Should parents bring their infants onboard?

[tapdancer_pm]

I agree with you Linda. I haven't been on my first cruise yet so it wouldn't have occurred to me, but after reading these boards I realize that this could be a real problem in a tight environment. I'm stunned to learn that Princess allows 6 month-olds onboard. Do they try to put them in a cabin where there's no one beside their cabin? That's impossible, right? What happens to the poor couple who has the cabin besides theirs in the middle of the night if the ship is full and there's nowhere for the ship to move them? Someone posted that on their ship only 11 babies are allowed. It's great to hear they have some limit but what about the 11 (or 22) cabins on either side of a crying infant?

 

You'd think that for the money Princess makes on allowing those 11 six to eleven-month old babies, they might make up the revenue in attracting passengers who want to be assured they aren't going to be near a crying baby. Are their other lines that have 1 year as their limit?

Probably no worse than the two drunken adults we had on either side of us on the Grand last year when we and our two children were trying to sleep. Are there any polls or opinions about that??

[tapdancer_pm]

I have no problem with people bringing their babies on board a cruise! However, I do think parents should be sensitive to times when they are disturbing to other passengers, for example screaming in the dining room or in a show lounge. At those times, parents need to remove their children and find an alternative that suites everyone. Bon voyage to EVERYONE, including the babies!

Absolutely.

[halos]

3 full pages...different opinions on this VERY touchy subject and you Princess cruisers have kept this civil!! I applaud you all!!!

 

The only comment (although not hostile) that made me :rolleyes: was the one above.

Why is it...no matter which boards you are on, when this baby/infant/kid subject somes up, does SOMEONE always throw in the 'drunk adult' card???? :rolleyes: To me, if you are running into that many drunk adults on cruise ships, then that is all the more reason that cruise ships aren't the place for young babies, right????

BTW...I am not fond of loud drunks and I am in NO way picking up for them by that statement.

AS far as my opinion on the subject...personally, I don't think cruise ships are good for infants but if you bring yours and it screams and cries...it will only bother me a little...for the most part I'll be thinking how lucky I am that I am past that stage. I don't think I could go through it again.

It is TOUGH.

I'll take teenagers any day :D

[Gaynors]

I voted YES!!! and pround of it... :eek:

 

We took my son to Hawaii on a cruise before he was 2 and just last year we took my daughter on 2 cruises and she won't be 2 until next month..

 

We cruised before we had kids and it was definitely a different experience but we love our kids are glad we are able to take them with us.. For example we no longer go to after dinner shows and night clubs.. Those aren't appropriate places for infants... :eek:

 

As long as parents understand that courtesy of other passengers is needed.. everyone should be happy.. :cool:

 

My children are well behaved and if they were misbehaving they didn't go to dinner, that's what room service or the horizon court is for..

 

Well behaved infants and children should be allowed on cruises AS LONG AS the parents behave responsibly as well... :D

[Cruisin' Chick]

"Well behaved infants and children should be allowed on cruises AS LONG AS the parents behave responsibly as well"

 

Yes, there are some of us who don't let our kids run wild on the cruiseships. I realized last night that I saw only three of the movies nominated for Oscars -- all kids movies I've seen with my girl. The money we save on babysitters, we use for cruises!

[SaylorGirl]

I voted No I just don't think its the best "family vacation" for babies. Something that has always bothered me is doesn't anyone worry . . . I would never have taken my small children I would have been worried all the time that they would somehow slip through the railings or climb on the railings. I would have been a nervous wreck. I would have worried about them getting sick, crawling around on dirty carpet. Someone trying to "steal" them in port. It just seems to me a dangerous environment for a small baby or toddler.

[Maflingo]

I saw the recent thread about this and figured this would make a great poll. :D

 

I'll start the voting off with a big NO. :p

 

<puts on flame-retardant suit>

 

Drew

 

 

Judging by the poll results, I'm thinking I should be the one to put on an asbestos suit! LOL! I voted yes....

 

That said, I don't think anyone should be restricted from bringing their children so if parents want to chain themselves to their stateroom with an infant...have at it. BUT.... (to the gentleman 2 doors down) don't tell me that your getting P***** off because your little kids are sleeping and are being awakened by my kids talking in the hallway at 2 in the afternoon. If you need silence for naptime, you need to stay home.

