Port Days - leaving your kids on board

[sas80]

Hi there! All opinions, perceptions and thoughts welcome.

 

We are considering doing a 3 week cruise. On the front end we would do Europe and then we would follow that up with a transatlantic back to the states.

 

At the time our kids would be 5 and 3. We feel like they would be too young to really enjoy the sites of Europe so we are thinking of leaving them on the ship at the kids club or with a babysitter while we enjoy some alone time in romantic Europe.

 

I do realize that it would be cheaper to leave them with a relative, unfortunately all of our relatives are inconveniently out of state in California (we are in Texas) and none of them have the financial means to come down and babysit for 3 weeks while we were away. Even if we paid their airfare they cant afford to miss work.

 

We are thinking we would have our cell phones in port so we could be reachable if we were needed, and we could always hop a private taxi, etc to get back to the ship.

 

So talk to me. Has anyone ever left their kids on board while they left the ship? How does this strike you? Good idea? Bad idea? Why/why not?

 

We are thinking of cruising RCCL's Voyager of the Seas but are interested in hearing everyone's comments.

 

Thanks for any thoughts.

[ericrz]

There are varied opinions on this, this is one of the most-discussed topics here on CC.

 

Personally? I would NEVER leave my daughter (3yo now, will turn 4 on our cruise next month) on the ship if all other family members are in port.

 

What happens if the two of you are in port, and get in a car accident? Or are hit by a car? If you have to go to the hospital, and don't make it back to the ship, who takes care of your kids?

 

Cell phone coverage is spotty in some places. What if your child has a life-threatening accident or illness and they can't reach you?

 

Maybe I'm a pessimist. But I would just never take that risk.

[6rugrats]

I wouldn't have considered this. Remember, some of the sites in Europe are not just a quick cab ride away.

 

And you are right, your kids won't want to go see historical sites or museums or trudge up and down cobblestone streets and go through shops. And, that will be the week they come down with a flu/cold/ear infection and won't let mommy out of their sight!

 

Have you considered a compromise? How about one to two weeks land vacation, where you could stay in one place and have enough time to see what you want and divide up the day so the kids got to do things they would remember and enjoy, and you could spend some time seeing what you wanted, too. Italy would be a great place for this, or even the UK. I have found renting an apartment from VRBO.com to be a great way to vacation with kids. You have an apartment where they can come back and rest when they get overtired during the day, you've got a kitchen, etc. Works great.

 

Then, take the crossing back home.

[sas80]

I wouldn't have considered this. Remember, some of the sites in Europe are not just a quick cab ride away.

 

And you are right, your kids won't want to go see historical sites or museums or trudge up and down cobblestone streets and go through shops. And, that will be the week they come down with a flu/cold/ear infection and won't let mommy out of their sight!

 

Have you considered a compromise? How about one to two weeks land vacation, where you could stay in one place and have enough time to see what you want and divide up the day so the kids got to do things they would remember and enjoy, and you could spend some time seeing what you wanted, too. Italy would be a great place for this, or even the UK. I have found renting an apartment from VRBO.com to be a great way to vacation with kids. You have an apartment where they can come back and rest when they get overtired during the day, you've got a kitchen, etc. Works great.

 

Then, take the crossing back home.

 

very interesting idea! thanks!

[boulders]

I'll be going on a Med cruise with my 3 kids, aged 4, 11 and 14 in 3 months. :D

 

For a couple of the ports, I will be going ashore with just one of the older kids. The youngest will be on board with the kids club (Disney) plus an older sibling. I figure if anything happens, then at least one of the kids will be on board with the youngest. For the long port days, we are all going. But, I am hiring private guides, with air conditioned cars. That way, if anyone poops out, we can get in the car/have a snack, etc.

 

I am probably more adventurous than the average mom in this area. I've learned the hard way that waiting for the kids to grow up to travel the world does not necessarily work out.

[siebelqueen]

We are cruising with our three year old in May. While we also have the option of leaving him with the kids club during port days, there are so many things that could go wrong. I don't even want to think about what could potentially happen to him or us if we were separated at a port. Just my two cents.

[Kerry's Girls]

I did it in Europe, and I would do it again. For me, if it's a question of what happens if I'm in a car accident or something else horrible happens in port, the answer is I would be very happy my girls aren't with me, but safe on board the ship. Would the twins be upset if some extraordinary circumstance kept me from getting back to the ship? Yes, but I know they would be safe and either I (or if I can't, a family member), would catch up with them in a day or two. Since we travel alone, if I worried about what would happen to the twins if something happened to me, we would never go anywhere - because if something happens to me, we'd have to rely on the ship to care for them anyway until a family member could make it.

