some of the bad behavior no matter the age.:)

 

 

You know, that is so true. Probably the most obnoxious person we've ever encountered on a cruise ship was a middle aged boor who complained so loudly about kids being at dinner. The kids were far better behaved than him.

 

The next night, 2 other couples were at that table and we commented to them we were so happy to see that the other party had moved somewhere else.

 

We saw this man all week and he was rude, loud, obnoxious...we felt so bad for his wife and their travel companions. They looked so embarrassed to be with him.

[maureencruiser]

You know, when I'm around children behaving badly, I just get so clumsy!! I will turn to look at something and what do you know, my elbow will (gently) catch the little darlings right on the ear or Good Heavens, I might accidently step on a toe-I am so clumsy!! I usually just try to cruise in the spring and fall, though, so, this is not much of an issue. as others have said, the adults are usually worse...Maureen

[Cuizer2]

I have been reading a lot of threads where people are telling horror stories about unsupervised kids, rowdy kids at meals, tables of kids with no parents, etc. Is it THAT bad? How can kids be allowed to sit at a table without a single adult?

 

Perhaps they were seated with married adults. :)

 

Are there certain areas of the dining room that is sectioned off for families? Will our party of 4 adults be forced to sit next to rowdy tables of children or can we asked to be seated away from them?

 

No, there is not a kids section. I've been on fourteen cruises. Only once have I seen adults without children seated at a table with a family that had young children. Typically families are seated together (if they are not at a table by themselves) and adults are seated together. However, the kids can be seated anywhere in the restaurant.

 

We are all in our late 30's and really do not want to spend our evening meals dealing with unsupervised children. And why on earth would any parent allow their children to be so disruptive to others without intervening and disciplining them? :(

 

Sometimes when parents are on vacation, they really take a vacation, which includes taking a vacation from parenting. They expect the ship to babysit their kids. Other parents are, well, just lousy parents.

 

HOWEVER, don't believe everything you read. I've been on fourteen cruises and I have yet to experience ANY of the problems I read about on these boards. I'm sure they happen, but they are not the norm. ALL the kids I have run into have been well behaved any many times very respectful.

[fleetingfam]

Sometimes my two children (5 and 7) can be a little rowdy at dinner. To avoid this though we always try to bring them a coloring book or a small toy they can play with. We do this even more if were going to dinner with others so the conversation may not always include the children. We also have the rule that if they are bad at dinner in a restaurant than they do not get to go the next time and their voice should be just slightly over a whisper (If I think they are to loud than they will probably be disrupting others). Sometimes they are not perfect and will be a little loud or annoying but compared to other children I have seen or even ate with my kids are pretty behaved. When we go on our cruise in May we hope they don't forget they are still in public and will continue to be good otherwise we will be getting room service or the buffet more than we want!

[seashinesunshine]

There are not hordes of wild children running around cruise ships. You will occasionally see some signs of bad behavior and some people may get seated next to an unruly child for the week. Some people on other threads make it sound like the dining room atmosphere is like a 4 year olds birthday party. People have different levels of tolerance. And some cruises may be more full of kids than others. I will never cruise Disney cuz I don't want to have so many little kids on the ship with me, however if I had little kids I would go to Disney. Pretending to accidently elbow someone (even gently) is not really acceptable. If you have a big problem, go to the head waiter and request a change. Like some have said, you will find adults that behave worse than kids, just like anywhere is life. One hint is to have late dining as some parents plan ahead and use early seating so the kiddies can go to bed.

[Cuizer2]

I really hate those noisemaker things at dinner, what on earth are THEY about?

 

Making noise.

[BaltimoreChickadee]

 

 

 

Sometimes when parents are on vacation, they really take a vacation, which includes taking a vacation from parenting. They expect the ship to babysit their kids. Other parents are, well, just lousy parents.

 

 

I agree. I have read more than enough posts however, to see that indeed some are just "lousy parents". It's a shame, really it is, that some parents ignore (and often encourage) bad behavior. But it's also good to know that I am not the only one that recognizes the fact that although some kids can be flat out annoying, it's more sad to know they have parents that simply don't know how (or don't care to) be a parent. What a shame for those kids who just don't have proper guidance.