 

As long as parents respect the rights of others I don't have a problem with kids of any age. And actually, the most annoying "kids" I noticed on our cruise were older teenagers and possibly early 20s who were running around up and down the halls and stairwells and the group 4 decks down yelling and singing on their balcony on the last night of the cruise at 12:30 am.

[Trooper Mom]

Well, I'm going to step in here with a minority vote. I'm all for people bringing their children on cruises, especially infants. They have the right to travel just as we do. If you don't like children, then don't come on a boat that takes them, JMO. But! On the other hand, all of you have raised some interesting points and it will be interested to see if any of these suggestions are "heard" by the TPTB and something changes!

 

 

 

I also agree. I took my son to the Bahama's when he was 1 year old and had no problems. I also think it depends on the child (every child is different). I am taking my son who is now 3 and my daughter whos is 12 on the Grand Princess on 3/5/2005 and we are very exicited. I believe if you start them traveling young with you it makes it easier when they hit toddler age. It also helps when you have help!! Husbands out there, moms need a break sometimes!! :D Kids are a must when traveling. Besides it makes for great memories!!

[TITISSA]

No, an infant does not belong on a cruise ship where it is very easy to contract any contagious diseases like the Norwalk virus or the common cold. Keep your baby at home and enjoy every minute of it. Sooner than you would like they become teenagers and the fun is over. :(

[drewlane]

It doesn't matter what the results of this poll show. It doesn't matter if all of you say NO. This is a free country & Princess accepts babies and children. So, parents will continue to bring babies & children onboard. :p

Sure it matters. We can change the world. It's a free country and we can change the rules. Happens all the time.

 

Actually, I was told by a Princess rep that they already do limit the number of infants onboard. Chew on that for a while. :D

 

I think the results of the poll are pretty clear; Most folks don't think it's a good idea for parents to bring their infants onboard. I would hope this has some influence on the cruise line decision makers that read this forum. Maintaining the quality of the cruise experience should be of high priority to the cruise lines.

 

With that said, I'm sure that I will get my payback for starting this thread by getting seated next to 5 screaming babies at dinner. :rolleyes:

 

Peace,

 

Drew

[totallynewtocruising]

No, Drew, your punishment will be to have a crying screaming infant in the cabins on either side of you! <s> To me that is worse than having the babies at dinner because at least you have the option to leave the table (as unfair as that would be). But you are stuck in your cabin at night to try to sleep. No one has yet answered whether Princess tries to place these infants in a particular part of the ship or whether they are just randomly placed. Are these 11 allowed infants so unusual that they don't cry at night or in the early morning, especially in a completely new environment with a different schedule?

[nhcruiser]

I have to vote no to infants on board!

 

To clarify, I take an infant to be a child that is not toilet trained, not able to be self-mobile and who needs bottles and such to eat.

 

Young children who are past this stage are fine in my mind. We see them on most ships and for the most part these kids are well behaved. This said, the pre-teens and older kids that run all over and stay up all night bothering other passengers and hogging the hot tubs should be monitored more closely by their parents or simply through overboard.

 

We still haven't taken our "children", 31 & 32 on a cruise vacation because we consider cruises an adult style vacation. When our kids were young, we did Disney, National Parks and museums as many family vacations. When our kids grew up we started taking adult vacations (cruises). Now that we have three grandchildren I still wouldn’t bring them on a cruise. We do bring our grand children to Disney where there is something for them to enjoy.

 

[kryos]

No, Drew, your punishment will be to have a crying screaming infant in the cabins on either side of you! <s> To me that is worse than having the babies at dinner because at least you have the option to leave the table (as unfair as that would be). But you are stuck in your cabin at night to try to sleep. No one has yet answered whether Princess tries to place these infants in a particular part of the ship or whether they are just randomly placed. Are these 11 allowed infants so unusual that they don't cry at night or in the early morning, especially in a completely new environment with a different schedule?

An infant doesn't have to continuously cry at night if there are good, considerate parents sharing the voyage with him. When the baby cries, it only means he needs to be picked up, coddled and maybe even taken for a walk. Maybe his diaper needs changing, or maybe he is hungry or thirsty. Babies cry for a reason and if the parents are quick to determine that reason and meet those needs, the baby's crying shouldn't last for more than a minute or so.