 

I would not do a private tour far from the ship, but I wouldn't hesitate to leave my girls on board again. Though, I will say, even at 3, my girls loved sightseeing, so the only reason they stay on board is if they're exhausted of running around and just want to play in the kids club.

 

You can see your comfort level once you're on board, but you'll find that many, many parents leave their kids on board for port days.

 

Best,

Mia

[cb at sea]

You can't live your life on "what ifs".....if there was something that truly wouldn't interest the kids, I'd leave them, as long as it wasn't an "all day" excursion....but truly, if I was traveling with my kids, I wouldn't pick an itinerary where I couldn't take them! I mean, an adult vacation is one thing, and a "family" vacation is a totally different thing....pick one or the other!

[In2why]

I would leave them on board while I did an excursion if I knew it was something that I didn't think they would enjoy. Vacation is about compromise for me. I love having my kids with me, but I also enjoy times when it is just my husband and I as well. As for what if something happens......anything can happen anywhere, and sometimes we just have to have faith in our fellow man. If gosh forbid the very worst happened and we were killed or seriously injured in port, I would trust that someone could keep them safe until family got there....the same way I would need to trust if they were in port with me and the same happened.

[crusinmama06]

Sas - AO won't call you on the cell phone if they needed to -- so the kids would have to know your cell phone. Believe me, I already asked Adventure Ocean on Independence if they would take cell phone numbers to call if "something happened" while we were in port. They said no. :(

 

They said that when we sign the papers in AO, then we give them permission to pretty much make all decision regarding our kids safety while they are in their care.

 

I left my kids onboard for 4 hours while we were on Indy -- but I still had a group of friends/family onboard for backup.

 

Honestly, I was more upset about it than the kids were. I was so nervous. When I got back to the ship, the kids were mad that I was back so soon. :rolleyes:

[IMDORY]

The first thing that comes to my mind is a thread I saw a few days ago about the ship leaving port several hours early due to high winds and 150 people were left at the port who didn't know this was happening.:eek::eek::eek:

OMG!!! Can you imagine your kids sailing off to the next port without you????

[MyMoses]

I was not comfortable with this. There were many people on our cruise that did it though. My dd is only 2 and we had no other friends/family traveling with us. I wouldn't consider it unless there were another person I knew on board that could take them if something happened to us in port.

[sas80]

Everyone made some great points.

 

I must say, if DH and I were killed in a port of call then we would consider it a good choice that we decided to leave the kids on the ship. Our kids would go on with relatives.

 

Theory and reality are always different and I really dont know what we will end up doing. If we did this I could see us deciding to take walking tours where we could return to the ship quickly, by taxi or on foot.

 

I guess, for us, we do have confidence in the staff on the ship, enough so to consider this as an option. We do trust that RCCL and the staff have our childrens best interest at heart and would keep them safe.

 

Who knows what we will end up doing. But I do appreciate the posts, opinions and experiences. Keep them coming if anyone has any more thoughts to offer.

 

Thanks

[bhcruise]

We did a 12 day Med. cruise when my kids were 3 and 11 mos. I was very nervous about leaving the 3 yr. old on board (my little guy was too small so he just slept through Europe). I was hesitant to do it until one of the last ports when she was pretty done, she was fine and by then I was comfortable with the people watching her. In the end I wished that she had gone with us just because I wanted her to experience the things we saw that day. She is 6 now and still remembers the trip. So basically I say go for it, take some time with your husband. I would be careful which ports you leave them on the ship for though, as some have already mention some ports are quite far from the actual sightseeing areas. For instance I would never leave them on board for Rome just because I am not comfortable being that far away but again that is a personal choice.

[MMsteffey]

We did a med cruise, and happily left the kids on board in some ports. If the unthinkable really happened (parents in accident, unable to reboard) don't you think the cruise line employees would bend over backwards to care for and reunite your kids with you or your emergency contacts ? These people are human beings and many have their own children. It's not like they're going to send the kids back to your cabin on their own for the duration of the cruise. Or kidnap them. I have total confidence that The kids would be cared for until a solution could be found.