 

I still say, misbehaving children and continuously crying infants are the fault of the parents, not the child.

 

Just the humble opinion of a single person who does not have children.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[luv2cruise99]

I don't know how they place you if you book a guarantee with your infant, but in my case, I booked a specific cabin. They didn't tell me I had to confine my choices to the "infant" part of the ship, so my guess is that it isn't a factor they use when assigning guarantee cabins either.

 

No one has yet answered whether Princess tries to place these infants in a particular part of the ship or whether they are just randomly placed.

[amagar]

I'm surprised that cruise lines don't tailor their marketing to address this. I think it would help them compete. Why not get rid of the kids programs on some lines and increase them on others.

 

This would benefit all: Those of us trying to avoid kids would have a safe space....and, I hope, families seeking better kid programs and lots of other kid passengers for their children to play with.

 

It would seem there are enough passsengers in each category to make a go...

 

As it is, Disney is the family cruise monster...which, I'm guessing (I haven't checked) gives them a huge leg up on pricing because there's no direct competition.

[bjboothman]

An infant doesn't have to continuously cry at night if there are good, considerate parents sharing the voyage with him. When the baby cries, it only means he needs to be picked up, coddled and maybe even taken for a walk. Maybe his diaper needs changing, or maybe he is hungry or thirsty. Babies cry for a reason and if the parents are quick to determine that reason and meet those needs, the baby's crying shouldn't last for more than a minute or so.

 

I still say, misbehaving children and continuously crying infants are the fault of the parents, not the child.

 

Just the humble opinion of a single person who does not have children.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Let's not overlook colic, teething, ear infection, etc - which I'd say are outside the realm of parental control.

[SaylorGirl]

Let's not overlook colic, teething, ear infection, etc - which I'd say are outside the realm of parental control.

 

Exactly! Having been through the "colic baby" I literaly wore the carpet out pacing at night and nothing helps! I can't even begin to imagine being on a cruise ship with him. And we all know a baby with an ear infection is "long nights and no sleep".

[roe2ship]

While I personally would choose not to cruise with a child younger than a year old, infants are people too and there are many families that have no other choice. They need and deserve a vacation like everybody else. Some suggest waiting till they get older. Well, when a family has one child and that child turns 4 or 5 years of age sometimes there is another one on the way. The waiting period will now be an additional 4 or 5 years. That is just one example. Everyone has a different situation. Others suggest to just cruise Disney or some beach vacation. Okay what happens when on the beach the baby starts crying and you happen to be right next to that family? Something tells me that same person would then complain a beach is not place for infants either. Also, many get their feathers all ruffled when one suggest to cruise maybe an upscale line where minimum kids would be on board, so please don’t suggest for families to cruise Disney only. So where do infants belong? Should you confine them at home?? Maybe everyone needs to be reminded they were a kid too and a parent with young children.

 

As someone else has mentioned this thread is not really just about infants cruising but what an appropriate age for children should be for cruising, here is my thought. There is a reason there are kids programs on cruises, the cruise lines want them there. Family cruising is the biggest growth in the industry. Even Holland America who has been labeled for a much older crowd, is changing the minimum age required for youth program participation from 5 years of age to 3. Teen centers will be expanded and after hours babysitting will be offered. They are going as far as adding new water slides and family tours to their Private Island, Half Moon Cay. I think this is another indication that an adults only cruise is far in the making. I have a feeling no cruise line will take a chance on that market. That is my 2 cents.

[jcike1980]

I thought Princess had a minimum age for infants? Does anyone know? At one time they had two different minimum ages, depending on the itinerary.

I believe it is at least 6months old. jcike

[bjboothman]

Thought I read it was 12 months for "exotics", 6 months for US/Canada/Caribbean.

[spongerob]

Yes, that's correct (on the subject of minimum ages) according to Princess' published literature.

[jrod]

I say no.

 

My wife and I got off the Caribbean Princess last week (2/19-2/26/05). We have an 11 month old and a 5-1/2 year old. We didn't take the kids because we needed a vacation, a complete vacation. Vacationing with small kids can be not much of a vacation for mom and dad. Our 5-1/2 year old really wanted to go and we wouldn't have a problem bringing her on board. We'll wait until our youngest is in that 4-6 yr. range before all 4 of us go. The kids programs on board are WAY BETTER than anything I had from '76-'80.

 

Those who bring them, more power to you. Nothing wrong with it, just be considerate to those who don't have any with them.

[redmoon]

"Okay what happens when on the beach the baby starts crying and you happen to be right next to that family? Something tells me that same person would then complain a beach is not place for infants either."

 

This is putting words in people's mouths. No one here said that because it would be ridiculous. The good point several have made is that cruise ship cabins are very tight quarters. If you are unlucky enough to be placed next door to a baby, there is a very good chance you'll be woken in the middle of the night or early in the morning as the baby needs a diaper change, or is unhappy not having their normal routine. This is not indicative of a bad parent, it is just the nature of babies as Saylor and BJ wisely noted.

 

Yes, nh, thanks for pointing out yet again to everyone that this question was about INFANTS, not children. You would not bring an infant into a four-star restaurant for dinner and an infant is just as inappropriate at a cruise dinner.

 

It is quite logical to question why parents who insist on bringing infants onboard a cruise instead of a more kid-friendly vacation wouldn't consider going Disney since they cater to children. Disney was the magical solution for those parents who want to cruise with children and infants. Why do they have to turn every line into another Disney? I agree with you that the large cruise lines are hungry for every dollar. You conclude there is little chance of them doing an adult-only cruise. I'm not sure, especially as baby boomers are now in their 50s, but if that is true then you're going to see even more of us adult customers demanding tighter quotas on children and a higher minimum age on the lines we choose. I can't see why Princess wouldn't make their minimum age 1 year across the board as anything under that is just asking for trouble. They would make up the loss of the few allowable families with infants easily by attracting more adults who are likely to bring more drink revenue (and no, they don't have to be obnoxious drunks).

 

I think as much as some families have been letting cruise lines they want more kid activities, we adults have to be vocal and let the lines know we would like to bring back the adult cruise line experience.

[tapdancer_pm]

As it is, Disney is the family cruise monster...which, I'm guessing (I haven't checked) gives them a huge leg up on pricing because there's no direct competition.

 

 

Their prices are outrageous. Because they are in a category of their own and they know it.

[tapdancer_pm]

While I personally would choose not to cruise with a child younger than a year old, infants are people too and there are many families that have no other choice. They need and deserve a vacation like everybody else. Some suggest waiting till they get older. Well, when a family has one child and that child turns 4 or 5 years of age sometimes there is another one on the way. The waiting period will now be an additional 4 or 5 years. That is just one example. Everyone has a different situation. Others suggest to just cruise Disney or some beach vacation. Okay what happens when on the beach the baby starts crying and you happen to be right next to that family? Something tells me that same person would then complain a beach is not place for infants either. Also, many get their feathers all ruffled when one suggest to cruise maybe an upscale line where minimum kids would be on board, so please don’t suggest for families to cruise Disney only. So where do infants belong? Should you confine them at home?? Maybe everyone needs to be reminded they were a kid too and a parent with young children.

 

As someone else has mentioned this thread is not really just about infants cruising but what an appropriate age for children should be for cruising, here is my thought. There is a reason there are kids programs on cruises, the cruise lines want them there. Family cruising is the biggest growth in the industry. Even Holland America who has been labeled for a much older crowd, is changing the minimum age required for youth program participation from 5 years of age to 3. Teen centers will be expanded and after hours babysitting will be offered. They are going as far as adding new water slides and family tours to their Private Island, Half Moon Cay. I think this is another indication that an adults only cruise is far in the making. I have a feeling no cruise line will take a chance on that market. That is my 2 cents.

 

 

I agree with you, and will add that while some folks seem to think that kids can only have a good time at Disney, my kids would rather snorkel, swim with the stingrays or dolphins or just hang out on the beach and build a sandcastle and read. We did 8 days at Disney 5 months before our last cruise and had a good time, but the best memories for my kids happened on our cruise, and trips to the Caribbean.More educational too. Disney is way too commercialized and over priced!!