[junglejane]

We did a med cruise, and happily left the kids on board in some ports. If the unthinkable really happened (parents in accident, unable to reboard) don't you think the cruise line employees would bend over backwards to care for and reunite your kids with you or your emergency contacts ? These people are human beings and many have their own children. It's not like they're going to send the kids back to your cabin on their own for the duration of the cruise. Or kidnap them. I have total confidence that The kids would be cared for until a solution could be found.

 

I agree with you on this. I have found the camp staff to always be very professional. I also recall once reading a story on these boards about what happened in an actual instance when parents missed the ship. The cruise line had a protocol for it and it was handled in a professional and reassuring manner, with a youth staff counselor being assigned to stay with the kids in their cabin. (Anyone else remember reading this or have a link?)

 

On our 2008 Med cruise, we left our then 7 year old on the ship in one of the ports. We had planned and paid for her to go on all our excursions, but one day she just begged not to go. She happily spent the day in the Celebrity kids program instead. I would do it again except that now we are aware of a bunch of food allergy issues (peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish) and would no longer leave her in the program during a meal because we feel best equipped to recognize any problems and get her immediate help.

[sbhdmh]

We did the Baltics last summer when dd was 4 1/2. I chose MSC because they specifically advertised that you could leave the kids on board and I didn't think museums and palaces would be too much fun for her. Once we boarded we found out that we could only leave her if we were booked on ship's excursions, presumably so they would be able to contact us if needed. Since we did everything on our own she came along in each port. She had a great time and all worked out well. She was in the middle of her "princess phase" so she loved seeing all the palaces and castles. We bought her a crown in London which she wore every day - we learned to say "princess" in every language across northern Europe. We also came up with a game - she was a secret agent and received a "dossier" each morning that introduced her to the various cities and gave her little assignments to complete. She tasted salt licorice ice cream in Sweden, rode a double decker bus in London, found the Amber room in St Petersburg, etc. I have posted some of these dossiers over on the northern Europe board and a lot of parents plan to do the same thing with their kids this summer. The kids can have fun in Europe if you present it to them in the right way...

[DaniellefromOttawa]

We did a cruise last March with our 7 and 10 year olds, the first port was Porto Rico at 4 PM in the afternoon, and my youngest begged us to leave him on the ship. I knew if I dragged him with us it would have made both him and us miserable. He was a high-needs baby that has grown into a very strong-willed, stubborn kid that knows all of my buttons to push!

 

So I made the difficult decision (considering all the things listed in other posts) to leave him on the ship. I quized the Camp Carnival employees about all of the possibilities, they assured me all the worst scenerios I could ask them about would be managed just fine.

 

It turned out great for us...I'd certainly do it again, yes we travel with our kids because we enjoy spending time with them, but it's their vacation too..and they should have a say. Also, for some of us that work full-time and are not used to being with them 24/7, it is exhausting (hat's off to all the stay at home moms and daycare providers! I don't know how you do it!!)

 

When I got back to the ship that evening I was relaxed, destressed and much more prepared to enjoy the rest of our vacation with them.

 

Danielle

[Twobonbons]

I am not one to feel comfortable leaving my child on board, but at the last minute on a Southern Carib trip last year, due to circumstances, I chose to leave my 9 yr old DD on board in the kids club. It was just the two of us travelling together.

 

Within the hour on shore, I fell and broke my leg! So I have lived the reality of "what if something happened?" In retrospect I think things happened that way for a reason as given the nature of the fall and its results it was best that she wasn't there.

 

I was able to be transported back to the ship for treatment, and with the treatment that I received medically, and in handling the medevac for both of us, I have no doubt that Princess would have taken very good care of my daughter if I had not made it back to the ship (not without worry of course!).

[sailinglisa]

"We are thinking we would have our cell phones in port so we could be reachable if we were needed, and we could always hop a private taxi, etc to get back to the ship."

 

Unless you have a European cell phone or some kind of card (I can't remember what kind off the top of my head), your American cell phone might not work in Europe.http://http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/mobilephones.htm

[jam82]

I have felt safe with the counselors we've met on our cruises. I wouldn't hesitate to leave my child on board. I have done it and will do it again. Of course there are always the what ifs, but that is daily. Cruising is a great family vacation.

[A&Jfamily]

I did it twice - once in Costa Maya when my youngest was 2. We took my oldest, 8, to see the Mayan ruins. It was a 3-4 hour trip and we got him from camp and took him ashore when we came back. The second time was the following year, and I wanted to take the nature-loving older child on a sea kayak/snorkel tour.

 

I booked Carnival excursions and had my cell phone with me both times. Of course, mom was traveling with us, and she stayed on board in the morning while he was in camp- but I would have done it even if she hadn't been there.

 

He didn't even miss us. It gave my older one a special feeling and some much needed attention, and I am glad I did it.

[toonye]

Hi!

 

I belong to the mothers who are completely at ease leaving their child at the kids club. I've always been very confident in the RCCL AO staff, they're really professional.

 

We did the eastern med some years ago in August and it was really hot.

And watching "old stones" under 38°C (sorry, don't know the F scale...) bright sun would have been totally boring for a 4 yr old

 

So we let our daughter at AO when we visited ruins for example

But took her with us on some other ports : in Egypt we did the camel ride

in some other ports, we would visit the sites in the morning , go back to the ship and take our daughter to the beach in the afternoon....

 

There were also days we left her for the entire day like when we were in Athen for example as we walked all day under the sun

even my husband suffered ;-))))

 

The thing I really love on cruise is the great flexibility that is offered

you can decide at the very last moment to take your child with you or let it at the kids club

 

for us, a cruise is the perfect family vacation as everybody is enjoying himself during the day with activities that he really likes

so we're also happy to get together in the evening, enjoy a common dinner where everyone can share his experiences,...

That what makes a great vacation for us

we could not spend a week at a resort as we adults would die of boresome!

but we also couldn't force our daughter to visit cities 10 hours a day, she would get bored !

 

 

And regarding the "as if..."

 

What happens if the two of you are in port, and get in a car accident? Or are hit by a car? If you have to go to the hospital, and don't make it back to the ship, who takes care of your kids?

 

Cell phone coverage is spotty in some places. What if your child has a life-threatening accident or illness and they can't reach you?

 

I of course also imagine the worst (like any mother?!!) BUT I do the same or worse every day at home!

 

When I drop my daughter off at school every morning, and drive to my office (45 km)...everything can happen!

The risk that I get injured (or killed:eek:) in a car accident on my way to/from the office is even fare more higher than during a shore excursion

 

And our next relatives live a 5 hours drive from our place...so the school would have to take care of her also!

 

And sometimes I fly on business trip for the day

If something happened to me or if my daughter got sick or injured, I know the school would take the right decisions (or maybe not, but...you can't help it)

Anyway, they'd better call 911 than my cell phone in case of an emergency :p

 

So on the cruise ship, it's even better as there's even a nurse on duty and a doctor available 24/7 within a few sec!!

 

Enjoy your cruise, I'm sure you'll love Europe!

Toonye

[Eclipsepearl]

. I also recall once reading a story on these boards about what happened in an actual instance when parents missed the ship. The cruise line had a protocol for it and it was handled in a professional and reassuring manner, with a youth staff counselor being assigned to stay with the kids in their cabin. (Anyone else remember reading this or have a link?)

 

I don't have the link but I remember that post. The got the kids together and asked them who their favorite counselor was and she was then relieved of all duties and stayed with the children until the parents were back on the ship.

 

What the poster stressed was how cool they were about it all. They made a real effort not to panic their little guests and just made it sound like a slight mishap, and that their parents were getting back to them ASAP.

 

About the cell phones, I wanted to add that we have European cell phones. Half the time they did NOT work on or outside the ship. Also, our phone bill was abominable. Try not to depend on this solely for communication while cruising.

 

I can't see when the OP would be sailing but be aware that most of the Med stops are very hot and crowded in summer-not ideal for small children.

 

I did leave my kids on board on our Med cruise but my dh has a bad back and was on board too most of the time. We were also with another family and our kids weren't that young (3, 5 & 7 at the time).

[UKBayern]

Maybe you should postpone your trip to Europe for a few years, until the youngest is a little bit older? What if there are tears in the kiddy club every day when you try to leave them there? It will ruin your holiday.

Why go so far away? Your children will also have to deal with jetlags, long flights etc, and they have no notion where they are anyway. Other people have also commented on hot weather and crowds. For your children, there is no plus.

 

I am probably going to get flamed for saying this, since most people on this thread are perfectly cool with leaving their kids in a foreign port with total strangers and living their lives as if they have no children, but it does all sound a bit selfish.